Disclaimer: T.k's property.

'I promise to protect you next time.'

'Orihime... Orihime.... Orihime,' a low unsteady voice, made almost unclear by its cries, uttered over and over again. For a full minute, it was the only sound that could be heard in the cold battlefield. Ichigo could feel Orihime's body turn cold in his arms, as her warm blood rushed out of her body.

'No-no,' he murmured, defiantly putting his hand over her wound, trying to force her blood back in to her body. He held her closer to him, wrapping his other arm around her shoulders. His mouth to her ear, he whispered harshly his voice cracking, 'Don't die on me. Don't you dare die on me. Please. I can't fail you. I won't.'

The girl in his arms kept her silence.

'Like I said before - a suicide mission,' Gin said mockingly, walking steadily, with an air of arrogance towards him.

'Shut up,' Ichigo spat his voice low, threatening. His eyes flashed black and gold, before switching back to brown. A warning. However, as he was staring at the ground, was one that they missed.

Aizen chuckled. 'Indeed,' he replied to Gin, before turning back to the Spirit King whose face was oddly blank.

'What a shame,' he said mockingly. His voice took on a more serious tone. 'Enough chit-chat.' He flew at the Spirit King and it seemed to be the signal for everyone else to start fighting again.

Clashes. Yells. Cries of outrage. Ichigo tuned it all out. The only sound he heard was her voice and his, resounding in his head.

'I'm going to fix this, I'm not sure how quite yet, but I will.'

'I'm not leaving without you ever. I swore to protect you and I'm never going to break it. If this is what you need to do, then I'll stay here with you and help you. Just tell me what I have to do.'

He could feel his anger simmering dangerously, just ready to boil over. His body shook uncontrollably. Gin took another step towards him, getting closer and closer, unawares.

Ichigo's reiatsu spiked alarmingly, halting Gin in his tracks. His orange hair lengthened, a full, eerie hollow's mask solidifying over his face...and large horns formed at the side of his head. He dropped Orihime's body on to the floor and stood up in a quick, fluid movement. Gin's eyes widened in shock. There was a hole right in the middle of Ichigo's chest.

What? It was the only thing he had time to think, before a growling Ichigo jumped at him, brandishing his sword threateningly, a crazed expression stretched across his mask. Gin just managed to dodge a fatal blow to the heart, but couldn't avoid it completely. He let out a small gasp as Zangetsu pieced in to...and out of his right shoulder. 'Ichigo' twisted his sword round in Gin's flesh before pulling his sword out slowly, painfully. He let out a manic laugh that had the other fighters turning round to face him, their skin crawling unpleasantly.

**

Aren't I dead? But this doesn't look like Soul Society.

'Orihime...' she looked around, eyes searching for what she would not find. I could swear I just heard Kurosaki-kun. She bent over the river, cupping some water in her hands to wash her face. She let the cooling moisture wash away the dirt and the grime. As she bent down to scoop some more water (this time to drink), she caught sight of her reflection – and immediately stood up to look down at herself.

Instead of the tattered monochrome dress from Aizen that she had been wearing...she was now wearing a long, royal blue satin halter-neck dress, with a swirling golden embroidery around the hem, rising up to her knees in an elegant pattern. On her shoulders was a thick, hooded, velvet cloak in the same royal blue shade. She turned her head awkwardly to look at her back and sure enough, caught sight of the same golden royal emblem, which had been on the back of the Spirit King's cloak.

What did this all mean?

She turned back to her watery reflection and nearly screamed in shock at the second reflection in the mirror. She turned to her right to face the owner of the reflection.

'Who are you? Orihime asked startled.

'Hello Orihime,' the woman smiled gently. She had shoulder length auburn coloured hair, hazel eyes and a very compassionate look about her. I can't help but feel this sense of familiarity towards her, just like with the Spirit King. Then comprehension dawned.

'You're the Spirit Queen,' Orihime breathed. The lady nodded slightly, with a slightly saddened look in her eyes.

'How do you know my name?' Orihime asked.

'I've always known your name,' she answered warmly. Orihime felt stupid. This was the Spirit Queen –of course she knew everyone's name. She briefly wondered why she felt such familiarity to this woman and if everyone felt it towards the Spirit King and Queen but the Queen didn't give her a chance to.

'I'm afraid we haven't got much time,' she said in her soothing voice. 'Follow me,' she ordered and set about at a brisk pace towards the crumbling castle. Orihime being the same height as the Queen, found it easy to keep up with her.

'Not much time for what? What must I do?' she asked holding the Queens wrist in the passion of her desperation, before letting go quickly as if burned. 'Forgive me your majesty – I-' but she was once again, cut off by the Queen, this time by her holding Orihime's hand. Orihime looked up at her in surprise, as the Queen dragged her through various grand hallways and rooms, all of which were gradually crumbling down.

Still in the same soft but commanding tone she said, 'the Hougyoko crashed right in the middle of,' she gulped, 'the nursery.' Orihime looked at her alarmed.

'Is your baby alright?' she asked panicking, guilt already beginning to drown her, at the idea that she may have accidentally harmed an innocent baby. The Queen looked at her with an unreadable expression in her eyes.

'Yes she's fine. Now what you have to do, is send the Hougyoko back, the same way you brought it here. Then over a period of many years, slowly send it back here, so that the balance of Spirit particles remains. While you do that, I will work on opening up a portal for you to get back.' She opened a large white wooden door and stepped in to a half destroyed room...at the heart of which, right in the centre of the thick cashmere carpet, lay the Hougyoko.

