Shinji Hirako had had enough. Try as he might, he couldn't seem to get it through this 15-year-old's skull that time was running low and that his training was critical. Generally, Shinji considered himself a calm, mellow guy. He listened to jazz, he did no chores around the place, and he even put up with Hiyori's abuse. There had not been many people who had seen Shinji lose his cool before. Well, the day had come when a certain orange-haired human boy had pissed him the hell off.

"Kurosaki," Shinji menaced in a low, gravelly voice, "what exactly is your malfunction?" His fist was closed around Ichigo's shirt collar, pinning him against the wall of the warehouse. Slightly terrified, tired brown eyes stared at him in response, unsure what to say. Ichigo had barely come in the door with Hiyori when Shinji had accosted him, barely giving the boy enough time to defend himself. "Why is it that, every time I tell you to get your pathetic ass in here to train, you are always somehow unable to make it?" Spittle flew from Shinji's mouth as the anger seemed to build. His voice was raising after each syllable.

Behind him, Hiyori sighed. "Give the kid a break, will ya?" she said to Shinji, crossing her arms. Her eyes were closed, the shadows under eyes deepening. "It's been a rough couple of days on us all." The rest of the Visoreds in the room seemed shocked at Hiyori's request, wondering what had caused such a change in attitude. Normally, she would have backed up Shinji's anger, but here she was, calm as ever. Is it opposite day today? Kensei thought to himself. What is happening here?

Shinji turned his head sharply, staring at Hiyori incredulously. "The hell are you saying over there?" he spat. "'Give the kid a break,' eh? Did you grow soft over the past few days? Has the lack of sleep been getting to you, Hiyori?" Dropping Ichigo, he walked over to Hiyori. "We have no idea how close we are to the first wave of invasion," he spat, "and this kid over here is the one we're all counting on. And what has he done in the past few weeks, huh?" He looked around the room, waiting for an answer. "HE'S BEEN FUCKING AROUND LIKE HE HAS ALL THE TIME IN THE WORLD!" Pointing at Ichigo, he screamed, "WHEN ARE YOU GOING TO TAKE THIS SERIOUSLY?!"

"The hell are you talking about, Shinji?" Ichigo retorted, balancing himself on his feet. "I've been busy with other things, you know!" Ichigo's brows furrowed, anger slowly overcoming him. But he knew that Shinji was partly right. There was a part of him that was hesitating, and no matter how many distractions or things that came up, he couldn't hide from the fact that there was still some fear in him.

"Busy with other things," Shinji mocked. "Yeah, you sure have been, kid. But that doesn't explain that little bit of fear in your eyes." Ichigo's face darkened, brown eyes wide at the accusation, but Shinji saw the part of him that knew he was right. Even after all the reassuring moments, the fostering, the encouragement he had received, Ichigo was still terrified. "Am I wrong, Kurosaki?" Shinji challenged, approaching Ichigo once more.

Ichigo hadn't realized till now his hands were shaking in anger. His heart was racing beneath his chest as he started trying to form his argument, but they were choked back by visions of that thing. It haunted him in the corners of his mind, whispering to him. It was way worse than when he was struggling with Zangetsu. At least Zangetsu was a part of himself. But the Hogyoku was another monster entirely.

Shinji seethed. "If you don't say somethin', I'm-!"

"You're right, Shinji."

The room went quiet. Shinji stopped his approach mid stride, a foot or so away from Ichigo. He hadn't anticipated a response like this for Ichigo, watching as the boy's eyes met his. "I am afraid," Ichigo stated, his voice shaky. His anger was gone now, shoulders slumped. He couldn't keep lying to himself anymore. Remembering Hiyori's words, a cold chill shot through him. War'll change ya. Yer not gonna be the same person once we're through…

A hand gripped Ichigo's shoulder gently. "Kid," Kensei said, his normally gruff voice tinged with concern, "we all are." Ichigo looked to Kensei, mildly surprised. His brown eyes were filled with confusion. Kensei smirked a little at Ichigo's surprised expression, glancing over at Shinji for a second. "Sure, we were once high ranking officers of the Gotei 13," he explained, "but that doesn't mean we aren't afraid of what might happen if we don't succeed."

