The next time Ichigo woke, he felt chilly.
He grumbled sleepily, forced his eyes to open and took in his surroundings.
The orange head lay on a huge bed in a spacious room, without any clue why, until he remembered he'd succumbed to his enemy.
A chill run over his skin once more, caused by an cold breeze.
Ichigo left the bed and walked some steps toward the rooms door, that led to a hallway.
He felt cloth flex around his upper chest and on his throat. It didn't feel like his Shinigami clothes normally did.
The teenager found a man high mirror and changed his direction toward it.
When he looked into it, he shrieked very unmanly at the sight.
He wore a top that only covered his upper chest and had a collar-like band resting around his throat. The back of it subtracted to his spine and it was so tight his muscles emerged through it. His lower half was covered by pants that reached just above his knees and were a bit baggy. The belt and the leg bands as well as the collar-band were black while the rest of the clothes were white.
If it wasn't for the clothes, Ichigo cried out for, it was either for the two red stripes under his left eye or the black Gothic zero between his shoulder blades.
Ichigo heard the door click open and his gaze snapped toward the incoming person.
Who was no one else than the fox-faced ex-Captain Gin(yanotte) Ichimaru.
" 's something wrong, Ichigo-kun? I've heard yer yell."
Ichigo was in front of the man with a flash step and grabbed the collar of his clothes shaking him lightly in anger.
"What is this? What happened? Who put me in these fucking short clothes?"
"Slow, slow Ichigo-kun. Ya shoul' ask Aizen-san about it."
Gentle footsteps arrived behind the two and a silky voice said.
"What should Ichigo ask me about?"
Ichigo loosened the grip on Gins clothes and stared past him. As soon as he got sight of the brown haired male, his legs became a bit weak and he stammered.
"A-Aizen. Sama."
Inside his mind a voice, that wasn't of Zangetsu of his Hollow, cried.
'What the fuck, did you just call him?'
"Ichigo, haven't I told you to call me by my first name? So what bothers you?"
Ichigo, pulled on his clothes and spun around.
"I'm bothered by these clothes, these markings and this tattoo there. What happened?"
"Well, there's one answer for all of it. I used the Hogyoku and made you an Arrancar."
"You, what? You made me a Hollow? Did you even think about asking before you turned me into one of your beasts?"
"You aren't a Hollow. You are the same type, but crossed the line from the other side. You still are a human."
Ichigo raises an eyebrow in surprise.
"Ok. So?"
"Hmm?"
"The tattoo? These stripes?"
"The stripes are a side effect of turning you into a Arrancar. They resemble what's been on your mask. For the tattoo, it's your ranking as you could have guessed."
"Ranking? Does that mean there are eleven Espada now?"
"No. The Espada went from Zero to nine. I did a bit of a rearrange. Now they go from one to ten. You, Ichigo are an entire new class, I only made for you. You stand above all other Arrancar in power and of course because you are my favorite."
Aizen said the last words close to Ichigos ear, making the man sink down a bit.
"Wh-what class is this?"
"You are the Zero Arrancar. The Cesado."
"C-Cesado?"
"Yes. Now Ichigo, get in your boots and follow me. I'll have to inform the Espada about it."
Aizen pointed at a pair of knee high boots that were similar to the ones Inoue had worn.
"Aizen, I mean, Sousuke. What happened to Inoue and the others?"
"I let them go and I didn't invade Karakura as you wished. I have an other option to create the kings key."
"What will you do? And why do you create it anyway?"
"I use the power the Espada hold and use some lower ranked Arrancar. Ichigo, have you never wanted to change the world from how it is, to how it should be like."
The orange haired thought about it, while he got into the boots. As he was finished he answered.
"I guess."
"That's why I create the key. I'll go and kill the Soul King, take his place and recreate the world. You will follow me on this way, Ichigo."
"What will happen to everyone, when you recreate the world?"
"I don't know yet, but I assume many won't survive it."
Ichigos eye widen in shock and he sprints over to Aizen, pulling on his sleeve and yelling.
"You said you wouldn't harm anyone I loved. Sousuke please don't harm them, I beg you."
Aizen rests a hand on Ichigos orange locks and smiles softly at him.
"I'll try my best, Ichigo. Don't worry. Now come the day is long and things have to get done."
Gin who seemed to be entirely forgotten asked with his sly smile.
"Shall I call our dear Espada to the meeting?"
"Please Gin."
All left the room and walked toward the meeting room, somewhere on the way, Gin took an other path saying he'd make the call.
When Ichigo and Aizen where right in front of the meeting rooms door, Aizen instructed him fast on what to do.
"You walk in behind me and stand on the left of my place a step behind the chair. Only speak when you're asked. And don't let them provoke you."
"Yes, Aizen-sama."
Aizen smiles shortly, before the door swings open and he walks in and down the long stairway.
He takes place on his chair, certain to have the attention of the most of the Espada that survived so far and than raised his voice to speak.
"My dear Espada. The reason I have called you are some changes that occurred."
He saw that there were some surprised looks and heard the more dead than alive Grimmjow snarl.
"Yeah, ya lost four of us, so what? We can still beat the Shinigami."
"That won't be necessary Grimmjow. My business with them ended and I found an other way to make them an end. But that doesn't concern you so far. What should be interesting for you, will be this."
