Finally had time to write another chapter for this growing fic. This idea has been playing around in my mind for a long time and i wasn't quite sure how to write or approach this particular chapter simply because of what its about. I won't say much more now and just leave you to enjoy this chapter.

Disclaimer: I do not own bleach, or any of the characters associated with it. If i did, i would be earning alot more money then i am now.

As always, please read the chapters that i have published them in, there is some method in my madness, and some things don't have the same level of impact if you read them chronologically. You have been warned.


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Hey Ichigo Part VII

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"Hey Shinigami."

"…"

"It's not a cero."

"…"

"A cero alone wouldn't have been powerful enough to hurt people as strong as you."

"…"

"They're the Primera Espada Coyote Stark and Lilinette Gingerback's ability."

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The Vaizard pair fell to the earth below under the onslaught that came at the hands of the Primera Espada. Love Aikawa and Rojuro Otoribashi collapsed among the rubble and were not returning to the battle any time soon. The Primera Espada was a combination of two beings, Coyote Stark and Lilinette Gingerback, who used to reside as one before they became an Arrancar. Why they decided to split their powers among two separate bodies rather than a weapon, well Senna could only guess the reason, just like her own powers.

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She had followed the other Vaizard, for reasons she wasn't sure. They were Ichigo's comrades but they weren't necessarily his friends. They had forced her to confront her 'other' self as well as control the hollow within her. However their training was far from successful. She had entered her inner world in order to confront the hollow that resided within her, to battle for domination of the body that they shared. Ichigo had went through something similar, she was more than ready for the task ahead. However a grand battle had never occurred in her inner world, her hollow was nowhere to be found. The other Vaizard had questioned her when she exited the multi-layer barrier only to feign ignorance at their questioning. She knew the reason already.

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Her hollow wasn't born from a random entity or incident. Her hollow had been born/inherited from Ichigo's very soul just like the Shinigami powers that resided within her. When he was in peril, she relied on that power in order to save him. At that moment, somewhere in her heart she had already accepted the power whole-heartily, such that it molded itself within her, making it apart of the power she had inherited from Ichigo. So it wasn't a surprise to her that when she entered that weird world that existed within her, all she saw was 'Aki-no-Tsuki' standing there, smiling that familiar smile, a hollow mask hanging on the side of her head. They were, after all, one and the same to her.

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"Hey Shinigami."

"Yeah?"

"You're not going to help your comrades?"

"They're not my comrades."

"Are you alone?"

"No, I am waiting for someone."

"Someone?"

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He examined her with a confused look in his eye. The wolves that were at his side howled in a language that only he seemed to understand. That was fine. She had followed the pair of Vaizard to this particular Arrancar not because he was the strongest but because of the look in his eye as he fought the Shinigami captains. It was the same look that she had in the mirror sometimes at night. She just wasn't sure if the reflection looking back at her was that of herself or that of the Memory Rosary Senna.

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His stance changed at her words. That's right he had explained his abilities earlier. The wolves beside him weren't just wolves or generic energy blasts. Otherwise Love and Rojuro wouldn't have been as overwhelmed. Each wolf was a part of the pair's soul that had been torn apart. Each part was treating each other as a partner, a friend or a weapon to be used against their enemy. Each of those wolves was both Stark and Lilinette. She smiled at the idea as the pair before her readied themselves for battle once again. It had a hidden and much deeper meaning that wasn't lost on her. It also meant that the pair would never be apart. The wolves had decided to rush towards her.

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"Aki-ga Senpu!"

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On instinct she brought the fans together causing a whirlwind to form between her and the oncoming pack. It wasn't enough to stop the attack but it was enough to buy her time to retreat a few steps and reassess her opponent. She knew she wouldn't be able to win but she should be able to buy enough time for either Love or Rojuro to resume battle. Hell she was fairly certain that the dodgy pink caped captain hadn't suffered that much damage.

