"'Let it be known that, effective immediately, Ichigo Kurosaki, the rogue substitute soul reaper, Uryu Ishida, the quincy, Chad Yasotaru, the fullbringer, Orihime Inoue, the high level spiritual medium, and Rukia Kuchiki, formerly of the Thirteenth Division, are all henceforth banished from the Soul Society in its entirety, including the Seireitei, the Soul King's Palace, and all other spiritual planes of existence parallel and perpendicular to the Soul Society. '"

Ichigo felt his tongue grow heavy with a dry bitterness. Each and every one of his friends had been banished, and according to Byakuya, it was mostly his fault. Perhaps it was the official tone of the scroll, or maybe it was just seeing it in writing, but it truly felt as if it had finally gotten through to him. He wondered if he should apologize when someone interrupted his guilt ridden moping.

"Keep reading," prompted Uryu.

He took a deep breath to make sure his voice wouldn't shake, and then cleared his throat before pressing on.

"'Now that the banishment is out of the way, I suppose I should I apologize to you, Ichigo. I didn't believe you when you told me the truth. Or rather, I didn't want to believe you. Given the circumstances, I can't blame you for what you've done. Central 46, on the other hand, is having a field day. Or they were. Officially, you and your friends were all vaporized in the explosion at the Shihouin Training Facility. It was the perfect stroke of fortune, because it allowed us a chance to finally get a leg up, so to speak. Aizen thinks you are all dead, and it is of paramount importance that he continue to do just that. As such, you have all been banished. The only way for you to repeal your banishment is to comply with the orders I have written out for you here.'"

Again, Ichigo stopped, his heart having skipped a beat when he read that there was a way to return to the Soul Society. Whatever it was, he would gladly do it, and then he could confront Aizen once and for all- but upon reading the next line, his hopeful heart sank.

"'Your orders for the foreseeable future are to do nothing. Each of you are to return to the world of the living, and keep your spirit powers hidden away until such a time as the Seireitei can call upon you for aid, which we will, in due course. Aizen is not someone we can afford to underestimate, and it will take time to coordinate an effort against him without arousing suspicion.'"

"So it's like Tessai said," Chad mumbled. "We have to keep our powers under control."

"Why are you all looking at me?!" exclaimed Ichigo. "I'm getting better, dammit!"

"Force of habit," Uryu, Chad, and Rukia all said in unison.

Ichigo shook his head and turned his attention back to the scroll.

"'Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, Orihime, Rukia. I hope all of you can forgive this old fool. We have no other options at this point. Each of you must survive, and come together to battle Aizen. If we succeed, then you will have done the Soul Society a great service, and will be able to come and go as you please as honored guests. If this plan fails, then the Soul Society as we know it will most surely perish. I would ask that each of you place your trust in me, as I have done so with each of you. May the Soul King keep you.

Best of luck,

Captain-Commander Shunsui Kyoraku

PS- There should be a second scroll that will explain the plan in detail. Please study it thoroughly.'"

Rukia was already skimming through the contents of the second scroll, her brow scrunched up in concentration. She impatiently swept a lock of her black hair behind an ear before looking at everyone.

"It's written in code," she said at large. "I may be able to figure it out, but it will take some time."

"Is there anything on there?" Uryu leaned in closer to get a good look at the scroll. "Most codes need a cypher. There has to be something we can use."

"There is only one thing," the soul reaper said, "but it isn't the cypher. It's something else."

Rukia laid out the scroll on the bed so that all could see it. Most of it seemed to be encompassed by sketches of a cube that gave Ichigo flashbacks from when he was studying geometry as a kid. Surrounding the cubes were gibberish characters that made no sense, most likely containing details or notes. But in the margins, scrawled in tiny writing, was something he could read.

"Ragnarok?"

"It's a term that comes from Norse Mythology, I believe," Uryu pushed his glasses further up his nose. "It's essentially the end times of the gods, a great battle that was pre-destined to destroy many of the divinities."

"Shinigami are often referred to as gods of death," interjected Rukia. "I don't know what this word is doing here, but I know it's important somehow."

Unlike everyone else, Ichigo remained disinterested in the second scroll. He was still staring at the first one, re-reading the passages as if he couldn't quite believe what they said. Heavy waves of dissatisfaction ebbed from his soul so strongly that Rukia could feel them clearly, even with the reiatsu reducing eyepatch he was wearing.

"So this is it?" he asked, so quietly that his friends almost didn't hear him. His hands shook, and he had to restrain himself from tearing the scroll. "All this writing, all this posturing… and our job is to just sit here and wait until we're called?"

"It's the Head Captain's orders," Rukia reminded him, but Ichigo hung his head, staring at the words scrawled upon his orders. He flipped the scroll around, eyeing up the blank parchment. The only thing on the outside were the remnants of the wax seal used to secure the orders, ensuring they were not read or tampered with since they'd been issued.

"It makes sense," sighed Uryu, "Ichigo is the only one who can hold their own against Aizen without support. The survival of the Soul Society depends on Aizen being separated from his allies, outnumbered, and then neutralized. That said… there's no guarantee it would all work, what with his fusion with the hogyoku."

