SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 15 out, this is Chapter 16 of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Chapter 16: Revealed! Ichimaru, Double Agent!

"I have returned, Captain Aizen." Ichimaru informed Aizen.

"You're back." Aizen acknowledged. "What about those four?"

"I defeated them." Ichimaru answered.

"Indeed." Aizen agreed, reaching out his senses to feel the four Shinigami who were battling Ichimaru. "Their Reiatsu have diminished."

"I told you the first time I met you." Ichimaru reminded. "I'm a snake. My skin is cold and I have no heart. I use the tip of my tongue to find my prey as I slither on the ground and engulf what I like whole. That's the sort of creature I am. Isn't that what I told you?" he rested a hand on Kyōka Suigetsu and in a surprise move that not even Aizen could predict, the former 3rd Squad Captain activated Kamishini no Yari, shooting it backwards through his sleeve and into Aizen's chest. "The only way to escape the power of Kyōka Suigetsu is to touch its blade before it puts you under Complete Hypnosis. It took me decades just to get that single fact out of you. Not a single person in the Gotei 13 knew that but they all thought they could kill you, Captain Aizen. Watching them made me very nervous." retracting his blade, blood sprouted from the new wound on Aizen's chest. "The only one who can kill you is me, Captain Aizen."

"I knew that." Aizen admitted. "I brought you with me, knowing what your objective was, because I was interested in knowing how you would try to kill me. But I'm disappointed, Gin. Did you really think you could kill me with something like this?"

"No, I didn't." Ichimaru concurred. "Can you see this?" he showed Aizen the end of his Zanpakutō which was now missing a metal shard. "There's a chip here. Just now, I left that chip inside your body, Captain Aizen. My Bankai's power, I told you before, didn't I? Sorry, I lied. It doesn't extend as long as I said. It doesn't extend as fast as I said. However, when it extends and contracts, it turns into dust for just an instant. Also, inside the blade, there is a powerful poison that dissolves and destroys cells. Looks like you understand." he gave Aizen a look. "When I withdrew my sword from your chest, a single chip of my blade didn't turn to dust and was left inside of your heart. If you're going to say something, you'd better do it fast. Even if you try, you're going to die anyway. Kill, Kamishini no Yari. You'll die with a hole through your heart. Isn't that what you wanted?" he mocked, as a gaping hole erupted from Aizen's chest, revealing the floating Hōgyoku in the middle. Reaching out, he proceeded to grab the orb when Aizen grabbed his wrist and swatted him off with his hand.

Ichimaru managed to dodge the hand knife and revealed that he had grasped the Hōgyoku in his hand. Tightening his hold on the item, he Shunpo-ed over to Guardian Frost, his hand open to hand the Hōgyoku over to her as Aizen fell to the ground.

Isshin's eyes widened when he spotted a silver key with black stripes entwined around it that Guardian Frost had pulled out; a familiar key he recalled from memory: the summoning key of the Grim Reaper Thanatos himself.

"I summon thee to this plane of existence, Grim Reaper, Thanatos!" Guardian Frost raised the glowing key in the air.

The gathered Shinigami watched in shocked awe as a black mist billowed from the Gates of Hell that spread open and a heavily armored being stepped out of the mist, his curved scythe in his left hand. "You summoned, Princess?" Thanatos greeted the Underworld Princess.

"I have a job for your Scythe." Guardian Frost informed, letting the Hōgyoku float over to Thanatos. "This item is a Pandora Box that should never been opened. Destroy it completely."

"By your Royal Command, Princess." Thanatos raised his Scythe and slashed down at the Hōgyoku, splitting it into half. The Hōgyoku, having been cut into two by the literal personification of Death itself, the bluish flame igniting the orb's center dimmed and died. Bowing to his summoner, Thanatos retreated back to the Gates of Hell, the doors closing behind him.

"It's over." Ichimaru breathed in relief, finding his voice after Thanatos returned to the Underworld. "It's over now."

"Ichimaru, answer me!" Isshin demanded. "Why did you betray Soul Society only to stab Aizen in the back?"

"Everything Ichimaru Gin has done," Guardian Frost stopped her adoptive father's rants. "It's all for Lieutenant Matsumoto's sake. Am I wrong? Consider yourself arrested for the time being, Ichimaru. Rest assured there will be a trial for you on a later date."

"I understand." Ichimaru replied, head held low. "I will graciously accept any punishment meted down."

Omake: Arrancar Encyclopedia

Ichimaru: (Grave expression as he addresses the audience) I have sad news for all of you. With no more Arrancars left to talk about, this will be our final segment of the Arrancar Encyclopedia. They put me through so much crap, but that is also finally over. So it wouldn't hurt to have things done my way for this last... (Is cut off when the stage blacks out, Ichigo and Sado acting as stage-hands dismantling the set) Wait! I'm not finished yet! Huh? (Is lifted into a cardboard box by Inoue, also acing as a stage-hand) Why is this happening like this? (Whines as he is pushed off by Inoue on a trolley)

SailorStar9: In the next chapter, with the Hōgyoku destroyed by the Grim Reaper, Thanatos, Urahara steps up, having planted another Kido inside of the Kido he shot just before Aizen transformed the first time as a sealing process. Now with the Hōgyoku gone, the seal has begun to work, resulting in Aizen being sealed.

Now that's done, read and review.