Mashiro giggled from the other side of the room, resting her head on the back of one of the chairs. "Kensei, who knew you were such a softy?" she teased a little, her eyes closed. But even in her tone there was a small twinge. She was trying her hardest to hide just how much stress weighed her down.

"It's got nothing to do with softness, Mashiro," Kensei called back, irritation in his voice. However, his tone was still uncharacteristically low, gentle. "There is no man or woman, no god or mortal alive that fears nothing, Ichigo." He paused for a moment. "There is no way to truly face fear if we do not first acknowledge it. It's a strength that few possess, admitting to one's fear." Ichigo looked across the room, seeing the same look in their eyes. Beneath their stern and confident exteriors lay a fear he knew all too well.

"But you must understand, Ichigo," Hachi spoke up, his gentle voice filling the room, "you are not the only one we are depending on. We will be standing beside you. Your dear friends will be with you as well. They have been training hard." He closed his eyes, hands pressed together in front of him. "They have become very strong, it seems," he continued. "Believe in them as well."

Ichigo seemed at a loss for words. It wasn't that he didn't believe in his friends or what the Visoreds said, rather he was surprised just how much he'd hyper fixated on his own issues. Instead of noticing the burdens his friends and allies carried, he focused on the struggles he faced, foolishly thinking he'd be carrying this alone. "I'm sorry," he muttered at last, running a hand over his face. "I've been incredibly selfish."

"It happens to the best of us," Hachi replied, a small serene smile curving under his pink mustache. "It is important to realize that we are not individuals in this war-" he extended his hands outwards, gesturing to all those in the room- "we are all working to defeat Aizen."

"Speaking of which," Shinji piped up, raising his forefinger, "where the hell's your zanpakuto, Ichigo?"

Raising his head, Ichigo seemed to snap back to reality, eyes wide. He still didn't have his sword and he didn't know how he could complete his training without it. "That's what I thought," Shinji retorted, not giving Ichigo time to reply. He sighed gravely, tilting his head backwards. "Guess now's a good time to do this." Swiveling to his left, Shinji looked towards a dark corner of the warehouse, submerged in the late afternoon shadow. "Come on out!" he called, his voice echoing.

The slow, paced sound of footsteps approaching the group caught Ichigo's attention, his eyes narrowing in confusion. A dark form began to take shape, slowly revealing a man, the light catching him, revealing his face. Immediately, Ichigo's eyes went wide, recognizing the man immediately.

"D-dad?"

Isshin Kurosaki glanced at his son, his normally merry eyes serious and a little sad. "Ichigo," he said, "it's good to see you." Ichigo's mind was racing, unable to speak he was so stunned. He'd never expected to see his dad here. "Don't be too shocked, my boy," Isshin said, patting Ichigo on the back. But Ichigo barely seemed to register that Isshin had said anything.

"Wh-wha-what?" Ichigo managed at last, sputtering. "Dad, what are you doing here?!" He had so many more questions bustling in his head, but he left it at the most important question. He was way too tired to properly respond to this.

Isshin laughed a little, running his fingers though his hair. He glanced back to Shinji, who merely shook his head. "Well," he said, sighing heavily, "you seem to be in dire straits, Ichigo, and Shinji figured I'd be the best person to help you at this point." A wide grin appeared on his face. "Nothing like good ol' dad giving you a hand, eh?"

"BUT THIS DOESN'T MAKE ANY SENSE?!" Ichigo exploded, taking a few steps away from Isshin. His arms were raised, his hands holding fists full of orange hair. He turned back again, pointing at his father. "How do you know Shinji and the rest?" he asked. "What do you mean you can help me? I don't understand, unless…" Ichigo trailed off, seeming to piece together what was happening.

"You're a Shinigami, aren't you?"

"Bingo," Isshin responded, folding his arms. Despite his attempts to be his normal goofy self, Isshin seemed unable to mask the partial relief and seriousness that overtook him. "Ya got me."

