The four captives get their own personal cells. To make it even better, they're all chained to the wall. Poor Yoruichi. Her feet barely touch the ground. Isshin almost looks worse, but that's only because his feelings got hurt. Boo hoo, Ichigo thinks.
Gin and Tousen show up together. Gin, the snake, sends Ichigo a grin before entering Kisuke's cell. Tousen first slips something to Aizen then follows Gin. Ichigo can feel the chill of the hogyoku from where he's standing. Tousen directs an empty look to Ichigo before entering Kisuke's cell behind Gin. The door closes. The ginger doesn't like that one bit. There's nothing he can do about it, unfortunately. His fracción doesn't like it either. Uryū watches his father through the barred window on the other side of the cell door with worry and sadness. Chad rests a hand of comfort on his shoulder.
"Follow me, my Espada. Time for us to have our meeting. Oh, and let's not have any interrupts this time, huh?" Aizen jokes, directing the comment at Ichigo.
Doesn't seem to matter because the lights abruptly shut off. The room is deathly still until the lights come back on red. God, Ichigo hates that so fucking much. It's more horrifying than enlightening, unlike most alarms. His fracción hasn't moved an inch, thankfully, and Aizen has a look of utter annoyance. He casts a silent kidō to dismiss the red emergency lights. Is that how he turned them off last time?
"Never mind. I wanted to talk strategy, but the Shinigami are already here."
Is that why everything felt wrong when they got back to Las Noches? That explains everything.
"It seems we're going to have to fall back to our back up plan after all," Aizen mutters both to himself and his Espada.
The oldest of the Espada grow grim. The newer ones, like Ichigo himself, are a little confused. Whatever the back up plan is, Ichigo is willing to bet it has something to do with those "preparations" Aizen wanted Loly and Menoly to take care of. Not knowing what's going on has Ichigo going crazy.
"Lord Aizen, what back up plan?" Ichigo asks.
"Oh, that's right. Half of you don't know," Aizen sighs. "Did you really have to kill off half of my Espada, Ichigo?"
Ichigo flushes. Tatsuki and Rukia snort at his reaction. "Well, you see, what happened was-"
"Oh, never mind that. They clearly weren't competent Espada. Our back up plan is to sacrifice the números to the larger group of Shinigami. The Espada are to take care of the captains, and their fracción, the lieutenants. Or the group of them murder whoever is in their way."
Ichigo and his fracción grow quiet. The números are the lower Arrancar. That's literally Aizen's entire army. The ginger sucks in a large breath before carefully thinking of his next words.
"I see. What are armies for, after all, if not for sacrifice?" He says with bittersweet wisdom.
"I understand how wrong it is, but we were not ready for the Gotei 13. That's why it's the back up plan," Aizen replies, putting a hand on Ichigo's shoulder. There's a layer of acting underneath all that sadness. It's taken Ichigo some practice, but he knows a liar when he sees one. Aizen doesn't care that he's killing off an entire fortress of people. They're all failed experiments as far as he's concerned.
"Where do you need us to go, Lord Aizen?" Ichigo asks.
Aizen proceeds to give everyone directions on who to kill and where - he tells everyone but Ichigo. The ginger waits for his dreaded assignment until it finally arrives.
"Ichigo, you're to stay with me. I need my secret weapon, after all."
That's as much of a lie as it is the truth. Aizen wants to keep an eye on him in case he decides to run back to the Gotei 13. Plus, Ichigo has grown quite powerful, and he has abilities no one person has. The lord's plan is a mockery to Ichigo and the Gotei 13. That's such a dick move.
Nel and her fracción are assigned to kill Captain Soi Fon. That's not going to be easy. Even then, Ichigo doesn't want that for either captain or Espada. They're both good, complicated, loyal people. Everyone amongst Las Noches are people, just like those from the Soul Soceity. He can't let the números sacrifice themselves for Aizen. This war can't happen. He needs help to stop the slaughter. Arrancar and Shinigami don't deserve to die like this. Nel once said that all he has to do is ask for help right?
Before Nel could leave, Ichigo goes up to her. She quirks an eyebrow at him in both knowing and tease.
"Remember the favor you owe me?" Ichigo starts casually. "You said all I had to do was ask."
"Are you asking?" She grins, her red eyes glowing in pride.
"I am."
She engulfs him in a bone breaking hug. He finds it hard to breathe. A slow groan escapes his mouth from the strain of her embrace. She let's him go, and does this cute, excited dance-squirm-thing. She reminds Ichigo of a puppy. "I'll get right on it. Oh, you have no idea how happy this makes me!'
"I think I do," he jokes.
Out of her overflowing excitement, she hugs him one more time before rushing off. Ichigo goes back to his fracción shaking his head with a phantom laugh on his lips.
"What was that?" Rukia asks in humor.
"I was cashing in a favor she owes me," he shrugs.
"What for?" Inoue tilts her head.
"She thinks she owes me something for bringing her to Aizen to fix her memory," he shrugs. "I mostly did it for her than me, though."
"Come, Ichigo. We're going to Karakura Town," Aizen calls.
Alarms go off in the ginger's head. "What's in Karakura?"
"The key to the Soul Palace."
Rukia involuntarily gasps, her slapping a hand over her mouth to quiet herself. Aizen only smirks at her surprise.
There's a large amount of tension chained to the group as Ichigo opens a garganta to the World of the Living. What does Aizen mean by "Soul Palace?" And why did Rukia react like that? Whatever he has planned, it must be very bad.
"What is the Soul Palace?" Ichigo finds himself blurting out.
Aizen chuckles, regarding Ichigo like a small child. "It's where the Soul King resides."
"There's a Soul King?" Tatsuki furrows her eyebrows.
"Is he like God?" Mizuiro questions.
