Hollow Future

Kisuke's raised eyebrows might become a permanent feature. Ichigo should not know about the bankai dummies. Isshin wasn't aware of them, and Yoruichi wouldn't speak as a cat.

Not to mention the way the hollow had manifested, a broken mask covering his right eye, a chain linking one arm to Ichigo's and looking like a pale copy of a teenaged version of the child.

He had ignored them, used shunpo in a way Urahara had only seen Yoruichi do, all to save the twins.

The panic when Ichigo had been unable to breathe had been genuine, as far as Kisuke could tell. And the fact he'd yelled for Isshin was definitely Ichigo's desire for his remaining parent to help.

Which, quite frankly, did not mesh with what he knew about the hollow that poisoned Masaki, or the hollowfication of Shinji and the others.

"Well?" Shinji broke the silence.

"He'll live, he just used to much power and couldn't control it." Isshin sighed as the twins cuddled close to their big brother. "I'll start him on exercises, what he's been doing is basically pulling it in, it's not actually controlling it." It's a good try, though, for not knowing how to manipulate reiatsu correctly.

"... I think we'll take that zanpakuto up on using the dummy."

"It's hollowfied." Shinji objected.

"It also ignored us and rescued the twins. It called for help for Kurosaki-kun. I want answers."

"So do I." Isshin was years out of practice, but the glare he sent to Tessai who was looking down from opening, was a good reminder that the man had been a captain once. "We'll be back when Ichigo's up to it. I'm taking my kids home now. After I have a chat with Tessai."

"Of course!"

Kisuke will have the night to come up with Theories as well as make up the dummy.

It's a risk doing it this way, but the next day Kisuke doesn't even get a chance to explain as Ichigo tosses the cord to Isshin and stabs the dummy with the keychain. It quickly forms the same figure as before.

"Fuck, that's weird." The figure flexes his fingers. "You okay, prince?"

"I'm fine." Ichigo smiled.

"Great." The creature turned its gaze on Kisuke.

The shunpo is exactly like Yoruichi's, and Kisuke doesn't have time to dodge before it plants an elbow in his face.

"You fucking bastard! You screwed up!" It snarls, "'Time travel Ichigo! Best way to beat Fucking Aizen and the Damned Vandenreich Ichigo! The risks are pretty steep even with the royal guard!' King didn't even make it back, you-"

Kisuke felt lightheaded as the zanpakuto shook him. It was hard to tell if it was the hit accompanied by shaking, or the words that were being said that a child and therefore his zanpakuto spirit shouldn't know.

"Zan! He can't answer if you're shaking him!" Ichigo tugged at the spirit's hands, standing on the table in order to reach.

"He messed up!" The zanpakuto stopped shaking him, looking at the child as if he was the mature one. "I want him punished!"

Shinji, the traitor, was laughing now. Kisuke wondered what sort of picture the three of them made.

"How about you tell us what he messed up, then we'll figure out a suitable punishment." Yoruichi entered, straightening her clothes.

"... tch, got bored of being a house pet?" The zanpakuto, 'Zan' as Ichigo called him snorted. "Fine, fifteen years or so in the future, the damn vandenreich Quincy invade and destroy the soul king. Soul Society has the bright idea of releasing Aizen, and we ended up fighting for the balance of the worlds cause the damn royal guard got themselves killed. Fucking Hat and clogs here," Zan shook Urahara again, despite Ichigo trying to pry his hands off, "had the brilliant idea of time travel 'cause the worlds were a fucking mess, and shoved king- Ichigo- back in time. Only just me made it, and we're too far back!"

"And your proof?" Yoruichi asked.

"King knew the damn fancy omnitsukido passwords you used, all I got is a name, Yushiro Sakimune Shihouin."

Yoruichi froze. Expression becoming fixed.

"Not like I care," The zanpakuto continued, glaring at Shinji, "but if King's friends get pulled into the crossfire he'll have to clean up your messes again, since even gramps got killed, and King was the best powerhouse you had."

"..." for a moment, Kisuke can't even breathe. "The Soutaicho died?" It's almost impossible to conceive. Even Shinji and Isshin are serious now. As furious as they all are with the leader of the gotei thirteen, the idea of the man not existing is like getting dunked in an ice bath. "The Quincy were wiped out, their leader-"

"Is getting stronger by the day, and you know it. Not yet, but we've got nine years give or take before he makes a move. Aizen should be your concern." 'Zan' growled, finally letting Ichigo pull his hands away. "Got a few years, though."

