sometimes the things i write when i'm fully conscious, are worse

"Really, I hoped you'd do better." Aizen sighed while the space around him buzzed and shifted. "Calm down. Focus on a single idea. Oh, how about me? Try focusing on me." He said with the kind of satisfied expression that even Orihime would not have imagined him capable of pulling off.

The advice turned out to be a terrible one because the first thing that came to her mind was the embarrassing dream she had before Ulquiorra arrived to drag her to his master's chambers. Within seconds they ended up pressed against each other but Aizen was quick in his resolve and he separated them just as fast.

"Or maybe not-"

"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" She cried out before he's got to finish the sentence. "I can't stop! I just can't stop talking or imaging things! It wasn't intentional!"

For from the very first second since she had arrived in this strange, warped place Orihime couldn't stop herself from speaking all her thoughts aloud. Worse yet, every fantasy that crossed her mind was immediately played out, and it wasn't only her, the Lord of Las Noches seemed to be affected by this strange setting too. She knew that he was trying to tell her something but in her panic nothing could be registered in her bewildered mind.

She couldn't focus a feeling that her body was detaching itself from her mind as everything around her started to crack and break began to spread through her. For a moment Orihime felt like she's going to fall apart but then Aizen's angry voice bellowed through the air, momentarily causing her to focus her attention on him and halt her panic.

"FOCUS!" He shouted once again and closed the distance between them, but this time they haven't ended up touching in any awkward way. "You have such a nice eyes, I like the color- but that's not the point." He shook his head and his brown hair fell around his face. "Focus on my words and actions because if you won't, you'll die."

The threat sent a wave of cold shivers through Orihime's entire body and she kept staring at the man in front of her. He was brushing his hair off from his eyes and kept muttering something to himself before he spoke again.

"As you kind of noticed, we are connected right now." The air grew hot and the girl started stuttering.

"C-C-C-Connected!?" She shrieked with tears in her eyes and the master of Hueco Mundo felt his as entire being began to boil.

"Not like that! You're a teenager for all saints sake! Stop testing me and focus!" He lost his composure entirely and hid his face in his palms. "Listen to me. We share a mindscape right now, we cannot lie to each other and all our thoughts will be put into action. Even I am not immune to this!" He rubbed his eyes and then looked back up to her. "The more time we spend here, the better accustomed we'll become to this setting. We need to be straightforward." Without breaking eye contact he straightened and took advantage of her silence.

"There is something important I need you to see and the only place I can show you this is here, for it is a part of my own memory and no other record of it exist outside of it." While he was saying that, the white robes that he was wearing began to change. His pants hugged his legs tighter and the edges of both of his tunic and long coat became emblazoned with symmetric red patterns. The thick collar around his neck was covered entirely in them. His boots turned entirely brown.

"How did you do that, with your clothes?" Orihime asked as she shifted her attention to his altered attire.

"I remembered it. Someone I used to know wore a coat like this one." The man's response brought upon her an unexpected sense of nostalgia which then turned into grief, but he once again quickly reigned his emotions and they were soon lifted from her mind.

"Who? Someone important? Wow, I never expected to learn anything about you. I actually thought that you want to run some experiments on me and then put my head into a jar!" She let out a laugh as if she were discussing a newest episode of some comedy TV show.

Aizen frowned and the space between them turned into a forest. "You'll see later. And I don't want to put you into a jar. What gave you such a ridiculous idea- No! Don't answer it!"

"You're so much more likeable when you can't hide your thoughts." She turned her head around and took in their surroundings. "Where are we?"

"In the forest. Can't you see? We're starting the memory." He gestured around and walked between the trees while she followed. A few steps later they were standing by the road, next to which a river was flowing down.

"The eye did this, right? That eye." She tried to remember it's shape, just like Aizen did with his coat but nothing showed up aside from a few disturbances around her.

"Yes. And you can't bring up it's form because it doesn't have one. A concept like this is too abstract for you to imagine so vividly. That eye, sees and remembers many things in great detail for me." The shinigami said while he walked towards the river's bank. Several minutes later a loud splash reached their ears and they could make out a voice calling for help accompanied by barking.

Orihime gasped and sprang forward to see what was going on.

"That must be me." Aizen sighed as he strode after her.

When they reached the source of commotion the first think Orihime noticed was a young boy struggling with the current to reach safe ground. His messy dark brown hair were falling into his eyes and he kept trying to brush them away while a large dog with short gray fur attempted to reach him.

"Oh my God! You're drowning!" She squeaked in panic and grabbed the man next to her by the hem of his sleeve.

"That's not me." He informed while her eyes widened in confusion, then his focus fell on a someone at the edge of the river and he pointed a finger at the person behind her. "That's me."

The girl made a surprised little sound and turned around. A boy even younger than the first one was squatting on a large rock, his long brown hair were held back by a red, ornate kercher and his white tunic seemed to be adorned in similar fashion as Aizen's current clothes.

"He looks no older than 10." She noticed when they walked closer.

"I was 26 at that time." Aizen replied to her remark while he looked his younger self over.

"What!? But you're so small!" Orihime exclaimed unable to focus back on the memory in front of them.