Looking to Shinji, Ichigo asked, "Did you two work together? Did you know this whole time?"

Shinji raised a hand, signaling for him to slow down. "We did, yes," he replied. "Don't get so worked up, kid. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to expose your father." Shinji looked to Isshin, a knowing look in his eyes. "I assumed he had a good reason for not telling you sooner. Far be it from me to meddle in family affairs."

"So why didn't you tell me sooner, dad?" Ichigo said, trying his hardest to remain calm. He seemed hurt, overwhelmed at this point. "You must have known what was going on with me, so why the hell didn't you say anything?"

"The same reason you didn't tell me," Isshin replied, his words slightly harsh. "I wasn't ready to tell you yet. You were still learning, and you had plenty of people looking after you. So, I watched from the distance, making sure you were alright." Tension began to rise between father and son. "I knew what was going on the moment that Rukia Kuchiki entered our home," he continued. "In fact, I made a deal with her that we would not acknowledge each other once she started staying in our home." Shaking his head, Isshin laughed a little. "You're not very good at sneaking girls into the house, by the way," he joked half-heartedly.

Ichigo bit his tongue, trying to subdue his anger. Did his dad find this funny? "So, did mom know?" he demanded. "Do Karin and Yuzu know? I just…" He took a second, taking a deep breath. He didn't really want to get into an argument with his dad, there wasn't time. But he still needed to know a few things. "I'm sorry," he managed. "I just don't understand."

Rustling Ichigo's hair, Isshin gave him a half smile. "It's alright, Ichigo," he said. "I figured you'd be a bit freaked out. It's understandable. Unfortunately, we don't have a lot of time, or I would tell you everything I could…" His voice was low, trailing off as well. He wished he could sit Ichigo down, explain everything. He deserved it, after all. But it would have to wait. "But, for now, we need to focus on getting your zanpakuto back."

Ichigo didn't argue, he knew Isshin was correct. Rubbing the back of his neck, he said, "Yeah, we do."

"Use the underground training room," Shinji said at last, tossing a pair of keys to Isshin. "It should be enough space to do whatever it is you need to do." Grabbing the keys, Isshin nodded, twirling the key strap.

"Wait," Ichigo said, looking at Shinji with narrowed eyes, "if there's a training room here, why the hell did we use Kisuke's training room?" His face was filled with confusion. "Wouldn't it have been easier to use the one here?"

Flashing Ichigo a sly smile, Shinji replied, "I didn't want ya ripping up ours. It would take a lot of work fixing it back up, and I didn't want to deal with it, honestly." He shrugged, laughing a little. "Besides, Kisuke owed me one." Stepping aside, he gestured towards the back of the warehouse. "Have fun, you two," he said.

Shaking his head, Ichigo followed Isshin to the training room.

"What a cheapskate."

The underground training room didn't look that different from Urahara's, a barren, rocky terrain under a false blue sky. The air was still, silent. Ichigo watched as Isshin took a few steps in front of him. Neither of them had spoken on the way down, and that continued for another few minutes. Isshin's back was to Ichigo, his eyes lost in the distance. He had known this day would come, but at such a time as this…

"I heard what happened last time you tried to retrieve your zanpakuto," Isshin began. "It appears Aizen's powers have grown much more than anyone anticipated." He looked to Ichigo at last, his face serious once more. "Kisuke tells me you met the Hogyoku." Ichigo remained silent, looking away from Isshin for a moment. Flashes of his brief meeting with Amelia and the Hogyoku appeared, sending small chills down his spine. This merely confirmed Isshin's statement and he nodded. "I'm guessing it was pretty… traumatic."

"It was like terror incarnate," Ichigo responded. "It was… hungry."

Isshin said nothing, but the way his eyes widened betrayed his disturbed response. Ichigo rubbed his face, as if to get the image out of his head. "It's still there, I think," he continued. "It feels as if it's been there for a long time."

