Title: Final Farewell

Author: lola_tenshi

Pairing(s)/Characters: Ichigo, Tensa Zangetsu

Rating: K+ or PG

Warnings: Angst, post chapter 422 and after episode 309.

Word Count: 2000-ish

Disclaimer: Bleach belongs to Tite Kubo, not me.

Summary: After his final battle with Aizen, Ichigo finds himself meeting with the manifestation of his Zanpakuto one last time before paying the ultimate price for using the Final Getsuga Tenshou.

Author's Note: Wow, this is so late considering I had wanted to post by December. The joys of having your laptop die on you, a super busy semester, and medical problems. :\

Pain. It was the only perception that Ichigo could acknowledge. From the itchy stabbing sensations along his skin, to the unfocused shadows slowly taking over his sight, and even the bitter taste of blood on his tongue. The pain was everywhere. It was the result of his desperation, Seireitei's desperation, to get rid of Aizen. He had brought the other down only moments ago, now he was slowly losing his shinigami powers. It hurt.

Ichigo had the vague sensation he was falling, his body hitting the hard dirt ground. He sensed he was screaming, that there were people around him screaming back in surprise and panic. But he couldn't acknowledge those other people, whose voices were coming from so far away. He could only welcome darkness as he finally lost consciousness.

When Ichigo first opened his eyes, the world around him was fuzzy, obscuring his view so that it was indistinguishable. His skin and clothes felt damp, rain lightly drizzling from the sky. He blinked his eyes a few times, then rubbed his fingers against them for good measure.

He was laying on the side of a large structure, a skyscraper to be specific. It was his inner world, the sideways place that made up his mind and the home of his Zanpakuto. The sky was filled with dark gray clouds, explaining Ichigo's current state of being wet. A perfect reflection of his current mood which was bleak at best.

Sitting up, Ichigo ran a hand through his hair to collect as much moisture as possible. He wondered why he was here, in his inner world. Past experiences of being dragged to this sideways dimension had always been a result of Old-man Zangetsu pulling him in. Well, except for when he had had to ask how to use the Final Getsuga Tenshou. Standing up, Ichigo took a brief look around him. No sign of Old-man Zangetsu, his hollow or-

"Ichigo."

The sudden smooth voice from behind made Ichigo's body stiffen, head swirling around quickly to identify the person who spoke. Though Ichigo had already identified the person, he needed to have visible confirmation to affirm his hunch. Especially considering how the one who just spoke was suppose to be gone.

"Zangetsu?"

"Surely it hasn't been so long since our encounter that you have already forgotten who I am, Ichigo?"

Ichigo's cheek's flushed slightly, remembering the way in which the other had identified himself during that encounter. "What do you call your Bankai?" the voice had asked.

"Tensa Zangetsu!" Indeed, the one standing behind him looked like a younger version of Old-man Zangetsu, around Ichigo's own age if he had to guess. With shoulder-length ragged black hair and piercing blue eyes, the Zanpakuto watched in silence as Ichigo tried not to gape by the other's unexpected appearance.

"But. . . how? I used the Final Getsuga Tenshou, so all of my shinigami powers should be gone."

"Do you not remember what was happening to your body before losing consciousness? The intense pain before you collapsed was the beginning of your reiatsu fading away. It's a long and painful process, for which you will fortunately be unconscious." Tensa Zangetsu walked closer to Ichigo, moving so that he was standing directly next to the red-head before sitting down on the side of the building.

"Oh," Ichigo mumbled, quickly taking a seat himself. He hated towering over his Zanpakuto, as though he were better than the other. That statement couldn't be farther from the truth. He took the opportunity to closely observe Tensa Zangetsu, noting the differences in his appearance between now and the last time the two had seen each other. It was then that Ichigo realized that the Zanpakuto's hair was black instead of white, a sure indication of his hollow not being present.

"Where is he?"

Tensa Zangetsu stared impassively at Ichigo for a moment before answering, "Why does it matter? He's not here, and once you lose your powers he won't be bothering you anymore."

Ichigo's eyes furrowed, "But he's a hollow, why would he disappear if it's my shinigami powers that I'm losing?"

"He won't disappear," Tensa Zangetsu replied. "He's merely going to become dormant, as he won't have your reiatsu to feed into his presence. Also, without your spiritual pressure, you won't be able to sense him anymore."

Ichigo nodded, of course he wouldn't be able to sense the hollow. Though he had to admit to himself he was surprised his white counterpart hadn't shown up simply to bug Ichigo for one last time, it seemed like something his hollow would do.

The two sat in silence for some time, staring into the cloudy sky that stretched out for miles around them. Simply feeling the presence of his Zanpakuto next to him, even if it was for the last time, brought some measure of calm to Ichigo which reflected in the slow dispersing of clouds around them. It was surreal to think about, that as soon as he left his inner world and woke up he would be a normal human. He wouldn't have a Zanpakuto, he wouldn't have reiatsu, he wouldn't be able to see spirits, and he wouldn't be able to see the friends that he had made in Soul Society. His life, which had taken a drastic change when he had met Rukia, was about to take a drastic change again. To that of a normal high-school boy. To Ichigo, it almost seemed boring, perhaps even a little lonely with the loss of some of his friends.

