Matutine (adj)

Before the dawn.

Hello everyone here is the first chapter of the rewrite! I'm sorry it took so long but I'm still adjusting to my busy schedule (sheepishly rubs back of head and grins apologetically). Any way I hope you all enjoy this chapter!

Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo

X= Used to indicate change in perspective or timing/scenery.

Old man Zangetsu speaking.

Shiro speaking.

X

Kneeling on the harsh ground below him his head hung; fiery bangs shading his eyes from view, Ichigo closed his eyes and took a deep breath letting the smell of fire and smoke assault his nose as his hands clenched into fists. Slowly he opened his eyes taking in the devastating scenery in front of his eyes. The world was in pieces. Rubble and debris littered the ground as far as the eye could see, the broken shells of buildings stood alone in the early morning sun light glinting a harsh white colour that seemed to drain the world. Ichigo let out a sigh as he slowly rose from his kneeling position reaching out in front of him to firmly grasp Zangetsu's longer blade, the white cloth that wrapped around the handle a familiar comfort in his calloused hands. It steadied him as he swayed on his feet.

Ichigo let out a bitter laugh as he rose to a straightened position his muscles protesting the action. Ichigo surveyed the scenery once again, his face as impassive as stone, the thought slowly trickled into his head.

What if…?

No there was no way to change the past, too much had happened he thought bitterly recalling what had torn his life away with no fondness.

Soul Society had already been weakened by the full out war Aizen had raged on them which lasted three years. Three years full of torture, suffering and loss. Perhaps the causalities in the higher ranks hadn't been as bad, but souls had died by the dozen as Aizen's Espada rampaged throughout the three worlds, leaving chaos in their wake. It had only ended when Ichigo had finally defeated the mad man but only at the cost of his powers leaving him stranded in a sea of isolation as the world around him faded; the wold his friends and family were apart of and yet he was left to deal with the pain on his own; he was strong after all. Right?

Peace had reigned for a year before his life was thrown once again back into chaos by the arrival of Kugo Ginjo. Bringing yet again a new hope and at the same time the knowledge that this was a gamble, a risk he wasn't sure he was ready to take. It had all come to fruition and somehow Ichigo knew it would all turn out like this with the Full Bringers betraying him and Soul Society finding a way to give him back his powers. He had basked in the rush and presence of Zangetsu as his power exploded around him in a brilliant torrent of ebony, ivory, crimson and midnight blue. He may or may not have laughed a tinge crazily in feeling the power swell inside him. That was not the first night he had taken a life nor would it be his last indeed his hands were stained with the blood of far too many.

The Quincy invaded and brought with them only death and catastrophe. The first causality was the Head Captain's lieutenant; Chōjirō Sasakibe. The Head Captain was struck down when he confronted his age old enemy the Quincy king Juha Bach. Ichigo had raced there in an attempt to stop Juha but he too had been defeated and Zangetsu broken in his Bankai state. The world had come to a startling halt as Zangetsu's presence once again disappeared almost completely muted. Ichigo had almost collapsed at the feeling that once again overtook him; the overwhelming loneliness that left him gasping in fear and pain.

Everything seemed to rush forward from that point, the Zero squad arrived taking Renji, Rukia, Byakuya, and Ichigo to the Soul King's Palace where Ichigo struggled for days trying to understand how to regain Zangetsu. Finally he was sent home where he confronted Oyaji, it was all finally revealed and everything seemed to click into place. How one born of four races ended up in the storm that was Soul Society only made perfect sense; Aizen had seen it, and it seems that Soul Society had an inkling that power of that magnitude wasn't normal. From there Ichigo ascended to the Soul Palace and with the knowledge of his powers he forged Zangetsu anew. The ebony blades glinting in the light of the forge as steam rose up around them.

He had little time to train as the war below was already reaching a critical state, so like the "naïve" hero he was he rushed down only to be confronted with countless enemies and Uryuu's betrayal (which truly wasn't a betrayal). Juha had used Ichigo's decent from the Palace to journey above where he confronted the Soul King and proceeded to thrust his sword through the Soul King's center. Thus the three worlds began to crumble as the being who held them together faded. It was only with Jushiro's sacrifice that they were able to stop the destruction of all three worlds, though they could not stop all of the effects. Juha was sent hurtling down into Soul Society as Ukitake took his final breath letting the world's be saved if only temporarily.

Kisuke and Mayuri in a moment of foresight had installed a barrier to stop access to the human world; it was activated but not without the cost of Ururu, Jinta and Tessai's life. The gates between Hueco Mundo and Soul Society were permanently opened and Hollows as well as Arrancar came and went as they pleased causing even further chaos. The war raged for years Ichigo knew the final count was close to ten years, and yet still they kept fighting. They were overpowered in a two to one situation every time they seemed to take a step forward; infusing their Bankai with Hollow reaitsu or resurrecting the captains that had fallen. They were beaten down once again. In a moment of desperation Aizen was released from his prison cell in Mugen though it was confusing which side his loyalties truly laid on, he aided them as Ichigo continued to grow in power trying desperately to accumulate enough power to defeat Juha Bach.

