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mystillusionI am cross-posting this to my personal journal for my own records from the Fictionkind group, which was originally posted using the system's main account: codexspectra.
It is without a doubt the timeline as seen through Bleach occurred for me as it is portrayed for a good amount of it. The canon is familiar up until a point, though still there are a few distinct differences. A portion of these have been covered by another user's post regarding that particular timeline. I wanted to go into my own "deep dive," as it were with regards to my life and the source material of this world.
From here, a content warning for memory manipulation, death, non-consensual experimentation
As mentioned, there was a point in my youth while attending Genryuusai's Academy that I encountered Ulquoirra wandering around Soul Society. It should go without saying that I was capable of withstanding that incredible pressure because I, myself, have always had a large amount of spirit power. From what I've been able to recover, Ulquiorra had truly been the best thing to happen to me at any point of my existence. It opened up a completely different understanding which allowed me to have a better perspective in discovering the working's of the universe.
My conversations with Ulquiorra were insightful and, though I would not truly remember them, would eventually serve as the basis for my research into the dividing line between Hollow and Reaper.
I did, indeed, battle with Kirio Hikifune for a reason I'm still looking to uncover. It certainly occurred in my Lieutenancy under Shinji Hirako and prior to her promotion to Division Zero. It was likely a very narrow window during the time Ichibe Hoyosube was scouting her for membership to the ranks of Royal Guard.
He was indeed the one to erase my and Ulquiorra's memory of our time together. He "named" that timeframe and removed that name from us. The glasses created an anchor point in my memory and served no other purpose. I found them useful, at least, as a way to create a mask over what I had become as a result of Ichibe's actions. My emotions eroded over night to essentially nothing and I became what you see in canon: cold, calculating, manipulative.
It's a point of irony that I crush the glasses after my public betrayal of Soul Society. Not only was it destroying the image I built up over the years, but I was also destroying the very thing Ichibe had given me in hopes that I would stay within the bounds of Soul Society. But, with them fully destroyed, I no longer held any ties to that forsaken place. If only I had known that extra layer of it when it happened. I would have enjoyed that moment all the more.
I have been working on regaining these lost memories and emotions. The ideas of them exist, though they are far from concrete. I can play at some emotions but they are still so foreign to me that I haven't the faintest idea as to how they may be naturally produced. Irritation, pride, and somewhat love, I think, are ones I feel more closely to my original experiences.
There is one, however, thing Ichibe did not remove entirely: the brief time I physically spent in the Soul King's realm when he was dealing with Ulquiorra and me. I was capable of stealing a glance at the then Soul King. In that instance, I understood the situation. The emotions I had upon seeing that husk that the Soul Reapers of old had made him into were anger and disgust. These were not directed at the Soul King, himself, no. He was a victim of their hubris. My hatred was directed solely at Soul Society and the Royal Guard.
The King no longer ruled. The thing that he'd been made into simply performed the most minimal of tasks in relation to the life cycle. Which allowed Soul Reapers to swoop in and take charge of most everything else. Disgust and rage swelled within me.
I saw the empty heaven. That knowledge stayed with me even without the context of why it was I had been to that realm. Going back to Soul Society, with memory and emotion lost and a burning desire to fill the heavens with something substantial, I became worse than I would have been had Ulquiorra and I been left alone. You can all blame Ichibe for how the rest of the events played out.
Moving forward into my hollow experimentations. I initially hypothesized that by finding a way to safely embody both Hollow and Soul Reaper simultaneously, one could potentially be capable of filling the empty heavens. It could not simply be any soul that managed to cross that divide, of course. The individual would need enough spiritual power to survive the process, stabilize, and become the new lynchpin of existence.
I considered myself to be an ideal candidate. My strength and versatility were well beyond those of my peers save for Kisuke Urahara, whom I knew would eventually be a hindrance in my plans.