He stretched his left arm out over his chair and Ichigo came out of the shadow behind Aizen.
The clatter of a chair could be heard and next Grimmjow yelled.
"What does the Shinigami do here? I thought he left with that woman!"
"Kurosaki-san has joined our group. I changed him into one of you."
"What number did you give him, Aizen-sama?"
Ulquiorra asked with his usual unemotional face.
"He has the number Zero. Before you say anything Yammy, I'd like to explain something."
Aizen waited for Yammy to sit back into his seat and Grimmjow to get his standing and sit down on it.
"The ranking line was redone. That affected only one of you so far. The ranks go from one to ten now, so Yammy your number won't change anymore when you release your Zanpakuto."
"But when the numbers go from one to ten, how can he be ranked even higher?"
"He has his own personal class. It is named Cesado. Dear Espada he will act under me as my right hand, from now on and be your superior."
Ichigo watched the different reactions on this statement and somehow he liked the idea of ordering the reminding six Espada around.
"I won't let this kid order me around! I rather get myself killed first!"
Grimmjow jumped up from his seat again and stormed off, when he passed Aizen, the brunette gave Ichigo a short look, saying he should show the 6th his place with his eyes.
So the orange haired did. He deeply growled.
"Grimmjow, I didn't hear Aizen-sama dismiss you. Take your place again."
"I don't take orders from you, Kurosaki."
Ichigo let his reiatsu raise until Grimmjow got pushed to the ground by the force of it.
"Take your seat, or I'll think about granting your death wish."
Grimmjow puffed helpless on the ground after the force was removed from him.
With a last comment he went back to his place.
"When did you become Aizens lap dog?"
Ichigo heard it despite Grimmjow said it very silent and he let his reiatsu pitch again for a second, making the blue haired Espada twitch.
With a pleased smile Ichigo listened to the rest of the meeting and eventually everyone was dismissed.
In the end of it, Aizen had a short talk with Ulquiorra who disappeared for a moment before he came back again, with something in his hands.
"Ichigo, this is for you. Your Zanpakuto seems to be in a permanent state of Bankai now. I let Tousen make a sheath for it so you can carry it with you."
"Thank you. Aizen-sama. I already missed Zangetsu."
Ichigo put Tensa on his left hip, it looked good with the black sheath, that was designed with a etching, looking like a white chain coiling around it.
Ulquiorra retreated again and Aizen told Ichigo he may go wherever he wanted, but should come back in the evening, to Aizens room.
Ichigo also left wanting to take in his new place, when someone pulled him into a side path.
"Yo, Cesado. Did ya have fun, playing Aizens obedient dog? Wanna know a secret? I hate dogs."
"Oh, I wonder why, kitty. Go and sharp your claws on someone else. I'm no match for you anymore."
Ichigo pulled off the grip on his top and walked away, with Grimmjow yelling behind him.
"You're dead, Kurosaki. When I get the chance I rip off your pretty face."
The orange haired let it slip and went outside the huge building, into the fake daylight.
There he found Ulqiuorra, who started to talk with him, what surprised Ichigo.
"Am I right that you took the place of that woman?"
"You could say it like that."
"In all the time I know Aizen-sama, I have never seen him with a shine in his eyes like today. I'm also rather troubled that he would change anything of our grouping because of a single person."
"He shocked me with the entire thing as much as he must have you. I don't understand him a bit. I only asked him to let Inoue go and leave my home and the Shinigami alone and now this."
"You only asked?"
Ichigo looks into the deep green eyes and blushed crimson red, averting his gaze he tells.
"Well, maybe not only."
"You offered yourself to save everyone."
"Whoa!"
"Am I wrong?"
"No, I mean. You're right somehow, but...I may have been a bit self centered. I also did it because I somehow like Aizen very much."
"I see. Since you are one of us now. I tell you something about us. Each Espada has an Aspect of death that influences his powers and personality. Mine is the emptiness. Maybe you have something similar like us that gives you power. I'd like to know what it is."
Ichigo gives Ulquiorra a wondering look.
"What is it, Cesado?"
"Ok, first. I can't get myself to like this name. Second I'm surprised how talkative you are. I always thought you'd be the silent type."
"First impressions can be proved wrong. I'll have my leave now. Aizen-sama wants me to take care of some things."
"Yeah, see you than."
"Goodbye, Kurosaki Ichigo."
Ichigo smiles at Ulquiorra, somehow happy he got along with the Espada.
He took a last look at the area, finding nothing interesting and decided to get back to Aizens room.
In there he got off his boots before falling on the huge bed and asleep a few minutes later.
He was alone but didn't mind it, he had had enough with handling the hours that passed by.
Aizen came to the room late in the night, finding Ichigo sound asleep and curled up into a ball.
His chest warmed up at the sight.
The boy had entirely devoured his heart within only one night.
He covered the freezing boy with a blanket and joined him afterward in the bed.
When Ichigo unconsciously felt the warmth beside him he cuddled against it, still in deep slumber.
The orange head mumbled and sighed in his sleep.
"Mhh...Sousuke."
The brunette kissed Ichigos forehead, before he closed his eyes to either sleep in.
Chapter 2
End
Spanish ditionary
cesado = ceased, lost, finished
The Cesado = The Lost