Shippoman: Hello all, this is the last installment of Changing Winds. I figured this would be the perfect time to post, as yesterday was the one year anniversary of this story. Just to let you know, there'll be a lot less dialogue than in other chapters and it's longer than the rest, but I felt it was necessary not to split it up. Anyway, thanks to everyone for sticking around for this year to read and hopefully enjoy my story. Now on with the finale!

Chapter 40: Loss

Shinji was wiping the sweat from his forehead as he approached Kensei who was seated on the ground nearby. He'd just finished a sweep of the storehouse and the surrounding area with no luck. He'd made sure to have his men search every inch for any sign of his 5th seat and what became of her, but so far, no luck.

An hour prior, he even put in a request to squad 12 for an analysis, but it was still too soon for any of them to show up. Now, he just needed to find some way of keeping the high strung captain from going on a rampage of his own.

"Have you found anything yet?" the silver haired captain grunted when he noticed the other approach.

"Not yet," Shinji murmured slumping against the wall with him. "All traces of her reiatsu, have all but vanished. There's absolutely nothing left."

"That's bull shit. There's got to be something in there," Kensei argued trying to stand up, but the other kept a firm hand on his shoulder.

"You and I both felt it, Kensei," he growled. "One minute her reiatsu was flaring stronger than either of us have ever felt it before. Then all at once it fell to almost nothing, though we could still feel it there. But then the last was snuffed out entirely. Now...it's almost like she just vanished into thin air."

"You've at least got something on the bastard that did this," Kensei argued.

Shinji just shook his head. "That's just it. There's nothing here. No sign of a struggle, or that anyone was even here. All we have to go on is the fact that we both felt Yukiko here and that I sent her here. We didn't even sense a second party. It felt like she was in a fight but there was nothing to tell us who she was fighting...or what."

"So what, you're just gonna sit here and wait for something to show itself?" Kensei demanded angrily.

"Tch, hardly," Shinji grunted. "Since we don't really even have a starting point, I'm waiting for representatives of squad 12 to show up and do an analysis. Hopefully they can give me one." He sighed heavily knowing exactly why the squad 9 captain was so bent out of shape. "Look, by now I'm sure more people have noticed her reiatsu has disappeared. You should probably head back to your own squad and settle down your men...or more specifically Mashiro. I'll keep you up to date on anything I find out."

6 Years Later...

"Then it has been decided," Head Captain Yamammoto declared from his spot before the assembled captains. "Roujuro Otoribashi, Shinji Hirako, Love Aikawa, Hachigen Ushoda, Lisa Yadomaru. I hereby assign all five of you to form the investigational unit in charge of this vanishing souls case."

The four remaining soul reapers bowed silently in understanding then left squad 1 in a hurry, sprinting toward where their comrades had disappeared. Lisa, having left before the rest of them. Shinji quickly took the lead as his shunpo was faster than the others. He had to get there quickly. He couldn't fail this time. There were speculations that souls had been going missing far longer than the reports showed. Many believed that Yukiko had been the first victim. It wouldn't be that difficult to believe. Like the other souls her reiatsu had completely vanished without a trace. The only difference was that her clothes had been missing as well.

Shinji didn't want to believe that she'd died, but considering that in the past 6 years nothing more had been found he was losing his belief that she was even alive. Maybe she had been the first victim...if that was the case he had to make sure no one else met the same fate, and that the one responsible was stopped. He wouldn't allow them to do any more damage to soul society.

It didn't take him very long to reach the area in question and was almost immediately drawn into a fight...a fight he didn't want to participate in. He'd run into Hiyori who'd been fleeing from none other than the captain of squad 9, Kensei. He was wearing a hollow mask and had protrusions on his back. He attacked them ruthlessly.

Then the others arrived and began to fight him off. Mashiro appeared, also wearing a hollow mask, and knocked Rose to the ground. While Shinji kept Hiyori tucked beneath his arm, she attacked him relentlessly. Luckily, Hachigen showed up and was able to use a bakudo to pin the hollowfied lieutenant to the ground before following it up with another to bind Kensei. This one didn't stay for long as the powerful captain tore loose.

His power was amplified by the hollowfication and Shinji was worried as he watched the others battle his long time friend. Hachigen came up with a plan to restrain the silver haired captain. They all worked together to bring it to fruition, ending with Hachigen using a level 99 bakudo.

Shinji believed it to finally be over and was looking for what to do next when Hiyori suddenly grew a mask of her own and sliced through him. Then, everything suddenly went dark and all but Shinji himself were taken down; blood pouring from their bodies. To his surprise the attacker was someone he knew and trusted.

"Kaname, tell me, why did you betray your captain?" Shinji demanded of the dark skinned soul reaper.

"He didn't betray him." Shinji was stunned by the new voice and turned his head just enough to catch sight of an approaching figure. "He's actually quite loyal. As a matter of fact, Kaname was just loyally following my orders. You, of all people, can understand that so please don't hold it against him, Captain Hirako."