Finally he had reached a point where he was in complete harmony with his powers, he knew who he was, what he stood for and there was no bond deeper than the bond between Zangetsu and Ichigo. He had stormed forward speeding over a land of desolation and destruction ready to put an end to the war that lasted far longer than a thousand years. Juha had laughed at Ichigo when he confronted him and continued to laugh as Ichigo sliced his sword clean through the Quincy King in a sideways arc. His power began to disperse into the atmosphere as he coughed up blood with a grisly smile upon his face as he lectured Ichigo about how he could have destroyed the world of fear, taunting Ichigo stating that Ichigo was the one who had lost in the end. Finally the light had dimmed in his eyes and the last of the Quincy vanished from existence.

That's when Aizen had seen the golden opportunity to kill Ichigo and assume his rightful position as King. Where once Aizen's power had transcended that of the Gods, Ichigo felt no challenge as he looked into Aizen's caramel brown eyes. Ichigo saw the attack for the farce it was, the man had no desire to see the dawn. The wind had echoed hollowly throughout the streets as they charged forward, it was over within a minute as Aizen took a step and faltered before turning to face Ichigo an eerie smile on his face. Maniacal laughter echoed throughout the silence as Aizen's body seemed to bubble and shift before lavender reaitsu gathered around the once Shinigami, Aizen fell backwards laughter still bubbling from his red stained lips. Leaving Ichigo to kneel in the dirt as the reality of the situation dawned on him.

His thoughts had always been on defeating Juha and saving his family and friends. While he may have succeeded in the first respect he had failed where it truly mattered. He was utterly alone, all the souls in Soul Society had been killed, some had fallen to the Hollows and some were never to rejoin the circle of Rebirth; their very souls had been destroyed. The Arrancar who had aided them during the war were all gone as well leaving only a few mindless Hollows who wandered confused throughout the ruins. The humans were safe but he had no life there anymore. He was far older both in mind and spirit than any human could understand much less help him. There was no place for him there.

No this world was a lost cause he had failed.

"Ichigo! You did not fail you gave it your all you are not at fault for the devastation that has befallen you." Old man Zangetsu spoke in a calm and soothing voice as his blissfully cool presence washed over him and he felt his body relax after being on guard for time too long.

"King why do ya always take the guilt on your shoulders Old man here is right if ya can believe in nothing else believe in us." Shiro spoke in his dual tone voice as his fiery aura gently surrounded Ichigo leaving his tired body feeling rejuvenated.

Ichigo gave a small nod of his head acknowledging what they had said and yet… he had failed, he couldn't protect them! The world was broken it would soon crumble without the Shinigami to maintain the balance. Why? Why couldn't he do anything to stop this? Why did they all have to die and leave him alone? What did he do to deserve this broken and tumultuous life filled with despair and sorrow?

Suddenly Ichigo felt wetness in the corners of his eyes. Hesitantly he reached up to wipe away the liquid only to find tears. No! He promised them he wouldn't cry! How could he shed tears for his family and friends when he had well and truly failed them; he had promised Oyaji that he would be strong for the rest of them. BUT THEY WERE GONE! WHAT DID HE HAVE TO BE STRONG FOR WHEN HIS REASONS FOR LIVING WERE ALL DEAD EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM!

Ichigo's power exploded out from him swirling in a rapid mixture of steel blue, scarlet, raven and alabaster that could only be likened to an atom bomb. The vary ground evaporated under his feet as he sunk to the earth the wind blowing fiercely, his long orange hair whipping in all directions as Ichigo's very body began to glow his eyes becoming two pools of vibrant light as the landscape began to disappear. The very moment Ichigo was living (if it could be called that) was being erased, the very laws of space and time ripped apart by Ichigo's own sheer loss, will and power. Ichigo let out a soul piercing cry as every single drop of his power exploded out from him like a supernova the size of the sun.

And then Ichigo knew no more as his conscious slowly faded to black the concerned voices of his Zanpaktou becoming distant in his mind as he thought of his family and friends one last time before succumbing to the darkness.

X

His whole body ached. What happened? The last thing Ichigo remembered was…

Suddenly Ichigo's eyes flew open as he recalled what had happened…what little he could understand? He had lost control of his power and his emotions; he remembered thinking about his family and friends with Zangetsu's distant voice in the background as his vision faded to black. Zangetsu! Ichigo's mind recalled his two Zanpaktou desperately searching his inner world for his two trusted companions.

"Relax Ichigo we are here though I'm not sure where "here" is." Ichigo felt his shoulders sag in relief knowing that his Zanpaktou were with him. He never wanted to feel that crushing loneliness again. His very world had tunneled in around him, and yet when they were together Ichigo felt like he had a wall of iron behind him silently supporting him and keeping him upright.

