Everybody has something they cannot stand. Even the most patient of people have that one thing that riles them up, no matter how happy they were just moments prior. For some, it can be witnessing or experiencing injustice. Others can blow up at the sound of a pen clicking. For Arisawa Tatsuki, it was when her kind-heartedness was not rewarded.

No, Tatsuki was not pleased. Checking her phone for the twelfth time since she left her home, her irritation grew. Her message – or rather, messages – had been delivered but not yet read. As they have been for the past few days.

Summer vacation had gone by in a fly. Tatsuki had spent the first week on holiday, flying over to the other side of the country to stay with family. When she had returned, she had met up with each of her friends, spread out over the remaining weeks. Except with her childhood friend, Ichigo. Before school had let out for the summer, their date had already been set.

Within the group – Orihime, Sado, Ūryū, Mizuiro, Keigo and herself – it was no secret Ichigo had his powers back. With that in mind, Tatsuki had the foresight to bring up the holidays. Just in case Ichigo had made plans that were centred around the supernatural.

"Any plans for the holiday?"

"Sorta. I want to train with my zanpakutō-spirit. Ya know, have it all out of the way before school starts again".

"The whole summer?"

"Nah, I don't think I'll need that long. Three weeks tops".

"In that case, you wanna catch a movie before we have to hit the books again?"

"Sure, my treat".

That movie – for which the tickets had been bought for – played tonight.

Of course, Tatsuki had known Ichigo long enough to know he has a tendency to forget things whenever he was wrapped up in something. Which is why she had sent him a message, asking at which hour the film would start. You know, as a gentle reminder in case it had slipped Ichigo's mind.

The next day, her message had yet to be noticed.

Okay, no big deal. Several scenarios could explain why Ichigo had not seen her text. Empty battery, silent mode or just a busy day. Tatsuki didn't know, so she didn't want to jump the gun. Instead, she'd simply sent another message.

Again, it hadn't been read at the end of the day.

Taking a deep breath, Tatsuki decided to send a text each day until Ichigo replied. Surely her friend wouldn't go too long without checking his phone, right?

Apparently, not.

Hence why Tatsuki had left her house an hour earlier than necessary. Should Ichigo have forgotten, she wanted to take her time giving him an earful.

The family clinic annexe Kurosaki residence came into view. Being the kind and considerate friend she is, Tatsuki decided to give him one last chance. Fishing her phone from her pocket, she noted she had received no messages. Still, she went to her contact list and dialled Ichigo's number. The dial-tone was in rhythm with her pacing, every four steps equal to one beep. When she arrived at the front door, it went over to voicemail, sealing his fate.

Goddammit, Ichigo. Stowing her phone back into her pocket, Tatsuki knocked on the door in rapt succession. Her foot tapping the ground with rising ire and impatience.

'I'll get it!'

Barely a handful of seconds had passed when the door was opened, revealing Karin. 'Oh, hey, Tatsuki. What's up?'

'Hey, Karin. Is Ichigo home?'

The question brought a wide grin on the girl's face. 'No, why do you ask?'

Tatsuki crossed her arms. 'He and I had made plans to go out tonight. But he has been ghosting me for the past few days. Do you know where he is?'

'He's at Urahara Shoten', Karin answered before the question had even been asked proper. 'Want to go and get him?'

'He's still training?!' Tatsuki planted her – previously tapping – foot firmly on the ground. 'That's it! I am so gonna teach him a lesson'.

Karin quickly grabbed her arm, preventing her from marching off. 'If you can wait for one moment, I will put on my shoes'. With that, the girl vanished inside, leaving the door ajar.

Before Tatsuki could even think about telling the girl it might be better for her to stay home, Karin was done, shoelaces tied and the door closed behind her.

'Come on, let's get going!' Karin said, pulling Tatsuki by the arm into motion. Forcing the adolescent to fall in step with her.

'Geez, someone is eager to see their brother get a scolding'.

'That's just a bonus. Have you ever seen Ichi-nii fight?'

