Disclaimer: Bleach is owned by Tite Kubo. He created this world, I'm just playing in it.

Last chapter.

Lonely Exile

Chapter 5:

One of the hardest things she'd ever had to do in her life was follow Ichigo around as the whole mess he'd gotten himself into was grinding to its endgame. She'd made Kisuke give her one of his reiatsu concealing cloaks and she had learned concealment Kido from Hachi. Genius that he was at the Demon Arts, he had created the Kido himself. It wasn't perfected yet, it worked best if she was stationary, but it would help keep her hidden even as she moved. She wasn't terribly worried about that however since none of the Fullbringers had been able to detect her before when she didn't have it.

She had been watching when Ichigo came home and found Tsukishima there, his sisters under the influence of his power and believing he was their favourite cousin. She could feel the dread and horror radiating off of him with the knowledge that the man had gotten to his family and it increased when he realized his friends had been affected as well. His rage was almost a living thing as he confronted the man and he looked like he was going to break when they all defended the stranger and chastised him.

Her own anger had spiked as well, especially since she had become very fond of Ichigo's sisters and she had to try her hardest to reign it in to make sure she didn't lose her focus and do something to give herself away. When he ran from the house she knew he would be headed straight for Ginjo. She didn't know how he had done it but the former substitute had Ichigo totally fooled and had gotten him to trust him seemingly without question, so it was a given that that was where he would go.

He led Ichigo to a mansion on the outskirts of the city, a very convenient location for what was bound to happen. Once inside he was confronted again by his friends and family about his behaviour, this time with Chad and Orihime present. She could see the strain on his face, a mixture of anger, helplessness, and despair and it took all she had not to intervene right then and there. Even though he knew they were all under Tsukishima's power, their words hurt and were tearing him to shreds. He didn't know what to do.

He chased Tsukishima to the upstairs of the house and the fight began. He managed to cut off the Fullbringer's arm but then immediately found himself confronted by Orihime and Chad as they protected him. He was beginning to lose himself to his despair and as the fight ended up on the roof she knew the end would come soon. Ginjo took a strike from Tsukishima to protect Ichigo just as Ishida arrived. The Quincy tried to explain to Ichigo what was going on but he didn't know who to believe, he no longer knew who he could trust, didn't know who was and wasn't under the influence of Tsukishima's Fullbring.

That was when Ginjo struck and began to tell Ichigo of his plan. How he had let Tsukishma cut him with his Fullbring so that he would be convinced that they were actually enemies and how cutting him again returned him to normal. How everything they did was to bring power out of Ichigo just so they could steal it from him. Every word was like a cut inflicted upon the one she loved, bringing him deeper and deeper into despair. But that in itself wasn't enough for them. They laughed, and they mocked him. They were proud of themselves for how well and how easily they had sucked him in.

Within her concealment she was shaking, trembling in both rage and sorrow for the ordeal she had to let them put Ichigo through. The others weren't in position yet and ready to act. What the hell was taking so long? How much did they think he could endure before they stepped in? Her blood thundered in her ears and her breathing became heavy. She was on the verge of losing it, on the edge of putting an end to Ginjo right now and to hell with what Soul Society and the Old Man wanted. His voice droned on and on like a persistent resonance that ground against her nerves. Why wouldn't he just shut up?

Her focus returned to her with a whiplash effect. Why was Ginjo still talking? What was he waiting for? She looked directly at him and listened to his tone. That son of a bitch. That rotten, cruel son of a bitch...he was enjoying this. He was getting off on the pain he was inflicting on Ichigo, drinking it in and savouring it like a fine wine. It would be one thing if he was doing this to a Shinigami, that was who his grudge was against after all, but he had been like him, a substitute. Ichigo had never done a thing to the man, had never even met him or known who he was before this all started, yet Ginjo was mocking him and enjoying his pain like he was his worst enemy.

She nearly fell to her knees when Ginjo shoved the point of his massive sword into Ichigo's chest and began siphoning off the power he had regained. She did fall to her knees when Ichigo broke and began to scream and cry. Fortunately no one noticed the slight, out of place splash as she hit the rain soaked roof. Rage and sorrow fought in equal measure within her.

