Hey guys, this is my first Bleach story! Be gentle! Reviews are always appreciated, but never required. But if this story is complete crap, please tell me so I don't continue to post ^^. This is just something I really felt I needed to write.

A few things I want to say beforehand:

1. To all of my followers for the Naruto story: I'm really sorry to leave you hanging! The guilt is real. That story has been giving me some big issues, and my muse drifted over to Bleach when this idea popped into my head. This story is nearly done so I will be hopping back over to Secrets of a Fox very soon! Sorry again!

2. Now that those guys are taken care of, I just want to say that this fic is pretty AU. I tried to get the spirit of the characters but they're definitely not canon. I also do realize that Central 46's prison is underground.. in my story they also have a tower that houses a few 'special' prisoners. It'll make more sense later on hopefully!

All rights belong to Tite Kibo, of course! Rated M just to be totally safe.. the characters of Bleach do love to curse and draw blood, after all.

I think I covered most of it, so I'll be quiet. Please enjoy!

Ichigo felt something different.

He didn't really feel much now, outside in the "real world". He had retreated to his inner world to live out his days with Zangetsu and his hollow a long time ago. Not that he could track the passage of time here, but it felt like an eternity.

But today, finally, something shifted outside of his subconscious.

It intrigued him enough that he stood up from his nap on the gleaming glass of one of the towers that decorated his soulscape, and stretched his arms towards the bright cloudy sky above him. Zangetsu drifted forward in curiosity, his deep soothing voice echoing towards Ichigo.

Waking up today, Ichigo? It is most likely a guard checking that you're still alive, you know.

"Yeah, yeah. It's not like I'm doing anything here right now though, is it?" Ichigo spoke through a wide yawn. Mostly they trained, had deep conversations, or all went their separate ways for a break. Today was one of those days, although his hollow liked to always stick close to Ichigo to mock the orange-haired Shinigami. Even though they'd become something like friends in their shared exile here in Ichigo's inner world, they didn't really get along. Speaking of which, Hichigo should be around here some-

"Oof!" Ichigo grunted, as something slammed into the back of his head. He turned a glare on his washed out twin, rubbing his head. "What do you want?"

Yo, King. You're going to the real world today? Feels like something exciting is happening. Let's kick all their asses if they've come to unseal us finally!"

Hichigo's grin was wide and crazed, but Ichigo knew he was rather entitled to his thoughts in this case. Besides, it wasn't like he would actually do anything his hollow said. Hichigo would always want chaos and blood, while all Ichigo craved was some peace. Not world peace, or anything as stupid as that, but just peace for himself.

And freedom, but he didn't see that coming any time soon.

After the battle with Aizen, Central 46 had swooped in while Ichigo was injured, weak and unconscious to take him away. While the old members of Central 46 had been murdered by Aizen, they'd quickly reinstated a new council before the Winter War in hopes that they could help keep Soul Society stable in the wake of the battles to come. So there had been plenty of people to persecute Ichigo.

He remembered, vision hazy as he was forced awake, the grim faces of the elite as they stared down accusingly at him. Yamamoto was in a coma, unlikely to wake, and Aizen was sealed and locked away, but they still had him to deal with, they said. They had been promised that Ichigo would lose his Shinigami powers in the battle, but here he was, powers weakened greatly, but intact just the same. He may not have a Zanpakuto any longer, but clearly he would grow to be powerful once more. Then there was the matter of his hollow..

They had debated in harsh tones, while Ichigo had been helpless beneath them. They'd used high level Kido to bind him to his seat, unable to move or to speak. He could remember screaming at them in his head. He'd given up his powers to save them all from something that had happened before he'd even been born. Why was he being punished for growing strong enough to do so? All he'd ever used his powers for was to protect others. But they just glared at him and carried on like they didn't see the anger and pain in his eyes.

There had been a few sympathetic faces in the crowd, but it seemed nothing was to be done to stop this. Kurosaki Ichigo was to be sealed away. He had no loyalty to Soul Society, other than being the Substitute Shinigami. He had gotten that title by invading in the first place. His hollow had rampaged out of control more than once, most notably in Hueco Mundo. He had been able to beat Aizen, and that much power in a human was unheard of. Dangerous.

There was also the matter of Ichigo's seemingly sympathetic words after the battle about Aizen. This child could turn on them, they'd argued. He would grow back to his former strength at any time, so they should seal him away while he was weak and until the Gotei 13 were strong enough to deal with him once more. They had no Captain-Commander right now, so how could they let him walk freely away when he could turn around and ruin them?

