SOSUKE AIZEN and KYOUKA SUIGETSU

Takes place during one of Aizens visits to Los Noches, before the start of the show.

The halls were empty, large white walls stretching as far as the eye could see and then some. There were those, Gin mostly, who would say that Sosuke Aizen had a tendency to overdue things when it came to the architecture of his base, Los Noches. Aizen himself never addressed these claims, but privately he knew they weren't baseless. After all, a man who would claim the very throne of God must have at least some flair for the imposing and Gothic style. That wasn't the only reason, though. Los Noches was formed, carefully sculpted, to look almost exactly like his inner world. It gave him a sense of power, a subconscious boost to his ego. This was his domain, and he was in complete control here.

Kyouka Suigetsu hated Los Noches.

She hated it because it was a reflection of her own world, and besides the blatant irony of that statement, it was a falsehood. As she watched through her masters eyes, she saw the rooms and halls of Los Noches and she knew it was only a cheap imitation of the real thing. She understood why Sosuke had done this, his reasons behind shaping his palace in such a way, but understanding would never be the same as agreeing.

As if he had read her mind, Aizen entered his inner world then. He gazed at the back of his zanpaktou spirit, smiling bemusedly at her appearance. Kyouka Suigetsu was not like any other zanpaktou. Her spirit did not have a form of its own. Instead, she took the form of someone from his memories, always a female. Sometimes she mixed and matched parts of people, which always had interesting results. Today, however, she was one whole person. Unohana Retsu turned around before him, a slightly surprised look on her motherly features.

"Sosuke. I didn't expect to see you" she said, her tone soft and caring.

Aizen continued to smile as he walked closer to her. "I might not have if you weren't emitting such strong negative emotions" he explained. "I was curious as to what could cause a part of my soul such distress, here of all places?"

Her form changed, flowing quickly and seamlessly. The tall, kind yet stern features melted into the scowl of a young girl, a lieutenant judging by the armband. The girl had her blonde hair tied back into two pigtails, giving her a larger appearance that didn't do much really, given her short stature. Something tickled the back of Aizens memory, but he brushed it off. Whoever the girl had been, she obviously wasn't important anymore. "Of course this place would upset me idiot!" she snapped.

Aizen kept smiling, but the validity of it was lost entirely. The effect this had on Kyouka was astounding. She bit her lip and glanced away, shifting again. This time, she was a different young girl, one clad in academy clothes. Her brown hair was tied back into pigtails as well, though they were much smaller. She rubbed her arm nervously, avoiding Aizens sharp eyes.

"Los Noches distresses you? Interesting. I thought you would feel right at home" he said softly. She shivered at his voice, knowing that there was no warmth in it. "Tell me, what about it do you not like? I am genuinely curious." She risked looking in his direction, finding him staring into the nearby wall. Unlike the pale white walls of Los Noches, the walls in her inner world were polished to a shine. They were still clearly white, but you could see your reflection in them, changed slightly from the cloudiness of the marble.

Kyouka gathered her courage, steeling herself. "It isn't real" she said finally. "It is an illusion, an imperfect version of someplace that means a lot to me".

If Aizen reacted in any way to this news, he didn't show it, though his smile did regain some of its realism. "Kyouka Suigetsu, upset by an illusion. Imagine that" he joked.

Kyouka morphed once again, now a tall, dark-skinned woman whose flowing purple hair was kept back in a ponytail. She wore a revealing version of the standard shinigami uniform, sleeveless and with the back open. Her golden eyes looked over Aizen like a cat would its prey. "One who uses illusions knows best the power they can have" she said evenly.

Aizen abandoned his interest in his reflection to look at Kyoukas new form. "That is not a form I would expect from you" he said, a slight edge to his voice.

Now Kyouka was back on the defensive. She knew that Aizen did not like to be reminded of failures, and failing to eliminate Urahara Kisuke was one of his biggest sore spots. Perhaps turning into the mans partner, Yoruichi, was not the best plan. Still, she had a point to make so she pressed on. "Sosuke, why did you never attempt to attain bankai?" she asked.

Again, Aizens face did not betray his thoughts, but Kyouka could feel the surprise emanating from him at the sudden question. "Why would I need it?" he asked. "Our shikai is enough to defeat even the might of the Head Captain. We proved that when I applied for captaincy."

Kyouka shook her head in frustration. "And what did I just say? Those who use illusions know best the power they have. Which is barely any at all!"

Now she had his attention. "Are you suggesting that our power isn't enough?" he asked,

"I am suggesting that while you fool others with your illusions, you do not fall under one yourself" she replied.

Aizen chuckled at that, any sense of unease washed away. "Is that what this is about? You think I have fallen under some kind of illusion?"

Kyouka sighed, turning once again into the form of the academy girl. "I do not think it, I know it" she replied. "You've manipulated the people around you for centuries now. Everyone from your enemies to your so-called allies. There isn't a single person untouched by your illusions. Except for me."

"I notice you left me out of your exception" Aizen replied frostily. "That's the second time you've said I'm under my own spell. Is there something you'd like to tell me Kyouka Suigetsu?" His tone was dangerous now, and Kyouka almost backed down. But she knew that he still needed her power, and the thought that that was the only thing preventing him from experimenting on her like so many others frightened Kyouka beyond belief. What kind of person would see a part of his own soul as nothing but a tool?

Kyouka took a deep breath and stepped towards Aizen, looking him right in the face. She transformed again, purposely this time. Now stood before the lord of Hueco Mundo was an extremely attractive young woman. She had strawberry blonde hair that cascaded down her back, and piercing blue eyes. Her beauty was somewhat marred by the ratty clothes she wore, obviously someone from the Rukongai. She locked eyes with Sosuke, choosing her words carefully.

"The fatal flaw in every plan is assuming you know more than your enemy."

AN: Oh boy. I'm gonna be honest here. This one had, like, four or five rewrites before I got it down. I'm still not entirely sure about it. I wanted to stress that Kyouka Suigetsu might not support Aizen in his quest. I also believe that he never reached bankai. He seems like the kind of person who would use his shikai ability to sneak through the captain exam. Anyway, I hope you guys like this. Remember to review, its what keeps me going. Peace =P