"Knowing how Aizen operates, it probably has been," Isshin replied. "It's probably been haunting many of us, depending on how much of a threat Aizen believes us to be, but I'm not completely sure. We barely know much of anything about the Hogyoku, aside from what Kisuke has divulged." Taking a deep breath, Isshin straightened himself, trying to get back on track. He could be thinking of that right now. "Enough talk," he said, his voice echoing off the cliffs and rocky faces. "We need to get you to your inner world." He pointed to the ground, indicating that they both sit.

Following his father's lead, Ichigo sat cross-legged on the ground, facing Isshin. "Now," Isshin began, hunched forward a little, "to begin, you must establish a connection to your inner world through meditation." Even in his doctor's coat, Isshin looked too serious, like one of the Gotei captains, Ichigo thought. Could he have been one of the captains…? "Have you done this before, Ichigo?"

"Uh, yeah… once," Ichigo said, "A few days ago, to be exact."

Isshin's eyebrows raised a little. "Really?" he asked, a little surprised. "Only once? How've you been able to reach your zanpakuto before?"

Ichigo thought for a moment. "Usually, it was during times of battle," he replied. "The first time I ever encountered Zangetsu in my inner world was through Urahara's Hollowfication. That's how I was able to gain my own Shinigami powers."

"So though forced trauma," Isshin mused, eyes closed for a moment. "Interesting. How were you able to obtain the meditative state the first time, then?"

"Well… I'm not entirely sure, actually."

"What?" Isshin sputtered, eyes open now. "So, you did it randomly? Through sheer force of will, that kind of thing?"

"I guess. Like I said, I've never done it before, and I was a bit desperate."

Isshin pondered this for a moment, sitting up straight. He knew that his son's power was different than most Shinigami, but this was… strange. "Well, generally," Isshin began, "Shinigami use meditation to access their inner world, allowing them to freely converse with their zanpakuto. This technique is called Jinzen, and through this you and your zanpakuto shall become one." Placing his hands on his knees, Isshin seemed to demonstrate how to properly enter the meditative state. "Typically, you would place your zanpakuto on your lap and enter a state of calm that cannot be broken even by physical injury in the outside world. Your mind must completely surrender to your desire to connect, or the connection will break."

Ichigo nodded, listening closely. "So, what do I do since I don't have my zanpakuto?" he asked, head tilted.

"Exactly what you did last time, kiddo," Isshin replied. "Clear your mind, connect with Zangetsu. And, hopefully,-" Isshin raised his hand, forefinger pointing upward- "Zangetsu will be able to form itself again."

Taking a shaky breath, Ichigo nodded. "A-alright," he said, leaning back a little. "Better get started then." We don't have much more time, he thought. Aizen could show up any minute and we'd have no warning… For a brief second, thoughts of his friends and Ash wandering in Hueco Mundo flashed through his mind, and the familiar, cold feeling of fear went through him.

Placing a hand on Ichigo's shoulder, Isshin looked in his son's eyes. "Ichigo," he said, his voice warm, "before you enter, I need to say this." His voice caught for a moment, struggling against the emotions that toiled in his chest. "I know that we won't have much time to chat once you're done here, and that it's a shame that we have to deal with this now. You must think I'm a pretty shit dad, in all honesty, and I wouldn't blame you." A small, sardonic smile cross his face for a second. "But I want you to know, no matter what happens, no matter what was said or what will be said, I am immensely, unconditionally proud of you." His brown eyes were moist, but he was determined not to cry.

"Dad," Ichigo replied, a small smile on his face. "You're not a shit dad, and I've never thought that in my entire life." He shook his head. "We'll talk about this later," he said at last, positioning himself, "but just know that… you're not a terrible dad." His eyes closed at last, hands placed on his legs. His tired face went slack, his head leaning forward. He was not quite in the deepest stage of meditation, but it didn't take him too long to reach out into his mind.

From the outside, Isshin watched as Ichigo quickly drifted off, a sad smile on his face.

"Masaki," he said under his breath, "I wonder what you'd say if you could see our boy now. He's more like you than I ever anticipated him to be…"

"Bout time ya got here, King."