Ichigo had been stunned at their words. He knew he was powerful, but his Zanpakuto had disappeared after the battle, when his remaining reiatsu had drifted away. He wasn't sure why his Shinigami powers remained, after even Zangetsu had warned him of the consequences. He'd thought he'd finally be a normal human; a fitting end to all of the battles and the war. It wasn't his fault he was still a Shinigami! In the end, they'd ruled to convene in one years time, providing the Gotei 13 were intact by that time. This meant that he would still be weakened when they released him and they'd be better able to control the outcome of this ordeal. It was for the good of Soul Society.

He remembered the pain of the final seal before they'd locked him away in the prison that Aizen had been sentenced to. It felt like he'd been hit by a train, all of his nerves grating underneath his skin, bones feeling like they were being crushed under an unimaginable weight. His soul had felt like it was being torn in a thousand pieces. He'd never felt such agony.

He'd known what they'd done. They'd sealed his powers away somewhere, separate from his body, before they'd sealed the rest of him so that he would stay locked down and under their control.

They had also condemned him. Surely if he stayed here this long in soul form his human body would die, right? He'd refused to shed any tears in front of them, but he'd been filled with despair and a deep anger. They were damning him for saving them all. They'd killed him, ruined his future.

After he'd been imprisoned, he'd remained conscious for awhile. Days, or weeks. He'd been bound and blindfolded, drowning in his own body. He'd been able to speak, and he had. He'd berated, he'd pleaded, he'd shouted. No one ever answered him, and eventually he'd felt the presence of his sword and his hollow within him. Which should have been impossible if they had sealed away all of his Shinigami powers, leaving him as a soul.

He'd immediately meditated and had been greeted by his Zanpakuto and hollow. Here was his soul, mostly complete in only this place. Those fools at Central 46 had overlooked this. Here he could still train, fight, interact, and keep sharp. Even if his body withered away, here he could grow strong and wait out his sentence. He hoped they'd be shocked when they unsealed him and realized their mistake.

He'd then spent his days doing just that. Periodically he would wake up, just to check, but nothing changed except for an increasing sense of weakness and loneliness. Until today.

Ichigo blinked, and stared upwards at the sky. It was raining again, just from reminiscing. It had poured for months when he'd first begun to come here. No storms, just a steady wash of freezing rain from dark ominous clouds. He'd been unable to stop it, since this reflected how his soul felt. He realized he was clenching his fists, and relaxed them. They ached..

KING! The voice shouted directly by his ear and Ichigo jumped, bare feet sliding on the slick glass beneath him. Hichigo was glaring at him, waving towards the sky. Don't start this shit again, you girl. I ain't living through endless crappy weather again, you hear me?

Ichigo rolled his eyes as he regained his footing. "Sorry to inconvenience you. You're the girl if you can't take a little rain."

What?! I'll show you who's weak. Fight me! Come on!" Hichigo moved forwards, eyes lit in challenge, and Ichigo grinned fiercely, always game to spar.

They were interrupted by Zangetsu's stern tones. Stop it. Ichigo, something is happening. Go see what it is. I have a feeling that today is the day things change.

Ichigo's brown eyes widened and he paused. Zangetsu was right, he could feel the difference. Excitement and dread filled him in equal measures, and he exchanged glances with his hollow.

"You heard him, Hichigo. We'll finish this later if it does turn out to be nothing." Hichigo nodded, waving him off as he turned to bother Zangetsu instead.

Ichigo closed his eyes and focused outwards. It'd been awhile since he'd tried to awaken, but in the blink of an eye he was back.

It felt like he was old and frail. His body was stiff, and always painful, whenever he surfaced. Forced inactivity as well as the sealing of his reiatsu had done a number on him apparently.

His brow furrowed in discomfort as he took stock of the room around him. He felt.. air? A change in the air, like it was actually flowing freely around him instead of sitting stale and heavy. The door must be open. He strained his hearing and two voices, lifted in anger, reached his ears. He thought one sounded familiar, but it had been a long time since he'd heard any voices at all so he couldn't be sure. It wasn't important, and he couldn't catch what they were saying anyways.

He tried to open heavy, aching eyes but they resisted. Ah. Still blindfolded then. Maybe it was just a guard checking up on him.

Looks like it's nothing, guys. Sorry. He could hear Hichigo's loud-ass complaints even out here. Go figure.

