A great peal of laughter rippled through the tense air as the ivory skinned replica of Ichigo whirled the chain of his zanpaktou on his index finger. The crystalline trees glimmered under the lopsided moon and unevenly shook from the rapid wind emanated from the demon's malicious reiatsu. An onslaught of grained sand pricked the goer's sight. Halibel grimaced as she leveraged a hand to shield her eyes from the dust.

"This is an interesting turn of events." Aizen exclaimed in his smooth, baritone voice. Another blood-curdling shriek erupted from the depths of the hollow's esophagus.

"May I ask what is so funny?" The brown-haired man titled his head while amusement struck his features.

The shock on Halibel's face wore off, leaving annoyance in its absence. This newbies overwhelming sense of confidence automatically left a sour taste on her lips. Those types never lasted too long.

"Well Aizen," the ex-Shinigami smirked as the demon drifted forward. "I think I want to kill you first. Everyone is always going on and on about how powerful you are, and the thought of being in the same room as you is enough to scare Ichigo shitless." Yellow eyes shone under the gracious moonlight, illicitly craving violence.

"But ya see, I sorta have a dilemma." The corners of his mouth lowered and eventually crafted into a slight frown.

"That one over there is spewing some pretty powerful spiritual pressure. I'm not sure who I want to kill first." He jabbed a finger in Ulquiorra's direction.

Usual alert eyes dimmed in confusion and pain. The grin returned on the hollow's face, with lines fanning from his narrowed eyes. Ulquiorra tensed causing the stiff fabric on his chest to crackle slightly. His hand wrenched over the large puncture in his abdomen; on any occasion, the ivory-skinned man would have no problem healing the wound, but the last week of abuse and agony was finally beginning to take a toll on his body. Even an Espada could only take so much.

Dark brows slanted down over slightly bulging eyes. Impatient breath filtered through his thin black lips while his other hand searched for the hilt of his katana. Subduing the hollow was a questionable task, but what was he supposed to do afterwards? Aizen, Halibel, and Barragan, all extremely capable warriors surrounded the terrain, so where would he take refuge afterwards? What if Ichigo's alter couldn't be controlled, would killing him be the only option? His contemplation locked him in a vise—each calculation, every possible scenario had to be considered. Killing the creature was the last option he would take. It would mean he had failed as a friend. The only friend he had ever had. The title rung oddly in his mind; he had to push back the notion to grin at the preposterous term.

"Ichigo—" his voice was gruff, trying to hide the pain radiating from his stomach to his toes.

"Ichigo?" The creature repeated in a mocking tone. "And I thought ya were one of the smart ones. At least that's what the King thinks. It really is unbearable having him inside my head." He let his head oscillate from side to side . "Regardless, Ichigo isn't here anymore, so we can have our fun!"

Ulquiorra's eyes grew larger from Hichigo's repellant expression. His jaw locked as he continued to cram and consider the different methods of safely capturing Ichigo and escaping Aizen's scornful subordinates. There had to be at least one way, but sparing the violence was certainly not up for concern. The Arrancar mentally kicked himself for even considering that method and wasting his precious time.

Aizen knotted his fingers together before his sternum and gestured with a warm nod at the remaining Espada with their shoulders anxiously leaned into action.

"Please relax and enjoy the show." Both bowed in unison and sonidoed to their master's side.

Halibel's golden eyes shifted to the Shinigami in search for an explanation, but quickly shied away once his adhesive glower stuck to her own.

"Don't worry, this situation spawns little damage. The way the things stand, Ulquiorra will be destroyed by this hollow and Szayel will have a new test subject." The blonde folded both arms under her chest and stared across the dusty plains searching for any remorse on the hollow's face but came up empty. Aizen was right. Ulquiorra would either perish under the beast's hands or they would obliterate each other. Time would tell. Aizen exhaled in a large gust that nearly curled into a yawn as he continued to observe.

"Ichigo," he hesitated for a moment then the rest of the words came out surely. "I know your there," A modest chuckle was heard past the hollow. The diverse emotions that painted the statue-pale face served as the highest entertainment so far. Funny, the most calloused Arrancar decided he wanted to have what no other hollow had—a heart. Most interesting indeed.