The boy, the man, who had the guts to face down the might of the Gotei 13 for the life of someone he barely knew. The one who travelled to Hueco Mundo to rescue a friend and died for the effort. Twice. The one who had faced the Bounts and went to the Valley of Screams to defeat the Dark Ones, who had willingly entered Hell twice to save family and friends. The one who ultimately stopped Muramasa. The hero of the Winter War who had stopped Aizen and saved them all...was reduced to a broken, sobbing, screaming heap, shakily supported on his hands and knees in the pouring rain with the hope that had been rekindled within him now crushed as he begged for the power to be returned to him.

She needed to do something but she couldn't move, couldn't take her eyes off of him. It struck her in that moment just exactly how fond she had become of him, how much she actually loved him. Not having his powers meant nothing to her, she would still love him all the same. But it meant everything to him. He was a protector, it's what he was born to do and that's what his power was for. His power and his pain, it was all for the sake of others. She wanted to do something very un-Lisa like and wrap her arms around him until he calmed down, to let him know that he wasn't alone and surrounded by enemies.

Suddenly she felt something, something that it seemed no one else noticed. She felt a tiny little blip of his power, something that she recognized as the almost undetectable sign of someone slipping into their inner world. The power she had felt from his Fullbring shouldn't have been strong enough to let him access his inner world and it was gone now anyway. Had it begun to draw on the massive reserves of power that Kisuke had said were buried deep within Ichigo? She watched him carefully and after a few seconds she could see the tension in his body easing up. When he spoke, now telling and not begging Ginjo to give his power back she couldn't help but let a small smile grace her lips. He had found his resolve again, the reasons why he did what he did. She tuned out the rest as he and Ginjo spoke. It was time to act.

Standing, she released the concealment Kido and drew Haguro Tonbo from its sheath and drove it through Tsukishima's back just to the right of his heart. Ten inches of the blade protruded from his chest.

"Tsukishima!" Ginjo screamed.

She flipped back the hood of her cloak with her left hand, then directed her palm in his direction. "Shakkaho!" The surprise fireball pushed him to the far side of the roof and she turned her attention back to the gasping Fulbringer on her sword.

"Shukuro Tsukishima," she spoke coldly. "You know who I am and I assume you know what I am, but let me introduce myself anyway. I am Lisa Yadomaru, a Visored and I am the one who murdered you. Remember my face and the sound of my voice. Insert them into your memories like you insert yourself into the memories of others. Remember this pain and the despair of dying. Never forget it as you take it with you to the afterlife."

With a twist and a slice to the left she bisected his heart and carved her blade out through his side in a gush of blood. He was dead before he his body hit the roof. She looked up and met Ichigo's eyes for a second before she heard an 'oof' and a splash from behind him. There, sitting in a water puddle and with a bewildered look on her face was Rukia Kuchiki. Looming over her, as much as one as short as herself could and holding the glowing white sword that would kick start Ichigo's power, was an angrily grinning Hiyori.

"Back off midget," the pig tailed blonde snarled. "He's one of us and if anyone is going to do this it's another Visored. All you Shinigami do is screw shit up anyway!"

"What the hell?!" came the shout of a familiar voice as a Senkaimon opened above. The voice belonged to Renji Abari who stood in the dimensional opening with his Captain, Byakuya Kuchiki, Captain's Hitsugaya and Kenpachi, and Ikaku Madarame."

"Figures that the Old Man would send the ones he was most familiar with to do his dirty work," Lisa drawled. "They can take care of the other Fullbringers since they won't be needed for anything else." She turned to Hiyori. "Get him going, I'll keep Ginjo busy until he's ready." She looked to Ichigo. "Hachi and Love are guarding your friends and your sisters behind a barrier so don't be afraid to use whatever power you need to." She stared at him hard. "He made you his bitch Ichigo so don't waste time in kicking his ass. Remember what I taught you." With that she disappeared in a burst of Shunpo and crossed swords with Ginjo.

"Heh, I'm going to enjoy this," Hiyori cackled.

Before Ichigo could respond she rammed the glowing sword into his chest right up to the hilt. She then grabbed the front of his shirt and yanked him down to her level, smashing her forehead into his and making him see stars.

"Now listen up baldy," she growled. "You jumped into this mess like a freaking idiot and you hurt Lisa when you did. You're a freakin dumbass. She'll probably forgive ya, but I don't care." With a deft flip of her foot she was suddenly holding a flip flop in her left hand. "Live or die, after this is over I'm going to beat the shit out of you! You hear me baldy!"

"I hear you, I hear you!" he quickly said. He sighed and looked into the angry girl's eyes. "And I'll take whatever beating you give me because I deserve it."

