A/N: So... it's been some years... I apologize to anyone who's following me (If I still have followers/fans) but it's one of those things that's hard for me to do... Anyway, I had a lengthy A/N earlier, but for some reason it didn't save so I'm just gonna leave it be... Also, to note the chapters are based off of known/existing songs. I'll post links later on after this chapter.. I personally like the vibe of reading the chapters while listening to the song, so if there's anyone out there like me... then there ya go. I'll also start posting titles and the artist/band next to the lyrics when they begin so anyone who'd like to can look them up on youtbe or something. That way you can "follow along"... Anyway, enjoy.

Disclaimer: Bleach? And the songs? Not even close to owning...

Chapter III: Fly From the Inside II

Fluttering his eyes open, Ichigo found himself lying in the middle of a street in a bleak and deserted town. The sky was riddled with light gray clouds, yet there was still no rain. He stayed in that position for a moment, trying to recall what had happened and how he had come to be in this world. It was all a blur... All he could remember was Orihime rushing at him in a death-grip hug, his friends crying out to him, and then...? What? Wasn't he supposed to be doing a gig with his band mates? Sitting up, Ichigo began to analyze his attire. He was no longer wearing the blue trench coat or his mint green gloves, or his sidestreet boots or faded pants and buckle. Instead, he was back in his pinstriped leather jacket with red fingerless gloves, his jeans, a white muscle shirt, and a pair of blue converse.

'Am... am I dreaming? I don't remember falling asleep... but..'

Finally standing up, the carrot top took a few stumbling steps. Every time he entered into the dream world, it almost had the feeling of waking up and being reborn. Any past existence was either forgotten or irrelevant and anything taking place in the dreaming was a whole different experience. Sometimes, it felt as though his dreams were more absolute than his physical reality. Of course, Ichigo knew better than to think like a child... No, this was, in fact, a dream and how he wandered into the dream realm completely eluded his very thoughts.

"Wait... I remember Renji had bumped into a stack of boxes when we entered the room.."

A flash of red caught the corner of his eye. Turning his head, he could see a person walking out of a blackened doorway which seemed to appear in the middle of the street a small distance away.

".. Renji? What're you doing here?"

With his hands still tucked away in the pocket of his jeans, the red head continued to walk without any recognition of Ichigo's presence. Another figure appeared from the opening with bright orange hair right behind the red head. As soon as the second figure came out completely, the dark passage seemed to dissipate from the top down until it had completely vanished. The red head seemed to bump into an invisible object to his left, and a tall stack of boxes slowly began to appear in the concealed bulks place as the two new comers made a mad dash to keep the tall structure from toppling over. That's when it hit Ichigo that it wasn't actually Renji. His mind was merely projecting a mental image of his memories to him "physically." Crossing one arm in front of his chest while the other came up for his knuckles to rest against his lips, he watched Renji and "himself" finally stabilize the boxes. The hand that was resting to his lips was now lifted from his face and pointing at the scene.

"But that's not when I fell unconscious.. was it? Orihime-..."

Renji's carbon copy soon faded out of site and it was just the counterpart of Ichigo left leaning against an invisible wall next to the stacked boxes. Another doorway appeared a few feet away from the left of Ichigo's duplicate. The real orange haired man crossed both his arms in front of his chest, waiting patiently to see what would happen next. This time, a large breasted woman with long, burnt-orange hair stepped out. The black opening faded in the same fashion as the previous doorway. The woman seemed to be smiling and waving at something, or someone, that was supposed to be there, but were in fact, non-existent. Soon enough, her attention came to the false Ichigo. She became excited and embraced him enthusiastically. Ichigo's duplicate managed to stay on his feet, but apparently his back bumped into the large stack. Suddenly a chorus of "ICHIGO!" from various people he recognized could be heard echoing throughout the deserted town as a box tumbled down on top of the clone's head. As soon as that happened, the illusion of the two soon faded out of site along with the boxes.

"... Damnit, Orihime!"

Slamming a hand to his forehead, he finally realized one of the boxes did end up falling on top of him, rendering him unconscious. Giving Orihime hugs was one thing, and her being a clutz in general was another... However, when it came to something as big as playing a gig to help not only him, but his band members become famous and more importantly, help them all pay bills and buy groceries.. THAT... was a different matter. Ichigo's hands flew up to his hair as he began to grasp the short strands tightly.