"Aw King don't get so sappy on us you know we'll always be here for ya." Ichigo could only nod his head trusting in their words whole heartedly as he surveyed the room he was resting in. Warm oak wood paneling made up the walls and provided a small sense of comfort to Ichigo compared to the white of cold stone walls. On the far side of the room a pair of shoji doors stood slightly open letting a flash of green seep in and a gentle breeze travel through the large room. The bed had soft blankets of cotton which took away the chill of the light breeze and left only a cozy warmth. Beside the bed resting against the wooden walls was Zangetsu in his sealed state, the ebony blade glowed softly in the mid-afternoon light which peaked through the shoji doors.

Ichigo's long flame coloured hair swirled lightly in the breeze his lengthy bangs shadowed his eyes as Ichigo took a deep breath tentatively trying to feel his reaitsu. Closing his eyes Ichigo let his reaitsu surround him; it was largely depleted leaving a set wariness in his bones as he slowly let small tendrils stretch out to feel the area around him. He needed to know where he was and what was happening.

He let out a quiet sigh of relief when he felt the presence of Soul Society rather than the empty nothingness he had come to know. Granted this Soul Society was…different it felt younger if he could describe it as anything. Suddenly the soft sound of footsteps appeared outside the other set of shoji doors.

Ichigo's eyes snapped open as he held his breath in tense anticipation. Slowly the shoji doors slid open inch by inch to reveal the person behind the light wooden frame. Ichigo let out a sharp breath at the visage that greeted him. Spiky raven hair stuck up untameably highlighting the wise grey eyes and carefree smile below. An ebony shihaksho swirled lightly in the breeze the lieutenant badge of the thirteenth glowing brightly in the gentle sunlight. The Shiba clan crest stood out boldly in black on his left arm as he finished opening the door.

"Oh you're awake Captain Unohana said you probably wouldn't be awake for a few more days what with your reaitsu being almost completely depleted."

Kaien Shiba spoke in a fast voice his eyes alight with sudden energy like a puppy released to run free. Ichigo stared at the Shiba head with mute shock as his mind tried to process what he was seeing. Kaien Shiba had died long ago killed by Aizen's treachery and yet here he stood in front of him alive and as exuberant as ever. There were very few explanations that seemed plausible ranging from it all being a dream to time travel and yet what other explanation was there?

Gently Ichigo reached out his reaitsu in the barest of caresses to feel for certain if this was really the Kaien Shiba and not an illusion like Kyoka Suigetsu was capable of producing. Ichigo's shoulders visibly relaxed once he had affirmed that this was indeed the thirteenth division's lieutenant; though Kaien showed no signs of feeling Ichigo's soft prodding.

X

Kaien quirked his eyebrow at Ichigo's peculiar actions but shrugged it off before studying the young man in front of him. Fiery orange hair cascaded down his back and his bangs gently shadowed soft chocolate eyes that were filled with sorrow, pain and a wisdom beyond years. His face (much like Kaien's own. They could be twins!) rested in an emotionless frown as he looked at Kaien with something akin to confusion. Pale skin seemed to glow unhealthily in the quiet sunlight as the man moved to sit up revealing a heavily scarred chest as the blankets slid down to pile at his waist. A visible shiver wracked the young man's frame and Kaien quickly sprung to action.

"There's no need to be in such a hurry you should rest Captain Unohana said you would probably be sore for a few more days not to mention you won't be up to your full strength."

Kaien spoke in a soothing voice as he moved closer to the orangette who flinched slightly at the mention of Unohana and not being up to full strength. Reluctant and tense he let Kaien help him move into a more comfortable position where he could see through the crack in the shoji doors. It led into a small garden full of lush greenery in the afternoon sun with a warm brown tiled path leading off into the distance. Kaien sheepishly rubbed the back of his head as he looked into the deep pools of chocolate before saying, "I never got your name?"

"Ichigo"

The swift reply in a deep voice with soft undertones that spoke of patience and strength, it was the voice one would perhaps expect from the leader of an army. One who could command men with only a single word, more powerful than yelling at the soldier; it reminded him of the Head Captain. Kaien smiled at Ichigo's name frowning for second as he acknowledged that the orangette had not given a last name. Kaien put his hand out in front of Ichigo and with a brilliant smile said, "I'm Kaien Shiba head of the Shiba Clan but you can call me Kaien or Lord Awesomeness."

A ghost of a smile danced across Ichigo's face as he reached out and gave Kaien's hand a firm shake before he said in pleasant tone of voice, "It is nice to meet you Kaien-san."

"I did not say Kaien-san was acceptable!"

Kaien said his voice rising slightly as a small flicker of light entered Ichigo's sorrowful eyes and Kaien smiled before looking around in fear hoping Kukkaku had not heard him. As she would surly hurt him for disturbing their guest or worse!

X

I hope everyone enjoyed the first chapter of the re-write! Did anyone catch the many subtext hint I left in there ;) PM or leave a review if you found any. I hope everyone enjoyed! Please leave a review and I will see you all in the next update!

Onyx!