Bleach 1. I Now Pronounce You

Chapter 1 – I now Pronounce you…..

Aizen stepped out of the garganta above the west gate of the Seireitei, standing on condensed reitsu. He looked over his former residence and chuckled at the nostalgia his view brought back. As he began to step forward, creating a path of reitsu to walk on, he began to search for one persons reitsu in particular. Ichigo Kurosaki, the new captain of his former squad.

-meanwhile at the underground cave-

"Come on Yoruichi! You know that I can't follow you with Shunpo!" cried out a very playful Isshin Kurosaki, "I'm years out of practice!"

"Well dad, if you had told me about this sooner," yelled Ichigo form the sidelines, "we could have had you in better shape by now! Now just focus on Yoruichi, and if you try anything at all…." Ichigo didn't have to finish his sentence. Nearly all of the soul society knew that he and the Shihouin noble were engaged in more ways than one, and all the soul society knew that his dad wouldn't let something as simple as being engaged stop him from being a pervert around a gorgeous woman. Unfortunately, gorgeous wasn't the word that most people thought of when they saw the flash goddess. In fact the men couldn't think of a word to describe except for her title of goddess, and they were all jealous of Ichigo for doing what none of them could ever think was possible, proposing and getting a very excited yes from the goddess, her golden eyes filling with tears at the corners. Honestly even Ichigo was was surprised by her answer, but that never meant that he wasn't the happiest man in the Seireitei.

"My, my Ichigo," said Yoruichi as she flash stepped into her loves arms, "Feeling protective today?" she purred out the last two words, knowing that he couldn't help but be protective.

"Well Yorucihi," he said, pulling her closer to him, "since I have a dad whose perversion rivals that of Hat n' Clogs," he lowered his face towards hers, "I can't help but be protetective." He knew what his fiancé was wanting. He was wanting the same thing right now, but with his father nearby the couple would have to settle on a passionate kiss. Their lips finally parted, and as if by reflex, Ichigo threw a punch right behind Yoruichis back, effectively knocking his father back several yards. "I told you not to try anything old man," Ichigo said smiling as he ran his fingers through his goddess' purple hair. As soon as his father stopped to show signs of life, such as moving, Ichigo let out a sigh. "I'll be right back Yorucihi, just have to make sure that he's all right."

"All right Ichigo, just make sure to bring him the hot spring when you're done, me and everyone else will be waiting," Yoruichi said as she looked at him hungrily. He kissed her on the check and flash stepped over to where Isshin had stopped moving. "Damn bastards asleep," Ichigo said to himself as he looked his father over, making sure there were no fatal injuries, and then flash stepped him to the healing hot spring, where Yoruichi was waiting with the others that had been training down in the caves. He could hear the voices of his lieutenant, also known as his fiancé, and friends grow louder as he flash stepped closer.

"All right every one, make room for the idiot," he called as soon as he was next to the spring, dropping his father's sleeping body into the searing hot spring. If he said anything else, it was drowned out by the sounds of Isshin screaming as his body registered the searing heat of the hot spring on his body.

"Ichigo! That was mean even for you!" yelled out Isshin and almost everyone else. The exception being Yoruichi, who just giggled as her man, the god of flash, shrugged of the others statements. She was enjoying her time down here with him and his friends more than anyone could ever think, although she was enjoying the time with Ichigo the most.

"Youichi-sensei, it's not funny!" cried out an overly eccentric Orihime, one of her former pupils. "This might be a healing hot spring, but it still burns!" Orihime said as she helped Isshin into a sitting position in the spring. Everyone knew that that was not the reason Orihime was yelling at her former teacher for. Everyone except Isshin and the happy couple knew that she was jealous that Yoruichi had taken Ichigo for her own, even though it was he who proposed. She had had a crush on Ichigo since they were in middle school together, and never really admitted the fact to herself until Ichigo had announced to everyone that he and Yoruichi were engaged. She had tried to admit the fact that he was no longer for her, but she still couldn't help but look at him as though there was still a chance that he would change his mind.

"Orihime-chan, you're taking things a bit too seriously," commented Uryu, her current boyfriend, so to speak. Even though he was a Quincy, he was happy, surprised but happy, that Ichigo had found someone. He was even more surprised when Ichigo told him that he was invited to join him and the others in the Seireitei for the celebration of Ichigo becoming captain, compliments of Yoruichi. He looked around the hot tub to look at his friends and allies, knowing that if Orihime wasn't here, he'd be with his father honing his skills in the human world. As his gaze passed from friend to friend, eventually his girlfriend, he ran over the names in his mind one more time. Chad was in the hot spring, sitting next Tatsuki, who sat on the edge of the spring, her hand in his, both resting on his shoulder. He had never seen the couple happier than when they had finally started going out weeks before coming to the soul society. Next to Tatsuki was his own girlfriend, Orihime still trying to help Isshin into a sitting position to Uryu's left. On the other side of where Orihime was originally sitting, his right, was Rangiku Matsumoto and Toshiro Hitsugiya, Lieutenant and Captain of squad #. As he looked closer, he could see that the captain had grown nearly four inches since they last saw each other, and that his head was resting on Rangiku's right shoulder, his left arm behind her wrapped around her waist. Uryu wondered in his head how long they had been going out, finally deciding that his question could wait until he could ask Ichigo later. To Toshiro's right, he saw Yoruichi climbing in with her fiancé Ichigo, hand in hand and never looking away from each other, his amber eyes lost in her golden eyes. Uryu felt as if he was watching something deeply intimate as he watched them step in and lean in for a kiss. Quickly looking away from the couple he looked to Ichigos right, seeing Byakuya Kuchiki, sitting in-between Ichigo and Rukia. Rukia however, was siting as close to Renji as possible without sitting on him. He knew that they had been going out publicly, ever since they all saved Rukia from execution on Syokyuoku Hill, and that they were in no hurry to ask Byakuya his permission to get engaged, they were both afraid of what he would do if they even joked about asking. Finally Uryu had gone full circle, seeing Chad and Tatsuki sitting in the same spot as earlier, if anything they were slightly closer together.

"We've probably got another few weeks before Aizen makes his move," Ichigo said, drawing Uryu out of his mental reverie, "but all in all I just want to say, I've never been more proud to say that we all have made significant advances in our fighting techniques. If anything we might be able to hold our own against him and his Espada," He continued to look around the group, his eyes resting only on Yoruichi, "Unfortunately the only person whose having trouble advancing their technique, is Isshin, and I seem to be related to the ex-captain somehow, as impossible as it seems." This statement got a laugh out of every one but Isshin, but the person he wanted to hear laugh the most was sitting right next to him, laughing and holding onto his arm. "Anyway, thank you all for coming," he paused and leaned in close to Yorucihi, who had her devilish smirk on her face, and whispered, "not that way, but I like what you're thinking," kissing her check and then went back to talking to everyone. "I know I told you the reason you were coming was to celebrate my becoming a captain, but the truth is me and Yoruichi would like for you, Byakuya-sempai, to marry us. As head of a noble family, you have the rights to marry us." This caused everyone but Yoruichi and Byakuya to go slack jawed and wide eyed.

"Ichigo Kurosaki, Yoruichi Shihouin," Byakuya said turning his head to face the couple, "Do you plan on being together, through the best and worst of times, care for each other when ill, and more importantly until death?" Byakuya asked, using his own rendition of the ancient wedding vows used everywhere, causing everyone in the spring to do a double take and go slack jawed again, except of course for the god and goddess of flash. In unison the pair spoke saying, "I do."

"Then as head of the Kuchiki house hold, and friend of the couple, I pronounce you husband and wife. Please kiss the bride discreetly, we don't want to witness anything else that would follow," said the stoic man, a smile appearing on his face as he watched the two lovers kiss, finally belonging to each other, while listening to everyone slowly begin to cheer on the newlyweds.

