Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, obviously, nor do I own the obvious Jump art above. This story is for funsies, not for monetary gain.

"Shiro in mindscape dialogue"

"Manifested Shiro dialogue"

"Zangetsu-no-ossan mindscape dialogue"

Ichigo inner dialogue

Notes:

Finally at the end of the obligatory recapping! Now things diverge and I don't have to research direct quotes anymore.

Ganbari masu!

Stand on the Sky

- xxx -

He could feel the presence of his friends at the edge of the clearing. Ishida, Sado, Ganju, Orihime. Even Yachiru and….that guy. They were too far away during the fight to see him before, but now that his and Byakuya's power had died down, they ventured closer.

They shouldn't be here, they would only be in the way. He felt a flicker of guilt at the thought, but it was no less true. The only one of his friends that might have been able to breathe if he raised his reiatsu was possibly Ishida, but he was without his powers. When they couldn't feel his power, it wouldn't matter, but unless they were above the level of a captain, he could hurt them on accident. Control was never his strong suite.

He looked over at his friends, and whatever they saw on his face, they stopped short, uncertain. The only one who seemed to still be happy was Yachiru. He closed his eyes and let out a slow breath. Calm down. He forced his hands to relax, but his nerves were still as hot as a live wire.

He looked back over at them and offered a small, slightly disappointed smile. "What are you doing here?"

Ishida gave him a thoughtful look while Orihime fumbled for words. "Ah well, Kenpachi helped us escape and then this other guy started to fight him, and um, we wanted to be sure you were okay, but it looks like you're fine…" He knew they felt the change in his reiatsu, but to his relief, none of them seemed willing to ask about it.

"Yeah, I'm okay." He looked over Ganju and Ishida. It was weird seeing Ishida in shinigami black, he knew how much the Quincy must hate it. If he hadn't just broken out of prison, he might have stopped for a chance of clothes. "You guys look like shit."

Ishida pushed up his glasses, a little self conscious, clearly. He shot Ganju a glare, leftover from an argument Ichigo hadn't been privy to. "Well at least I won my fight."

Ganju scowled. "Well if I'm alive, that counts as a win in my book."

Figures, the two would fight, Ishida didn't seem to get along with anyone in his family.

He looked Orihime over. "Are you okay?"

She blushed, gesturing wildly. "I was kind of useless, but Ishida protected me! Zaraki carried me around! I'm fine." She appeared to still have a crush on him, which was a shame. His eyes flicked over to Ishida, noticing how he watched her. He was there for her, he lost her powers to protect her, and she hadn't even noticed. She was a smart girl, but just as blind as he was.

"I-I'm glad you're alright...I'm sorry-"

He cut her off before she could get started, sighing. "Thank you, Inuoe." His tone was gentle, careful. This wasn't the strong, headstrong Orihime he knew, it was strange to see her so uncertain.

It might be too late to tell them to run away, they just weren't fast enough for how much time was left. Shit.

He looked finished his fight with Byakuya with some time to spare, but things might be different now. "Guys, this isn't over." He looked vaguely in Renji's direction, sensing him across Seireitei. He resisted the urge to draw his sword. Calm.

Ishida asked, "What do you mean, Kurosaki?"

He chose his words carefully, turning back to look at them all equally. "I know how hard you worked, I know how badly you want to help, but please...I'm asking you to run away. I don't want to hurt you, or see you hurt." Or killed.

Orihime's expression grew pained, smiling, but there was no joy in it. "I-I see. We would just be in the way."

He knew she understood, but that didn't make it sting any less. He steeled his resolve, not backing away from their feelings, their losses, or their pride. He knew this would be meaningless to Ganju, but he would know soon anyway. "I got to see you all become so strong...It was an honor to fight with you then, and I know it will be an honor to fight with you again, so I'm asking you to wait." His eyes lingered on Ishida, the implication he would regain his powers and then some in his gaze.