'I suppose you don't mean hand-to-hand'.

'As a Soul Reaper, I mean', the girl clarified.

'I don't think so. I have only seen glimpses here and there'.

Karin bounced enthusiastically, grinning in anticipation. 'Oh, you're going to love it!'

#

After a half-an-hour walk, the candy shop came into view. The sign on the street announced the store was open for business. Sadly, it seemed to have failed to draw in any customers. Jinta was currently outside, sweeping the street. A small pile of leaves and trash was a testament to his work.

Unable to control her excitement any longer, Karin broke out into a jog. Jinta heard the rapid approach and looked up. He smiles and raised his hand to wave, 'Hey, Karin. What-'

The girl did not stop to return the greeting with a proper one of her own. Giving him a high-five, Karin passed him. 'Hey, Jinta. Talk to ya later'.

Jinta followed her with his eyes – gobsmacked at the high-five he had gotten and not asked for – until she vanished inside the shop. He then sighed and turned back to sweeping, only to notice another person. 'Hey, Arisawa-san. You here for Kurosaki-san, as well?'

'The idiot forgot he had something planned today. I'm here to remind him'.

Noticing her tone, Jinta leaned on the broom handle. 'Hope you don't mind punching someone who is already battered and bruised. Chances are, he can barely walk'.

'You serious?'

'Yeah, his zanpakutō is a monster. I feel bad for him, honestly'.

'It can't be that bad, can it?' Tatsuki asked.

Jinta shrugged, 'See for yourself. He is downstairs'.

A sense of foreboding settled in her stomach. Nodding in acceptance of the invitation, Tatsuki walked inside. She ignored the rows of candy and headed straight for the door in the back. A door which was invisible for non-spiritually aware humans, if it was closed, that it. As she placed her hand in the knob, it gave way at the touch. Guess Karin was a little too excited. I hope Urahara-san didn't notice, for her sake. Entering the hallway, Tatsuki made sure to close the door behind her before venturing further.

The hatch leading to the downstairs training area was located in a walk-in closet at the end of the hallway. Tatsukishook her head at the sight of another door left ajar. Come on, Karin. You know how Urahara-san gets. At this point, she wasn't even surprised the trapdoor was left open as well. Taking responsibility, Tatsuki shut the closet door and lowered herself down the ladder. She made sure to close the hatch before descending.

The space was enormous. The height alone was enough to make Tatsuki a little uneasy. Though, the flimsy ladder was partly to blame for that. When she was around half-way down, she dared to look over her shoulder. The ground was still a long way down, making her tighten her grip on the wood. Her view was obscured by a semi-transparent barrier which separated the room in half. From where she was, Tatsuki couldn't see the reason as to why the wall was there. But she could take an educated guess.

At last, she had solid ground beneath her feet once more. Counting her blessings to have survived the creaky, deathtrap of a ladder, Tatsuki composed herself and turned around. Karin was standing next to Tessai, who was sitting. The girl had her face almost flush against the barrier, hands on either side to help her see better. Just as Tatsuki decided to walk over, a noise to her left caught her attention.

Ichigo?

To be sure, she rubbed her eyes. No, she wasn't mistaken. Her friend was playing on his phone, leaning against the wall. Confused, Tatsuki headed over. 'I thought you were training?'

Ichigo startled at her voice, the phone slipping from his hands. His fright turned to panic as the device fell to its doom. With surprising quickness, Ichigo reached for it, catching it just before it hit the floor. 'Geez, warn a guy, will ya? Ichigo will kill me if I break it'.

'Pardon?'

"Ichigo" looked up, their eyes meeting. 'Arisawa-san? You're early'.

Tatsuki squinted in confusion. Why was Ichigo referring to himself in third-person? Why the honorific? Why was he now staring at her- Without thinking, she slapped him across the face. 'My eyes are up here, pervert!'

He hissed, covering his cheek. 'It's a compliment!'

She hit him again.

'Alright, alright! I won't look! Promise!'

