Author's note: To expand on the summary, this story starts part way through the winter war. If you read the manga, you'll be happy to see that this story follows the manga fairly well. This story is Adventure before Romance. There will be romance but it will be more focused on the adventure aspect, there will also be comedy, hurt/comfort, drama and all the general thngs that make up a story. There will also be lemons. I'll give a warning to those of you who don't like lemons so that you can skip past it since it doesnt have much to do with the plot other than the fact that two characters did the dirty. There will be no Yaoi, there may be a little Yuri, I don't know yet but it will be Heterosexual pairings.

As for the main characters of the story. This story will center around close to everyone, most centered around Hisagi, Ukitake, Shunsui, Starrk/Lilynette, Ulqiorra, Ichigo, Komamura, Byakuya...etc, etc. Everyone is going to get a little bit of spot light. If you want to see more of your favourite character, let me know and I'll work more of that character into the story providing it doesn't interfere with the overall plot.

Again, for those of you who read the manga, this story starts off during the winter war and wil pretty much continue the story from there, albeit there are some minor changes regarding those who live and die. Yes, there will be character death, don't worry though, It won't be a slaughter.

I'll be refering to all the characters by their first names. For all the shinigami/humans, when their full name is written it ill be "last name, first name." Ie: Kurosaki Ichigo. All of the Hollow/Arrancar will be written "first name, last name." Ie: Barragan Luisenbarn. I'll provide a translation for any japanese/spanish I use that hasn't already been translated by the Manga/Anime.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo.

Speech

"This is regular speech. Notice the regular font and double quotations."

'This is someone thinking. Notice the italics and the single quotations.'

Any other questions feel free to ask.

Enjoy.

Hirako Shinji grimaced as he stared into the grinning confident face of his enemy. The air of superiority and arrogance that surrounded Aizen made him sick. If there was one thing that Shinji hated, it was when his enemy gave off an air of superiority. It seemed that Shinji's fury had only succeeded in making Aizen more confident of himself. As if he had somehow proved a point. Shinji took in a deep breath to calm himself, fighting with raw emotion was a recipe for defeat and Hiyori`s fate was proof of that. From Aizen`s taunting of their hollowification, to his laughter at Hiyori being nearly killed by Gin, to his speech on how only the weak placed trust in others had all served to stir up a clusterfuck of emotion in Shinji`s heart. Anger, sadness, regret, fear, shame and anxiety. He breathed in deeply again and focused on regulating his heartbeat.

With a couple more deep breaths Shinji stood up straighter and raised his zanpaktou in front of him. His mind raced with emotion but he suppressed them all so that he could battle with the utmost concentration. He nearly looked back to see how Hiyori was fairing in Hachi`s care but fought the urge. He had faith in Hachi and wouldn't`t allow the sight of Hiyori`s bleeding form to distract him. He took one final deep breath and flew at Aizen with his sword raised high. Aizen`s face remained unchanged as Shinji attacked him, his ever present grin unaffected by the ferocity of Shinji`s attack.

Shinji rose his zanpaktou again and struck down on Aizen who parried easily. Shinji continued to rain powerful brutish slashes down on Aizen`s sword. The other shinigami grinned as he held his blade horizontally to block each blow. Shinji smashed down on Aizen`s blade pushing him further and further back through the air, he changed his direction of attack and began to strike down viciously from various angles. Aizen continuously blocked the attacks with little effort. This interaction progressed for a few minutes before Aizen sighed with boredom and shunpo`d behind Shinji.

Aizen stabbed forward to pierce Shinji`s back but the vizard flickered out of sight. As Shinji`s shunpo positioned him to Aizen`s side he slashed out at the shinigami`s waist. Aizen shunpo`d again and attacked Shinji from above. Shinji locked his blade with Aizen`s and with a grunt, forced his opponent backward. Before Aizen could strike back Shinji pounced on him with the same aggressive brutish slashes. It seemed as if Shinji was attempting to break Aizen`s arm with the most powerful strikes he could muster.

Aizen`s smirk receded slightly in annoyance from the assault. He parried another blow and thrust his blade towards Shinji`s chest. Just before Kyoka Suigetsu pierced Shinji the vizard spun swiftly around the blade. He came around with his sword arm raised and slashed down diagonally. Aizen raised his hand and caught the blade in his palm. He winced slightly as the blade cut into his palm.

"Pat yourself on the back Shinji. Your blade managed to cut me." Aizen said coolly as thrust the blade away from himself.