"Fuck! Wake up!"

After pacing back and forth several times in angst, Ichigo finally took in a deep breath and sighed. No point in getting worked up if there wasn't anything he could do about it. All he really could do at the moment was wait it out and hope for the best. Tucking his hands into his jean pockets, he walked over to a nearby bench and sat down, legs sprawled out carelessly. Leaning back his head, he pondered on what he should do to at least help pass the time. He could only imagine how "well" things were going in the real world. Renji, Tatsuki, Chad, Uryu… He knew it wasn't his fault, but Ichigo felt like he was letting everyone down. Closing his eyes, he began to let his mind wander, clearing any negative thoughts from his mind.

Hair as black as night and violet eyes that gleamed like stars flashed behind his closed eyelids.

Ichigo's eyes shot open. His body became stiff at the sudden voice echoing throughout the empty city. He could hear footsteps resonating just as clearly as the voice. The orange haired man's inner core became heated and his body became erect in his seat. Looking around anxiously, the man tried to see who the person was. It's her! I know that voice anywhere!

Empty… The town was still desolate, and he was the only one to be seen in it. A scowl spread across his face.

"I know I'm not hearing things…"

Closing his eyes, he began to concentrate on the image of the one he desired to see.

The same haunting voice soon echoed within his world.

"There!"

Standing up immediately, the orange headed man took off down one of the roads trying to follow the direction he could swear he heard the voice coming from. Eventually, he slowed to a stop. The man could no longer hear her voice, and still hadn't come across a single soul in the town. Taking in a deep breath, Ichigo began to sing the part he remembered singing when he first met his raven haired mistress.

Right when he began to sing the last verse of the song, her voice came in with his, harmonizing with ease. Ichigo took off down a turn on a different road and he could see the woman's figure standing alone, her back facing towards him holding a pink umbrella over her head.

"Heh.. Rukia!"

Making a mad dash towards the woman, she slowly turned to look at him. His eyes locked with hers, and for him it felt as though his heart were about to leap out of his throat.

Right when she finally came in reach, Ichigo grabbed for the woman's shoulders. It was then that Rukia Kuchiki seemed to fade and disappear just like when Renji, Ichigo's duplicate, and Orihime appeared in his dream. His eyes widened in surprise. His hands resting at his sides became fists and his body tensed up in response. Teeth clenched and eyes shut tight, he was becoming angry.

"What the hell is going on? I finally managed to bring her back, but it's not the same as last time!"

Frustrated, Ichigo punched at a nearby speed sign. The pole folded into his fist and took on the unique contours of his hand. For a brief moment, the man pondered if it was because he was angry or if it was because he was in a dream that he could not feel pain in his hand. Heh.. maybe it's both? Inhaling deeply and exhaling just the same, Ichigo's body soon became relaxed. His fists were loosely at his sides and his eyes were closed in contemplation.

"Where can I go to find you… Rukia? Where are you?"

He raised his head towards the sky, eyes open, and spoke to no one in particular. The man's voice seemed to grow louder with each passing word.

"I know you have to be here! Somewhere! Maybe I'm not meant to find you in my own dreams, but I know you exist in some form or another!"

Ichigo began to concentrate on everything he could remember about the woman. Her features, the sound of her voice, the way she moved, her unique aura which emanated from her and there was no doubt that there could be another like it. The orange haired man concentrated on all of these things to perceive a crystal clear picture that was none other than Rukia Kuchiki. With his right arm, he reached out towards the sky imagining it was her he was trying to grab hold of.

"I'll find you… I don't know how I'll do it, but I'm gonna try my damndest!"

Piercing through the dark clouds, a beam of light began to shine directly above Ichigo. He squinted his eyes but kept them open to try and see anything that might be emerging from its luminous rays. A long ribbon that was the deepest red Ichigo ever laid eyes on soon fluttered down towards him. Its source was unknown as it seemed to go on forever into the sky and beyond. As if it had a mind of its own, the ribbon encircled his outstretched palm, but never encased. Ichigo stared at it with awe, wondering if it was letting him decide whether or not to take hold of the silken band. Just as Ichigo was about to pull his hand away out of caution, a glimmer of violet flickered within his consciousness and a soft, barely audible voice could be heard within his core.

