Rukia's voice didn't register straight away; I was in the moment, too distracted and too wired to comprehend much passed the blade, the power surging through my arms to the point of pain. Even Byakuya couldn't handle it.

Maybe that was because of Rukia getting so close. Man, she could protect herself, she didn't need her tight ass brother hanging around any time she got too close.

"Ichigo! For crying out loud get your head outa your ass!" I heard her cry, and instantly looked to my left, dropping my zanpakto in surprise. Her face was red with all the shouting; she was edging into supersonic now. It was making my ears bleed. "If you don't shut up no one will be able to hear you with all the eardrums you're bursting!"

Looking passed her, two familiar figures appeared to be following her, a flash of orange hair next to raven black. I felt sick into silence immediately. I watched as they drew near, the dwarf finally pleased that I was now paying attention. The closer they got, the more concern grew on the girl's faces. Ulquiorra never looked much beyond mildly unsatisfied. Did that apply now? His lack of emotions?

Of course it did, trash like him never change. I felt myself grow cold as the little voice warned, like my own whispering back to me.

"Man, you really like your alone time lately, Ichigo."

I shrugged at the little lieutenant's comment. "Its difficult sometimes." I purposefully made eye contact with the bright green objects, staring me down with something like displeasure. Good, he knew where he stood. I just didn't want him to speak, so I was thankful when Orihime made a couple of unconfident noises, like the ones she usually did when she was about to talk in front of the group.

"Erm, Ichigo," she mustered, and I cringed inwardly at the unfamiliarity of the address. "I erm...Ulquiorra, he'd like to know..."

"He'd like to know more about his past, the one you knew."

I kept my grip on the formally discarded blade, now securely in my hand. I felt the air pressure shift.

"Why doesn't he ask me himself?" I quizzed, switching my eyes between Rukia and Ulquiorra.

He sighed slightly in derision. "Would that change anything?" I heard that old clipped coldness in his voice, unnerving to others but me; I defeated him, he begged me to kill him. I wondered if he knew that much yet.

I realised the girls were watching me with anxiety, and that I hadn't answered his question. I still didn't answer.

"Ichigo," Orihime began, avoiding my eyes to keep her own on him, "Ulquiorra is different now. What ever he was, he's not now. He's not a- a hollow...he's not."

My eyes widened, and I looked to Rukia for explanation. "They know some of the story. Only parts I know. Which are scarce. Trust me, Ichigo, I think...I think he is truly different now."

"You say hes not a hollow. How do you know for sure?"

The grey orbs targeted at me narrowed in a very uncharacteristic way. "How do we know? Look at him! Listen to him. Talk to him."

"Orihime, you only know him as one of those things. I knew him before that; you've only seen improvement from a corpse. To me, he's no different. Just the same asshole as when I first met him; just refreshed. Did Rukia tell you what he looked like before?"

"She didn't have to."

"But can you remember him?"

As we argued, I felt my grip tighten on the hilt, the sickness growing with each blind defence she threw. I couldn't let myself wonder why she battled for him so passionately. I angered myself until the only noise I could hear was the tiny explosions crashing between my ears.

"Ichigo, breathe. Calm down," a soft voice instructed, and a small cold hand rested on my fist. Slowly, I followed, and I fell back into silence. I found Rukia's slate grey eyes, and nodded.

"Right, Orihime. Go."

Her eyes flew up. "What?" She asked dumbly.

...

"Ichigo asked you a question." Rukia said. Suddenly she'd taken the role of peacekeeper. I recalled Ichigo's question, but I didn't want to answer. I had images in my head of how he appeared in the dream, but I didn't want to get it wrong. I had a vivid imagination, afterall.

"Erm..."

"So the answers no, then," the orange haired idiot clipped. I scowled at him immediately. "You're trying to frighten me into thinking he was and is a monster, but to my knowledge the only monster right now is struggling to not strike one of us with that thing."

He snapped his eyes down to his hand, now slightly looser than it was, so the hand print was visible. He looked back up, his eyes small and angry with hurt. "You want to know my part?"

I nodded, but by the look in his eyes I didn't want to hear what his part was.

He came closer to us, and Ulquiorra edged ever so slightly over the arm he was brushing, protecting me from the time bomb. Ichigo's voice was dark and low and ever so quiet.

"He kidnapped you. He convinced you that your friends, that's us, would pay the price if you didn't follow. I went to Heuco Mundo to retrieve you, saved you, died for you, came back to life. For you. That's what kind of monster I am."

With that, he flashed from sight, leaving just a swirling cyclone of dust in the centre of the makeshift triangle we'd formed. I focused on it, utterly confused. My head felt light and heavy at once, and that sensation drew on all my focus. My legs went limp, and I couldn't do a thing.