Lemony eyes dulled in irritation. "I told you, he's gone." Ulquiorra's mouth dumbly dropped as the figure turned into a ghostly blur and then nearly disappeared.

Sparks flew as the two blades violently clashed. Jade pools twitched as Ulquiorra attempted to distribute the massive force releasing from the other's katana. He never recalled Ichigo possessing this amount of strength; moreover, the spiritual pressure was absolutely different. The smell, taste, and feeling spoke of no indecision or uncertainty. Simply bloodlust.

His eyes surveyed the white skin nearly sparkling against the reflection of his sword. He searched for the familiar sun-gilded tint of Ichigo's body, but only came up with the grisly complexion, near to his own. The demon broke into a bout of macabre hysteria as he was obviously overpowering the worn out Arrancar. Ulquiorra broke away from the confrontation and nearly dropped to a single knee once free from the assault. Hichigo slapped a hand to his forehead and sighed in exasperation.

"What? You're just gonna' run away? I swear, Ichigo has a real warped opinion on you, my friend." Rooted in place from tiredness, Ulquiorra's gaze wavered to the sand hoping he had missed some sort of solution to this horrible problem.

There was always that. But would it be too much of a strain on his already weakened state? The hours of being strapped and hooked into machinery nearly drained him of all his energy, not to mention the effort it took to rectify Ichigo's stupidity. He held back the urge to roll his eyes at the fool's escape plan.

He wrenched himself upright; his knuckles turned snow-white as the grasp on the hilt of his katana snaked tighter. He moved forward with stiff unbending legs, readying himself to face the enemy. The tight features of his face loosened into a placid state.

"Come on!" Hichigo glared at him pointedly. The bleached shihaksho stood out fiercely under the sheltering darkness. Ulquiorra blinked hardly to make certain tricks weren't playing on his eyes. He willed his lips to move but closed them almost immediately, thinking better of whatever he was going to say. Talk was cheap, mindless beasts such as the one before him had no interest in any words the Espada could possibly speak.

"You don't look like yer in that good of shape to fight." Golden irises scanned over the broken form. The man's thin chest rose and fell in a broken rhythm of ragged breathing. Ulquiorra swallowed hard and adjusted the grip on his katana preparing for what he had hoped wouldn't result in.

"Isolate, Murcielago." His lips were set in dissatisfaction as a swirl of black beams encircled the wiry frame. Sick delight gleamed in Hichigo's eyes in what was promising to be a decent fight. Probing eyes from the observers couldn't help but gawk at the former Espada's release. Black wings jousted from the cloud of dust while a snowy horned helmet made its uncanny appearance under the darkness. The opposing hollow repositioned himself subtly into a defensive pose as a spear of green light materialized in the man's hand.

Emotionless eyes bored into the others head, seemingly have no regard for the outcome of the battle.

"You're gonna' hafta get serious if you want to live." He warned in a brittle voice.

Ulquiorra solemnly closed his eyes, disregarding the empty threats. Breaking down the hollow's soul would eventually allow Ichigo to gain sovereignty over his body, but break the body too much and the teen would suffer irrevocable damage. Such a tedious task.

"Ya' know, I was thinking about giving you a quick, easy death, but now that stupid look on yer face is just pissing me off! I'll make sure to make it nice and painful." He shuttled a devious eye as if he were proposing a deal that couldn't be passed up.

"This will not last long." Ulquiorra stated in a tone, blistering in authority.

The bat-like form disappeared with the wind and materialized behind the shocked hollow. Just in time, his elongated black blade halted the glowing spear. Hichigo clenched his teeth, and a tiny shudder rippled through his frame from the unexpected strength. He twisted his torso in different directions attempting to gain control. He desperately stared into the relentless green orbs which were now penetrating him with their burn.

A pain exploded in his rib cage from a harsh kick. Instinctively he reached down to inspect the wound, but was sent soaring across the sandy fields.

"Damn you." A spreading plain of lamentation crossed his face, altering his cocky expression. A cowardice color blustered in his cheeks upon surveying the Espada once more. Did he even have a chance against something like that? The brow deprived of every confidence furrowed in frustration.

"Bastard!" he spat out before Ulquiorra ghosted behind him and raveled a steel hand around his throat. The hollow had a hint of a smile on his face as he whirled the ebony katana at his enemy. With hesitation, Ulquiorra's pale hand smashed on the others, simultaneously shattering the wrist and stopping the hollow in its tracks. He would have to apologize to Ichigo later for resulting in such barbaric tactics.

