Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or anything to do with it. This is purely a fanfic.

Author's note: Hey, quick update, got a lot of ideas pouring around in my head. I hope I am not rushing this too much and again, I apologize if anyone seems out of char. I am trying my best without a beta. But no one is responding to my beta requests so until someone does I am going to have to continue on my own. Anyway, hope you like it. I am already working on chapter 3. Please read and review and don't be afraid to shoot me some ideas if you have some. Always open to suggestions.

Chapter 2: Realization and determination.

Ichigo was heading out of school at the end of the day. He stopped at the gate, seeing Tatsuki and Inoue standing in front of him. "Yo Tatsuki, Inoue what's up?" he asked.

"Listen, I got a part-time job as an instructor at the Dojo so I can't walk Inoue home today. Can you walk her home Ichigo?" Tatsuki asked as Inoue's eyes widened. "T-Tatsuki-chan, it's not that big of a deal. I can walk myself home, there is no need to bother Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue yelped out rather fast, Ichigo raising an eyebrow.

"I don't mind. It's on my way home anyway, unless you don't want me to Inoue?" Ichigo asked, looking back toward her. "Oh! I don't mind Kurosaki-kun. I—I just didn't want to bother you is all…" Inoue said shyly. "Then it's settled! Take care of her Ichigo, something happens to her, I'm going to beat you to a pulp!" Tatsuki warned, leaving the two alone and heading off.

"Let's go Inoue" Ichigo said, slinging his bag over his left shoulder and walking up next to her, Inoue quickly moving forward to stay next to him instead of behind him. An awkward silence hung between the two.

"You ok lately Inoue?" Ichigo asked, looking over to her. He had noticed she was rather tired-looking lately and coming in late for class sometimes. "Oh, I am fine Kurosaki-kun, just working this part time job and going to school is catching up to me is all. But thank you for asking!" she said with one of her fake smiles. The truth was she was starting to have nightmares again of Hueco Mundo. She blamed herself for what happened to Ichigo with his transformation and him losing his powers to protect her.

The rest of the walk was silent between the two. "Here we are" Ichigo said as they arrived at her house. "Th-thank you Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue said with a small bow. "It's no problem Inoue, but you should see about cutting back on your job some, your eyes have bags under them. It's not healthy" Ichigo said. Inoue blushed slightly and felt bad for lying to him.

"I'll be fine. Thank you for caring Kurosaki-kun. I just need to catch up on my sleep! It's just hard with the little blue and green men coming in at night and waking me up" Inoue said, as she started her normal rambling about her imaginary men.

Ichigo smiled slightly at her, then waved as he turned and started to head home. "Later Inoue. Good luck with those blue and green men" he said as he walked away, heading home. Inoue turned to head into her apartment, then her eyes widened. She turned toward Ichigo quickly, horror coming over her face. The spiritual pressure coming toward Ichigo was not of a hollow… It was an Espada!

"Kurosaki-Kun!" Inoue yelled. Ichigo turned to her with a questioning look. "Shiten Kōshun!" Inoue yelled out as her new shield appeared in front of Ichigo. Of course he couldn't see it but he felt the force of winds as something hit the shield, but instead of just blocking it this new type of shield dispersed the blow and countered as well, using Tsubaki to blow the opponent back away from the shield.

"Inoue? What's going on? Is it a hollow?" Ichigo asked looking around even though he knew he couldn't see it. "Kurosaki-kun you MUST run now, please!" Inoue said in a serious tone.

"Inoue, I can't just leave you!" Ichigo yelled. "It's an Arrancar…" Inoue said, her hands still up at her hair pins. "I forgot about Kurosaki's friends having powers…" The nameless Arrancar said, turning to Inoue with a smirk on his face. "How rude of me to attack before introducing myself… I am Trivon, and I am here to kill that man over there. Now I have no desire to kill Aizen-Sama's former pet, but if you try to stop me again I will slice you down" Trivon said coldly to Inoue.

Trivon was about as tall as Ichigo with long brown hair going down to his shoulders. His hole was in the center of his chest like most hollows' were. He wore the normal white robes all Arrancars wore, except his Zanpakuto was sheathed on his back and was rather large, about the size of Ichigo's . He had only attacked Ichigo with his fist before.

"I won't let you harm Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue said with a stern serious voice. Ichigo just stared at Inoue with wide eyes. "Inoue did you…say it's an Arrancar?" Ichigo asked quietly. "Ohhh? What's this? It seems he cannot see me…" Trivon said lightly, stepping closer toward Ichigo again.

