A/N: I will have a poll in my profile about the battles to come. I'm not sure if I should put up most of the battle scenes, or just the ones that I thought were more interesting, or just the few that actually make sense with the story line. I would appreciate your votes on what to do, since I am not really sure.
Fix You, by Coldplay is basically the song I was listening to when I wrote the more emotional parts of this chapter.
Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach, and the lyrics belong to me.

*~Graceful Melody~*

I was right when I figured sleep would not grace me last night. I was so focused on their reiatsu's, and the ones that my comrades were clashing against, that every time I actually started to doze off, any change from the pressures would wake me up. Apparently Celest kept the focus so that I would be aware. Sure, I thank Celest for her thought, but I also wish Celest would have given it up so that I could have gotten some sleep.

"Oii, Gracie-chan, ya don look so good." Gin said while walking into the room.

Last night, before Gin and myself parted ways at the shed, we arranged to meet this morning to talk about a few things relating to Aizen's plans.

"Well I have been up all night focusing my attention on their reiatsu," I paused to think for a second, "things don't look very good for them do they?"

Gin's face lost the usual eerie quality that his smile held, if possibly his smile took on the somber tension in the room. I sighed, "so it really is hopeless for everyone."

Right as I said that, I felt Ichigo's pressure collide and mix with someone else's.

'Ichigo and... Grimmjow?'

"Looks like yer 'spada is facing Ichigo."

"He's not my espada any longer, Gin. You of all people should know that," I spat at him.

"Ah, Gracie-chan," he started with an unusual soft tone to his voice, but it still sounded like he was whining, "in time I'll tell ya."

"How much time is that going to be?" I yelled at him; but regretted it not even three seconds later.

"Gin, I-"

Knock, knock.

"Whoever you are, come in."

When Tosen walked into the room, Gin and I just looked to each other then back at Tosen. If possible, Gin's smile faltered the smallest bit to express his curiosity.

"Aizen-sama wishes to see you Graciela."

"Oh-okay.." I trailed off, already thinking the worst of the soon to be encounter.

Gin wished me luck, mentally of course, before I followed Tosen to the throne room.

The walk was silent and rushed. Normally I would feel the need to start up a conversation, but with Tosen? He would probably dismiss everything I said because of his strange lens of 'justice' which he always looks through.

'He would probably consider your every word biased,' Celest agreed with my thoughts.

Tosen opened the large doors for me, and nodded towards Aizen before he left, just as quickly as he came.

"Please, Gracie, sit at the primera's seat, we have a lot to talk about," Aizen ordered.

The way he gave his orders started to anger me, the facade that he is a nice guy still stays with him through those orders. Maybe he's just fooling himself, because we all know how evil and corrupt he really is.

Listening, I sat down at Starrk's seat. Looking up to him, I also realized that he has no intention of sitting on his 'throne'. He came up to the table, and pulled out the segunda's seat and sat down across from me. Now, I became nervous.

"I praise your act, but I do hope that you realize that the resistance was futile. I saw through your little ruse the second you kept your eyes shut too long."

I shot a confused glare his way, 'what is this man talking about?'

"Oh, you are confused?" He gave a short laugh, "I have been aware that you were not under my swords ability.

My eyes shot open and I started to shake out of fear. 'Is this it? Am I going to die?'

"Do not give me such a look, I will not be killing you anytime soon. You are far too valuable. But I do wish that you stay," he stared at my long and hard; then had the nerve to lie straight to my face, "I would hate to hurt those whom you love."

I snarled lightly under her breath, 'what is he getting at?'

"Oh but that's right, the one you love; hurt you! How did that slap feel by the way? It stung, didn't it?"

Tears swelled up in the corner of my eyes, 'how on earth..'

"How do you know of that?" I called in an angry whisper while glaring at the pristine white of the table.

He got up and walked over to me, "do you really believe that your beloved Toshiro would do such a thing to you?"

He placed his hand right where Hitsugaya slapped me, in the same spot, and put pressure onto it. Finally, the tears that swelled up rolled down my face, some landing on his hand.

"You're pathetic," he said with an evil smile, "get up."

