Ichigo groaned as he opened his eyes. His head felt like it had been banged against the wall several times. He tried to remember what had happened, that was when he realized it had happened again. Even before he opened his eyes he knew exactly where he was, he was back in the asylum. His eyes opened and he winced. The light was bright, or perhaps it was the walls that had made him wince. He looked around at his surrounds after he had gotten use to the lighting again. He was lying on Aizen's bed.

"Good you're awake."

Ichigo was looking at the doctor Aizen. His mind was never going to make sense ever again, and he knew it. "What happened?" Ichigo got out, he was afraid to know what had happened.

"I found you in here, you looked like you collapsed. You been out for a day. I have kept it quiet from the rest of the staff of course. Ichigo, do you know what happened?"

Ichigo braced himself as he slowly sat up. He had to lie, he knew it. "I must have just collapsed. My head has been hurting more than normal."

"What about voices or images?" Aizen was looking at him concerned.

"No, there has been none of those" he got out. Aizen nodded meaning that he believed him.

There was a knock on the door and Ichigo watched as Aizen went to open the door. Gin was at the door. "Dr. Aizen, is it okay if I take Ichigo from ya" he said.

Aizen sighed. "It depends on him."

Ichigo got up. "I'm fine, I have recollected myself and I feel fine now. I'll go with Gin. Don't worry I'll be careful."

Aizen nodded. "I trust that Gin won't let anything happen to you." Ichigo had to stop himself from running out of the room. Aizen closed the door once Ichigo was out of it. Gin waited until they were far enough from Aizen's room to start talking.

"Captain Aizen is worried about ya. Actually I'm sure everyone is. Captain Aizen and ya friend, the girl, is in my room now."

"Which girl?"

Gin looked at him "The girl that has the power to reject things."

"Orihime. Why is she in your room?"

"She was concerned about ya. I can only imagine what the two of them are talkin about. Then the other group is being led ta the room. Don't worry, Captain Aizen won't hurt ya friends."

"Gin, how do I get out of here? I mean you can come and go as you please and I am pretty sure Kisuke can do the same… wait what do you know about this Kisuke?"

Gin frowned. "Ya have to find your own way out. The door may or may not work for ya anymore. As for Kisuke, I don't know. Though he is trouble, maybe more so then Captain Aizen"

"So is Grimmjow from this one, the same as the one from actual reality."

"No, almost everyone has a doppelganger of such. " Gin was guiding Ichigo into his office as he spoke. "Ya have to be careful, ya got out before, but people may attempt to kill ya now. Plus ya have the head captain in this reality. He always seems ta bring trouble."

"So basically you're saying the only person I can trust is you and maybe this Aizen."

Gin nodded. "Exactly."

"So what is the deal with the old man here?"

"From what I could tell he only brings some form of bad news on his visits here. He may be here this time because of ya."

"Naturally. So have you figured out why this reality exists?" Ichigo wanted to know what Gin knew about this realm.

"When I first came here, I took my doppelganger's place and have been pretending to be him since I first figured something was wrong. I remember dying, I felt like I could finally die once ya showed up. Then I ended up in this place. I have theories. Aizen's zanpakutō was the thing that killed me, I had taken the Hōgyoku from him. So it has to be because of that somehow. How did ya end up here, it will help my theories."

Should he help Gin?

"I was fighting Aizen. I could feel loneness in his zanpakutō, his sword began to shatter after the Hōgyoku deemed he didn't need it anymore." That was all he could really tell Gin. He knew what Gin was implying, but it was Aizen's choice if he wanted Gin to know his Bankai or not.

"Do you know what it feels like to die" Gin's question shocked him. He slowly nodded.

"I believe Ulquiorra killed me before."

"So we are both here after dying once, do you believe in second chances?"

"I think you are trying to find something that isn't easily found. As for your question, I do believe in second chances but not like this. I have an inner hollow and you have already died once Gin. Keep in mind I was only a substitute Shinigami and you were a Shinigami. I don't know much about it, but it means you had to have died before. Isn't that right?"

Gin sighed. "Most Shinigami died and went to Rukon after their human death, it is rare for a soul to be born in Rukon. It happens though. No Shinigami ever remembers who they were in their past lives. It is the cycle of life."

Ichigo looked at Gin. "There is your answer. If this was because we died, you would not be able to go back and forth. I'll tell you my theory about you. Perhaps your death was an illusion. Sōsuke told me that your zanpakutō has no type. "

"You can't easily fake your own death when Aizen is involved."

"I love him, but I will not deny that he does trick and lie to people. I didn't see you die, there is a chance that it was rehearsed. He does plan everything."

