A few miles away, Judge Aizen sat before his fireplace clutching a familiar patterned scarf roughly between his hands. His face seemed almost wistful, longing. But every time is expression almost seemed peaceful, it contorted quickly into a painful grimace. He was struggling with something.

Lust.

The gypsy boy, the one he almost had captured. His body had been so tense in his arms. His skin, so warm and soft against his own calloused hands.

'No,' he thought, almost tearing the cloth in his hands into shreds. 'I must not be so tempted by such human needs. The boy...Ichigo, he will be captured. And then...and then.'

Aizen could see him dancing in the flames.

BEATTA MARIA YOU KNOW I AM A RIGHTEOUS MAN

OF MY VIRTUE, I AM JUSTLY PROUD

BEATTA MARIA YOU KNOW I'M SO MUCH PURER THAN THE COMMON, VULGAR, WEAK, LICENTIOUS CROWD

THEN TELL ME, MARIA, WHY I SEE HIM DANCING THERE, WHY HIS SMOLDERING EYES STILL SCORCH MY SOUL

It was almost like he was dancing for Aizen, his body twisting in the most maddening of ways, tempting Aizen to join him in the fire.

LIKE FIRE, HELLFIRE

THIS FIRE IN MY SKIN THIS BURNING DESIRE IS TURNING ME TO SIN!

As if on could, he could feel thousands of eyes upon him. Judging him, telling him that his lustful ways would surely damn him. He couldn't escape the eyes, the stares burning themselves into his very soul.

IT'S NOT MY FAULT!

I'M NOT TO BLAME!

IT IS THE GYPSY BOY THE WITCH WHO SENT THIS FLAME

IT'S NOT MY FAULT IF, IN GOD'S PLAN,

HE MADE THE DEVIL SO MUCH STRONGER THAN A MAN!

PROTECT ME, MARIA! DON'T LET THIS SIREN CAST HIS SPELL

DON'T LET HIS FIRE SEAR MY FLESH AND BONE

DESTROY ICHIGO AND LET HIM TASTE THE FIRES OF HELL

OR ELSE LET HIM BE MINE AND MINE ALONE!

A knock resounded through the house, breaking the stares, and with it the bewitching flames of the one he could not have. A guard opened the door. "Sir?"

"What?!" Aizen screamed at him. He was in no mood for this blubbering fool's statements.

"The gypsy boy...he escaped the cathedral. He's no where to be found."

Aizen sighed, slowly standing and straightening his robes."I'll find him." The guard started to interrupt, but Aizen was quick to continue. "Get out, you idiot! I'll find him myself, even if I have to burn down all of Paris to do so." The door was closed, the slam echoing in the guards haste to remove himself.

HELLFIRE, DARK FIRE

NOW GYPSY IT'S YOUR TURN!

CHOOSE ME OR YOUR PYRE

BE MINE, OR YOU WILL BURN!

GOD HAVE MERCY ON HIM

GOD HAVE MERCY ON ME

BUT HE WILL BE MINE, OR HE WILL BURN!

The next morning arrived too quickly. Aizen exited his carriage to find his Captain, Grimmjow, and his guards at full attention.

"Feeling all right, sir?" Grimmjow asked. It was rare to see the Judge in such a state, his eyes bloodshot, hair and clothes rumpled, as if he couldn't be bothered to fix them.

"I had a little trouble with the fireplace last night." Aizen rubbed at his temple, eyes squinting in the morning light.

"Right, uh. Orders, sir?" Grimmjow asked. Troubles with the fireplace, he didn't want to ask any more questions. "Find the gyspy boy."

By the time the sun had begun to reach the west, they had ransacked almost every house they Aizen had deemed 'suspcious'. The farmer's, the baker's, the blacksmith's, even more with just simple townspeople that never been in trouble before. Only two of these house had been hiding gypsies.

"Our home is always open to the weary traveler!" the farmer had begged, on his knees before the judge. "Have mercy, my lord!" But Aizen grimaced and turned away, his robes tearing from the pleading farmer's hands. His son and wife, holding their newborn daughter cried on the doorstep.

Aizen walked to Grimmjow, hoarsely whispering to him, "Burn it down."

Appalled, Grimmjow stepped back, putting his hand on his sword. "What?!" he exclaimed? Surely the judge couldn't...he couldn't murder these innocent people.

"Until it smolders." His stare was fixed on his captain. "These people are traitors and must be treated as such." He grabbed a nearby guard's torch and shoved it at Grimmjow. "Now."

Grimmjow stared. He held the torch in his hand. The farmer was shouting, begging the judge to spare them, and wife sobbing as she clutched her children close to her. But Aizen herded them into their home, barricading the door shut with a plank of wood. The screams, though now muffled, could still be heard. He had to decide. Follow the orders that were given to him, or not. Throwing the torch into the dirt, he stamped it out, never looking away from the judge. "Never." He growled.

"Very well." Aizen stated calmly. He grabbed another torch. "I'll do it myself." With a flick of his hand, the rest of the guards grabbed onto Grimmjow, restraining him from following the judge. quickly, Aizen touched the torch to the wooden house, and the flames spread. The screaming from inside intensified.

Grimmjow had to act quickly. Pulling together all of his strength, he fought off the guards, rushing towards the burning house. He shoved Aizen out of the way, not caring if the evil man was pushed into the flames. Kicking down the door, he rushed inside.

With bated breath, the guards watched. Only a few moments later, Grimmjow reappeared, the baby in his arms and the older child thrown over his shoulder. After him came the farmer and his wife. Once they were far enough the flames, he handed the children back to their parents, ignoring the insistent thanks he received.

"The sentence for insubordination is death. A pity really, you threw away a promising career." Aizen's voice came from behind him. He had to run. There wasn't any other choice. The town was corrupt, the guards, Judge Aizen...there would be no trail for him, only death...if he waited around long enough.

The slam of his feet on the pavement were almost loud enough to not hear the judge's cries to go after him. But the guards wouldn't catch him, Grimmjow was was faster then all of them. Arrows however, they flew past him faster than lightning. He's running along the bridge, as fast as he can, but his chest feels like it's going to explode, and it seems like the arrows are coming closer and closer to hitting him.

Eventually, one does, going right into his shoulder. Grimmjow cries out in pain, the force throing him off of his feet and towards the edge of the bridge. He almost regains his balance. But the running has left him out of breath, and one inhale sends him over the edge into the freezing waters below. The guards shoot more arrows into the water after him.

"Don't waste your arrows," Aizen shouts, finally catching up to them. "Let the bastard rot in his watery grave. We have to find the boy."

Ichigo had seen everything. His cloak shielded him and Zangetsu from the guards and the crowd of villagers and townspeople, but he had ducked under the bridge when Aizen had come closer to Grimmjow, not wanting him to get to close and to recognize him. He heard Grimmjow's yell as he was hit and saw his body splash into the water. Not even hesitating, Ichigo dove in after. It was hard to see in the mucky water, but he could see the bright blaze of the captain's blue hair and dragged him to the surface.

All of Paris was burning.

A/N: Hi everyone! Just a short little chapter here, to hold you over. I'm estimating two more chapters, but probably three. I'm so sorry I've left this for so long (long being a few years lol). I just kind of feel out of the anime/fanfic/yaoi world for a while. Bu hopefully I'm back for good! I wanted to finish this for so long, but I never had the inspiration for it. But I was listening to some songs from Bleach the other day and The Hunchback came up on netlfix and I was like, "I had a story about this didn't I? I should really finish that ahahaha." And so...here it is! Please, r and r, let me know if you like it! xxoo :)