True to his word, he kept his eyes away from her. Opting to look at the barrier instead.

'You are not Ichigo, are you?' Tatsuki accused.

'Did you figure that out before or after you started hitting me?'

'During'.

He scoffed, 'Name's Kon. I'm the ModSoul Ichigo uses whenever he needs to ditch his body'. Without looking, he extended a hand to her. She took it.

'A ModSoul?'

Kon waved his hand – or was it Ichigo's hand? 'The details aren't important'.

'So, if you are here. Ichigo is behind that barrier?'

'Yup, been there for almost five days straight'.

'You're kidding'.

Briefly, brown eyes glanced at her. 'Why do you sound shocked? Souls don't have the same needs as humans do. Five days is nothing'.

If you say so. While not entirely convinced, Tatsuki didn't want to argue over something she barely understood. Wait a moment. 'How do you mean "early"?'

'You and Ichigo are going to the film today, right?'

'Yeah'.

Kon showed the phone, 'Well, the alarm is set for over thirty minutes'.

Tatsuki breathed out a chuckle, so he hadn't forgotten. 'He hadn't answered any of my messages'.

'Ah~'. Kon nodded in understanding. 'I am not allowed to answer texts or calls for him'.

'Couldn't you have told him I called?'

He laughed, 'Have you ever tried getting his attention when he is busy?'

'Alright, point made'.

'Why don't you watch him?' Kon suggested. 'Karin seems to get a kick out of it'.

'Yeah, she was quite eager to get here', Tatsuki agreed. 'Is it really such a big deal?'

'Honest?'

She nodded.

'It's quite impressive', Kon admitted. 'Though how she can watch it for hours on end is beyond me'.

'Guess I will have to see for myself, then'. Tatsuki raised her fist for him to bump. Kon appeared puzzled at the offered hand. Hesitantly, he copied the gesture. Close enough. She bumped his fist. 'It was nice meeting you'.

'Yeah, yeah. Same'.

Leaving Kon behind, Tatsuki walked over to Karin. The girl had not moved. Her face still glued to the semi-transparent wall. Tatsuki joined her and looked at the space behind the barrier. There is nothing there.

'Can't see them, can you?' Karin said, not taking her eyes away from the scene before her. 'Don't worry, I couldn't at first, either'.

'You mean they are behind this thing?'

'Uh-huh, they just move super fast'. Karin pulled back a little, gesturing to her own eyes. 'You have to manipulate your spiritual-energy to your eyes'.

Curious to whether Karin her enthusiasm was justified, Tatsuki followed the advice without question. As her proficiency in manipulating spiritual-energy was somewhat lacking, Tatsuki had to close her eyes to concentrate. Focussing on the power that flowed within her, she gently guided it to her head. It responded to her call, shifting up to whirl around behind her eyes. Once she was confident she had a firm hold on her spiritual-energy, Tatsuki dared to raise her eyelids.

Where before, it had appeared nothing was happening behind the barrier; now it was full of activity. Black and white flashed across the area, their speed too fast for Tatsuki to track. Each time the two blurs crossed, an array of sparks was born from their clashing swords. Crescents of black energy crashed into the ground while red beams drilled into the walls. Dust sprang up whenever their feet touched the ground, leaving a trail in their wake.

'My God, they are fast!'

'I know, right?!' Karin said, happy to have someone to be excited with. 'Wait until your eyes get used to it, you won't believe what you see then!'

Having had a taste of what awaited her, Tatsuki continued watching. As Karin had said, her eyes gradually adjusted to the speed. The blurs became more defined. Shaping into humanoid forms whenever they came to a standstill. While she couldn't make out any facial features yet, Tatsuki was able to identify the black blur as her childhood-friend. The orange hair was a dead giveaway.

Shifting her attention to the only other person behind the wall, Tatsuki tried to have a better look at the so-called zanpakutō-spirit. So far, she could see he was dressed similarly to Ichigo. The only difference being, the spirit's clothes were inverted in colour. Actually, Tatsuki started to suspect that colour was, indeed, the only alteration between the two combatants. Even the build of the zanpakutō was indistinguishable to that of her friend.