"Ichigo…"

Hearing the familiar sound calling out his name caused the orange haired man to instinctively grasp onto the strip of material. That's when the ribbon tightened and constricted his hand and wrist. A sudden jerk came from the ribbon. Ichigo could feel his feet leaving the ground as he was being reeled in towards only God knows where. It seemed the higher he went, the faster he was being pulled. Soon he flew past the clouds and towards the colorless sky. Fear began to creep over his senses. Every fiber of his body was telling him he was about to hit something, but all he could see was vast emptiness. A few more feet into the air, and suddenly his body instinctively braced itself. That's when Ichigo felt himself running into a wall. It scared him more than it hurt, but even so it fascinated him all the more. Holding up his free hand, he placed it against the invisible force field. It looked as though the ribbon was cut off, but somehow it seemed to keep going through the barrier. He could feel a slight tug still coming from the band so it must keep going past this wall!

Maybe this is…. The border where my dreaming world ends? So then.. what's on the other side?

If only he could….. Closing his eyes, Ichigo concentrated. He imagined himself passing through the border and into the next realm. The wall remained as solid as it had before. A few minutes passed and Ichigo was about to give up. Right before he took his hand away, the barrier finally caved in. It felt as if the solid mass became a pliable sheet that gave way. The more he pushed, the more he went through. Ichigo managed to push through the force field up to his elbow. He still felt its presence pushing down all around his arm, but Ichigo figured it was much better to deal with this than the solid force he ran into not long ago. Eventually, Ichigo found the courage to assert his entire body through the barrier. Slowly but surely it worked. The pressure surrounding him however felt like it constricted his breathing.

Keep calm, Kurosaki. You're dreaming, you don't really need air to breathe in this world… Just keep calm and you'll get outta this in no time.

Soon enough, he could feel the ribbon slowly dragging him through the compressed space and further away from his own dream world. Looking back, to him it seemed like a spherical bubble with a four-perspective, topsy tervy version of the city he was used to inhabiting. Looking around, Ichigo then noticed that there seemed to be thousands, if not MILLIONS, of similar spherical bubbles. With the many orbs encircling him, he felt as if he had just launched into outer space and was finally able to see the stars for what they really were. The very sight took his breath away… well… felt like it did anyway.

Wow… where.. the fuck.. am I?

A few short minutes later, he found he was being hauled towards one of the many spheres. As tempted as he was to flinch before running into the dream world, Ichigo took the time to concentrate on passing through the barrier like he did previously. Instead of colliding with the wall, he slowly eased through. A sudden force of gravity took hold and he found himself nose diving head first towards the cemented ground. Eyes wide, arms flailing about, he couldn't do anything but scream as he fell further down… down… Clenching his fists, Ichigo tightly closed his eyes and mentally screamed the one word that came to mind.

STOP!

He couldn't bear to open his eyes. His arms were crossed in front of his face and for a moment he kept his body entirely still….. silence… he couldn't hear the air rushing past his ears.. couldn't feel himself hurtling towards some silly random happenstance of impending doom.. Did time just.. stop? Ichigo finally took the time to open his eyes. There he was floating merely inches away from the hard concrete street of a town he's never seen before. His body relaxed and he took a deep sigh of relief. As he did so, it was like a magic spell that was cast upon him was broken. His body finally took a hard ker-PLUNK and fell the rest of the way onto the ground. Sitting up straight, he clenched his nose.

"FUUUCK~! THAT HURT!... fuckin' gravity.."

Ichigo made sure his nose wasn't bleeding. As sore as it was, he diagnosed that he was going to live and all he needed was to quit giving a rat's ass about a little bit of pain. Besides, there were DEFINITELY more important things at hand.. He stood up and finally took a look around. He was in a city, just not one he could recognize. There was a unique edge to the style of the buildings which seemed to indicate the person who dreamed this place up was from a different part of Japan if not a different country entirely. Yep.. he definitely wasn't in Kansas anymore… Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream was heard followed by a loud BOOM! A huge puff of smoke, dust, and debris could be seen in the… little too close for comfort but far enough to not have to dodge hurtling objects distance. Startled and eyes wide open, Ichigo started looking in all directions to find the source. He then looked down to the palms of his hands. The blood colored ribbon was still wrapped around his right hand yet there wasn't a single tug to be felt. He followed the ribbon with his eyes to see if he could find where it was headed. After a ways, the ribbon took a left turn down a street. Another demonic shriek could be heard followed by another boom and ploom of smoke. However, this time followed after came a loud scream of terror. This one sounded like a female…. Ichigo let in a harsh gasp. "Rukia!" was all that slipped from his mouth as he began to run down the ribbon's path.

