A/N: Sorry about the delay folks, I had some personal things to help my brother with. I was a little disappointed in the fact that no one opted to create a zanpaktou for Tatsuki. However on the off chance that this did happen, I created my own. There will be future chances for characters so if you are interested get started now.

So with this chapter we will be seeing some interesting developments with some characters. Ichigo will be going to S.S to visit his squad and get things started there…if no one gets in his way. If I have the mind to, I might introduce a few new characters.

Review Responses:

NewAtThisOk: It just means that now I have an excuse to make Ichigo god-like basically.

Von Remington: A lot of the terms are difficult to spell honestly, but thanks for pointing that out to me. Also, I am as well but hopefully once it becomes longer more people will read it.

I don't own Bleach

1 day in the Living World = 7 in Soul Society

L.W-Living World

S.S-Soul Society

H.M-Hueco Mundo

"speak"

'Thoughts'

"Zanpoktou"

"Hollows"

Chapter 5

Halibel listened to the orange-haired Captain as he recounted his story of how he became a shinigami and the hardships thereafter. She was surprised by the fact that he and his friends were willing to risk their lives to save Rukia.

'Why would anyone put their lives on the line for something that seems so futile?'

"It would seem that that's just how he is; risking his life for his friends. He's even taking a big risk to help us even though we were his enemies not but a day ago."

'Perhaps you are right Tiburon. I just can't help but worry if he expects something in return.'

"If you don't give him something, I might." Tia could feel the playful smirk on her inner-hollow as she said this.

After his tale of rescuing Rukia from execution, and of Aizen's betrayal, he told her of the Bounts and of his training with the Vizards. This had her more than a little confused and she stated as such, so did the dark-haired girl also listening to the tale. Ichigo responded by telling them they were a hybrid between hollow and shinigami, much like the Arrancar but started as shinigami rather than hollow.

'Then perhaps I am able to gain a…zanpaktou and join him.'

"Join him Tia-chan? You mean to serve under him? We served under that bastard Aizen, I don't intend on bowing to anyone else."

'Tiburon, I don't expect you to like it but this will be my way of repaying him for keeping me alive. I will do what I must to earn his peoples' acceptance and join his squad.'

"You're a real hand full sometimes. Very well, I will help you. Who knows, we might even get closer to having him for ourselves…." This time there was nothing but lust dripping from Tiburon's mouth. The only thing keeping her from overwhelming Tia's mind with perverted thoughts was her will to simply block out and simply ignore her, though some images made it to her and made her visibly blush.

Once Captain Kurosaki finished telling his story and answered their questions there was a rather long but not unbearable silence between them. The teenage martial artist was the first to break the silence.

"Ichigo, umm I…I was wondering…."

Tia looked at girl intently, trying to figure out what would make this rather dignified person so bashful.

"I…ummm….IreallylikeyouIchigo!"

"Oh my…it seems we have competition Tia-chan."

'Just because I said I wanted to join him, doesn't mean I want to make him mine.'

"No, but you wouldn't mind if we became his now would you?"

'You bloody pervert!'

"You're angry…that means I'm right!" Tiburon quickly went into hiding within Tia's soul before her master could scold her for her actions.

Tia Halibel watched and listened awkwardly as Ichigo and Tatsuki shared their feelings for each other.

'I wonder what it's like to have someone love you. He's clearly a very caring individual, he's really strong and he doesn't seem to ever give up.' Tia felt her cheeks grow increasingly warm and had to look down so as to keep her blush hidden.

'I wonder if Tiburon was right….No, stop, I didn't not just say that. Tiburon might be right about a lot of things but she can't right about me wanting him, right?'

"Tia, I'm your instincts. You can deny it all you want, but I can't. He is fucking attractive and damn near perfect. Now pull your head out of your ass and stop deny it!"

Tia couldn't think of anything to respond with aside from sitting in her seat with a slack-jawed expression. Silently she began recalling her emotions that she'd felt whilst around Ichigo. Fear, humility, comfort….security. She released an audible sigh that went unnoticed by the others in the room.