Confirmation came when Ichigo parried an attack, giving Tatsuki just enough time to see both of them clearly.

'Do all zanpakutō look like their…uh, wielder?' she asked, unsure as to how to word the question correctly.

'No. Some aren't even humanoid, I believe'.

'So it is just coincidence Ichigo's zanpakutō could pass as his twin?'

'Could be. Though I heard it is a side effect of Zangetsu being part hollow. I don't know', Karin said with a shrug. 'Fortunately, their personalities are nothing alike or I would have gone crazy'.

'Do you interact with his zanpakutō often?'

'Enough to dislike him'.

That made Tatsuki turn her eyes away from the fight, 'What did he do?'

Karin frowned, 'He keeps calling me "Princess"'.

#

On the other side of the barrier, one of the two combatants had taken notice of their audience. Zangetsu frowned as he spotted Ichigo's little sister watching their fight. Grey eyes – which at one point hadn't been able to keep up – now followed their movement with ease. If he was honest, the spirit preferred no-one overseeing their battle. Bankai wasn't a show. It was a fight for dominance, a test of strength and endurance. Between a zanpakutō and their Soul Reaper, there was no exchange more personal. To have it on display for everyone to see felt wrong to him.

But that didn't matter to Ichigo. No, in fact, he loved it when his sister came to watch. The whole reason Tessai was down here with them was so that the little princess could stop by whenever she wanted. Zangetsu had tried to dissuade his wielder of the idea. You know, giving a few reasons that would subtly hint at the fact he didn't want to be observed. Ichigo had just waved him off, saying it wasn't a problem before so why now? Zangetsu had dropped it, not wanting to push the matter.

What he did wanted to push, was his wielder off a cliff.

But sure, whatever. Zangetsu could vent his frustration through battle, no problem. And if Ichigo wanted his sister to witness how he got beaten into last week, then that was his prerogative. As long as they had a good, Bankai worthy, fight; Zangetsu supposed he would be satisfied.

Wouldn't you know it? His so-called King wasn't even able to do that. No, to Zangetsu's frustration, Ichigo refused to fight to the maximum of his abilities. All the dumbass did was match the power level his spirit exerted. Resulting in stalemate after stalemate. Sure, he knew Ichigo only had his powers back for a little while, but he shouldn't have started this if he wasn't ready for it. He wasn't even using his mask! Like, for Heaven's sake, how is Zangetsu to take his wielder's attempt at obtaining Bankai seriously?

Then again, Zangetsu wasn't one to give up. He had tried – God, had he tried – to get Ichigo to fight for real. Sneer comments, using Hollow-techniques (because Ichigo wasn't aware those were allowed, for some reason). Zangetsu had even resorted to using Kidō to get the ball rolling, without much success.

Now here they were, almost three weeks further and the idiot was no closer to fighting to his maximum potential. Time was running out fast. And with fast, Zangetsu estimated half-an-hour (seeing Ichigo's friend was also watching them).

Still, it wasn't too late. Zangetsu knew that – if Ichigo got his shit together – his wielder would be able to win in time. With options running low and nothing to lose, Zangetsu decided to try to goad Ichigo into the right mindset.

Their blades met, white against black creating a rain of sparks. 'We've got an audience, King'.

Ichigo frowned, as he always did whenever his zanpakutō addressed him by that moniker.

'Well? Don't ya want to impress them?' Zangetsu asked. He angeled his blade, keeping them in a stalemate. 'Don't ya want to end this with a victory? Show them whatcha capable off?'

'I don't fight to impress', Ichigo replied.

'Then what do ya fight for?'

'I fight to become stronger and protect those I love'.

Zangetsu couldn't help but roll his eyes at the answer. 'Geez, ya sound like a broken record'.

'Then stop asking'.

'Then start giving a good answer!' Zangetsu countered, pushing them apart. 'You are never going to get Bankai from me if that is yer reason for fighting'.