He was about to go back under when the voices moved closer so that he could hear snatches of conversation.

"-you had no right-"

"It was for the protection of Soul-"

"The Captain-Commander demands-"

The voices grew closer until they were right outside the door. There was a familiar sound, one he was frustrated not to be able to place, and then a hard voice spoke over the protests of the others.

"Leave us. Captain-Commander Yamamoto is downstairs, you will speak to him if you have anything to say."

That seemed to settle it because Ichigo heard the others leave. What the hell was going on?

Not a false alarm after all, is it, Ichigo? He hoped Zangetsu was right. And that he wasn't about to be killed, because that would really suck.

He felt something brush his face, which suddenly felt lighter. Ichigo's eyes popped open at that, and to his shock his blindfold was gone. He squinted in the harsh light spilling from the open doorway. His prison cell was in deep shadows, looking like the cave it pretty much was, which made it hard to see.

As his eyes adjusted, which seemed to take forever, he looked to the door again and blinked until his vision sharpened. He felt like he'd been asleep a long time. Hell, he probably had been. He wondered idly how long he'd been in his soulscape since the last time he'd checked out the real world.

A figure blocked the light of the hallway. He hoped it wasn't a guard. Back lit as the person was, he had no idea who it could be. And with his reiatsu sealed he had no hope of recognizing them that way, so he just waited. He didn't think he could even speak after this long.

They stepped forward and the lights in the room suddenly blazed. Ichigo slammed his eyes shut as pain speared through them. Well shit, thanks for the warning, he thought in irritation. There was a mumbled apology, thankfully in a quiet voice. He carefully cracked his eyes open again, and realized that the figure was a lot closer, kneeling down next to him now. Features came slowly into focus. Ichigo would have known that face anywhere, despite the lack of his hat or fan. Still, Ichigo stayed quiet as they locked gazes.

"Kurosaki-san." Urahara murmured, eyes full of something like regret. "So this is where you've been hiding. We found you at last, right under our noses."

Ichigo's brow furrowed. It might have been a long time since he'd talked to anyone other than his spirits, but this wasn't making much sense to him. His eyes must have reflected his confusion because Urahara sighed and glanced away briefly.

"We'll have to explain it all later on. For now, Captain-Commander Yamamoto is organizing your release from Central 46. He is also gathering an explanation as to how this could have happened. And under whose orders." His normally kind eyes, sharp with intelligence, were darkened in true anger.

Ichigo didn't really know what to say. Was it true that no one, in all of Soul Society, had noticed he was here? That no one in the Gotei 13 had knowledge of this, or tried to help him out if they did? Ichigo was racked with doubt and suspicion, as he never had been before. It was all too hard to believe that they were going to release him just like that.

He tried to clear his throat, but it felt gritty and rough. It took him two tries to even utter one word, and his brows furrowed deeper in annoyance at the inconvenience. "So.. you're a Captain now?" He grated out. The words sounded rusty and hoarse. They didn't sound like him. "How long.. have I been here?"

Urahara's face tightened like he was in pain, features grim. "Yes, for now. They asked me to take over the Fifth Division until Soul Society was strengthened and they found a suitable replacement. As soon as they do I will most likely return to my shop." There was none of the gaiety that usually coloured his tones as he straightforwardly answered the real question at hand. "You've been here for twenty six months, Kurosaki-san."

Ichigo's eyes widened, and he knew his mouth was opening and closing like his brain thought he should protest. What was he going to argue about here? It had happened, all of those months were gone forever. Fragments of thoughts swept through his mind, none catching hold except one: twenty six months. Twenty six months?! His chest tightened as pain swept through him and he gasped reflexively.

He vaguely heard Urahara say his name, but his head was whirling, eyes focused on nothing in particular. Ichigo didn't get it. He shouldn't be this shocked by the news. He'd known that he'd been imprisoned here a long time, though he'd never had a real way to track the passage of time. Was it just because it had actually been confirmed? It was like the injustice of it all, what he'd lost for over two years, was crashing over him and dragging him under like a riptide...

When he felt himself being shaken roughly, Ichigo crashed back into the present. He realized his lungs were burning; he gulped in one breath, then another, until the black spots cleared away. His vision was still blurry, and he realized with mortification that his eyes were clouded with tears. He blinked them back as he fought to settle down, trying to control his breathing. Ichigo could hear Zangetsu and Hichigo trying to help. It's alright. I've got it. Sorry to worry you guys. He finally grasped his control and focused on Urahara's worried face, which was filling his view.

