Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach

The Price to Pay for Peace

Chapter One

'We come spinning out of nothingness, scattering stars like dust' - Rumi

Ichigo Kurosaki -sixteen years old- stood up slowly, her joints cracking and limbs asleep after three months without use. She was in an almost complete darkness, in a tunnel that writhed like a living being. At her feet was the slouched form of her father, Isshin Kurosaki. The man was unconscious after three months using his spiritual pressure to keep his daughter alive. If he hadn't, they would both most certainly be dead by now, drowned in the restrictive current of the Dangai, otherwise known as the Precipice World, the world between worlds.

The teenage girl lugged her larger father over her shoulder without fanfare, and vanished with a flicker of Shunpo.

As she was about to reenter the real world she stopped and stared at the barrier separating her from the Soul Society for a moment, feeling an intense wave of apprehension. She shrugged it off, her newly completed soul would not allow her hesitate, even for a second.

Karakura Town was in a tranquil state; even from her position a few hundred meters above the town she could see the humans lining the streets, unmoving and looking dead. Ichigo remembered that they were in a comatose state, but rage still rose inside her like a vengeful beast. That maniac was willing to go to the sickest lengths, wasn't he?

Using her speed technique she moved towards Aizen's spiritual energy, and could immediately infer that his spiritual pressure was monstrously high, equal to the combined reiatsu of three average-powered captains in Bankai. Ichigo didn't feel cockiness or pride when she concluded that she was significantly stronger than he was. She was simply stronger, which gave her neither joy nor satisfaction. All she felt the certainty that she would defeat Aizen, and could finally properly protect her friends, that's it.

Ichigo could feel that serenity in her soul, knowing that for the first time in her entire life, her soul was complete. It wasn't that she had reached the end of her growth (Kami knows she'd never reach that), but that she finally understood herself and her powers completely and utterly, finally whole.

She tried not to think about how that would end too soon.

Then, she stopped.

If Ichigo wasn't whole and had gained otherworldly calmness she would have fell flat on her face when she felt the spiritual signatures by Aizen.

Tatsuki. Asano. Mizuiro. Honsho. Don Kanonji. Matsumoto. Ichimaru.

She flickered away again, noting how weak Gin Ichimaru's signature had become. That didn't make sense. There was no one nearby who could have possibly taken down the ex-captain of the Third.

Except Aizen.

That thought made her eyes narrow. Whether Ichimaru was on the other side or not, betraying a comrade like that was not okay. Aizen was going to meet his end.

When Ichigo landed lightly on the ripped up concrete, many eyes turned to face her. Her human friends were wide-eyed and looked thoroughly stunned, while Don Kanonji was gaping ever-so-slightly. The Shinigami assigned to Karakura was surprised also, if his widened eyes said anything. Ichigo didn't look at them though, her attention was on her adversary.

Aizen had grown wings, large and pristine white like the rest of the material covering him. His brown hair had lengthened and his formerly cold, chocolate-colored eyes were now an unnatural grey on purple. The sight of him disgusted Ichigo, it was unsettling seeing just how messed up this man had become. How much he had always been, just not shown.

Ichigo flicked her eyes to the north, picking up her sisters' reiatsu. They were safe at home. Good.

"I-is that Ichigo?" a strangled voice said. Ichigo looked back to her friends, to where Keigo was kneeling. Tatsuki, who stood right next to him, looked thunderstruck.

"Ich- Ichigo?"

Ichigo stood a few inches taller than before, now 5'7 instead of 5'4. Her vibrant orange hair was much longer, instead of at her shoulders it spiked wildly to her lower back, and her bangs almost completely shadowed her eyes. Her outfit was more ragged and darker and her right arm was now adorned by a pitch-black chain connected to a black nodachi that seemed to suck in all light. She was barefoot and had a raggedly beautiful look about her.

Ichigo was the 'swing-sword-and-punch-until-it-can't-move' type. She was loud and brash when it came to fights and lacked confidence when it came to anything social. She didn't share her feelings, was rather shy in all honesty, despite what most people thought. She was hot-headed yet awkward.

This Ichigo wasn't.

She stood with her head held high, taking advantage of every new centimeter she'd grown. She held her katana in a confident and natural way, as if the sword was a part of her arm, not a piece of steel completely separate from herself.