"And how do you know that? What if coming back in time changed his interest?" Yoruichi asked.

The zanpakuto looked at her. "It's Aizen." He said, as if she was being dense.

"Yes and he's not to be underestimated, I'm sure you know." Shinji stiffened as that caused the zanpakuto to laugh in a hysterical cackle.

"Shinji ... It's just Aizen." The zanpakuto laughed again, and Ichigo tugged him down to be closer. "They're just the same Prince, running in fuckin' circles the instant he's mentioned."

"Zan ... you shouldn't insult them." Ichigo sighed.

"... Prince, you should not be defending them, or even liking them." Zan grumbled, before suddenly refocusing on Shinji. "By the way, Shinji, do you know if it's normal to talk to your zanpakuto without meditatin'?"

"... It's rare, but not impossible." Shinji replied, one eyebrow raised. "You and Ichigo can do that?"

"Yeah, it's handy, but ..." Zan paused, looking down at Ichigo. "There's somethings he should hear from others, not me. Things are leaking, future wasn't that pleasant... he's a little too young for that."

Ichigo just tilted his head a little, still frowning, "I'll check on Karin and Yuzu, anything else?"

"Actually, yeah, that thing you felt before? Go get it, it's an ally we'll want later."

Ichigo nodded and walked out.

"There's no one else here."

"Eh, you could say that. You got an illegal gikon hiding with the rest. Not that you're a stranger to that whole bit." Zan sighed. "The one time King actually needed you, you screwed it up. You owe him, Urahara Kisuke, everyone else here made it up for using him, you haven't."

"You think you can take on the world?" Yoruichi asked amused.

"Who cares about the world? I just got to get prince strong enough to make sure you bastards don't manipulate him again, he might've forgiven you all those times you withheld information or dumped him into situations without giving him more valuable info like where the entrance to the damn sewers of the gotei 13 so he could actually use fucking stealth instead of a cannonball, but I won't!" Zan hissed at her. "He cared about you idiots, there was a damn tsunami when Hiyori died, and that shorty kept picking fights with him."

"Hiyori died?" Shinji asked sharply.

"Chopped in half by Aizen. Shorty never learned to pick her battles. We only found pieces of Love and Rose ... you all died." Zan looked away. "I can't- I need him, let me go."

Isshin dropped the cord despite Shinji yelling for him to not.

"Isshin, what the hell?"

"We can ask more later, he's not going anywhere, and I've got my answer." Isshin informed them. "I don't want Ichigo having nightmares of a war."

There's plenty of time to get answers, and once Isshin got past the hollow-like exterior, that hollowfied zanpakuto was a scared kid; furious at the ones he blamed, and desperate to keep it together.

"Time to go? What did you say to Zan to make him upset?" Ichigo pokes his head in, frowning at them.

Isshin smiles. "Don't worry, we'll make it up to him, you found what you were looking for?"

"Zan says he'd make a good substitute for you if you need it." Ichigo held a single gikon. "We'll have to get it a temporary body to make a deal, though."

"Alright, does Zan have an idea?"

"Stuffed animal should work, he says." Ichigo frowns up at Yoruichi. "Can you stop wearing that collar? You feel weird with it, even Tatsuki noticed, and she's not like me."

"No problem, that thing's itchy." Yoruichi smiled, a hand stroking Ichigo's hair. "You knew from the beginning I wasn't what I seemed, I take it?"

"... Zan slipped up when he saw you. You were hurt and transformed to get away. I don't think you made it." Ichigo informed her, and Yoruichi gave him a wry smile. "What do you want for dinner?"

Yoruichi perked up. "Ooh, I want tuna!"

"Okay, we have that."

She picked up Ichigo in a bear hug. "I'm keeping you, kid."

"Le'go!" Ichigo squirmed. "Dad! Help!"

Kisuke watched in amusement as Yoruichi walked out with Isshin and Ichigo.

"So, time travel." Shinji spoke up after they left. "A lot of people died, and our best bet is a traumatized zanpakuto that laughs at us."

"I'm going to get some tea." Kisuke decided. "According to the zanpakuto, we have time."

"I certainly hope so." Shinji scowled. "'Just Aizen', what the hell did he mean?"

(It would be a few years before Shinji got his answer.

By then, Shinji didn't even care.)