Everyone was beginning to lose hope. Aizen, with the Hogyoku inside of him, was too powerful. He had already taken down Gin, causing Rangiku agony as she cried over him.

In less than a moment, Ichigo appeared, his father unconscious over her shoulder. He set his father down. "Thanks, Dad," he muttered. He closed his eyes, focusing on his sisters' energies, finding that they were safe, before opening his eyes again to see his friends. "Guys," he said slowly, "stay there. Just stay right there."

"Ichigo Kurosaki." Aizen's voice drew Ichigo's serious gaze. "Are you really Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Ichigo didn't respond, just continued to give Aizen a serious look.

"How disappointing," Aizen said, lifting his hand, "Ichigo Kuro-"

"Aizen," Ichigo cut him off, "I don't want to fight here. Let's go somewhere else."

"A pointless suggestion. Only someone with the power to challenge me can make such a request. Do not worry. I will not destroy Karakura Town. You will-"

Ichigo's palm slammed against Aizen's face and they flew at high speed, away from where everyone else was. Ichigo threw Aizen to the ground. Aizen had his hand where Ichigo's was prior in shock. Ichigo's voice rang out then, resolute. "Let's do this Aizen. It'll be over in an instant."

Is this what it's like when you die?

I felt myself falling in the deepest ocean. How strange, my life wasn't flashing before my eyes anymore. Does this mean I did die?

It had been so painful, but I wasn't alone. No, not really alone. Someone had been there with me. Someone I knew very well…

I didn't want to die…not yet. Not like this. I wanted to go back. How can I go back?

I noticed a thin, red string to my left and looked at my hand. My wrist had the red string coming from it, going upward, above the water. Connecting me to whom…?

"Sister…"

Ah…my brother…I can hear him now…

I could see him too, floating little ways above me. "Sister, do you know what happened…?" he asked, and I could see the surprise in his eyes.

"What happened…?"

"The power…it's gone."

Gone? "Didn't I die…?"

"No, sister, you're not dead. You are just sleeping."

Sleeping…I don't want to sleep anymore.

"Return to them, sister."

I could feel strength in me, a longing. I aimed to break through the surface, to reach out.

I knew who I am. I wasn't going to quit like this. Not like this.

In that moment, when I broke the surface, the red ribbon snapped, and I heard his voice, clear as a bell, as though he were speaking to someone else.

"Tell her I said goodbye. And...keep her safe."

Ichigo remembered what Tensa Zangetsu had said. What Ichigo wanted to protect was different to what Tensa Zangetsu wanted.

"The one I wanted to protect…was you."

Those words stayed with him. He also knew what his Hollow, who had merged with Tensa Zangetsu, wanted. He could sense it through their blades clashing, could feel not only loneliness, but also anger and…grief. He acknowledged the loneliness from his zanpakuto when he used Mugetsu; he acknowledged his Hollow's grief, having sensed Minako's energy was gone long before his training in the Dangai. He was going to use his blade to take Aizen down. In the end, Aizen was able to regenerate and Ichigo felt his Soul Reaper powers fading. It seemed now that Aizen might just finish him after all…

But something began to happen to Aizen, and Urahara appeared to explain. Ichigo looked away, right as Aizen was sealed away. Afterwards, Ichigo began to contemplate. He had felt loneliness from Aizen's blade also, and wondered if things had been different for him, would all of this happen?

"Ichigo!" He heard Orihime's voice call to him and he turned his head.

Orihime's eyes filled. "Is that really you, Ichigo? Your hair's so long…"

"Yeah, I probably look a bit scruffy," he replied, standing up, before being overcome with pain. He collapsed, the pain swallowing him whole, hearing his friends call to him, before he blacked out.

When Ichigo awoke, his saw his friends' faces looking down at him. He sat up.

"You noticed how your hair's shorter," Rukia said, after explaining what Urahara had told them. "We didn't cut it."

Ichigo noticed his hair wasn't swinging in his face anymore. He also felt Rukia's presence fading little by little. "I want to go outside," he said. When he and his friends went outside, Ichigo noticed it more than ever. He couldn't sense any ghosts and Rukia's presence was fading even more. "Give everyone my regards," he told Rukia. Rukia nodded before looking at Ichigo. "Goodbye, Ichigo."

"Goodbye, Rukia," replied Ichigo. And thank you.

He looked to his friends. He noticed Orihime had a sad look in her eyes. It was more than just for Ichigo losing his power. That's when he noticed. She would have been so quiet it'd take him years to notice.

"Where's Minako?"

Uryu answered him this time. "She's in the hospital."

That was all he needed. He had a promise to keep, after all.

Minako's parents weren't in the room with her, due to work hours perhaps. But she was in there, eyes closed, her chest rising and falling slowly. "She's been in a coma since the battle," Orihime whispered. "Like the strain just destroyed her…"

Ichigo was sure that she was dead. That was why his Hollow was angry, grieving, demanding to be let out to avenge her. But Ichigo didn't lose control, didn't cede the control. He would use the emotions in his blade to exact the justice. What he could do was keep his promise.

Almost as if she had sensed all of them there, Minako took in a sharp breath, moan softly, and opened her eyes. Confusion dulled the shine in the near-violet orbs, as she looked around, dazed, unsure. "Where…am I…?" she whispered softly, trying to lift her hand.

"Minako-chan," Orihime walked toward Minako's bedside, "you're in the hospital. What do you remember?"

"Remember…? I…" Minako clamped her eyes shut in concentration. "I died…didn't I die?"

"Your heart stopped," affirmed Chad in his deep voice.

Minako opened her eyes, lifting her arm shakily, looking at her wrist as though expecting something. "Kazuya-san?" Uryu asked softly. "What's the matter?"

She didn't answer. The expectant look in her eyes was fading.

Ichigo moved forward. "Minako?"

Her eyes lifted to his, searching them. She stretched her hand out to his. Ichigo knew what she wanted. He raised his hand to hers, to make the first physical contact they would have had, if his Hollow hadn't been insanely possessive. Whatever she had expected, the look in her eyes faded and her hand fell back to her side. "I can't sense…anything," she said. "I don't see anything."

"What do you mean? Like…?" Orihime murmured, her eyes wide.

"My power…it's gone," said Minako, exhaustion in her voice. "I can't sense anything. I didn't see anything. It's gone…"

"Your powers are gone. So are mine," Ichigo told her. She looked at him, again with that searching look in her eyes. "Where's White…?" she whispered. "I would have heard him by now."

Ichigo averted his eyes. "Minako, he's…gone. When I lost my powers, he…he's gone."

Something shattered in Minako's eyes as they filled. "Gone," she repeated softly.

He nodded. "He told me to tell you…goodbye," he said. Minako's eyes closed to either stop the tears or to block Ichigo's words, but he watched as she raised a shaking hand to her mouth to stem any sobs from escaping.

Whatever had grown between them, whatever they felt for each other, Ichigo knew what heartbreak looked like. Granted his experience was when he lost his mother, but he knew. Minako's heart was broken, and he wondered whether she had done the impossible by thinking of him and his Hollow as separate people.

Ichigo had saved the Soul Society and the world of the living. But, with a twinge of guilt in his heart, he took the world from Minako.