Her eyes were a striking amber, now hard and strong.

Something terrified Tatsuki.

Her whole life, Tatsuki had felt the energy that always radiated from the other girl in massive amounts. She always felt at ease when she could feel bright ,vibrant energy from her friend, she would know that she was alright.

Now, she felt nothing from Ichigo, like she was dead.

Ichigo threw her unconscious father onto the ground, murmuring a sincere 'Thank you, Tō-san' before smiling slightly at them, something that once again caught them off guard. Ichigo never smiled, she was always scowling bad-temperedly or at least neutral. Never smiling so openly. At least not since her mother died seven years ago.

"Tatsuki. Asano. Mizuiro. Honsho. Don Kanonji. Shinigami guy."

"That's not my name! I'm Zennosuke Kuromadani!" the Shinigami roared, making Ichigo's smile grow ever so slightly.

"You guys don't need to worry. Just stay back," Ichigo's voice was hoarse and grating (a result of not speaking for three months), yet oddly serene.

"W-what do you mean?" Keigo stuttered, fearful.

"Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo glanced away from her friends to stare at Aizen.

"Are you really Ichigo Kurosaki?"

Behind Aizen was Gin Ichimaru, his chest bloody, silver hair streaked with scarlet, his electric blue eyes assessing her with a look that only showed sincerity. Rangiku watched her through tears.

"What do you mean?" Ichigo asked with her raspy voice, face neutral and showed no signs of changing.

"If you're really Ichigo Kurosaki, I'm disappointed… I can't feel any reiatsu at all from you," The Hōgyoku-made transcendent actually looked regretful as he said, "Even if you were holding back I would be able to feel something. You've made a mistake. I gave you one last chance, but you let it slip away."

Gin watched her with fading eyes, and Ichigo understood.

That idiot. He was planning to betray Aizen the whole time.

He simply stared at her, his shockingly blue eyes saying more than words ever could. She made a silent promise. She would defeat Aizen, he could rest now.

Gin understood, and looked thankful as his eyes slid closed. Rangiku, occupied with staring at the newest arrival with fragile hope, never saw her love slip away.

"Let's go somewhere else," Ichigo said, "I don't want to fight here."

"A meaningless proposal," Aizen scoffed, "Those are the words of someone who has the strength to fight me. You are far too weak. Don't worry. Before Karakura is destroyed you will be-"

Aizen's tirade was cut short when a hand grasped his face, propelling him upwards and towards the dead lands beyond. Before Aizen could even attempt to struggle against Ichigo, she threw him at the ground, making Aizen crash into the stone a hundred meters below and dust to rise up in a cloud.

Ichigo fell back to the ground, landing lightly. Across from her, Aizen clutched his face with a look of disbelief on his face, "I-impossible… by strength alone… without the help of reiryoku…"

"...Let's go Aizen. It's time we end this," Ichigo stated, her amber eyes seeming to glow with resolve.

The megalomaniac stood slowly, assessing his opponent with heavily biased eyes, "I see… I understand now Ichigo Kurosaki."

Ichigo just stared at him, not reacting to his words.

"The reason you lost your reiatsu… you didn't lose it. You abandoned it. I don't know how you did it, but you converted all your reiatsu to physical strength. Your arms. Your legs. Your grip, throwing, and running. You gave up your reiatsu in order to rapidly increase your physical strength."

Ichigo still did not react, looking indifferent.

"You abandoned the idea of fighting me with reiatsu. But… you should despair," Aizen smirked darkly, "Because let me tell you, even that strength that is your last thread of hope, cannot begin to compare to me."

In a flash of bright light, Aizen disappeared. Ichigo froze, eyes narrowing slightly. With another flash, Aizen was behind the eighteen-year-old girl, sword already swinging at her seemingly exposed neck. Ichigo whirled around with her plain-looking katana, parrying the blow.

All was silent for a moment, before a grand crushing sound was heard, and the nearest rock formation was sliced in half, the top half fading into oblivion. Ichigo held up her katana, impassive.

"Nice parry," Aizen complimented, not looking upset in the least about his failed attack, "But you must be surprised. Just one swing of my sword has changed the landscape. That is how strong I am. In truth, even I didn't think my powers would increase this much. I'm happy Ichigo Kurosaki, thanks to you-"

Aizen shot forward, sword swinging.