His normal expression returned to him, but it seemed less guarded and more maniacal. He motioned for me to follow him to the other side of the table, I wiped my face, then followed; afraid of what would happen if I didn't oblige.

"You were focusing on Ichigo's and Grimmjow's fight before, no?" I glanced at him through my peripheral vision, he held a sadistic smirk on his face.

"Search for their reiatsu again," internally, I sighed at his antics.

Resuming the monitoring I was doing all night, all the reiatsu is the same. Grimmjow and Ichigo's though, it seems as if they have reached their strongest, the battle must-

"Yes their battle should be reaching finality," Aizen looked at me with superiority.

"If you let your self fall under my abilities this would have been unnecessary. Just remember that fact; it's all your fault."

Not a second after he finished his blame-game, I felt someone's reiatsu drop exponentially.

"G-Grimmjow!"

'Celest! Are you sure that he's... he's-"

"Don't bother asking yourself, for I can answer your questions-"

"I never sa-"

"Your facial expression says it all darling-"

"Don't call me!-"

"Grimmjow is dead."

The world around me seemed to stop, even time itself.

Tears flooded and threatened to spill over yet again.

My breathing hitched, I forced myself not to believe the truth.

I clenched and unclenched my hands into fists with my face twisted in agony.

'N-no, that wasn't Grimmjow's reiatsu, was it?He- he's probably just hiding it. Yea he's-'

"Grimmjow is dead and it's all your fault, all you-"

"Shut up you bastard!" I screamed at him.

The entirety of Las Noches seemed to have lost all sound, even the multiple battles that still ensued seem to have lulled. No one spoke, no one breathed, no one moved. Before I even knew what hit me, I was on the floor holding my cheek.

"You are lucky that I need you," he snarled, "other wise it would have been my sword that impaled you; not my hand that slapped you."

I couldn't even think straight and the tears over flooded my vision. 'G-Grimmjow? C'mon, Grimmjow, stop playing around.'

No answer.

'G-Grimmjow, you can't... Grimmjow.. GRIMMJOW!'

But he never answered me.

I looked up to speak my mind to Aizen, but he already left me alone on the floor. Quickly, I transported myself back into my room.

Gin, who stayed in the room through the five minutes I was with Aizen, jumped slightly when I appeared on the bed. Before he could ask me anything, I lifted my head to him.

"It- it was all him! Toshiro.. never hit me.. and now he probably hates me for how I shunned him. Grimmjow, he-he never really wanted to do those things to me did he?"

When Gin didn't provide and answer, an answer I desperately need, I started to yell, "DID HE?"

Gin slowly shook his head; no.

"Oh- oh god.." I started to sob into my hands; very, very loudly.

Everything, the pain, the sadness, the frustration, the desperation above it all; it all welled up inside of me. I just couldn't take it any longer, 'I- I just can't.'

I let out an agonizing scream because there was no other way to express my feelings. Not even all the tears, or words, in the world could suffice. I kept repeating the scream, over and over and over.

"It's all my fault, all me," I started to cry as well.

"IT'S ALL MY FAULT!" I added in desperation.

No matter what Celest, or Ry, or Ella tried; they couldn't get me to calm down. The tears were gone, my tear ducts dried up again. But I kept wailing, I sobbed, I screamed, I curled up into the fetal position; but nothing made me feel any better. It felt like part of me was missing, I felt so empty inside. So much was missing, and it pained me more than anything else in the world to know that none of this would have happened if I gave into Aizen.

I screamed again.

I became so desperate.

Another scream.

So lonely.

I gagged.

So depressed.

Agonizing sobs.

'But who is there to put me back together?'

Before I knew what washed over me, an unusual force pulled my voice from my throat and I started to sing. I never thought that I would be good, but seeing as I never tried other then a small hum; I never noticed the talent that I posses.

"Why do when we find joy,

something takes it all away?

An instant,

is all it takes.

Can that be grasped?

The fact,

the terrifying fact.

Is not a lie,

like out lives,

like ourselves.

It controls lives,

but why can't we?

It's my life to live,

my life to feel.