Of course, I did not test my research on myself considering the uncharted territory I was set on exploring. I required all data I could muster to find the most reliable method to achieving my goals. This led to the many unethical experiments I would conduct on the residents of Rukongai and my fellow Soul Reapers which would ultimately result in in the serendipitous birth of one Ichigo Kurosaki. Fortune had truly favored me. I did not plan for Isshin Shiba to arrive in the Living World. I did not plan for Masaki Kurosaki to arrive on the scene. I was merely overlooking my experiments with White. (I regret adding the self-destruction to White's hole.)
The fact Isshin came at all was a surprise. He was a relatively recent promotion into the Royal Guard. That Division typically stayed in their ivory tower, so it was a shock to see him coming around to investigate after the strange Hollow sighted in the area. His presence did intrigue me to see what would happen if White had managed to bite him, but instead of Isshin, White's attention had been drawn by Masaki and White's final act was infecting her.
I stress that everything that happened between those two after Masaki's brush with death from White's ability was purely between them. I did not manipulate them into getting together or marrying. They made their own decision. My presence stayed in the background, however, keeping an every watchful eye on the budding couple and family. I was simply happy they made the choices they did to birth their first child.
Once Ichigo had been born, I knew he would be the key to helping me achieve my goals. I knew I could use him as a model for what I should strive to become.
Prior to Ichigo, I had discovered the following: It was possible to "infect" Soul Reapers with a parasitic Hollow that would ultimately consume them. It was possible to erode the barrier between Soul Reaper and Hollow and the two could exist together though still separate, as was the case with Visored, in constant combat. One could remove a portion of a Hollow's mask to erode the same barrier and create Arrancar. The Arrancar were, perhaps, the closest I arrived at my desired conclusion. However, nothing had truly succeeded.
Thus, when Ichigo was born, I felt genuine pride and interest in his development. Ichigo was and is a true union of every way a soul can manifest in our world. I ensured that Hollow would leave Karakura alone for a good amount of time, only allowing Grand Fisher there when Ichigo was nine to have a gauge to where the boy's spirit power was at that point. There was never an intention for anyone to be harmed that day, but, alas, the best laid plans never go accordingly, do they? Still, I gained the intelligence I was after and called Grand Fisher back to Hueco Mundo.
As his power developed, there should have been no barriers in Ichiog's way. He should have been free to explore every bit of his power and master it. Yet, setbacks did occur that I could not have prevented as much as in the background I stayed. In response to those setbacks, I sent opponents who would push him to get stronger in a timeline suited to my needs to also be pushed beyond my then limitations. Rukia Kukichi was convenient for jumpstarting his development. Rescuing her continued to push him further in strength at an unprecedented speed. Orihime Inoue's capture allowed for the perfect mixture of escalating strengths he would need to conquer ultimately leading to his encounter with Ulquiorra.
...I did not anticipate what I believed to be Ulquiorra's demise. I expected that battle to end as every other battle with a strong opponent had up to that point: the opponent lives and Ichigo somehow makes an ally of them, reluctant or otherwise. Just as he had done to Ikkaku Madarame, Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
Let's move on.
Canon and I are misaligned in the proposed reason the Hougyouku ultimately "rejected" me. I did not desire to be like everyone else. My desire was tied directly to Ichigo and his progress upward as he became more in tune with his heritage. Without him to push me (due to his own subconscious wish), I essentially had no reason to continue. I could not truly transcend the limitations forced upon me without him. The gains I received from fusing with the jewel were not lost, rather they were compressed. This reverted my appearance back to its original state. Kyouka Suigetsu, however, did not return to a physical state, instead becoming an explicit part of my being. The spirit of my Zanpakutou and I were, essentially, made into one being. I, the conscious mind, and Kouka Suigetsu, the subconcious. This explains the less structured nature of the illusions I can create. I visualize a basic idea of what I want experienced and my subconscious fills in the rest. Another point: one does not need to see my sword to fall under the hypnosis. I only need to lay eyes on the target and desire them to be affected, and so they are.
At any rate, Kisuke seals me, I'm put to trial, and they give me a slap on the wrist of a sentence, if I'm honest. 10,000 years alone. 10,000 years to an immortal was a drop. However, I did not know the extent of my immortality. There was no way to test if it was conditional or if I could truly not die from any circumstance. I wouldn't find out for another two years.
