Gangu had held on for about three seconds after Kokaku sunk her scalpel into the flesh of Girmmjow's back. She was carefully cutting through the scar tissue and even though her brother was bucked off, her hand was skilful and did the job smoothly. She pulled out, finished in a matter of seconds. But the man on the table did not stop screaming or fighting. The strap on his strongest arm snapped but then nothing, he went limp, hardly breathing.

"What happened?" Came Urahara's voice.

"I- I'm not sure." Kokaku looked genuinely afraid. There was an oppressively dark presence in the room, then a white burst of light and the white tiger burst forth. It was shaking in rage and Gangu leapt protectively in front of his sister.

Kisuke heard the roar and screamed through the speaker, "Zizimu!"

The beast turned in confusion but knew the voice. "Zizimu they are friends. They were trying to heal your master–"

"I know!" The tiger roared but his rage was unrestrained. "Bastard!"

Kokaku brushed her brother aside. "What is it?"

"Aizen." The word hissed out and everyone was silent. Then, "I failed. I failed my master, I never sensed the other soul."

"What are you talking about?" Kisuke asked, his voice taught with anticipation.

"He has my master trapped in his own dark world. He sealed his soul into my master's body when he put the tattoo on him with the Hogyoku. When he died he went there. That pain has been him, and now, we've just released him. He pushed me out and I can't get back."

"I thought you were Grimmjow's heart, won't he die?"

Zizimu turned to the woman.

"As long as I'm alive out here he'll survive, but he's powerless in there. Aizen thinks that if he takes over, he'll take over me."

"And will he?"

Zizimu growled slightly at Gangu but calmed himself. "Of course not. Grimmjow is my master, but I am the king. Its complicated but– "

"You obey your master out of loyalty but not because he controls you. You are the more powerful." Kiskue finished for him.

"Yes, but he will always be my master, I just, need to guide him sometimes."

"Your connection in unique. Aizen can't understand."

"So he will torture my master thinking he can win when he cannot."

Gangu hesitated to speak again, but did. "But what if he gains control of his body? Will he still have his Soul Reaper powers? What will happen?"

No one responded because no one knew.

"ZIZIMU!" Grimmjow ran barefoot through the endless sands of the imaginary Hueco Mundo. Every muscle strained to push him forward. Aizen was watching him somewhere, he was sure, but when he'd woken alone he couldn't help himself. He had to run, to try to find his other half. He stumbled, gasping, his voice raw. He tried to keep going but it was useless, his legs gave way.

He didn't have to look up to know Aizen was there, he'd been waiting for him to reach his point of exhaustion.

"If I die, you die. And without Zizimu, I die." He said when Aizen crouched next to him and hauled him up by his hair.

"Zizmu is fine. He's just not here." Again, Aizen heard the confusion in Grimmjow's mind but didn't bother to clarify. There was a strange tugging sensation and Grimmjow suddenly found cold floor beneath him instead of sand. They were back in Las Nochas.

He pushed himself off the ground and tried to rub the sand from his sweaty body but gave up and collapsed into a chair.

"Why did you let me look for him?"

"I didn't think you would believe me if I just told you so I thought I'd let you get that little inconvenience out of the way."

"I hate you."

"I know."

"So what do we do? You know I'll never let you take over."

"I think you will."

"Why?"

Aizen just smiled and Grimmjow didn't have time to brace himself before the pain struck. He held back the cry for as long as physically possible but eventually it came and that was when Aizen stopped. Grimmjow slumped back in the hard chair. Aizen stood and leaned close to his ear.

"That's why."

"No." Grimmjow rasped but before another burst of pain he continued, "No, it doesn't make sense. How will that make Zizmu accept you?"

"Because he's loyal to you. Once I make you my servant again you'll do what I say, and he'll do what you say."

"But he won't."

"Of course he will, he's you zampakuto, he'd do anything to stop your suffering, and he can never disobey you."

"I thought you said you've been here all along. Zizmu is always doing what he wants."

Aizen starred at him and Grimmjow realized maybe he didn't see everything.

"What do you mean?"

"He's always making me get up in the middle of the night and go rescue people. And sometimes he won't let me kill people."

"Impossible, those were your choices not his."

"No, they weren't."

"Don't try to lie to me. Now, down to business." Aizen kicked Grimmjow's chair out from under him and caught him in a rough hold. The pain began, Grimmow fought not to give into Aizen's touch, he knew it was all a part of the mental game, but he couldn't help his hands knotting in the white robes as he screamed and sobbed into the embrace of the man who tortured him.