Disclaimer - I do not own Bleach

The Cutting Truth

It was a dark night; Soul Society slept, still recovering from the injuries dealt in the battle over a year before. None paid heed as one dressed as their own passed into their stronghold, walking calmly along their streets. The man went to the farthest reaches of the city wall, showing identification to a sleepy guard who did not even bother to check it.

And so he entered the Hornet's Nest, ignoring the howls of the deranged Soul Reapers and the cries of those who claimed wrongful imprisonment. Down he went, until the howls turned to screams and the cries to silence. As he passed the seventh level all became quiet, the ones this far down resigned to an eternity of darkness. They stared out of their cages, briefly contemplating the passerby until he went from their sight and then returned to their own minds.

A door of wrought iron and steel blocked the ninth level. The man laid a hand on the framework, readying himself for what he was about to do. Withdrawing his hand, he untied a cord around his neck, inserting it into the lock with an ominous click; the door opened with a screech of metal on rock. Light poured from the doorway, throwing a long shadow behind the intruder. Then the light was gone, the door closing again with a deafening click.

His eyes were drawn, as any would be, to the single mass of darkness in the white room. A man sat, bound by black straps, in the center of the room. His one visible eye was closed, brown hair falling just slightly past his ears.

"You hide your spiritual pressure very well." The prisoner said. "I can barely sense anything from you."

The man did not reply, standing just inside the doorway. The prisoner smirked, his eye still closed.

"Are you here to feed me?" he asked. "I was almost beginning to think that the Soul Society had forgotten about me."

"The Soul Society will never forget about the traitor Aizen Sōsuke."

Aizen's smirk increased, the straps holding him creaking as he turned his head slightly in amusement. The man stepped forward until only a few inches separated them.

"Why are you here?" Aizen asked. "Is there something more you want to do to me? I'm already bound down here for the next twenty thousand years, not that I understand how they think that will change me. Or do you have a better idea?"

The man sighed, kneeling in front of the traitor and pulling out a knife. With apparent ease, he sliced through the first strap that bound Aizen to the chair. Both were silent as he worked, their breathing not even changing when he cut those around his head and neck. With his eyes still closed, Aizen stood up, stretching languidly as his rescuer paced to the door. As he stretched upwards, a bundle of clothes hit him in the chest.

"Put some clothes on." His rescuer muttered. "I'm supposed to get you out of here as inconspicuously as possible."

"You could stand to be a little less antagonistic." Aizen replied. "One would imagine that you didn't want to rescue me."

"I sacrificed a lot to put you in here. Doesn't exactly make me happy that I'm breaking you out."

Aizen truly smiled at the younger man's uncomfortable tone of voice. Instead of riling him further, Aizen opened his eyes and pulled on the basic black uniform.

"If it makes any difference," he offered, knowing that it didn't, "you have progressed far past my expectations, Kurosaki Ichigo."

"Are you done?" Ichigo asked, turning his back to Aizen. "We don't have time to waste."

"By all means, lead on."

Ichigo rolled his eyes and pulled out his key, opening the door. He gestured for Aizen to proceed first, closing the door behind them. Ichigo took the lead again, walking past the silent men and women lost in the darkness. The silence between them held until the sixth level, the howls banishing the idea of anyone listening to their conversation, giving the two an opportunity to speak.

"I am relatively surprised that you are the one liberate me." Aizen said.

"Don't flatter yourself." Ichigo snarled in reply. "I'm not doing this for you."

"I agree. I do not believe that I fall in the same categories as Kuchiki-san or Inoue-san."

"Don't bring them into this." Ichigo said, roughly pushing him to the left. "We need to turn here."

"Ah, thank you." Aizen said, as if he had been kindly told, before continuing with his line of thought. "Therefore there are only two reasons left as to why you would help me. The first involves a third party threatening someone you care about – "he looked at Ichigo's stony face, "an option I would recommend, as you would go to the person directly instead of caving to their demands. Obviously that is out."

"Hold on for a moment." Ichigo stopped him, turning into a small alcove. He returned holding a katana familiar to Aizen. On instinct the former prisoner reached for the weapon, only to have it pulled away from his fingertips. Ichigo raised an eyebrow as Aizen schooled his features.

