Ichigo opened his eyes. Where was he, everywhere he looked was covered in darkness. He got up from the floor, he began walking. Finally he could see something glittering in the distance, he quicken his pace. He stopped when he came across a mirror supported by nothing in the darkness. There was so much darkness, it felt like it was swallowing him. Ichigo took a peek inside the mirror, inside he couldn't make out any shape in particular.

"Are ya seriously going to just lie down and die, king? I knew ya was weak, but not that weak." His inner hollow was back.

"Where are you?" His voice sounded so far away to his ears, it was almost as if he was underwater.

"I hate the rain, king. I should punish you for that."

"Is this real?"

"What is real?" His hollow's voice echoed the words back to him. What was real? He couldn't see the hollow, had he imagined it all?

"Goood Morning Ichiiiiiigoooooooo!" That was his father's voice. He ducked, but nothing made an impact into him. He saw something in the mirror, he saw his father's image as he fell out of the house as the Ichigo on the screen dodged the wakeup call from his father. Ichigo shook his head at his old man.

"Ichiiiiiigoooo!" the scene changed to Keigo trying to tackle him in the hallway at school. Ichigo had simply moved out of the way to avoid his friend.

"You're an idiot Ichigo!" Rukia's image had replaced Keigo's on the screen. Her hands were on her hips after she had just punched him.

"Such an idiot" Uryu seemed to appear on the screen as he pushed up his glass. Then Orihime's image appeared on the screen. "Don't die! Ichigo! I don't care if you don't win." That was when he saw Aizen's face looking back at him through the mirror. His heart seemed to jump out of his chest upon seeing Aizen. That was until he truly listened to his words.

"I suppose it is only to be expected. You have my pity. There is no such thing as 'truth' or 'lies' in this world; there never has been. There is only plain, hard facts. And yet, all beings who exist in this world take only those 'facts' that are convenient to them, and take them to be the 'truth'. They do so because they know no other way to live. However, for those powerless beings that make up the majority of this world it is those 'facts' that are inconvenient for their own self-affirmation that make up the real 'truth'."

Ichigo listened to the words. He could then hear someone calling his name and the darkness began to fade away from him. He blinked a few times, he wasn't in the mess hall anymore. What exactly was that, he didn't understand. His head hurt like hell though. It didn't make sense, though he truly thought about the words he heard Aizen say in the mirror. No that wasn't a normal mirror.

A light was being shined into his eyes. He blinked before he saw that Aizen was standing away from him a little bit. "My head" he got out. Unohana seemed to be the one holding the light in his eyes, he realized that much after the light had been turned off.

"His pupils look fine, everything seems to be in order."

"Then why did he faint. I mean there was that look of pain on his face before he collapsed."

"He seems fine, Doctor. Well physically at least. You're free to see if you can find anything. Now good day Dr. Aizen." Unohana had left the room. Ichigo leaned back down on the pillow, he at some time had risen up. He didn't remember doing that.

"How do you feel?"

"Like shit." Ichigo replied quickly, but his mind was elsewhere. He was focused on what the mirror had showed him. Had he died? No Orihime had said those words to him during his fight with Grimmjow. Rukia and Uryu seemed to call him an idiot all the time. It was the part with Aizen and his inner hollow that puzzled him the most though. It was raining in his inner world, well according to his inner hollow at least. He couldn't even place when Aizen had said those words to him.

"I feel like I am to blame for this." Aizen hadn't tried to touch him.

"Why do you say that" Ichigo asked stupidly.

"Every sign points to it. Get some rest Ichigo, I'll come check on you later." Just like that Aizen had turned around and was walking out of the room. What had just happened? Ichigo had no clue what was going on anymore.

He must have fallen asleep, he didn't remember it. The last thing he remembered was Aizen walking away from him. He could feel someone touching him. "Go away Aizen, I'm not in the mood" he got out.

"Wrong person."

Ichigo's eyes popped open. Grimmjow was sitting next to him in the bed. "So you're not in the mood to play with the bastard. You sure have been spending a lot of time with him."

Ichigo groaned. "It isn't by choice you know."

Grimmjow looked into Ichigo's eyes. Ichigo found himself amazed at just how blue Grimmjow's eyes were. Grimmjow was so close to him, that fact mentally registered in his mind, but he didn't do anything about it.

"So what happened to ya anyways? Ya look like shit."

"It is because I feel like shit. So what have you heard?"

Grimmjow looked like he was thinking. "Nothing much really, just noticed that you have been hanging around that bastard of a doctor. Everyone else seems to just be going through the motions. Actually I've noticed that another one of the doctors has been actin strange."

