Disclaimer: Yup, i dont own.

Wow. This is the end... I'm going to post this last bit as two chapters, but in my mind they need to be read right after each other... so yup. It's been a long journey... the beginning was rough- to block like and written in only a semi-decent way- and I'm still shocked that anyone was able to get past the first few chapters to get to this ending point. I would like to thank everyone; it was all because of my readers that this story came to this point. I would like to think that I've grown as a writer throughout writing this story... and I would love to hear your input. Please, PLEASE, after reading both of these chapters give me a nice long analysis on the overall story, what I could have done better, if you liked it/hated it...

I hope you have enjoyed yourselves reading this little fanfiction that I started when I was only an incoming freshman in high school and finished as an incoming freshman in college.

So I'll shut up now. This is my goodbye to all of you readers but just remember that I'm willing to take new requests if you like my writing style and have an idea floating around in your head that you'd like me to attempt! I write to get better at it, so any practice is appreciated and I don't want this to be a permanent end!

Read, enjoy... and review one last time!


Everything was a blur. Blood, guts, and screams. Kill. Kill. Kill.

Nothing stood out, nothing mattered.

Body's fell before him.

and again.

Until there was no one else left.

There was this odd feeling within him. It seemed to tug him out from deep within. He kept trying to swat it away, but it seemed to wrap itself around his arms. His legs.

Slowly, it seemed to be all around him. He tried to resist, but slowly he felt something- he wasn't sure what- crumbling away.

Consciousness came back gradually yet suddenly. It seemed one minute there was only black the next he could hear. All he heard was screams and this monstrous growling and roaring. He flinched away from it.

"Stop." He tried to say, but all he could hear was a muffled word.

Then suddenly he could feel. Claws. Claws and teeth. They ripped and tore. He could taste blood; he could feel the warm, sticky liquid covering him. And a tail. It seemed to swing around, crashing into soft things… bodies? He felt what must have been bodies get broken as the tail- was it his?- flew around relentlessly. He whimpered, not liking the feeling of the claws cutting through flesh, the teeth biting and tearing while the taste of blood ran into his mouth, the feeling of bones cracking under the tail.

He felt the claws crumble away, the teeth- his mouth- turn back to normal, and the tail slouch off in a fleshy sound of skin detaching and falling to the ground with a wet squash that was sickening to hear.

Then, before he knew it, he was standing, staring out at a sea of blood and carnage. Nobody else was standing; he was the only living person.

He couldn't understand, couldn't remember what had happened. He looked down at himself, his body as numb as his thoughts. Black flesh was peeling off of him; almost all of it was gone. Looking around him, he could see patches of what must have been the black flesh, now looking a sickly grey color. He watched with hollow fascination as the grey patches of flesh slowly deteriorated to ash.

It was then that he noticed he was splattered with blood and he was only wearing these torn black pants. He didn't think the blood was his own; except for a thin line of pink flesh that stretched across his side, he seemed to have no wounds. And he had no idea where the pants were from.

He didn't even know where he was or how he'd gotten here.

Looking around, he thought he must be in hell.

But who was he?

Why was he here and how'd he get here?

It took him a minute of staring around at the blood and torn up bodies and at his pale hands that were stained scarlet to come to the conclusion that he'd had something to do with the scene around him.

"Ichigo," a sad voice murmured from somewhere.

Was that who he was? Ichigo?

He looked around, trying to find where the voice could have possibly come from. Everywhere he looked everyone was dead.

"Ichigo…" the voice whispered again.

And that was when it all came back to him.

He remembered everything. A wave of utter melancholy seemed to weigh heavy on his shoulders. He looked around again at the carnage, seeing it all with a new horror, as he knew for certain that it was all due to his hands.

There was no one left, he'd killed them all.

Kill everyone.

Ichigo felt a pit of bitterness well up within him. He tasted bile in his mouth as he felt like he was going to choke on all the emotions flying through his head.

He stared out at the sea of destruction he'd caused, his expression empty despite the emotions that threatened to rip him apart from within.

"Ichigo," the Hogyoku whispered sadly.

"Go away." He didn't think he could deal with anyone right now. It was all too much.

"Ichigo… it's alright." The Hogyoku tried to console.

Ichigo threw back his head and laughed, it was a raw, bitter, crazed sound. It tore through his throat roughly, leaving a pungent taste behind.

"Alright," he thought, "Sure."

He shook his head and smiled brokenly as he slowly walked through the mass of blood and bodies.

I'm alright.

Images flashed across his mind, haunting him. The two Espada. The countless, innocent underlings. Asano… Miharu… and… and Tatsuki.

"Monster."

I'm alright.

He saw himself slash right through Ishida. Saw Chad's face as he'd stabbed him through the neck.

He saw the blood, his friend's blood, surrounding him… he saw himself not even caring.

I'm alright.

Orihime's face looking at him in terror. Her small hand clutching the end of Ulquiorra's top in fear of him. The way that she looked at Ulquiorra full of hope and trust.

"How vulgar the true you is."

I'm alright.

"You're earned your spot as an Espada…"

"Bereavement. Or more simply, the loss of love…"

He saw Ulquiorra stand before his blade, before it could stab Orihime, off of instinct. He saw Ulquiorra desperately look behind him at Orihime, reaching out his hand towards her. He saw Orihime reach out for him as well.

"Even as an Espada, you're still naïve… boy."

I'm alright.

He saw Ulquiorra gain what he'd lost. A heart. He saw Ulquiorra fade away to nothing.

"Do you… Think…That… I… Was able to change?"

I'm alright.

He saw himself as he walked towards Orihime. As she looked up at him. As he rested his sword against her neck. Her sad smile. As her head flew through the air.

"I'm sorry… you'll be all alone now huh?"

I'm alright.

He heard his chuckle, felt the new power, as the Hogyoku combined with him. He saw the fear in Aizen's eyes. Heard the words, his orders, to "kill everyone" and end the game.

"A new game… But are you the king of this new game or just another pawn, I wonder?"

I'm alright.

He saw Grimmjaw's glare as he stabbed him. His last, futile, reach towards him while dying.

"A fool trying to play at being king."

"But… don't the fools die?"

I'm alright.

He saw himself blindly cutting through person after person. Saw Yumichika and Ikkaku dead on the ground before he even realized it. He saw Kenpachi's rage, heard his barked out laugh. He saw Kenpachi get cut down. Saw Kenpachi stab through himself to reach him.

"I didn't want something stupid like revenge… but I still wanted to pound you for them… is that considered revenge I wonder?"

I'm alright?

He heard Rukia's yell full of her pain. Saw her as the swords cut through her and held her in the air.

"Justice. I'll show you Justice."

He saw himself shoot the cero. Saw the scorched piece of cloth fly through the air. Saw the blankness on Byakuya's face as he realized Renji was dead.

"Sorry I didn't leave much of him."

He saw Byakuya falter at killing him. Saw as Byakuya accepted his death by Ichigo's hands. Saw that small smile as he was stabbed through from behind.

"Where's that stupid pride of yours now?"

What…

He remembered the feeling of losing the Hogyoku. The blinding pain. Getting it back… and turning into a monster. He saw himself tearing Aizen apart as he cried out in fear… his own father who couldn't even raise his sword… Urahara, who tried to help him, getting a hole driven through his chest…

Him tearing apart everyone left standing.

"But... I was meant to be God."

Is alright?