The smaller version of the current master of Hueco Mundo, however, turned her attention back to himself with a mocking call. "Serves you right for talking rubbish about me!" He taunted the other boy and stood up. "Good luck having your mutt drag you out of this!" He added and started to turnaround.

"What!? A-Are you going to leave me like t-this!?" The kid who was splashing in the water shouted a few curses and flailed his fist in the air while his other hand clutched the old dog, who kept pulling his owner towards the riverbank.

"You should be grateful I didn't tie a rock to your neck." The younger one casted him a glance through his shoulder before he turned away fully and trotted back to the road.

Orihime looked up at Aizen. "It really is you."

"Of course. I just said that." He shrugged and followed the memory of his younger self, prompting her to do the same. It had taken some strength of will for her to turn away from the older kid but knowing that it was only a projection helped her to hasten her already sluggish steps.

As soon as they caught up with the smaller Aizen a wagon full of hay pulled by a large horse slowly came into view. It was heading in their direction and the man riding it waved his hand cheerfully when he noticed the boy walking towards him. "Hey Saulé!" He called when the wagon rolled closer.

"Saulé?" Orihime gave Aizen a questioning look.

"I was known by that name a long time ago." He replied without sparing her a glance. Instead he watched himself sprint in the direction of the peasant who pulled the reins, making his horse halt.

"Why aren't you using this name anymore?" She asked while they caught up with the boy.

"Because it was taken from me." He stopped by the horse and stroked its mane. "Don't ask. You'll find out later." He said without giving her an opportunity to even think up the question. They turned their attention back to the memory instead.

"Hi Mikula!" Saulé greeted the old man. "Coming back from the fields?"

"Yes, yes. It's been a long day and my work for now is done. But why are you wandering around here alone? Do your guardians know that you're here all by yourself?"

"Ah! Yes they do!" The boy laughed awkwardly.

"No, they didn't." Aizen winced as he said that but Orihime was too preoccupied with the scene in front of her to mind his comment.

"Can I ride with you? The city is quite far away and it's going to get dark soon." Asked his younger self. Without hesitation, the old farmer laughed and outstretched his hand towards the child.

"Of course you can! How could I leave you here alone?" Mikula said as he pulled the boy up to the bench. He then yanked the reins and they were soon moving again. Both, Orihime and Aizen reappeared from the wagon's side to the top of the hay pile which startled her and almost made them fall off.

"Have some self control." He complained while he tried to regain his composure.

"That scared me." The girl replied and pushed herself toward the front of the wagon. It was rolling slowly along the bumpy road for a while and when they passed the spot where the older boy was crawling out of the river and cursing at Saulé, who leaned towards the old man.

"He threatened me. Better let's move faster." He whispered and watched as the farmer nodded and hastened his horse.

After a few minutes of listening to Saulé and Mikula chat about the fields and a monster that apparently lives there, they reached a crossing with a wide path that came out from the woods to their left. They turned in it's direction and rode silently between the trees, leaving behind the river road which wound up stretching ahead for many leagues.

"Take a good look around. I want you to remember this path." Aizen murmured to her despite the two projections not being able to hear or see them.

"Why? Will you want me to draw it for you?" She puzzled aloud and the question made him chuckle.

"It may be a good idea actually, but that's not the case. Focus on what's in front of you." He laid down on the hay and stared and the crowns of the trees as they passed them. "We're getting a hang on this." The man added with satisfaction. "I've never hung out in here for long."

"So, you've brought me here, not knowing if we will even be able to go through this memory? That was reckless." Orihime frowned and looked down at him. "I would never think that you'll do something like this."

"That's because you don't know me." He scowled.

"But I'm about to. Am I not?" She bit back.

"Maybe you are, or maybe you're not. Stop drilling me now! I don't want to think about it!" He took a fistfull of hay and threw it at her before he rolled over to face away.

"You're so childish." Her words sounded above him.

"I am. Now focus on something else. I didn't bring you in here to discuss my personality." Aizen muttered into his high collar in irritation.

They kept bickering like that for a while before the trees became more scarce and Orihime noticed a large aqueduct extending from the forest and following along the path. In a short time they arrived at the other end of the woods and there, in front of them stood a great city. It was triangular in shape and it's borders were marked by the tall walls made of wood and stone. The woodland path which they followed until now was leading straight to the large open gates by which stood a colossal limestone statue of an inhuman being. One of it's hands was outstretched above the entrance to take a hold on the top of a watchtower situated at the other side. A loose robe which seemed to be made to look like fire was draped around it and it's legs and feet were bare. It's head also looked like it was ablaze but the rest of it's body was fashioned in a way that resembled a tight, ornate armor.

"I think the eastern gate is my favourite." Saulé smiled brightly but the farmer sitting next to him only nodded his head.

"What is this thing?" Orihime turned to the man sprawled across the stack of hay, right next to her.

"A power." He grumbled and pushed himself up on his elbows. "One of the three. Each standing by it's own gate."

She looked back up at the statue as they were slowly getting closer to it. The setting sun was making the limestone glow on one side.

Aizen finally sat up and turned around to admire it. There was something nostalgic about it and a feeling of longing spread between him and the girl sitting at his side. He could not push it away like before and so he spoke to distract them from it.

"Welcome to the great city of Rodoga, the capital of the country of Navia." He announced while they were passing the gate along with the statue of the power that was guarding it.