STOP ME WHEN YOU'VE HAD ENOUGH

Shit, This Sucks

The way Zangetsu and Yhwach explained this part of Ichigo's mindscape didn't make any sense to him until now. He understood that since the vasto lorde is an extension of Zangetsu, he'd need to go through the zanpakuto to get to the bastard. What he didn't understand was how could going through the zanpakuto - or rather it go through him - get him to a certain place in his own mindscape? It's in his mind, hence the name. How could the sword do that?

Now he gets it.

This part of his mindscape is what Zangetsu called "Hueco Mundo." Basically a desert realm where Hollows hunt for each other. This place is for Hollows specifically so, in his head or not, his Shinigami Quincy Hollow hybrid ass couldn't have gotten here without at least a little help.

Since there's no living thing close by, Ichigo starts to explore. It shouldn't be long until the vasto lorde senses him, so he'll just wait around. When Zangetsu said this place is a desert, he thought of, well, a desert. Hot sun, hot sand, hot everything. Instead, it's cool and nighttime. He supposes that isn't as far fetched as it sounds. It's a realm of spirit demons hunting each other. Of course it's nighttime.

At the boom of sonído, the vasto lorde appears. He looks pissed, too, despite the permanent grin his teeth are set to. He's bigger by about ten centimeters and forty pounds. His hierro is pure and smooth white, his hair long and wild orange. He has talons as sharp as his teeth, and horns as pointed as his glare. His mask, however, is nothing entirely new. It's like all the other masks, save for the dark colored vertical lines going down both sides of the face.

"Ichigo, son of Kurosaki and Shiba," the vasto lorde growls. "Have you come to admit defeat?"

"Are you the one who makes me pace?" Ichigo asks instead.

"Answer the question!"

"I'm here to challenge you. You're turn."

The large beast moves in a stalking walk around Ichigo. "I am."

"Why?"

"It is my nature to take over, Ichigo. I wish for control."

This beast is a lot more intelligent than Ichigo originally thought. He doesn't think the other spirits knew either. Damn, that changes things. He's going to have to avert from the plan if he wants this to go smoothly.

"What if I can give it to you?"

An unimpressed grunt comes from behind the mask, and the beast stops circling Ichigo. "And why, pray tell, would you do that?"

"You live in this body, too. You deserve that much."

"Just not as much control as you?"

Whoa. He didn't think about that. Damn. "Er, well, I guess I'm not used to sharing my body. I've been in control for a little bit more than fifteen years."

"Excuses, excuses."

"Don't be like that. I can't exactly trust you to have control whenever you want. The government of the physical realm as annoying and persistent as the spiritual one. There's consequences and some lead to death. Others worse."

"You don't consider that I know that."

"I don't know much about you."

"Yet I know all about you."

"Wow, is this how I acted toward Rukia and Kukaku? I'm annoying," Ichigo sighs.

"Tread lightly, Ichigo. I do not forgive easy."

"I don't want to fight you. You're not mindless, and you have a purpose. I just want our purpose to be the same," the ginger teen presses.

"What purpose could we both share that I'd ever possibly care for?"