The doors to the massive column carrying squad zero open allowing the light and spirit energy of the royal dimension to flood in. The atmosphere feels calm, regal and serene as if nothing bad ever has or will happen here. Before them spans a large platform that has fourteen pillars flanking the pathway up to a grand staircase. Floating ahead of them five floating cities levitate in a pentagonal formation along a large central tower in the shape of a spinning buddhist wheel. "Welcome to the soul king's palace, Kurosaki Ichigo." Ichibei says as he walks out ahead of the group leading them through the main fourier of the open palace. "From up here we can watch over the whole of soul society and we govern the cities you see around you. Our tasks in our own cities, I write the names of every soul born and reborn into this world, Oetsu forges the swords new soul reapers will be given and I write those names onto those souls. Senjumaru creates the robes, Kirio breathes life and Tenjiro brews their blood."

"What will I do then?" Ichigo asks as they make their way up a massive staircase that seems to reach on for miles into the air.

"You will guard the souls who are to be reborn, and protect the ones who were reincarnated." Ichibei answers as they continue up the staircase. Ichibei extends a hand towards the outer cities and then to the soul society below them. "You are now a captain of squad zero, you will be known as the Divine general of soul society. I am the leader of our squad and the divine general of the royal dimension. Senjumaru is the north general, Kirio the south, Oetsu the west and Tenjiro the east. Genryusai is the Captain General of the 13 court guard squads, and you report to both me and to him."

"Makes sense, is there an oath or something I need to take?" Ichigo asks as they get to the top of the grand staircase. "Also, I don't want to be rude by asking this but do we get paid? I have a kid on the way and all."

"Of course, you will be well compensated for your duties in squad zero. I will also allow you to choose the name of your child's zanpakuto as her name has already been written." Ichibei responds as he leads the group to a platform.

"The hell is this thing?" Ichigo asks as they step onto a black basalt like stone pedestal, he reaches down to feel the strange stone but as his hand touches the stone the entire squad is suddenly swallowed by a massive fireball and launched into the stratosphere heading to the central tower.

The fireball transporting squad zero to the main palace of the soul king slams into another one of the pedestals before dissipating into smoke. As the smoke clears, Oetsu does a head count and looks around before noticing that Ichigo isn't there, "Uh... did we lose carrot top?" He asks before a sudden flash of bright white light behind him reveals Ichigo. "Oh hey! There you are carrot cake! How was that for an entrance?" He asks but Ichigo just dusts himself off from abruptly being set on fire.

"You know I can teleport now right?" He asks, causing the members of the squad to sweatdrop at this statement.

"Well there goes my fun, I wanted to mess with you a bit since you're the first one of those clods actually worth a damn." Tenjiro says as he sticks a long cigarette into his mouth. Ichibei cringes slightly when the brash captain says this and the creator of the healing demon springs quickly regrets his statement.

"You better not be including the queen in that statement. Tanjuro." The hollowfied voice of White escapes Ichigo's lips. Half of the hybrid's face had mutated with long gnarled hollow teeth leading up the length of his jaw. Three more irises and pupils appeared in his left eye and all turned the sickly gold color. (Note, Tanjuro means Charcoal or burnt wood). The power that Ichigo is letting out startled Ichibei slightly seeing as he's the only one capable of sensing Ichigo's power.

"What did you say?!" Tenjiro growls as he gets in Ichigo's face, undisturbed by the grotesque hollowfication taking place.

"You heard me, Tanjuro. But I think a better name would be Dumbass." White says as he headbutts Tenjiro for getting in his face. Before the two can start fighting each other however, three hard taps from Ichibei's staff silences the two of them.

"Enough." Ichibei says sternly. "Kurosaki Ichigo I understand that you are young but do remember that he has eons of experience and seniority over you. Tenjiro you are foolish to insult a man's wife to his face. Now enough with the petty squabbles. We are here to inscribe the oken onto your bones and to seal your power to the royal dimension seal. It is far greater than the Gentei Rein, and your power when sealed will be equal to the head captain. However, since you are going to be the only member of our squad in soul society, your bankai will not be sealed."

"This sounds like it is going to be painful." Ichigo says as he regains control from his hollow again. "Am I going to have a release command to unbind my powers?"

"No, your power will only be able to be released by us. You will be able to access the power you used to defeat Aizen but anything greater than that threatens to shake the realms apart. Your unbound power alone is enough to cause tremors with each step you take." Senjumaru responds. "I ask that you remain perfectly still for this Kurosaki Ichigo, this process is not for the faint of heart." Swallowing a bit of anxiety, Ichigo is led to an altar in front of the throneroom to the soul king. He kneels on a large ruby on the floor and removes the top portion of his robes allowing them to begin.

In the seireitei.

"Gentlemen, I call to order this meeting of the Shinigami Men's Association." Isshin begins, seated at the head of a large table in the squad 10 captain's office. "As you all are aware, my son is getting married to my lovely third daughter Rukia-chan and it is up to us to throw him the best bachelor's party that soul society has ever seen. I am open to suggestions." He says, around him several of the lieutenants, and seated officers from the other squads have gathered to attend this meeting.

"This is Kurosaki we're talking about. He's gonna want a good fight and some good food. I think we should start with an all out mosh pit against a crap ton of hollows then hold a tournament against each other." The first to speak up is the bald 3rd seat of squad 11, Ikkaku Madarame. "Get that quincy friend of his to bring in some hollow bait and we'll have some real fun."

