Downfall (fanfic)

Downfall by Shadowsforge is a Deconstruction Fic of Bleach

Shadowsforge has woven a masterfull deviation from canon Bleach: What if Sosuke Aizen— and, by extension, Gin Ichimaru and Kaname Tosen —are not, and never were, the villains. Not a unique AU, but it is rare that any be portrayed as well as this.

In fact, it is rare that fanfiction is as good as this, at all.

Instead of those previously mentioned three, a trio of powerful Soul Reapers whom nobody had suspected are the ones rising in rebellion. Several other changes are also present, such as canonically dead characters appearing alive and well, or living ones dead, and other characters— such as the Espada —holding different ranks from canon.

This story comes highly recommended. Has nothing to do with either the film regarding the end of the Nazi empire or the TV show.

Downfall provides examples of:
""Not a bit. [Baraggan] was pretty much the king of Hueco Mundo before showed up." "So...?” "He tried to kill her." "And...?" """
 * A Father to His Men: According to Momo, Aizen is this.
 * Affably Evil:  seems to be a genuinely kind woman, and   haven't changed much, personality-wise, from when they were in the Soul Society. They regret that they had to start a war. They're also advocating genocide, and are ruthless when something is in their way.
 * Almighty Janitor: "Yeah. The only reason [Nelliel] wasn’t the Segunda Espada was because Starrk hadn’t wanted the top position. Sometimes she forgot that."
 * Alternate Universe: The premise in general. Comes with toppings:
 * Alternate History
 * For Want of a Nail
 * Or, maybe, In Spite of a Nail. Depends on who you ask.
 * Either way, it's definitely Alternate Continuity.
 * Amusing Injuries: Inverted. sickness brings great anxiety and fear to Byakuya... but at its resolution people are chuckling about it.
 * This makes the later chapters all that more brutal in contrast.
 * Anguished Declaration of Love:, kind of. The actual moment is aborted by Aizen, of all people. fairs a bit better, but was still not resolved. Then It Got Worse, and war happened.
 * Anyone Can Die: Well, if can, you've got to wonder.
 * And we can now add and
 * Authority Equals Asskicking: Played with. Due to different leadership----the Espada are ranked according to their roles, not due to Reiatsu levels. Probably because the motives behind the traitors is different this time around.
 * Badass: Quite a few characters have already touched on this, but of special note, Unohana.
 * Beware the Nice Ones: So much so, in so many ways.
 * Nelliel,, rather dislikes fighting and seems deeply interested in evolving past her base Hollow instincts. She.
 * Starrk is just as laid back as he was in canon, which is how he got his rank as the . When Yammy tried to flash fry Lillynette, Starrk.
 * qualify. Evil or not.
 * Unohana's shikai command is interpreted by the author as "Bleed".
 * due to a different set of circumstances, qualifies more along the lines of Sociopathic Hero, heavy on the hero, lighter on the sociopathy. He admits it.
 * . Subverted because she's not really herself, but rather.
 * Beta Couple: Byakuya and ; Gin and Rangiku. Kyoraku/Nanao.
 * Heavily implied.
 * Black and Gray Morality: This is the general outlook most have of 's motives. The Reader gets a somewhat different perspective.
 * Boob Bite: "Gin, you bit my boob!"
 * "It was self-defense!"
 * Cannon Fodder: Rudobon's Exequias. They make no sound--not even when they're hurt or killed--and will keep coming at you until they're dealt a fatal injury.
 * Cannot Spit It Out: For starters: Toshiro, Momo, Renji, Kaien, Rukia, Nanao, and Shunsui. Honestly. You could even say the same for Nel and Nnoitra.
 * The Cavalry:
 * Chapter 17:
 * Chapter 20:
 * Celibate Hero: While it's not stated outright that he's absolutely celibate, Aizen had an perfectly reasonable opportunity to "comfort" a very distraught . He did not.
 * The Chains of Commanding:
 * Character Development: Several cases.
 * Kaname Tosen isn't nearly so bland as he was in canon.
 * Tosen still seems to hold a great capacity for anger, as shown when he went to town on.
 * Nnoitra's misogyny and inferiority complex are much reduced, He also knows the value of dodging now, which saves him from
 * Wonderweiss isn't retarded. It makes him all the more creepy.
 * Kenpachi apparently does have a serious side to him.
 * Curb Stomp Battle: Several, but one is notable for being a blatant Offscreen Moment of Awesome.

""She dies.""
 * Another one in chapter 20, which is again an Offscreen Moment of Awesome.