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One of the wolves ran faster than the rest and made to bite her, a soft smile graced her lips as she saw it approach. She reached forward as if to pat it, as it exploded in front of her. Everything about the being in front of her spoke nothing but solitude. The Primera stood before her, the strongest of all Arrancar, yet his abilities required him to self-harm and self-sacrifice in order to use; just like her own ability. Only those that knew of solitude could see the same eyes in others. His had been saved by tearing his soul apart and creating another being. She had been saved by an orange haired Shinigami.

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Autumn leaves fell from her body, they had protected her from the majority of the blast. She could feel 'Aki-no-Tsuki' laughing within her soul at her foolishness. Shaking her head to clear herself of her own doubts, she faced forward looking at the Arrancar before her. She had a promise to keep.

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"Hey Arrancar."

"Yeah?"

"Sorry for the wait."

"…"

"You wanted to see a Bankai, right?"

"Yeah."

"Bankai."

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The training she had received didn't help her control her hollow powers, but rather helped transform her Shinigami powers. The hollow within her, and her shinigami powers both originated from the same source it was only natural that they complimented each other so well. A maple leaf hair clip formed on her head made of the same material as a hollow mask as the ribbon in her hair grew in length coming down to her ankles. Her eyes glowed like ethereal amber as did the moon and leaves imprinted upon her fans.

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"Aki-no-Tsuki No-Omoide" (Memories of an Autumn Moon)

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The Arrancar tilted it head to the side in confusion. Visually she didn't change very much nor did her reiatsu. The wolves continued to howl as the pair stared off waiting for the other to make the first room. Eventually a pack of wolves started to rush towards her just like moments prior however this time she stayed where she was and didn't movie. A large group of while being's with red pixie hates started to appear in the air around her and collided with the oncoming wolves in brilliant explosions with each collision. These were the nobodies that existed within the valley of screams.

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"Hey Shinigami."

"Yeah?"

"What are those?"

"They're memories."

"Memories?"

"My memories."

"You're tearing your own memories apart?"

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This Arrancar caught on quick. Her bankai was quite an unforgiving bankai just like that of autumn. Autumn always gave away to winter and the incoming blizzard. It was the season that would always show the world basked in a beautiful shade of orange, but it was also the season that warned of the oncoming death. It was such a beautiful and tragic season. Her bankai required her to sacrifice her own memories in order to obtain power. Those that weren't willing to sacrifice anything would never be able to change anything. It was something she understood extremely well.

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The pack of wolves once again reappeared and attacked just as another group of nobodies appeared around her and met the oncoming assault. It was mutual destruction. She was certain that the Arrancar would defiantly win if he turned this into a head to head battle, but he was playing her game. Why? She chuckled at the thought as the red ribbon that tied her hair slowly started to get shorter. It was because they were so similar. They both had the same look in their eye. They both understood that solitude better than anyone else. The Arrancar before her literally tore their own soul in two in order to escape from that solitude. While the memory rosary absorbed memories of others in order to try and create its personality which was later saved by the orange haired Shinigami. However if you lose too much of yourself you'll eventually stop being an individual.

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She watched as the countless wolves ran forward only to meet her army of Nobodies. She watched as each Nobody extinguished their existence with a portion of the Arrancar's soul. There goes what she ate this morning, her math homework from last week, what the weather was like the previous day. Each memory was inconsequential in its own right, but each memory was also part of her in some way, shape or form.

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"Hey Shinigami."

"Yeah?"

"You must be getting pretty close."

"I should same to you Arrancar."

"We are not Arrancar, we are Coyote Stark and Lilinette Gingerback."

"Senna and Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Heh. Here We come!"

