Hello my lovelies I have another story for you! I had planned to post this earlier but I didn't have a name for it!
Anyway this is an Aizen/Ichigo fic after the Winter War inspired by Sariniste's Illusion, if you don't know it go and check it out!
Anyway reviews appreciated always!
MissSilverFox666
~Prelude~
It had been two years since the conclusion of the Winter War, two years since Ichigo had fought and defeated Aizen, two years since he lost his powers.
Ichigo sat in his seat thinking as he gazed out the window, the teacher's words going unnoticed as she conducted her lesson, opting to leave the orange haired teen alone for the time being. Ever since he had returned to school he had seemed troubled.
Several minutes passed by and Ichigo was now in deep thought, reliving his battle with Aizen. He remembered fighting with Tensa Zangetsu in the Dangai while his dad watched over him. He remembered when he arrived Aizen was standing over a dying Gin Ichimaru and a crying Rangiku Matsumoto.
Ichigo wasn't certain what he felt upon seeing that but he knew that he didn't want the man to die but he had anyway much to Rangiku's dismay. Ichigo hadn't seen Ichimaru die because he was busy fighting with Aizen at the time.
For some reason Ichigo was calm, even when Aizen transformed again Ichigo didn't feel any apprehension only a certainty of what he must do. And so Ichigo had defeated Aizen…well helped to seal him, he didn't actually defeat Aizen in an actual sense. The man was now immortal Ichigo had simply weakened him to a state where Kisuke's spell could take effect. So in reality, to Ichigo anyway, it was Kisuke who had defeated Aizen and still Soul Society banned him from returning.
Ichigo frowned at the thought, angry with Soul Society. Kisuke had done nothing wrong everyone knew that now so why wouldn't they let him return to his home? Shaking off the thought before he could work himself into a mood Ichigo instead focused back on his fight with Aizen.
Aizen had been so sure of himself and had been shocked when Ichigo had caught his blade. Ichigo frowned harder as he remembered what he felt emitting from Aizen's Zanpakuto. It had been loneliness, isolation and sadness. It was this fact that still confused Ichigo especially seeing as the man had tried to destroy Soul Society and didn't seem in the least bit repentant about it so why did Ichigo feel sadness in his sword and why did Ichigo feel uneasy about the man's fate?
Aizen had been banished to the eighth level prison in Soul Society 'Muken' it was called, for 20 000 years, Ichigo would have wondered at the punishment if he didn't know that Aizen was immortal.
Ichigo sighed suddenly, the action not going unnoticed by his friends. They had quickly picked up on Ichigo's strange morose moods however whenever he was confronted about the subject Ichigo always shook it off and said it was nothing. They didn't believe him one bit and it worried them.
Oblivious to the three sets of eyes directed his way Ichigo continued on his current thought line, remembering watching Aizen being sealed and how the man, even in defeat, had defied Soul Society and its King. Ichigo's frown suddenly deepened. He didn't know why but that conversation about the King between Aizen and Kisuke kept coming up and he couldn't help but wonder at what Aizen said.
Aizen had called the king a 'thing' as if the king wasn't an actual person. It just made no sense and it frustrated him along with the fact Kisuke and the Visoreds were still banished from Soul Society. In fact the Visoreds actually had a bounty on their heads the last time he had spoken to Kisuke which was about four months ago with his last relapse in his Shinigami powers.
It just made no sense. They accused Aizen of being evil but from Ichigo's point of view they're not all that better honestly if they were going to put bounties on the Visored's heads especially after they had come to help fight against Aizen. If they hadn't arrived then the damage would have been far worse! Not to mention the fiasco with the Quincy and the Mod Souls and the Bounts.
Ichigo sighed in frustration, albeit silently. Ichigo didn't know where all these thoughts were coming from but from the start he never hated Aizen, the man himself had even pointed it out, Ichigo only fought Aizen to protect his friends and family and the town that was his home. Either way Ichigo was suddenly beginning to wonder if Soul Society was as 'good' as they claimed having committed several atrocities themselves.