He finally made it to where the explosions were happening, but he didn't like what he saw. Streets were literally torn to pieces, the buildings seemed to be standing, but they also had cavernous holes or huge chunks missing. Dust still clouded the city making it hard for Ichigo to see. As agitated as he was that he couldn't run full speed, he slowly made way to make sure he was still following the red trail. Another scream was heard and this time, the amber-eyed youth ran towards the helpless plea. He found himself down a darkened alleyway. Towards the back, he finally spotted a short haired woman trembling in the corner. Her face was buried in her arms as she was curled up in a fetal position. It sounded like she was muttering words of comfort, but with the way she trembled it obviously did little use. Yelling her name one last time, Ichigo took a mad dash towards the woman. He knelt down and encircled his arms around her.

"Everything's gonna be alright, Rukia… I promise.. whatever the hell's goin on around here… I'll get you outta here safely…. Seriously, what the fuck IS going on?!"

Shocked, the woman looked up to the orange-headed man. She felt alarmed, but at the same time comforted that a stranger would come to her rescue. Even more so as she found him to be quite attractive even with that nasty looking scowl on his face.

Rukia?... Who the hell is Rukia? My name is Yui. Yui Toyokawa."

Eyes wide open, Ichigo took a good look at the woman's features. It was hard to tell at first because of how dark and dusty everything was around him. Eventually, he could tell that while her hair was short it was merely a dark brown and not jet black. Her face also seemed slightly shorter and more angular than Rukia's and her eyes were a dark brown as well. He then took the time to look back at the ribbon wrapped around his hand and down to follow where it was leading. To his dismay, it led right out of the alley and took a harsh right down one of the tattered streets. Ichigo turned beat red and his body jerked away from the woman, arms completely in the air to indicate he meant no harm, much less to even touch her in such an affectionate way. He tried to apologize, but he couldn't control the volume of his voice. It sounded like he was yelling more than being sincere.

"Ah… I'm sorry! I wasn't tryin' to pull anything; I just thought you were someone else is all!"

The woman seemed somewhat dejected and this made Ichigo feel all the more defensive.

"Ack! No, no! I wasn't really meaning that-.. ah… You're nice and all and maybe if I knew you more I'd be all over yo- NO! Not like.. THAT-that.. I just-" He let out a frustrated grunt while his hands were making the notion to pull out his vibrant colored hair. His cheeks burned and the burn intensified once he heard the woman giggling at his antics. He was about to interject, but the woman beat him to the punch. Finally standing, she walked towards him.

"It's okay, I know exactly what you meant.. No harm done." Giving him a wink, Ichigo scowled and turned his head away with his hands on his hips. His cheeks weren't as intense of a red, but there was still a twinge of color. Yui grasped her own hands behind her back while her feet twittled about. "So.. You still gonna save me? I might not be this… Rukia girl you're talking about, but I sure could use your help right now.. I know this is all a dream, but-" her body tensed and shivered at the thought, "this nightmare has to be the worst ever! I mean.. I've been in situations in a dream, but.. not one that feels so-… so.. urgent. Like if I don't make it out alive, then… I might not…" Growing quiet, the woman placed a hand across her chest and she looked at the ground. Ichigo looked at her, concern came in place of his scowl. He put a hand on her shoulder and gave her the most genuine smile he could muster in a situation such as theirs.

"Hey, don't worry about it. You'll get outta here alive, I promise ya that."

A mild blush crept over the woman's face.

"So.. Where'd you come from exactly?" Ichigo raised an eyebrow. The first thought was 'Well.. my mom gave birth to me just like everyone else and- but he felt that was a bit too rude to voice. Taking in his questioning expression, she jumped back into the conversation.

"Uh- no no! I mean.. I've never seen you before, dream or no dream.. and you somehow feel.. different. Like there's this.. aura coming from you that makes you stand out amongst the rest of my dream. Kind of like this one woman that showed up before you, but I didn't get a chance to really talk-" Ichigo's eyes widened and he took a hold of the girls shoulders with both hands.

