Disclaimer: Kubo Tite-sensei owns Bleach. Not me. If I did, why on Earth would I be writing fanfictions? xD

Author's Note: I'm very sorry this chapter took so much longer than usual! -bows- I just had a very strong case of writer's block. But, here it is now!


Suzuki Sakura sighed, burying her face in the blankets. She'd already been awake for a long time, she just didn't feel like moving... she needed a little peace before her day began.

Aizen pulled her closer in his sleep. Sakura sighed again; was all this what she really wanted for herself?


Ichimaru Gin buried his face in Akemi's hair. She sighed, long since asleep. Gin reached over and brushed the hair for her face.

She looked so peaceful in sleep. All the pain and worry erased for her face while she dreamt peacefully; Gin smiled.


Nakamura Mizuki stared at the ceiling, playing soft music in an attempt to lull herself to sleep. She was not a stranger to insomnia, but being alone in the room for the first time in weeks was...

The only word she could pull up was "lonely". Nakamura Mizuki was lonely.


"Ha!" Sakura cried, swinging her blade around towards Akemi, who blocked just time. Shoving the other girl away from her, Akemi smirked.

"Dammit!" Sakura cursed, flash-stepping behind Akemi who, once again, blocked the very last minute.

"I gotta say, you're getting better, Sakura!" Akemi congratulated.

"Thanks," Sakura replied, "Your reflexes are improving quite a bit, Akemi!" She tried again, this time smacking Akemi's wrist with the flat side of the blade, causing her to drop her sword.

"Ouch!" Akemi cried, rubbing her wrist. "Didja really have to do that so hard?"

Sakura smirked. "That's what she said."

The two girls burst into laughter. Aizen shook his head, wondering fleetingly who "she" was.

"So." Akemi began as they took a water break.

"Yeah?"

"Have you talked to your sword yet?" Akemi asked, patting her own sword, a pretty, delicate katana, with pink cloth wrapped around the hilt.

"Uhm, yeah." Sakura said, blushing.

Now Aizen began to pay attention.

"Really?!" Akemi exclaimed, excited. "That's so cool! What's its name?!"

"Uhm... it hasn't said." Sakura explained sheepishly. "It says it's name, but I can never catch it."

"Weird..." Akemi said, tossing an arm around her friend's shoulders.

"You're tellin' me." Sakura said, removing the sword from the sheath, letting the blade catch the light. "It's weird though... I just heard a woman's voice in my head, saying, "Come to my world, in the depths of your mind," and weird stuff like that. But I haven't acutally seen her yet."

"I know you will very soon." Akemi chirped. "Okay, now. Let's see just how good you are with that thing!" she said, drawing her blade.

Sakura smirked. "You're on!"


"Captains of the Gotei 13!" Yamamoto-soutaichou yelled authoratively, trying his best to get the other captains to calm down.

"What the hell?! Is this your idea of a joke?!" Hitsugaya-taichou cried out.

"Yeah, really. What's goin' on here, anyways?" Kyoraku-taichou pondered aloud.

Unohana-taichou merely sighed.

"Quiet!" the old man yelled. Everyone silenced, fearing the look in his eyes.

"Now, then," he began, somewhat more composed. "We can not deny now that Aizen is on the move. Considering that we have no idea when he will decide to attack, we can not afford to have any shinigami below the level of a tenth-seat officer. Squad 4, you should have no one below a fifth-seat. Does everyone understand?"

The captains all nodded gravely.

"Very well. Let us declare all-out war against these Arrancar!"


Sakura stood, all alone, in what appeared to be a forest. Snowing was falling and already covered the ground. She began to walk, for some reason not feeling the cold at all, until she reached a clearing in the trees. A massive white tree stood at the far corner, a pond with dark, black water in front of it. A woman sat, eyes closed, towards the top of the tree. Sakura took a step towards it.

"Uhm... hello?" she called to the woman. "'Scuse me... could you tell me where exactly I am...?"

The woman turned to her and opened one eye. Sakura stepped back- she had never before seen such brilliant blue eyes.

