Changes. A constant in all of existence. They affect the lives of those they're about, those that're close by, and even those that had nothing to do with them. Changes that took place before you were born. Changes in how you dealt with things in the past. Changes that took place after a life-changing event. They all interconnect, altering the very Fate you once had, Kurosaki Ichigo.
Force of Souls is a Bleach fanfiction written by Kairomaru. Can be found on FanFiction.Net here
and Archive of Our Own here.
Force of Souls includes examples of:
- Adaptation Relationship Overhaul:
- In canon, Ichigo only got into a relationship with Orihime, and only after the main series was over. Here, he's in a polyamorous relationship with her and Tatsuki, with Rukia eventually joining in.
- Because Uryu's father knocks him out after he released the hollow bait, Uryu never forms a friendship under fire with Ichigo and his companions during the Substitute Shinigami arc.
- Related to the above, Ichigo only learns that he and Uryu are distant cousins during the "Everything But The Rain" arc, the exact distance is never established, here both are aware they are related through their respective mother and father.
- Adaptational Angst Downgrade: Ichigo and Rukia defeat Sora's Hollow before he can terrorize Orihime.
- Adaptational Badass:
- In canon, Tatsuki was a Muggle. Here, she gains Shinigami powers.
- Canon Ichigo only ever used Zanjutsu. Here, he's been learning Kido and Hakuda to supplement his combat techniques.
- Rangiku is the Tenth Division Captain, rather than a Lieutenant.
- Adaptational Early Appearance: Chad unlocks the power of his left arm during training to infiltrate Soul Society, far earlier than its canon debut in the Hueco Mundo arc.
- Adaptational Nice Guy: In canon, when Rukia told Ichigo that she was a Shinigami, he insulted her in response, causing her to use Bakudo #1: Sai on him. Here, he pours them both some tea and hears her out, even letting her demonstrate her job by using Konso on a Plus.
- Adaptational Intelligence: Rukia immediately picks up on the fact that Ichigo's Zanpakuto is just a giant fragile mass of Reishi, and buys him an Asauchi from Urahara Shoten so it can have a more durable form.
- Adaptational Superpower Change:
- Downplayed. Canon Orihime used her Shun Shun Rikka fairies to fight. Here, Shun Shun Rikka is her Zanpakuto instead, a singular spirit.
- Canon Ichigo had Zangetsu (斬月, literally Slaying Moon) as his Zanpakuto, a spirit who allowed him to use a Sword Beam and gave him a Super-Speed Bankai. His Zanpakuto here is known as Shingetsu (新月, literally New Moon, a spirit who grants him Gravity Master powers.
- Adaptational Wimp: Toshiro, due to being the lieutenant of tenth division rather than its captain.
- Adaptation Expansion: The manga never expanded on what determines where a soul is sent in Soul Society, hinting that it might well be random. Here, the better a person's karma, the closer they're placed to the Seireitei (and thus more peaceful and prosperous the area).
- Adapted Out: Certain canon elements are removed from this story.
- Ichigo performs Konso on this hospital Jibakurei before Don Kanonji can turn it into a Hollow.
- Instead of getting Kon, Ichigo gets a Mod Soul that's a better match for him.
- The Thousand Year Blood War will not be featured, as the Greek and Japanese Shinigami made sure that Yhwach was Dragged Off to Hell.
- Boxing Lessons for Superman: Seeing that Chad is struggling in his training, Kensei gives him a tutorial in how to properly circulate his Reiatsu through his body.
- Break the Scientist: It's been made fairly clear that Shun Shun Rikka is going to drive Urahara into a nervous breakdown trying to understand it.
- By the Power of Grayskull!:
- To unleash his Shikai, Ichigo shouts “Bring down the empty heavens, SHINGETSU!!!”
- Tatsuki has the simpler "Ignite, Mōsho!”
- Chekhov's Gun: Ichigo having sex with his girlfriends Orihime and Tatsuki in Chapter 1 turns out to have far-reaching consequences. Since it was after Ichigo became a Shinigami but before he learned to control his reiatsu, he, by complete accident, fucked enough reiatsu into them to turn his girlfriends into shinigamis as well.
- Cuddle Bug: As Rukia learns the first night she shares Ichigo's bed, he is prone to spooning with anyone who sleeps with him.
- Demoted to Extra: Uryu was one of the main characters in canon. Here, he remains a side character.
- Dies Differently in Adaptation: In canon, Grand Fisher is killed by Isshin during the Arrancar Arc. Here, Ichigo kills him after a hard-fought battle during his debut appearance, far earlier than in the source material.
- Didn't See That Coming:
- Rukia is dumbfounded when Orihime asks her if she is willing to pursue a romantic relationship with her, Ichigo, and Tatsuki after just one day of knowing them.