"-I will be able to freely test these powers that surpass both Hollow and Shinigami!"

Ichigo responded to each of Aizen's attacks with her eyes assessing his every move, parrying each blow, creating new plateaus across the landscape. She could see the madness in every move the man made, but every time Zangetsu met Kyoka Suigetsu she could feel something else though. Sure, the insanity was as blatant as a cero to the face, but underlying every slash was an intense feeling of loneliness and hopelessness. His zanpakutō was screaming, his mind deteriorating, his heart bleeding out. Aizen was doomed before they ever crossed blades.

Their blades met in a brief stalemate.

"...Strangely enough, it seems as though we have both evolved to a point where out zanpakutō seem to be fused to out hands," Aizen observed, his connected by an otherworldly white substance and Ichigo's by chains, "Perhaps this is the true form of out zanpakutō… However, after crossing blades now I know for sure. My evolution is in an entire different dimension than yours. If I wanted to I could shatter your sword in one blow!"

Aizen's grin was manic as he shot the digressed form of Kyoka Suigetsu at Ichigo's sword. Ichigo's amber eyes flashed as she raised a hand… and caught Aizen's sword mid-swing.

Behind her, a gigantic scar was torn into the earth, hundreds of feet deep and just as many far. Aizen's eyes were wide and he shook slightly, taking in the calm girl holding his zanpakutō like it was a bokken being swung by a child.

"Im-impossible... "

'I could understand if she'd dodged, it should have been too fast for her to dodge but still.. if she had dodged I would understand. But she caught it? She caught my sword… with a bare hand?'

"Why are you so surprised?" Aizen's eyes widened even further when he heard Ichigo's raspy, calm voice, "Is it that unbelievable that I caught you sword? Does it scare you? Does it scare you when something you simply cannot comprehend happens before your eyes, and you can't do anything to stop it?"

Aizen shot backwards, trying to gain as much distance as he could from the young human-turned-Shinigami.

"Don't speak to me as if you've won… your physical strength just surpassed mine for a split moment, that is all. But there won't be another miracle when I smash you to smithereens with Kidō!"

A sinister purple-laced black energy exploded from the megalomaniac as he pointed at the sky, summoning a spell.

"Seeping crest of turbidity! Arrogant vessel of lunacy! Boil forth and deny! Grow numb and flicker! Disrupt the sleep!" As Aizen screamed these words a dark energy rose around the stoic teen and eclipsed the sky, "Crawling queen of iron! Eternally self-destructing doll of mud! Unite! Repulse! Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness!

"Hadō #90: Kurohitsugi!"

The black coffin stretched towards the skies above, menacing in its power and size, Aizen laughed, "That is a full Kurohitsugi incantation recited by one who has surpassed both Hollow and Shinigami! The flow of gravity is enough to warp space-time! You cannot begin to fathom it, Ichigo Kurosaki!" The black overcame the form of Ichigo just as Aizen screamed her name, and everything was quiet.

Aizen smirked up at the epic coffin, pleased with himself. He had finally become an all-powerful god.

From inside the coffin, Ichigo's amber eyes flashed and she swiped a bare hand at the wall of black energy.

The Black Coffin shattered like glass.

Ichigo stood as the shattered energy fell around her, her face as neutral as when they started their fight, eyes hidden by her long bangs

"...It looks like you still don't get it," Ichigo said in her unnaturally calm voice, "I am stronger than you are now. It wasn't your zanpakutō that destroyed those mountains, it was mine."

When Ichigo looked up at Aizen, he froze when he saw the vibrant life and steeled resolve. Suddenly, she was right in front of him, her blade ripping through his chest like paper. Aizen's blood gushed out and Ichigo didn't smile, only watched. It was then that Aizen noticed that in all the time they had been fighting, Ichigo had not once attempted an attack on him.

With another blinding flash of light Aizen teleported to a far away outcropping, panting as the Hōgyoku rushed to heal his wounds. Aizen stared at her, trying to comprehend the recent events

"...It's strange. The last time we fought you asked me why I kept my distance, but here you are keeping your own distance. Shall I ask you now? Aizen, why did you distance yourself?" Ichigo looked at her adversary through her orange bangs, not moving to look at him fully.