This illusion,

the grand illusion.

It's not me,

then what are we?

It's all a fake,

the control- lies not in ourselves,

but in the elements.

Of trust,

of hope,

of faith.

Shout,

scream,

sleep;

the feelings never leave.

Subconscious means forever,

that stupid infinity.

It controls lives,

but why can't we?

It's our lives to live,

our lives to feel.

This grand illusion,

is not me,

but what are we?

The company you bestow me,

just your presence.

Why are you gone?

When this is when,

I need you the most.

For granted,

you were never.

Loved,

you were always.

I'll meet you again,

somewhere in the life,

we both had hoped.

Can I control myself?

Badaaa, ba. Laaa la, oooh. Ooohee oo.

It controls lives,

but why can't we?

It's my life to live,

our lives to love.

This grand illusion,

this confusion,

it's not me.

But what are,

we?"

When I finished, the feelings were still there; but somehow I felt better. Like something was slowly patching up the smarting wounds.

'Wow.'

I smiled lightly, and found the strength to sit up and dry my face.

A sound pulled me from my reverie, my door opened.

*~Narators Verse~*

Little did Gracie know, but Gin escaped during her crying fit not for the reason she had assumed. Sure, he left out of respect as well, but it was mostly to save the sorry soul who got his ass whooped by the strawberry.

When he found the spot within the sands of Las Noches where Grimmjow lay; he was not surprised when he saw the man trying to get up and crawl away.

"Grimmjow, give it up. Yar coming with me anyway."

"Gin... put me down," Grimmjow attempted to sound tough and fierce like usual, but he was loosing life too quickly to do so.

"No can do. I told ya I'd help ya 'pologize to lil Gracie-chan. So we're going to the place where dis will 'come reality."

Gin quickly shunpo'd to the shed, not even caring if Aizen was watching or not.

Though Gin knew that Aizen wouldn't be, for now that Orihime Inoue is rescued, he can make his move on Karakura.

"Where are we.. going?" Grimmjow managed out before he lost his breath again.

"Soul Society!" Gin said happily after he stepped into the shed.

"I'm not-" Grimmjow started to protest. Then he thought things over. Grimmjow is a hunter by nature, so when he considers and objective, he tends to think of the objective like pray.

He nodded his head for Gin to continue to Soul Society; for it was the only way to corner his pray.

*~Graceful Melody~*

"Who's there?" I called out to the slightly opened door.

A white haired man stepped out from it, and walked towards my bed. I had to blink at least a thousand times before I realized that it wasn't all in my head.

That Toshiro Hitsugaya really was standing in front of me.

"I never knew you could sing," he started.

"Neither could I," I countered.

"Listen, I-"

"Let me-"

We began at the same time. He gave a short laugh and I forced my tears back once again.

"How about we talk when we get back to Soul Society, hm?" He posed.

I started to nod my head, but then I remembered Aizen's threat.

"I-I can't," I admitted in defeat.

Toshiro's face took on a shocked expression, then his face hardened in some revelation he made.

"Oh," he said dejectedly, "I see."

"No it's not what you-"

"I'll see you soon enough. Good bye Graciela."

"Toshiro!" I called, but the door slammed shut in response to my voice.

'Graciela, stop. Just think for a second, he offered to clear things up with you in Soul Society, take him up on the offer. There is no need to get upset again.'

'Thanks Celest.'

Crisis adverted? For now, yes. But today left me emotionally drained, I realized finally.

Now that my comrades reiatsu's disappeared, they must have returned back to Soul Society, I allowed myself to fall into a restful and dream filled sleep.

*~Narrators Verse~*

"Thank you all for coming here on such a short notice," Yamamoto soutaicho began, "but the search party was a success."

A few cheers were heard and most of the members of the Gotei 13 were smiling; happy to have an advantage over Aizen. Well, at least they thought they had the advantage.

"Wait," Renji pointed out, "where's Gracie?"

"She said that she couldn't come," Hitsugaya said with a colder edge then usual.

"But... wha?" Renji said confused.

"I can provide the answer ta that," Gin said.

He walked out from the room where Yamamoto, Gracie and himself had met the night before.

