Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

Author's Note: This is my first story so be nice. I know that this chapter goes a little fast, but I wanted to get to rest of the story. And Hichigo is out of character, so you have been warned. This story follows the main plot with changes, and this story assumes you know it. It takes place right after Ichigo defeats his Inner Hollow

Chapter 1 A World With Chains

I stood in front of Ichigo with my sword buried into his stomach.

"I won't put up with it anymore. From now on I'm King." I said soothingly though my voice dripped venom. I slowly pulled my thin sword out of him to cause the most amount of pain that I could. As soon as my blade was free and his blood dripped from it he fell to the ground. He lay scrunched with his arms around the wound I had given him.

I squatted down to his position and smiled evilly at him as his eyes bored into me. I then laughed with glee I had finally won!

I woke up with a start, "Che, just a dream." I sighed. I tried to move my arm, but a great pain came over it. Blood trickled down into the puddle that had formed during my sleep. I looked at the heavy cold black chains that held me to one of the skyscrapers in King's blue inner world. But this one was different; it was a deep part of the world. I couldn't take over or hear his thoughts. I couldn't even talk smack to him for crying out loud. I could still see what was happening though.

The Vizards were talking to him, they were teaching him how to put on his mask. He was able to do it the first time. I felt power start to leave me, and I instantly pulled it back in. His mask broke, "Che, you didn't think it was going to be that easy did ya?" I remarked to myself. The vizards then talked about learning to hold your mask on for long periods of time and how it would take training. I shifted positions, the chains cut into my skin. The blood trailed down my wrists, I didn't have access to my hollow powers while I was like this, and so I would have to tough it out while it healed.

I looked back on what happened, it was kind of stupid, I had had a pretty good life in King's inner world, the skyscrapers were full of all the objects of all kinds. I had asked Zangetsu where they came from once, and even he didn't know. But there was a convenient room that was empty for each of us, except for a bed that it came with by default. Each of us had then furnished the room with things that we found in the other buildings. To be honest the only reason why I wanted to take over was because I wanted to fight. If I was King I could fight all I wanted. In this world my only opponent was Zangetsu and once I got to the point of beating him, I was bored. That's when I decided to play dethrone the King.

Zangetsu warned me not to try, but I thought there was no way I could loose. I learned the hard way that I could not defeat King, he had a sparkle of blue that entered his eyes, and once it did I instantly lost. Now the King had chained me up for trying to kick him off, I had lost my freedom and it was replaced by a bit and saddle with tight reigns. Zangetsu had been right, like usual.

King was trying to use the mask again I couldn't seem to grab my power back as fast as I had before. Now I understood, the more he trained the better he would be able to ride me with the unfamiliar things he now used.

I sighed and I heard footsteps; looking up, and I felt sharp pain as the chains scraped my neck. Zangetsu was walked up to me, he stopped, and sat down beside me before saying, "You did cause this you know."

"Heh, I don't care, this is just a minor set back. I'll get out of these chains and kick King off his throne."

"You know that you're just saying that, even if you managed to pull those chains off they would be only be replaced by new ones. That isn't even the worst part, as time passes you will be pulled deeper and deeper into our master's world, and soon into complete darkness unable to do anything but exist, you won't be able to feel, see, hear, and even move for all eternity."

I grew silent; I knew he was right, but I didn't want to admit it. We stayed there for a while as the reality of my position sunk in. I would be as good as dead. Condemned to a life without anything, anything but loneliness. I would pray to lose my sanity, but couldn't because as long as King was sane I couldn't truly be insane. I stayed silent hoping he would answer my unasked question, my pride demanded it not be asked no matter what, but he didn't I swallowed my pride and asked.

"Then what do I do?" I said quietly, only audible because of my voice's echo that rang out emptily over the landscape of the blue skyscraper world. Zangetsu stayed silent for a while before he spoke; I was always grateful for his wisdom even though I never really listened, and therefore didn't really deserve it.

"Be gentle, by trying to take control our master has come to fear you, that's..."

"Che, I know, I know that's why he put the bit on. But what do you mean gentle; how can I even try to express that I won't try to kick him off again? I'm chained where he never will have to hear me again, he's probably just going to forget that I even exist." I got quiet then, "I don't want to live in eternal darkness." I meant it too. I would be as good as dead, but I would still be alive as long as King. It would be the ultimate feeling of loneliness; I had always taken the companionship of King and Zangetsu for granted. Just the thought of never being able to see or talk to anyone ever again frightened me. The whole reason I bugged King was because I wanted to be noticed, by at least one person who unlike Zangetsu was not very very very boring. But even Zangetsu was better then no one.

"Just be the best servant you can be, why would he take off your chains if he can't even trust you with them on?" counseled Zangetsu.

I glanced at him with questioning eyes before asking, "How?"

"I noticed you have been trying to hold back your power. Don't. It will just cause him to have to train in order to force it out of you. If you want him to notice you don't make his life difficult. Our master is the kind of person that trusts someone until they give him a reason to do otherwise. You did so. You need to forge a bond now from further back then just square one."

With this wisdom he stood and walked silently away leaving me to accept or reject what he told me. I personally thought that what he told me was downright stupid, what did he know about bonds between hollows and Shinigami? He apparently didn't know a thing. As if playing nice would help... I stopped myself. This is just what happened last time Zangetsu had given me advice, I told myself this one time I would listen just to see if it worked. I felt my energy leave, but this time I didn't stop it I let it leave me. I would try being the nice guy. But only for now.

End of Chapter 1

Hichigo - Wait what!

Zangetsu- I know why would I ever give advice to you?

Hichigo - That isn't the problem here...

Zangetsu - R&R