Szayel was the first, and easiest to revert, since he was found only a few feet from the door and was still half unconscious from his struggle with Grimmjow. Orihime started her transformation, encasing his entire body in the golden light. She stopped the moment his number eight disappeared.

Grimmjow stared down at the confused arrancar, now only in possession of a tenth or less of his espada powers, nothing for them to worry about. They moved on. They found a half dead Nnoitra who still managed to struggle a bit but eventually he two was taken back to an arrancar state.

Then they came upon the real fight. A path of broken stone and crumbling walls lead to main hall where soul reapers and espada fought in a wild brawl. They managed to get a wounded Ulquiorra– this time Orihime had to work harder, restoring memories enough to make him lucid while reversing the state of his body. When she was finished, the dynamics of the battle changed. In fact, it came to a stop all together as the espada stared at Grimmjow and the Soul Reapers at Hitsugaya and Orihime.

Toshiro didn't flinch when the blade pressed against his throat.

"Hitsugaya." The woman's voice was steady and cold.

"Soifon. You're injured." One arm hung useless and looking over her shoulder, Toshiro saw Ichigo and Renji also bleeding heavily. "Ichigo and Renji are here? Why did you bring them?"

"So you had your memory restored, but the last fee days are gone."

"Yes, were you with me the whole time?"

"Most of it."

"Then I understand your position. But don't you think it could wait, until after this battle is won?"

She pulled her steal away and looked back at the group. No one had escaped injury but not all the espada were here. There was a chance they could take down this group.

"You have a plan then?"

"Not just a plan, the power to back it up." Hitsugaya flexed his fingers, turned to the crowd and let his spirit mingle with the ancient powers that resided in his mind.

Orihime stumbled exhausted out into the cool night air. Grimmjow and Ichigo were at her back, the others were still dealing with the last of the espada but she'd needed air and a boost of energy. Grimmjow had already begun the transfer of energy as she sat heavily on the steps, his strong hands around her shoulders. Ichigo watched him suspiciously but could not deny the colour that returned to her cheeks. He didn't know what Grimmjow's game was, but he would not let him out of his sight while Orihime was with him.

When the process was finished it was Grimmjow's turn to sit, finally having expending the bulk of his spiritual pressure, but Orihime stood. Her tired eyes had fallen onto the broken shape just a few stairs down.

"Orihime, don't." Ichigo said, following her gaze down to Ichimaru's body. He was not quite dead, otherwise his body would have dissipated, but he would not recover on his own.

"No, Ichigo. He saved us. In the rebound, he was taken back to when he wasn't even a lieutenant. He has a chance to start over. They both do."

"Does he deserve it?" Ichigo's eyes trailed back to Grimmjow who stared back at him with as much ferocity as he could muster in his tired state. There was no doubt who Ichgio was really thinking of.

"Yes, Ichigo, and I know you know that too. Don't let past feelings get in the way." She too looked over her shoulder at Grimmjow but then turned back to the man over whom she crouched. The golden light covered him and soon he was gasping.

"You, Orihime. And the boy soul reaper. What happened?"

"Its okay. Aizen has lost his power, you're safe. But we need all the help we can get to defeat the rest of the espada."

Ichimaru stood up and nodded. "I'll do whatever I can."

"What about you?" Orihime turned to Grimmjow.

"I'll be alright." He breathed but Ichigo came to stand before him.

"What do you plan to do once the espada are taken care of? You'll be the most powerful, is that your plan?"

"Ichigo Kurosaki, you think more like a hollow than you'd admit."

"You didn't answer my question."

"That's because I don't have an answer. I don't know what I'm going to do."

Ichigo considered him for a moment then stuck out a hand. Grimmjow snorted but took it anyway and Ichigo pulled him to his feet. The four turned back to the palace. A burst of freezing cold air howled out through the doors, it was almost over now. But when the fighting was done, there would be a lot of uneasy decisions to be made.