""I'll never... let you touch them!""
 * Deadpan Snarker: Tosen, when talking with Gin. Gin, in his head. Yenni, whenever.
 * Deconstruction Fic: Oh yeah.
 * Death From Above: Nanao's shikai works a bit like this.
 * Doomed New Clothes: Rangiku gets caught out at ground zero during the second battle of the Rukongaki while wearing a nice new yukata. She takes a moment to bemoan its impending fate.
 * Drop the Hammer: shikai is interpreted as an oversized maul with a spike on one end.
 * Dying Declaration of Love: Extraordinarily tragic. It takes for  to say it. It takes a  for  to say anything. And while it's not dying, it takes a psychopathic version of  for  to admit it.
 * Dying Moment of Awesome: She's bleeding out, has horrible burns, terrible internal injuries, and has undergone tremendous emotional and psychological stress. So what does do? She.

"Kisuke: "Love the pajamas, by the way." Yoruichi (who sleeps naked): "It's not as if you haven't seen this before. Or gotten up close and personal with it.""
 * Also, gets an epic one fighting... his own Bankai.
 * Friends with Benefits: What the relationship with Kisuke and Yoruichi seems to be..

": You're [only] a Soul Reaper. How are you able to do this?
 * Gambit Pileup: Good God. We have the main event, which is basically Yamamoto and Unohana trying to kill the other's side off. Amidst that, we have who all but outright states that he has plans of his own, and, who's been giving off bad juju. Then, we find out  also has plans involving , and they don't seem so kind, either.
 * Happily Married: Byakuya and
 * Hearing Voices: Every Arrancar, even Nelliel, hears whispers telling them things like "devour/kill/destroy".
 * Hold the Line: What, and their forces have to do.
 * Hollywood Tactics: Averted right and left. Formations and unit deployments are important, and there's a distinct feeling of overall strategy when both parties are planning their tactical approaches.
 * Horror Hunger: All hollows suffer from this. One of the big difference in this timeline seems to be that the Espada were largely chosen for their control of the hunger- and  has outright banned consumption of wholes. Some of her troops, however, sneak snacks when they don't think they'll be found out.
 * It Got Worse: Things snowball out of control after kills the off-duty Soul Reaper.
 * Chapter 18.
 * Chapter 20.
 * I Am Not Left-Handed: Apparently, is better at flash-step and kido than people thought.
 * Also, subverted by Kenpachi. He knows taking on Unohana is serious business, so he tosses away his eyepatch without preamble.
 * It's All My Fault :, again.
 * Loveable Sex Maniac : Kyoraku is less so (due to the timeline divergence). Also, Gin.
 * Gin and Rangiku probably fit this Trope mildly as a couple, by this point.
 * Justified, in Shunsui's case, in that doing the Lovable Sex Maniac routine in front of the Arrancar would only annoy them. And annoying Hollows is a bad thing.
 * Love Triangle: New ones, several revamped from different points of view . And even a new love rectangle . Namely:.
 * Lighter and Softer coupled with Darker and Edgier, it varies. In some ways it is more lighthearted--the Espada are noteably less militant due to 's influence. However, that makes any violence stand out all the more stark against the backdrop. You feel genuine sympathy for the slain Arrancar spies and root for the 'bad guys' during the chase when   is captured. Furthermore, it seems at first glance that  has taken a page out of Yamamoto's problem-solving guide. Her solution to the Shinigami-Hollow conflict?.
 * Up until  the biggest changes are characters being alive, or the 'villain' being more pleasant than in cannon. Thus, the sucker punch.
 * Mission Control: Nanao, with her shikai, a series of mirrors that can be moved at will to show her the battlefield.
 * And now Momo, too.
 * Moment Killer: Comedically enough, Aizen. Earns him the Yamato Nadeshiko version of a Death Glare from Momo.
 * Mon: It appears that not only can Unohana's shikai take the form of a flying manta creature with therapeutic stomach juices, but also a . Beware the Nice Ones.
 * Morality Chain: Rangiku for Gin, and he openly acknowledges it.
 * Not Himself: Yachiru grows concerned that instead of becoming excited for the coming war, Kenpachi becomes moody and withdrawn.
 * Pre-Mortem One-Liner: gives a very fitting one.
 * How? I had a poor upbringing."

""She dies.""
 * And now has one as well.