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A look of amusement flashed over the Arrancar's features. That's right this battle had always been fought between pairs from the very start. She was using Ichigo's powers just as she was using her own. Her ribbon was growing much shorter; she would soon have to start sacrificing more important memories in order to maintain her attacks. The Arrancar formed two swords out of reiatsu as he leapt towards her. She pulled her fans back getting ready to charge forward. However a hand on her shoulder pulled her back forcibly as a figure leaped ahead of her. She could see his back as she fell back to the earth below.

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"Hey Senna."

"Yeah?"

"You idiot."

"Wha?"

"Leave the rest to us."

"What?"

"Getsuga Tenshou!"

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Turning her gaze forward she saw the Strawberry Shinigami jump forward, 'Tensa Zangetsu' raised above his head ready to meet the Primera's attack head on, slashing forward as a mass of black and red energy raced forwards. The Primera's eye was wide in shock as they clashed blades with the mass of energy and the Shinigami that had just appeared before it. A familiar reiatsu surrounded the orange haired shinigami however it wasn't the reiatsu that she was familiar with. The best way to describe it would be to say it was a poor imitation of 'his' reiatsu that she had become so familiar over their many 'dates' together. Almost like an age old mirror.

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"Hey Senna."

"Yeah?"

"You idiot."

"Wha?"

"We'll take care of everything here."

"…"

"So protect him. For both of us."

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The female that appeared behind her said this as she casually walked past. Senna wanted to grab the girl that had mysteriously appeared beside her but found her limbs and tongue had gone silent in those moments. Currently Ichigo? was fighting the Primera above the pair. The girl beside her just sighed as she leaped forward to join him by his side. A place where only she belonged.

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"Oi Ichigo!"

"Yeah?"

"Don't leave me behind you idiot!"

"I kind of have my hands full at the moment."

"You jerk! That's why I am here!"

"You ready?"

"Call forth the twilight, Mirokumaru!"

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A whirlwind formed as the trio did battle in the air. The girl that had walked past her was her memory of the Senna that existed in that once upon a life time. Or was it the Memory Rosary Senna that existed only within her? Just the like the Ichigo that was currently fighting in the air. With each Nobody that was destroyed a part of her memory was erased. If she were to lose these two people in battle wouldn't that mean her memories of that forgotten lifetime would surely disappear as well.

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Inconsequential memories would create Nobodies, while the stronger the memory or feeling would create stronger beings. The greater the sacrifice, the greater the reward so to speak. But the price was too much in this case. Why did they have to appear? Did the Memory Rosary Senna realize the danger of the Primera before her and manifested to tell her not to die? Her bankai relied on the sacrifice of memories, so she sacrificed 'her' Ichigo just so that she wouldn't lose her own? There were too many questions swirling through her head as she watched the trio high above. She was unable to move from the ground below. She knew it was just a matter of time before the Arrancar got the upper hand and destroyed her representation of their memory. Of something that could only exist within her memory.

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The memory rosary Senna had two options before her. The decision was already made and it would be the same choice each and every time.

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"Tch. Cero!"

"Getsuga Tenshou."

"Mirokumaru!"

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!

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The pair were cut down by the Arrancar's blast. The memories that resided within the 'Memory Rosary Senna' couldn't stand to the power that the Primera possessed. You could say that they were a few seasons behind the present. But that didn't matter to Senna as she collapsed to her knees, her memories tearing themselves apart within her. Why did she have to lose that lifetime? Why did she have to lose those precious memories? The ones that connected her to Ichigo?

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Looking up, she saw the Primera hover before her. The look in his eye was the same look she always saw in the mirror. The same one she had when she looked at that river in that forgotten lifetime. Wait was that last part right? Was there a river or ribbon in that lifetime? Were there people and a game of tag that was played all the way back then?What lifetime was she thinking of? The Primera sighed as the look in her eye changed. Her memories were changing. He must have realized what her bankai would entail. So he touched down in front of her raising his blade to deal the final blow. She was no longer the same person she was mere moments ago.

