Spiders have webs, where is her web? Orihime thought as she began to heal herself. "Captain Kuchiki, all spiders have webs, I don t see any." She said in a whisper cautiously as she continued looking around.

The spider turned her head and looked at Orihime; "Very observant of you, and a healer at that! "The spider woman s smooth voice said" I wondered what the woman looked like that Lord Aizen wanted so badly he d risk the King s wrath to obtain. I never thought I d be lucky enough to lay eyes on you though never thought you d get this far."

The spider turned her head toward Byakuya; "You ve even brought me a gift." The spider s voice turns sultry; "A really nice gift at that."

Byakuya stood listening as the creature changed from a spider into a beautiful woman before his eyes. The realization struck Byakuya hard the woman standing before him was Hisana; my wife? She held her hands out beckoning to him to come to her.

Just as Byakuya would have stepped forward toward the Hisana in front of him; Orihime grabbed Byakuya s sword arm breaking his attention on the vision before his eyes to look down at her kneeling form beside him. An explosion echoed through the entire area jolting the land and shaking the cave.

Orihime nearly fell backward into the light and would have if Byakuya hadn t yanked her with him to the wall of the cave a safer distance from the light. The spider woman became wild eyed as she spoke; "Impossible; who in their right minds would break into the Underworld? Who would want to do such a thing?"

Byakuya and Orihime felt the massive spirit pressure headed their direction. "Ichigo;" Orihime said as if pained by it as she felt his presence, but he wasn t alone and she could feel that too. "Ulquiorra s with him;" she said as if shocked.

The spider woman looked at Orihime; "Come for you have they? They are stupid and foolish to think they can just walk into the Underworld as if they owned it; even for you. If the daylight doesn t kill them Lord Aizen will." The spider woman laughed at Orihime s pained expression.

Byakuya looked at Orihime sensing her spirit pressure fluxuating drastically. "Orihime, you must keep your faith in our abilities. You must believe in us no matter what."

The spider woman laughed again only this time it sounded hideous; "Yes girl keep believing in stupid people and you ll end up right where you are right now anyway. Men think they are so smart and so strong; yet are nothing. Do you protect this woman because you think her pretty?"

The spider woman laughed again; "Look at the woman again; go a head look." She ordered. Orihime stood before him hunched over with long drab grey hair and raw sores all over her face and body oozing puss.

Byakuya turned back toward the spider woman; "I see." Byakuya said with more confidence then he had earlier. "Your webs are merely webs of deception; Living your miserable existence here in the Underworld as a Black Widow because you deceived everyone around you before taking pleasure in killing them yourself in life."

Standing before Byakuya once more was Hisana again beckoning him to come to her. "For your defilement of the memories you now place before me you shall die." Byakuya lifted his arm pointing his fingers toward the spider woman s last location and white lightening shot from his fingers. " Hado number four;Byakurai" the lightening came from Byakuya s fingertips.

The hideous blood curdling scream told Byakuya he d hit his mark before the vision of his beloved wife even disappeared. When the dust settled the creature was no where to be seen; Byakuya scanned the walls for any cracks she might have crawled into but couldn t find any.

Orihime couldn t take anymore; she was beyond exhaustion as she slumped into darkness on the floor against the wall. She didn t even stir as Byakuya picked her up in his arms and carried her to the back of the cave where the spider woman had been and laid her on the ground.

Byakuya was pensive as he stood guard over Orihime. He knew he d almost fallen into that web of deception woven by that creature. In knowing how that experience made him feel Byakuya looked at Orihime wondering just how she really was coping with the Underworlds brand of torture on her; being human. Having feelings or emotions weren t something Byakuya was accustomed to; yet he felt compassion for Orihime.

Hearing a noise Byakuya sensed rather then saw the spider behind him; he moved before the spider s massive leg could sewer him; drawing his sword. What Byakuya thought was a wall was another illusion. "Did you think those tricks would be enough to kill me? Foolish man; none of your kind has ever been able to see what s right in front of your faces."

Orihime hadn t moved and was too close to the spider woman for comfort. As if reading Byakuya s mind the spider woman placed a leg at Orihime s head. "Yes I think you understand. Put that stick down or I will kill her."

Byakuya released his sword at the same time pointing his other hand at the creature; "Sai" he said; binding the spiders legs behind its back. Byakuya shunpoed to Orihime picked her up and shunpoed out of the spider woman s reach; stopping only long enough to retrieve his sword.