"I'll return it to you." Ichigo assured him as they began walking again. "For right now I think I'd prefer you without a deadly weapon."

Aizen nodded. "Understandable. I would not trust myself not to stab you in the back either."

The slope began to get steeper as they passed through the fourth, third, and second levels, sloping into an equal plane as they reached the first. Surreptitiously Ichigo slipped Aizen an identification card as they came to the exit checkpoint.

"That was quick." The guard commented.

"Yeah." Ichigo agreed with a laugh. "Captain wanted to ask him a couple of questions about one of his reports. Mind you," he added, slugging Aizen playfully in the shoulder, "the captain sounded pretty angry. Probably going to demote you again."

Aizen chuckled with the two. "Demotion can't be worse than here."

"Ain't that the truth." The guard concurred. "Sorry to hold you guys up. I'll be seeing you on Friday?"

"Unless I get sent somewhere by the captain." Ichigo lied with ease. "See you."

They exited onto the streets of the Seireitei, breaking into a light jog when they were far enough away from the prison. Soon they passed through the First District of Rukongai, going off the path that led to the Second. Going a few feet into the woods that lined the path, Ichigo unsheathed Kyōka Suigetsu and opened a portal to the Living World. As the doorway closed behind them, Ichigo let out a huff of air.

"So I take it that you learned the truth." Aizen said to him. "The truth that would cause you to free your enemy."

"The King." Ichigo replied, starting their journey again. "I learned about the King."

"Was it really so surprising?" Aizen asked. "What cause should make a King look down upon his subjects but for rebellion? And even then, his gaze lasted for barely moments…"

Ichigo said nothing, his knuckles turning white as he gripped the sheath of Kyōka Suigetsu. Aizen raised an eyebrow at the boy's anger.

"A King is supposed to protect his people." Ichigo muttered. "And whoever this bastard is, he just watched as we waged a war to assuage his boredom. A King should have put a stop to everything. A King would sacrifice himself for his people. Not watch as they kill themselves."

Aizen smirked. "But a King is above everything. Why should he bother himself with a commoner's war?"

"A King shouldn't care." Ichigo stated with finality. "No matter what, a King's duty is to his people who have placed their trust in him. If a King betrays the trust that the people have in him, why should he be surprised if his people rebel against him?"

"So you see why I rebelled?" Aizen asked. "A system such as this has no merit with which to judge me. I lost my trust in the King; therefore, he has no jurisdiction over me. A brilliant loophole, correct?"

"You could have rotted in there for an eternity before anyone even thought of you." Ichigo countered. "I could have just as easily left you there when I learned the truth."

"A knight like yourself?" Aizen chuckled. "You always do what is right, even if it displeases you. Why else would you have freed me?"

"Maybe I wanted to kill you myself."

"You've had plenty of opportunities while we were in Soul Society. Even when I was bound to that chair, you didn't even falter cutting away the straps, when you could just as easily slit my throat. You're far too noble to even think of doing something like that."

The light ended and the two were standing in the middle of a park. Streetlights glared on the two inhabitants, casting the shadows on their faces into sharp relief. Ichigo turned toward Aizen, casting his entire face into shadow.

"I may have rescued you, but don't think that I won't come after you if you put any of my friends in danger. If you hurt any of them, I will hunt you down, and I will make sure that you regret it. Permanently."

"But of course." Aizen said. "I would expect nothing less."

"Here." Ichigo replied, tossing him Kyōka Suigetsu. "You'd better start running. They'll notice you're gone in the morning."

"Do you really trust me enough to give me my sword?" Aizen asked.

"Hell no." Ichigo said. "But it's not fair if I don't even the playing field. Now get lost. Build another Hollow Empire. Just don't be surprised when I show up again to kick your ass. Later."

He walked away, turning down a side street and vanishing from Aizen's view. Within moments his spiritual pressure had vanished as well, leaving Aizen truly alone in the world.

His smirk grew.

"As my Prince commands."

A/N: Honestly, just a piece that appeared in my head one day. There are many fan theories that Ichigo is the King of Soul Society, and this is just my spin on it. A corrupt King and a man trying to depose him and put a better candidate on the throne. It's not like Aizen Couldn't plan something that insane.

Reviews are always welcome!