"Sousuke." Shinji's growl came out almost as a gasp brought on by his exhaustion and anger. "I should have known it was you."

"You mean you were on to me? That was very good," Aizen commented lightly.

"Of course, that's why I'm a Captain." Shinji was quickly becoming irritated as he felt the other man was looking down on him.

"When did you suspect?"

Now, it was his turn to talk down to the man. "From the beginning. From the time you were in your mother's womb and maybe even before then."

"How witty of you." Aizen sounded amused, though his expression didn't change.

"To be perfectly honest, I always felt you were someone dangerous," Shinji admitted, hoping he'd be able to draw some information from the man, or at least find an opening. "Someone who could never really be trusted. And as long as we're telling the truth here, that's the real reason I chose you to be my Lieutenant. I only did it to keep an eye on you, Sousuke."

"Yes, I must thank you for that, Captain Hirako. I depended on your deep distrust of me to make sure you kept watching," Aizen followed up. "That's what made misleading you so simple."

"What are you saying? You were never out of my sight." It wasn't possible for this man to have pulled the wool over his eyes. He'd made sure to keep him under surveillance, going so far as to have Urahara use cameras to help out. He wouldn't have had a chance to do anything without him knowing.

"You were keeping an eye on the wrong person. During this past month, when you were so aware of my presence, it wasn't me who was following you." Aizen's face looked as if he was having fun throwing his cunning into the face of his captain.

"What?"

"I have a very useful ability. I can make anyone mistake any phenomenon for something else at will. That is the true power of my zanpakto, Kyoukasuigetsu. I refer to it by the common term, complete and utter hypnosis."

"You're saying, you hypnotized me?" Shinji growled. He shouldn't have an ability like hypnosis, he'd seen the man's sword before. Where did such a power come from?

His internal argument ended as his lieutenant began speaking again. To his surprise he went into a short monologue about what he'd down and how he'd managed it. He explained how Shinji's lack of trust was actually exactly what he needed to move about and went into detail about why it worked that way. He also added in his own opinions on how utterly clueless and foolish he'd been.

"Do you understand the depths of your situation now, my dear Captain Hirako?"

"Sousuke."

"Oh, and one more thing. Let me enlighten you about your assertion that you chose me as your lieutenant in order to keep an eye on me. Actually you're mistaken, it was the other way around."

"What are you talking about?"

Lucky for him, or unlucky, Aizen seemed to be in a talking mood. He decided to continue on and explain how he'd chosen Shinji as his captain instead of Shinji choosing him. He went into detain about why he believed he'd done the choosing and that the captain had in fact been blind to what was going on around him.

"Now, do you understand what I've been talking about? You did not choose me, I chose you, Captain Hirako. I suppose, when it comes right down to it, that you owe your friends here an apology. Because you were chosen by me, they ended up on the ground as casualties through no fault of their own."

Despite his best efforts not to, Shinji flew into a rage at this and went for his sword preparing to strike his lieutenant down. "Sousuke!" he roared as he moved. Then all at once, his movements came to a halt as a searing pain pulsed through his body before a thick white substance slipped out of his mouth before spreading over the left half of his face.

"I wasn't sure it would actually work but thank you Captain for going for my cheap taunt," Aizen mused.

"What's happening to me? Sousuke, what's going on?" Shinji demanded as a small jolt of fear began moving through his body. Was he afraid of Aizen? No...it was whatever was happening to him. The fear that plagued every being when faced with something unknown. The fear of death, or the fear of being powerless.

"As we thought, it appears that an agitated state helps to accelerate the hollowfication process," Aizen murmured to his two companions.

"Hollowfication...what have you done to us?" Shinji demanded keeping the fear out of his voice and replacing it with anger.

"I see no reason to explain, Captain."

Shinji's irritation was continuing to grow, but his attention was suddenly stolen by a whispered voice coming from behind him. "Sh-in-ji." He looked over and saw that Hiyori was somehow still standing and she seemed to have at least some level of control.

"Kaname."

"Yes, sir."

Shinji realized too late that Aizen and Tousen had realized her current state as well. He watched as the dark skinned soul reaper shot over to the small lieutenant and pulled out his blade. "No, don't!" The blade cut deep into Hiyori who screamed in pain and collapsed to the ground. Shinji wasn't about to allow them to finish her off, however, as he shot forward himself and blocked the next strike. "I don't know what's going on here, but if you think everything's going to go smoothly according to your plan you're greatly mistaken."

"Surprising resistance considering the progress of the hollowfication," Aizen mused looking between his subordinate and his captain.

Shinji panted heavily as he held his sword at the ready waiting for the next attack to come his way. He was pissed beyond reason but something was nagging at the back of his mind. "What was it that Sousuke said a few minutes ago?" He remembered the man mentioning that agitation sped up the process...which would mean... "If I manage to maintain my composure, this transformation process won't progress." He took a few deep breaths to calm his nerves and found that he had considerably more control afterwards.