"...I see," Aizen said softly, "Are you happy you caught my sword? Are you happy you destroyed my Kidō? Are you happy you wounded me?

"DON'T GET ABOVE YOURSELF, HUMAN!" He screamed. Ichigo just watched him, eyes flat.

Then Ichigo's eyes narrowed in bewilderment as blood began to stream from Aizen's third… eye? It opened, and Aizen screamed.

Wind rushed around the area, as if trying to run away from the monster of a man. Ichigo watched with apprehension as a bright purple light exploded from the megalomaniac, who had started to change even more dramatically in appearance. His wings altering, white substance exploded from his mouth and eyes.

When the wind died down, Ichigo almost winced. Aizen truly looked the part of a monster.

Six white… things… protruded from his back in a horrible rendition of wings. Three large holes, not unlike a Hollow's, went through his chest, and the skin on Aizen's face had been brutally pushed aside to make way for an eerie black skull-like face. His eyes were pure, milky white. He stood upon a pool of his own blood.

Ichigo and the monster met eyes, Ichigo's heavy and Aizen's insane.

"... I see," Aizen repeated, "... You cannot bear it, can you Hōgyoku? That a human should get the better of me."

One of the things on Aizen's back released an orb not unlike a bala, heading straight for Ichigo. For a moment nothing happened. Then, everything was fire.

An explosion of massive proportions tore up everything in the vicinity, leaving only ashes in its wake. The fire raged and roared and the humans and Shinigami back in Karakura watched the column of destruction in fear. Reality itself shivered as the brilliant flames consumed all. All except one thing.

In the center of the flames was Ichigo Kurosaki, unharmed sans an angry red burn on her left arm, which had protected her during the explosion.

"...I see," How much did he really see? "So that's all it did. But you won't be able to use that arm anymore."

Without warning there was a hand around Ichigo's throat, holding her over the behemoth, smoldering hole under her. With a flap of pearly white wings, the flames around them dispersed and the sky cleared. The things on Aizen's back and his 'wings' surrounded the young Kurosaki, and he tightened his grip on the girl. Ichigo gave no reaction, eyes hidden by bangs.

"Can you hear me, Ichigo Kurosaki?" Aizen all but purred, "For a time you broke down the barriers between Shinigami and Hollow and transcended them both. But now you have lost your power and not a shadow of it remains! Now, you are not ever worth trying to understand. Now I am the transcendent one and you will die by my hand. By killing you, I will finally say farewell to those lowly Shinigami and Hollows, I will kill the only one who ever had any potential to fight me, no one can stand in my way. It is over, Ichigo Kurosaki!"

"Over?"

Aizen froze at the girl's still rasping voice. It was calm and quiet. Ichigo looked up, her amber eyes just as blazing and face just as neutral.

"Is this all you've got?"

Ichigo's katana lashed out, slicing the megalomaniac without mercy. The monster of a man backed away, not understanding what was going on. Her left arm was already completely healed, thanks to her instant regeneration. Ichigo lowered her katana, eyes hooded again.

...Let's put an end to this, Aizen… I'm sick and tired of listening to you talk… I will show you… the Final Getsuga Tenshō," At Ichigo's words, a blackness spread across the landscape in an all-consuming fire.

-o0o-

Ichigo was falling into the deep, dark waters of her inner world, the spires that had only been magnificent now crumbling crystals that reflected no light. She stared up at the surface of the waters, so far above, and the being that descended down on her like a guillotine. They had been fighting for three months without a pause, Ichigo begging Zangetsu and Tensa to give her access to the Final Getsuga Tenshō.

Her dad - who was a Shinigami, go figure - had told her about how his own father had used the Final Getsuga (apparently Shibas were known for having a 'Getsuga' or 'moon fang energy attack'. Hers was a Getsuga Tenshō, an unprecedented power). Nobuyuki Shiba had used the Final Getsuga, an attack that Isshin said made one output all their core's power into an attack; extraordinarily powerful, but with the price of losing all one's Shinigami power.

Her father took her to the Dangai (where time moves much slower) and told her he could keep them from getting killed for three months, at most. And so Ichigo entered her Inner World.