'What am I to do? He clearly has affections for this girl…'

"Then you either try to take him from her, though I doubt it'll work. Or you find common ground and hopefully grow affections for the girl as well. She's also very attractive and surely must be strong to have caught the interest of one such as him."

Before Tia could respond to Tiburon's explanation, she felt a strange raitsu coming from Ichigo as he hugged Tatsuki. She watched as look of disbelief and almost horror sprung into being on the face of the only male occupant in the room.

She passively watched as people started running and yelling while Tatsuki laid on the floor shaking as she was unsure what to do. When Ichigo came back and lifted his girlfriend into his arms, Halibel rose and started walking in-step behind him and a dark-skinned woman with purple hair.

Together they walked down a flight of stairs into a desert landscape that Tia thought was far too big and impossible to be under a small shop in the city. She once again watched events transpire in silence.

'I wonder how all this will end…'

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After comforting the woman he was sure he loved, Ichigo turned around as he remembered that Tia was also with them for the first time since he and Tatsuki had shared their feelings for each other.

"Sorry about this. I imagine this whole situation must be pretty awkward and uncomfortable for you." Ichigo said with a small smile.

"Back in the room, it certainly was but after she, Arisawa-chan, started convulsing, I was prepared to help if need be." Thankfully her high collar and mask covered the lower half of her face to hide the slight blush that was forming.

"Thank you but thankfully we got everything under control for now. However, there's nothing we can do for her until she comes out. What say you and I go a few rounds in a spar?"

Ichigo started to walk off away from prying eyes and Halibel, feeling even more uncomfortable with the group without Ichigo beside her, followed him. Once they were out of earshot Ichigo turned to face his opponent.

"I know Orihime healed you up well enough but I just wanna make sure you're good and ready for a fight."

"I'll be fine. Just don't insult me by holding back, because I won't be." She replied.

Ichigo smirked at her words. "Good, I'd hate to break a sweat on someone who isn't trying." He drew his sword from its sheath and held it out to his side. "Come forth, judge and protect, Tamashii no Kanshu."

Tia was surprised to see his katana turn into a one-handed hammer and shield with a burst of purple raitsu. Sure Ichigo had explained that now had a different zanpaktou than the one she had seen in Las Noches but to actually see it was surprising to say the least.

Deciding not to take chances, Halibel draws Tiburon and raises her raitsu. "Hunt, Tiburon."

Now it was Ichigo's turn to adopt a surprised look as he could now see her face…and more than a fair portion of her body.

"Damn….Even if you're now with Tats, you can't deny the fact that she is quite the looker. I'm actually slightly envious of her." Shirudo said in Ichigo's head. "Ichigo, I don't care about any morals you have, try to make her yours!"

'Are you crazy?! How on Earth would I explain THAT to Tatsuki? Oh hey, sorry, my zanpaktou was obsessed with her so we're dating her as well as each other. A wonderful idea you got there Shirudo.'

"Then make Tats accept her, shouldn't be too hard to do."

Ichigo barely managed to refocus in time to block the large shark tooth blade coming at him from above. He then forced Tia's blade to the side as he brought Hama in from the side to smash it into her ribs. Luckily the Espada had suspected a counter like this forced herself to flip over Ichigo by applying pressure to his shield through Tiburon.

She landed facing her opponent and quickly realized he'd just kept going with his swing and was coming about to hit her once again from the side. She easily got her sword up in time to block but was forced several meters back from the impact.

Ichigo didn't give her time to breath though as he charged at her with his shield covering his front and his hammer above him. Halibel waited so as to deflect the downward swing that would surely come to crush her. However, before he was within range he brought the hammer down and struck the ground.

Tia first felt the ground rumble beneath her feet, then it began to shift and fall as the rock shattered into dust. Then came the shockwave of the actual attack which thankfully, kept her from getting stuck in the loose gravel, but sent her flying backwards with no control over where she was going. She violently slammed into a tall rock formation causing a crater to form in the side of it.

