Hiya!~ Welcome to one-shot of bleach(~)~ This is my first time doing this fanfic in this universe A.U. I really like this two for some reason. Reminds me of my other fic of the relationship Sonic and Dark lol XD Like protective of them and all that jazz. Haha. I hope you enjoy this one shot. If responds are good, I might consider make another fic based on this Fandom just for fun.Anyway, enough of me now enjoy~~ :)

??? P.O.V.Inner world

All I could hear was his soul-crushing cries. I warned him to not get himself killed. Yet, he did so in the end! I can't believe I served an idiotic King as he is. Having all the powers he has but not putting any of it to good use! Even when I was lending him my power.

Though, I can't really blame him. Most of his powers were suppressed by the old man and was nerfed by that combat pass. Pretty much, things were already beyond his control. Just remembering it made me infuriated. Everybody around him just loved keeping his power in the cage.

I don't really understand the old man sometimes. Whatever he did, he had always said he had his best interest in mind. I mean, how in the world is making me play the role of the bad guy for his sake? For crying out loud, I am his most dominant power. All I ever wanted was to help him. Protect him. Lending him my strength. Turns out, the old man said, my power was too much for him to handle for the time being. Just releasing my actual spiritual pressure would crush him. Plus, my existence itself is one of a kind. It would make sense would it?

Everytime he needed power, it was always gained in such a forceful way, not the usual way all shinigami took with their zanpakuto to reach their full capabilities. I get it. I mean, he needed his full power as soon as possible but it doesn't work that way. It takes time. To bond and understand your own power, understand your own self. On top of that, being the head-strong king that he is, he forced things way too much in order to gain more power just for the sake's other before himself. One of his traits that irked the most.

As of right now, the old man summoned me inside of the center of his mind. The place where the fake blue skies and the inverted skyscrapers were. I'm not surprised as he always called for me when he is either in need of more power or on the verge of dying.

When I was there, all I could see was chaos. The skies were painted with vermilion red. The skyscrapers were falling as I could feel an earthquake beneath my feet. It was a catastrophe. The world was slowly getting destroyed without any cause of it.

The scene was new to me as whenever I was summoned here, there'll always be rain as the world was slowly getting submerged in water. However, right now, it was different. I could feel the world was slowly disappearing while feeling my power skyrocketed. That might explain why all of this is happening. He is.. dying.

The look on the old man's face was splattered with concern. The non-existent air blew furiously. I stared at him knowingly, smiling sadly.

He let out a defeated sigh. "I know. You're right. But, all I wanted was to protect him. I don't wish for this to happen."

I chuckled lightly. "It sucks right to feel so helpless, unable to help him?"

He replied calmly, despite the world was crumbling around us. "You should know I am only a portion of his full power. There isn't much I could do to help him. Even when he needed his bankai, I needed your help."

"You mean, your bankai." I corrected him while grinning.

He rolled his eyes. "Enough. Right now he needed your help. Isn't it your obligation to do so?"

I snorted while crossing my arm, shifted my body away from him "I warned him to not get himself killed yet he did so in the end. And now, I have to save his sorry-self or else I'll die too. Which means no more riling and teasing him up." I huffed.

"Exactly." He said.

I stared at him and sighed. "Fine, Old man. But next time, you needed to tell him. Or else when this happens again, I might be unable to help him in time. You should know how I hate being ignored and branded as the bad guy."I stated, narrowing my eye contact with him.

He nodded. "I will. In due time."

I let out a relieved sigh. "I hope that in due time is not that far in the future. I hate to be the villain the whole time, you know, old man Zangetsu.." I trailed off that last sentence quietly but loud enough for him to hear as I shifted my gaze at the now ruined inner world.

I bit my lip as my expression was painted with concern. 'I hope I am not too late.'

I let out an exasperated sigh. 'Better get that regeneration power working. You better not die on me, King. We haven't settled the score just yet between you and me. We have so-oh much to talk about after this.'

Ichigo's P.O.VReal world

I tried to fight Ulquiorra back with all of my strength. With my bankai, my mask but nothing seems to work with him! He dodged and took my getsuga like it was nothing. On top of that, he was only the fourth espada I am fighting.

I defeated Grimmjow, the sixth espada with my bankai and the hollowfication. But with Ulquiorra, it was like we are worlds apart. I barely even grazed him in bankai without his resurreccion form.

When he went into his released state, the usefulness of the mask was no longer effective. Much less when he went to his second released state. Which he said, among the espada he was the only one that had obtained the second released state and Aizen knew nothing about it.

We battled it out on the top of Las Noches. I tried to dodge him but somehow, he was always one step ahead of me. If not, more than one step.