Ichigo found himself staring down Hollow Zangetsu, the familiar thin, mocking smile on the zanpakuto's face. His golden irises shone from his blackened eyes, sizing Ichigo up. "What took ya so long?" he challenged the boy.

"Good to see you're still here," Ichigo replied. His inner world seemed to be the same as always, the tilted sky marching on like a silent funeral procession. The gentle breeze brushed against him like a familiar friend, the glass of the window beneath his feet reflecting his image back. "I was beginning to wonder if the both of you were mad at me."

"I wouldn't say we were mad," Zangetsu replied. "But ya didn't necessarily reach out to us after that little incident with big, dark and scary last time." The zanpakuto's face seemed to contort in genuine disgust and fear upon mentioning the Hogyoku's visit. "But that girl ya were speakin' with was interestin', for sure. The two of you seemed to hit it of quite nicely." A toothy grin took over the zanpakuto's pale face.

"You mean Amelia?" Ichigo said, remembering the girl. She had sounded American, her accent intertwining in her nearly perfect diction. "I… guess so? She just wanted me to let her sister know she was alive. If that counts as getting along, I guess you're right." Ichigo shrugged, looking around. "Where's the Old Man?" he asked.

"I am here, Ichigo."

Slightly startled by the voice of his other zanpakuto, Ichigo turned back, seeing that the Old Man stood beside the Hollow, his dark cloak morphing and swaying in the wind. His eyes were hidden behind the orange visor, gleaming in the light. "Welcome back, Ichigo," the Old Man said. "We've been waiting for you to come to us. There is much to say, but little time to say it." His calm voice reverberated through the air.

"I know," Ichigo replied, taking a deep breath. "I need my physical sword back, and I need your help."

"Well, no shit, King," scoffed the Hollow. "We could figure that much. The only problem is, what does yer sword look like now?" The smug smirk on the zanpakuto's face fade, turned to a hard frown, white brows furrowed. "The illusion's been broken, King," he continued. "Ya need to give us an image."

Ichigo's brows furrowed as well. "The hell does that mean?" he demanded. "I remember what Zangetsu looked like! How'd you forget what it looked like? You were wielding it not too long ago!" A small pang of panic travelled through Ichigo's body. Perhaps this was going to be more complicated than he anticipated…

"Yes, you remember what the old image of Zangetsu was," the Old Man spoke, his voice carrying far and wide. "But we are a new Zangetsu, one that you are not familiar with. You have been made aware of the balance, and we cannot don the old form. There is not enough room for your power there." The Old Man looked to the Hollow, his solemn face enveloped by his dark brown hair. "We would merely shatter."

"This wasn't how things were supposed to go, ya see," the Hollow followed, arms folded. "Yer power level has skyrocketed past the normal rate it was goin', and it's all thanks to a certain change in course." He nodded his head towards Ichigo, gold eyes gleaming. "I'd say it's thanks to the two gals who visited ya last time ya were here."

Ichigo's eyes went wide. "A change in course?" he said. "I don't know if I understand."

The Old Man nodded. "Neither do we," he replied. "We are in unfamiliar territory. But, we cannot help it. We must adapt to the hand we were dealt." From the dark shroud that surrounded his body, Zangetsu raised a hand, pointing to Ichigo. His dark eyes bored holes into Ichigo. "Now, Ichigo," he said, "do you know why we are called Zangetsu?"

The Slaying Moon, Ichigo thought. He never thought about it much, not once since retrieving it the first day he lay eyes on it. He shook his head slowly, silently.

Eyes closed once more, the Old Man paused for a moment. "Just like the moon that rises and falls in the sky," he began, "our power differentiates with the waxing and waning of your particular strengths. As the light side of the moon wanes, the full moon ushers in the new cycle. On the other hand, as the dark side wanes, the new moon draws close, and thus the cycle goes on."

"Essentially," the Hollow interjected, "dependin' on the distribution of your power, the balance of our power can tip in one way or the other." The Hollow tilted his head to his companion, glaring at him a little. "For a while, ya were slowly dependin' on the Old Man, which caused a disruption of power that nearly caused ya to destroy yerself." A terrible grin appeared on his face. "Good thing I was here to correct that."