Ichigo dove right back in with a Bala, 'I don't need another reason'.

Zangetsu dodged and used his wielder's momentum to throw him over his shoulder. Ichigo twisted mid-air and fired a Getsuga Tenshō, which the spirit easily evaded. Unlike his zanpakutō, who had taken notice of the energy being gathered in his opponent's blade. Ichigo had failed to observe the Cero being charged in Zangetsu's hand. The red light caught him by surprise. Unable to escape, Ichigo quickly used Hierro to take the brunt of the blast.

'Clearly, ya do', Zangetsu said, raising his smaller blade to block the larger one aimed at his shoulder. 'Otherwise, we woulda been done already'.

'Tch, as if', Ichigo dismissed. 'I can barely keep up with you'.

'Then stop holding back!' A Bala in the abdomen sends Ichigo crashing into the wall. Zangetsu followed. Gold seeping into his eyes. Before his wielder could regain his bearings, the spirit grabbed the front of the black uniform and pulled Ichigo from his crater. 'How long are ya going to keep me waiting, King? Show me that killer instinct of yours! Make me regret ever raising my sword against you! Stop pussy-footing around and kill me!' He tossed Ichigo to the side, throwing a Getsuga Tenshō after it. His wielder used Shunpo to evade the attack, rolling over the ground into a crouch.

'I am trying!' Ichigo shouted. 'I-'. The rest of his sentence died in his throat as a small white blade skewered him. A sonic boom was his only warning before his feet were swept out from under him, leaving him prone on the floor. Zangetsu put his left foot on the handle of the sword, forcing it further and into the ground.

'No, yer not'. Zangetsu allowed his spiritual-pressure to flow free. Simultaneously, Ichigo did the same, protecting himself from the weight that would otherwise be forced upon him. This only fueled the scorn Zangetsu felt. 'Ya have been holding out on me, King. Where was all this power when we fought, huh?'

Grimacing in discomfort at the weapon lodged in his abdomen, Ichigo grounded out, 'What are you talking about?'

'Right now yer exerting more spiritual pressure than you have during any of our fights the past three weeks. Why didn't ya use any of it? I thought ya wanted to earn Bankai'.

'I do!'

Shifting his weight, Zangetsu let the edge of the blade cut into Ichigo's skin, enlarging the wound. The adolescent winced and covered his stomach. 'Then why haven't ya been fighting with all you have?'

'I am still getting used to my powers returning, you can't expect me to be on my best!'

'It was you who said he was going to do this in three weeks!' Zangetsu countered. 'So why am I the one who stands victorious over you and not the other way around?'

'I overestimated-'

'We are equal in strength, ya dipshit', the spirit spat. 'Try again'.

'Why does it matter?!' Ichigo snapped back. 'So what if I don't get it today? I will try again next year, it's no big deal!'

'It is!' Zangetsu swung his right arm, sending a Getsuga Tenshō off to the side. A sharp crack could be heard as the barrier strained to keep standing. 'A King should be dependable and powerful. You are none of those things! All ya do is go back on yer word and try to justify yer failures, and I am sick and tired of it!' To rub salt in the wound, Ichigo wasn't even looking at him. His eyes were at the barrier. That did it. 'You don't deserve to be King!'

Ichigo turned back to him, glaring back at the golden eyes full of rage with some ire of his own. 'We are done talking for today'.

Zangetsu's eyes widened, 'Don't you fucking-'

And he was gone.

The blade in his abdomen disintegrated, allowing Ichigo to move and breathe freely once more. Pushing himself up to sit, he winced at the lingering discomfort in his stomach. 'Fucking asshole'.

'Ichi-nii!' Karin appeared by his side, Tatsuki not far behind. 'Are you okay?'

'Yeah, just a bit sore, is all', Ichigo assured. He lifted his hand to show her he wasn't bleeding. 'I didn't scare you, did I?'

His sister crossed her arms, 'Of-course not, I knew you would be fine'.