"Well now that that's over," Ichigo said as he and Yoruichi parted lips again, "I would like everyone to know that I am moving to live in the Seireitei with my bride and lieutenant. If there's anything I would want to be said now, it's that I'm sorry that I'm leaving Yuzu and Karin alone with dad and Kon. Other than that, I will try to visit the world of the living as often as possi….." He stopped there, feeling a rise in spiritual pressure outside the cave. Everyone else felt the pressure too, knowing that only extremely high amounts of reitsu could be felt in this cave. Immeadiatly after sensing the increase in reitsu, everyone jumped out of the spring and changed into their battle ready clothes, mostly shiakushos, with the exception of Yoruichi, Chad, Orihime, Tatsuki, and Uryu. Yoruichi changed into her signature black pants, backless top supported by a tie around her neck, covered by and orange overshirt with white arm wraps and a badge on her left arm declaring her to be a lieutenant. Chad, Tatsuki, and Orihime changed into street clothes, each one summoning their own inner power as they finished dressing, Chad with his hollow arms, Tatsuki radiating reitsu from her hands and feet, and Orihime summoning the power of her hair pins, and Uryu changed into his pure white battle outfit and summoned his bow. Together the group left the underground cave, and headed towards the source of the reitsu, Ichigo and Yoruichi flash stepping ahead of everyone but Byakuya, the newlyweds never let their hands separate as they raced along.


	2. The Theft of a Hero and Husband

Chapter 2- The Theft of a Hero and Husband

Aizen stood at the entrance to his old barracks, awaiting the arrival of his replacement and lieutenant. He personally never thought that getting to the barracks would have been as easy as it had been, but he didn't see any of the captains either as he approached. He grinned slightly at the luck that was presented to him today, "Things are going better than I could have planned."

Ichigo and Yoruichi flash stepped a little ahead of Byakuya, the man who had married them no less than ten minutes ago, and kissed each other minding of course the fact that they were approaching a high concentration of reitsu that they should have recognized by now. Unfortunately they didn't recognize it until it was too late and they had approached their own barracks, eyes widening as they took in their unwelcome guest. Soon they were joined by every one that had witnessed their marriage.

"What do you want Traitor?" Exclaimed a furious Toshiro, his hand already pulling out his zanpakuto, being joined by every other shinigami present.

"Well, well, it's good to see you too, Little Toshiro," Aizen said calmly as he looked into the young captains eyes, "though I guess I can't really call you little any more can I? You almost as tall as Rangiku," he smirked, "almost. Ah and Rukia, I see that you and Lieutenant Abarai have finally started dating, not to say I'm surprised but what took you so long?" Renji struggled to hold back himself and Rukia. "Byakuya, you seem to be a little less stoic than usual, do something that made you think about your past?" Byakuya's face went from blank stare to death gaze faster than Aizen could blink. "Oh and look and the newlyweds, my my Yoruichi, robbing the cradle here are we?" Ichigo was having a hard time holding back his new bride from behind, she was on the verge of using Shunko, but held back sonsidering the blast would hit Ichigosquare in the face.

"Just get to the point before I release my bride so I can kick your ass!" Shoted a very pissed of Captain Kurosaki, contemplating the use of his vizard state.

"Oh please do Ichigo, I would love to fight you and that wonderful vizard state that you have mastered, but perhaps you wanted to keep that a secret?"

"You bastard," growled Ichigo, cursing both him and Aizen for thinking the same thing.

"But anyways, back to business. I am here for only one thing, Captain Kurosaki. You," Aizen said as he pointed his finger directly at Ichigo, "will come with me to Hueco Mundo. You can either volunteer or…." He never finished his statement as Ichigo cut him off with a downward slash from Zangetsu. "Tsk tsk, Ichigo. Didn't former Captain Isshin teach you any manners? After all he was your father," Aizen said playfully as he blocked with his zanpakuto, "As I was saying before I was interrupted, you can either volunteer or I can take you forcibly."

"I'll never go with you anywhere you motherfu…." Ichigo tried to finish his statement, but Aizen had flash stepped behind him and knocked him unconscious before anyone could blink.

"If you are to be considered Flash God," Aizen stated to the unconscious Ichigo, "Then I am the Sonnido Devil," he concluded, using the hollow version of flash step to get a distance away before turning to face the awe-struck crowd. "If you value the life of your Captain, and Husband Misses Kurosaki," He said, making sure the last words he said to them stuck, "then forget about him, you will never see him again. It's a shame that I should keep you two separated on your special day, but think of it this way," he opened a garganta, "He's in good hands and will be treated like the prince of vizards that he is," he took a step into the garganta, "oh rather was, you see he'll no longer be a vizard after I'm through with him." Yoruichi had heard enough, her husband was being kidnapped, and the man doing it was standing at his exit gloating over them. She decide it was time to step up and interfere. Using an advanced shunpo technique known as Utsemi, she left an after image of herself standing with a very displeased look on her face, and the next thing everyone knew, she was right behind Aizen, preparing to hit him with everything she had, when he suddenly turned around and punched her in the lower gut, effectively knocking her out. "Didn't I already say that if you are Flash Goddess, then I am Sonnido Devil? Sonnido is very much in essence every bit faster than Shunpo. I was able to see right through your Utsemi." He tossed her down to the crowd below, watching as Isshin caught his daughter-in-law. "like I said, I only want Ichigo. I promise that he will be," he paused trying to find the right words, "relatively safe and left in one piece." He stepped through the garganta and closed it behind him, leaving the soul society scrambling to rescue their captain and catch the traitor once again. "Poor, poor Ichigo," Aizen said as he stepped through the empty space of the garganta, "If only you and your friends knew the plans I had for you."


	3. A New Day Dawns in Hueco Mundo

**Disclaimer- Do not I repeat not own Bleach. Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. I only own the ideas that appear on your screen as you read them. Other than that Enjoy. **

Chapter 3 – A New Day Dawns in Hueco Mundo-

Ichigo opened his eyes slowly, trying to fight off the haze that fogged his mind. _Man what hit me?_ he thought, knowing all too well the answer was Aizen. Who else could use an under handed trick like that, when he could have easily knocked him out with a finger? _Hey old man Zangetsu, Hollow? You in there?_ He called internally, trying to find his advisors and, if you could consider the hollow to be sociable, friends.

_**Yes Ichigo, we're here**_, replied Zangetsu.

_**Yeah King, we're here. Know what do you want?**_ came the most polite reply Ichigo ever heard his hollow say.

_I was wondering if either of you know where we're at? Nothing looks familiar, but I get this feeling that I'm someplace I shouldn't be,_ came Ichigo's response.

_**Well King, if you didn't let that cheap bastard get behind you and knock the living shit out us, I might want to tell you.**_

_**Hollow knows but he's not telling anybody. I fear the worst Ichigo. I think we're in Hueco Mundo.**_

_**Ding ding ding! We have a winner, and his name is Zangetsu! Let's get a round of applause!**_

_Hollow knock it off! Zangetsu I hate to admit it, but by the way Hollow's acting I'd say that your right. And that he's just as worried about what the bastard has planned for us as I am._

_**Say that again one more time King, I dare YOU!**_ If Ichigo had been in his inner world right now, he knew that Hollow would try to kill him, but he had the feeling if pushing his luck.

_I said that you're scared! I know that me and Zangetsu are so since you are part of me, you must be scared too!_

_**Enough!**_ Yelled Zangetsu, restraining the Hollow as best as he could, _**Anyway Ichigo, There's someone coming and I don't like how it feels like I'm getting near you at the same speed they are. You need to try and defend yourself as best you can if it turns into a fight.**_ Sure enough Zangetsu was right. As soon as he finished his statement and advice, Ichigo's door opened, revealing Harribel Tia, one of the stronger Espada in Aizens ranks, with Zangetsu and her zanpakuto on her back

"Ichigo Kurosaki, Captain of Squad 5, Vizard prodigy, consider yourself Aizens property until his experiment is complete," stated Harribel as she approached Ichigo and held his arms behind his back, "Do I make Lord Aizen's will clear?"