- Grand Fisher is used to crippling his prey's ability to fight back by probing their memories and taking the form of the person who is most precious to them. But when he used Masaki Kurosaki's form against Ichigo, it set off a Berserk Button that took the Hollow completely by surprise.
- Urahara was completely caught off guard seeing that Rukia had managed to regain her full power, in spite of her Gigai being made to drain her Reiatsu.
- Dirty Business: Urahara is uncomfortable with what he's doing to starve the Hogyoko, but he's dedicated himself to doing it in order to stop Aizen.
- Double Standard: Rape, Female on Female: Subverted, While Orihime's passive personality means that she doesn't complain when it happens, but her conversation with Shun Shun Rikka makes it clear that she hates Chizuru's constant groping of her and her admitting this alongside other things such as being treated as an idiot for her personality, despite being third in class, or slut-shammed for her figure is how she attains her shikai.
- Elemental Punch: Tatsuki's Zanpakuto, Mōsho, has a Shikai that turns her from a blade into a gauntlet and greaves set, giving her Playing with Fire melee attacks.
- Foreshadowing:
- To finish off Grand Fisher, Ichigo casts Kurohitsugi, albeit an imperfect one, in spite of the Hado supposedly being beyond his abilities, hinting at his Shikai ability.
- When Ichigo first meets his Zanpakuto, a new moon can be seen in the sky of his Inner World, hinting at the Zanpakuto's true name.
- Friends with Benefits: Kukaku and Yoruichi apparently had have a history as when Yoruichi asks if she should change back from her cat form, Kukaku replies that it would end with both of them sidetracked.
- Good Parents: Isshin, once the seal on his powers was broken, is quietly supportive of his son, and approves of him having Rukia as a mentor.
- Internal Reveal: Ichigo and Rukia come clean to Tatsuki and Orihime in Chapter 2 about what's been happening, as Ichigo doesn't want to lie to his girlfriends, and Rukia doesn't see any harm in letting those two know.
- Kissing Cousins: Kukaku becomes attracted to Ichigo just from his attractiveness and power, wanting to keep it within the family. She specifically notes that they are distant enough that it is not an issue genetically speaking.
- No Kill like Overkill: Ichigo finishes off Grand Fisher with a Kurohitsugi (albeit incomplete), a high-level kido supposedly beyond his abilities that is normally used for dealing with Vasto Lordes and other high-level Hollows.
- Playing with Fire: Tatsuki's Shikai is Mōsho, which is a fire-based ability.
- Point of Divergence:
- Going out regularly to train in the Shinigami Arts sees Ichigo and Rukia intercept Sora's Hollow before he can terrorize Orihime.
- Something has caused Rangiku Matsumoto to take Toshiro Hitsugaya's place as Captain of Tenth Division.
- Renji Abarai was taken in by a vassal house of the Kuchiki, changing their relationship from Childhood Friend Romance to Like Brother and Sister.
- While Hisana still passed away, she was able to bear Byakuya a son named Kōten which in turn gave the Kuchikis a better family dynamic.
- Because Ichigo and co don't become friends with Uryū, he doesn't show up to help save Rukia.
- Polyamory: When the story starts, Ichigo, Orihime, and Tatsuki are a polyamorous triad. Rukia eventually joins them, turning the polycule into a foursome. And there's hints of several more women being interested in joining up in the future.
- Power Incontinence: Ichigo's control over his Reiryoku was initially so abysmal that when he slept with his girlfriends that night, he literally passed on Shinigami powers into them.
- A Rare Sentence: When Yoruichi suggests Tatsuki have sex with Ichigo to help her relax for her training, the tomboy says something you definitely don't hear every day.Tatsuki: “A cat sensei is telling me to sleep with my boyfriend as part of my training…”
- Razor Wind: One of the first Hado techniques that Ichigo learns is Kaze Kiru, or Wind Slash.
- Relationship Upgrade: Rukia eventually joins Ichigo, Orihime, and Tatsuki in their relationship.
- Sexually Transmitted Superpowers: Ichigo literally (and accidentally) fucks Shinigami powers into Orihime and Tatsuki.
- Sink or Swim Mentor: In order to force Chad to unlock the power of his left arm, Kensei donned his Hollow mask and launched a Cero at the boy, forcing him to either successfully defend himself or die.
- Stating the Simple Solution: When Rukia tells Orihime and Tatsuki that sleeping in Ichigo's closet doesn't put her close enough to benefit from his ambient Reiryoku, Orihime suggests that she sleep closer to him.
- Stepford Smiler: Deconstructed. It's only by Orihime being honest about what she dislikes and no longer putting up this front that she can hear the name of her Zanpakuto, Shun Shun Rikka.
- Super-Empowering: Kisuke and Yoruichi make sure that Tatsuki and Orihime eat gikon to finish the process of unlocking their Shinigami powers.
- Throwing Off the Disability: With Orihime's Shin Shin Rikka, Kukaku manages to regain her lost arm.