Ichigo's eyes wandered, lost in thought. "So, what you both are saying," he mused, "is that you both function differently, and depending on my need for either of you, my powers could change…"

"To an extent, yes," the Old Man confirmed. "We are one cohesive unit, but we perform different parts. It is up to you to decide what those parts are, Ichigo. Only then can we decide our true physical form."

"Yeah," the Hollow chided. "Hurry the hell up already, will ya?"

After a short pause, Ichigo looked up, his eyes filled with a sudden clarity. "Yes, I see," he said. His arms fell to his sides, realization overtaking him. "A slaying moon would have two different parts." A smile took over the boy's face.

The Old Man and the Hollow looked to each other, a knowing glance passing between them. "Then reach for us, Ichigo Kurosaki," the Old Man called.

"Don't hesitate, King," the Hollow followed, a smug smirk on his face.

Both hands outstretched, Ichigo's lips parted, his face filled with determination as he called to them.

"Come to me…"

"Just what the hell are ya doin' up here?"

Hiyori glared at Isshin Kurosaki as he stood in the small kitchenette, microwaving a bowl of white rice and vegetables. Looking down at the irritated girl, Isshin sighed. "It's gonna take him a few hours," he replied. "Might as well grab a bite to eat while I wait for him to finish. I didn't realize it was already after sundown till I came up here." The clock on the wall read it was 9 in the evening. Isshin's mind immediately went to Karin and Yuzu, wondering if they were worried about them. Hopefully, they had found his note saying they were out on "special father-son bonding time."

"I'm not talkin' about that, moron!" Hiyori growled. "I wanna know why ya took my leftovers and put them in the microwave without askin'!" She pointed at the microwave. "THAT WAS GONNA BE MY DINNER, BASTARD!" She was fuming, stomping her feet. "GET THAT OUT OF THERE, THAT'S NOT FOR YA!"

"Calm down, Hiyori," Shinji called. "He's our guest. Where's that calm demeanor you had earlier? The one where you were telling me to calm the hell down?" Shinji's head rested against the back of the sofa, his eyes buried in a book.

"WHAT'D YA SAY, YA-?!"

A knock interrupted the short-lived argument, all eyes turned towards the door. "I'll answer it," Lisa volunteered, eager to get away from the yelling. She could sense there were two figures at the door, but they seemed relatively friendly. Nonetheless, she opened the door cautiously, revealing two Shinigami.

"Jeez," Rangiku said, peering inside. "Who knew anyone was living here? If Urahara hadn't said there were people here, I would have thought it was abandoned." She raised her hand to her face, glancing around in the dark warehouse, meeting the eyes of the Visoreds who glared back at her.

"Don't forget why we're here, Rangiku," Shuhei admonished, temporarily forgetting his flustered state. "We need to find Ichi-" His sentence was cut short as he caught the familiar form of a man he once called captain, a head of silver hair and irritated eyes meeting his. "C-Captain Kensei Muguruma?!" he exclaimed, his jaw slacked.

Rangiku looked from Shuhei to Kensei, slightly shocked to see the former captain as well. "Well, this is a surprise!" she exclaimed. "Who knew that we had former vet-" And with that, her eyes met that of a familiar face as well, one she never thought she'd see again. He looked much older and worn out than she remembered, but there was no denying it, it was him.

"Captain Shiba?!"

A/N: Wow, it's been two weeks! Sorry about that, I went on a small hiatus so I could finish my cosplay for Louisville Supercon last weekend! I meant to warn y'all last week, but forgot!

I know this chapter was a bit exposition heavy, but 1) It kind of needed to be (sorry still, but also not), and 2) I also really just didn't feel like writing a fight heavy chapter. Besides, Ichigo needs his fucking zanpakuto back already. It's been gone for far too long! Anyways, there will be another chapter next week, gotta figure out what it's gonna be on. Enjoy, and if this chapter seems a little bit rushed or off, sorry. I'll fix it next weekend. Anyways, see you soon!