"Unfortunately, yes. Before we go I have two questions. Why do you have Zangetsu, and where am I?" He asked trying to gain information from his guard as they walked to whatever room Aizen was waiting for him in.

"You are in the most central area of Hueco Mundo, Los Noches. It is where we Espada and Arrancars reside, under Lord Aizen. As to why I have Zangetsu, it's so that nasty little hollow of yours that you have inside or you don't get any ideas of fighting your way out. Personally I like the way this zanpakuto rests on my back, but it won't stay there for long. Aizen said to give it back to you if both you and Zangetsu survived his experiment," she stated coldly. In truth she had Zangetsu because she spared it from Aizens destruction, knowing that it might earn a little bit of a conversation between her and the prisoner. Her plan worked, just not as well as she had hoped. "Are there any other questions you would like to ask? I figure today would be your last chance to do so."

"Just one. How long have I been here?" he asked. Ah yes, the one question she knew that would keep his interest, at least until they reached the chamber.

"You've been here in Los Noches for three days, but if you're asking how long ago you left the soul society, it's been almost a week. Time passes quickly in the garganta, so what seems like a quick trip might actually be hours or days," she said, convincing to the prisoner who had never traveled by gaganta before four days ago. True it was a little lie, but only if you knew how to work a garganta. If you didn't know how to work a garganta, then her statement was all truth.

"Almost a week?" Ichigo asked, the color draining from his face, "It can't be, It just can't be! I mean sure time flies when you sleep or are unconscious, but a week!" he looked over his shoulder to look her in the eyes as best he could; only seeing that see would not look at his. "A week. What a week it's been then, I get married and kidnapped in the same day, and already I bet she already wants to kill me."

Harribel suddenly felt a pain deep down in would have been her soul, she actually felt terrible at what her Lord had done. How could he have taken a newlywed away from his bride on the same day they were married? Just as soon as the feelings had appeared she dismissed them, standing firm in her belief that Aizen had his reasons, and that this experiment would make her forget all her worries. "If it makes you feel any better, Aizen said that if the experiment failed you would be going right back to your bride," another lie, but one that Ichigo was all too willing to accept.

"Then I hope that it fails as soon as it starts, I can't leave her waiting for me for too long." Harribel didn't let it show as he looked over his shoulder to grin at her, but she was having another one of those feelings. This time she was feeling terrible that he had actually believed her lie, and worse that it was such a poor lie. She knew that Aizen would just keep trying until either experiment succeeded or when Ichigo died, and knowing Aizen the latter would never happen.

The two finally stepped into the room where Aizen had been waiting for him, and he had a box with a small purple colored sphere floating inside. Harribel knew that the experiment would never fail now. Aizen was going to use the Hogyoukou to ensure that it worked. Again she felt that same pain as earlier, she had heard it described to her before by Tousen. She was feeling guilt.

"Here he is, just as you asked Lord Aizen," Harribel said shoving Ichigo to his knees directly in front of Aizen, with-in arms reach.

"Thank you Harribel, you may chose to stay and watch if you like, I'm sure that Zangetsu wants to stay, but since he's with you, he has to go wherever you do," Aizen said, trying to influence her to stay.

"I think I will stay, but Zangetsu will remain just out of arms reach from him," she said as she removed Zangetsu from her back setting it, just as she promised, right out of arms reach of the prisoner, his amber eyes looking up to meet her teal colored eyes. "Have fun Lord Aizen, I will stay near the exit until this is over." Harribel approached the exit, her eyes dropping to the floor in shame of her poor lie to the boy.

"Very well. Ichigo are you prepared to become something more than you are? Something more than a Vizard?" he asked, reaching into the box, grabbing the Hogyoukou in his hand as he spoke, "Well regardless, that's why you are here, you are a perfect Vizard, in the essence of your hollow was created naturally, and not artificially," he pulled the sphere out of the box, "Today however, you will become something new. A perfect blend of Espada and Vizard, a one of a kind entity, not exsisting anywhere. Feel free to think of a name once you master your new abilities that I'm about to give you, but just know this," he paused, the Hogyoukou glowing in his hand, "If you survive the procedure, which you will, you will serve me, and most likely forget your past in the world of the living and the soul society." As he finished saying these words, Aizen placed three fingers from the hand holding the sphere onto Ichigo's spirit chain, and began to force in the essence of fallen Espada and fallen Vizards directly into Ichigo's soul. A bright blinding light began to radiate from the area of contact, and slowly filled the room, along with a blood curdling scream from Ichigo, until the noise and the light finally dissipated to nothingness. The experiment was complete, and a success, with one side effect. Ichigo Kurosaki, the married man, had died in the experiment. Instead lying on the floor in a crumpled heap covered in rags next to a changed Zangetsu, was Ichigo Kurosaki, the first woman to become both Vizard and Espada.

"It seems that the experiment has its flaws, but for all counts and purposes, it will be considered a success," Aizen said as he placed the sphere back into its box, floating harmlessly in the exact center, "A new day has definitely dawned in Los Noches. Harribel, welcome your new sister into your ranks. Your sister will join the ranks of the Espada as soon as we can gauge her powers and strength." He then leaned down to the unconscious woman lying on the floor and whispered in her ear, "Welcome to the family, Kurosaki." He took five steps away before he noticed that Harribel had hardly moved. "Harribel, I thought I asked you to welcome your new sister. Why are you just standing there?"

"Because Lord Aizen," Harribel replied, trying to keep herself composed, "She is no Espada. Why should I welcome her as a sister?"

"Ah you have an excellent point, there Harribel," Aizen said, as he tried to imagine things from her perspective, "Is it because she's only half Espada that you deny my order? Or is there something more?" Harribel tried to hide her amazement when Aizen had nailed both problems. "Look at it this way, if you welcome her as a sister, you get to spend more time with her, and the more time you spend with her, the more likely she will turn out to favor the Espada side of her powers. The way I see it, it's a win/win situation for the both of you."

"……… Very well Lord Aizen." Harribel approached her new sister, and lifted her off the floor, most of her rags falling off, exposing most of her flesh. Harribel began to blush as the rags left Ichigo leaving only her most private of areas covered. Harribel had a feeling that this assignment would be one of her toughest that Aizen had assigned her.

-----Meanwhile in the South Hall-------

"Well Gin, what did we learn from today's lesson?" Aizen said as Gin approached from one of the adjoining corridors.

"Well Aizen, we've learned that if the Hogyoukou can transform Ichigo into her current condition, we need more test subjects before we move on to trying it on ourselves," Gin stated, his always present grin stretching from ear to ear.

"Hmmmmmm, it's rare to find any pureblood Vizards or pureblood Espada nowadays. He could wait for centuries before we get another chance like this one." Aizen was lost in thought for a moment, until he said, "Gin inform the Espada, the Preveron, and the Arrancar, to be on the lookout for any pure blooded Espada that are not already in our ranks and pureblooded Vizards. I want to save Starrk for a last resort."

"Right away Aizen!" Gin said as he disappeared from sight.

"Truth be told I'm saving Coyote Starrk, for the final experiment before the Hogyoukou fully awakes. But if we can't find anyone I'll have to use him. What a waste if that has to happen that way." Aizen said trying to help wrinkle out the flaws in his otherwise perfect plan. "I've still got four months until it awakens. That's more than enough time to find another Pureblood. And enough time to activate more of the Hogyoukou."