'Damn it….that power….I've severely underestimated him.'

"Tia-chan, you might wanna start treating this as a survive or die scenario for now. I don't think he'd intentionally cause a mortal wound but he's new to this zanpaktou. I won't be much help myself, I need to check something. You keep fighting. Oh! One last thing, be sure to impress him." Tiburon said with a wink as she vanished into the recesses of Halibel's soul.

"Cascada!"

Halibel swung her sword down in the direction of her oncoming attacker. The immense torrent of water halted his assault and forced him to raise his shield to block. While he was busy, Tia used Sonido to buzz around him while firing 'La Gota' in rapid succession each time she stopped.

Ichigo was somewhat unimpressed considering how slow she seemed to him but the unrelenting attacks kept him busy while he moved his shield to intercept each strike.

Halibel was too focused on trying to find an opening and maintaining her attacks that she didn't take real notice of the fact that Ichigo was lazily swing his hammer around, keeping it in constant motion.

'I hope this doesn't hurt her too much….' He thought to himself.

He paid close attention to Tia's intervals between stops. He had it down to a rhythm. Tap…tap…tap…tap..Now!

Just as Halibel was coming out of a Sonido for another attack, Ichigo swung his hammer downward and into the ground. Instead of condensing it into a single direction, he let the shockwave travel outwards in a circle.

Halibel vaguely saw the hammer drop and immediately flashed to another location around her target. She was caught off guard as she reappeared to find the shockwave still in front of her.

'Oh shit.'

This time her body was sent flying harder and further than the last time. The shaking of the ground could be felt by everyone within the training dimension. As she sailed through the air, violently being carried by the air pressure, she saw everyone standing around the shaft that Tatsuki was in, staring wide-eyed at her.

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Kisuke opened his fan to hide his face as he watched the blond-haired former Espada fly through the air. "My, my, it seems Ichigo is more than a match for the third."

Yourichi smacked him upside the head with a blank expression. "You idiot, he could very well kill most Lieutenants with an attack like that. It'd be a miracle if she'd be able to walk coherently after that."

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Ichigo looked around him to find that he was now standing in a bowl of crushed rock rather than on flat, solid ground. "I might have over done it…" He shrugged it off as he went to go find Tia.

When he arrived at the crash site he sealed and sheathed his zanpaktou to show he was done with the spar. He then found Halibel lying in a crater surrounded by settling dust. He then stood over her and held out his hand once he noticed that she was breathing and her eyes were open.

Tia blinked several times to clear her vision and moved each of her limbs to make sure they weren't broken. Once she confirmed at least she wasn't broken, she took his hand and stood up. She noticed that once again the smile on his face and the warmth of his hand was flooding her being with comfort and a sense of companionship.

"Thanks you for helping me up but…I'm not sure how I feel about you easily beating me. I didn't even force you into bankai. How are you that strong?"

Ichigo thought about it for a minute and asked his zanpaktou how he should explain it. Once he finished conversing, he answered her. "Right now you can sense my raitsu; it's strong but not oppressive or overbearing. Right?" He received a nod of agreement from the blond before him.

"Well, that's only because of high my raitsu actually is. If I lower it the point of you being able to feel the full force of it, you'd likely pass out within a minute."

"Prove it."

A loud sigh escaped his mouth. "I'll lower it enough for you to grasp what I'm talking about." With a deep breath he focused and reigned in the raitsu in demonstration.

Halibel found herself gasping for air quickly and kneeling on the ground. She began clawing at her throat for air and her eyes started bulging. Several seconds later, she was free to stand and breathe normally.

After fully recovering she looked at the man in front of her. She now understood a portion of his power, and it frightening…but somehow comforting. It wasn't dark or threatening, but calming like being adrift in the ocean. She now understood that if he so chose to do so, he could kill her without the need of his sword.