"What woman? What did she look like?!" Yui's eyes widened at his sudden outburst. "I-I'm not sure! Like I said, I didn't get a chance to talk to her! She was rather short and her hair was short and bla-" before she could finish, an enormous explosion occurred just outside of the alley way. They tried to shield themselves from the debris; eyes clenched shut to keep the dust from getting in them. Once the cloud dispersed, Ichigo and Yui couldn't believe their eyes. A huge snake-like monster with a skull for a head was attempting to devour a young woman. She held her own, however, by keeping it in place. Its jaws were wide open, huge bone crushing fangs gleaming in the light. The only thing keeping it from sinking its teeth into her was a slender blade held firmly in her petite hands. The orange haired man couldn't believe what he was seeing. Here he was worried about Rukia and right before him she was fighting this giant monster! Rukia seemed confident against her opponent. However, one quick glance towards Yui and Ichigo dispelled her resolve. Amber met violet.

"Ichigo…"

Seeing her falter, the beast took advantage and pushed hard against her. Feeling the weight shift, Rukia took the chance to jump back. She yelled some sort of incantation Ichigo couldn't make out, held out her hand, and a blue ball of light emanated from her palm. The beast screamed and backed away. It's head burrowing into the concrete. Within seconds, its entire body was immersed underground out of site of the three dreamers. Landing like a feline on her feet, Rukia still couldn't help but stare in wonder that she was seeing Ichigo… Of all the people in the dreaming right now it was he that slipped passed his own barriers and traveled into another being's consciousness.

"How is this possible….?" she let out in a low whisper.

Ichigo smiled at her. Seeing this, the grip Rukia had on her sword tightened. She scowled and felt as if she were a mentor belittling her student.

"What are you doing here? Go home! You shouldn't be here!"

The orange haired man was taken aback. He wasn't expecting such a rude response to seeing him. Well, maybe rude… he thought. … but that's an entirely different kind of rude! He soon felt his blood boil by her reaction.

"Hey! I came all this way to find you and now that I have, this is the way you're gonna be? Pfft… fuck that… and what the hell's up with the death robes and sword?! And what the HELL was that giant snake thing?!"

Feeling her eyebrows knitting together, Rukia was getting more agitated by the second. This could not have happened at a more horrible time… "Quit being a stubborn ass and get outta here, Ichigo! It's not sa- *gasp*" Her eyes grew wide as she saw black and white flash and fade across the opening of the alley way along the roof top. The skull of a snake slithered creepily down towards Ichigo and Yui, its mouth opening wider as it inched closer and closer. Holding her two palms out Rukia shouted "Hado 33! Sokatsui!" Pale blue fire shot from her hands and struck the creature in its face. The beast howled its dreadful shriek as it thrashed its head about. This gave Ichigo time to help Yui out of the alleyway before the debris from the buildings fell upon them from the creatures flails. Sighing to herself, the raven haired woman lower her arms, eyes closed. That was much too close… Suddenly, she heard rubble clatter not far from a giant hole to her left. It couldn't have been from Ichigo or the girl… they went in the opposite direction. Maybe it was a few loose pebbles falling. She couldn't help but feel instinct drive her to tighten her grip on her sword again. She felt her body tense up getting ready for anything to come at her. Looking over, she saw Ichigo carrying Yui not far from her. He turned around to face Rukia with an apologetic expression on his face. It was rash of him to let himself put everyone in danger all because he had a strange attraction to someone. Despite his motive Rukia couldn't help but relax as she gazed at him. A soft smile graced her lips and her eyes became less intense. She might not have known him for very long, but it was obvious this person meant no harm. Putting Yui down to stand beside him, Ichigo's smile grew wider by seeing Rukia smile. Although this growing warmth he felt within soon turned as cold as ice. He had no time to say or do anything except watch…. watch as an unscathed snake head lashed out from the hole next to Rukia and sink its teeth into her flesh.

Warm…. It feels warm… were her first thoughts as she felt the blood pour from her shoulder and down her arms, chest.. back… legs… It wasn't the pain that was more noticeable but the feeling of something putting pressure against her. As the seconds past, the encumbrance became more intense. She was having trouble breathing, only being able to take small quick gasps of air. Raising her right arm she aimed it at the beasts face as well as she could. With the snake head's fangs sinking into her left shoulder it was hard to get a decent angle.