'It sounds like I'll have to fight Aizen again.' Ichigo realized. He felt himself slip from reality as he knew it, and was jolted back in time to the battle of Fake Karakura Town. He was standing in the air, hovering over the city, his knuckles white as he gripped Tensa Zangetsu. It was difficult to breath, and he couldn't move as he watched Aizen fought against the Captains of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. One by one, they accosted him, and within seconds the most powerful people in the Soul Society were cut down, crashing against Aizen's might like waves breaking upon a rocky shore.

Blood. So much blood. And all Ichigo could do was look on, terrified that he was next. Aizen turned his direction, and Ichigo's skin crawled as the traitor smiled lightly.

"Ichigo!"

Someone was shaking his shoulder. Once more, Ichigo was in his room, surrounded by his friends. They were all grim faced, and their eyes were full of concern. Rukia was watching him closely, as if waiting for him to explode.

"You alright, Ichigo?" Chad asked.

Karin pulled her hand from her brother's shoulder, "You look like you just saw a ghost or something. What's wrong? Are you sick?"

"I-"

The panic flattened Ichigo like a road roller. Even though he was perfectly safe in his room, with his closest friends, he felt like he was being observed. The thought that he would have to fight Aizen again made him physically flinch, as if the man were about to pop out from under his bed. He scrambled away from Rukia, who had put a hand out as if to console him, and dashed out the door of his room.

He slipped on the stairs, skidding around the corner as his father called, "Hey, Ichigo, could you help with the dishes at least?"

But he was already in the dark of the hall, racing towards the bathroom. Pain surged in his gut as dread took hold of him, and Ichigo sank to his knees in front of the toilet as bile rose in his throat.

He was sick, shaking violently, but all he could see behind his brown eyes was Aizen's smile, as if somewhere, somehow, the traitor knew Ichigo was thinking of him.

Ichigo bit the inside of his cheek, trying to distract himself, but ended up going from frightened to livid in a single second. He wanted to rip Aizen from limb to limb, eviscerate him into a million pieces for all that he'd done. The familiar ringing of insane laughter began to fill his head when the sound of a knock on the bathroom door pulled Ichigo from his all-encompassing hatred, and Rukia's quiet voice came from the other side.

"Ichigo? Are you alright in there?"

"Fine," he coughed, coming down from the emotional high he'd been on for the last couple minutes since his flashback, "I'm fine. I'll be up in a sec, just give me a minute."

It took a few seconds, but he heard Rukia retreat back down the hall and up the stairs to his room. Ichigo spent a few minutes over the toilet bowl, unsure of what just happened. He'd never experienced anything like that before. The occasional nightmare was no big deal, but now it felt like he'd been pulled into the past, and as a result he had lost his dinner.

Cleaning up the mess he'd made, he dried his eyes and leaned over the bathroom sink after brushing his teeth. When he lifted his head to look at his reflection in the mirror, however, he found that someone else was looking back at him.

"Hello there, your majesty," his hollow said, "you're looking all depressed again. Rough night?"

Ichigo didn't flinch. Oddly enough, the terror he usually felt around his hollow was gone, as if he'd used it all up during his panic attack.

"I don't see how that's any of your business," Ichigo whispered.

"Stoic, rational, and logical. That's my Ichigo for ya," his pale doppelganger grinned, revealing overlong, sharp canines. "But I know you better than that. I felt the hatred that was pouring out of you. I bet that if Aizen were here, you'd either kill him or end up pissing yourself. Aheheheheheeee!"

"How about you wrap this up and get to the point," Ichigo began to wash his hands, "I have company here."

"Remember our little negotiation, Ichigo? Shortly after we first met? You wear the crown and hold the reins for now, but soon I'll be the king, and you'll be the horse. Your days are numbered."

The hollow's grin fell away as Ichigo continued to wash his hands. It wasn't until he was good and done that he raised his head and narrowed his eyes at the reflection of the hollow in the mirror.

"My days are numbered," Ichigo told him. "Maybe you haven't been following along, but I'll be fighting Aizen again soon. And I have no intentions of letting him go alive."

"That's suicide," the hollow spat, "you know it is! You can't be serious…."

"When you do it for people you care about, it's actually called a sacrifice," Ichigo murmured. "I don't plan on losing anyone else to Aizen. And when I go down… you're going down with me. Partner."

Ichigo spat the last word as if it were a cuss. The hollow began to bang on the mirror, but being nothing more than a phantom of Ichigo's mind, it stayed intact. "You can't do this! I'll break out of here and become the king, and you'll have your turn as the horse! I won't let you do this to us, Ichigo!"

But the substitute shinigami was already walking away. The hollow continued to bang on the mirror and screech, "DON'T WALK AWAY FROM ME WHEN I'M TALKING TO YOU, BASTARD! GET BACK HERE ICHIGO! ICHIGOOOOOO!"

As he made his way up the stairs, completely ignoring his old man's requests for assistance with the dishes, Ichigo rubbed the back of his neck. He was still tired, and his physical form still felt off, as if there was some sort of disconnect between his soul and his body. He reached out to turn the handle of the doorknob when without warning he was blinded, silenced, put in an armbar and spirited down the hall to Karin's room.

He was set gently upon the floor, and when he took off his blindfold, he found Rukia smirking down at him.

"It's good to know I can still take you down," she said quietly.