 * Out of Character: Averted, hard. All characters act realistically within canon constraints. Even with significantly altered circumstances, Aizen is Machiavellian, Unohana is technically a pacifist and Team Mom while she plots, Gin's a bit of a snake, Tosen's the straight man, Ukitake's an ideal commander, Kyoraku still moons after Nanao. The difference is new aspects added to these existing templates.
 * Only One Name: Averted with Kanisawa, the character seen briefly in canon. The author seems to have interpreted the name as a surname, and has given her the given name Moriko.
 * Not So Stoic: Byakuya's reaction to.
 * Tousen's reaction to
 * Red Herring: The Author keeps us guessing. 's motives are suspect, as her actions and motives don't match.
 * Roaring Rampage of Revenge: Renji after . Also, Byakuya when he learned Renji isn't just doing it for giggles.
 * Refuge in Audacity: As mentioned, Unohana takes on Kenpachi Zaraki as a complicated diversion. Then,, she fires off a kido spell. At herself.
 * Scope Snipe: Momo almost manages this through Nanao's shikai windows- as any kind of Kido can pass through. This leads to a tense and very fast-paced Sniper Duel while they attempt to hit each other with Kido.
 * Shapeshifting Squick:
 * Silk Hiding Steel: Unohana, not much changed in temperament or personality from canon, takes on Kenpachi Zaraki. As a tactical diversion.
 * Spared by the Adaptation / Death by Adaptation: At this point there's no telling who'll live to see the war's end...
 * Stealth Hi Bye: Wonderweiss is very good at this. He can even sneak up on Nnoitra, who is the best Arrancar at sensing reiatsu.
 * Stoic Spectacles: Judging from various character's descriptions of Aizen's appearance, he looks like his post-defection counterpart from canon. Except he kept the specs.
 * Straight Man and Wise Guy / Those Two Guys : Interestingly done with Gin and Tosen.
 * Surveillance as the Plot Demands, Magical Security Cam, and Sinister Surveillance, by various characters attached to the Hueco Mundo Intelligence unit.
 * Nanao's shikai is specifically designed to accomplish this. See Mission Control entry.
 * Technical Pacifist: Nel greatly dislikes fighting. She can throw down when push comes to shove.
 * The Nicknamer: Yachiru is a known quantity, but the new character Yenni Laiggs brings some interesting ones to the table.
 * Took a Level in Badass: Holy Christ,
 * Torture Always Works: Aversion justified by Aizen, when speaking to Yenni.

"Yenni:"'Beasts?' Where do you Soul Reapers get off? Every single damned one of you is so freaking arrogant." Aizen:"You prey on defenseless souls and Hollows weaker than yourselves." Yenni:"And so what? If you can fight back, you can. If you can't, too bad. Better than your Seireitei. If people don't have your bullcrap noble blood or a Soul Reaper's spiritual pressure, they get tossed out into the Rukon slums to rot. Yeah, we prey on souls. What do you do? You herd them away from your exclusive little club and pretend they don't exist. How, exactly, are you people any better than us?""
 * Tranquil Fury: Kaname Tosen, after.
 * Ultimate Showdown of Ultimate Destiny: Admit it. We all want to see Kenpachi versus Unohana.
 * Unskilled but Strong: Several experienced characters' take on Ichigo. They note that his power overshadows theirs at its highest points... but that power fluctuates wildly. At its low points it's barely more energy than a regular Whole.
 * UST: More and more, Aizen is acting a bit... unusually when it comes to . Gin Ichimaru even makes note of this.
 * Villainous BSOD: Nanao after
 * Villains Act, Heroes React: Played with. Just who happens to be the villain is up for serious debate. However, due to the nature of the threat from, there isn't a whole lot Soul Society can do without exposing themselves to greater danger.
 * It is implied that there is either a possible Bigger Bad, or a case of The Man Behind the Man - based on the repeated runarounds we've had, and different insights offered the readers from the many points of view. But it's more a general feeling or theme than foreshadow.
 * What Measure Is a Non-Human?: A question wrestled with by Aizen in regard to the Hollows. Quite possibly Momo and Toshiro as well, now that Aizen brought it up.
 * War Fic
 * War Is Hell: It is indeed.
 * What the Hell, Hero?: But who is the hero, one wonders.
 * Yenni calls out Aizen on how the Soul Society treats Wholes:
 * Yenni calls out Aizen on how the Soul Society treats Wholes:


 * She's got a point.
 * Zerg Rush: Exequias employ this tactic occasionally as skirmishers. Otherwise- as mentioned in the Hollywood Tactics entry, unrealistic tactics are usually avoided.