"We should get Rangiku, Halibel and Yoruichi to put on a little show for him. It's the least they could do for the hero of the soul society." Shuhei adds as Isshin writes down each of the suggestions.

"I don't think it would be very easy to convince Tier Halibel to do anything of that sort." Starrk pipes up as he takes an exaggerated sip from a cup of Sake. "You might have a better chance convincing Mila Rose to do it but not her. What do you have in mind anyway?"

"The classing strippers in a giant cake bit." Shuhei asks, causing a chorus of affirmative murmurs to wash over the other men in the room.

"Yoruichi might do it for free just to tease Ichigo, Rangiku, Halibel or anyone else for that matter may take a bit of persuasion." Kisuke pipes up. "However, Rukia cannot ever find out about this, she will skin all of us alive."

"Agreed." They say in unison as Isshin veins writing down these ideas.

"If we're having a slug fest, we're gonna need music." Kenpachi speaks up for the first time since the meeting started. "None of that classical shit you listen to Shunsui. It has to be something appropriate for our final battle."

"You are not fighting Kurosaki to the death as a part of his bachelor party." Shunsui scolds, "If anything it's far more likely that you wouldn't survive that battle."

"All the more reason to fight him. The brat's a member of squad zero now, we need to put him to the test. Allegedly he's even stronger than the soul king." Kenpachi says as he puts his feet up on the table. "I'd actually have a real challenge."

"Fine. You get thirty minutes." Shunsui reluctantly agrees. "For the rest of us of sane mind, we're gonna take a betting pool on how long Kenpachi lasts in that fight. Winner gets a year's pay up front and double salary for the next two years."

"I give him eleven seconds." Shuhei says causing Ikakku and Kenpachi to both give him an evil look. "What? Kurosaki stole all of Aizen's power and is carrying around Kyoka Suigetsu. Eleven seconds is generous, cause that's assuming he isn't gonna use it."

"I'll give it ten minutes. Or however long it takes for Ichigo to release his shikai." Isshin adds, causing Kenpachi to grumble. "Oh don't get all pissy about it you big baby, none of us here would last even two seconds against someone on his level. There are only two people able to sense his spiritual pressure and that's Rukia and the leader of squad zero Ichibei Hyosubei. Saying you'd last ten minutes against someone that is equal to or even stronger than the soul king himself is a compliment."

Kenpachi doesn't see it this way however, instead he draws his chipped and serrated zanpakuto from its sheath and lunges across the table at Isshin and Shuhei. The other shinigami flash steps away from the Kenpachi as he bashes his blade hard against the table, completely obliterating it and the entire room.

This scene change is brought to you by pregnant chibi Rukia eating mustard covered strawberries while Hisana and Byakuya watch in horror.

"Welcome to Hooden Forge, Kurosaki Ichigo!" Oetsu says in a singing-like voice. "Here is where I will forge you your new blade. The True Zangetsu." He says as he walks through the forge itself allowing Ichigo to take in the atmosphere around him. "Let's get started! Everybody!"

Ichigo flexes his hand slightly, still reeling from the pain of the ritual to imbue his bones with the Oken. He looks up and gazes at the massive waterfalls that feed into the ancient forge, paying little mind to Oetsu getting dogpiled by his own bodyguards. The cobblestone pathway leading up to the pedestal where the forge sits. "This is where the zanpakuto are made?" Ichigo asks as he walks around the forge, taking in the spiritual pressure in the room feeling how different it is from the rest of the soul king's realm. He walks around the anterior of the room and sees a door that feels out of place, made of thatched straw and covering a hole in the wall. "What's this?"

"The home of the asauchi." Oetsu responds as he recovers from being beaten half to death by his own bodyguards. "Zanpakuto spirits that have yet to be forged into blades, yet to be born. The blade of your child is in that room, but she won't use it for a long time."

"Do you name them?" Ichigo asks as Oetsu slides the door open.

"That's Ichibei's job, but if you want to give the zanpakuto of your children their names then you may ask him." Oetsu says, "You need to retrieve yours from within there though." Ichigo remains quiet looking at the tall uniform humanoid figures standing in wait for the day they would be wielded.

Oetsu watches confused for a moment as hundreds of the asauchi within the room begin fusing together into two spirits that are walking towards the door. "Tensa Zangetsu..." Ichigo says calmly as the first figure jumps up to the doorway in front of them. The black half helmet mask of White Zangetsu emerges first from the cave, part of his face the ancient quincy king and the other being that of Ichigo himself with his mouth split by serrated hollow teeth up the left of his face. Oetsu looks down at the other asauchi as it jumps up to the door and exits the cave before standing beside Zangetsu. This one is male as well, or at least the left half of it is, the right half has long purple and silver hair, a single large breast, curved hourglass frame and large thigh on the right of its body. The left is muscular with a masculine face that Ichigo recognises very well, his long brown hair the same length as the other half. In his chest sits a semicircular hollow hole with a cross brace leading to the center of his chest and an empty small hole in the center of the larger one. His left shoulder is broad, pectoral refined with cut and toned muscles. "Aika Sosugetsu." Ichigo speaks the merged name of the fuzed zanpakuto.

"So, this is what happened to the infamous Sosuke Aizen. Hubris and evil incarnate." Oetsu says, looking at the fused body of Aizen and Kyoka Suigetsu.

"I am one with Aizen and Kyoka." Aika responds, in a female and male voice speaking in unison. "I am no longer either the blade nor the man, I am now a part of Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Well, I've never worked with two fused asauchi before." Oetsu says before snapping his fingers. "This'll be fun." He says with a grin as the forge girls get to work.