I am way to poor to own Bleach.


Even as Ichigo felt like he was suffocating, he couldn't miss the veritable earthquake that was racking though his inner world. He could vaguely hear Zangetsus trying to say something but he couldn't seem to understand them.

Then someone slapped.

"WHAT DID WE JUST SAY! AIZEN IS DEAD!"

"You are safe Ichigo." Tenza had embraced him again. "Nothing is going to hurt you here. We won't let it." His voice was barely above a whisper but somehow Ichigo has still heard it.

After another five minutes of calming down he was starting to be able to think clearly again. Why the hell was this happening to him? Why did he keep panicking? WHY WAS THE HOGYOKU IN HIS HEAD!?

"Aizen is dead." His voice sounded stranded even to him. "So how are you here? Why are you here?" at some point during his most recent panic he had collapsed to the ground and now all four were sitting. Zangetsus had not left his sides and the Hokkyoku was a few paces away, proudly so she didn't spook him again.

"As I said before I mean you no harm and if you really wish me to leave I will. But ask that you listen to what I have to say before you tell me to leave." Her voice was melodic and her words flowed through his world like a calming breeze. It wasn't doubled like white Zangetsu but it seemed to echo giving it an ethereal quality.

Ichigo noded. Really, though the Hokkyoku had been a pain in everyone's asses it was never her? fault. She didn't will herself into existence Kisuke and Aizen made her and all the trouble she had caused was really directed by Aizen. The least he could do was listen. The woman sitting in front of him didn't seem like a great evil, in fact the closer he looked the more he thought about the more she seemed to be a victim just like everyone else.

"Thank you Kurosaki-san. I am sorry that I caused you distress earlier I simply didn't know where else to go. You see, I have always had a consciousness of my own but no one has ever been able to hear me. Urahara-sam understood that I was alive, but he could not contact me. Aizen" She spat the name so viciously Ichigo almost jumped, as it was he still flinched. "He got a general idea of what I was thinking but he still couldn't hear me. I gave up on having any one understand me long ago. So when you defeated Aizen I knew the least I could do was go where no one would be able to abuse what little power I have left."

"Apparently, that would be your soul." Ichigo glanced at Tenza and then back at the Hogyoku. He was horrified to find her crying. He didn't know how to deal with a crying women!

"But when I got here" She was absolutely sobbing now. "Iwas here... I had a body... You could hearme... People actually talked...to me... Please let me stay... Please I won't cause any trouble... and your soul is so nice and pure...and perfect... Please..."

Tenza Zangetsu sighed. Ichigo glanced at him. No doubt his spirits already knew what he was thinking. "Yer' waaaaay to soft parner." White Zangetsu said. "But I don't mind."

"She is correct in assessing that this is this safest place for her. This could prevent future conflicts." Ichigo couldn't help but grin. He had the best spirits in the world even if White Zangetsu could be an ass sometimes.

"Okay then. You can stay."


The five of them were gathered around an unconscious Ichigo. His reiatsu had calmed down about an hour ago. It had flared up again a while back but that had only lasted a second before it went back to being calm. Isane-Taichou had come by at some point to check on Ichigo and Chad's hands. Apparently Ichigo was back at the level where no one could physically touch him. Of Course Orihime had healed Chad as soon as Ichigo had passed out again but it was nice that Isane-Taichou had checked.

Now all they could do was sit, try to figure out what to do, and hope Ichigo's reiatsu didn't start breaking everything again.

"He feels like he is in his inner world." Renji sighed.

"That might be why his reiatsu is back under simi-control." Rukia stated as she shifted to avoid one of the cloth like reiatsu ribbons that seem to have become part of Ichigo. "His spirits are keeping him calm."

"It is possible but that does not change the fact that he had two panic attacks in four hours. Has anyone seen him do that before?" Uryuu adjusted his glasses. "I know I haven't and he hasn't at school." There was a general shaking of heads. "That means the most likely conclusion is everything that has happened is finally taking its toll on his mind."

"What do you mean?" Orihime squeaked. "I healed him. Isane-Taichou said there was no lasting damage. Is there something I need to fix. I can heal him!"

"No not like an injury Orihime." Uryuu sighed.

"Like PTSD." Chad stated.

Uryuu noded, Orihime looked like she wanted to cry, Renji grunted. "Unfortunately it make sense. We have all been through hell. I know I will be having nightmares for weeks." Rukia stated.

"And the idiot always seems to get the short end of the stick. It would be a miracle if any of us get out of this perfectly sane. Ichigo really didn't have a chance." Renji muttered.

Uryuu shook his head. "Not with the way Yhwach and Aizen were specifically trying to break him."

"We can help though right?" Orihime sounded desperate. "He doesn't deserve this we have to be able to help."

"Ichigo won't like it." Chat interjected.

"Yah. The moron will probably think of it as sign of weakness." Uryuu agreed. "My guess is the best thing we can do is not act any differently. But we should ask the next member of the 4th what they think."

"It will make school hard." Chad muttered.

"Don't remind me." Orihime groaned. Apparently, that was enough of a distraction the cheer her up a bit. "We are probably going to have to repeat this year just for missing so much." Renji and Rukia shifted uncomfortably in their chairs.

"That is if he can go back." Rukia muttered.

"W-what do you mean." Orihime stuttered. "W-why wouldn't he be able to go back?"

"Come on Orihime, I know you are upset but think. You have seen enough of the soul society to know this is not normal." Uryuu gestured towards the ribbons of power that were floating along a nonexistent breeze. "This is worse than when he fought Aizen before lost his powers. We can't touch him. If a lower level Shinigami came any where near here there would be crushed. Why do you think Isane-Taichou is the only one who come out here. That is the whole reason he had to be moved." Orihime had started to cry and in spite of his words Uryuu had a hand on her shoulder trying to comfort her.

"Uryuu is right. As he his now, if he tried to enter his body he would probably die." Renji added.

"Urahara can come up with something." Chad pointed out.

"Yes, and if Ichigo can learn some control that will help to." Rukia added. "Ichigo is not going to give up on going home that easily it will just take some work."