She found that instead of beautiful mirrored spires wrapped in vines on an endless, unmoving ocean, her Inner World was underwater, adorned with the ruins of her crystalline city. It was depressing to no end, but that wasn't the problem.

No, Zangetsu and Tensa were the problem.

Her zanpakutō were incensed.

Just as she tried to tell them she needed to learn the Final Getsuga Tenshō, Zangetsu had lost her shit and went flying at her with her sword form swinging, gold on black eyes glinting with both rage and an uncharacteristic terror. Tensa, for the first time in Ichigo's life, was in complete agreement with Zangetsu.

For three months, she tried to beat the secret to the technique out of her zanpakutō, but neither would give, thrashing her around her crumbling Inner World.

Now, she could see Zangetsu descending on her, Tensa not far behind. Ichigo grasped her Bankai sword tightly, before she understood.

Just as Zangetsu got close enough that she couldn't stop even if she wanted to, Ichigo let go of her sword.

Zangetsu's blade was plunged into her chest, making her scream.

For a long moment, all three froze, staring at the achingly familiar sword in Ichigo's chest.

"You figured it out… King…" Zangetsu murmured, not looking up.

Tensa's anxiety bled into his voice as he swam to their sides, "I-Ichigo, you… no…"

But Ichigo just stared down at Zangetsu, who refused to look up at her. Ichigo's eyes widened when she spotted silver streaking down Zangetsu's cheek; she had never seen her zanpakutō cry.

"Damn it… you idiot… you fucking idiot…"

"... Zangetsu-"

"The Final Getsuga Tenshō," Tensa caught Ichigo's attention, and horror dawned when she saw that both her zanpakutō were breaking down. "Is the worst technique you could ever learn, Ichigo. We have always said that we didn't want to protect the same things you want to protect."

Ichigo remembered. They had said that multiple times, which tended to stoke Ichigo's ire. Why didn't they want to help her friends? They were a part of her, weren't they?

"You, you fucking fool. YOU. What we always wanted to protect was you, King," Zangetsu finally looked up at Ichigo, her gold eyes showing a terror Ichigo didn't understand.

"W-what? Me? Look, I'm really, really sorry, Zangetsu, Tensa, but my friends are so much more important than me. If we don't do this, they could- they could die," Ichigo whispered, and she could feel her time in her Inner World ending as the sword in her chest began to burn.

"IF YOU DO THIS, YOU WILL DIE!" they screamed as one.

Horror gnawed at Ichigo, eating her alive. Dead? She would die?

"B-but Tō-san said…" no one commented on Ichigo's uncharacteristically loving name for her father.

"His father wasn't as strong as you, Ichigo."

"But… that doesn't matter. My friends will die if I don't do this. I need to save them," Ichigo stated, conviction burning.

"Damn you, King. You always did care too much for others. We know that we can't stop you, you bull-headed bitch. Just… please make sure it's worth it," Zangetsu cried, eyes boring into Ichigo's. Ichigo didn't twitch as she began to fade away.

"Thank you Zangetsu, for everything. And Tensa… I couldn't have a better mentor and… you made my life worth living, both of you."

Ichigo returned to reality, and the two spirits watched as the world slowly began to ascend to the surface above for the final time.

-o0o-

Aizen watched with no little fear in his eyes as a figure appeared in the center of the writhing mass of black flames.

Ichigo stood bathed in her power, her hair as black as her reiatsu, grey bandages covering all of her body not covered by her shihakusho; the bandages wrapped around the lower part of her face, concealing all but her eyes from view. Her eyes were as gold as the sun.

"Wh-what is this?!" Aizen stumbled backwards, inhuman eyes glazed and the Hōgyoku twinkling madly, "I can't feel her power. Three-dimensional being cannot interact with two-dimensional beings, that is why I must bring my power down deliberately so any other being can feel me. But… that means... she's at an even higher level than I? No, no, no, no! It's impossible! A mere human can't surpass me!"

A blade made of black energy formed in Ichigo's bandaged hand. She raised it above her head, before swinging downwards.

"It's the end, Aizen. Mugetsu."

Darkness consumed all.