	4. The Awkening of Ichigo

**Disclaimer: Wait……. Didn't I do one of these disclaimer-mah-bobs earlier? Oh well. Anyway I do not own bleach or the characters, just my ideas and my thought process.**

Chapter 4- The Awakening of Ichigo

_What in the world? What am I doing in this hallway?_ Ichigo said, lost inside a dream. He looked behind and in front of him, seeing opens doors run the length of the hall and one at the end he was facing, bright lights spilling out of each open door, and one door that glowed the brightest at the end of the hall directly in front of him. Directly behind him was a closed door, something that seemed to call out to him. _Note to self, avoid the closed door. Hmmmmmmmmm. I think that these doors are important to me somehow. Let's find out_, he said, walking to the door on his right. Right before he was able to step inside the opening, it slammed shut in his face. _WHAT THE HELL! What kind of dream is this?_ He turned and reached for the door behind him, only to have it shut in his face as well. _Okaaaaaay, weird. This has got to be the craziest ass dream ever……. WHAT THE HELL? MY HAND!_ Ichigo looked down at his right hand, the one that he had reached for the door with, no longer seeing the rough, callused hand he had developed through months of training, instead seeing a smooth feminine hand. **Don't you get it Ichigo?** called a voice he had grown to hate **The more you try to fight it, the quicker you change into what the Hogyoukou wants****,** Aizens' recorded voice called back, a slight chuckle hidden behind the word wants. _That rat bastard! He's messing with the wrong guy! I simply won't attempt to go through any doors and remain standing right here._ As soon as he said that Aizens voice resonated through the hallway again. **Oh and one more thing, three doors will close once every fifteen seconds now that you've already started. After every set of doors, the time will drop by three seconds, until you start to close them again. So one way or another the Hogyoukou will have its way and change you****.** Ichigo began to growl as he heard the voice give its grim news, until he heard three doors shut at the end of the hall, causing him to snap his head at the darkened area. _Shit! It's started already!_ Ichigo looked down and saw that his other hand had changed now, mimicking the feminine features. _Shit Shiiiiit!_ Ichigo didn't care if this was only a dream, he knew that something about this seemed all too real. _If this keeps up, there won't be any of me left at all!_ Another three doors shut, the hall way darkened more, and Ichigo's legs and feet transformed. _Damn it! Damn you Aizen!_

"How long as she been asleep?" came a cold female voice from outside door.

"She hasn't woken up since you brought her in two days ago, Lady Harribel," replied another female voice, not as cold as the first.

"Make sure you call me as soon she wakes. Lord Aizen wants me to test her abilities and see if she remembers anything. If his theory is right she won't remember anything of her past after she wakes up, the exception being very minor details," replied Harribel, making sure that her demand was heard.

"Yes milady." After hearing that, Harribel walked away from the guest room, leaving one of the Prevarron to watch over the new _family_ member. She still felt disgust when having to think that that _shinigami_ was to be adopted into their family, let alone that she herself had to test her abilities in combat. "What is he thinking! Bringing that….that…..that _scum_ into our lands, infusing it with the essence of fallen comrades effectively making it into some sort of mixed _trash_! I think that he's finally…"

"I've finally what Harribel?" asked Aizen, stepping up to walk beside the number three Espada, exerting high amounts of reiatsu, "Go ahead and speak freely about it, I won't hold anything against you. After all, other than Ulquiorra, Gin, and Tousen, I trust you explicitly."

"Sorry Lord Aizen," Harribel said, barely standing due the presence of his high reiatsu, "I merely meant to say what purpose does infusing a shinigami with the essence of Espada?"

"Nice cover story, although next time I won't be so lenient. As to answer your question, she wan't a shinigami, she was a Vizard, a shinigami with some hollow abilities, bridging the gap between the two just as you and your brethren do by being arrancar." He paused here to take a breath. "In essence, all I did was infuse her with more abilities, favoring hollows while downplaying the shinigami. The Hogyoukou merely merged what I placed in there with the pre-existing abilities to create what is laying there in your guest room right now. Do you understand that she is neither Espada, hollow, shinigami, or Vizard but something new? This has been a very special week for the universe with the merge of the completely opposed forces."

"Yes Lord Aizen, I understand."

"It's best for you to believe that you do. Until I deem otherwise you are her guardian, you will protect her with your life if necessary. Am I clear?" He exerted more reiatsu, slowly forcing Harribel down to one knee, waiting for her to respond.

"Explicitly so, Lord Aizen." Harribel said, struggling to say those few words. Aizen then allowed his reiatsu to disperse, letting Harribel stand again of her own free will.

"Remember, next time you doubt me, I will not let you stay alive. Oh by the way, I'd start heading back to the guest room, she should be waking up soon," Aizen said as he disappeared, seconds before the female arrancar came running to inform Harribel of their guests status. Together they stepped into the room.

"She should be awake now, milady."

"Thank you. Leave now," Harribel spoke, her voice almost sounding forced. As soon as the arrancar left, Harribel returned her attention to the woman on the bed. "Do you know who you are?"

"I….. I'm…… Ichigo Kurosaki," came the reply from the woman on the bed, her voice uncertain as she looked herself over.

"Do you know where you are?"

"No…… wait….. Yes, I'm in Hueco Mundo, the realm of the hollows," she said, still looking over herself.

"What does that make you then?" The crucial question was finally asked, how would she respond?

"I….. I….. I'm an Espada." This time she lifted her head, her amber eyes looking around the room, until they landed on the Teal-eyed Espada questioning her. "You're an Espada too."

"Correct, _I'm_ an Espada, you however, still have yet to prove it." Harribel said, her eyes locking with the amber eyes across the room. "Final question. Do you remember anything from before you woke up?" Ichigo sat in silence on her bed, trying to think back to before she woke up, her eyes closed, Harribel staring at her, looking over the person Aizen had told her to protect with her life, still wearing the rags from two days ago. What used to be short and spiky orange hair, was now strawberry blonde, reaching down to her mid-back. Her eyelids held behind them the amber orbs, filled with a forgotten past screaming to be remembered on deaf ears. Her lips were slightly plump with a pale pink tone. Her face in general had a look of grace upon it, as if she had always looked as she did now. Harribels' gaze drifted down from her face to her body, noticing that the size of her breast was close to her own, and Ichigo was still growing, only being eighteen for the past month in human time. Her arms were crossed under her chest, unknowingly slightly emphasizing the size of her bust. Before Harribel could move her gaze further downward, Ichigo spoke, her female voice finally snatching the Espada's attention.

"I remember you, my zanpakuto, and Lord Aizen. Other than that nothing," she said, her right eye unconsciously twitching at the words 'Lord Aizen'.

"Very well. You shall have some robes to wear. I'm sure we've got something to fit your size," Harribel replied, her voice still unwelcoming to Ichigo.

"Thank you, Harribel. I'm not sure why, but it just seems like the thing to say," Ichigo said, never moving from her spot on the bed. Harribel just stood where she was, her eyes looking away from the strawberry blonde until she had enough of the silence filling between them. As she turned to walk out, Ichigo made a low wince, grabbing the side of her head. Inside her head all she heard was a maniacal female laugh.

_**My, my, how the queen has fallen. She believes she is an Espada, when all she is is a joke. Honestly who would want **_**her**_** a former Vizard and Shinigami captain to be an Espada?**_ The voice faded away into the recesses of her mind, laughing until the very end.

_Who was that in my head? She felt so……familiar. Like she had been a part of my very soul for the longest time._ Her head began to hurt again as the voice tried to resurface, failing in its attempt this time, only getting a part of its message through.

_**Poor…Qu...ie…., Doesn't even……….nize her…… Hollow……Maybe……..getsu……....……get through.**_

"What in the world was that about? Something about a hollow and getting through," Ichigo said to herself outloud.

"You know Ichigo," came a male voice from the door, "they say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

"Lord Aizen," Ichigo said, a slight twitch in her eye, smaller than last time, as she slightly bowed her head, "What brings you to my......quarters I would guess?"

"Yes, Ichigo, these are going to be your quarters for now. As for why I'm here, let's just say I'm visiting an old friend." Somewhere deep down Ichigo wanted to yell bullshit, but restrained herself.

"How long have we known each other?"

"Well now let's see, it's been three months since I last saw you outside Hueco Mundo, but all in all I've lost track of how long we've known each other."

"So, why do you want to visit me?" Ichigo asked, sensing something was up. Was this woman's intuition? Or was it instinct?

