Ichigo Kurosaki dropped to his knees, clutching the wound in his chest, on the verge of tears. Kugo Ginjo stood over him, looking evilly satisfied. Shukuro Tsukishima stared at the young man in cruel amusement a few steps back from his mentor. And behind him Moe Shishigawara looked slightly confused, but was carefully keeping his mouth shut. Orihime Inoue and Yasutora Sado stood at the edge of the forest, unable to move out and shaking in their confusion. No-one else had arrived yet, but Ichigo knew it would be minutes at most before the rest of his fake comrades from Xcution arrived.

Ginjo's betrayal stung, as did the loss of his recently realized Full-Bring powers. But worst was the thought that he had failed his friends and family. That they would go on believing that Tsukishima was someone they knew and trusted. And all because he had let Ginjo play him.

"He's crying," Tsukishma sounded almost sympathetic, "Poor…"

Suddenly, Ichigo's head snapped up, interrupting the katana wielder. Kurosaki's gaze fixing firmly on the other substitute Soul Reaper.

"Don't worry, Ginjo-san," the orange-haired teen declared, "I won't give up. I will find a way to save you and all the others."

"What's that?" Kugo asked, sounding amused but looking at the younger man suspiciously.

"I don't know how yet, but I will find a way to break Tsukishima's power and restore your real memories."

Ginjo grinned and snorted a laugh, "Didn't I just tell you that he already set my memories straight? That he altered my past, so I could fool you? And that the cut I just took was to remove that mark?"

"I don't buy it," Ichigo shook his head, and then cringed slightly from the pain the action sent shooting through his wound, "Which sounds more likely, that crap about him replacing your memories before and undoing it now? We don't know if he can even change someone back. And even if he can, what would have happened if we beat him first and he couldn't cut you a second time? It's more likely that when he cut you just now, he altered you memories so you would think that you were on his side, and that you made some elaborate plan to get my powers?"

Ginjo could not immediately answer. Tsukishima's powers could do exactly what Kurosaki was suggesting. But he had known Tsukishima since the other Full-bringer was a child, and trusted him implicitly. Didn't he?

"If that's true, why make me the one in charge?" Ginjo demanded.

"Who knows?" Ichigo shot back, "You are the leader of Xcution, and maybe there is only so far he can twist your memories. Which could make that the key to reversing what he did to you."

Ichigo shrugged and smirked slightly at the slender man, who was staying out of the discussion, "Or maybe he just wanted to make sure if something went wrong, we would go after you instead."

The older man sighed in defeat. Despite his cruel persona, it went against his nature to kill the helpless teen, especially after taking his powers. But he did not want to deal with Ichigo prowling around and trying to fix a condition that did not exist.

"What will it take to make you believe this?" Kugo asked with a hint of resignation.

Ichigo contemplated that for a moment, and then looked to the edge of the forest, where Chad and Orihime stood, looking dazed from having their minds tampered with.

"Give back my friends," Kurosaki answered. Ginjo looked confused and slightly annoyed, so Ichigo elaborated.

"If Tsukishima really can reverse his powers, prove it. If he puts Chad and Inoue back to normal, I'll know. And if you really are in charge, he will do what you tell him to. Lastly, if you really have what you want and are done with me, you don't need them anymore."

Kugo nodded, thinking that would assuage the slight doubt Ichigo had planted. But he was not so short sighted or magnanimous.

"You can have one of them," Ginjo agreed, "And since I'm a nice guy, I'll let you pick which one."

Ichigo glared at him in anger for a moment. He knew the older man was not being kind, forcing him to choose between his friends. Then his expression faded into one of contemplation and his eyes shifted to his two allies. He looked at Chad, but ultimately settled on Orihime. His expression softened as he stared at the lovely young woman. But his brown orbs kept flicking back to his giant friend. Finally he sighed.

"Orihime," Ichigo told Ginjo softly, "return her to normal."

"Done," the Full-bringer agreed, causing Kurosaki to look at him in surprise.

"What?" Ginjo smirked, "You expected me to go back on my word and give you Chad instead of your girlfriend? Maybe you thought with his strength you might be able to fight us? Too bad; Chad is a Full-Bringer, he's one of us. Besides, you need the little girl to fix you up."

He half turned and addressed Tsukishima, "Restore Inoue's memories."

The bookmark wielder met his eyes, the younger Full-Bringer's expression showing his misgivings over the order. And that seed of distrust flared in Kugo again.

"Do it," he ordered more firmly, and the slender man nodded. He hopped, his Bringer-Light catapulting him to behind the young woman. Then the sword that represented his power slashed downward. The apparently lethal cut passed through Orihime's body without damaging her clothing or flesh. For a moment she continued to stand there, her eyes blank and her body shuddering. Then she blinked, and her grey eyes focused again. She spared a moment to glare at the man behind her, and then ran to Ichigo.

"Ichigo-kun, I'm so sorry," she insisted as she knelt beside him, "Part of me knew something was wrong, but in my memory he took the place of my brother and some of my memories of you, too. I felt something was wrong, but my memory said I owed Tsukishima everything. I wasn't sure what to do."

"It's okay, Orihime-san," he reassured her by using her given name. Then he coughed and spasm pain flooded his face and his hand gripped his sternum more tightly.

"Just a moment, I'll heal you," she said. She placed her right hand on his left shoulder and her left hand over his right on his chest.

"Soten Kisshun, I reject," she intoned softly, and the familiar golden dome covered Kurosaki. For a few moments her energy pulsed around him, closing the gap Ichigo's self and even restoring the damage to his shirt. As she released her power, he looked up at her in surprise, his expression shielded from the members of Xcution by her fan of auburn hair. She gave him a determined look and a nod, and then hurried over to Uryu.

"So are we done here?" Ginjo asked smugly as Ichigo stood, taking his hand away from his healed body.

"Yeah, I think so," the younger man answered, a curious hitch in his voice. He bent down and picked up his combat pass. His grip tightened on the wooden talisman and it erupted into a sword as Ichigo's Full-bring armor wrapped his body once more.

"How…" Ginjo's angry question was cut off as he looked at Orihime, who had finished her treatment of the Quincy and took up position to Ichigo's right, her six sprites flashing around her.

Before any of the Full-bringers could take action, Kurosaki's spiritual pressure exploded again, shattering the sword and shredding the armor. In its place was a heavy black shihakusho, and a huge sword strapped to the young man's back. But elements of his Full-bring power remained; his new weapon had a broader blade near the tip and a hook like guard partially covering the handle near where it met the blade. And remnants of his armor remained wrapped around his wrist as bracers and around his neck body like an aborted chest protector or tattoo. Ginjo took a half step back in surprise at the restoration of his foe's Soul Reaper form.