"G-Get the hell offa me!" he feverishly clawed at the hand as the oxygen began to whish from his lungs. Ulquiorra's eyes narrowed at the creature's futile attempts to escape his grasp. He continued to squeeze the breath from the body, watching as the fire in his eyes dulled to a mere tingle. The clawing ceased as his hand merely latched on to his wrist. Eventually the hand fell into the dust while his golden irises dimmed into a more brownish shade. Ulquiorra felt his chest stutter after catching a movement from the corner of his eyes. He snatched the unconscious body from the sand and retreated back as a blade missed his head by a centimeter.

"Damn," he cursed under his breath upon noticing Kurosaki failed to come to. It was still the pale-faced monster cradled in his arm. His hands dangled limply past Ulquiorra's arms ensuring the creature would be out cold for a few minutes.

"You didn't think we would just let you get away did you?" Halibel cooed. "Because you would be very wrong, indeed." The air became more tense and humid as the blonde intensified her spiritual pressure. Ulquiorra noticed a finger twitch from below. It seemed he had bought less time then he thought.

"I don't have time for this." The ex-Espada muttered as he held his spear in a threatening stance. Halibel held her katana before her body as her lips folded behind her teeth, a low growl erupted from her gullet.

"You don't have much time period." She declared boldly.

Ulquiorra's eyes blared up in anticipation of ending the battle shortly. He pursed his lips, considering the outcome of transforming into his second release. His bones and ligaments were already creaking and straining from the pressure. He was nearly certain that metamorphosis would end in his tragic defeat.

The bones of his knuckles appeared as if they would tear from his skin as he tightened his grip. His tormented face lowered as he jammed his weapon into the sand. A simulated tornado whirl winded across the entire geological strata. Halibel turned her head away from the onslaught waiting for the figure to emerge from the dust.

"You cannot hide forever." She said over the incessant whishing. She rattled around as the sand began to clear.

"W-What the hell? Where did they go?" She met Aizen's gaze for the tiniest part of a second, then looked down as if feeling there escape was her fault.

"It appears they have gone underground." Aizen acknowledged, although admitting defeat didn't twang in the slightest in his tone.

"Are we going after them?" Barragan questioned.

"No, Ulquiorra is exceptionally well at concealing his reiatsu. It would be fruitless to pursue after them right now. Szayel has designed a prototype that is capable of pinpointing spiritual pressure in any location. If the Menos or Gillian fail to kill them, then I will bring it upon myself to extinguish their existence."

"Okay." The boney man rested his scythe on his shoulders and placed a hand on his hip.

Aizen exhaled a faint breath and turned on his heels towards the fortress of Los Noches. Halibel and Barragan followed several feet from his shadow.

Ulquiorra nearly threw the unconscious body on the hard ground and collapsed several feet later. The cool moss felt refreshing on his face and the other exposed parts of his body. He had reverted to his original form; what was left of his clothes clung close to his sweating body like a second skin. He slithered a hand between his head and the moist ground and sucked in a gust of air. The broken man couldn't will himself to move, the staggering grief that buckled around his joints absolutely prohibited the notion.

Jade eyes skipped to the ivory body; the twitches and groans were becoming more defined. He would be waking soon and would probably be ready for a fight. He frowned, causing the lines on his face to harden. His eyes squinted before he leveraged himself up from his elbows. The change in pressure caused his brain to pulse like a neon sign.

His sandaled feet padded to the hollow; he knelt on one knee and began to strategically rip shreds out of the hollow's shihaksho. He wove the fabric between the body's wrists, knees, and ankles—eventually the beast would tire himself out and Ichigo could rise to the surface. He could wait. Time meant little in Hueco Mundo, he barely noticed its passing.

Ulquiorra's eyes shot open upon hearing ear piercing shrieks. He would have thought someone was being brutally stabbed to death, but rolled his eyes as Ichigo's alter finally came to. He squirmed from the binds and rolled on his side, spitting venom at the Arrancar who wore a careless look on his face.

"You bastard, let me go!" Ulquiorra shifted, letting his back rest on an uneven rock. The creature let out an impatient breath as lids swept over the man's green orbs.