Ichigo rotated his shoulder, working out the kinks from the tense armbar Rukia had put him in. She looked fantastic in one of Karin's old sun dresses, and it took a few moments for him to remember that he was angry about being abducted in his own house.

"I know what just happened to you, Ichigo."

He stretched his elbow slowly and replied, "Yeah, it's called kidnapping, and it seriously wasn't necessary."

"Not that. I mean what happened in the bedroom, where you suddenly looked like you were back in a warzone."

Ichigo was silent. Rukia uncrossed her arms and rolled her eyes before kneeling in front of him and taking his hands in her own, letting them rest on his knees.

"It's common in soul reapers who have seen battle and bloodshed," Rukia noted gently. "This pain you feel, this anxiety, these flashbacks; they're all symptoms found in the most distinguished warriors of the Soul Society."

Ichigo scoffed, "You're telling me that the captains and lieutenants of the Gotei Thirteen all have PTSD or something?"

"Some may, given the recent Sternritter Invasion," she said as she ran her thumbs over Ichigo's knuckles, "but that isn't my reason for telling you this. The captains are spirits who can live for hundreds or thousands of years. They have eternity to process and reflect, and come to terms with loss and the mental toll of war. You are still young. Whatever you may be feeling… it will no doubt be amplified by your lack of experience, and your hectic dual lifestyle. I just want you to know that you have friends and family that you can talk to. And of course, you have me."

She rubbed her thumbs over his knuckles again, gazing at Ichigo endearingly. He frowned for a moment and then said, "Hold up a sec, did you just say that I'm young?"

In an instant, the moment was gone, as if someone had just tossed a hand grenade into the room. "Is that really all you took away from this?" Rukia asked, her face painted in disbelief.

"No, I got the gist," insisted Ichigo, "but I was just wondering… if you think I'm young… how old are you? I've never really thought about it before, but you must be older than me by a longshot."

"I, uhh…well-" she cleared her throat, cupping her cheek as a bead of nervous sweat dotted her brow, "I don't really see how that's pertinent."

A loud beep began to emit from Rukia, and she nearly dropped the soul pager pulling it from her dress. She flipped it open, acutely aware of Ichigo's scrutiny of her, as if he were trying to guess her age. When she read the message on the screen, however, all of her embarrassment was lost.

"There's a hollow!" she gasped. "And it's headed right for the clinic!"

That was when the doorbell rang, and Ichigo felt as if he'd been zapped with a cattle prod. Three more reiatsus had appeared upon his doorstep, but from what he could tell, they weren't soul reapers. In a flash, Rukia and Ichigo had left Karin's dark room and leapt down the staircase, but Isshin had already answered the door.

There upon the threshold were three people Ichigo had known for some time, but he hadn't seen since the school closed for repairs.

Tatsuki Arisawa and Keigo Asano stood outside Ichigo's door, the body of Mizuiru Kojima slung between them, with an arm pulled over each of their shoulders. Tatsuki had a line of blood trickling from her hairline into her eye, forcing her to close it, and Keigo looked like he'd taken a good beating. One of his eyes was ringed in black, and his nose was blooded. Mizuiru did not seem gravely injured, but he was unconscious, and oblivious to the situation that was quickly unfolding.

"Tatsuki?" Ichigo asked. "Keigo?"

Tatsuki pulled herself out from underneath Mizuiru, allowing Keigo to take his full weight as he stumbled into the clinic, only to be caught by Isshin, who took Tatsuki's spot under Mizuiru's arm.

"There's a hollow," Tatsuki panted, resting with her hands on her knees, "I didn't want those two getting hurt anymore."

Without thinking, the redhead shoved a hand into his pocket and came up with the wooden pentagon that served as his combat pass. As soon as Rukia saw it, though, she snatched it away from him.

"You mustn't," she insisted. "We can't elevate our reiatsus, especially you!"

"Tatsuki," Keigo said suddenly, "don't go back out there alone! Take someone with you."

Both Keigo and Tatsuki turned their pale faces to Ichigo, who seemed torn between his desire to use his combat pass, and something else that was most definitely eating at him.

"No, I suppose that's too much to ask from you," Tatsuki realized, turning back to face the darkness of the night. "Keigo, look after Mizuiru. I'll take care of this."

From somewhere outside, a hollow shrieked. Ichigo looked at Rukia, but the soul reaper shook her head. Under no circumstances were they to compromise the mission, lest Aizen discover they were still alive. It was a conundrum for Ichigo, who had made it his mission to protect everyone from the dangers of the spirit world. But now, that world, and all the other worlds with it, were in jeopardy. Either he would break his vow to protect everyone, and doom the world, or he would have to let his friends get hurt.

Chad, Uryu, and Karin, having sensed the commotion, came down the stairs and fell in place behind Ichigo, looking on as well.

Tatsuki had walked out to the front gate, and was cracking her neck and rubbing her shoulders.

"I know you're out there!" she called as the streetlights began to flicker and go out. "C'mon, hollow! Come get me!"

"We have to do something," Uryu pushed his glasses up his nose.

Chad put a hand on the Quincy's shoulder, "No. We aren't supposed to reveal our whereabouts."

"We can't just let Tatsuki die!" Ichigo said loudly.

Rukia caught Ichigo by the arm as he made to run outside. "There's nothing we can do but trust her to take care of it!"