Yet somehow, know that he wouldn't. She felt safe oddly enough; his raitsu reminded her of the water that she loved so much. It held the power to crush anything before it, but was content to just hold and protect everything within its grasp.

"Do you believe me now about him being perfect? He fights only to grow stronger in order protect what he holds dear."

'Yes…I do Tiburon. He is…perfect, as you say.' Tia felt a strange sensation rush through her body.

It was like the warmth she felt while holding his hand or seeing him smile, but much stronger. There was a dull ache in her chest where her heart used to be when she was alive.

'Tiburon?'

"Well, that answers that question. Congratulations Tia-chan, you're about to pass out."

'huh?'

Ichigo watched as the tanned-skinned woman who was standing in front of him fall to the ground again.

"Ichigo, her spiritual pressure suggests that she's in her inner-world."

'But you only have an inner-world as long as you have a…'

"Oh come on! First Tatsuki and now you?!" Ichigo yelled at Tia, though he wasn't expecting a response now. With a sigh of defeat, he scooped the new vizard into his arms before flashing off to find Hat n' clogs.

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Tatsuki opened her eyes to find that was in her old dojo that she used to attend with Ichigo. The thought about her now boyfriend and the old days, brought a smile to her face.

"Welcome Tatsuki. It's nice to finally meet you."

The black-haired teen turned around to see a young Chinese woman dressed in a black kimono with crimson waves of fire at the hems. She had magenta colored hair that was spiked up backwards with a long bang hanging over her right eye. Tatsuki also noticed a pair of black leather open-fingered gloves on her hands.

"Are you my zanpaktou?" She replied.

"Yes, my name is…and this is your inner world."

"Sorry, I didn't catch that. What's your name again?"

"…"

Tatsuki could see her lips move but there was no sound coming from them.

"That's a shame, I was hoping you were ready. Don't despair though, you'll be able to hear my name before long."

"hahaha Queen here isn't ready huh?"

The unnamed zanpaktou's gazed fell to the ground while Tatsuki searched for the owner of the dark voice. What she found was alarming after having heard Ichigo's stories of his inner-hollow.

She found a negative copy of herself dressed in a white kimono with azure flames at the hems. Her hair was done up in the same fashion has her zanpaktou but hers was dyed a deep ocean blue.

"I'm gonna guess you know what I am so let's cut to the chase. You and I are gonna fight. If I win, your body becomes mine. If you win, well, her and I will submit to you."

Tatsuki's hollow walked over to a weapon rack and grabbed two katanas from it. She then proceeded to toss one to Tatsuki. Once they both took up a stance and the zanpaktou spirit stood to the side between them as a ref, her hollow spoke up again.

"Don't worry, this is gonna hurt a lot…I promise."

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Halibel opened her eyes lazily as the sun shone down on her. She felt the warmth of the sand beneath her and the sound of the waves crashing onto it not too far away.

"where am I?"

"Well Tia-chan, you're in your inner-world."

Tia got up and found a negative form of her standing behind her. The blond hair was replaced with an onyx black. Her outfit was also black but her skin the purest white.

"Tiburon, it's nice to finally meet the voice in my head." She said with a smirk.

"You got it!" Tiburon stopped and looked behind Tia. "Oh ya, Tia-chan, there's someone else here for you to meet." She motioned to turn around.

Halibel did so and was shocked to see a figure walking out of the water. This alone didn't shock her, the surprise came from the fact that the figure was MADE of water. Her features barely recognizable, but Tia noticed that she looked like a mono-colored form of herself.

The water clone of Tia looked at her with a calculating stare as if measuring her. After a minute she apparently liked what she saw or found what she was looking for, as her face softened enough to be noticed.

"Thank you Halibel, for creating me and for finally giving me the chance to repay that debt. My name is Aquarius, and I am your zanpaktou."

A/n: Alright, I know I didn't get as far as I wanted to with this chapter, but hopefully what I did cover makes up for it. I suspect that this will become my minimum length. I'll do my best to make them even longer but they'll always be at least this long.

As always please leave a review. Thanks for reading!