You guys are so amazing, thanks for your kind words so far!

p.s there is a slight spoiler for the latest chapter on here (371) although it hopefully didn't give away TOO much. I just wanted to keep faithful the Manga as much as possible .

Don't let it put you off though! :D

Oh one more thing, I've been reprimanded (though in the nicest way possible – thankyou Wutai Flea!) about my spelling of Ulquiorra's last name. I checked on the Bleach Wiki and it says "Cifer" is correct, though it was previously Schiffer. Not sure why the change happened but I thought I'd let you know to save confusion!

Sorry for any more mistakes, they always elude me when I read through!

Enjoy!

********

Meanwhile, back in Fake Karakura Town –

Hmm Aizen thought to himself suddenly, something's changed. Although he was currently overseeing the take over of Karakura he was still monitoring the goings on of Hueco Mundo and oh my, something had changed indeed. But he'd been too caught up to notice. Funny he mused, I'd thought myself indifferent to the battles of my subordinates. But he'd been more intrigued by their ongoing battles than he'd first thought. Too intrigued by far, to notice that something rather significant had just taken place in the world of the hollow's. He'd been so consumed by his top 3 Espada's battles that only when Barragan had fired his Gran Caida at him had he finally realized something was going on beside what was directly in front of him.

I could of sworn that Ulquiorra's reiatsu just disappeared… but no, there it is.

Suddenly a look of shock planted itself upon Aizen's otherwise unmovable face.

It can't be!

"Gin, Tousen" He said aloud "An… incident has arisen that needs my attention, I must return to Hueco Mundo. I trust I can leave our ex-comrades fate in your hands, yes?" The look in his eyes gave away that anything but success would lead to trouble. And trouble at the hands of Sosuke Aizen was even less preferable than usual.

"Hai, Aizen-Taicho" Gin replied, the fixed smile frozen on his fox-like face. "You have fun now!"

Aizen smiled inwardly, it amused him that even after all the time spent in Las Noches, cut off from their Shinigami history, his two companions still lapsed into their old ways. "Captain" Aizen, heh.

Tousen uttered a simple "Hai" and lapsed back into silence.

Always the same Aizen smiled, before he disappeared into the large Garganta behind him.

********

Orihime watched fearfully as her guardian disappeared into the desert. She couldn't believe what had just happened. She knew she couldn't stop him, but oh how she wanted to. She wanted to demand he explain himself to her, to make her understand what he was going through. She wasn't the girl she used to be, but she certainly couldn't keep up with sonido, so catching him just wasn't an option. Damn it!

She finally thought she'd done something right and it had backfired once again.

"Orihime?" A voice came from behind. Ichigo! She'd forgotten about Uryu's and his temporary time freeze and now she had no time whatsoever to come up with an explanation to her previous actions. And let's be honest, she'd never been good at lying. Why should now be any different.

"I seriously hope you weren't about to do what I think you were gonna do!" Said the voice again.

Think Orihime, think! She shouted desperately in her mind as she turned around to face her somewhat betrayed nakama.

"Well… um… I…" her voice fell into silence as they looked on, steely glares plastered to their faces.

*******

As Ulquiorra came to his senses once again after fleeing the scene of his impromptu resurrection he suddenly realized he had ended his flight in the throne room of Las Noches. Ironic, he thought, that his original ordeal had began in this very room. But then who could of forseen what cane to pass. Ichigo Kurosaki's inner hollow, and it disgusted Ulquiorra greatly to admit that is what it was, had undergone a transformation, cutting him down in the process.

And now here he was, Ulquiorra Cifer – Human Trash. He shuddered at the thought, and then stopped abruptly. He refused to be overcome by these new, horribly human emotions. No, he thought, he would remain as before - stoic and indifferent and would deny the facts even if they were layed out plainly before him.

But then, the thought of that woman's face ripped through his internal monologue and gripped his… his heart and he felt something he'd never felt before, not in this existence anyway – he felt shame. Shame for the way he was feeling, shame for running away. It was wrong that he should feel this way, but he felt it none the less.

While he stood motionless pondering this unwanted feeling he felt an overwhelming reiatsu appear beside him.

AIZEN-SAMA!

And with that thought, the blood drained from the former Espada and he dropped to the ground from the pressure the shock of his masters appearance had caused him. He fainted. Pathetic a voice echoed, from somewhere deep in his subconscious.

The Lord of Las Noches stared down at him disdainfully, the disgust apparent on his angular features. Something had changed alright, and it wasn't something even he, the seemingly all knowing thief of the Hogyoku could of preditcted.

My My, what an interesting twist he thought to himself, as he neatly kicked the limp body of the fallen Arrancar, a sneer marring his perfectly symmetrical features.

*************

2 cliffhangers, one chapter! I know it's a little short, I guess it's an intermission of sorts, a transition into the next part of the story.

As always, you're comments are welcome. (And loved!)