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Senna's brain didn't register what happened next. The comforting darkness was closing in around her as she collapsed onto the city's rubble. She vaguely realized that a black blade had protruded itself from the Primera's chest. A figure had emerged from his shadow. Her world went black.

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"Hey Senna-chi"

"…"

"Thanks for buying time."

"…"

"Leave to the rest to us."

"…"

"We will take care of Aizen."

.

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When she opening her eyes next, 'he' was standing before her. The man that stood a top that spire which existed in that forest within her.

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-Interlude II-

Departure

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"Oi Vice captain Kira Izuru!"

"Captain Shunsui Kyoraku."

"Look after her will you."

"Sir, will you be re-joining the battle."

"Yes, make sure she doesn't die."

"Yes sir."

"I am going to fight Aizen."

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Captain Shunsui Kyoraku used flash step to return to the fight, leaving the young girl with him at a crudely fashioned medical point. Momo Hinamori and Rangiku Matsumoto were already in his care. Captain Sajin Komamura had already returned to the fight leaving the two females in his care. Examining the young Shinigami before him he began tending to her wounds. None of them were life threatening, the most likely cause for the girl's current condition was merely exhaustion.

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The Gotei 13 had been briefed about the mysterious girl before him. Rukia Kuchiki had returned from the human world after the initial Arrancar's attack along with the other members of the first response squad only to report the existence of the young girl before him. She had obtained her Shinigami powers from Ichigo Kurosaki the substitute Shinigami in a very similar fashion to how Ichigo received his Shinigami powers from herself months prior. This was an issue that was raised with the Gotei 13, however given the current situation in Karakura town, there were more pressing issues to be dealt with.

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When the Arrancar attacked the second time, the young girl had went ahead and defended Ichigo while Rukia had rushed to the aid of first response squad. There were more contacts at their location compared to Ichigo and she had a small inkling on who Ichigo had been training with from Inoue to arrive at that conclusion. The fact that she felt 'Senna's' reiatsu rush towards Ichigo's location had also affected her decision in some way.

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Shaking his head, he turned his attention to Momo's condition only to feel another 'reiatsu' appear. Looking up Ichigo Kurosaki had attempted to attack Aizen from behind only for his attack to be deflected. Quickly turning his attention back to Senna's body, he was shocked to see that it had disappeared. Where Senna's body had once been, multiple Autumn leaves currently lay. Her body was no longer there, it had disappeared like a memory in the Autumn breeze.

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-Interlude end-

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So a few things. I have been contemplating this chapter and how to approach it for a while, but overall i am quite happy with how it turned out. The main reason that in order to get to the perfect ending, we have to get through alot of crap first. The main thing i needed to cover in this chapter was Senna's bankai and the abilities associated with it. With how this fits in with part IX side a is open to interpretation, but as i have said in a previous author note, we are changing the time line but putting in the gaps of part VII and VIII. So you'll have to wait a while in order to see how this all plays out in the end.

I will also have to give a shout out to Spartastic 4 who is currently attempting a novelization of 'Hey Ichigo'. This has been done with my permission so i look forward to his attempt. Honestly i am quite flattered since nobody has ever asked to do a novelization, fanfic or adaptation of one of my stories. His first chapter is up with is a interesting read and pays great homage to my own fic so i am eagerly looking forward to the rest of the chapters whenever it may be updated. So good luck Spartastic 4, looking forward to seeing the result.

I already have the layout/scenes that will occur in Part VIII as well as the intermission scene that will go along with it. Part IX as always been planned from the beginning as well as Part X. I have a small side story to add to this once i am finished with that which will conclude the story but that is still ways off since i do not know when i will actually have time to sit down and write it with Christmas fast approaching. Either way that is a problem for future me, i hope you have enjoyed Part VII, it honestly has been the hardest one for me to write simply because of the nature of this chapter (side note - Stark is most likely my favourite Arrancar in the series, maybe only second to Harribel."

As always please R & R, if you have any questions more then happy to answer them.

-Destria