The ground opened, the trees faded from existence, the mountains obliterated, the sky was torn asunder. A black veil destroyed everything in front of it without discretion. The humans and Shinigami in Karakura watched the dark wall conceal the entire west sky, including the slowly dipping sun. The spiritually aware were confused when they felt nothing from the darkness though, as if it didn't exist.

Gradually, the veil faded away to nothing, and all that was left in the outskirts of Karakura Town was Ichigo Kurosaki.

The bandages on her face, chest, arms and legs broke away like glass; the black in her hair falling. The power left as the veil had, leaving so rapidly and silently, you almost didn't think it ever existed after all.

Ichigo stared at the sun that was setting on the horizon, bathing the world in an orange light. Her amber eyes reflected a sorrow and wistfulness a teenager should never feel, and an acceptance that softened the world. Ichigo smiled a bit, glad that she got to see one more sunset, got to feel one more soft breeze, one more sunray and one last fight. She was dying with her soul whole and the enemy that threatened her beloved friends dead at last. This was a good death.

"Ichigo."

Ichigo glanced behind her, and wasn't surprised to see Kisuke there, his hat discarded and grey eyes holding tentative hope.

"He's dead."

She could see the burden lifted off Kisuke's shoulders immediately. The blond exile sighed long and deep, before walking up to join at Ichigo's side, watching the sun set.

"Thank you, Ichigo. You've saved the whole spiritual world. You did good," Kisuke turned to look at Ichigo, and serene amber met relieved grey.

"I would do anything to save my friends, Hat-n-Clogs."

"And yet you saved not only them, but an entire dimension. Only you, Ichigo," there was a tinge of fond exasperation in his voice, and Ichigo smiled at him, happy that she got to see Kisuke one last time.

But Kisuke suddenly looked confused and a bit worried, "Why are you upset? You stopped the enemy, you protected your town. What's wrong?"

Ichigo turned back to the sunset, which was fading to a deep red.

"Thanks for everything, Kisuke. Everything."

"Is that… Kurosaki-chan?" A timid voice came from behind the two strong beings.

Ichigo turned at the familiar voice, and all semblance of sorrow was gone.

"...Inoue? Rukia? Ishida? Chad? Renji? What are you guys doing here? Shouldn't you all be resting?" Ichigo asked worriedly, despite the joy bursting inside her at seeing they were all alive and okay.

"Don't project your weakness on me, Kurosaki," Uryū said, his words sharp but his tone fond.

"We're all fine," Chad rumbled, raising a bandaged hand.

"Why are you asking us?! Are you okay, you stupid strawberry?!" Rukia inquired with no little worry, but for once, didn't get a violent reaction for the oranged-haired teen at her 'strawberry' comment. Ichigo just grinned like an idiot, taking them all in.

"I-is that really you, Kurosaki-chan? I thought it might be you, but your hair is- is so long…" Orihime blubbered, tears glistening in her eyes and lips trembling.

Ichigo laughed freely, "Oh what a face your making, Orihime! I'll get a haircut if you really want me to!"

Orihime just cried some more, and Renji cut in, "Looks like you got a good fight. Is Aizen gone?"

"Yeah. We don't have to worry about him," Ichigo grinned at him, "What? Were you worried about me?"

"N-no! Who the hell would worry about you?!" Renji roared, making all the others laugh, even the tearful Orihime.

'I'm so glad I got to see them again, my friends. I couldn't ask for a better death, well, besides seeing my sisters one last time. But Dad'll take care of them, and my friends will understand. I hope they don't miss me, at least now they won't have to worry about Aizen,' Ichigo thought as she smiled softly at them, knowing the world would go on without her.

"Why are you looking at us like that, baka?" Rukia said bad-temperedly, walking forward, "Did little Ichi miss us too?"

"Yeah."

That seemed to catch them by surprise.

"Well, okay. C'mon, Kurosaki, we should go to the Fourth Division tents and get you patched up," Uryū suggested. The others nodded in agreement.

Ichigo took a step towards them and felt a wave of intense exhaustion thrum through her. Her time was up.

"My Nakama… I never thought I'd get to call anyone that."

Ichigo pitched forward, collapsing like a puppet with its strings cut.

"ICHIGO!"

She had a good life.

What Ichigo didn't know, was that it was far from over.