"Well we recently found you in enemy hands in the Soul Society, held captive by Yoruichi Shihouin," something deep inside Ichigo stirred at the mention of that name, "She kidnapped you from a mission in the human world and took you into the soul society, where they proceeded to try and remove your Espada abilities and make you into a mindless warrior for their cause against us." Slowly the stirring beast inside Ichigo began to calm down, resting uneasily back in the depths of her mind and soul.

"Th…..Thank you Lord Aizen, for rescuing me from those shinigami." This time her eye barely twitched, but still a slight twitch was there.

"Please Ichigo, call me Aizen. After all you have the same rights here as Gin and Tousen. As long as you are here, you are family," at the words family, Aizen spread his arms slightly, the palms of his hands facing Ichigo. An open invitation saying 'trust me, I have nothing to hide' and 'welcome' at the same time.

"If you're done with your speech Lord Aizen," said Harribel standing behind Aizen with some garments over her right arm, "Ichigo has to get dressed. After all one simply cannot stay in rags at all times can they?"

"No, Harribel, you're right." Aizen began to leave when he stopped, his back to the women, "Ichigo, Harribel, after you're done here feel free to join me, Gin, and Tousen for a stroll around Las Noches."

"Thank you Lor…. Thank you Aizen," Ichigo replied, "I'm sure that I will be very busy though trying to regain my status as an Espada," Harribel looks toward Aizen, an eyebrow raised in question.

"I understand Ichigo, just feel free to explore at your content, so long as you remain with Harribel."

"Yes, Aizen. Goodbye."

"Goodbye Ichigo Kurosaki," and just as suddenly as he appeared earlier, he was gone.

"Do I even want to know what that was about?" Harribel asked, a hint of jealousy in her voice

"Hey said he was just checking up on an old friend, and that I was family," Ichigo replied, her voice responding as though she had not heard the jealousy in Harribels' voice.

"Anyway here are your choices of robes that you'll be wearing from now on." As she said this she laid down three garments on the bed at her feet. "No need to pick this late in the day. I suggest you wait until tomorrow. After that we'll start training."

"Okay Harribel, but if I may say something?"

"Yes, Ichigo?"

"It seems like you're starting to warm up to me." Ichigo let out a giggle as Harribels' eyebrows furrowed in annoyance.

"It's not that I'm starting to warm up to you, it's just that I'm this way to all my sisters." Ichigos' amber eyes lit up when she finally heard Harribel call her sister.

"What made you decide I was a sister now?" She asked, highly curious as to what could have changed her mind since she had left to get the clothes.

"Aizen seems intent on making you family, and its usless to try and go against him when he's as set in something like this." Not a solid victory for Ichigo, but a step in the right direction.


	5. A Sword by Any Other Name

**Disclaimer: I would like to thank you all for reading my wonderful work Bleach and…..Oh wait, that's right I don't own Bleach or any of the characters. Maybe next time though. Until then enjoy what my fingers type, my ideas.**

Chapter 5- A Sword by Any Other Name

Harribel knocked on Ichigos door before entering her room. It might not be how she normally did things, but she was willing to make an exception for her new sister. "Good morning Ichigo, Sleep well?" she said as she stepped through the door, not really caring if she had slept well at all while carrying a tray of human breakfast foods with her, and almost dropping it as she stepped in. She could have died at what she was seeing. Ichigo was standing at her bed, naked trying to pick one of the three white robes that was handed to her the other day. "If I might suggest something?" Harribel asked looking quickly to the robes on the bed while trying to avoid looking at her sisters' body, blushing slightly at how open she was.

"Yes sister?" Ichigo asked, looking away from the robes on her bed to look at Harribels flushed face. "Why are you blushing, Harribel?" suddenly Ichigo realized what the problem was, she was trying to avoid looking at Ichigos new naked body. She quickly picked up the blankets and covered herself up, waiting for her sister to continue speaking, frowning as she did. "You're no fun Tia," Ichigo said as she pouted, get a slight twinge of a headache. After the headache passed she heard a voice in her head, the same one as before.

_**Ichigo, are you flirting with our sister? My, my, how some people change.**_

_Oh shut up,_ Ichigo said, raising her inner voice slightly finally remembering who the voice was, _If I want to tease Harribel, Hollow, I'll tease Harribel. Besides I just wanted to see what her reaction would be._

_**Yeah and I'm the queen of Los Noches, probably would have been to if I ever knocked you off the high horse.**_ Before Ichigo could reply to her hollow she was brought back to her room, listening to Harribel.

"It's either Lady Harribel or nothing at all to you, and you should pick the robes that make you feel comfortable for all occasions, fighting included," Harribel said looking down at the robes Ichigo had laid out on the bed, avoiding her pouting face and barely covered skin. "I think that either the one in the middle or the one on the left would fit those conditions best for you," she said as she looked over the three robes on the bed. The one in the middle was a flowing robe top that barely covered her breasts and left her back exposed. It had sleeves that stopped at her wrists where there dangled one loop of fabric to wrap around one of her fingers. The sleeves were connected to the garment at the bottom of the shoulder. From the bottom of the top out flowed the rest of the fabric, missing the floor by just mere inches, making what appeared to be a coat behind her. This robe came with white pants, hugging tightly enough to the skin for movement and mobility, yet loose enough to allow space between the fabric and whoever wore it. The one on the left was a white top, with a high collar, high enough to cover the lower half of a person's face, just like Harribels, and went down to expose her midriff. The sleeves were completely attached, stopping just short of the elbow completely exposing her arms. From the waist down she had white pants to wear that were completely lose fitting, a complete copy of what the human realm called bell bottoms. As for the robe it too had sleeves that stopped at the elbows, the length the same as the one in the middle. "I think you should go with the one in the middle, it seems more like your style."

Ichigo stopped pouting and smiled at the suggestion her sister made. "Thank you, I was kinda stuck on which one I wanted, but the middle one was my favorite." Ichigo then slightly turned and released the blanket, exposing her body for all it's worth once again, and once again Harribel blushed and turned around, silently cursing herself for not having waited for her to tell her to come in. "You're still going to turn away? Oh I'm going to have fun in Los Noches," Ichigo said as she tried to get dressed. After a few minutes of silence, except for the sounds of Ichigo pulling on her new clothes and doing up the zippers, Ichigo finally asked, "Well, how do I look?" Harribel turned around and was nearly blown away by how her adopted sister looked. The clothing fit her and her curves perfectly, leaving very little to the imagination. Her top had barely covered her breasts, just as Harribel thought would happen, and went down to neatly meet her tight pants, exposing only a very small amount of flesh.

"Sister, you look…"Harribel was lost for words, letting slip the word sister. If Ichigo used to be a Flash God, she definitely looked like a Goddess now.

"Terrible?" asked Ichigo, looking downhearted that her sister hadn't finished her sentence, not even noticing that Harribel had called her sister for the second time in two days.

"Just the opposite, you look better than fantastic. You look like a Goddess." The compliment no sooner fell from her lips, than Ichigo's eyes lit up with joy, and just as quickly as there was joy, there was pain. Ichigo doubled over falling to her knees, holding her head in her hands and wailing in pain. Harribel tried to figure out what was wrong, but she could get nowhere near the wailing Ichigo, her reiatsu forming a protective barrier. Ichigo couldn't help but hold her head and scream in pain, her head pounding like it was a drum. Something was fighting to resurface in her memories, but she couldn't tell what it was. All she knew was that her sisters' compliment made her feel like see was on a high, and then the next thing she knew was she saw a pair of golden eyes framed by purple hair, giving her the splitting migraine she now felt. Finally after a half hour of her pained screaming, she finally stopped. Harribel looked to see if her sister would start screaming again before taking a small step forward, testing to see if the barrier was still up. Finally she got close enough to Ichigo to place a hand on her shoulder. "Ichigo, are you okay?" a very small amount of concern hiding in her voice.