The last espada to go was Stark. He reluctantly fought them off but to those who did fight him, it seemed he was ready for what Orihime offered. His transition was quick and finally their work was done. It would be easy to kill them all now, but dishonourable.

Grimmjow watched them, gathered in what remained of the great hall, mixed feelings swirling inside him. He could feel the build of Soul Reaper riatsu from far away, but growing quickly. Reinforcements had finally gotten here, after the fighting was done. Now they had mere minutes to decide what actions to take.

"Orihime." Soifon called the girl forward. She was next to a very exhausted Hitsugaya. He had great power, but fighting without his Zampakuto had drained him. He knew he couldn't outrun Soifon even if he wanted to.

"I won't do anything to Toshiro if he doesn't want me to." The red haired girl said firmly as she approached Soifon.

"Its okay Orihime." Toshiro sighed, not even bothering to look up at her.

"I have made my decision, but you all must agree."

Soifon looked over all the soul reapers, then finally back to Orihime. Then she turned her back on the whole group. "Is that understood?"

A unanimous "yes" sounded behind her.

Byakuya was the first to reach them. He trod over broken stone and charred decor until he came to the devastation that was the great hall. He drew his sword when he saw Aizen, but relaxed his hand as he seemed to be unconscious, slumped against the wall behind his own lieutenant.

Next to Renji was Ichigo Kurosaki and Orihime Inoue and next to her was Gin Ichimaru. Again he tensed, but Captain Soifon greeted him. She rose from a small form on the ground, unconscious.

"Captain Kuchiki!" Renji left his post before Aizen and greeted his Captain who nodded before turning back to Soifon.

"What happened here?"

"Orihime Inoue reversed all of Aizen's powers, back to his first days in the academe. Likewise, Gin Ichimaru and the espada have been rendered harmless. Tossen is dead."

"Where are the arrancars?"

"Back out in the dessert, doing what hollows do. They have lost whatever power Aizen gave them."

"And the hogyoku?"

"Also destroyed. Orihime erased it from existence." Byakuya turned to look at the girl in question.

"It seems we all missed what was right in front of our eyes."

"No, not all of us." Soifon moved back to the boy she'd been examining. "Captain Hitsugaya figured it out."

"I thought he lost his memories."

"Yes. But they were restored for a brief period. When the battle was won, however, he knew what needed to be done. The first time he erased his memories himself, it made him practically powerless. This time, however, Orihime used her powers to take him back to just before all this happened. He should still be our Captain Hitsugaya when he wakes."

"That is good news indeed." Byakuya came to the boy's side and picked him up. Captain Unohana and Zarakai came through the entrance, several squad members at their back. But now, their only task was to get home. Ichimaru and Aizen followed without question and soon Las Noches was nothing but a barren shell, a remnant of Aizen's tryanny and power.

Urahara set down his tea cup and looked at the man before him. His blue eyes were serious, honest, he had no reason to refuse his request.

"So you want a gigai, Grimmjow? Does this mean you'll be sticking around?"

"In the world of the living, for now, but not here, not in Karakura."

"Too many bad memories?"

"You could say that. I can't say that the next time I see Kurosaki I won't try to rip his head off."

"Why haven't you gone after him?"

"I hate him, I do, but hurting him was what Aizen wanted me to do and he doesn't control me anymore. So I'll go far away from here, start over."

"If I give you a gigai, how do I know you won't hurt other humans?"

"That's simple. Because she wouldn't want me to."

"Do you love her?"

Grimmjow laughed out loud, the sound harsh in the quiet room. "Love? Arrancars don't know the meaning of the word. No, I owe her. She gave me my life and this second chance, so I'll honour her by using it in a way she would approve of."

"Aren't you going to say goodbye to her?"

"What's the point? She's got Kurosaki to take care of her."

"You have a lot to learn about being human, Grimmjow. Maybe you shouldn't leave quite yet, until you've figure it out. I'm sure she'd be willing to teach you."

"I'm sure she would, but I doubt Soul Society would ever accept me, and I don't want to put Orihime in that position. She's better off if she never sees me again."