He tosses me around like a rag doll. I couldn't attack him or even get close to him. But I won't give up. I won't let him win. No matter what, I won't let go of my sword. Letting go of my sword means I had lost. Plus, I needed to protect my friends. Their lives will be in danger should I not make out of this battle alive.

He tossed me across as I felt my body colidded to a wall. Before I could even get up he was already in front of me.

His eyes glanced at the sword I held tightly in grip. With blank expression he asked, "Why won't you release your sword? Do you still think you can win?"

I answered in a raggedy voice. "I don't think I can win. I know, I will win."

"You fool." Ulquiorra said as he held his hand on my neck.

The airways were tightened by his grip. I struggled to stay conscious but it's getting harder to breathe.

And then, Orihime and Uryu appeared at the same time.

Orihime's eyes widened in horror while Uryu was stunned in his place.

"So, you came, woman." Ulquiorra said as he looked at Orihime with blank expression. "Watch as I erased the existence of the one who you put your hope in." He held out his hand and charged a cero at the middle of my chest.

When the cero was fired, all I could feel was emptiness and cold, filling up my whole being. Then, I heard a scream. Orihime before everything faded to black.

Third person P.O.V

All Orihime could only do was watch. Watched as Ulquiorra took Ichigo's life away. His body turned limp. Lifeless. Empty.

As Ichigo's body was falling, Orihime summoned her a shield to catch him. As she frantically tried to make her away to his side to heal him, desperation splattered on her face. Unfortunately, Ulquiorra blocked her.

"You can't heal him, woman. The power to reject can't bring him back to life especially with a wound that I just gave him. It's futile."

Orihime, with tears rolled down her cheeks, desperately tried to be at Ichigo's side despite what Ulquiorra had just told her.

"Just let me through, Ulquiorra. I need to heal him." She said desperately.

Suddenly an arrow was shot at Ulquiorra which he dodged, clearing a way for Orihime to Ichigo.

Uryu fixed his glasses, his bow on standby. "Get away from her."

Ulquiorra, with emotionless expression said, "You fool. What could you hope to accomplish by stalling? And here I thought you are the most calm. Would you repeat his mistake?"

"I am calm. That's why I know I have the best chance of stopping you." Uryu replied with a stone face as he proceeded to attack him.

"Licht Regen!" Thousands of arrows shot like a machine gun towards Ulquiorra.

Ulquiorra looked with disinterest as he simply disappeared from sight. " It's useless and you know it."

The quincy didn't reply back as he kept on attacking him attack after attack. Despite his useless effort in trying to stop the fourth espada, Orihime tried her best to heal Ichigo. But with an empty expression on his lifeless face, she denied the fact that he's gone. The hole wasn't getting any smaller either. And he stopped..breathing..

Orihime could feel her sanity slipping as the man she sought to protect, was unmoved, like a rotting corpse. She felt her heart shattered into a million pieces. She desperately wanted to heal him just to hear his voice again. Just to hear he is okay. But with the way he looked now, it seemed it wasn't going to happen any time soon. He just laid there, motionless.

Tears streaming down her face, she desperately called for him. "What should I do, What should I do, Ichigo?? I don't know what I am supposed to do now.!" She kept chanting the words, desperately wanting him to wake up.

Out of the blue, Uryu was thrown, his hand was bruised and seemingly broken meaning he would be in big trouble should Ulquiorra try to attack him again. He couldn't shoot an arrow even if he tried.

Uryu knew he's in a very big disadvantage. He had at least a chance fighting Ulquiorra at a distance but now, he had no choice but to close the distance between them meaning fighting at a close range. Unfortunately for him, reality is cruel. His strength couldn't even hope to surpass Ulquiorra. Their strengths are in entirely different leagues.

Ulquiorra moved, seemingly teleported as he appeared to Uryu's side. His eyes couldn't keep up with Ulquiorra's movement. He's just too much for a human such as him to handle despite being a quincy. In the end, a human is just a human, shackled by the limitation once the body couldn't endure any damages anymore.

The Fourth Espada knocked him around like a ragdoll, a predator playing with its food. Right at the same moment, Orihime, having had to witness Uryu was being beaten up, screamed in utter desperation, calling his name.

"Save us, please! Ichigo!!" She wailed, pleading with tears falling down onto her cheeks like an endless river.

That is when the time seemed to be put on halt.

In the limboThird Person P.O.V.

'Cold. So...Cold….My chest...it.. hurts. I feel..numb. The pain on my chest..won't go away. Hurts.. Why won't it go..away..? It hurts...so..much.. I can't see..light..So..Dark.. What is..happening?'

