"Well then, this next bit should prove even more interesting."

Even in her befuddled state, Orihime could never mistake that voice. The voice of one whom she had not seen in quite some time, but whom she had known since she was a child.

Struggling to lift her torso up while fighting down the contents of her stomach and her spinning senses, Orihime suddenly felt two strong hands push firmly on her shoulders and force her back down. Only this time, her head didn't land on the snowy ground, but on someone's lap.

"Don't even think about it, child," said Yoruichi as the woman looked down at Orihime sternly, "You're in no fit state to do anything but watch."

"But I-"

"You've done your part, now let my husband do his," Yoruichi interrupted before she rolled her eyes and said, "And if I know him, he's been planning his speech for years. Probably spent more time getting it just right rather than watching over you like he was supposed to."

"You wound me, my treasure!" came Kisuke Urahara's unmistakable wail, "We have been cruelly separated these five and twenty years and yet you speak about me in such a callous way!"

Golden eyes crackling in rising irritation, Yoruichi yelled back, "You're about to regret ever existing if you don't shut it and finish this messy business once and for all!"

Clearing his throat in a clear show of trying not to appear too concerned, Urahara turned back to Aizen and said, "Well, since long-winded speeches are not likely to be received well by anyone in the vicinity, all I can say is that it's over, Aizen."

There was a moment's pause before Aizen shrugged and asked, "That's it? You arrive and I'm just supposed to surrender?"

Another pause followed by a low, rumbling chuckle as Aizen said, "Come now, Kisuke, surely you know me better than that."

"I do, Sosuke," replied Urahara in a more serious tone than Orihime was used to hearing him use, "I know you well enough to the point where, as much as I am loathe to admit it, I can understand your reasoning behind setting all these events into motion."

Sensing his wife about to verbally lash out at him, Kisuke held up a hand and said quickly, "I said 'understand', my dear. I never said that I agree with his methods."

Chuckling, Aizen asked, "So, if you know me so well, why exactly did I commit all these atrocious acts against humanity and my own kind?"

Kisuke didn't answer right away, but took enough time to collect his thoughts before he said, "You never were one to accept things the way they were and you never accepted anything at face value. Everything needed to make sense and serve a purpose for you to view it as necessary or relevant. In order for something to fit into those categories, you yourself needed to test whatever the thing was."

Now is was Aizen's turn to wait a few moments before answering in a tone that was laced with a kind of respect as he said, "Rather astute observations, I must admit. Then again, as the colloquialism goes 'A clever fox can see through a wolf's falsehood'."

"My husband is nothing like you," Yoruichi said in a flat, contemptuous tone, "All that matters to you are facts and results to prove your theories. You don't care about the lives you've corrupted and manipulated."

"Manipulated, you say?" Aizen asked as slowly as he turned to look at Yoruichi, "And what term would you use to describe your dear husband's involvement in this affair, I wonder?"

Orihime felt Yoruichi's grip and body clench and tighten then said with a growling voice to match, "Giving advice, guidance or counsel to others is not manipulative. Unlike you, my husband doesn't give orders to hurt or kill innocent people just to prove a point or to have things go according to his plan."

"Really?" replied Aizen with another chuckle, "How can you be so sure? Your husband has the gift of clairvoyance, whereas I do not. It would be a simple matter for him to purposefully manipulate a situation, say li-"

"Kisuke would never-" Yoruichi shouted over Aizen and started to rise to her feet, but stopped when she heard Orihime's sharp intake of breath.

"It's all right, my dear," interjected Urahara calmly, "Sosuke is purposefully goading you since there is nothing more he can possibly do."

Orihime wasn't quite sure how to interpret Aizen's tone as he said, "That is mostly true."

Ichigo was getting tired of fighting. Not in a physical sense, however. He could keep up at this rapid pace for another day or two before feeling a bit strained. Rather, he wanted to force his opponent to yield so that he could go over and check on Orihime.

Every time his eyes drifted over in her direction, another memory would surface in his mind's eye. Then when the memory faded away, his heart gave a slight twist as he saw her still stretched out on the ground. Even though he saw that Orihime had no shortage of protectors surrounding her, Ichigo wanted to go over and see for himself exactly how she was doing.

"You have to defeat me before you can check on that woman."

Ulquiorra's flat, emotionless tone made Ichigo's neck hairs stand on end, but he parried the man's powerful downward slash easily as he growled, "I know that," then feinted left before stepping in and thrusting hard. While Ulquiorra was able to dodge the worst of the blow, Ichigo did manage to nick the man's side.

Not giving his enemy the slightest quarter, Ichigo slashed, thrust and whipped his sword about like a maniac as he said between gritted teeth, "I'm going to take you down myself."

It looked as though Ulquiorra was about to reply, but Ichigo never got a chance to hear what the man was going to say.

Author's Note:

I promised that I would have this next part finished and posted before 2015 came to a close. Even though I'm cutting it a bit close, I still managed to do it. :)

Now, I am sorry that it took me so long to get this part finished, but Aizen was giving me a lot of trouble, as per usual. I eventually decided that I'm probably not going to reveal everything as to why and how Aizen did the things he did because I couldn't really come up with a good reason for it. That might change in the next part or two that I take to finish things up, but I'm not sure. It took me over a year to come up with dialogue between Aizen and Urahara that I could live with, so unless I'm struck with an epiphany, things with Aizen are going to remain something of a mystery.

Thank you to everyone who has been waiting so patiently for this next installment and most likely for updates of my other stories. I have every intention of finishing all my projects, just so you all know. It may take me some time, but Lord willing, I will get them all done.

Hope you liked this part! :)

Additional Author's Note:

This is the worst part about taking so long to update, but I completely forgot that I did use Ulquiorra's name previously, so I just went back and fixed that. Good grief...I can't believe myself sometimes...