"I…I don't know," She said as slowly pulled her head out of her hands, tears filling her eyes, threatening to escape, "I just remember hearing the word Goddess, and then seeing a pair of gold eyes surrounded by purple. After that my head began to hurt and ache like it was going to split in two. What's wrong with me, sis?"

"I don't know, Ichigo, but I know that soon we'll be late for training," she said as she lied to her sister. She hoped that she wouldn't have to lie to her again, wondering why she felt that way at the same time. She had never felt hope before, yet here she was hoping that she didn't have to lie to Ichigo again. "Let's see about getting you to hear Zangetsu, mmmmm?" she asked trying to distract her sister.

"I could really use Zangetsu's advice right now. But for some reason that doesn't name seem belong my zanpakuto any more. I don't know why but I'm almost certain it's changed," Ichigo said, using the back of her hand to rub her eyes.

"Well then, let's go learn you zanpakutos name shall we?" Harribel asked walking over to the corner and picking up the bandaged sword, "Maybe holding it will help?" she offered as she handed her the sword.

Ichigo nodded from the floor, reaching up to grab her blade, when suddenly the bandages fell away to reveal that the blade had changed completely, no longer needing the bandages for a sheath. In her hands she held her new zanpakuto, sheathed in black leather, a loop on one side allowing it to be carried on the back or at her side. The handle was silver at the bottom, and wrapped in black up to where the gaurd would be. Instead there was another bit of pure silver, slightly larger than the leather on the handle. Above the guard on the back of the blade, stuck out a small curved metal spike, intended to protect her hand from harm of a blade slashing down the length of her blade. Slightly above that spike there was a curved notch in the blade of the sword, and another one was placed six inches away. The blade had a slight curve along the spine, finally coming to a point at the end of the blade, a total of some twenty-nine inches. On the front the blade, almost seven inches from the handle, was another spike identical to the one on the back of the blade. As if to put a finishing touch on the whole zanpakuto, a small silver and gold chain tangled from the bottom of the handle, attached to the chain was a small black cat figure, giving Ichigo another small headache.

Ichigo took one look at her new zanpakuto and knew immediately that it was hers. "Kyuusho," she breathed as she grabbed the blade by the handle.

_**Finally you talk to me!**_ said another female voice inside her head. She knew this one belonged to her zanpakuto, but she still had to ask.

_Is that you Kyuusho?_ Ichigo asked, directing the question internally and to the zanpakuto in her hand.

_**Yes ma'am. I am what happened to Zangetsu when you were transformed into your current condition, needless to say, I'm still the same person, just different name.**_

_You don't know how good it is, to talk to what used to be Zangetsu. All I've had for company from with inside this body was me and my Hollow._

_**You rang Queenie? Oh I see you finally talked to Kyuusho, nice to see a different face again.**_

_** Behave Drama Queen, we know you're just dying to get out and fight like always.**_

_She's got a point you know, we all are._ Ichigo knew that was true, she really wanted to get out and train, and try to remember more about herself. Most of all, she wanted to be free of this dull room. The only window was to the outside of Los Noches, out into the endless night of Hueco Mundo.

"So Ichigo, you found out your zanpakutos' name?" Harribel asked, looking at her sister with curiosity. She was right about the name being different, even though she hadn't spoken to her zanpakuto since before the transformation.

"Yes, her name is Kyuusho. She says that she is pretty much the same as Zangetsu, just a different name."

"Well, one way to find out is to get you into a fight soon."

"Agreed Tia. So where are we going?" She asked, placing Kyuusho in her sheath and carrying her in her hand for now.

"Were you always so stubborn with names and titles? I said call me Lady Harribel or nothing at all! We'll be going down to Los Noches, where you will fight off some hopeful Adjuchas."

"Sounds like fun to me, Tia. After you." she said as she opened the door, holding it wide for Harribel, glaring at still being called Tia. She knew trying to get Ichigo to call Her Lady Harribel was pointless from the reports Ulquiorra gave. _Will some things ever change_, Harribel thought to herself as she walked through the door, leading Ichigo down to where she would be training. _ Maybe if I allow her to call me sister instead she'll stop calling me Tia._

"From now on Ichigo, call me sister," Harribel said sighing, "after all, if I have to start calling you sister, then you should start seeing me as such."

**AN: This took longer to add than I would have hoped, mostly due to a faulty keyboard and a bad internet connection for several days. R&R at your leisure**. **Rough translation on Kyuusho, key. Yes lame I know but everything has it's reasons.**


	6. Something Wicked this Way Comes

**Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or the characters, although I wish I did, because then I wouldn't be writing this fan-fic, just reading them. I own only the ideas here-in.**

Chapter 6 –Something Wicked this Way Comes

"Come on Ichigo, keep it up!" demanded Harribel from above.

"I'm trying to sister! You sure these are the weakest you got?" yelled back Ichigo, slashing off another limb from the nearest hollow with Kyuusho.

"Yes sister, these are the weakest of available Adjuchas to me," Harribel chuckled, they might be her weakest, but they were still among the strongest of all the Adjuchas. How else to better test her sister than to pit her against the toughest of the weak?

"Alright, here I go again," yelled Ichigo, as she began to charge her reiatsu into Kyuusho again, charging up the new version of her Getsuga Tensho. Harribel watched as her sister attempted to do the technique that had failed her several times already.

_She's got her old sense of determination, I'll give her that much_, Harribel thought to herself, as the technique failed again.

"Damn it!" Ichigo cursed, dodging the nearest Adjucha attack.

_Unfortunately she still has her mouth too._ Harribel let out a sigh, things were slowly getting better for Ichigo, she was sure of that, but she was spending too much time trying to use old attacks instead of trying to learn new ones.

"Back off Adjuchas!" Harribel called as she jumped down from her perch, the Adjuchas obeyed dutifully and either held their ground or moved back ten feet, depending on how close they were to Ichigo. "Ichigo, sister," Harribel said trying to sound caring, immediately snatching her attention, "Why don't you try to see if Kyuusho has different attacks than Zangetsu? Sure, she said that she was the same as Zangetsu, but what if she meant that as in she would be able to offer you the same or better advice and not the same moves?"

"I hadn't thought about that sister," Ichigo said, blinking her amber eyes in thought, "maybe I just need to talk to her and Hollow. Do you think that's a good idea?"

"Of course sister," Harribel said, waving a dismissing hand towards the Adjuchas, "Take as much time as you need, meanwhile I'll be sparring with some of the Adjuchas." With that Harribel used her sonido to go and meet the nearest Adjuchas.

"Thank you sister," Ichigo whispered as she watched Harribel start fighting with an Adjucha, pulling her zanpakuto from its resting place over her shoulder blades, "Now to go and visit Kyuusho and Hollow." Almost as soon as Ichigo said that, she felt herself fall into her own self, down to the place where here Hollow and Kyuusho resided.

"**Look who finally decides to show up, Kyuusho. It's Queenie!**" cried out the Hollow of Ichigo, dressed exactly as she was, only the colors were black instead of white.

"**At least she can carry a conversation better than a sack of bricks!**" yelled Kyuusho towards Hollow. Her resemblance to Zangetsu was stunning, she had the same long flowing coat as he had, even the same sunglasses, the difference was her hair was blonde and flowed to her mid-back.

"Kyuusho," she bowed her head toward the spirit of her zanpakuto, "Hollow, or should I just call you drama queen?" Ichigo asked, knowing that if she got her hollow pissed off enough, she would reveal techniques about Kyuusho.

"**What was that Queenie? I didn't quite catch that**," Hollow yelled back, anger rolling off her like steam rising from water.

"I said I think I'm going to call you Drama Queen from now on," Ichigo said, goading her hollow on.

"**You got a death wish or something bitch? I'll show you drama queen!**" Hollow yelled as she charged her energy into the blade, her version of Kyuusho raised to strike. "**…..**" The Hollows mouth had moved, but no sound reached Ichigos' ears. Suddenly the Hollow's version of Kyuusho fired of a wave of glowing white reiatsu.