"Damn right you will," she smirked. She pushed some of her power to the blade to get the process started. "Now take your power back and go beat that friggin jackass!"

"So Kurosaki needs to have his girlfriend fight his battles for him huh?" Ginjo asked with a sneer on his face as they traded blows.

"It's temporary," she returned. "He's about to have his power returned to him."

"Bullshit," he countered. "I took all the power he has, there's nothing else there."

"I could give you a long, technical explanation of just how wrong you are but why waste the breath," she mocked. "Me or him, you'll be as dead as your friend soon." Turns out that was the right button to push given how furious he became.

"And you're going to pay for that," he growled through clenched teeth. "You didn't need to kill him. Damn Shinigami, I'm going to cut you into pieces and send them back to your boyfriend! Make him cry about that too."

He never even saw her move and barely got his Claymore up in time to keep from losing his head. As it was the strength of the blow sent him skidding back through the air. And she only had one hand on her sword.

"Don't ever call me a Shinigami," she intoned coldly. "I'm a Visored. You really are a small and petty man aren't you? Ever listen to the crap that comes out of your mouth? You're nothing but a bully who gets off on making others miserable. You're pathetic, not even worth the time it will take to kill you."

"Save it," he snarled. "I'm not some moron that's going to get sucked in to attacking blindly."

"Good for you," she said dismissively as a massive pillar of blue spirit energy shot into the sky behind them. She sheathed her sword and began to walk away. "Tell it to Ichigo, I'm sure he'll care just as little as I do."

Between the surprising feel of the massive spiritual energy that was flooding the area and her infuriating dismissal, he nearly didn't dodge the crescent of pale blue energy that rocketed toward him from the dissipating pillar. Deflecting it sent him hurtling across the sky as the Getsuga Tensho exploded above and instantly evaporated the storm clouds leaving a clear, star filled sky in place of the pouring rain.

Ichigo flashed into the air, stopping where he had just been seconds before. "Lisa," he began.

"Later," she said, cutting him off. She stepped past him then dropped from the sky.

He sighed. "I'm such an idiot." As soon as he had heard of the possibility of getting his powers back he had jumped at it like a Pavlovian dog drooling at the sound of a bell. Despite his protestations otherwise, all sense of caution and suspicion had left his mind. They had argued and he had walked out, acting like a petulant child that hadn't gotten his way. Look where that had gotten him. Betrayed and reduced to a shattered shell of himself until he rediscovered his resolve. His friends and family had their memories messed with all to help break him. It was a freaking mess and it was his fault.

He glared up at Ginjo. "Time to take care of this ass hat." He just hoped he could fix things with Lisa afterwards.

She didn't really need to see the fight, she already knew how it would turn out. She went back to the house and checked with Love and Hachi who were helping Kisuke and Isshin make sure that everyone there who had been under the influence of Tsukishima's Fullbring were alright. Physically, they were fine and the false memories seemed to already be fading and becoming hard to recall. They did however remember everything they had said and done and that was a little harder for them to deal with, but in their angst and remorse it showed her just how much they all cared about Ichigo, how much he meant to each of them.

His sisters were mortified that they had hurt their big brother and Chad and Orihime were nearly inconsolable since they had actually fought to defend the Fullbringer from Ichigo. How they all felt summed up why she had treated getting rid of Tsukishima as a personal vendetta. Their memories had been violated and manipulated. The circumstances and outcome may have been different but it was far too similar to how the Visored's souls were violated by Aizen. It had become a one hundred percent certainty that no matter how this whole thing went down she was going to kill Tsukishima even if she had to chase him across the entire world of the living to do it.

Satisfied that everyone was doing as well as could be expected and were being looked after and protected, she went and found Hiyori. She was in a clearing some distance behind the house, standing with her arms crossed over her chest and looking rather grumpily at the soul reapers as they stood before her, watching a large black box up in the sky. Evidently they had made short work of their opponents and the box in the sky had to be the work of Yukio...something or other, she didn't recall the rest of his name and didn't care to. The little twerp was currently encased in a block of ice next to Captain Hitsugaya. She didn't care where the other Fullbringers were or what happened to them, they were of little consequence. She just wanted this fight done with and the Shinigami to go back to Soul Society.

"Dumbass is taking too long," Hiyori groused.

"I told him not to waste time," she sighed. She glanced over to see Rukia glaring at Hiyori. "I think you made a new enemy."