From there, the war between Quincy and Soul Reapers began. Ichigo died in combat against Yhwach in a way that should have been prevented from the onset. I, in my utter rage, destroyed the bindings the courts believed actually did anything worthwhile in containing me. The only thing it could do was spare the souls above me from utter oblivion just from my existence in their space. The garments I wore allowed me free movement without disrupting the balance of souls further as well, so I made sure to keep them on. It would have made everything worse if I spilled the energy out as much as it was prone to.
In those moments, I swore vengeance for Ichigo who "died" too young.
Yhwach retreated before I arrived at the location. He waited in the shadows, ready for the Royal Guard to make his ascent home possible. And he would absorb what was left of his father. He could not escape me forever, though. I utlized the same loophole he did and followed him there. His ability of Almighty could not see through Kyouka Suigetsu, not really. Not at the level of existence I had become. With my illusions clouding the possibilities of the future, I gained the upper hand. In the end, I consumed Yhwach. He tried to absorb me into him, but I devoured him. I will note that the Right Hand, Left Hand, and Heart of the previous Soul King had all perished in the war.
Thus, I became the new Soul King. Finally. And as an empty victory. To keep to my idea of a proper Soul King, I play an active part in maintaining the cycle of life and death of my world. I oversee the creation of new souls as needed and, based on the abilities inherited from consuming Yhwach, and therefore the previous Soul King, I determine which souls reenter the life cycle. To describe it would be describing an instinct and I do not need to be near the soul to know if they're ready for the next life. I have gained a finer control over how much pressure I passively emitted at any given time, which allows me more freedom of movement and I can be an active part of the world I'm now meant to rule.
I would keep an eye on Kisuke. Given how close he was to Ichigo and being one of the last people to see him alive, I thought it would be good to stop in and keep the man company. After all, Ichigo was important to us both in different ways and immediately after the war, Kisuke went into a form of isolation.
I think I've gone on long enough, however, and will end my talk here.
codexspectra.It is without a doubt the timeline as seen through Bleach occurred for me as it is portrayed for a good amount of it. The canon is familiar up until a point, though still there are a few distinct differences. A portion of these have been covered by another user's post regarding that particular timeline. I wanted to go into my own "deep dive," as it were with regards to my life and the source material of this world.
From here, a content warning for memory manipulation, death, non-consensual experimentation
As mentioned, there was a point in my youth while attending Genryuusai's Academy that I encountered Ulquoirra wandering around Soul Society. It should go without saying that I was capable of withstanding that incredible pressure because I, myself, have always had a large amount of spirit power. From what I've been able to recover, Ulquiorra had truly been the best thing to happen to me at any point of my existence. It opened up a completely different understanding which allowed me to have a better perspective in discovering the working's of the universe.
My conversations with Ulquiorra were insightful and, though I would not truly remember them, would eventually serve as the basis for my research into the dividing line between Hollow and Reaper.
I did, indeed, battle with Kirio Hikifune for a reason I'm still looking to uncover. It certainly occurred in my Lieutenancy under Shinji Hirako and prior to her promotion to Division Zero. It was likely a very narrow window during the time Ichibe Hoyosube was scouting her for membership to the ranks of Royal Guard.
He was indeed the one to erase my and Ulquiorra's memory of our time together. He "named" that timeframe and removed that name from us. The glasses created an anchor point in my memory and served no other purpose. I found them useful, at least, as a way to create a mask over what I had become as a result of Ichibe's actions. My emotions eroded over night to essentially nothing and I became what you see in canon: cold, calculating, manipulative.
It's a point of irony that I crush the glasses after my public betrayal of Soul Society. Not only was it destroying the image I built up over the years, but I was also destroying the very thing Ichibe had given me in hopes that I would stay within the bounds of Soul Society. But, with them fully destroyed, I no longer held any ties to that forsaken place. If only I had known that extra layer of it when it happened. I would have enjoyed that moment all the more.