"He is," Aizen nods. "He rules over the Soul Society from the comfort of his own dimension. For us to be able to get to the Soul King, we need to create a key to his palace."
"And what does that have to do with Karakura Town?" Ichigo asks.
"As you know, Hollow influence gives regular mortals not unlike your friends the gift of sight and powers. And you, dear Ichigo, had a very bad habit of letting your Reiatsu run free. You've been doing it since birth, Hollow child, and because of you, the people in Karakura all have gained some degree of influence."
Is he being serious? Ichigo has been juicing up an entire city of people on Hollow influence for the past fifteen years? Holy hell. That must mean his friends only have powers because he's around them all the time. He mostly knew this already, but what Aizen is saying confirms that he can help people develop powers. And did Aizen call me "Hollow child?" Ichigo thinks. How poetic.
"So the city has the possibility to create spiritual powers," Uryū says in awe.
The other side of the garganta opens, and they go through it. They're standing on the outskirts of the downtown area. They find themselves a tall and quiet building to stand on top of.
"Ichigo, you are truly the most powerful mortal in history," Aizen continues. "Because of you, this city is full of power. I plan to use that power to create the oken - the key to the Soul Palace."
"What is the plan after that, Lord Aizen?" Ichigo questions, knowing he's going to dread the answer.
"Why, kill the Soul King," the megalomaniac says wickedly, his grin showing his true menace.
"What!" Rukia exclaims. "You can't kill the Soul King! He holds the fabric of the realms together. Without him-"
"You don't think I know that, you impudent girl? That's what the hogyoku is for."
"It's to make you the new Soul King," Ichigo realizes. "You're going to rule the realms."
"Not only that, but I'll recreate the realms in my own image. You may be the most powerful mortal, Ichigo, but I will be a god," Aizen exclaims.
Now, Ichigo doesn't quite know what to believe or do. Ichigo is the most powerful mortal? He's not too sure about that. Just because he can give people the ability to develop powers doesn't make him powerful. He doesn't give them powers, he gives them the spiritual jump they need to gain them. Mizuiro is the perfect example. His powers are directly linked with his spite to become whoever he wants.
That's not really important anyway. What is important is Aizen's plan. How will Aizen take the apparent "power" everyone has? Yes, he said he's going to use the hogyoku, but what is it going to do to the people? How will it affect them? God, there's so many things he doesn't know. Too many unknown variables.
"What are you thinking about?" Aizen asks. "What is rolling around in that red head of your's?"
Ichigo gazes at Aizen. He might as well ask a question to the man himself.
"You said you're going to use the hogyoku to get the city's power. What will that do to the people?"
Aizen only offers a grin for a short moment. "You do know that spiritual power is directly connected to the soul, yes?"
"Don't tell me..." Uryū trails off in horror. "You're going to take their souls?"
Silence over takes the roof. Rukia slips her hand into Ichigo's for comfort and strength. Ichigo takes her icy vice grip without complaint as he gazes down at her beautiful face. She's so scared.
Ichigo takes this time to think some more. Because clearly he has nothing else to do. Ahem.
Aizen plans on taking the souls of Karakura Town. The people of the city he lives in. He never felt responsible for them, if he's being honest. He only started to take the job of a Shinigami seriously because Rukia talked him into it. Does that make him a bad person? Probably. Is this an opportunity for him to grow? Abso-fucking-lutely. On the down side, he's going to have to keep being a bad person for a little bit longer. He's so close to earning Aizen's complete trust. He can feel it in his bones.
Something else comes to mind before he can speak. It has Ichigo pausing for a little longer. What about his sisters? His baby sisters are going to die if he doesn't say something.
"Very well, Lord Aizen. I'll do whatever you ask of me," Ichigo says with an obvious hint of hesitation.
"Why so reluctant, dear Ichigo?" Aizen tilts his head, the creepy grin still there.
"My sisters..." he trails off.
"You wish me to spare them?"
Ichigo bows his head low. "Please. They're innocent."
There is a playful chuckle. "Come here."
Ichigo's fracción hold their breath. They want to see where Ichigo is going with this. Or they're nervous about what Aizen is going to do. It's probably both.
The ginger gives Rukia's hand a squeeze before stepping forward. After Ichigo's transformation, he finds himself about the same height as the megalomaniac. He can't tell if that's a good or bad thing. It makes it easier to look into each other's eyes.
Aizen grabs the back of Ichigo's neck again. He pulls him close enough to taste his breath. God, it probably looks like they're about to kiss. Ichigo really fucking hopes that's not what's happening here. Aizen searches Ichigo's eyes for something. Betrayal? A lie? Maybe something more positive like loyalty. Whatever he finds, it gives him a sense of peace. He let's Ichigo go.
"I'll spare your sisters, dear Ichigo. And to show my trust, you can save any other person your fracción wishes. Bring them here, and I'll set a kidō onto them so the hogyoku knows to not take their soul."
How generous, Ichigo thinks sarcastically.
"Thank you, Lord Aizen." He turns to his scared fracción. "You heard the man. Get anyone you want to save. But remember, you can't save everyone."
Understanding passes over their faces. Yes, Ichigo doesn't care much for the citizens of Karakura Town, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't save every single one of them. If it's what Rukia needs him to do, so be it. He doesn't believe in good or evil, but he does believe in saving lives. If he's learned anything about his adventures with Rukia, it's that life is precious. So death isn't the end. So what? That doesn't mean people deserve to die. His mother didn't deserve to die.
Ichigo would never tell anyone "you can't save everyone." He simply doesn't believe in that. It's not who he is. So when he tells his fracción that, they now understand the mission. They have to save every single soul. Failure isn't an option - and neither is helping Aizen kill the entire city.
Their mission? Kill Aizen.