If Ichigo honestly thought about it the only thing Aizen really did was break off from Soul Society's laws, granted he wanted to take control of Soul Society and become King of all the worlds by using his whole town to create a key so he could go and kill the King.
Ichigo didn't know what to think. On one had there was Aizen who wanted to rule everybody and would do anything to achieve that and then on the other there is Soul Society who have obliterated two human races and a race they created themselves because they thought they were unnatural and would upset the balance of the world.
The bell rang abruptly ending Ichigo's thoughts. With another sigh, this one weary Ichigo stood and collected his books and bags and promptly exited the room without a backwards glance, not even saying a word to his friends, leaving them blinking after him worriedly.
Walking home Ichigo wondered just what his life would have been like if he had never met Rukia, if he hadn't have become a Shinigami. Would Soul Society have won the war? Or would they have lost and Karakura Town be no more…would he still be alive if he hadn't met Rukia?
The thoughts disturbed him and so did the next ones. Aizen had said to him in their second last battle that he had been aware of his existence ever since he was born. Was he telling the truth and if he was how in the hell did he know about him? All the questions ran around his mind in dizzying circles leaving him feeling slightly nauseous, a dull pain beginning to form behind his eyes.
What ifs were annoying and Ichigo firmly told himself to stop it. Questioning the way things turned out wouldn't do a god damn thing. Ichigo sighed a bad habit he had picked up lately but he was feeling so confused and he didn't know why. He saw Aizen cut down every single captain of the Gotei and the Visoreds not to mention Urahara, Yoruichi and his dad and he killed Ichimaru – though Ichigo still didn't know what all that was about – but he still couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right and that sense of isolation he had felt bothered him a great deal.
Not to mention those strange flashes he had scene for the briefest of seconds. Ichigo hadn't realized it at the time but at the exact moment he caught Aizen's sword several indistinct images had flashed behind his eyes most contained what appeared to by a forested area or village but that was all that Ichigo could discern at the time. Damn this whole situation frustrated him to death.
Ichigo was ten minutes from his home when he suddenly felt a sharp pain shoot across his eyes that went to his temples and zipped across his forehead with astonishing pain. He hissed rasing a hand to his head cursing his luck. Just what he needed a freaking headache…actually by the feel of this it's more like a migraine.
The moment that thought went through his mind Ichigo suddenly found himself falling and his eyes rolling up as he collapsed to the sidewalk already unconscious before he hit the pavement with an audible crack as his head hit the cement hard.
Had Ichigo been conscious he would have sighed in relief when Orihime and Chad appeared not five minutes later the pair having decided to follow Ichigo and confront him about what was wrong. The sight of Ichigo sprawled unconscious on the side walk was not what they had in mind.
"Oh my god Ichigo!" Orihime gasped and ran over to the fallen orange haired teen immediately falling to her knees her shield of healing appearing around Ichigo.
Silently Chad walked up behind Orihime, equally worried about his friend and hoping that he'd wake up soon and tell them what happened but in the meantime he kept a look out for any possible hollows.
Several minutes passed and Orihime was faced with a conundrum. Ichigo wasn't wounded physically what he was experiencing was a mental pain, something that she could not heal.
"Chad I…I can't do anything for him." Orihime looked ashamed as she recalled her fairies looking dejectedly at the man she loved. Chad's one visible eye widened the only indication that he had reacted at all.
"Let's take him to Urahara's." Chad said after a minute of silence and received a nod in return so the two friends set off to the shabby shopkeeper's house and store, an unconscious Ichigo draped over Chad's shoulder and a morose looking Orihime following behind, worry clouding her light grey eyes.
She hoped Ichigo would be ok.
Oh no! What's happening to Ichigo! Well you'll just have to keep reading to find out!
Hugs to all!
MissSilverfox666