"… Bastard!" she said through clenched teeth, "Hado….. 33… soku- sss- soku" a grunt of pain escaped past her lips as she felt the ivory seep into her further. No doubt because it wanted to give her a devastating wound before she cast her spell. "Damnit! Hado 33! SOKATSUI~!" Once the blast hit the creature's face it let go with a pained screech only to burrow back down into the earth.

Slow motion took over. She could barely feel her knees hit the ground first… vaguely noticed her body hit the concrete with a low thud… and faintly heard the calling of her name with frantic footsteps followed close behind.

Ichigo, crouching next to Rukia's still form, turned her over and held her in his arms. He looked over her face for any sign of life, his eyes glancing back to her wound leaving him to wonder how fatal the bite was. Saying her name over and over, the orange haired man began to shake the woman frantically. Fluttering, violet eyes were slowly revealed; although a haze seemed to fog over her brilliant orbs.

"Rukia… Rukia! Look at me! Damnit, I said LOOK at me!" Slowly.. but surely… her eyes wavered to stare at the distraught man. She could see fear and panic penetrating through his burning amber eyes. She stared deeply in response, trying to wash away his angst and let him know that it's okay. Ichigo seemed to get the hint, but anger flickered in his fiery gaze.

"Fuck that! I'm not gonna relinquish my feelings for you just 'cause you're the one that's gotta be all "honorable" and shit! I'm not gonna let you die here… Not while I'm around."

Taking in a sharp, painful gasp, Rukia tried to move, but was held down by Ichigo. "We… we have to save her…. The girl… It's here for her and her alone. It won't leave without her…" He understood. Setting the raven haired woman down, he stood his full length. Determination emanated from him and he knew the creature had to be stopped one way or another. "I'll stop it." He said while holding his fist clenched in front of him. A blood curdling shriek could be heard in the distance, startling him.

"And how do you propose to do this, Ichigo?"

The orange haired man looked down at Rukia. He was eager to respond, but soon faltered… How was he supposed to stop such a massive creature on his own?

"I know… I can do what you did. This is a dream, right? I can just imagine myself with a sword and it should appear.. and I just have to imagine myself to be as strong as you are! I got here that way, didn't I?"

Shaking her head, Rukia let out a sigh, "It's not that simple, Ichigo… You need something more."

Another boom and ploom of dust could be seen not far from them. The giant creature was coming back.

"Then what is it that I need, Rukia? What the hell am I missing? You're too injured and I'm the only one here who can at least try to stop this thing from taking Yui!"

It took just about all her strength to stand, and even then Ichigo had to catch her. She stole his gaze with her hypnotic stare. He could see how serious and determined she was… yet in the midst of it all, there was a hint of great sadness.

"You need this…-" another explosion distracted the two. This one was close enough to cloud them with dust. Ichigo had to look away; his eyes were clenched tightly and he began to cough from inhaling the debris. He tried to look back at Rukia and ask her what it was she meant, but was interrupted. He felt soft, moist lips clash into his. It felt cold and it left him curious if it was because of the blood loss or if she always felt like icy snow in winter moonlight. Ichigo couldn't resist the temptation to fade into the kiss. However… the feeling of warmth and the taste of copper shocked his vulnerable senses. He felt a slip of warmth slither down the corner of his lips as he realized she gave him blood. After a few moments passed, it was Rukia who broke the kiss. Her head was down, eyes shaded by her raven bangs. Ichigo was too stunned to say or do anything. He kept looking down at her, waiting for her to be the first to speak.

"And you need… one more thing…" Her voice seemed to tremble. She finally looked up towards him, unshed tears evident in her eyes.

Ice shot through his core. The intense feeling of winter pervaded his inner being. His eyes were wide with shock as he stared into her saddened eyes.

"I'm sorry…" was all she whispered in his ear as she slid her blade out from Ichigo's chest. Everything grew cold and a flash of white was all Ichigo could see.

The intensity of bright lights stung at his eyes. His head was throbbing, and he felt as though he were waking from a heavy sleep. Finally adjusting to the lights, Ichigo searched the room. He found he was lying on a couch in what looked to be a storage room with large, well lit cosmetic mirrors. He saw his friends were surrounding him, all with surprised expressions. Yawning, Ichigo stretched out his arms and legs.

"So what'd I miss?"

Everyone exclaimed his name, clearly happy to see him awake. Renji smacked Ichigo on the forehead.