"Too bad for her," the blonde retorted. "Not my fault that she can't handle the truth."

"We do not screw up everything we touch!" Rukia shot back.

"Then why the hell is he up there cleaning up another one of your messes!" Hiyori thundered, pointing up at the box. "Stupid midget."

"Midget! You're shorter than I am!"

Further insults were stalled when the box began to come apart, with Hitsugaya's captive babbling on about how impossible that should be.

Breaking the impossible...a sure sign of Ichigo's intervention if there ever was one.

"Rukia," her brother spoke, instantly gaining her attention. "While I cannot wholly agree with what she said, she is also not entirely wrong either. Too many of our problems became Ichigo's problems and we needed to rely far too heavily upon him to solve them. Gratitude for what he has done for us all was the motivation to return his powers to him."

"Only once he was needed again," Lisa retorted. "All of you know him, know how important it is to him to be able to protect those around him. So what do you think it was like for him to spend seventeen months unable to do that?"

"It was killin him not see the friends he made and fought beside and spilled blood for," Hiyori added. "And when you finally show up it's so that you can kill him if he sides with that dumbass." She pointed up to Ginjo. "Some freakin gratitude."

"Without his powers he had a chance to live a normal life free of the problems of the afterlife," Hitsugaya said. "We were ordered not to interfere with that." The look on his face though made it clear that he hadn't really liked those orders and if asked he would admit as much. Despite his grousing about not being referred to by his proper title, he liked and respected Ichigo. He considered him a friend and he had missed his presence.

"Ironic isn't it?" Lisa said with a disgusted sneer. "Not one of you would go against those orders or break your precious rules for someone who did break every rule for you."

Rukia went to say something but was interrupted by Ginjo rocketing down into the ground like an incoming missile with Ichigo only a second behind him. The Fullbringer made one last desperate attack and was quickly, finally, cut down. He'd never be bothering anyone again.

"Looks like you got your answer," Hiyori sassed. "So why don't you all get the hell out of here and go back to the Soul Society." She started walking away. "I promised the dumbass an ass kicking and he's going to get it."

Lisa turned to walk away as well. "You can go tell the Head Captain what he should have already known. And before any of you ever see Ichigo again maybe you can come up with a suitable apology."

She arrived a few minutes before he did. They had decided to wait a couple of days before trying to straighten things out between them and they would do so at that particular spot along the river that was like sacred ground to Ichigo. Perhaps, subconsciously, they both felt that no lies or half truths would be told at a place of such meaning and it would be an ideal spot for them to talk. There would be no ducking or hiding, just truth. Later there was going to be a gathering at the Kurosaki residence, as much of a chance for his friends and family to get together and make sure they were all doing okay after being under Tsukishima's influence as it was to celebrate the return of Ichigo's powers. One way or another they wanted to get things settled between them before then.

She took the time over the last couple of days to let go of the stress that had accumulated since the mess started and got her thoughts in order. It may seem like figuring out what she wanted to say would be easy but it really wasn't. She had to take the time to examine exactly what it was she was feeling and why and figure out how she wanted to express that. Of course, it wasn't going to matter much what she figured out in advance, at the moment of truth the words were likely to come out differently anyway. That was alright she supposed just so long as the meaning was the same and made clear. It didn't matter much in the end how it was said.

She turned and looked out over the river and after a moment she closed her eyes and took a deep breath as the light breeze washed over her. His reiatsu could be felt all over Karakura again and it really was like a protective shroud. Warm and comfortable. She could feel him drawing nearer, his spirit energy like a beacon to her senses. He really needed to learn how to reign it in. Soon she could see him walking down the concrete path towards her, wearing jeans and a dark blue t-shirt and with his hands stuffed in his pockets.

She turned and waited for him and when he stopped in front of her they just looked into each others eyes, not saying a word. She was the first to move...and she hit him with a hard right cross that spun him around and sent him tumbling down the bank toward the river. Luckily the flat area at the bottom was wide enough that he came to a stop before he ended up in the water. She sat down at the top of the bank with her sheathed Zanpakuto across her lap and gripped in both hands. He stood up, rubbing his jaw and working his neck back and forth. After brushing off a few stray leaves and blades of grass he made his way back up the hill and plopped down to her left.

"I deserved that," he sighed.

"You might have gotten more if Hiyori hadn't already worked you over," she said.