To his surprise, Sado spoke first. "We'll be waiting for you, Ichigo. Win." The giant held up his hand in a thumbs up.

Orihime's smile was less shaky. "Kurosaki-kun…"

Ishida straightened. "I have questions for you, Kurosaki. Don't go and get yourself killed before you can answer them."

Ganju muttered, "I have no idea what's going on."

Ichigo's mouth turned up into a small smile. "Ah. Now get out of here."

Yachiru waved and screamed goodbye from Sado's shoulder. They turned and ran for the edge of Sokyoku Hill, and it wasn't long before he was left standing in silence, the wind on the hilltop quietly howling.

He hated this place.

This was the place he'd learned Aizen's plans for him, the place his friend was almost executed, and the place that traitor had set on his path to destroying everything precious to him.

He wanted to draw his khyber blade, but he needed his hands free. He knew that no matter what, Aizen had to come here. He was planning on negacion for a quick escape, and with his plan to have Rukia executed failed, he would come here himself to remove the Hogyoku from her body before he fled. He wasn't going to let him touch Rukia, especially not when he knew he'd had to steal Kisuke's technique to remove the damn thing. Kisuke could fix her, and it would be far less traumatic than watching Aizen stick his hand into his friend's chest, her soul.

The Kidou powered announcement from Isane echoed in his head. "Attention, all Gotei 13 captains, lieutenants, and all ryoka. This is Squad 4 Isane Kotetsu fukutaicho. This is...this is an emergency announcement from both me, and Unohana Retsu taicho. Everything I am about to tell you is the truth…"

Ichigo tuned her out and readied himself. He knew Aizen's betrayal inside and out. He only had another moment left. He let his power spike.

"About fuckin' time."

The collar suppressor dissolved under the sudden flood of his reiatsu, rising too quickly to contain it. His power soared, but it was too late for Aizen to back out now; he was standing a few hundred yards beneath his escape route. He wouldn't get away thoug. He was going to die here, and never hurt anyone again.

He closed his eyes and focused, waiting. His heart hammered in his ears, but he paid careful attention to any differences in power around him. For a moment, there was silence, then the whirl of a powerful Kidou. The instant the Aizen and Gin appeared on the hilltop, Aizen's eyes were on him.

He knew the man too well, he could see the confusion and curiosity in his eyes. It was the same curiosity a cat might show a butterfly before it flattened it underfoot. He wasn't the weak ryoka boy he'd been when he fought him the first time around.

This was an unevolved Aizen. He was weak.

As he was now, the traitorous captain wouldn't even be able to fathom his reiatsu. He seemed harmless when his reiatsu couldn't be sensed, but he could see the man's instincts warning him of a threat.

He disappeared, reappearing just inches from Aizen. His hand was clamped down like a vice on his Zanpakuto, not allowing him to draw it. He caught the wrist of his right hand before he could react, cracking his bones in his grip.

The look on Aizen's face was one of shock and incomprehension. Ichigo had been in one place, and then he had simply appeared before him.

Aizen's left hand snapped out and grabbed his throat in retaliation, and Ichigo's eyes burned in fury. He'd grabbed him by the neck before, and he'd hated it then too.

His reiatsu thickened like fog around him, and even if Aizen couldn't feel it, now he would see it. He flickered back, Kyōka Suigetsu clenched tightly in one hand, and drew his khyber sword. He wanted to use all of his power, but he still couldn't let Soul Society know about his Quincy power. It was bad enough they knew about his hollow.

Aizen's eyes widened further, beginning to understand Ichigo was a threat. "That's..." The power Aizen had observed in the human world didn't even compare to the power he was demonstrating now, and he knew this information confused the genius greatly.

Gin seemed torn on whether to keep up his cover or back up Aizen, and he settled for shikai and a concerned stance.

Ichigo sensed Renji, Rukia, and Tōsen appear behind him, having placed himself between where they would appear and Aizen on purpose. He had a feeling Aizen's pride and arrogance would remove the focus from anyone but him, but he'd rather be careful.