"Shit!" Ichigo yelled as she put up her Kyuusho to block the attack. Her theory had failed so far, but if she could get her to do it again, she was certain she would learn the name of the attack. "Is that the best you got Drama Queen? I bet that was a onetime deal!"

"**Oh it's on now Princess!**" the Hollow yelled back, raising Kyuusho to strike once again.

_Okay Ichico, LISTEN this time, _she told herself.

"**Kagi Jigoku***!"

"Gotchya!" Ichigo yelled back at her Hollow. After blocking the wave of reiatsu that followed, she raised Kyuusho and cried out, "Kagi Jigoku!" The wave of reiatsu that flowed out of Kyuusho was a dense, dark flood, swallowing the Hollow whole as she tried to block.

"**Ichigo, did you just cheat?**" asked Kyuusho, her arms across her chest.

"Only a little Kyuusho," Ichigo said, looking into her zanpakutos eyes, "I knew how to basically use the technique, I just didn't know how to charge the reiatsu or the name. I just thought that using Drama Queen over there would be the simplest way to learn."

"**Well, is there anything else you would like to try?**"

"**Yeah like this perhaps?**" called out the hollow from behind the dissipating smoke her last attack created. The hollow hadn't activated her Bankai, Ichigo knew that much, instead she had gone straight into Resurreccion, the highest level of release an Espada has available.

"**Hollow I thought we agreed to teach her the shinigami and Vizard abilities before we taught her Resurreccion!**" Kyuusho was practically yelling at the hollow now.

"**If she can break the rules, then so can I!**" was the Hollows only response.

"That's what I would look like when I use Resurreccion?" Ichigo asked, her eyes looking over her Hollow. The mask that she was familiar with had been replaced with an extremely different mask all together, allowing for the color difference between the Hollow and herself of course. This mask was drawn out from the nose to the chin, effectively creating the appearance of a snout, on top of the mask was two horns, laid back and pointing up towards the sky behind her. The body had been hollowfied, including a gaping hole right between her collar bones. The hands were covered in gauntlets, the fingertips of which came to sharp points for a total of ten claws. The gauntlets themselves ran up to her elbow, a spike growing out from the outer edge of where the gauntlet met the joint. Her feet had been changed into those of a three toed beast, with a hind claw for balance. Even though she couldn't see the toes, she had a feeling that they too were claws. Finally her gaze rested on the tail of her Hollow, it was fifty centimeters long, long enough to give extra balance for running on all fours, yet Ichigo had a feeling that the tail had other sinister purposes.

"_**More or less Queenie,**_" came the echoing reply of Hollow, "_**Go ahead try to beat this, go Vizard on me if you can. I'll give you three tries to become a Vizard or something better,**_" Kyuusho glared at Hollow, "_**if you succeed, then I'll teach you Ressurecion.**_"

"And if I fail?

"_**We'll cross that bridge when you get there**_**,**" teased Hollow.

"Alright Hollow, it's a bet," Ichigo said as she thought about how best to enter her Bankai. "Do I get any hints on Bankai, or will this be by instinct only?" the question was meant for anyone to answer, but she was hoping the answer would be one hint or something along those lines.

"**One hint is all you will get**," Kyuusho replied, jumping down to meet Ichigo where she was.

"_**Instinct!**_"Yelled the Hollow, but too late, Kyuusho was already giving her hint to Ichigo.

"**Do you remember how you activated your former Bankai?**"

"Of course I …"

"**Don't tell me, show me**," said Kyuusho. Ichigo nodded and proceeded to set up her old Bankai. As she pointed Kyuusho towards her Hollow, she felt instinct take over.

"Bankai!" She yelled, disappearing, into a swirling vortex of black and blue reiatsu. Appearing in her new Bankai release, Kyuusho became a slightly smaller version of itself, transforming into a full katana, the guard shaped like a swirl, rotating down and away from the blade. The blade was no longer silver, but a mixture of silver, platinum, and titanium. Her clothing had transformed to fit the new speed her Bankai would provide, effectively changing the lower half of her cloak into what appeared to be a pale white version of her former Bankai. "Kyuusho Jigoku**"

"**Very good Ichigo!**" Kyuusho said, hugging Ichigos neck. "**Now it's time for you to become a Vizard.**" Ichigo, reached with her hand instinctually, reaching up above her right eye gathering reiatsu at her fingertips, and suddenly pulled it across her face, a mask forming where her hand passed. Her mask was almost identical to what her hollow wore, with the exception that hers was a flat mask, no horns, no snout. Only four blue stripes, two above each eyes outside corner, kept her mask from being a blank slate.

"_All right Hollow, I've won our bet, now teach me Resurreccion!"_ Ichigo yelled, her voice echoing like her Hollow.

"_**I said you had to achieve Vizard or better right?**_" another glare from Kyuusho, "_**Well there you go, little miss Vizard. Even though you had help I'll teach ya.**_" Hollow said clearly losing her bet, "_**Fine, for Resurreccion, first you need to figure out what I look like, and the proper command to achieve this will become nearly obvious.**_"

"_Well if I had to guess, I'd say you look like a demon_," Ichigo said after looking over her hollow.

"_**Very good Queenie! Now what do you think would be an appropriate command to become a demon? By the way, it all needs to be said in Spanish, so Demon is?**_"

"_Demonio_," Ichigo said, not even thinking. It just felt natural to her.

"_**Exactly Queenie. Now what would a demon do? Remember Spanish only, and go ahead and say it with demon.**_"

"_Destruir Todo, Demonio!***_" Ichigo yelled. Another flash of light and swirl of reitsu, she was an exact copy of her Hollow, only she had blue and red stripes running along her hollowfied skin.

"_**Congratulations Queenie!**_" Hollow raved, both people releasing the Resurreccion, "**You've now mastered all Espada, Shinigami, and Vizard releases. Now do use a favor and surprise the hell out of **_**sister**_** Harribel,**" a sound of menace being emphasized on sister.

"I plan on it, Hollow. Kyuusho, make sure she doesn't wreck the place." After that Ichigo was back in her real body in Hueco Mundo, not even three minutes had passed since Harribel had started her fight against the Adjuchas. Ichigo decided that now was a good time as any to interrupt her and let her know she was ready to start again.

"Sis!" Ichigo yelled, getting Harribels' attention, "I'm ready to give it another try now!" No sooner had Ichigo said those words, when Harribel nodded and told the Adjuchas to attack. _Let's start off slow and easy,_ Ichigo thought to herself. She raised her blade as if ready to strike down ward, when suddenly she changed its direction and slashed across infront of her, crying out, "Kagi Jigoku!" the attack sliced through the first five Adjuchas, effectively killing them. Harribel watched as Ichigo faced the next oncomer, pointing her blade towards it saying, "Bankai!" enveloped by a dust cloud.

Yelling as the dust settled, "Kyuusho Jigoku!" her mixed metal blade pointing straight at the fast approaching Adjucha. Then she did something that Harribel couldn't follow, but next thing she knew Ichigo had appeared behind the Adjucha, and it fell, split right down the middle.

"Six down, six to go," Ichigo said, counting aloud to herself. Harribel watched as Ichigo sheathed her weapon, and held out her right hand, gathering staggering amounts of reiatsu in her fist and behind her shoulder blades.

"Shunko!" Ichigo cried out, barely feeling the splitting headache in her head as she used the technique that the golden eyes had taught her in a past life. Again she disappeared from Harribel's sight, traveling at speeds faster than any Sonido she had witnessed. Next thing Harribel saw was another Adjucha fall, Ichigo floating in the air in front of where its face was, a giant hole in its head where she punched it. As she landed on the ground, she gave Harribel a wink, and pulled on her hollow mask. If the reiatsu of the area was thick from her Bankai and Shunko, then with her mask she could have slowed down the fastest Espada to a crawl. In the blink of an eye, Ichigo appeared next to Harribel, leaving the remaining five Adjuchas looking for her where the last one had fallen.