"I'm still sore from that," he admitted. They both remained silent for a moment. "I'm sorry," he said finally. "You were right. I wasn't being cautious enough or suspicious enough...I said I was and I thought I was but I had already made up my mind as soon as I heard that I had a chance to get my powers back. I got suckered in like a dumb punk and I pulled my friends and family into it right along with me. I talked to you like an immature jackass and said a lot of stupid stuff and I hurt you. I don't know how to begin making up for that."

"I'm not sure which it was that hurt worse," she began. "You turning and walking away from me, or you not letting me watch your back. It felt a little like I was being thrown away again, especially when I thought that you'd be the last person to do something like that. I was ready to just walk away myself at that point."

He hung his head and his shoulders slumped. He went to say something but she held up a hand to stop him.

"But then I thought about how much this relationship meant to me. Given my age I've been in more than a few of them." She gave him a look to make sure there would be no age comments. "With men, with women...with both at the same time," she smirked. "That may have been one of the better ones. But in all of those relationships I have never felt the way that I have in this one. Maybe it's because I was finally free after more than a century of hiding. Maybe it's because most of my emotions were being reawakened after being pretty much shut off for so long. Maybe it was something else entirely, I don't know." Her double handed grip on Haguro Tonbo's sheath tightened. "What I do know is that being with you just felt right, like it was where I belonged, like maybe that's where I had been trying to get to all along."

She looked over at him. She wasn't crying but her eyes were moist and it felt like a sword blade sliding into his heart. He had caused this by being impetuous and stupid.

"When you walked out, when you wouldn't let me stand by you and have your back..." her voice took on a slight waver. "It hurt in a way that I had never felt before. It scared me and I was just going to give up. But Hiyori wouldn't let me. She called me a coward and a wimp...she really let me have it. She got me so mad that I chased her into the basement and we fought for hours. Poor Hachi, it took him a while to put us back together. When he was healing us Hiyori said to me that just because you were being a stupid dumbass I didn't have to be one too. Despite what I knew I think I still managed to underestimate just how much the possibility of getting your powers back meant to you. I also was forgetting just how young you are despite how much you've been through and that you weren't nearly as cynical and hard bitten by life as I am. I was still hurt and still pissed at you, and to a degree I still am, but I began to understand why you would blindly jump at the chance."

"Almost from the moment I understood what my name meant I've wanted to live up to it," he said. "I've always felt that I failed to protect my Mother and I became determined that I wasn't going to fail anyone else. Bullies and thugs, I don't need power to take care of them, but after seeing the dangers that were out there from the spiritual world and after having fought them I couldn't go without the power I once had. I felt helpless. I never really thought that a chance to regain it would come and if it ever did I thought I would be a lot more careful about it than I had been before. Shit, I didn't have a clue. I let Geta Boshi cut my Chain of Fate and throw me in a hole to see if I became a Hollow or not. Who the hell does that?"

"Besides you?" she couldn't resist.

He smiled slightly. "Exactly. And I wanted, no, I needed that power back so badly that when Ginjo came along I jumped right into another hole and that hole might as well have been a Hollow's mouth and I damn near got swallowed. But even though I didn't deserve it, you were there to make sure it didn't happen."

"After Hiyori and I kicked the hell out of each other I realized that despite what happened I couldn't leave you in a lurch even if you didn't want my help. You also had a certain little black cat watching your back too, when and where I couldn't." She levelled one of her deadpan gazes on him. "Besides, if anyone is going to swallow you my dear Strawberry, it's going to be me."

He blushed and did an admirable job of not choking on his tongue. "I suppose I should find a way to thank the crazy cat woman and Snaggletooth."

"Don't worry so much about Yoruichi," she said, waving a hand dismissively. "She was still following along with the two idiots. As for Hiyori, we'll figure out something appropriate."

"If it involves fighting her again I'd rather face her Zanpakuto. That damn sandal freaking hurts."

They sat in silence for few moments before he tentatively reached over and took her left hand in his. "Thank you," he said softly, turning to look at her. "Thank you for having my back and for saving me from myself. I love spending time with you and talking to you. You made me realize how much I had been fooling myself after I lost my powers. You made me see and admit that I really wasn't alright and then you helped me through it. You were straight up and blunt with me when everyone else treated me like I would break if they said anything. You also made me see that it was alright to open up and give my heart to someone." He looked right into her eyes. "I love you Lisa and I'm so, so sorry for being such an idiot."