Lonely.

The memory of anguish that had plagued his Zanpakuto's facial expression the last time the two had parted hit Ichigo like a slap to the face. He remembered watching the usually reserved and stoic spirit break down in tears as he explained the ultimate sacrifice of using the Final Getsuga Tenshou.

Though Tensa Zangetsu wasn't displaying the same level of distress as their last meeting, Ichigo could still easily read the feelings of defeat in how his Zanpakuto slouched his shoulders, almost as though he were trying to curl up in on himself. It was in this moment that Ichigo felt the need to comfort the other, whether by placing a hand on his shoulder, wrapping his arms around the other, or even giving voice to some comforting thought. Having always been impulsive, Ichigo felt his hand reach out before he decided that it was the course of action he wanted to take, resting briefly on a thin shoulder before sliding it farther across the other's back when Tensa Zangetsu's only reaction was to tilt his head towards Ichigo. With a rush of movement that even shocked Ichigo, but not Tensa Zangetsu, the redhead's body shot forward, wrapping both arms around the other in a desperate embrace. It was starting to truly sink in that this was the last time they were ever going to see each other.

Hugging his Zanpakuto brought Ichigo many revelations, one of which was how human like the other was. Sure Tensa Zangetsu's materialized form appeared human-like, but sometimes Ichigo still associated the name with the small slim blade and outfit that appeared every time he activated Bankai. Instead of the cold hard metal that Ichigo had almost expected to feel, the body in his arm was warm and soft, with lithe muscles that could easily fool someone into thinking Tensa Zangetsu was weak. Not a mistake Ichigo would ever make, he could still vividly imagine the pain his body had been in after the three months of trying to learn the Final Getsuga Tenshou.

Feeling the body in his arms shift, Ichigo was surprised to feel his Zanpakuto turn slightly to put his own slim arms around the redheads body, the other's chin coming to rest on his shoulder so that their heads could rest against each other. The position felt intimate to Ichigo, yet he couldn't stop himself from turning his head to burrow his face in the black hair, his nose rubbing against the other's neck. Being this close to Tensa Zangetsu let Ichigo identify the smell assaulting his senses to be that of recently fallen rain.

"I-I'm sorry," Ichigo suddenly mumbled out. He wasn't sure why he had suddenly decided to spurt it out, but it wasn't something he could take back even if he wanted to.

"For what? Tell me Ichigo, if you were to redo your fight with Aizen, would you change your mind about using Mugetsu?"

Simply thinking of Aizen sent Ichigo into a further state of confusion. Would he try and fight Aizen without Mugetsu, knowing that the fate of Karakura Town as well as Soul Society rested on him beating the manipulative man? Even knowing as he did now that perhaps it wasn't Ichigo who truly defeated Aizen, but Aizen himself who had perhaps given up himself? Ichigo shook his head, trying to clear out the clutter clashing inside his head.

"The answer is no, you still would have used Mugetsu even at the cost of sacrificing me because of what was on the line. You would never let harm come to any of your friends or family if it was in your power to prevent it, it's who you are Ichigo. You're a protector, it's how you define yourself as well as how other's define you. There's no need to further torment yourself with what could have been, what's done is done."

Suddenly, from across where Ichigo and Tensa Zangetsu were sitting, one of skyscrapers cracked, the loud noise echoing through the endless space. Soon after, another building started cracking, the sound just as deafening as the last one. Ichigo could only watch in horror as one by one, the buildings that made up his inner world started to crumble.

"Wha-" he was interrupted as the building he was sitting on swayed slightly to the side. Ichigo paled, reaching out with his hands to look for something to hold on to.

"Ichigo," Tensa Zangetsu was staring directly at Ichigo, his facial expression a combination of resignation and determination, "it's time for you to go. If you're still here when you reiatsu fades, you'll fade with it."

"But-"

"Goodbye, Ichigo. Remember that even though I am going, you are never alone. Also, keep in mind that the key to strength isn't power but knowing when to act as well as how to act."

Tensa Zangetsu flashed Ichigo a slight smile as the edges of Ichigo's vision slowly turned black. It seemed as though his Zanpakuto was determined to kick him out of his inner world before it was too late. Not willing to risk seeing that same pain-filled face a second time, Ichigo closed his eyes as he felt himself slip away.

"Goodbye."

When Ichigo opened his eyes for a second time, he was initially blinded by light causing him to immediately close them again. From all around him, he could hear excited gasps as people took notice of the quick movement. Opening his eyes again, much slower this time, Ichigo was finally able to take notice of where he was, his home in the world of the living.

He was laying on his bed, surrounded by Ishida, Chado, Inoue, and Rukia who was already fading. They were all smiling, excited to see him finally awake. Ichigo managed a weak smile back at them, not paying attention as they babbled on about how long he was out for. Instead he reached a hand towards his chest, searching for any sign that even a little of his power was left. Nothing.

All he felt inside was the sensation of being empty.

A.N. - Well, that was a much more dramatic ending then what I has originally aimed for. I hope you enjoyed, and don't forget to review! I love to hear how I can improve as a writer. :)