The woman then gracefully leapt down from her place. She wore a twelve-layer ceremonial robe, each layer a different shade of blue. She had long bangs hanging down into her face, and the front of her hair cascaded about an inch below her shoulders. From what Sakura could see, the back of the woman's blue-white hair fell almost to the backs of her knees. The woman opened her brilliant eyes and stared Sakura in the face.

"You, of all people, should know where you are, My Lady." she said, her voice the most beautiful sound Sakura had ever heard.

"Huh? No, honestly, I don't." Sakura replied. "Just who are you, anyway?"

"You know good and well who I am, Sakura-sama."

"Etsuko," Sakura whispered in disbelief.

Etsuko smiled. "So, you finally figured it out." she said.

Sakura bowed, her hair brushing against the snow. "It's an honor to meet you, Etsuko-sama!" she cried out.

Etsuko bowed in return. "There is no need for your formalities. The only reason I exsist is for you, and I am merely a reflection of your soul."

Sakura stared. There's no way my soul could be that beautiful, she thought, not believing the sword-woman.

Etsuko smiled again. "Your soul is, truly, this beautiful, Sakura. Believe me, for I am a reflection of who are you on the inside." The blade-woman put a pale hand on Sakura's shoulder. "Now, do you still not know where you are, My Lady?"

Sakura shook her head. Snowflakes were beginning to collect in her dark hair.

"This world is my world. It exsists deep within your mind. Like me, not only does it reflect your true self, but it also holds true beauty for you, does it not?"

Sakura nodded as Etsuko led her to the edge of the pond.

"Look into the water, Sakura." Etsuko instructed. Sakura stared her reflection in the face. "While there is your beauty and your purity reflected in this world, you also have darkness inside of you..."

Sakura's reflection suddenly paled, her dark hair fading to a light beige, her skin almost as white as her uniform; the whites of her eyes became black as the irises faded to a deep gold. Huge black wings sprouted from her back as a Hollow mask formed over the left side of her face. Where Sakura's clothes were white, the reflection's were black; were Sakura's were black, the reflection's were white.

"Tha... that's not me..." Sakura murmured as the reflection suddenly stepped out of the water.

"Hey, your Majesty." the Hollow said with a wicked grin. "So, you rule over this world, do ya? Didja even know 'bout me? I've been tryin' to get yer attention nonstop, ya damn pest."

Sakura took a step back. "Wha... Etsuko, what is this?!"

"It is exactly what I have told you. The darkness within you... your inner Hollow."

"Yeah, thanks fer the introduction, Estuko." the Hollow said, approaching Sakura. "Now listen up, ya little retard," the Hollow began roughly, "You may own this world, but if you die, I die. So, if ya ever find yerself in a position where yer life is in danger, just call on me. Estuko'll show ya her bankai er whatever, and then I'll take over from there."

Sakura merely gulped and nodded.

"Now, Sakura, we need to return you to your own world now," Etsuko said, placing her hand on Sakura's forehead, "but you may return here any time you like."

Sakura's image faded.

"Ne, Etsuko." the Hollow said, her back to the sword.

"Yes?"

"Make sure ya take good care o' that. 'Cause ya know... if we let her transform enough times..."

"I am aware of that. I know that each time Sakura allows you to take over, she loses some of herself. I am aware that if she does it enough-"

"Then all that power... will be mine." the Hollow turned to face the sword, grinning wickedly, lust for power in her eyes. "See ya around, Etsuko." she said before walking into the black water.

Sakura's eyes snapped open. She had been so tired after how hard she'd trained with Akemi, she'd passed out on her couch.

She stood up and adjusted her uniform. Her big green eyes strayed to the sword resting in the corner of the room.

"Etsuko...?"

The sword clattered in the sheath.


"Gin."

"What have ya discovered teday, Aizen-sama?" Gin asked apatheically.

"My sources tell me that the shinigami have declared all out war on us." he smirked, turning his chair around to face Ichimaru.

"So that means we're gonna attack 'em here pretty soon...?"

"You're getting good, Gin. And yes, we will teach those shinigami what you get for declaring all-out war on us..."