I have been working on regaining these lost memories and emotions. The ideas of them exist, though they are far from concrete. I can play at some emotions but they are still so foreign to me that I haven't the faintest idea as to how they may be naturally produced. Irritation, pride, and somewhat love, I think, are ones I feel more closely to my original experiences.
There is one, however, thing Ichibe did not remove entirely: the brief time I physically spent in the Soul King's realm when he was dealing with Ulquiorra and me. I was capable of stealing a glance at the then Soul King. In that instance, I understood the situation. The emotions I had upon seeing that husk that the Soul Reapers of old had made him into were anger and disgust. These were not directed at the Soul King, himself, no. He was a victim of their hubris. My hatred was directed solely at Soul Society and the Royal Guard.
The King no longer ruled. The thing that he'd been made into simply performed the most minimal of tasks in relation to the life cycle. Which allowed Soul Reapers to swoop in and take charge of most everything else. Disgust and rage swelled within me.
I saw the empty heaven. That knowledge stayed with me even without the context of why it was I had been to that realm. Going back to Soul Society, with memory and emotion lost and a burning desire to fill the heavens with something substantial, I became worse than I would have been had Ulquiorra and I been left alone. You can all blame Ichibe for how the rest of the events played out.
Moving forward into my hollow experimentations. I initially hypothesized that by finding a way to safely embody both Hollow and Soul Reaper simultaneously, one could potentially be capable of filling the empty heavens. It could not simply be any soul that managed to cross that divide, of course. The individual would need enough spiritual power to survive the process, stabilize, and become the new lynchpin of existence.
I considered myself to be an ideal candidate. My strength and versatility were well beyond those of my peers save for Kisuke Urahara, whom I knew would eventually be a hindrance in my plans.
Of course, I did not test my research on myself considering the uncharted territory I was set on exploring. I required all data I could muster to find the most reliable method to achieving my goals. This led to the many unethical experiments I would conduct on the residents of Rukongai and my fellow Soul Reapers which would ultimately result in in the serendipitous birth of one Ichigo Kurosaki. Fortune had truly favored me. I did not plan for Isshin Shiba to arrive in the Living World. I did not plan for Masaki Kurosaki to arrive on the scene. I was merely overlooking my experiments with White. (I regret adding the self-destruction to White's hole.)
The fact Isshin came at all was a surprise. He was a relatively recent promotion into the Royal Guard. That Division typically stayed in their ivory tower, so it was a shock to see him coming around to investigate after the strange Hollow sighted in the area. His presence did intrigue me to see what would happen if White had managed to bite him, but instead of Isshin, White's attention had been drawn by Masaki and White's final act was infecting her.
I stress that everything that happened between those two after Masaki's brush with death from White's ability was purely between them. I did not manipulate them into getting together or marrying. They made their own decision. My presence stayed in the background, however, keeping an every watchful eye on the budding couple and family. I was simply happy they made the choices they did to birth their first child.
Once Ichigo had been born, I knew he would be the key to helping me achieve my goals. I knew I could use him as a model for what I should strive to become.
Prior to Ichigo, I had discovered the following: It was possible to "infect" Soul Reapers with a parasitic Hollow that would ultimately consume them. It was possible to erode the barrier between Soul Reaper and Hollow and the two could exist together though still separate, as was the case with Visored, in constant combat. One could remove a portion of a Hollow's mask to erode the same barrier and create Arrancar. The Arrancar were, perhaps, the closest I arrived at my desired conclusion. However, nothing had truly succeeded.
Thus, when Ichigo was born, I felt genuine pride and interest in his development. Ichigo was and is a true union of every way a soul can manifest in our world. I ensured that Hollow would leave Karakura alone for a good amount of time, only allowing Grand Fisher there when Ichigo was nine to have a gauge to where the boy's spirit power was at that point. There was never an intention for anyone to be harmed that day, but, alas, the best laid plans never go accordingly, do they? Still, I gained the intelligence I was after and called Grand Fisher back to Hueco Mundo.
