A/N: I apologize for the long wait. This time of year is busy, busy, busy. Parent teacher conference time, baking, costumes, candy and the lovely flu season take up much time. Ever notice how when one family member falls ill that it becomes a domino effect and every one catches it? Oh yes, if mommy doesn't catch it in the middle of taking care of everyone, it happens just as everyone else has gotten over it. Lovely right?

Well anyhow, this is very short. I've lost the rhythm and flow of what I was trying to do so I may just go back and edit like mad so that it comes out better and I get the hang of what I am writing again.

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The inhabitants of Las Noches awoke with a shudder as ripples of power washed over them. Aizen Sousuke jumped out of bed and hurriedly dressed. Rushing out into the hallway, he met Gin coming out of his room, sword in hand. Both men were half dressed, their open tops flaring out behind them as they made for the lit sands under the central dome.

When they reached the open patio/balcony area where Halibel had watched Grimmjow and Ichigo fight before, all they could really see was a cloud of sand rolling in their direction. Coming out toward the edge they finally notice a figure standing off to the side.

"Now why would you come back Hime-chan?" Gin asked in a semi-singsong voice.

"Sshhh!" she scolded and dismissed them with a waive of her hand.

Gin was startled enough by her attitude to open his eyes a bit. Before, this girl was docile and easily played with but now, she dared to shush him and ignore their presence as she stared intently at what seemed like a raging sandstorm below. Aizen just chuckled and focused on the chaos before him.

Strikes of lightning rumbled through the clouds roiling across the sands. Buildings collapsed into large piles of rubble as the storm passed. Newly repaired structures burst into flames, some black with red highlights and some green or white.

A large dark creature rose through the smoke. The black batwings spread fully open just as he emerged, like a demon rising from the depths of hell.

"Is that Ulquiorra?" Gin asked.

Aizen just smiled serenely and continued to watch events unfold.

The haze of sand slowly cleared to reveal a hollow unknown to the two men. The skull style face of the horned helmet was familiar.

"Is that Kurosaki?" Gin smiled evilly.

Aizen chuckled softly.

There seemed to be a standoff of sorts, neither side was making a move and that is when Aizen made his. He disappeared from their observation point and reappeared below. Hollow Ichigo raised his sword to block a blow only to have the ex-shinigami dissipate like smoke and materialize beside him as the butt of the sword shattered the mask off of his face. The boy crumpled to the brown haired man's feet.

"Now Ulquiorra, I assume you have some interesting information for me. I look forward to your report."

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(Present- a little while after the dinner incident and a few days after the last journal entry)

Ichigo sat and stared at the books on the table before him. Since he started keeping a journal, he was able to pour out all his feelings that he couldn't speak of, all the flashes for memories he'd see, and all his ideas, frustrations and experiences so far.

He counted eight books. He would completely fill one book in approximately a month. He had been here a little over eight months and other than finding someone who cared for him and whom he cared for, there was not much that had been accomplished.

Ichigo scowled at the journals.

He had regained some memory. He remembered his mother, his sister, and a goofy black haired man that he assumed was his father. The girl Orihime that he had dinner with some times would pop up in his mind with a sweet smile and concerned eyes but not too much more. Then there were those faces that he could not put a name to, so many faces.

With a growl, the orange haired teen swept the desk clear of his journals and writing materials.

"Ichigo," a soft but deep voice admonished from behind him.

"Why? Why won't you let me speak to the shinigami you brought in a couple weeks ago? I feel like I need to talk to him to make sense of what happened to me. I am going crazy just sitting here and trying to remember when nothing new has come to me for about a week." Without turning around, Ichigo flopped back into the chair he had originally been sitting in.

"Ichigo…" with a sigh Aizen continued, "I suppose a part of me has been trying to protect you. With how wild you were when you first arrived and then those … fits, I was thinking of keeping you from the one who caused you pain."

"So… He is the one."