A/N: What's this? An update? Don't expect another one for a couple weeks now. I've procrastinated my paper enough. ^^;

I want to thank all the alerts and favorites, and I really appreciate those that took the time to drop a line in that review box. You all make my day XD I was intent on finishing this chapter before I started my paper...not that needed too much convincing lol. Enjoy the chapter!

**This is dedicated to Black Sun Upon An Icy Sky for being so awesome and contributing a line of Shiro's. Next chapter dedicated to the first person to guess which of his lines it was XD**

Disclaimer: If I owned Bleach, I wouldn't be writing fanfiction for it. The fanfiction would be the canon.

Format Key:

"Dialogue"

'Thoughts' 'Inner World Thoughts'

*Flashback*

'Hichigo talking/ Zangetsu talking'

Time Stands Still

by: Noelani Aiko

Welcome to the Masquerade

Ichigo began dashing toward the door at top speed and without notice, began to shun-po. Sometime during the test he had recovered enough soul power to use the technique, and made it through the door, slamming it shut just as the rocket hit.

Shiba Kuukaku watched as the screen that was displaying the test area clouded over as the missile exploded, and then looked up at the shinigami wanna-be that had just slammed the room's door. She couldn't believe that kid had just flash stepped out of the room. Saving her shock for later, the woman rang the gong next to her and called the next name on the list.

Soon enough, everyone had had their chance. The fireworks enthusiast, who honestly was an expert on the topic, stood to announce the next part of the entrance exam.

"Alright brats. It's time for your next test. Exit through the door to my right and wait for the next guy who's testin' you. Okay, get out of here!" With that, the abrasive Shiba turned and left to go talk to the other proctors. She'd be damned if Sato Ichigo didn't show the same type of results in his knowledge test as he did this one.

Ichigo took a few breaths and went to go stand back with the other testers. The berry wasn't too surprised by the missile when he remembered just who was running the exam. However, he had experienced a rush of joy when he started to shun-po.

'This means I'm getting my soul power back.' Ichigo couldn't help the smirk that accompanied the thought.

'Ichigo...can you-'

'Old-man Zangetsu? Are you back?'

No one answered his inquiry.

Before Ichigo could ask again, Kuukaku stood and told everyone to get out. Ichigo headed for the exit with the rest of the almost shinigami students, his brow in his trademark furrow. Outside was a clearing surrounded by trees, probably to help with fighting on different terrains.

They were immediately greeted by a silver blonde haired male who wore sea foam green hakama and an eye raping orange kosode. He also had a katana strapped to his back with a bright lemon yellow sash. He had to be color blind.

Shirosaki couldn't keep his opinion to himself. 'An' I thought that feather-brained gay idiot was fashion retarded, but that tops everythin'.'

'For once I agree with you.' Ichigo continued to stare at the man.

The man spoke in a smooth baritone. "My name is Kazuma and I'll be testing your zanjutsu. Go pick a practice sword and I'll come by and pair you up."

The sword Ichigo chose was close to the weight and length of Tensa Zangetsu, so he relaxed into the familiarity of the sword. The orange head was paired with a tall, muscular guy that looked like he spent most of his time fighting. Ichigo disarmed his opponent five seconds after the whistle to begin blew. The defeat didn't even register on the other testers face before the proctor was standing in front of Ichigo.

Kazuma was holding a practice sword of his own and everyone had stopped their own matches to stare. "I want you to fight me. What's your name?"

"Ichigo. Sato Ichigo." Ichigo needed to be careful not to show off too much. Noburu told him to be keep it low key.

"All right Sato. Take your stance and on the whistle." The whistle blew again and the test battle began. Where the color blind proctor would stab, Ichigo would block and follow through with a slash. Two trained swordsmen were fighting, and they were just warming up.

Oshiro Kazuma leveled his sword at the spiky haired kid after a few hits. "You're not new to this, obviously, but let's see how good you really are." Kazuma used shun-po to retreat into a nearby tree and watched Sato.

'He doesn't look too confused that I'm not there. Maybe it's time to end this.' The proctor flash stepped to Ichigo's right side, swinging his sword down, when the target disappeared. Stunned, he turned too late to see the blow that knocked him out of the air. 'What the hell is he trying to enter the academy for? He should already BE a shinigami!'

After landing safely on the ground, Ichigo felt a little winded from the shun-po. 'I must have less power back then I thought. Got to keep that in mind then. Man, I really need to learn how to tell this stuff first. Stupid Ishida and his friggin' control.'

Kazuma stood up, brushing dirt off his bright clothing. "Finish your matches. You've still got to go test for kido."

Bodies. There were bodies everywhere. Never-mind the fact that they were just dummies, but how many did the examiners think they needed for the kido test?