'Liar, you were banging on that wall to get in', Tatsuki said as she joined them. 'I can't believe you don't even have a scratch, he skewered you'.

'Let's just say I know how to take a hit from him', Ichigo said. 'But what are you doing here, Tatsuki?'

'You didn't answer any of my messages; I thought you had forgotten', she replied.

'Ye of little faith', Ichigo chided.

'Well, can you blame me? Last time you ghosted us for almost half a year!'

'Have I let any of you down since I got my powers back?'

Tatsuki shifted, 'No'.

Ichigo offered her an understanding smile, 'I meant it when I said I will prioritise life over the afterlife. I won't make that mistake again'.

'Other mistakes, on the other hand…' Karin piped up.

Before Ichigo could object or Karin could indulge Tatsuki, a voice brought their conversation to a halt.

'Ichigo, it's time!' Kon shouted, not even bothering to look up from the phone.

'Oh, crap!' Ichigo quickly got to his feet and grimaced. The movement caused his injuries to flare up; acting as a not so gentle reminder he had sustained damaged that needed attention.

'He really did a number on you, didn't he?' Tatsuki noted.

'Just a little bruising'. Scowling, Ichigo looked at his hands in concentration. A soft green light began to coat his skin in an uneven layer. Slowly as to not lose focus, Ichigo pressed a hand to his side and the other to the back of his neck. 'Give me a few minutes'.

Turning to Karin, Tatsuki asked, 'What's he doing?'

'Kaidō, I believe it's called', the girl replied. 'It's some form of healing magic Soul Reapers can use'. The green light flickered. 'Ichi-nii isn't very good at it'.

Tatsuki nodded in understanding, 'Then we should probably leave him be'.

'If you don't mind', Ichigo said.

'We will wait for you at the ladder', Tatsuki said, pulling Karin along with her.

With no conversation drawing his attention, Ichigo was able to focus on healing himself. He would have preferred to use Instant-Regeneration however he wasn't proficient enough to use it without the mask. And while it would make things easier, Ichigo wasn't going to use it for this. Not that Zangetsu would let him, considering how mad he was.

Fortunately, his injuries weren't the most severe he has ever gotten. The burn of the Cero was minimal, thanks to the Hierro. Once the redness had vanished, he stopped. His clothes were still singed, showing where he had been hit but that would fix itself with time. The pounding in his head took a little longer to soothe, indicating he had a severe concussion. Glad I caught it, don't think I would be able to enjoy the movie if I hadn't.

Eventually, the throbbing faded as well. Ichigo did a quick once-over to see if he had any other pains that needed to be addressed before he would return his soul to his body. Aside from a bruise here and there, he was unscathed. Satisfied, Ichigo made his way over to Kon.

'You're finally done?'

'For today. Thanks'.

Kon turned the phone to sleep and put it in his back pocket, 'Yeah, yeah, as long as you pay my phone subscription, it's no problem'.

Had it not been for the twitch of the ModSoul's lips, Ichigo would have been annoyed. With the bud of his zanpakutō, Ichigo removed the marble from his body. With practised ease, he entered the soulless shell and caught the ModSoul before it hit the ground. As he put the marble away in the inner pocket of his jacket, a sting began to register. His confusion must have shown as Karin spoke up.

'Something wrong, Ichi-nii?'

Ichigo reached for his face, gingerly touching his cheek. He flinched at how sensitive it was. 'I don't remember getting hit in my face'.

'Well, maybe you didn't notice. I mean, you did get stabbed and all', Tatsuki offered as an explanation.

'Could be but-'

'Oh, look at the time! We better hurry!' Tatsuki quickly turned to the ladder and started to climb. 'Come on, don't want to be late!'

Both Kurosaki's raised an eyebrow at the sudden eagerness to get going.

'You think she-' Ichigo began.

'Hit Kon', Karin supplied. 'Yeah, I think she did'.

Ichigo heaved a sigh, 'Why does he have to be such a pervert?'

'It's an endearing character trait'.

'Karin, sometimes, you worry me'.