"You can sense it, too, can't you?! There's no way she can face up against a hollow that powerful! She's just a-" Ichigo's words died in his throat as Tatsuki put a hand to her waist, where she wore her ceremonial black belt to fasten her capri jeans in place. The air around Tatsuki began to stir and hum as a maroon reiatsu burst to life around her, encasing her in in a semi translucent karate gi woven of ethereal maroon fibers. Her hands were taped with the same spiritual fabric, and Ichigo could feel the thin reishi of the world of the living respond as Tatsuki tapped into a power he had never seen before.

"-human," he finished his remark softly.

"No," muttered Chad, his eyes wide with recognition, "Tatsuki is… a Fullbringer!"

Fifteen minutes and one dead hollow later, the door to Ichigo's room slammed shut.

With all of the occupants, there was hardly room to move about, but no one seemed to notice, except Ichigo, who fondly remembered the days where he didn't have seven other people crammed into his personal space.

First, there was Mizuiru, who was prone on Ichigo's bed, and Tatsuki, who was tying a bandage around his temple, where a nasty bluish bump had begun to form. Keigo stood off to one side, looking around with interest. He couldn't recall the last time he was ever in Ichigo's room, and now it turned out that it had been a hotbed of activity, both in terms of developing close friendships and defending against spiritual threats, and he hadn't even been a part of it!

Chad sat at Ichigo's desk, and Rukia knelt next to Tatsuki, waving a hand over Mizuiru, sensing the damage to his soul and trying to figure out how to heal him.

Tatsuki didn't look much better than her companions. Her head wound was still bleeding, and was accentuated by a multitude of fresh bruises and scrapes from her battle with the hollow. She hadn't said a word since she had asked Ichigo for help, only to be rebuffed. She didn't need to, though. Ichigo could sense the roiling within her soul as her mind churned, searching for answers.

Uryu tapped Tatsuki on the shoulder and handed her a strip of cloth, which she used to tie around her own head injury before sitting back and breathing a sigh.

"What's going on, Ichigo?" she asked without looking at him, her hands twisting themselves into knots in her lap. "You're not the kind of guy to avoid a fight. We both know about hollows and soul reapers… tell me what's going on. Where's Orihime?"

She turned to glare at Ichigo, her eyes as dark as coal and harder than carbon. Ichigo felt his breath hitch in his chest. How could he possibly explain his predicament? How much did Tatsuki really know?

"Orihime is resting, he said simply, "and as for what's going on... do you guys have any plans for tonight?"

"W-Why would you want to know that?" Tatsuki asked, pink patches of color forming on her cheeks.

"Because explaining this is going to take some time," Chad chipped in. "Our situation is…"

"Complicated," Rukia finished.

Silence was heavy, and Tatsuki and Keigo looked at each other strangely. It took Ichigo a second to realize that it was a look he often shared with his closest friends, like Uryu or Chad or Rukia. It seemed that in Ichigo's absence, his other group of friends had grown quite close as well.

"We don't have anything else going on," Keigo said at length. "Tell us what's happening. Please, you guys. I… we may need your help."

Keigo Asano. Ichigo remembered him as an immature high school guy. A hopeless romantic, and a bit of a perv, too, but then, most high schooler guys were. He remembered Keigo as being a bit much- with emotions always running high. But now? Now it seemed like Keigo had changed just as much as Ichigo had after becoming a substitute soul reaper. He looked more focused, less spastic. He was no longer lanky and wiry, and his soul, which had once been just as bland and grey as anyone else's, was now a bright, neon orange. What unnerved Ichigo the most, though, was Keigo's surprising reminiscence of Sosuke Aizen. They had the same color hair, the same slender features, and even their eyes seemed similar.

Ichigo had to still himself. This was Keigo, not Aizen. They were not the same person, no matter how similar they looked.

"We'll help you, however-" Ichigo stopped as a loud beep jarred everyone in the room. Rukia blushed and immediately dug her soul pager out of her dress pocket. She flipped it open and scanned through it quickly, then closed it with a snap and slid off the bed.

"I have to go," she said.

"Wha-where?!" Ichigo asked.

"Nel sent me a soul page. It seems she'd tracked down and killed the arrancar responsible for murdering the Tres Bestia. I'm going to go help her identify the culprit's remains."

"I'll come with you," Ichigo got to his feet.

"No, stay here with everyone, keep them safe. I'll be back soon."

"But-" Rukia laid a hand on Ichigo's chest, and her reiatsu sparked through him like electricity. He could sense her distaste at being away from him, but it was her duty as a former member of the Gotei Thirteen to check into such things, especially before anyone else from the Seireitei went to investigate.

"Fine," Ichigo grumbled. "Stay safe, and come back in one piece."

"I will," she promised gently.

Rukia slipped out of the room and down the stairs as Keigo stared at Ichigo, his mouth hanging open, his eyes wide.

"What the hell was that?!" Keigo asked his friend.

"What was what?"

"You and Rukia! Rukia and you! You guys are acting like some sort of… item! Like a… a-"

"Couple?" Uryu asked.

Keigo pointed at Uryu, his lips tight as he nodded in earnest. "Yeah! Like a couple! What gives?!"

"They're together, moron," Tatsuki told him.