"_Amazing isn't it?_" Ichigo asked resting her arm around the shoulders of Harribel, causing her to jump and blush slightly, "_I mean remind me to thank Aizen for his gift later. It's the best one I've gotten so far_." Just as quickly as she appeared next to Harribel, she was standing on top of one of the Adjuchas head, aiming her zanpakuto straight down before finally dropping it into its head, killing it instantly. Pulling her zanpakuto out of the Adjuchas head, Ichigo jumped down to the ground, landing lightly.

"_And for the icing on the cake, I present a release,_" Ichigo said, bowing slightly towards Harribel and the final four Adjuchas. "_Destruir Todo, Demonio!" _Harribel could barely stand as Ichigos reiatsu jumped to a new height, completely decimating the closest Adjuchas without having to do anything.

"_Awwwww, and I was looking forward to having so much fun with that one too!_" Ichigo said, pouting as she crossed her arms underneath her hollowfied chest. "_Oh well, looks like I'll have to settle for you three,_" she sighed, raising a clawed finger and pointing to the Adjucha in the middle. Just in front of her claw gathered a very condensed amount of energy, blood red in color. "_Cero_," Ichigo said unenthusiastically as she fired the ping-pong ball sized cero at the middle Adjucha, decimating it in the blink of an eye while removing the nearest limbs of the neighboring Adjuchas, standing ten feet away from the destroyed ally. Suddenly Ichigo's energy shot higher than thought possible once again, nearly slamming Harribel into the ground. A swirl of dust and reaitsu gathered around Ichigo blocking her from sight, as she entered another form of release, the one her Hollow had hinted at. What appeared in the cloud of smoke was a familiar silhouette. The silhouette was tall, slightly over one hundred and seventy-four centimeters, a flowing coat trailing out behind it near the feet, only followed by the swishing sounds of a tail. Appearing out of the back of the silhouette were two wings, adding another twenty centimeters to its height. Where the head of the silhouette was also appeared two horns, curving to leave a five centimeter space in-between them at the tips. In both hands of the silhouette was a katana, one had the guard of a manji, the other a swirl. In each ungloved hand was both Kyuusho Jigoku and Tensa Zangetsu, the mask on the face had the horns of a bull and the face of a demon. The tail, around fifty centimeters in length was rolled around the joined handles of two zanpakuto, Zangetsu and Kyuusho, creating a twin bladed sword, made from heavens chain and hells key. The thing stepped out of the settling dust cloud, the sounds of bare feet hitting sand filling the immediate area, until Harribel broke the silence with an awed gasp. The old Ichigo had been revived, the proof being that the body before Harribel was male, the hair still flowing down to mid back. Ichigo turned his gaze to Harribel, electric blue eyes glowing with energy, rasping and rattling breath escaping from behind the mask. They stared at each other for a few seconds, his tail swishing, causing the two bladed katana to hum through the air, before finally he finally returned his gaze to the crippled Adjuchas awaiting instructions. His wings stretched to their fullest extent, a span of one and a half meters, and began to flap, raising Ichigo into the air. He arrived at a height of fifteen feet, his wings flapping every three seconds to keep him aloft, as he pointed Zangetsu towards the Adjuchas on the right, a small pinpoint of red light charging at its tip.

"_Cero_," a cold unfeeling male voice echoed through the air as the red light streaked through the air, going straight through the Adjucha's mask, causing an explosion from the amount of reiatsu condensed inside the tiny sphere. Before Harribel could even begin to register what she had seen, she felt something slide across her back, something that felt like fingertips. She turned to see what had caused the sensation only to catch a glimpse of Ichigos tail and swords going towards the final Adjucha. As she turned to follow the movement she already knew that he had killed the last of the aspiring Adjuchas, the tail and its blades swishing through the air as his hands grabbed the two zanpakuto from the ground where the Adjucha fell when it died, vanishing into thin air. Ichigo then sheathed the two zanpakuto and walked towards Harribel, her eyes frozen in shock and awe.

"_Shocked to see me like this sister?_" asked Ichigo's now unfeeling voice from behind the mask, "_I will admit that I am as well. I thought that I had died once Aizen performed his little experiment, only to find out that I was to be buried beneath my own inner world along with Hollow and Zangetsu, sleeping in a dormant state within myself,_" Ichigo took another step forward, his wings flapping to release pent up energy, "_Even as I slept, I could see all that was happening, and I learned from what I saw. I'm not sure as too how this in itself happened, but I do know this, it isn't permanent, I have at most another two minutes. Even after this form disappears, I most likely won't remember ever entering this form. A shame really seeing as how many major memories are being lost, and be unconscious for a couple days from having used so much energy._"

"Well," Harribel said, finally forcing herself into a sitting position under the weight of his pressure, "What do you suggest I tell you when you wake up? Do I tell you that you had become this incredibly powerful thing, that could easily destroy anything you wanted, or do I wait until you can remember?"

"_All of us, Zangetsu, Kyuusho, both hollows and I, agree that it would be best if you waited until I remembered on my own, if that will ever happen. Until then I suggest you do your best to convince Aizen, who is on his way right now, that what he felt was just a Resurreccion, nothing more. If he suspects that I have advanced this far, who knows what will happen, least of all what he will try to do to hinder progress,_" the mask and tail began to fade, a cloud of dust slowly rising, "_Until next time sister, I have but one request. Try and treat my other self nicer,_" Tensa Zangetsu and the joined blades began to fade away, "_Because if you don't, I _will_ be back, and I won't let you just witness my attacks. Do I make myself clear?_" his mask almost completely gone, revealing his brown determined eyes, and the mal-intent behind his words.

"Crystal clear, Ichigo," Harribel said as she watched the wings retract into Ichigos back.

"_Good, I'd hate to have to physically harm my sister simply because she refused a dying mans last wish,_" he said these last words with a slight chuckle as the dust began to swirl around him, concealing the transformation. When the dust settled, Ichigo was again female, with a slight difference. Part of her hollow mask had remained, concealing the top left of her head beneath a laid back horn and mask. She looked into Harribels' eyes and muttered barely above a whisper, "What a hell of a rush sis," collapsing forward into her breast and open arms.

"My, my, our newest addition sure is full of surprises isn't she?" Aizen asked as he approached the pair, his cloak billowing in the low gust. "Just how much of her powers has she learned?"

"Lord Aizen, she's…," Harribel said remembering what the former Ichigo said before regressing into her sister, "she's remembered how to use Bankai, her Vizard mask, and a technique I have never heard of, something called Shunko. She has also learned how to use the hollow side of her powers and activated her Resurreccion, resulting in the surge of pressure we experienced earlier."

"Anything else you would like to report, Harribel, before I leave?" Aizen asked, weighing his question with his spiritual pressure, literally causing her to feel his words.

"Nothing else, other than part of her mask remained after she abandoned her Resurreccion," she tilted Ichigo's head toward Aizen, revealing the mask and horn left on her head, "She seems to be embracing her Espada abilities at an equal rate of growth as her shinigami abilities."

"An excellent report and an even better hypothesis Harribel. Remember to keep me informed on her progress, and inform her of the rule about high ranking Espada not releasing their Resurreccion inside Los Noches. Knowing Ichigo, what we just felt of her power was the tip of the iceberg." He turned his gaze towards the unconscious Ichigo, "She's going to go far with her abilities." With those last few words Aizen turned and began walking back towards his area of the compound, Central Los Noches.

"If only you knew the half of it," Harribel said, her gaze turning down to her sleeping sister, speaking as she took her to her room, "if either of you only knew half of it."

**A/N: these are the translations regarding what was marked with an asterisk (* for those who don't know what on looks like). Just match the number of *'s for the translation. R&R**

***A rough translation, Hells key. Deal with me here I'm workin' with what I've got, a creative mind and internet translation.**

****Roughly Translates into Hells key**

*****No rough translation there. Destroy everything, Demon!**


End file.

Bleach, Romance