"Are you all right, Kurosaki-san?" The blonde Captain was still speaking softly, although there was an edge to his voice now. Ichigo nodded mutely, and the hands he hadn't realized were gripping his upper arms were released.

It had been stupid to panic like that, he berated himself. He closed his eyes wearily. He really should have known that Central 46 wouldn't keep their promise of reviewing in one year's time. Or maybe they had, and had ruled against him again? Who knew.. The fact that Urahara was here in front of him was promising, but Ichigo didn't dare get his hopes up. With his luck they would overrule Gramps and put the blindfold back on. Inwardly he could feel Zangetsu and Hichigo stirring in interest and excitement at the new developments, now that Ichigo was back in control. At least they had some hope. He blinked his eyes back open as a sudden thought occurred to him, making his heart skip a beat.

"Is this actually real? Or did.. did I finally go crazy?" Urahara gazed up at him with wide eyes, but Ichigo was serious. He'd been listening to other prisoners going mad for what felt like forever. Although forever had only been twenty six months, apparently.

Urahara's voice was firm as he replied. "It's very real, Kurosaki-san. You're far from insane. It may be hard to believe, but you're going to be leaving this place very soon."

Ichigo huffed a laugh, wincing at the foreign sound of his voice. "I guess I couldn't feel this shitty if I was just imagining all of this, huh?" He glanced away from the sympathy in Urahara's gaze as he voiced his agreement to that statement. His eyes drifted back to the older man when he felt fingers tracing the restraints on his arm.

"What are you doing now?" Ichigo could tell his voice was tired, defeated. He wanted to get pissed off, but he didn't have the energy. He felt drained, like he'd aged a thousand years. He wished, not for the first time, that he could feel his reiatsu flowing through him and filling him with that familiar buzzing energy. But really, he just wanted to be free; to see the real sky, to feel grass and wind and rain. Urahara's stare seemed to read all of this, eyes darting quickly across Ichigo's face. He wondered what he looked like after two years in the dark. Probably like shit. He gave a halfhearted snort, ignoring the other man's questioning gaze.

Seeing that Ichigo was in no mood to elaborate, Urahara returned to deftly untying the bindings that immobilized his limbs. "What does it look like I'm doing, Kurosaki-san? Don't you want these off?"

Ichigo turned back to staring straight ahead, uncaring. His voice cracked when he tried to speak again. "Not if they're gonna put 'em right back on." Man, he could use some water or something.

Urahara sighed as he freed his right arm, moving to the left. "I don't blame you for being skeptical, Kursosaki-san. But the Captain-Commander won't let this stand now that he is aware. If he hadn't been in a coma for the first four months after the war, it never would have happened in the first place." He glanced up at Ichigo's blank face quickly. "Not that if any of us had known we would have allowed it. You disappeared from your room at the Fourth Division barracks and no one could find you. I myself was back in Karakura town soon after the war, until the Captain-Commander called for me when he awakened. When I found out you were missing in Soul Society I began to search for you. They had believed that you were in the human world somewhere, powers lost, and we in the human world had believed you were somewhere in Soul Society." His left arm was free now, but Ichigo only flexed his fingers slightly.

He had a lot of questions, but couldn't seem to drum up any motivation to ask them. He clenched his right hand into a fist, finally glancing down at himself. He was appalled, to say the least, and he could hear Hichigo in the back of his mind echoing his own thoughts upon seeing his wasted body.

King, you're so weak looking. Ya know, if we weren't partners now I could totally take you over! There was a maniacal chuckle. Ichigo knew the bastard wasn't totally joking.

But it was true. He had lost the bulk of muscle he'd trained for, and was now lanky and thin, bordering on gaunt. His bones and tendons stood out, his hands looking skeletal in appearance. He was also covered in ropes of incantations that looked like tattoos: his seal. His fist shook lightly as he squeezed it, no real strength in his grip.

Zangetsu chimed in, in his typical soothing manner. It will take time to get your body back to full strength, but once you are unsealed it will be only a matter of time, Ichigo.

Part of him realized that this was true, but right now he didn't recognize himself and that frightened him. Would he even be able to lift Zangetsu if he reformed? What had they done to him?

He realized too late that he'd spoken aloud, and he jerked his head up as Urahara spoke from where he was bending to untie Ichigo's legs.

"It seems we've done too much, and not enough." His voice was sad.

Ichigo had no reply.