"But-wha-I mean-Ichigo wouldn't-I mean-"

"Yeah, we're actually married," Ichigo said, running his fingers through his hair to try and hide his embarrassment. "It was sort of a shock to everyone. I'd have let you guys know but I've been pretty busy."

"Y-Y-Y-Y-YOU'RE MARRIED?!" Keigo shrieked, earning himself a sharp elbow in the ribs from Tatsuki and Ichigo, both of whom shushed the awestruck young man between them.

Rukia, who was not accustomed to wandering the streets of Karakura Town in the wee hours of the morning, was taken aback by how empty it was. Save a few early risers on their morning run, or a few late night partiers doing the walk of shame, almost no one was in the streets or sidewalks.

Once she hit the commercial district, all passersby were virtually nonexistent. She walked purposefully past dimly lit storefront displays, glancing every now and then at her soul pager to make sure she was going the right way. She was wearing Ichigo's reiatsu diminishing coat, which was so large on her that the cuffs fell right over her hands. Still, it smelled like Ichigo, and she pulled it tightly about herself with a smile as she followed the path that would take her to Neliel.

The thought of the arrancar made Rukia scowl. Neliel was no doubt still hurting, even after getting her revenge. The soul reaper had plenty of experience: getting back at the people whom had wronged her never made her feel any better.

That was when another chime from her pager made her pause in her tracks, and turning to her left, Rukia saw a large, dark alleyway before her.

Even as she watched, Neliel melted from the shadows, her white arrancar garb suddenly blinding white in the light of the streetlamps.

"Oh! Nel, you startled me," Rukia said.

"Sorry, Rukia." Nel said shortly. "Come, they're here in the alley."

"The murderer, you mean?"

"Yes, I'll show you."

And with that, Nel turned back down the alleyway, her visage fading just as quickly as it had appeared. The only sounds were the echoes of Nel's heels as they clicked against the concrete, making Rukia jumpy.

With a shiver, she followed Nel into the dark of the alleyway. Only a few steps in, the light of all the world seemed to have fallen away. Rukia looked behind her, expecting to see the light of the streetlamps, but instead saw black. Fear rose within her, panic following after, and then she heard it: a small, hissing chuckle from right over her shoulder.

"We're so glad to meet you, soul reaper," said a pair of voices. "You're just what need to get to Ichigo Kurosaki."

Rukia's blood was ice in her veins as she realized that she was stuck in her gigai, without any means of fighting the hollow.

'Rukia, you damned fool,' she mentally berated herself, 'you've walked right into a trap!'

"So that's why you couldn't help us," realization dawned on Tatsuki's face, "you all have to keep your powers under control, otherwise this Aizen guy will find out."

Keigo looked bashful for a moment before he said, "It was my idea to come here for help. I suppose I just put you all in danger. Well, even more danger than usual, heh."

Ichigo, Uryu, and Chad looked contemplative for a moment. Then, Uryu asked the question that was burning heavily in Ichigo's mind.

"How long have you guys known?"

"About what?" Tatsuki asked sharply.

"The spirit world. Hollows. Shinigami."

"Let's see," Keigo asked, tracing his jawline with his thumb and forefinger, "I think we first had our suspicions confirmed when that shop guy told us what you guys were up to. What was that- three years ago?"

"So long," remarked Ichigo somberly. "And you guys never bothered to tell us that you knew?"

Tatsuki blew a rogue strand of hair out of her face in exasperation, which made Keigo grin like an idiot.

'Even though she's a tomboy, Tatsuki is kind cute when she's riled up,' he thought.

"It isn't the kind of thing you just bring up at school, or in casual conversation," she rolled her eyes. "Why else would you go to such lengths to keep it from people you claimed to be friends with?"

Ichigo cursed his lack of forethought. He had kept his identity as a substitute soul reaper to himself to try and spare his family and friends any worry. He had wanted them to be blissfully ignorant of hollows and arrancar and ghosts. Instead, they had found out anyway, and as a result, felt alienated.

'As per usual, no good deed goes unpunished,' Ichigo realized bitterly.

"I'm sorry," he told his friends. "I didn't think you guys knew about all this. I wasn't trying to exclude you, I thought I was keeping you all safe."

"Typical Ichigo," chortled Keigo, "noble to a fault."

"Naïve as ever," Tatsuki said smugly, shaking her head.

Mizuiru groaned from on the bed, and after a few seconds his eyes flickered open. He peered around the room with tired eyes until he saw Ichigo, at which point he became a bit more lucid.

"Ichigo? Wha-where am I? What happened?"

Ichigo smiled, "Good to see you're back from the dead, Mizuiru. It's been a while."

It took another hour of explaining before Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiru were thoroughly filled in, seeing as the latter had missed practically everything up until that point.

"I think I understand," the womanizer said after Ichigo had finished his umpteenth recollection of the last week, "and yet here I just thought you had gotten sick of us or something."

"Not on your life," Ichigo grinned, "you guys are my friends, y'know? I've just been preoccupied…"

"I see," Mizuiru sat up from the bed, but his head still hung heavily. "I know this isn't the best time, Ichigo, but we've actually been meaning to get a hold of you, Chad, and Uryu for a while now."

Chad uncrossed his arms and came forward. Compared to his friends, he was absolutely gigantic, rippling with muscle and power, but when he spoke it was with all the care a friend could possibly muster.