Orihime nodded dutifully, a lump rising in her throat and her palms began to sweat. The Queen, who was still holding one of Orihime's hands noticed and squeezed her hand tighter. With the other she held Orihime's chin gently and turned her face to look straight in to her eyes.

'Don't be scared. You can do this Orihime. I know you can. The only one stopping you from achieving your full potential is you. When you get back, you will be needed, so don't ever forget that.' If her voice was gentle then her gaze was like melted butter. Orihime felt a growing confidence and more importantly, power bud within her. Something within her was changing.

'Thank you,' she smiled prettily at the Queen before turning determinedly towards the Hougyoko to put an end to what she had started.

'Good luck my child,' the Queen whispered lovingly as she got to work on opening the portal back to Las Noches.

**

An echoing roar and a dead traitor later. Gin's mutilated, bleeding corpse lay hundreds of metres away, where 'Ichigo' had thrown it. There was no doubt in anyone's mind that Ichigo was far from in control of his body. The heavy, dark reiatsu would have been enough confirmation, even without Gin's inhumane death.

But that Ichigo could get so strong that he could effortlessly kill Gin? Kenpachi grinned. Oh he definitely wanted a match with this boy after this whole thing was over. Shinji gulped as he evaded a blow from the Espada in front of him. It's dangerous, this level of power that he possesses. But I doubt he'll be able to control it. He's more hollow than Shinigami at the moment...he might even be completely hollow.

'Ichigo' turned his masked face towards Aizen - his next victim, but Tousen got in his way. 'Ichigo' cracked his fingers threateningly. So this would be his next victim.

Aizen would come straight after.

He lunged at Tousen with a speed that unnerved the blind man. Within seconds they were locked in a fierce battle, each giving it all they had.

It was the same all across the grounds of Las Noches. Swords clashing. Metal grinding against metal. Kidou spells finding or missing their targets. Tears of frustration in some cases. Sweat. Blood – endless amounts of blood.

In the middle of all this, Aizen and the Spirit King fought. Limited by his earth-bound state, he and Aizen were evenly matched. Aizen's eyes flashed as he wiped away a slight trickle of blood at the side of his forehead. He wasn't going to lose. No way. He had come too far to turn back now. Gin's death as well as the espadas was a nuisance but it was inconsequential.

He would win this fight. He lunged again, this time managing to graze the Spirit King's ribs. Warm blood spilt on to the cold blade. But it wasn't enough to satiate his swords thirst for the precious liquid.

The length of my blade will be coated in his blood.

The only person (aside from Kenpachi) who at that moment could meet, if not surpass Aizen's blood lust, was Ichigo. Tousen stood no chance. He managed to land a hit the length of Ichigo's chest. Whilst the wound bled profusely...Ichigo didn't seem to even feel it. He just attacked Tousen over and over again, each blow finding its mark.

It could have been minutes, hours or days. Tousen didn't know. He didn't feel. He dropped to his knees, before keeling over, his face to the ground, blood gurgling out of his mouth. The gurgling stopped as the last shreds of life left him. But Ichigo didn't leave it there. Grabbing Zangetsu with both hands, he repeatedly stabbed Tousen and over again.

No, Ichigo definitely wasn't in control of his body.

Ishida who was closest to Ichigo, rushed over and tried to pull him away from Tousen.

'Kurosaki stop! You – '...Ichigo never gave him the chance to finish as he dashed Zangetsu through his stomach. Eyes widened in horror. Renji quickly shunpoed to Ishida, before Ichigo could finish him off completely. There was a collective intake of breath.

Suddenly, an explosion behind Ichigo where Orihime's body lay, shook everyone out of their horrified revere. A huge dust cloud rose, blocking everyone's view of what was happening. In the silence they could however hear the distinctive sound of a portal opening and closing within the dust cloud.

The smoke cleared, revealing two figures, their faces hidden in hooded royal blue cloaks. One bent over to pick up a small glowing object that lay where Orihime's body had been.

Her body had been...

There were enraged cries as her nakamas realized that Inoue's body was missing. Their exclamations were short lived as the figure holding the orb (that looked suspiciously like the Hougyoko), took off her hood, her eyes scanning her surroundings, taking in everything that had happened in her absence.

'Inoue!' Rukia exclaimed in surprise. Inoue's eyes flickered briefly to hers before moving on to Gin's body...Tousen's body...Ishida...and finally Ichigo, who stood still in front of her. Before anyone could do anything – still too fixed in their shock and unarticulated questions – Orihime handed the Hougyoko to the woman beside her and ran straight towards Ichigo.

Multiple cries sounded across the clearing as people snapped back to their senses.

'Inoue don't!'

A/n: Is Ichigo going to attack her too? omg what can i say? I've updated a whole 3 DAYS EARLY and I think it's my longest chapter yet! Yaaay.

Although I'm generally not a fan of mysterious costume changes i figured that: a) Shinigami do it all the time and b) I was getting sick of that frass dress Aizen put her in.

I had originally planned for this to be the second to last chapter but seeing as i felt like adding a bit of angst, i haven't put in what i wanted in this chap, so there'll still be a further two chaps.

Hope you liked it and thanks for reading!

Pretty please review? I can't give you cookies but I promise to try to update again this week.

Missy

xxx