"Don't be so cocky Aizen. My next cut will cleave through you much easier." Shinji said with a wide smile.

Shinji rushed forward and slashed at Aizen's waist. Aizen deflected the strike and slashed back. Shinji blocked the attack and pushed forward. His blade skidded down Aizen's showering sparks down on the fake town below. Just as his blade reached the hilt of Aizen's, Shinji reversed his grip on the blade and stabbed at Aizen's chest. Aizen shunpo'd away from the blade and came back at Shinji with a diagonal slash. Shinji blocked the slash, still holding his blade in a reverse grip, and stabbed out at Aizen once more. Aizen turned to the side to avoid the stab and ran his blade up Shinji's. Shinji lifted his arm and stopped the slash with the hand guard of his katana.

He shunpo'd away and attacked Aizen from behind who blocked the attack. Shinji attacked Aizen again as he did before with ferocious strikes. As Aizen effortlessly defended from the brutish attacks his opponent smiled in a way only Hirako Shinji could. With a quick burst Shinji's fighting style changed drastically. His brutish powerful strikes became precise elegant slashes that roared with pure finesse. Aizen fumbled to protect himself from Shinji's improved style.

Aizen shunpo'd away from Shinji's assault and struck back with a diagonal slash. Shinji riposted the slash and cut Aizen horizontally across his ribs. Aizen floated backwards with a shocked expression as blood spewed from his midsection.

Shinji smiled and brought his blade to his left side and blocked locked swords with a new attacked. Aizen's bleeding body fell limply towards the streets of Karakura town and melted away into the wind. The real Aizen stood to Shinji's left pressing his blade against Shinji.

"Good reflexes Shinji." Aizen said with a patronizing tone.

"My reflexes have nothing to do with it." Shinji replied. "Did you really think I wouldn't recognize your Shikai when I saw it?"

"Don't bluff Hirako." Aizen said. "No one can see through Kyoka Suigetsu's illusion. It's perfect.

"I wouldn't say perfect. Some would say your facade was perfect when you pretended to be loyal to Seireitei." Shinji said. "But I saw through that."

Shinji leaned in closer to his an Aizen's locked swords. He moved close to Aizen's face and looked straight into his eyes, once again smiling in that way only Hirako Shinji could.

"Let's find out together. Whether or not your Kyoka Suigetsu really is perfect or not."

Tousen quickly moved through the air avoiding the massive attacks of his old friend. He jumped to the side, ducked underneath, jumped overtop and blocked the strikes of the colossal Bankai. All of his senses worked in tandem to detect the next attack. As Komamura's Bankai slashed down at him, Tousen could hear the blade whistling through the air, he could feel the wind generated from the wind, he could smell the steel nearing him, he could taste the metal in the air. ANd most importantly, he could sense the density of the reiatsu that saturated the blade. He raised his own Zanpaktou horizontally and blocked the strike. He was nearly launched to the ground by the force of the blow. He condensed the spiritual energy under his feet to properly ground him. His knees bent slightly under the pressure but he managed to push the massive weapon back.

"Smash his limbs: Suzumushi Nishiki" Tousen said as he activated his Shikai.

Suzumush vibrated as he waved it in a line in front of him. As his blade moved through the air it left numerous blades behind. With another wave those blades shot forwards at Komamura. The sound of his blades hitting metal rang through his ears and informed him that Komamura used his Bankai to block the attack. He felt the giant blade coming at him from his left and jumped over the strike.

Not wanting to prolong the battle any more Tousen surged forward to go on the offensive. With the power of his hollow mask and his active Shikai Tousen closed the distance between himself and Komamura before his old friend could react. He brought his sword down towards Komamura's shoulder but was blocked. Tousen pushed down on Komamura's blade and could feel the Captain tremble to hold him before he pushed Tousen back forcibly. With Tosen's new hollow powers he was nearly equal with Komamura in terms of physical strength. But it seemed that with the power of his Bankai, Komamura was still a little stronger than Tousen... a little.

Tousen lifted his hand and blocked a punch from Komamura's Bankai. He was pushed through the air as he struggled to hold back the power of the giant. He was pushed back and smashed into the roof of a building. As he broke through the roof and descended to the next floor Tousen finally managed to stop the push of the massive fist. With his one hand holding back the fist of the giant Tousen charged a cero against the fist. He could feel the energy of the cero swirling around him before he unleashed the cero point blank into the Bankai. He rose from inside the building and felt the reiatsu of the Bankai. In his mind's eye he could see the crude shape of the Bankai, which was missing it's hand. He searched for Komamura's reiatsu but found it difficult to find him in the blanketing power of his Bankai.