"What's up, you guys? Seeing as we're all on the same page, now is as good a time as any to fill us in."

Keigo looked out the window. Tatsuki frowned and ground her heel into the floor. Mizuiru's fingers nervously drummed at Ichigo's bed.

"It all started when we met Aizen," Tatsuki said darkly.

Ichigo's eyes went wide with surprise, and a cursory glance at Uryu and Chad confirmed that this was news to them as well.

"You met Aizen? But when did you-" He blanched as the memories came back to him. "When Aizen attacked the world of the living. Of course."

"Ever since then, things have been changing," Tatsuki said, "those monsters- the hollows- they've been coming after us. We've found ways to fight them. We've developed these weird abilities… but the hollows don't stop coming. We fight as best we can, but we're running blind. Sooner or later, not knowing everything is gonna get one of us killed."

"We can't get in touch with the shopkeeper guy, either," Keigo explained. "Every time we go by there, we're told that he isn't available, so we just stopped trying."

Ichigo, still shaken from the realization that his friends met Aizen, tried to speak, "Well, see, Urahara…."

Mizuiru stood up. He was pale, and still a bit wobbly on his feet, but he rejected Tatsuki's assistance and stood on his own, staring into Ichigo's eyes with a determination one wouldn't have expected from someone who'd only just awoken from a head injury.

"Ichigo, Chad, Uryu, we need your help to figure out our spirit powers. And in return, we'll help you fight Aizen."

The more experienced spiritual mediums were silent. Chad and Uryu shared a look. Ichigo, on the other hand, scoffed loudly.

"Pffft! Get real! There's no way I'd let you three fight Aizen!"

Tatsuki, Mizuiru, and Keigo all felt their jaws drops as they screamed in unison, "Are you fucking kidding me?!"

Ichigo his arms in an 'X' to solidify the rejection, looking stern. Then a noise echoed down the hall; it was the sound of a door slowly creaking open. Ichigo grew pale, as he knew exactly what the sound was. He turned, staring at the door with dread as a bead of nervous perspiration traced down his temple. He waited. The doorknob slowly turned of its own accord, and there in the doorway stood Yuzu. Her hair was a mess, and her eyes were scrunched up against the harsh light of Ichigo's room.

"I'm sure you're all having a great time without me," she sneered at her brother, "but you could keep it down. Some of us actually have things to do in the morning."

"S-Sorry Yuzu," Ichigo stammered. "We'll try to be quieter. Sleep well, ok?"

Yuzu looked flustered at her brother's kindness, and she pulled the door closed with a "Hmph!" as her face turned pink.

"Sorry we woke up your sister," Mizuiru said, "by the way, is she single?"

"Don't even think about it," Ichigo snapped.

Mizuiru grinned, fanning his face with a hand, "C'mon Ichigo, it was a joke! You know I'm into older women."

"A joke is supposed to be funny," Ichigo pointed out. "Like that crap you were spewing about helping us fight Aizen. I hate to break it to you, but you three have no chance. And even if you did, I still wouldn't let you fight."

"Figures," Tatsuki mumbled, stepping past Ichigo to get to the door, "you're the same self-righteous prick you've always been. I suppose some things really don't change. C'mon, you two, let's go. I think we've overstayed our welcome."

Keigo glanced at Ichigo, "But-"

Tatsuki shot him a glare, and with a heavy heart and a hanging head, Keigo joined Mizuiru and Tatsuki at the door. She opened it, and let her friends go through it first before turning back to face Ichigo. There was an uncomfortable silence, and Ichigo could see that there were a few choice things Tatsuki wanted to say to him. In the end, she just shook her head and told him, "Lose the eyepatch, Ichigo. You look like an ass."

The door closed with a snap, and with that, Ichigo felt his soul drain from his body as he realized he'd ended up pushing his friends even further away. Chad laid a hand on Ichigo's shoulder.

"It's for the best," he rumbled. "If we don't want them to get hurt, they can't be involved."

"I know," sighed Ichigo. "It doesn't make it suck any less, though."

Amidst the foggy ruins of what appeared to have once been a great metropolis, two men kicked through the rock and rubble, searching for something.

One was garbed in a black kimono and a white coat. He had long, untidy black hair, and an appearance that would make any god fearing creature think twice about messing with him. Riding on his shoulder, humming merrily to herself and kicking her feet was a small girl with salmon colored hair.

Striding along next to them, silent as the grave, was a tall, thin man in disheveled white robes. His eyes were dark, and empty, and his long brown hair fell onto his shoulders. His untrimmed facial hair made him look like a wild man, but his demeanor was nothing if not lax.

They paused for a moment at an intersection, frowning at a stop sign that was slowly being covered by ivy.

"This place seems familiar," Starrk said gruffly. "I sense bloodshed. And pain."

"That's a useful ability," Kenpachi replied, "I can only sense residual spiritual pressures. If I could find bloodshed, I could undoubtedly find a decent opponent."

"It's something you're born with as an arrancar," Starrk told him. "We can sense negative emotion. We hollows are created by negativity after all."

"That's true."

"So where too now?"

Yachiru clicked her heels together and pointed gleefully, "That way!"

"No," Starrk shook his head, "the battle happened downtown, if my memory serves. It'd be easier to find if these human towns didn't all look the same."