Aizen's expression twisted into one bordering on rage. "You have no reiatsu. How?"

He couldn't help but taunt him. "Aizen has found something he doesn't understand? How must that feel, to come to the sudden realization that you are weak?" He could feel the captains converging on their location. He didn't have long, soon the negacion would take him away and he'd be gone.

He didn't have to hold back, he wanted to crush him. He heard Zangetsu's laughter echo in his head, a savage, eager sound. His power coiled around him in jagged lines of darkness, then surged over his skin, his resurrección flooding his veins with power. His mask formed, a hollow hole gaping in his chest with black lines drawn out and up to his neck. His hair grew long, nails stretching into claws.

Aizen put distance between them, moving too quickly for the others to see, but to his eyes, he was slow. Disarmed and outmatched, the ex-captain gestured with his hand and snapped, "Hadou 90 kurohitsugi!"

The darkness closed around him in a box, swords of power impaling through it. Ichigo narrowed his eyes in disgust. Even a full incantation kurohitsugi wasn't enough to slow him down, this was just pathetic. Compared to the Aizen he'd known, this was almost too easy. He swung his sword and it shattered, shards flying in all directions. The ground cracked under his feet, the dust blown away from the hill by the shock.

He moved.

Aizen was unprepared when Ichigo's hand grabbed his face, his glasses disintegrating when they made contact with his reiatsu. Aizen's fingers dug into his arm, powering a kidou with his left hand, but he wasn't strong enough to dislodge his grip. The fact he hadn't simply shattered his skull when he grabbed him was a testament to his power, to what he would eventually become if he wasn't stopped.

This all happened in a matter of seconds. He felt Gin and Tōsen release their swords, but they were still of little consequence. He charged a cero between his horns, holding Aizen off the ground with a tight grip on his head. His claws dug down to the bone, blood sheeting down the side of Aizen's neck. He didn't want to hear him speak anymore.

He met Aizen's eyes from between his grip on his face, the rage and hatred he saw there a reflection of his own. His friends were still alive. His family. Soul Society wasn't in shreds. He had something to protect again, and he had the pain of failure backing his resolve.

Sokyoku Hill was flooded with the oppressively dark light of his Gran Rey Cero. Shadows lengthened and cast the hill in red light as it charged between his horns. He felt Aizen's reiatsu flare to crushing heights, his power whipping around them both, but it didn't move him any more than a mountain might be pushed by the wind. Whatever kidou he cast exploded in yellow light around them both, but his cero still charged unimpeded. Part of him was disgusted, but another, deeper part felt a thrill.

Aizen was like a pinned butterfly, already dead, but it didn't understand.

Gin's sword struck him in the lower back, but the blade couldn't hurt him. He didn't even look, he only had eyes for Aizen.

This was the shinigami who stole his family from him, who would steal them from him again, but now he could win, he could kill him.

His tone was guttural and dark. "I see you, Aizen." He saw who he really was, he understood him better than anyone ever had. His pride, his arrogance, his power. And now he was going to kill him again. "In the end, you didn't even want your power."

He shot the cero point blank, the beam of dark, red energy slicing straight through Aizen into the sky, dissolving the clouds. The shockwave nearly leveled the trees on Sokyoku Hill, nearly all those present on the plateau struggling to remain standing. The sky seemed to burn, but he didn't stop there.

He threw him to the ground and it cratered under the impact. Aizen's bare chest was doused in his own blood, a hole through his guts. Somehow he was still alive, eyes wide in fury. He stared at him with such hatred. This Aizen didn't know who he was, he couldn't know.

Ichigo didn't give him time to recover, taking Zangetsu and driving it home in his chest, straight through his heart. "Getsuga Tensho."

Power rippled and split the ground beneath Aizen, his attack shredding the former taicho from the inside out. Red swaths of reiatsu bubbled from the rocks, shattering the ground. Chunks of rock along the edge of Sokyoku Hill split and fell, the ground scarred irrevocably from his power.