With a shunpo he got closer to his opponent and could now discern Komamura's reiatsu from his Bankai. He shunpo'd again and attacked his friend again, locking blades with the large captain. As he pressed against Komamura's blade he could hear the rustling of the captain's pants, signifying that he was lifting his foot. He could feel the immense amount of reiatsu above him as the Bankai's foot came crashing down on both of the captains.

"Bakudou No. 8: Seki." Tousen exclaimed as he lifted his arm above him. A large orb of Kido appeared on the back of his wrist before the large foot stepped on him. He felt the clash of power as the Bankai tried to overwhelm the Kido spell. Tousen pushed more power into the spell and emerged the victor as Komamura's Bankai was pushed back. As the foot was blown back upwards Tousen could feel as Komamura was knocked off balance as well.

'Hmm, so just as your Bankai mirror's your movements, your forced to mirror your Bankai's movements eh?' Tousen thought. This was a weakness that Komamura had managed to hide from him.

Tousen shoved Komamura's blade out the way and slashed his old friend from his left shoulder down to his him. Tousen could smell the fresh blood that filled the air. He brought his blade down again, this time to deliver a killing blow. He was met with resistance though, as Komamura blocked the attack with what Tousen could only assume was his armguard.

Tousen could hear Komamura's blade drop to the ground, obviously needing his hand more than the blade at the moment. Before Tousen could do anything he was trapped in the tight grip of Komamura's Bankai. He grunted in pain from the crushing force of the hand. Luckily with his hollow mask he could endure it. If he wasn't using the mask he would probably be killed by the grip. He grunted louder as he was squeezed tighter, this time he felt bones cracking from the pressure. Tousen gathered his reiatsu and pushed back against the fingers of the giant.

"Cry: Suzumushi." Tousen stated as he activated one of his Shikai's abilities. The sound his sword unleashed vibrated through the giant and broke it's grip. Tousen quickly pushed his arms out and freed himself from the fist. But Komamura recovered from the cry of his Zanpaktou quickly and attempted to grip Tousen again. Tousen held his hands out and struggled to stop the Bankai from crushing him.

'Fuck.' Tousen thought as he struggled to stop the fist from closing on him again.

"Ye lord! Mask of blood and flesh..."

'Fuck!' Tousen screamed mentally as he recognized the incantation Komamura was reciting. Komamura wasn't the greatest at Kido but he could still do spells without incantation. But with Tousen's situation, Komamura had time to waste on the incantation to ensure the spell was at it's strongest.

"...flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of Man! Inferno and pandemonium, the sea barrier surges, march on to the South! Hadou no. 31! Shakkaho!!" Komamura screamed as he blasted Tousen point blank with a red ball of energy.

The explosion of power tore through Tousen's body. Tousen screamed in pain but with tremendous effort managed to hold the titan's fist back from crushing him. He panted heavily in pain from the attack and raised his head to face his friend as he struggled to hold the titan back. He could hear the scratch of metal on concrete as Komamura reached with his other hand and picked up his sword.

"Hadou no.1: Sho!" Tousen yelled and quickly pushed his hand in front of him.

Before the titans hand crushed him, his spell hit Komamura in the chest and pushed him backwards stumbling. The Bankai mirrored Komamura and had released Tousen.

Now free Tousen used shunpo and got right in Komamura's face, Suzumushi raised to cleave the fox captain in two.

Before his blade cut Komamura down Tousen heard Hisagi's voice.

"Bakudou no. 61: Rikijokoro!" Tousen felt six flat rectangles of Kido slam into his midsection and lock him in place.

"Your not dead yet?" Tousen asked his former lieutenant. "Why do you continue to fight? Your far to injured to prove useful."

"Because. After you defected. Komamura and I promised eachother that we would open your eyes! That we would show you what true justice is." Hisagi said.

Tousen laughed in response at Hisagi's naivet .

"But now I realize." Hisagi said, quieter than before. "That you've fallen to far to be saved."