"Well then, there's only one thing to do, isn't there?" Kenpachi bared his teeth, "We follow the scent of blood."

"I'll lead the way," Starrk suggested quickly, "you two are so hopeless with directions that it's a miracle you get anywhere."

"Heeeey," Yachiru pouted, her hand on her hips as she took exception to Starrk's quip.

"What are you so worked up about?" Kenpachi asked her, "he's got a point."

Yachiru stuck out her lower lip, "He could've been a little nicer about it."

Kenpachi fell into step beside the arrancar, the two of them working through the ruins as leisurely as one might take a stroll through a park. They did not speak, save to double check they were going the right way. No one else would have noticed it, but there was a hunger in the eyes on the arrancar that Kenpachi picked up on. There was an eagerness in his step, an interest that nothing else had ever sparked before in all of Kenpachi's time knowing this hollow.

It was an excitement he knew about all too well; one that he had felt the instant he had found Starrk amidst the sandy dune of Hueco Mundo.

'He's ready to find her,' Zaraki said mentally. 'He can sense his other half nearby.'

The sun was hidden behind clouds, and the sky was thick with an oppressive layer of them. It looked like it could start to rain. Chill winds ran through the ruins as Coyote and Kenpachi searched, pulling away the fog and allowing them to see what was around them.

This part of the abandoned city had been decimated long before nature had begun to reclaim it. Here, in the center of the destruction, Zaraki Kenpachi could practically hear the battle cries and the clash of swords that he often associated with battlefields. It was written and recorded in the spiritual pressures that had once been there. And there, in the maelstrom of power that still remained, he could pick out a few that he recognized.

"That's Kurosaki's spiritual pressure," he noted, his tongue gliding over his dry, cracked lips. "And there were a few captains here, too. This is it, Starrk. This is where the battle of Fake Karakura Town took place."

"Yeah, I figured as much," Starrk replied bitterly. "I can hear them… the screams of the other espada who were cut down."

"Heh, you almost sound like you miss them."

"They were usually giant pains in my ass, but they were the only hollows in Hueco Mundo who didn't die as soon as I got close to them."

"I suppose familiarity breeds sentimentality."

"Those are some big words for you, Kenpachi."

"Thanks, I read them in a book somewhere."

They looked around at the crumbling buildings which had begun to sink back into the earth, or be overtaken by great ivy vines. The roadway was cracked and split, and everywhere you looked you could see signs of a battle.

"Here," murmured the former espada, looking up at the cloudy grey skies, "it was right about… here."

"What was there?"

"This," the arrancar sighed, "is where I was slain by the Head Captain. Though, he wasn't the Head Captain at the time."

"Yeah, Kyoraku is a crafty son of a bitch," Kenpachi said. "But from what I've been told, this is also the spot where they've been spotted."

"What has been spotted?"

"Wolves," Kenpachi told him. "Apparently that mad scientist, Kurotsuchi, had some researchers come out here to analyze battle data. They reported being attacked by spirit wolves with glowing red eyes."

All around them, a mass of howls broke the eerie silence. Shadows flitted between the ruins, and before they knew it, the trio was encircled by a massive pack of wolves. Their bodies glowed bluish white, and their eyes were crimson and bloodthirsty.

From within the pack rose another figure, this one larger than all the rest. It was a massive white wolf, with eyes the color of a bright summer sky. Starrk, who rarely displayed any emotion, felt himself overcome with it. His hands shook, his stomach churned unpleasantly as his heart leapt. The wolves parted to allow their leader to face down the intruders, and Starrk stared at it with disbelief.

"Lilynette," he whispered, "is that you?"

That night was a sleepless one for Ichigo. With the thought of his friends heavy on his mind, and Rukia not being there to comfort him, all he could do was toss and turn.

It was just after four in the morning when he finally decided to go downstairs, eat an early breakfast, and do something he hadn't done in weeks: watch some TV.

He made some eggs and went to the living room, only to find that Hideyoshi Kamisaigaiku was awake, sitting on the floor in front of the television, his hand extended as if he wished to reach through the screen and grab at the hairbrush in an infomercial.

"Morning," Ichigo grumbled, taking no heed of the nobleman and sitting on the couch.

"Ah, good morning, young man!"

"You can just call me Ichigo."

"Ichigo it is! Tell me, how is it that I procure the items shown on this device?"

Ichigo stopped, his fork inches away from his mouth. "Uh, you mean that hairbrush?"

"Yes! I wish to have it, but I cannot get to it. I would give up any amount of gold to have a hairbrush that can also curl or straighten my hair!"

The nobleman looked excited beyond belief. Ichigo felt his eyes twitch, and realized that coming downstairs to watch TV may not have been a good idea.

"You order it," he explained slowly. "You call that number and give them your credit card information."

"And how do I procure a credit card?"

"You apply for one."

"And how long does that take?"

"I dunno."

"Splendid! The modern marvels of the world of the living never cease to amaze me!"

"Right." Ichigo shook his head and took a hearty bite of his breakfast, which was now getting cold. He looked at the TV only to realize to Kamisaigaiku was still staring at him.

"Uh, can I help you or…"

"You look just like him," the nobleman noted quietly. "You both have that same sad, contemplative look. Something weighs heavily upon you, Ichigo Kurosaki."