There was no coming back from this, Aizen would have to be dead. He raised his sword to attack again, paranoid he'd somehow failed.

The dust cleared, revealing Aizen's bloody, mangled body beneath him. He didn't lower his sword, his grip so tight his own claws cut into his skin. The wind tugged his hair around his shoulders, the wind rough now that air rushed to fill the space his cero had just forced away.

"That's enough, ryoka." He was surprised to hear the soutaichou speak. He supposed he shouldn't be, he'd known he was here, he was in charge, but it was always uncomfortable to be scrutinized so closely.

Seconds ticked by, then, slowly, he lowered his sword, aware he was far from alone on that hilltop. He tossed away the dead zealot's Zanpakuto, not wanting to touch the thing any longer than he had to.

He distantly heard Tōsen's outraged cry, and he caught his sword in his hand without needing to look. He felt the concussion of sound his shikai created, but it rolled off him and his power.

He fixed Tōsen with an annoyed glare, the blind shinigami screaming again in rage. Ichigo's tone was flat. "Stop." He tightened his hand, breaking Tōsen's Zanpakuto like it was made of glass. Before Tōsen could do more, the blind shinigami found Yoruichi's sword at his throat, and Soifon's at his gut, forcing him to cease, or die.

He took in the scene around him, all the captains were on guard besides the soutaichou He wasn't sure if they would attack, so he slowly 'sheathed' his sword. That he didn't appear to be berserk was enough to make most of them relax, particularly those he knew were on his side, like Ukitake, Yoruichi, and Kyōraku.

He saw that Matsumoto had her sword at Gin's throat, but he already knew he wasn't a threat anymore. Both were quietly talking, but they were too far away to hear.

He noticed how Byakuya was situated in front of Renji and Rukia, the scattered petals of his shikai littering the ground at his feet. Even if he was in poor shape, he'd left him in one piece, anticipating this. If he hadn't been there to protect Rukia with her already depleted reiatsu, he didn't know how bad it could have gotten.

He glanced back down at Aizen like he was afraid he would come back to life. He was expecting him to regenerate, finding it hard to grasp the fact he had yet to accept the Hogyoku.

"King, he's ain't gettin' back up."

Is it wrong that I'm almost...disappointed?

"Bastard was weaker than I remembered."

The sky suddenly split open, gillians writhing in the gash between worlds. However the ex-taicho had gotten the menos to open the negacion for him, it no longer mattered. They sought out their targets, apparently not caring Aizen was already dead. Ichigo was ready.

He parted his jaws in a roar that shook with power, the menos and gillians slinking back into the Valley of Screams. They were cowed, but they were still stupid things, they wouldn't go away unless he forced them.

He lifted a hand, reaching with his instincts and the hole in the world. He snapped closed his hand into a fist, sealing off the garganta with force of will.

He could feel the shock and caution rolling off of the taichos and fukutaichos behind him. He understood he was an unquantifiable threat, but he still felt more alone than he ever had. People he'd known to be friends, mentors, comrades...they regarded him as an enemy. He lowered his hand, turning to face the others.

Ukitake's voice carried, even though they were so far apart. "Who are you?"

He looked back and lifted his mask, still moving slowly. A couple of captains looked twitchy, and he didn't want to fight his allies. "Kurosaki Ichigo."

Soifon shouted, "Kurosaki Ichigo is human! You are decidedly not."

Yamamoto shouted. "Enough! Treat the wounded, take these two traitors to Senzaikyu Shishinro." He opened an eye to regard Ichigo. "I will deal with Kurosaki."

Ichigo's eyes widened a bit. Before he'd been beneath Yamamoto's notice, but now he was upgraded to name status?

He let his hollow power go, his hair returning to normal length, the black in his sclera receding. His eyes were no longer yellow, but soft brown. His reflexes were still humming from battle, feeling surprisingly unsated.