"I tried to kill him, which is why he killed me."

"Almost everyone tried to kill the guy, no one else ended up dead. Do you see my point? Remember what his zanpakutō does, complete and utter hypnosis."

"You been hanging around with him too much. You're starting to sound like him. You are a creepy kid. I said it once, I'll say it again. "

"This coming from the guy who invented creepy. Look it doesn't matter, you said I need to find my own way out. Instead of debating on why we are here. Don't you think I should be looking for why I had to come back here?"

"Fine ya right" Gin said. "Come on just stay close to me."

"Gin, do you have access to your zanpakutō here?" Ichigo was curious.

Gin nodded. "I can call it at will. Every captain class Shinigami can do such. You of course know that, but you can't call your own. Can ya? Ya called Captain Aizen's. "

"Meaning you were there when Kisuke was trying to kill me. I'm sure Sōsuke would love to hear that little bit, he may actually kill you then."

"Ya calling him by his first name is sort of creepy. Even if ya are dating him, which is still creepy."

"What do you really know?"

"I knew he wasn't going to kill ya, so I didn't save ya. I was a little shocked to see ya gain access to his zanpakutō though. Also Captain Aizen's lying habit is rubbing off on ya. Ya not telling me the full truth."

"I still don't believe you are, so we are even. Also tell me more about your killing attempt. "

Gin sighed and then frown. "He knew I was going to try, he kept me around only to see how I would do it. I lied to him about my Bankai."

"There you go, everyone lies Gin. Which would mean you most likely lied to me about your Bankai. So we are even."

"No if we are going to be even, ya will tell me what ya are keepin from me."

"Why tell you when you know so much, Mr. Genius." Ichigo had left into the hallway. Gin was following behind him. So far it was quiet as he went through the halls in search of what he needed.

"The layout of this place is almost like Los Noches. I noticed that much from my time here and my time there. I now have a better sense of this place. You know the guy isn't that bad."

"You fell in love with him."

"You apparently slept with him." Gin frowned.

"Which one told ya that?"

Ichigo turned at looked at him. "This one, but I asked the real one and he said to his knowledge you never got drunk and slept with him. "

"I haven't."

"Sure" Ichigo said and continued on his way. Ichigo stopped and Gin ran into him.

"Why did ya stop?"

"I think you should just wait here."

"No, I don't take order from ya. " Ichigo had a feeling Gin would say that, he opened the door he had stopped in front of. He saw Gin's blue eyes open as he noticed the room they were in.

"This is bad, we need to get out of here."

"He came right back to me, but of course I knew he would." Ichigo looked at Kisuke. Ichigo hadn't noticed Kisuke until now.

"So you're making plans now?"

"You had no choice but to come back. Welcome back Ichigo. You are the key to everything, I wouldn't lose you."

"How did you get to the actual reality and why did you let us out?"

"Oh you're smarter than that, Ichigo. Think about it, truly think about it."

"I'm the key to everything?" Ichigo tried to place how it all fit together. This place had been made up from Kyōka Suigetsu and the Hōgyoku, yet there was still a missing piece. Aizen had stated that they were connected, and that Kyōka Suigetsu had taken him on the ride of his life. Aizen had informed him that he had been deemed a traitor. He was deemed dangerous by Central 46.

"Who are you?"

"Kisuke Urahara."

"No who are you? You had something to do with the creation of this world, but who are you?"

Kisuke was a man of questionable morals, in this reality he had been the one to lead him to the door. Though so did Gin and Grimmjow. Ichigo grabbed his head as pain shot through it. Then he thought of his inner hollow, he had stated that he had gotten himself into a mess.

"Every person has both good and evil in them. Sometimes only one side shows, a lot of times both sides are combined to get the person's true personality. "

Ichigo remembered what Zangetsu had told him when he was taught the final Getsuga Tenshō. How he had given up hope and how his inner hollow represented his greatest fear. He had lost control when he had defeated Ulquiorra.

"I see you are starting to understand what I am meaning, Ichigo. I am real, everything you see before you is real. Though you are the key to it all."

"How am I the key? Answer that for me, Kisuke."

Kisuke looked at him. "You seriously haven't realized it with every piece of information you have gotten."

"The ride of your life, connection, a loss of control, death and defeat. "

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?"

"Do I really have to come out and tell you?"

"Ya are the embodiment of the Hōgyoku, aren't ya?" Gin was looking at the imposter.

"No, but that was a good guess."

"Aizen told me the first two, Zangetsu and my inner hollow has showed me the other two. "

"Remember Ichigo. " Ichigo felt as if he was drifting off again.