Once assured Orihime is safe Byakuya placed a shield around her then faced a now angry spider woman. "You are mistaken if you think your powers are anywhere near mine. I don t know how you survived the Kido but I promise you won t survive this." Byakuya said then turned his sword to face vertically with its tip pointing toward the sky; "Scatter Senbonzakura"

The screeching noise the spider woman made as the multitude of blades sliced through her was nearly deafening. As the sound echoed through the land it was heard in all corners of that area of the Underworld.

Once sure the spider woman was dead this time Byakuya took down the shield he d placed around Orihime. He was concerned about Orihime since she hadn t woken up through that noise the spider woman had made. Seeing Orihime was breathing evenly and rhythmically he surmised she was just that exhausted.

Orihime suddenly sat straight up breathing hard and fast; "He s coming." Orihime said in a small voice. Before Byakuya could ask he was struck from behind and bound in chains. Orihime jumped up but she too was once again chained.

The creature stood a good head taller then Byakuya. His head resembled that of a human with two huge horns; one on either side of his white skull. The eye sockets were black but his eye balls were a white in contrast; otherwise there were no defining features. Its muscles from the skull down it wore like skin over its entire body. Its only clothing was a loin cloth.

The creature yanked Orihime toward him so hard she slammed into his massive body and it laughed. "Lord Aizen awaits you human." The creature grabbed Orihime with one large claw hand then took Byakuya in the other. "Lord Aizen will be surprised with his new present." The creature laughed again as he went to the outer edge of the cave and leaped.

The creature expanded large wings allowing him to fly at speeds beyond the imagination. It seemed they no sooner left the cave then they were inside a partial apartment on top of a tall sky scraper. Orihime remembered this place from earlier.

Aizen s voice sounded amused as he spoke. "Well, I am surprised. Captain Kuchiki, it is so nice of you to join us for the ceremony. I must admit you weren t the one I was expecting to see. Chain Captain Kuchiki over there on the wall where he will be able to see the entire ceremony; when I m done with Orihime you will be my gift to my loyal subjects."

Byakuya, still wrapped in the chains he was brought to the skyscraper in was placed on a wall to hang from the chains facing the interior of the room. The room was a good size one that may have been a living room at one time overlooking the city in which it stood.

The room now resembled a torture chamber one would find in an ancient dungeon somewhere. All types of whips, rods and blades adorned the surrounding existing walls while in the center was a stone table that had been well used in the recent past for other sacrificial ceremonies and heavily stained with blood.

Orihime was carried to the table and chained down to it with arms and legs spread apart. Although Orihime tried to fight her way out the creature was too strong and she gained nothing. The creature laughed hideously at Orihime s feeble attempts to escape him.

The creature that stepped out from the shadows spoke; "There is no escape for you Orihime Inoue." The voice was Aizen s but the creature standing before Orihime didn t look like the Aizen she knew.

This creature was tall like Aizen but it had the head of something born of nightmares. Its forehead was wide and protruded out from its actual face with two very sharp horns, one on either side of the top of its massive head. The top of his head had splotches of long brown hair in various areas otherwise bald. The whites of the eyes were black with sickly yellowish eyeballs. Its nose resembled that of a pig s nose and its mouth like that of a snake s. Its skin looked to be leathery like a lizard s skin.

Its long thick neck went into broad muscular shoulders. Its arms just as muscular narrowed into delicate looking hands with really long curving nails that looked like many sharp blades. Its massive chest tapered to a thinner waist and hips which were supported by strong muscular legs. Its feet resembled those of a lizard s as well. Orihime briefly wondered if he could shed his skin as easily as a lizard too before turning away from the ugly beast standing before her.

Aizen laughed; "Yes you can see me can t you; the form I have now." He taunted Orihime; "It is said that only the pure of heart and body can bear witness to my form and know my true identity."

Aizen caressed Orihime s cheek with one hand as he continued to taunt her. "Your purity will give me back what was stolen from me Orihime, and together we will rule all the worlds." The words were said with a fluid sweet tone designed to mesmerize Orihime.

Aizen s proclamation stunned Byakuya whose eyes went wide; "Aizen you make promises you can t keep. We both know you ll never share your power or authority with anyone." He realized Aizen s intention is seduction with a voice designed to calm and infiltrate Orihime s senses. "You d already admitted you don t need anyone; does your deceit know no limits?"

Byakuya Kuchiki couldn t see Aizen s new form; he saw Aizen as an old man, bald and stooped over as if he hadn t much longer to live. Aizen laughed as he looked at Byakuya Kuchiki; "What do you think you see Captain Kuchiki? Do you see an old dieing man perhaps? Rest assured I m far from it. Would you like to see what Orihime sees?" Aizen taunted Byakuya Kuchiki. "Do you want to see the real me Byakuya Kuchiki? Do you think your simple little brain could comprehend it?"