"Don't go to sleep! Hey! Are you even listening to me?" He momentarily stopped struggling and centered his frustration in a heated glower. Ulquiorra's chest swelled with a deep breath as he folded a hand over his abdomen. It seemed that the wound had still not closed up. A small puddle of blood began to form on the ground between his crossed legs. The golden eyes lit up again.

"Sure are a tough bastard, aren't ya?" He chuckled. "I hate to admit it, but maybe I do see it now."

"See what?" Ulquiorra's tone iced over in annoyance.

"I get why Ichigo looks up to ya so much." He grinned a wide, face-stretching smile.

Ulquiorra's eyes peeled open. "Return his body."

"Che, guess I lost my chance before didn't I? You see, I don't have that much patience and being all tied up like this isn't what I had in mind." He inclined his head up to make sure the Espada was paying attention.

"I won't repeat myself." Ulquiorra replied.

"Fine, but don't think we won't meet again." The threat echoed around his being.

He chuckled in another bout of madness and slammed his head to the ground. Ulquiorra adjusted his position, studying how the snow-white skin, tanned into its familiar tint. Black and orange seeped into the white. Finally, familiar hazel-nut eyes wearily shed open. Tiredness turned to confusion.

"What the hell?" He tugged furiously against the bonds and desperately stared at the up-wrenched Espada. Something fierce especially burned in his wrist causing him to cease the struggles.

"The hell is this shit?" He demanded.

"Oh," Ulquiorra let out an audible breath as he ushered himself to the bound Shinigami. Ichigo's eyes widened as he unsheathed his sword and pressed his eyes together tightly as the cool metal kissed his skin. His arms fell to the ground, he attempted to push himself up but found his body completely drained of all energy.

"Rest, your wrist is broken." The white-skinned man instructed, hoping the churning behind the binds didn't further the injury.

"Uh, Okay. I guess it kinda hurts. You should probably take your own advice." Ichigo swallowed hard as Ulquiorra shot him a glare. "It's just that you look really messed up." His nerve endings tingled in recognition upon seeing the dripping wound on Ulquiorra's stomach.

"I—I did that?" he became deathly pale. He grabbed ahold of his own wrist and cringed.

"Don't worry about it." he slid down the wall of the rock and rested his head in one of its craters. He opened his eyes again and noticed the glower of disgust in every line of the teen's expression. "I mean it, rest."

"Can't sleep." He rolled on his back, examining his injuring behind the silhouetted darkness.

"Such a fool," Ulquiorra muttered under his breath.

"What was that?"

"Even in this condition, you find enough strength to bicker." Ulquiorra shook his head in disbelief.

"Huh?" Ichigo rose up, ignoring the different wracking in his muscles.

"Come here." His eyes widened but he followed demands and nearly crawled the distance. "I don't want you getting the notion to explore." He brushed a hand over the teens head and nudged him in his lap. Ichigo's eyes fluttered from the touch; he was too tired to protest anyways. The coolness actually felt pretty good against his skin. Something icy circled over his shattered wrist. He heard the Espada let out a breathy sigh as the pain in his wrist began to fade. Stupid idiot. He should take his own advice and save his strength. He attempted to ignore the coppery smell of the crusting pool of blood a few feet away. Ichigo sighed deeply and let his bodily demands take over.

Ulquiorra noted when the teen's breath became more deep and even. Only a few hours of sleep and they would have to move on. Aizen would be hot on their trail after the preparation was complete.

A/N: I don't know if this bothered anyone, but usually when Ichigo's hollow takes over, just the mask and his voice change. In this story, his physical appearance completely takes on his alter. I know this is pretty ooc, but Aizen did mention his hollow would gain complete sovereignty. Just thought I would explain that little tidbit. Anyways, sorry for any grammar mistakes, or OOCness.

Also, sorry it took forever to update. I have been lacking motivation lately, and have been pretty busy with work and preparing for otakon. Not really an excuse, but I'm full of them regarding my reasons for not updating.

Expect an update (god knows when), well kidding, but probably within the next two weeks. Thanks to everyone who reviews the story and adds it to their alerts and favorites list. Feel free to review, ask questions, or provide constructive criticism. I will try to reply to all of them. Everyone have a good Independence Day!