"Shiten Kōshun!" Inoue yelled out again, the shield coming in front of Ichigo once more. This time, Trivon didn't attack, he just turned back toward Inoue. "So it's true…he has lost his powers… It's no fun killing him while he is this weak… But since you went out of your way to get in my way girly…I'm going to make you PAY!" he yelled as he disappeared with sonido. Inoue's eyes went wide. "A sonido?" she yelled looking around to try and find him.

"Ahh!" Inoue yelled as her eyes went wide, Trivon was behind her his Zanpakuto unsheathed. Even though Inoue's powers had grown, she wasn't like Ishida who could track flash steps and sonido's. Trivon had sliced Inoue right down her back sending her flying, her shield fading from Ichigo. "INOUE!" Ichigo yelled running up to her, but an invisible force slammed him on the stomach so hard it sent him backwards into the wall of her apartment. It was Trivon's foot that hit him, but Ichigo couldn't tell since he could not see him.

Inoue had caught herself before she hit the ground, wincing in pain as she watched Ichigo slam into the wall. "Kurosaki-kun!" Inoue screamed out. "Koten Zanshun! I reject!" Inoue yelled as Tsubaki came flying out at a tremendous speed. Trivon quickly raised his Zanpakuto, but the force from Tsubaki was enough to throw him away from Ichigo. "Still have some fight left in you, ehh girly?" Trivon asked as Tsubaki quickly returned to her hairpins. Inoue's vision was beginning to black out.

"El Directo!" Chad yelled as he rushed toward Trivon, slamming his red and black fist into the Arrancar's side, the fin on his arm opening and glowing with reiatsu and the white blast came out of his fist seconds later, throwing the Arrancar back away from Inoue and Ichigo. "Chad!" Ichigo yelled, slowly getting up, blood coming from a wound on the back of his head. This didn't stop him from moving over to Inoue as quick as he could. Inoue, who was losing consciousness, fell forward only to be caught by Ichigo.

"Kurosaki! Inoue!" Ishida yelled as he came running up to them, his bow out of course. He stood in front of them both aiming it toward Trivon. "Looks like I have worn out my welcome…" Trivon said as a Garganta appeared behind him. "Till next time" Trivon said with a wave as the Garganta swallowed him up quickly.

"Inoue! Hey Inoue wake up!" Ichigo yelled shaking her in his arms. "Come, let's get her to Urahara's quickly" Ishida said. Ichigo stood with Inoue in his arms as they all moved down the street in the direction of his shop.

"An Arrancar—are you sure Ichigo?" Ishida asked. "That's what Inoue said… I…couldn't see" Ichigo said his fist clenched at his side tightly. "Why after all this time would an Arrancar show up here?" Chad asked quietly. "It was after me it seemed. Inoue was trying to protect me. It's my fault she got hurt" Ichigo said. "If it weren't for Inoue-san you would be dead now Kurosaki-san…" Urahara said, walking into the room they were all sitting in.

A few hours had passed. Inoue was already healed thanks to Tessai, but was still resting. Ichigo had left the shop after Tessai was finished wrapping his head. He had refused healing and asked Chad to keep an eye on Inoue and make sure she got home safe when she woke. Chad of course said yes, but was worried about Ichigo.

Ichigo was standing near an old warehouse on the other side of town now. It was night time at this point. It had taken him a few hours to get to this side of town. "Yo Ichigo…long time no see" a voice said from behind him. Ichigo turned facing the voice. "I didn't think you'd come…Shinji" Ichigo said quietly. "Ohh? Why would you say something like that?" Shinji asked.

"Technically, I never joined the Vizards and now I lost my powers, I figured you all wanted nothing to do with me" Ichigo said. "Tch…Baka. Even though you lost your powers it doesn't mean you're not our comrade anymore. You should'a came to us a while ago" Shinji said, slapping him upside the head. "What the hell was that for?" Ichigo yelled out, holding the side of his head. "For being a depressed fool and moping around like a weakling these past 17 months…" Shinji said.

"So you know why I am here then…?" Ichigo said in a more serious tone. Shinji only nodded. "Can it be done?" Ichigo asked. "Honestly, I don't know for sure, but we can give it a try. But why now? You haven't even cared for the past 17 months. Why get your powers back now?" Shinji asked.

"…To protect Inoue…" Ichigo said in a determined, serious tone.