"Uh, well my dad and I have a lot of the same features," Ichigo agreed lamely.

"Oh, no, not your father. I'm talking about Shigekuni. That expression you wear when you're lost in thought- it's just like his. The resemblance is uncanny."

"Shigekuni," Ichigo thought hard for a moment before he remembered where he'd heard that name. "You mean the old man? Yamamoto? You knew the Head Captain?"

"Oh, yes. At one point Shigekuni and I were dear, dear friends, but that was centuries ago. You and he are possessed of many of the same qualities, you know. You are both headstrong, loyal, and stubborn beyond belief."

"Who told you I'm stubborn?!"

"Your sister, Yuzu. She's a sweet girl, and she worries about her 'stupid big brother' quite a lot."

Guilt stirred within Ichigo as he poked at his breakfast shamefully with his fork.

"Yeah, she definitely deserves a better big brother. I haven't been around for her or Karin as much as I should be."

"Self-sacrifice," Hideyoshi noted. "Always putting the wellbeing of others above yourself. Yet another trait you share with Shigekuni."

"You sound like you knew him well. You said you guys used to be friends, right?"

"A long time ago," the nobleman nodded solemnly. "He was a young man from the dregs of the Soul Society. We used to butt heads constantly, but over the years we grew to be friends. Unfortunately, this wasn't meant to last."

"What happened?" Ichigo wondered, his thoughts turning to Tatsuki, Keigo, and Mizuiru. "Why'd you stop being friends?"

"Shigekuni- or Genryusai as he came to be called- was a hothead, an idealist. He sought to make the Soul Society a better place for the souls who lived there. Not just the nobles, but everyone. And so he began working to develop a fighting force to combat hollows and bring about order. But along the way, he fell in love… with my younger sister."

"And I suppose your clan wasn't too happy about that," Ichigo realized.

"No," Kamisaigaiku said sadly, "I wasn't. My sister was promised to another nobleman. I wanted her to live a good life, full of comfort and happiness. Genryusai had naught to offer for a dowry, nor any noble blood to speak of. He worked day and night to change the Soul Society, gathering support, living in squalor. I forbade their union, and in doing so I lost my closest, oldest friend. Then, I lost my sister. My sweet, innocent Kana, heartbroken and unable to go on, took her own life. In her eyes, death was preferable to being estranged from the man she loved. Genryusai blamed me… and so did I. We did not meet again after that, but I heard rumors of a man who was more like a monster, bearing a sword of flame and reshaping the Soul Society with a group of powerful, like-minded people. They formed the Thirteen Court Guard Squads, and Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto became the most powerful shinigami ever to exist in a thousand years. He brought peace to a place ruled by death and destruction. A part of me wonders if he ever managed to find any peace of his own, though."

"I'm sorry," mumbled Ichigo at long last. "But why are you telling me this?"

"You bear a striking resemblance to Genryusai when he was young," Kamisaigaiku sniffed, wiping his eyes on the sleeve of his kimono, "Not just in your looks, but in your demeanor as well. I sense a familiar fire that burns within you- unquenchable, brighter than a sun, and twice as deadly. I also know that you have strong feelings towards that female companion of yours."

"Rukia."

"Yes, that was her name. Genryusai never forgot about Kana, and never took another lover. I learned as much after his death, when I first came to the Seireitei to conduct cleanup after Yhwach's invasion. He kept a diary of sorts, you see. He wished more than anything that Kana had lived, even up to his final days." Hideyoshi paused, and turned his stunningly blue eyes to Ichigo, who was transfixed by the intensity within them. "I'm telling you this so that you may learn from him. Do not let fear put out your fire, Ichigo Kurosaki. And do not let the ones you love go, lest you be consumed by the fire that drives you."

Author's Notes:

Now you guys see why I had to split this chapter up from the previous one.

And what's that? A second chapter in less than a month? That's gotta be some kinda record for me. To be fair I've been stressed out and writing is an excellent coping mechanism. Plus, This fic is getting close to the end now, and I'm excited for it.

Anyway, we see the return of a few side characters in this chapter. Zaraki and Starrk are on the prowl, and Keigo, Tatsuki, and Mizuiru have all been doing the whole spirit cop thing while Ichigo has been busy. Tatsuki is a fullbringer... what do you guys think about the other two's spirit powers? And was I the only one who thought Keigo looked eerily similar to Aizen after the time skip? And Rukia is in danger. And prom is tomorrow!

As far as Kamisaigaiku's conversation with Ichigo, it's an idea I had months ago. I'm glad I remembered to include it, because it sort of humanizes Genryusai Yamamoto, who was probably the coolest old man in all anime.

But I'm tired as shit, so I'll sign off. I don't think the next chapter will come out so quickly as this one, but we'll see what happens.

!Music!

*Spoiler Alert* it's all gonna be sad shit

rosier-brakence

fuckboy-brakence

kumbaya-hopsin

falling sky-red

ghosts-jeremy zucker

rooftops-lost prophets

the reaper-keshi

watch you crawl-red

i don't love you-my chemical romance

of these chains-red

clouded-brakence

thing called love-nf

boywontcry-brakence

softie-brakence

i fuckin told you it was gonna be sad.

thanks for reading ilu