"Welcome to the Kido test. I am Hirano Chieko." The crowd jumped as one. No-one had heard her come in.

The woman continued, and Ichigo noticed she was the strict glasses woman who had given him his written exam. Nice to put a name with a face.

"You will each have three opportunities to perform Bakudo One: Restrain. This will paralyze your opponent by forcing their arms behind their back. There is no incantation, you will only need to focus a bit of your spiritual power into the act. We shall start at the top of the list. Asuhara Miyako, you may proceed."

There were a lot of successes by the third try. Some hadn't gotten any reaction due to not knowing how to focus their reiatsu. Ichigo belongs to another group of results. He could concentrate too much spiritual power at a time.

"Bakudo One: Restrain!" BOOM! The spell had blown up the dummy and the ones close to it.

Try two wasn't any better.

"Bakudo One: Restrain!" Dummy section two also went BOOM!

His fellow test takers now had a healthy dose of fear of Sato Ichigo, because clearly, if he didn't beat you in a fight, he'd just kill you with his terrible kido. They huddled together a reasonable distance away as the monster tried for the last time.

"BAKUDO ONE: RESTRAIN!" The rest of the dummies were demolished.

Ichigo could hear more of Hichigo's wheezing laugh in his inner world.

'Oh wow King!' More laughter. 'Just use this on Kenpachi next time he chases you for a fight!'

'I'll use it on you, how about that?'

Shiro sobered up enough to respond. 'No, I'll pass. Thanks for offerin' and all.'

Hirano had an assistant bring out more dummies for the rest to finish the test. Afterwards, the shinigami hopefuls sat in a waiting area for about three hours. Then the results were finally ready and everyone got their own personalized copy.

"Each test has different placement results. The number is what year level you're in for that skill and if you have an A next to that as well, you are in the Advanced Class. Year four is as high as you can go until you have either successfully communicated with your Zanpaktou spirit or you have satisfied the study required to move on. If you aren't on the list, try again next year."

Ichigo's results were mostly year four, advanced class. Kido had placed him in year one and also recommended he take the spiritual awareness and concentration class. The berry's eye twitched.

'Great...more kido.'

Other then that, he had Advanced Zanjutsu year four, which specialized in beginning communication with Zanpaktou, Advanced Hoho year four, and Advanced Hakuda year four, which was unarmed fighting.

When he finished looking over his new schedule, a shinigami student arrived to lead the new students to the dorms.

"Boys are in the left wing, girls on in the right. Names are on the doors,the bath house is the first building north of here and the cafeteria is on the first level through the sliding panel with a crane on it. You'll find your uniform inside your room and sleep well because the welcome ceremony is tomorrow. If you have any questions, my name is Hoshimura Jungo and I'm at the end of the hall!"

Ichigo located his room quickly, and flopped down on the futon, falling asleep immediately.

Tea-colored eyes glared defiantly at the window. There was no way it was time to get up.

Ichigo's stomach began to growl menacingly. Okay, maybe it was time to get up.

Ichigo pushed himself off the futon and grabbed his new uniform and headed outside to find the bathhouse. Ichigo was enjoying his bath when his stomach growled again. Ichigo looked at his stomach and glared at it.

'You better get somethin' to eat King, your stomach's interruptin' my beauty sleep.' Shiro grumbled.

Ichigo was not in a good enough mood to put up with his Hollow today, not that he ever really put up with his other half. 'When will you just go away? Go become part of a building or something.'

'You'd miss me. You love me King, no need to deny but I'm goin' back to sleep now.' The Hollow grinned before he rolled over in his window futon.

Reluctantly, the vizard got out of the bath and dressed before he went back to the dorm building to grab some food. Ichigo grabbed some onigiri and some sort of steamed vegetable and chose a small table. A kido projected voice announced that the welcoming ceremony would begin in ten minutes in the courtyard. He finished the rest of his food and followed the masses out to the courtyard.

'Wonder what they're going to tell us.'

A shinigami wearing a black haori with white trim, the inverse of the captain haori's, stood in front of the crowd. "Welcome to the Soul Reaper Academy. Here you will study the shinigami arts and then join the thirteen court guard squads to protect Soul Society and grant rest to souls. We are pleased to welcome you to our ranks in the human year of 1801. It takes an average of six years to graduate from the academy, so work hard and make us proud."

'...'

'Did he just say...1801?'

A/N: There, the big reveal. Now you all know just how far back Ichigo has been blasted to. I had to do a lot of pre-planning, like chart upon chart of who I think became a captain/vice-captain when etc. It's was confusing, but I think it'll be worth it.

Please review to let me know what you think, and if you haven't already, don't forget to vote in the poll on my profile for the pairing!

Don't forget to guess which line of Shiro's was not mine!