"You were like a father to me. I looked up to you, I aspired to be more like you and to follow your philosophy. But I can see that your just a selfish coward. You asked me once, what I feared. And I told you what that was. And now, when it comes down to the final moment I asked you the same." Hisagi said panting. "And you said you feared dying a Shinigami?" Hisagi yelled. He breathed deeply to continue, his wounds were taxing his strength considerably. "That is true cowardice. You are to blind to realize what the true path is. What is right from wrong."

"How do you know what is right from wrong?" Tousen asked accusingly. "I have chosen the path that presents the least bloodshed. Aizen-sama will bring peace to the world."

"You think starting a war and attempting to destroy an entire town is an appropriate method of peace!?" Hisagi yelled. "Aizen as fooled you, and your own cowardice has allowed that to happen."

Tousen stood and said nothing, the kido was beginning to weaken with Hisagi and Tousen began to put his hands together.

"Do you remember when we all told you how ridiculous your spiked afro looked? And you decided to put your hair in dreads?" Hisagi asked with a slight laugh, remembering the funny occasion.

"What of it?" Tousen asked as his hands got closer together.

"You see, we were kind enough to tell a blind man how stupid his hair style looked. Aizen and Gin couldn't even tell you that your hollow mask looks like a fucking penis." Hisagi said with a laugh.

"..." Tousen had no words for his lieutenant

With convenient timing his hollow mask shattered as it reached it's limit. Only seconds after his mask broke, Hisagi's kido spell ended. Tousen lifted his blade in front of him and placed his hand on the ring of Suzumushi.

"Sorry to tell you. But I'm finished playing around." Tousen said as he pulled his apart with the ring of Suzumushi expanding. "Bankai."

'What does it matter?'

Starrk shot a myriad of cero at Love.

'What's the point?'

His cero were rendered useless as they were blocked by Love's giant cudgel Shikai. "That won't work on me!" He shouted.

'Only five of us are left.'

The buzz of his soindo sounded as he avoided the strike. He dashed behind Love but the vizard caught sight of him.

'Maybe not even five. Barragan looks done for. Who knows how Ulqiorra is doing.'

Love swung his giant cudgel around his shoulder. Stark turned his head as he watched the path the cudgel was taking. It was coming straight for him.

'Fuck it. I don't care.'

The cudgel smashed into Starrk with insane force and he was shot through a building and into the ground. He grunted in pain and discomfort on the rubble.

"Starrk!" He could hear Lilynette shouting at him.

"Starrk!" She screamed again. "Why are you just laying there? Aren't you going to avenge Barragan?"

"He's still alive." He responded lazily.

"Yea? And how much longer do you think he'll stay alive at this rate?"

"I don't care. The Espada are dropping like flies. There's nothing we can do about it." He said. "They're strong. I don't care anymore. If we keep fighting someone else will just die. It's obvious so it's better just to go home and sleep.

"Don't be an idiot! You're the primera. So ACT LIKE IT!" Lilynette screamed. "Aizen made you primere because he was confident in your abilities. And so far you haven't even been trying!"

Starrk had no reply.

"If you don't want your friends to die than you have to fight!"

Lilynette's words rang through his ears. She didn't need to say more, he didn't need anymore convincing to know what was right.

Starrk said nothing as he dashed back up into the sky. Love saw his approach and attacked him. Starrk crossed his arms and blocked the attack easily. They leapt back from one another and Love donned his mask. He spoke the name of the attack but Starrk wasn't listening, he just avoided it when the time came and positioned himself above the two vizard. He closed his eyes as fractions of his soul flew forth from the bandoliers on his arms. When he opened his eyes again he was looking down at the two vizard with a large pack of wolves attacking him. The two vizard put on their masks and Rose unleashed his Shikai.

They fought against his wolves with valiant effort but soon one neared each of them and an explosion rang out. He looked on as he saw both their figures jump out of the smoke. He could hear them speaking about his ability commenting on how his wolves were cero. They attempted to avoid his wolves but

"There you go! They'll be killed with that many wolves on them!" Lilynette cried in excitement, congratulating Starrk. He looked on as all the wolves gathered and had the two vizard completely covered.

'I don't want to kill them.' Starrk thought as the wolves exploded. His hair blew back forcefully from the shockwave of the explosion. When the smoke cleared the two vizard were kneeling in the air panting heavily. Their clothes were torn and their bodies were beaten and bloody.

"If you want to run I won't chase you." Starrk said as he floated down towards a building.

"Don't make me laugh." Love said as he spat blood.