Yamamoto walked forward while the captains scrambled to follow orders. The captain commander walked past Ichigo to the edge of the battered plateau. Ichigo took the hint and followed, not entirely sure where to go from here. This is as far as his foreknowledge was of any considerable value. Now things would be different, and he didn't know his place in this world anymore.

He stood beside Yamamoto as he looked out over Soul Society, waiting for the ancient shinigami to speak. The sun was beginning to set, brilliant golden light highlighting the contours of the destruction Ichigo had wrought. "Kurosaki…You don't match early reports of your power, you don't look like the teenager we surveilled a month ago. Who are you?"

He looked at the commander, sensing this question was digging for more than his name. "I'm Ichigo...I was a substitute shinigami, a brother, a friend...I'm a protector, a visored...and at one point, a captain." He looked over at Rukia, who was kneeling by her brother's side. "I'm not sure what you want me to say, Yama-jii."

The man leaned forward on his cane, seemingly understanding Ichigo's implications. "Is this the result of that man's invention?" He was talking about Kisuke's Hogyoku, and he didn't come right out and ask if it was time travel, but when the dangai was well known for displacing time, it wasn't an impossible conclusion.

Ichigo wasn't sure if he was looking for a report or a simple answer, but he'd never been sure how to act around Yamamoto. He'd defied nearly every order he'd given him at first. It had taken years for him to see the wisdom in his actions, and the coldness in them. "Yes."

"Where is the Hogyoku now?"

Ichigo saw no reason to lie about this, the Hogyoku couldn't be destroyed, only hidden. It would need to be kept safe, and he knew Yamamoto could be neutral in the guarding of something so powerful. "It's inside Rukia's soul. Urahara can remove it, but only if she comes back to Karakura." The last bit was a bit of a lie.

Yamamoto grunted in understanding, no doubt planning for her escort.

They stood in silence for some time, and Ichigo had a feeling he was waiting for him to continue. "When I'm from, Aizen won. He killed my family, he destroyed Karakura. He killed Renji, Rukia, Hitsugaya, Byakuya...he killed almost everyone. Seireitei was conquered, he nearly succeeded in creating the King's Key."

That word alone had Yamamoto fixing him with a hard look. "How many others have you told?"

"You're the only one I've told about the the Key. Trust me, I know how important it is. I won't tell anyone, Yama-jii."

"A wise choice, kozu." And he was downgraded to boy once again. "Why does Seireitei have your loyalty?"

"Aizen targeted my home, my friends, my family. Seireitei is an extension of that. The number of people I want to protect keeps growing."

He looked over at the captain commander. He knew why he was asking, and this talk was only happening because he'd proven to be stronger than everyone in the Gotei 13. "I'm not a threat to Seireitei."

"The fact remains that in this world you are a ryoka, and you defeated lieutenants and captains with ease. You killed a captain of unknown power and ended a rebellion that would have done irreparable damage to Soul Society and the human world."

Ichigo kept his voice low. "It's not over Yama-jii. He's got an army of arrancar in Hueco Mundo, and I don't know what they'll do now that he's dead."

Yamamoto mulled this over, then asked, "What will you do?"

"Recruit the visoreds." This got his attention.

"I forgot you didn't know...the visoreds weren't changed by choice, Aizen framed Kisuke, and Kisuke did what he could to keep them alive. They did nothing wrong." He couldn't help but defend his friends; they were like him, he couldn't help but feel a certain kinship.

Yamamoto considered this, then looked out over Seireitei. "We owe you a great debt, it would seem. You and the other ryoka may stay and recuperate before returning to the human world.

Ichigo didn't like collecting on debts, but he knew it would only be an insult to their pride if he didn't accept. "Ah. Thanks, Yama-jii."

"I expect a full report, Kurosaki." He fixed him with a steady look. "I'll meet with you tomorrow evening." He had no doubt there was a lot to be done with all the recent chaos, a day wasn't that long to wait at all. He had a feeling Yamamoto was aware he would be omitting some details and information, but for the moment, he seemed to grudgingly accept that.

