“You probably noticed Ichigo’s all grouchy,” Isshin stated. “It’s not your fault. Not really anybody’s fault. He’s just going to be cranky for a while.”
“Because he can’t help Rukia with the Hollows anymore?” Yuzu’s hands twisted together, nervous and sad.
“Kind of, yeah.”
Karin’s eyes narrowed. “How long until you knock him out of it?”
“Eh… he’ll get himself out of it,” Isshin waved her worry off. “Though it could take a few days. Or weeks. Or… well, if it’s more than a month, I’ll figure something out.”
“A month?” Loki groaned along with the girls. “It hasn’t been a day, and he’s already impossible. A month? Have you felt his magic? It’s quiet-”
“Too quiet,” the twins chorused with him.
Yuzu giggled at his face. Karin rolled her eyes, then bent a scowl on her father. “Loki’s right. Ichigo’s a bonfire. Right now it’s all… buried. It’s kind of freaky.”
Isshin grinned.
“…Okay, now that’s freaky.”
“Ha! Not to worry, my darling daughters. Daddy has a plan-”
Karin tapped the toe of her sneakers on the clinic floor, tiny sparks of power crackling.
“Seriously. This is something your brother’s got to do himself.” Isshin looked over them all. “His powers are awake. He’s just got to find them.”
“Find them? You can’t lose the power in your own soul,” Loki objected. “Not without outside interference.”
“You can’t,” Isshin stated. “And I bet Ichigo’s sorcery works just fine. But a zanpakutou isn’t sorcery, kiddo. It’s alive. It’s got a mind of its own. And it wants to fight.”
Yuzu’s eyes widened, alarmed. Karin frowned, and looked a question at Loki.
Your guess is as good as mine… no. Wait. “It’s testing him?” Loki hazarded.
“A shinigami and his zanpakutou have to be partners,” Isshin nodded. “He’s got to want it.”
“Believe me, he does,” Loki said fervently. He would have expounded on that at length, if they had to put up with a month of Ichigo acting like a typical teenager he thought he might go mad….
But there was a rare stubborn look on Yuzu’s face, and instincts for self-preservation belatedly awoke. “Is something wrong?” he asked carefully.
“Every shinigami has a sword-spirit.” For once, Yuzu scowled at her father. “There’s someone in our family we’ve never even met?”
“Engetsu was hurt when I lost my powers.” Isshin gave her back look for serious look. “It would have hurt him more if I’d brought him out to meet you. But now… what do you think, partner?”
Shadows thickened, gathering into raven wings that unfurled to reveal a grinning man in purple robes, sword at his side and an odd ringed staff in his hand. “Kids!”
Karin blinked. Glared at her father. “Your sword’s a tengu?” She rolled her eyes at the ceiling. “Why am I not surprised?”
Crossover Queen's Creative Chaos 
I second Karin . . .
So Ichigo and Zangetsu are just experiencing typical early Shinigami and Zanpakuto relationship growing pains . . .
And why do I get the feeling that Ichigo is either not going to get that full month needed or just barely get it . . . through he does learn best under stress and the impeding mess with Rukia would be stressful enough . . .
Of course, they did have that plot line where King Fisher showed up . . . through Isshin might call dibs on that one . . .
Has she been gone long enough for the Soul Society to get curious? Or some other x-factor since we no longer have Uryuu holding the idiot ball to do the whole hollow bait thing that gets their attention . . .
Because that whole Hollow bait thing probably attracted a lot of attention from the Soul Society, especially when Rukia, who was already overdue to check-in, had neither called for back-up NOR reported what had happened. That would merit at least a wellness check since shinigami do sometimes lose to Hollows – and I know neither Byakuya nor Ukitake would accept KIA as an answer without investigating it first.
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*G* Ichigo’s an impatient sort. Though yes, Soul Society probably doesn’t show up that long after stuff is resolved.
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Ichigo is going to hear Zangetsu or Loki is going to knock their heads together until either it works or Ichigo is unconscious, just to stop the MOODINESS and BROODING.
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Sounds about right. *G*
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How long until Ichigo’s friends also start noticing and in some cases getting annoyed by his mood? Because while Orihime and Chad will probably take the changes with equamity and wait for Ichigo to confide in them (after letting him know they are here if he wants to talk), Uryuu and Tatsuki are probably going get annoyed and demanded to know what his problem is.
And the local trouble-makers probably should not bother him right now. He’s really not in the mood for their stupidity.
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>And the local trouble-makers probably should not bother him right now. He’s really not in the mood for their stupidity.
Thankfully they are in the mood. Eh, it’ll do the brats good.
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Yep!
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Should not, no. *EG*
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Question: Having more or less dropped Bleach after Soul Society Rescue arc turned into Namak, I’m not 100% sure on this, but I was under the impression a zanpakutou could not manifest outside their Shinigami’s inner world without external interference/assistance such as Muramasa’s power or the cheat device our favorite mad scientist cooked up.
So how’s Engetsu able to manifest?
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It takes outside interference like Urahara’s device to materialize a zanpakutou spirit against its will and without its own Shinigami’s skills kicking in. Shinigami can and do materialize their spirits to achieve bankai. But that takes a lot of time to learn, which Ichigo did not have.
Isshin, canon, has bankai. So he can materialize his spirit if he wants. 🙂
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Ah. That clears up so much. Thank you!
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