Ichigo's mind was in shambles. He couldn't think straight as the pain he felt on his chest was getting more and more unbearable. As if his chest was burst right open. Time seemed to stop for him. The endless darkness he stared into for god who knows how long, filled his entire being with despair as he couldn't see the light at the end of the tunnel.

After his numerous futile efforts, he felt himself slipping away. His eyes were blank, fluttering to be closed. When he closed his eyes, that is when he heard her voice.

'Orihime. She's calling for me.'

Suddenly he felt the strength to break through empower his whole being, burning the despair, the cold, the pain away. But, he could feel one more shackle keeping him in place. Fear.

He couldn't understand why his body won't listen to him. Then it hit him. He blindly charged forward, knowing the huge difference between his power and Ulquiorra. He knew it in him that he didn't stand a chance but he did so in the end. All because if he didn't stop him, he would go after his friends and dear ones next. He knew it in his heart. That is why he willingly sacrifices himself for them. Despite his heroic acts, deep down he is just as scared out of his mind as them. But as long as he could win, his sacrifice is worth the cause he's willing to pay even with his blood.

All that being said, he still couldn't break free. He knew that from the very beginning, he didn't stand a shred of chance on defeating the fourth espada. At least, not alone. As much as he hated asking him for help, he just had to. He had no other choice. That is, if he wants to win.

As if he could read his mind, there he was. In the darkened limbo, at the end of the seeming tunnel, his white pale figure shone. His expression was devoid of emotions and yet Ichigo could somehow sense the swirling emotions lying underneath the mask he put on.

The closer he got, the pressure thickenend overwhelmingly warm. So...warm. Somehow, somewhat, he felt a sense of security in his presence despite what he had said to him earlier when he learnt the hollowfication. The cold he felt burned away, leaving only the shackles made of fear holding him down. Over time, he had grown tired, slowly falling into the abyss, unable to fight back as much as he wanted to wake himself up. He just couldn't. That's why he had called for him.

"Y-You actually..came.?" The orange haired human wheezed out, breathing rapidly gotten heavy, leaving only a matter of time before he lost his consciousness.

The white haired doppelganger sighed and shook his head in defeat, at arm's length away from him. "What kind of horse would I be leaving his king in distress? Really. What would you do without me." He sneered.

Relief but confused, he questioned, his body bent down slightly . "So, I am dying." He nodded and had a dumbfounded expression. Ichigo sighed, the 'non-existence' shackles were still intact. He looked at his hollow dead in the eyes, burning with determination, pleading for help.

The white version of him closed his eyes momentarily before he opened them again, deeply sighed. "You know, king. I just wish, you didn't have to care about others so much. So much that you would risk your own life. " He gravely stated, scowling.

Ichigo frowned and sighed, arms crossing. "You should know by now how I'm like. I can't..help... it." His breathing fastened, his vision was a blurry. He went blank for a second, losing his balance but only for his counterpart to catch him.

All Ichigo could see was white and felt the hold on his shoulders tightened. His slender arms across his chest, holding him upright.

"You should also know by now, I hate, despise, the heroic persona you forced upon yourself. Especially the acts that endanger your own life."

The orange haired one heard him but he chose not to reply. Simply, he didn't have to. He's sure he had already known whatever it was he was about to say.

The hollow softly sighed. He didn't have to inspect him. He could already tell the hole on his chest was ever hollow. Normal human wouldn't survive the wound that had been inflicted on his King. The fact that the hollow is who he is, saved the poor man from dying.

He can't let him die. His instinct screamed at him everytime he was in danger. Now that he is dying, the scream was loud. So loud that it almost drove him crazy. He was glad he made it in time. Should he come later than now, he'd lose him. Oh how, he hated that..

"Ichigo, there's much I could do for ya. Unfortunately, the chains that bind you, you have to break it yourself. I can't help you, if you can't help yourself." The pale man shook him, eyes gleamed with concern.

Ichigo, somewhat conscious, slightly nodded in acknowledgement. His eyes fluttered, still clung to his hollow for support. He steadied his breathing even though it's hard. Really hard to do so.

"O-Okay.. " He groaned, trying his hardest to break himself free. That's when he heard that.

"Abandon your fear. Look forward. Move forward and never stop. You'll age if you pull back. You'll die if you hesitate." He chanted.

Then, the sounds of metal clinked. He suddenly felt lighter, warm, safe. So...white. So...pure. The hollow he felt on his chest slowly but surely filled up. He felt himself in someone's hold, holding him in their arms, protectively.

Before he could open his eyes, he accidentally slipped away to the real world. Though, he knew that he would always protect him no matter what he said.

The white being's reiatsu calmed down, sighing softly with the orange one in his arms. He ruffled, playing with his orange locks, a small smile formed.

"Really...What am I gonna do with you, King?"