"I stand corrected, Grimmjow, you are more human that I thought. I'll have that order for you ready in a day or so. Don't get into trouble between now and then."

'Thanks, old man."

Grimmjow left the shop and, twenty-four hours later, he came back, put on his gigai and left Karakura for good. But as he was leaving, he passed by her apartment, felt her spirit and couldn't resist.

She cried, like he knew she would, and hugged him, but when he asked her to, she let him go. He thought he'd been selfish in stopping to see her, but he would never know how much it meant for her to have the chance to say good bye.

Toshiro woke in the healing house. He felt fine, a but disoriented, but he was given as much of a briefing as possible and then allowed back to work.

Rangiku was buzzing around the office joyously when he returned. She was doubly happy: her Captain had returned, uninjured and restored to his position and her best friend had come back. It would take her along time to come to terms with his betrayal, but they had talked about it, he had explained how scared he was about the whole thing. She had to hope that for all those years he'd had some sort of plan to stop Aizen, and that's what he hoped to.

For now, his fate was still being decided. He would not be imprisoned but allowing him to continue on as a Soul Reaper would be a difficult decision to make. Rangiku still clung to hope however, and Toshiro had never seen her so happy since the day of Gin's betrayal.

Rukia and Renji had escaped reprimand, again, it seemed their disobedience was forgotten in the face of Aizen's defeat. Ichigo had returned to the world of the living once he'd given his report to the Head Captain and Uryu had had his own memory restored when Orihime returned home.

In short, everything had returned to normal, and a full week passed before Toshiro felt the Head Captain approach him. He was on Sokioku hill, a place he liked to come to think with Hyorinmaru, and he hadn't noticed the faint frost that had built around him.

"Troubled?" Yamamoto asked when he came to stand next to him.

"Just thinking."

"About what happened in Heuco Mundo?"

Toshiro looked up at him. "No. Those memories are lost to me."

The Head Captain nodded, looking out the horizon. "Of course. You know, I am very impressed that you managed to break Soifon's loyalty to me. That was something I did not expect."

Toshiro sighed but did not comment so the Head Captain continued. "Come now Captian Hitsugaya. You may have fooled everyone else, but not me. I can still see how you despise me. You are young, and your emotions shine clear to ancient eyes. I know that Orihime never took away those memories. So tell me, what do you plan to do with them?"

"Nothing."

"Really?"

"Its over, the threat is gone. Aizen is powerless, Unohana doesn't think he'll ever regain all of his power. But he would still win, if we turned against ourselves."

"Then why do you chose to live with those memories? I know from experience the pain they bring."

"For the sake of those first soul reapers, I can never let you take those memories back. Someone needs to remember them, to be angry on their behalf. All those things I saw, once you're gone, they'll be forgotten. So out of respect for all the Soul Reapers who came before me, I can never forget."

"Well said, young captain."

"So you won't fight me?"

"No Captain Hitsugaya, but I will ask something of you."

"What is that?"

"Replace me, when I am gone." Toshiro now turned fully around to stare up at his captain.

"What?"

"Like you said, all those memories will die with me when I go, except that you have them now. Since you entered the acadamey I had my eye on you. You're powers are still maturing and you are incredibly bright, when you have lived a hundred more years, imagine what strength you will possess, and how much wiser you will become, especially now that you can learn from my mistakes. You are indeed the child prodigy, and I always intended for you to be my replacement. I just hadn't planned on telling you until I could look you eye to eye."

When all had registered in his stunned brain, Toshiro just smiled at the poke at his stature and nodded his understanding.

"Then let's wait until then, before I tell you whether I accept."

The Head Captain chuckled slightly, and nodded. "Fair enough. Until then, try not to dwell on the past, it does no good."

He walked away over the silver tinted grass, but the frost was melting. Hitsugaya stayed a little while longer, but instead of thinking on the past, as he stared out on the distant hills, he thought of the years to come, and what he might say on the day he stood here as a man.

END

Well I hope you enjoyed this story! Please let me know what you think!

~Riza