"Ow! The hell you do that for, Abarai?!"
"You get knocked out and force all of us to worry about you and that's all you have to say?! What'd you miss?! Pfft… my ass…"

Renji crossed his arms and closed his eyes, clearly frustrated. Tatsuki glared at the pineapple headed man.

"Renji… it's not like Ichigo's pansy ass just wanted to get knocked out. You saw the size of that knot on his head… The hell does Urahara stuff in those storage boxes… rocks?"

Ichigo glared at Tatsuki for the "pansy ass" comment, but decided not to bother getting into it. Instead, he realized what was going on and remembered they were going to perform a concert before he passed out.

"Hey! What about the gig? Are we still on? Did I miss it?" He looked around, waiting for an answer. Uryu was the first to respond.
"That's right! We're only fifteen minutes late. We shouldn't have to give all those people their money back after all."

Tatsuki shot her arms up in triumph, "Alright! Let's rock their fuckin' socks off!" a large grin was spread across her face. Renji put an arm around her shoulder with just as large of a toothy grin on his face as hers. Ichigo jumped out of his seat and stretched once more.

"Then let's do it! Let's go rock their fuckin' socks off!" Everyone cheered and headed out of the door to the stage. Before Ichigo could make it out, Orihime stopped him.

"Uh- wa-wait… Ichigo… I'm…" She looked sheepishly down. Her chicks burned with red and her disposition gave the impression of a child apologizing for something they terribly regretted. The words couldn't leave her lips. The orange haired man put a hand on her shoulder. He gave her a soft smile with accepting eyes.

"It's okay Orihime. You didn't intend for it to happen." The auburn haired woman didn't seem to change her temperament. Even though she was happy Ichigo forgave her, it still didn't change the situation for her… She felt her clumsiness almost ruined the whole night. He tightened the grip on her shoulder.

"Hey… next time you feel the need to hug me like that… make sure there isn't a huge stack of boxes behind me, alright?" Finally, she looked at him. Her blush intensified and she smiled at him. He winked back in response and walked past her.

All Ichigo could hear was the cheering of fans throughout the club. He stood in the center of the stage with his electric guitar in hand. The lights were a blinding white, making it hard to see past the wooden planks he stood upon. The lights reminded him of something…. something that happened to him, which now felt like a distant memory. A dream that fades upon awakening, yet one that felt as lucid as reality. Grinning, Ichigo stepped up to the microphone. He felt alive with passion and he could feel the aura of the crowd fueling him to perform.

"Alright you guys… before we start off, I actually have a song."

He turned to look at his band mates, who all had the same curious expressions. It wasn't a part of their original plan, but Ichigo just shrugged and gave a "bear with me" expression. Putting his guitar down, he made a quick dash back stage. He emerged with an acoustic guitar and strapped it on. Taking in a deep breath, Ichigo closed his eyes and concentrated. The pick he held began to make contact with his guitar strings as he strummed a rhythmic tune. He took in another breath and began to sing and harmonize with his guitar.

(Song I don't own: "Fly From the Inside" acoustic version Band: Shinedown/Singer: Brent Smith)

What came out described a scene filled with energy and excitement; a story that unfolded his inner being and finally setting it free as it was meant to. He felt the warmness of his inner core shine for all to see as he stood in the spotlight and all soon faded to silence- the only things existing in this plane were Ichigo and his music while a lurking beauty still lingered within the shadows, almost unnoticed.

A/N: Well... there it is. Hopefully it won't take forever and a day for the next chapter to come up... hopefully... I do love writing this story.. Anyway, before I forget, the very first chapter had two different songs. It was "Tell Me What the Rain Knows" and that one is actually from Wolf's Rain. Very beautiful... and haunting... the piano really makes you think of rain drops... and the second was "Black Hole Sun" by Soundgarden/Chris Cornell. That one, if you wanna listen to it, I had the acoustic version in mind for that particular scene. None of the songs, I really imagine Ichigo sounding like... but the meaning to each song is really the impression of what I'd like to imply. So anyone who thinks "Well this shouldn't sound like him!" then... yes... I think that too ... and that's why you imagine what he WOULD sound like with the songs as I can't take the same songs and have Johnny Yong Bosh sing each and every one of these songs for me in Ichigo's voice... xP Geez... If I could, that would be.. fucking... orgasmic... ANYWAY! I hope everyone enjoyed this chapter.. and if it's some time before I'm able to update or if this never gets updated again... then.. see you space cowboy *brownie points to those that get the ref*