"Fine. I guess it's just the way it has to be." Starrk sighed. He floated down to the building, just before he stepped onto the building he felt someone's reiatsu. His eyes looked for a threat as he stepped onto the building. A black blade Pierced his chest, he grunted in pain at the sudden attack.

'What the hell?' He thought.

He looked back as the black blade was pulled from his body. He turned and saw half of Kyouraku Shunsui emerging from the ground, Starrk's shadow dripped off of the captain's body like black water.

"You can hide in the shadows? That's ridiculous, you've been holding back that technique all this time?" Starrk asked.

"I wasn't holding back." Shunsui exclaimed. "Katen Kyokotsu's power is to make children's games reality. Everyone who steps in the boundaries of it's spiritual energy is forced to play by it's rules. Including me."

Starrk turned fully to face Shunsui.

"That was Kageoni. When playing Kageoni, whoever steps on a shadow loses. To win, is to live. To lose is to die." Shunsui flipped one of his large scimitar's upside down and held it in front of him. "I love my sword, but getting jerked around like this is a bitch." He said.

Starrk's eyes widened as he realized what was happening. Shunsui stabbed down into his own shadow and Starrk jumped quickly, narrowly avoiding the blade that emerged from his own shadow. Shunsui dashed after him and Starrk realized that he had dropped his guns when he was stabbed. He raised his right hand and gathered spirit particles in his hand, forming a sword out of his own Reiryoku. He met Shunsui's blade with his own and the eccentric captain just looked at him.

"Irooni. Grey." Shunsui said.

With his second blade he slashed Starrks forearm. He screamed in pain as he jumped backwards. Thinking his arm was cut off he looked down at his arm, only to be surprised at the shallow cut.

'Irooni. Grey.' Starrk thought about what Shunsui said before he cut him. 'My arm is grey.' He looked at Shunsui. 'He's not wearing any grey.'

"It's your turn to say the color you want." Shunsui called out. "You won't be able to cut anything else.

With a burst of sonido Starrk attacked Shunsui. He slashed at him three or four times before he chose his color. "White."

Shunsui's eyes opened in shock, confirming that Starrk was right in his theory. With another burst of sonido he moved behind Shunsui and slashed across his back lightly. Shunshui's back sprayed forth a torrent of blood, splattering Starrk. His eyebrow raised at the amount of damaged he caused with the attack. He hadn't slashed Shunsui very hard, he had already figured out how the game worked but the amount of damage he caused was in stark contrast to how much damage a slash like that would have caused normally.

"You figured it out. You truly are a dangerous opponent." Shunsui flew forward and began his attack. Unlike the rest of the battle, Shunsui was actually being serious. Starrk was quickly overwhelmed and created a second blade from his reiryoku to keep up.

'I envy the weak.'

Starrk and Shunsui attacked eachother in a flurry of blades.

'The weak get to be together.'

Starrk riposted Shunsui's blade, but the captain blocked his attack.

'My strength caused everyone around me to die, as if I was poison."

He ducked underneath a slash and came up to put his sword through the captains chin.

'I was alone.'

Shunsui moved his head to avoid the stab and kicked Starrk in the chest, sending him flying backwards.

'That's why we split in two. To escape the loneliness.'

Starrk flew back up to attack Shunsui, but the captain removed his Haori and threw it in Starrks face. He batted the cloth away with his right sword.

'I want to be weak.'

Shunsui rushed him, wearing all black. The standard Shinigami uniform. Starrk heard him exclaim a new color for the game. "Black."

'If it's impossible. At least give me someone as strong as I am.'

Shunsui's blade raked across Starrks midsection. He grimaced in agony as blood shot forth from his torso like a fountain. He fell backwards and took one last breath. It was like slow motion as Shunsui's frame got smaller and smaller. He remembered when he first split into Coyote Starrk and Lilynette Gingerback. He remembered meeting Aizen, he remembered the Espada.

His body hit the ground with a thud. Knocking his last breath from his lungs. As the air stopped flowing from his mouth blood replaced it. He could already feel the pool he was making wet his hair. He closed his eyes and everything disappeared.

Her eyes opened slowly, painfully. Blood quickly flowed into her now open eye. She closed it in irritation and faded back into unconsciousness...

Her eyes opened slowly, painfully. The sun had moved in the sky. She closed her eyes and faded back into unconscious...

The previous darkness disappeared as she opened her eye. It burned regardless of how much she blinked. He looked up and could see two Shinigami fighting. They became fuzzy and hard to see. Soon after she didn't see anything...