"You gave us back our lives and you gave me back something I hadn't felt or known in so long," she began. "You made me feel alive again, made me feel again. A hundred years is a long time to feel numb and unwanted but you changed that. I love you too Ichigo, even if you are an idiot because you're my idiot."

Their lips met in a long, lingering, soft kiss and they spent the next several minutes with their eyes closed and simply leaning into each other, enjoying the closeness. All of the tension seemed to leave them and there was just the soft breeze and the warmth of each other.

"I was thinking," he said after a while.

"Careful Berry-tan, you'll hurt yourself," she cracked.

"Ha ha," he smirked. Protest he might, but he actually enjoyed her snark and sass. "I know you've been wanting to go to the beach and I have a school break coming up so I thought maybe we could go somewhere for a few days. A resort or a beach side inn or something. I think we could both use some time to unwind."

"Want to see me in my bikini again do you?" she poked. "Or whisk me away so you can have your way with me?"

"...Yes?" he smirked, his cheeks turned pink again.

'Well now, there's some progress,' she thought. "Good idea, I'd love to Ichigo. You have some place in mind?"

He shrugged. "I figured we could find some time after we get back to my place for the party and look up places on the net. Find a place we both like."

"Deal," she smiled. That smile quickly turned devilish. "I have two conditions though."

"Oh?" he questioned, raising an eyebrow.

"One, is that I finally get to pop your cherry." That made his face turn as red as one. "Two, is that after I do, you do me until I forget my name." He nearly turned purple. She laid her hand against his cheek. "Ichigo, this isn't just about me being horny as hell and looking for a way to take the edge off that doesn't involve playing with myself...even if it is fun and the noise drives Hiyori nuts. And who knows, maybe I'll play exhibitionist for you." He was on the verge of choking to death. "It's because I love you and I want to make love to you. I want to look into your eyes and have that intimate connection with you."

He wrapped his arms around her. "You must be a bad influence on me because I've been finding myself wanting the same thing."

"Don't think of it as a bad influence," she smiled. "Think of it as finally waking up and allowing yourself to live. I'll still take the credit either way though."

He laughed. "We should get going before Yuzu sends out a search party. I think she was afraid that we were going to break up. Her and Karin really like you and they look up to you. I think they're hoping for another girls night with you. They enjoyed the stories you were telling them."

A warm feeling went through her. "I really like your sisters too and I've got a lot more stories where those came from." They stood and began to walk, her left hand in his right. "Good thing we didn't break up, I don't think I could handle Yuzu's reaction. Her sad puppy dog look is hard to deal with."

He chuckled. "She's a little like Unohana with some of her expressions, only without the feeling of impending death."

They walked along quietly for a few minutes. Just before they left the river walk a smirk came to his lips. "So, what colour are they today?"

She smirked back and hip bumped him. "Who said I was wearing any?"

AN: And that's a wrap. I have mixed feeling since chapters 1, 4, and 5 came easily while 2 and 3 had me wanting to stick my head in a wood chipper.

Overall I would say I'm happy with how it came out. Some may not be happy with it but I write what I want because I want to write it. If you try to chase what the audience wants you'll be chasing a target you'll never hit.

This was never going to be a long fic and I was never going to write endless scenes of their dates or other things they did. That's not what the story was about and all of that stuff would have came across as filler to pad the word count. What it was about keeps with my writing style where I want to utilize the characters emotions and how they have been shaped by the things they have gone through, many which haven't exactly been pleasant. It was about an unlikely pair who found a relationship through the commonality of their experiences and the things that have hurt them. They can identify with each other and they gave each other something they needed.

If anyone didn't like that and wanted to see all of the other stuff I didn't put in the story...too bad. Go write your own then. Any of you who know my writing could probably guess that I wasn't going to do all that stuff anyway.

With that said, I hope you did enjoy the story and I hope you will leave a review.

Now I can go back to working on A Chance Encounter and a couple of other ideas I have. A story that fits in the 'Encounter AU set up with Ichigo being a spirit trapped in Pyrrha's head, and a story where Ichigo gets a certain adorkable little red reaper as his Zanpakuto spirit...but not in the way most have tried to tell it.

I really wish a good writer would tackle the 'RWBY girls as Zanpakuto spirits' thing. There have been three attempts that I know. The first looked like a fanboy rush job and soon turned into a shitty crack fic. A second one made it to a conclusion but has been taken down. It was just okay. The third is pretty meh and hasn't updated in forever and is probably dead.

Be nice to see someone take that idea and do it justice.