Suddenly Aizen changed shape and form before Byakuya s very eyes and stood just as Orihime sees Aizen. Byakuya Kuchiki looked upon a massive demon of the very depths of hell itself. "I see; you have become the king of the Underworld then."

Aizen laughed a loud hideous laugh that sounded throughout the realm. "As far as the eye can see and beyond are my loyal subjects. They understand my power and will do anything I say without question. Only the strong, those not afraid to take chances climb the ladder to success here. The weak will always serve their masters without question and they all serve me."

Byakuya Kuchiki looked upon Aizen with distain; "You break laws and commit the forbidden; you truly have fallen, Aizen."

Aizen s tone once again became filled with amusement as he spoke. "Who s laws Kuchiki; the Soul Society s who think they have the right to make and to break any law that suites them? Have you forgotten how easy it was for me to convince everyone, including yourself to kill Rukia; your very own sister? No one questioned the validity of the laws; they just did what they were told by people they didn t even know. A death ordered for a miner infraction that should have been no more then a reprimand; yet not one person questioned such an order until I asked what others thought about such an order." Aizen s voice became stern; "Until I asked others if they thought the order was fair and just! Only then did others begin questioning the orders sent down from Central 46."

Byakuya Kuchiki remembered all too well the internal hell he d gone through not knowing what to do. "The orders didn t come from Central 46, they came from you." Byakuya spat back.

Aizen laughed again; "No one knew that at the time now did they? As far as anyone knew those orders came from Central 46 and because of that no one questioned it; and that s my point. Not one person could think for themselves. Not one person in the whole of Gotei 13, not the captains, vice captains or even the 3rd seats ever realized the injustice of the order; even though I kept changing the date and moving it up."

Although Aizen was telling the truth to a degree he omitted the fact that those were not his true reasons for doing what he d done. His reasons were purely selfish reasons; he wanted the Hogyoku that was lodged in Rukia s body in order to become a god and kill the reigning king of the Soul Society and get rid of the Soul Society once and for all.

Orihime felt a sadness growing within Byakuya Kuchiki at Aizen s words giving her the courage to speak. "That wasn t your reason for the cold blooded murders you committed Aizen. If those were your reasons you wouldn t have had to murder anyone to make your point; nor would you command complete obedience to your every will and whim here"

Aizen turned toward Orihime who still had her head turned away from him; "I didn t tell you to speak did I Orihime?" he said walking back toward her.

Byakuya Kuchiki hearing Orihime s words snapped out of his revere. "Does the truth hurt Aizen?" He goaded Aizen trying to get his attention away from Orihime. "Everyone knows the real reasons behind your actions Aizen; it s no secret. Fact is you lost the war "

Aizen spun around to face Byakuya Kuchiki; "I lost the war? Is that what you really think?" Aizen laughed for several moments before speaking again. "I lost a battle nothing more." Then with a deadly voice Aizen stated; "The war will end when I have complete control over all domains or I am dead; but since I am immortal I can t die can I?" Aizen laughed and it was even more hideous sounding then before.

Orihime closed her eyes as the truth of Aizen s words vibrated through every fiber of her being. Aizen hadn t reached godhood but if he was immortal now it will make him even more dangerous then before. His ability to twist words and circumstances to suit his desires and wants was frightening.

"I must have faith. I must believe that that what Ichigo will come and save me again? Why must I always rely on Ichigo?" Orihime thought as she began to slide into despair. Just then the daylight began to disappear behind the horizon bringing back the strange pinkish orange sky and drenching everything in waves of heat.

Aizen turned toward Orihime; "It s time Orihime Inoue; time for you to become mine." He said in an ominous voice that sent chills down her spine; yet the entire realm heard. "Light the candles for all to see." Aizen ordered his minions as he stood next to the stone table Orihime was chained to.

"Behold my loyal subjects; I have the most precious jewel of mankind. It truly is a pity mankind didn t know what they had in their possession." Aizen said as Orihime rose from the table. The chains to her wrists seemed to be tethered somewhere above as they moved forcing her to stand on the stone table. The chains around her ankles remained tightly to the table only allowing enough give for her to stand.

"Let me show you the currant state the land of the living is in since we have acquired their jewel." Something like invisible television screens appeared showing various states of chaos throughout Karakura Town. The screens were just like the ones Ulquiorra used a while back to show her the danger her friends were in; Orihime realized.

Orihime felt sick; she never wanted anyone to hurt or be hurt and least of all because of her. Without warning; through deep seeded grief and pain Orihime s powers released dissolving her bounds and she jumped off of the tower. "Inoue;" Byakuya Kuchiki yelled and Aizen laughed.