She could see a large black bubble pop in her peripheral. She watched as a piece of the black materiel floated through the air. A ring of darkness surrounded her vision and closed in on the black materiel floating in the air...

An explosion shook her body violently. The only emotion that went through her mind was annoyance. She was trying to sleep.

She awoke once again to a loud scream. She groaned and went back to sleep...

More shouting. This time the loud noise had words...

Another explosion. She opened her eye to see what all the ruckus was about. Numerous figures darted through the air. ..

She shivered, everything was so cold...

She groaned, everything was so hot...

Her face scrunched. Rain hit her face, she opened her eyes, she liked the rain. The crimson water speckled her face lightly...

She groaned and her body screamed in protest. Everything hurt. It all hurt at the same time...

She was going up...

A large building collapsed.

Everything was dark again...

Bit by bit. He could feel his torso. A small patch at first then it grew larger. He felt his skin, he felt his body. His heart beat once, then twice. He felt pain, but it didn't matter. He felt something. His lungs took a breath. His mouth parted slightly to breath easier. He felt the blood in his head rush into his eyes. They were filled with an unpleasant pressure.

'What happened?'

The lower half of his body began to form.

'How am I alive?'

Images flashed through his mind. Memories. A bloody hole caused by his own cero. The crying girl and the Quincy. The hollow who's power was greater than his own. The cero blasted into him at point blank. Ichigo's mask shattering from his Lanza del Relampago.

His arms and legs reformed for the second time that day.

He remembered the girl, still crying just as before. The reason was different than before. This time she wasn't crying because of him. She was crying for him. He reached out to grab her hand but his own disappeared in dust. His whole body became dust in the wind.

And yet here he was.

Ulqiorra sat up, his body finished regenerating and his resurrection ended.

"How am I alive?" He asked out loud to himself.

Ichigo looked up at the tiled ceiling of the Fourth Division. He knew he had to turn his head to the side but had difficulty doing so. As much it needed to be done, he didn't want to. He didn't want to face reality. But if he didn't do it, he would hate himself. With a heavy sigh Ichigo turned his head to the side and looked at the clock. It was quarter to noon, it was time to go. With much effort Ichigo raised himself from his laying position in the hospital bed. He grunted and swung his legs over the side, careful not to rip any of his stitches. Before he stood he took another deep breath to prepare for the pain of standing.

"Ugh." He groaned as he stood.

He walked slowly to pick up his Kisode over his shoulders and gingerly walked over to the door of his room. He opened the door and stepped into the halls of the fourth division. As he closed the door and began to walk slowly he heard another door open. Kuchiki Byakuya and Abari Renji both stepped out of their rooms. Ichigo regarded the two of them with a nod and they both responded. Renji chose not to put his Kisode on and walked through the halls wearing just his bandages. Byakuya however, was dressed in his full captain's attire, complete with his windflower silk scarf. He walked with a heavy limp on his left leg, yet the noble captain walked a pride around him that would erase any thoughts of weakness regarding his injured leg.

The three shinigami walked down the halls of the fourth division silently. As they were nearing the exit Kotetsu Isane caught sight of the three injured patients attempting to leave.

"H..Hold on." She stuttered as she scrambled to get in front of them. "You're all too injured to go out now."

"Let us through Isane-chan." Hisagi Shuuhei walked up from behind Ichigo with Komamura Sajin at his side.

"I..I..can't let you guys leave. You're all hurt." Isane said.

"We see that but we're all going and yer' not going to stop us." Hirako Shinji said as he approached with the rest of the injured vizard who had been recuperating.

"Uh..Uh..No..Everyone return to their beds so that you can rest. You all need rest!" Isane shouted the last part to attempt to get control of the situation. But she was backing further and further away from the horde of shinigami trying to leave the hospital.

"Lieutenant Kotetsu. You'll move out of the way so we can leave." Hitsugaya Toushiro added in as he lumbered up to the group with Matsumoto Rangiku gripping his shoulder for support. Normally, Toushiro would have a problem with his busty lieutenant using him as a human cane but he took exception to this situation.

"Make it easy on yourself Isane-chan." Kyouraku Shunsui appeared with Ukitake Juushiro hanging off his shoulder. The white haired captain was struggling to remain on his feet but Shunsui held him steady.

Finally finding her voice Isane perked up with more authority than before. "NO! Captain Ukitake is not allowed to leave in his condition! I will not allow it!" She shouted.