"Gin? Kisuke?"

Grimmjow shook his head. "No, the little one. "

"Toshiro? How is he acting strangely?"

Grimmjow moved closer to Ichigo, now Grimmjow was basically on top of him. The bed was small and it was already crowded before Grimmjow leaned closer to him. "He has been getting closer to a patient himself. Momo or whatever her name is. Though anyways I heard that ya were in here. I had to see how you were doing."

"Just feeling like shit." Grimmjow was so close to him. "Why are you in bed with me anyways?"

Grimmjow chuckled. "I didn't want anyone to notice."

"You really didn't think it out did you?"

"Nope, but it seemed like a good idea at the time. Anyways think you can walk out of here on your own. I could always carry you if you want me to."

"I should be able to walk, but where are we going?" Grimmjow was getting out of the bed, somehow he slipped out of it with ease. "I have been explorin the place. I might have found us a place…" Ichigo had slid out of the bed and went to stand. He however ended up falling forward, Grimmjow broke his fall. His face heated up. What was going on with him? Grimmjow was smirking up at him. He seemed to be enjoying this.

"I would have always thought I would be on top." Grimmjow leaned up and brushed his lips against his. Ichigo was stunned at the move, and Grimmjow easily flipped it so he was now pinned against the ground.

Grimmjow kissed him again, this kiss was more than just a brush of his lips though, this one was actually rougher. Ichigo didn't know what he was doing as he returned the kiss. He moved to run his hands through Grimmjow's hair, but Grimmjow pinned his hands to the floor. Then he broke the kiss. He got up pulling Ichigo with him. Ichigo still was stunned about what had just happened. Had Grimmjow just kissed him and had he kissed him back? His face heated up, Grimmjow was leaning him out of the room. He didn't struggle against Grimmjow at all. Soon they had stopped in a hallway, a set of double doors at the end of it.

"Where are we?" Ichigo whispered.

Ichigo thought he recognized the doors. Yes they were the one from his dream. Was this another dream?

"What did you want to show me here anyways?"

"It is all through those doors, I've figured it out." Grimmjow seemed proud of himself as he lead Ichigo towards the door.

"What are ya two doing?" Gin's voice rang out in the empty hallways.

He was approaching them. Shit. Shit. Shit. They were in trouble now.

"Ichigo, I thought ya were still recovering. Who would have thought I would be so lucky as to find ya in the halls. We wouldn't want ya gettin hurt now would we?" Ichigo world was spinning. What was through those doors? "Now come on, we wouldn't want ya two to get into trouble."

"Ichigo, you should be in bed." Aizen had entered the hallway, and was now standing next to Ichigo. Ichigo had at some point let go of Grimmjow's hand, probably when Gin had caught them. Now they were so fucking screwed.

"I know, but" he started. Aizen stopped him. "Gin, why don't you take Grimmjow back to his room. I'll take Ichigo."

Gin smiled. "With pleasure Dr. Aizen."

Grimmjow was being led away from him. Aizen was leading him in the opposite direction of where he and Grimmjow had just come from. "Where are you taking me?"

"Your room, why? Did you hope to go to mine?"

"N…no" he got out. "My room is fine, I just thought you would be taking me back to the recovery. That is all."

Aizen sighed. "Ichigo, if you can be walking around the halls, I think your fine to go back to your room. Now this time I actually want you to get some rest. Dinner will be soon. I'll come wake you up when it is time to eat." They had already made it to his room.

Ichigo sighed. "Fine, but a normal wakeup please."

"Will do. Now go to sleep Ichigo." Ichigo didn't dare say anything to Aizen. Aizen didn't look like he was in the mood for Ichigo to try to do anything. Ichigo laid down on the bed and closed his eyes and attempted to go to sleep. He thought he could hear footsteps and the door closing. What kind of mess had he just gotten himself into?

…+++….

Author's Note:

So this chapter was interesting for many different reasons. It was interesting to write on so many different levels, even if it did seem to go by quickly.

I would like to address shipping in this note. Who exactly do I ship? Grimmichi or Aichi? The answer is both. There should have been shipping brackets in the story write up, but for some reason it refuses to update that. Anyways there will be hints of Grimmichi throughout the piece. Mainly it is Aichi though. Just clearing that up.

Basically Ichigo's life become a mess. He doesn't know what is real and what is not. Especially now with the dream and the mirror. –Hint- Context clues –hint- The answers will be reveled in later chapters.