The soutaichou walked back to the others, shouting a few more orders and having his lieutenant send hell butterflies to the absent divisions.

"He does not trust you, Ichigo. You have shown yourself to be merciless and powerful, nor have you shown to have any sort of respect for authority. Be cautious."

If he decides to outmaneuver me, what could I do? He has centuries on me.

"But if the old bastard wants to fight, we'll win."

This is pointless. We're not going to fight him, we're on the same side.

"But if we do…"

Not gonna happen, Zangetsu.

There was a lot of upset grumbling, but that was the end of that.

Ichigo didn't move just yet, sensing Ishida, Orihime, and Sado, returning to the top of Sokyoku Hill. He assumed Yachiru and Ganju had decided to get going now that things were settled. He waited for them, wanting a few more minutes alone. He noticed Rukia and Byakuya talking and left them be, glad Byakuya had again made peace with himself, and Rukia.

He didn't feel like he'd won. The mood was somber and subdued and the shinigami on the hilltop avoided him like he was some kind of monster. So nothing had changed.

"If ya didn't scowl like that maybe they wouldn't be so piss scared."

So I should smile like you?

Zangetsu cackled. "Just like that, King."

He couldn't decide if he was making fun of him or trying to make him feel better.

He watched the fourth division run around treating Komamura, Renji, Byakuya, and everyone affected by simply being too close to his battle with Aizen. That word felt wrong. It wasn't a fight, it was just plain murder.

The sun was nearly set by the time his friends made it back over to him, the fourth wrapping up their field treatments to move their patients to the fourth division. Orihime told him on the way back up, Yachiru had gotten a hell butterfly then offered to let them all stay in the 11th division barracks until they returned to the human world.

He caught their eyes slipping over to Aizen's bloodied body, but the sun was low enough that any detail of that slaughter was cast in shadow. He knew Orihime tried to brush it off, but was struggling to keep her composure. Ishida said nothing, he only watched Ichigo in contemplative silence.

They retreated to the barracks, the conversation staying light, recounting what had happened while they were separated, then lapsing into uncomfortable silence. The streets were still rather busy after all the commotion they had either caused or been apart of. Kidou powered light flickered on along the path, but the streets were still dark.

Ishida finally broke the silence. "Kurosaki...do you plan on working with Soul Society?"

Ichigo stopped abruptly. "Ishida. This isn't the place." He gave him a warning look, aware Mayuri could very well be listening in on them without their knowledge. There were some things he wasn't willing to share with Soul Society just yet. Ishida seemed to understand, but the frustration was clear on his face.

His tone eased, looking between them. "Look. I don't know the future anymore. Not really. My knowledge is next to useless now."

He could feel the distance between them. It was uncomfortable knowing the people he'd once been so close to were only alive in his memories. He sighed, looking up at the stars. These were different from the ones in his inner world, these were actually calming. They put things into perspective.

He looked back at his friends, changing the subject for the moment. "You want to be strong, don't you? I can help." He didn't want to do this alone. He could try, but he knew he would fail.

Orihime took a step forward, the resolve in her eyes reminiscent of the Inuoe he remembered. "Kurosaki-kun...I want to protect Tatsuki, I want to help you, everyone."

Ishida's brows furrowed, his attention suddenly on her. "Inuoe…"

Ichigo's lips turned up into a faint smile, thinking of Hacchi. "I know someone who can help you. When we get back to Karakura I'll take you to see him."

He turned his attention to Ishida. "You need to speak with your father." Ishida's eyes widened, clearly less than thrilled.

Ichigo left that hanging and looked to Sado. "I can help you with your power if you want, but to be honest, you did a pretty good job on your own. You're a fullbringer by the way."

"Full...bringer?"

"Long story, but if you want my help, you can have it."

Sado tensed and said nothing, but Ichigo sensed that was a firm yes. He would need to take him to Hueco Mundo, and thankfully finding a patch of unoccupied sand in that place was relatively simple.