"What is that traitor doing here!" Multiple captains and vice-captains called.

"Silence!" Yamamoto yelled over all of them, "he never betrayed Soul Society. I asked him to gain Aizen's trust long ago thanks to a warning I received from.. someone."

Deep in Gracie's inner world, Celest sneezed.

'I didn't know that we could sneeze!'

'Neither did I..'

'Alright, who's talking about ya?'

"Ever since, he has been relaying all information back to me about Aizen's whereabouts, actions and plans. So please, Gin, if you would explain to them why Gracie couldn't come back."

"Gladly," he started, "Aizen threatened her ta hurt whoever she cares for or loves if she didn't stay wit 'im. When I revealed ta 'er what really happened, she started ta blame herself for well.. e'erthing."

"What do you mean by what really happened?" Yamamoto pushed since it looked like none of the other shinigami trusted his knowledge yet.

"I suppose y'all heard bout Toshiro o'er there slapping Gracie-chan?" Multiple shinigami nodded in response, "well Aizen's sword has another ability, thanks ta the hogyoku startin to form wit him and whatnot. But anyway, he gained da 'bility to take o'er other people's minds for a short period a time. Dat's what he did with Toshiro here, and he's really da one who hurt Gracie-chan."

Multiple gasps echoed the room, "but dat's not all. In Las Noches he got one of his 'spada to gain Gracie's trust so dat she would tell the 'spada 'er past and most a 'er secrets. After the information was told ta Aizen, he realized that Gracie-chan would only agree ta stay in Las Noches if she was emotionally unstable. So Aizen had the 'spada literally stab her in the back."

"What espada was it Gin?" Hitsugaya requested, 'I'll kill him,' he added mentally.

Hyourinmaru added a hearty laugh.

"He's restin up in da fourth division right now-"

"WHAT!" half of the meeting room yelled. Quite some more drew their swords and a few even began to plan a battle strategy.

"Quiet!" Yamamoto, once again, silenced the group, "I have allowed the espada to stay here."

"What!" Ichigo interrupted.

Yamamoto silenced him with a glare, "I know that you all may not like it but Gin says he claims that he hates Aizen for ordering him to do all the things he has done, especially towards Graciela. Plus, he could prove helpful to the upcoming battle."

"Do I get to experiment on him?" Kurotsuchi Mayuri asked.

"No, but you may observe him under controlled tests."

Strangely, Kurotsuchi seemed satisfied with only being able to test Grimmjow. He must have something up his sleeve for the controlled environments.

"So which espada is it?" Kyoraku Shunsui asked.

"Would ya stop talking about me like I'm not here?" Grimmjow said from his relaxed position. He leaned his back on the door frame, hollow bone facing the group of shinigami.

"YOU!" Ichigo screamed form somewhere in the crowd.

Grimmjow smirked and began his march through the crowd to stand next to Gin.

"You really accepted to help out here?" Ichigo asked skeptically.

"It was this or die," Grimmjow said simply.

"Plus, he's got some amends ta make wit a certain someone~" Gin added teasingly.

Then Gin realized something he forgot to mention before, "speaking of da upcomin battle. He's attempting to make da Kings Key, to get the number of souls, ya'll have to make sure that nothing goes wrong with the fake Karakura. Even a few deaths of da people in town could start a chain o' events that would be real bad."

"Wait, you're not going to be helping us prepare?" Hitsugaya inquired.

"Nah, I still gotta go back ta Aizen, he still tinks I'm loyal ta him, so why ruin it now when I could get da chance ta destroy him and the hogyoku during da battle? Cya!"

Gin left Grimmjow standing alone in the crowd of shinigami.

Grimmjow decided to answer the questions showing on their faces, "I was half dead when Gin started to bring me here. No way would I ever come here willingly."

He elicited the reactions he wanted to get from all the shinigami present. Well, except for one.

"Then why are you still here?" Yachiru asked.

"I-," Grimmjow wanted to make his answer as cryptic as he could, "I have a debt to pay."

He stated simply, then calmly walked out.

Tuesday August 17th 5:31 am.