"Isane-san. Please let me go. I will not allow my injuries to cause me to miss this." Juushiro said softly, trying not to wind himself.

"No..no..none of you are allowed to leave. Y..you all have to go back to your beds." Isane said, her previous confidence disappeared and she backed into the doors of the division. She closed her eyes and stretched her palms outward in a feeble attempt to stop anyone from passing. Everyone needed to rest and heal. They couldn't have injured patients walking around Seireitei.

"Isane-chan. Allow them to go, it's easy to see that they are not missing it no matter what." Unohana Retsu placed her hand on her lieutenant's shoulder reassuringly.

"I will accompany them to the funeral to keep an eye on them all. Ukitake-taicho in particular." Retsu looked back at the white haired captain and smiled. He smiled weakly back.

With the reassurance of her Captain, Isane moved away from the doors and allowed the injured members of the Gotei 13 to go out. Ichigo smiled at her respectively and the large group began to walk to the funerals. During the battle in the fake Karakura town the amount of injured piled up higher and higher. Soon Kira Izuru was overwhelmed with injured shinigami. When the vizard appeared Hachigan had been able to lend him a hand, literally one hand. But it soon became too much, and lives were lost.

Ichigo's head hung low as they arrived at the funerals that were being held at noon. He looked around at the empty faces of various shinigami from various divisions. Friends and family alike came to pay their respects to the dead. Even those who didn't know the dead had shown up just to pay respect to a soldier who had given their life in a war. Ichigo had no idea how Isane thought she could stop them from attending the funerals. There wasn't a single force in the universe that would stop any of the shinigami who left the fourth division.
He looked through the crowds to see who had come and who hadn't. Each face he saw earned that person more respect in Ichigo's eyes, and every face he didn't see did the exact opposite.

Yamamoto-Genryusai Shingekuni stood atop the podium to give the eulogy. Ichigo listened intently to every word that came out of the Soutaicho's mouth. The eulogy was a good one, it was filled with all the respect, honor and love that a eulogy was supposed to have. He was surprised to hear the emotion in Yamamoto's voice, he didn't think of the old man as a heartless commander, but he didn't expect him to care as deeply as he did.

"...And so, with great sadness in my heart, I wish that your new lives flourish. Soul Society will always remember your names. And remember that you courageously gave your lives for the greater good. You all died with honor, and you will be remembered in honor."

"Aikawa Love."

"Hinamori Momo."

"Iba Tetsuzaemon."

"Ishida Uryuu."

"Omeada Marchino."

"Sarukagi Hiyori."

"Yamada Hanataro."

"Yasatora Sado." Yamamoto finished reading their names of this list and the his twenty minute eulogy came to an end.

The eight names swirled in Ichigo's mind and emotion overtook him.

Love, killed by the Segunda Espada Barragan Luisenbarn.

Momo, killed by the Tercera Espada's fraccion. The beast Allon they created crushed her.

Tesuzaemon, killed by the same beast, Allon.

Uryuu, his own friend, killed by the Cero Espada, Yammy Rigalo.

Marchino, killed by the Segunda Espada Barragan Luisenbarn

Hijori, killed by Ichimaru Gin.

Hanataro, killed by the Cero Espada, Yammy Rigalo.

Chad, killed by the Cero Espada, Yammy Rigalo.

A pained sob choked out of Ichigo. The sorrow of lossing his two close friends, and six other comrades at once overtook him. He couldn't hold it back and he began crying. The sobs became heavier with each passing moment. He hunched over in both sorrow and physically pain. He could feel his stitches ripping from the force of his sobs but didn't care. The pain of loss was worse than the pain of a blade. He felt a hand reach out and grip his shoulder reassuringly. He looked up to his left and could see Byakuya looking back at him. Ichigo smiled at his one time enemy. And Byakuya smiled back. It wasn't a happy smile, it was an empathetic one. Not ment to convey happiness or joy, but to convey empathy. He wasn't quite sure, but that might have been the first time Ichigo had seen the man smile. And it was probably the last time it was done.

Ichigo straightened and stood up straight. He felt another clap on his shoulder, this time it was Renji.

"Come one you guys. Everyone's going to Jinsei's bar to have a drink in their memories." Renji said softly. Ichigo nodded and stepped forward.

So that's the first chapter. I'll be hammering out several chapters fairly quickly to kick this bad off.

Please Review

Please Review