"I wasn't being flattering earlier, you guys get strong, but you need to be stronger." He considered what he could tell them that wouldn't be compromising if he was being spied on. "Aizen's army still exists, but they're far less motivated than Aizen was to infiltrate the human world, and they don't share his ideals. Although after they fight out who's in charge, I don't think they'll just sit on their ass. They hate shinigami.

"That said, I think we have time before that happens." He put his hands on his hips with a huff. "It's late, it's been a very, very long day. Let's just get to the barracks so we can get some sleep. I promise I'll answer your questions. Tomorrow." There was an edge of authority on his voice they weren't use to hearing, a remnant of barking orders in the war.

There were no complaints, all of them looked as exhausted as he felt. All that tension he'd had over fighting Aizen was gone, and that same bone-deep weariness took the place of his rage.

They got to the 11th division barracks in a few minutes, one of the few places in Seireitei he knew inside and out. A member he didn't know by name led them to their quarters, uncertain what to do when Ichigo demanded his own room. It didn't seem to matter if he was a member of the 11th division, Ichigo's description had gotten out and the shinigami was so flustered he couldn't figure out what to do with himself.

Ichigo was just about to leave when Ikkaku turned the corner. "Oy! Ichigo!"

He turned, surprised to see him on his feet so soon. "Ikkaku?"

"What's the deal?" Ikakku strode up to his group, looking over his friends with a critical eye, then dismissed them.

Ichigo said, "I want my own room."

Ikakku looked at Ishida, then Sado, not seeing anything wrong with the two. "Why? " Ichigo clearly wasn't a self-entitled prick, Ikkaku didn't see a problem.

Ichigo's frown deepened, not wanting to let the entire world in on his shortcomings. "You know what, whatever. I'll sleep outside."

He turned to go, Ikakku's voice behind him. "H-Hey! You think the 11th can't give the guy that beat the hell out of our captain a fuckin' room?! Who do you think we are!?"

Ichigo stopped, annoyed. "Well then give me a room, baldy."

"WHAT?!"

Ikakku reached for his Zanpakuto, and Ichigo tried not to roll his eyes.

Orihime gestured wildly, flustered."Ah! It's fine! We can just share and let Kurosaki have the other-"

Ikkaku grabbed Ichigo's arm and dragged him down the hall, angrily muttering. He left Ichigo's friends behind, leaving them standing in the hallway with their escort.

He tossed Ichigo into at an empty room. He was suddenly serious. "Why, Ichigo?"

Ichigo let Ikkaku man-handle him and shrugged. "Use to sleeping alone is all."

"Uh huh." Ikakku didn't sound sold on the excuse. "Whatever. Get some sleep, I'm sure Zaraki will be looking for you tomorrow."

"Good. Night."

Ikakku snorted and slammed the door on Ichigo, leaving the visored standing in the dark.

"That could have gone better."

"You should tell your friends the truth."

I'm not lying to them!

"Ichigo."

He frowned, aware Zangetsu-no-ossan wasn't going to take any excuses.

He didn't dwell on it, removing his Zanpakuto and lying down on the bed he rolled out. "Zangetsu?"

The switch was easy, and Zangetsu didn't object. He was ashamed he needed to do this, he didn't want his friends to know. He didn't want to hurt anyone again, and despite his exhaustion, he knew his emotions were raw.

Inside his inner world, there was silence, but as he finally slipped into sleep, the wind howled.

- xxx -

Okay yey, finally get to do all the fun things. Writing the captain commander is hard, he hardly ever talks and when he does it's just orders, and even in the manga there are parts where he feels OOC, like when Kubo first wrote him he wasn't sure what he wanted him to be. *Shrug* oh well, I hope you enjoyed!

I know Aizen got majorly dunked on, but he didn't even have the Hogyoku and Ichigo casually took out a bunch of lieutenants even when he was super weak in season 3, so even without being able to go into bankai, I feel like he would wreck Aizen.