As his power developed, there should have been no barriers in Ichiog's way. He should have been free to explore every bit of his power and master it. Yet, setbacks did occur that I could not have prevented as much as in the background I stayed. In response to those setbacks, I sent opponents who would push him to get stronger in a timeline suited to my needs to also be pushed beyond my then limitations. Rukia Kukichi was convenient for jumpstarting his development. Rescuing her continued to push him further in strength at an unprecedented speed. Orihime Inoue's capture allowed for the perfect mixture of escalating strengths he would need to conquer ultimately leading to his encounter with Ulquiorra.
...I did not anticipate what I believed to be Ulquiorra's demise. I expected that battle to end as every other battle with a strong opponent had up to that point: the opponent lives and Ichigo somehow makes an ally of them, reluctant or otherwise. Just as he had done to Ikkaku Madarame, Kenpachi Zaraki, Byakuya Kuchiki, and Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez.
Let's move on.
Canon and I are misaligned in the proposed reason the Hougyouku ultimately "rejected" me. I did not desire to be like everyone else. My desire was tied directly to Ichigo and his progress upward as he became more in tune with his heritage. Without him to push me (due to his own subconscious wish), I essentially had no reason to continue. I could not truly transcend the limitations forced upon me without him. The gains I received from fusing with the jewel were not lost, rather they were compressed. This reverted my appearance back to its original state. Kyouka Suigetsu, however, did not return to a physical state, instead becoming an explicit part of my being. The spirit of my Zanpakutou and I were, essentially, made into one being. I, the conscious mind, and Kouka Suigetsu, the subconcious. This explains the less structured nature of the illusions I can create. I visualize a basic idea of what I want experienced and my subconscious fills in the rest. Another point: one does not need to see my sword to fall under the hypnosis. I only need to lay eyes on the target and desire them to be affected, and so they are.
At any rate, Kisuke seals me, I'm put to trial, and they give me a slap on the wrist of a sentence, if I'm honest. 10,000 years alone. 10,000 years to an immortal was a drop. However, I did not know the extent of my immortality. There was no way to test if it was conditional or if I could truly not die from any circumstance. I wouldn't find out for another two years.
From there, the war between Quincy and Soul Reapers began. Ichigo died in combat against Yhwach in a way that should have been prevented from the onset. I, in my utter rage, destroyed the bindings the courts believed actually did anything worthwhile in containing me. The only thing it could do was spare the souls above me from utter oblivion just from my existence in their space. The garments I wore allowed me free movement without disrupting the balance of souls further as well, so I made sure to keep them on. It would have made everything worse if I spilled the energy out as much as it was prone to.
In those moments, I swore vengeance for Ichigo who "died" too young.
Yhwach retreated before I arrived at the location. He waited in the shadows, ready for the Royal Guard to make his ascent home possible. And he would absorb what was left of his father. He could not escape me forever, though. I utlized the same loophole he did and followed him there. His ability of Almighty could not see through Kyouka Suigetsu, not really. Not at the level of existence I had become. With my illusions clouding the possibilities of the future, I gained the upper hand. In the end, I consumed Yhwach. He tried to absorb me into him, but I devoured him. I will note that the Right Hand, Left Hand, and Heart of the previous Soul King had all perished in the war.
Thus, I became the new Soul King. Finally. And as an empty victory. To keep to my idea of a proper Soul King, I play an active part in maintaining the cycle of life and death of my world. I oversee the creation of new souls as needed and, based on the abilities inherited from consuming Yhwach, and therefore the previous Soul King, I determine which souls reenter the life cycle. To describe it would be describing an instinct and I do not need to be near the soul to know if they're ready for the next life. I have gained a finer control over how much pressure I passively emitted at any given time, which allows me more freedom of movement and I can be an active part of the world I'm now meant to rule.
I would keep an eye on Kisuke. Given how close he was to Ichigo and being one of the last people to see him alive, I thought it would be good to stop in and keep the man company. After all, Ichigo was important to us both in different ways and immediately after the war, Kisuke went into a form of isolation.
I think I've gone on long enough, however, and will end my talk here.