"What shall I do sir?" Tousen called out, unsure of how to approach the still fighting captain.

"Go ahead and continue. We'll just have one less sample that's all," Aizen answered dismissively.

"So, I'm just a sample to you? Interesting way to describe a comrade." Shinji didn't really care one way or another, but muttering sarcastic comments like that was helping keep him under control.

Tousen lunged at him and he dodged the blow, following up with a strike of his own. The two exchanged blow after blow in quick succession, neither one gaining the upper hand over the other. Their blades flashed through the night, sparks emanating from where the metal clashed together. Each second the fight carried on, Shinji grew weaker and he knew he wouldn't be able to continue fighting for much longer. Yet, his strikes seemed to be coming faster and stronger.

"What's going on, I have almost no control over my body," he thought to himself. "I can't feel any pain. It's so strange. It's almost like someone other than me is doing the fighting. No wonder we had such a hard time dealing with Kensei, even when we outnumbered him." He brought his blade down hard and shoved Tousen away from him showing that his strength was becoming too much for the third seat. "But at this rate, I may have a chance."

"Sorry sir, but don't worry, I'll finish it now," Tousen muttered trying to reassure his leader.

"Don't concern yourself with it. I actually expected this would happen. In fact I theorized that the speed in which hollow transformation would occur would differ from individual to individual. I must admit, it was quite an interesting process to observe. However, your continued existence is immaterial. I believe it's time to finish you off, dear Captain Hirako. But before you go, there is one last thing I need to show you."

Aizen reached into his robes and pulled out a small black sphere. It looked no bigger than a pill, and actually reminded Shinji of the soul candy they used when in the human world for extended periods of time; except for the color anyway.

"What is that?" Shinji asked preparing for some new attack.

"You see, Captain Hirako, it occurred to me that you should be aware of what has befallen your ex-5th seat," Aizen explained, turning the pill slowly between his fingers. "So, to put your worries at ease, here. This is where she's been the last six years."

At first Shinji didn't understand what he was talking about, but after a moment it clicked. Soul candies were more or less capsules that contain a manufactured soul designed to keep the gigai from being damaged in battle. Did that really mean he'd trapped her body in that small space. Since they were souls themselves it wasn't entirely impossible. Still, he needed to make sure before making a move.

"What did you do to her?"

"She's not dead," Aizen answered easily. "However, it is impossible for her to communicate with anyone else. The reason being, she is currently sealed away inside an otherwise empty soul candy. She has not been idle either. During these long years, she's been kept busy with tests of different sorts. She's managed to pass a few, but has proven to be far more stubborn than I originally believed."

She wasn't dead...and in fact was sitting a few dozen feet in front of him, waiting to be rescued. If Aizen was honest about what he was insinuating, that meant chances were she was being tortured in that tiny prison. Not in the physical sense, but in a mental one. There was no telling what he was forcing her to go through, but somehow Shinji was certain that her stubbornness would only last for so long. If he didn't get her away from that man now, chances were she was going to break, and nothing would be able to fix it.

"In the end, Captain Hirako, I hope you'll remember one thing, any betrayal you can see is trivial. What is truly frightening, and much more lethal, is the betrayal you cannot see." Aizen slowly slid the pill back into his shihakusho as he spoke and began sliding his sword out of its sheath. "Goodbye. I must commend you, you people have provided wonderful research material."

Before he could move, there was a flash of black as two people suddenly appeared in between Shinji and his three attackers. Shinji couldn't really see the one wearing a long black cloak, but the other was none other than the Grand Kido Chief, Tessai Tsukabishi.

"Well, unexpected guests. How very interesting," Aizen murmured looking the two over.

Shinji was having a hard time getting enough control over himself to address the new comers. What were they even doing there?

"Shinji, how are you holding up?" the cloaked figure asked after a moment of silence.

"Kisuke? Why did you come all the way here, idiot?" Shinji growled back.

Instead of answering, Urahara turned back to the three and addressed them rather coldly. "Why are you here, Sousuke?" he asked calmly.

"Why I've only just arrived myself," Aizen answered easily. "I found the captains and lieutenants had been injured and was about to begin treating their wounds."

"What? That's bullshit," Shinji grunted, struggling to maintain his control. "Tell me you're not buying this, Kisuke."

"Let's try this again, Sousuke. Why are you here? This time, without the lie," Urahara was rather firm and unyielding as he asked his question. "You say they were injured, but what I see are simply signs of hollowfication, not battle wounds."

"I see."

"Plus, I couldn't help but overhear what you'd said earlier regarding this item," Urahara continued. Then he pulled up one hand to reveal that the pill Aizen had been holding onto before was now in his possession. "Hollowfication experimenting and sealing a squad member away in a soul candy. These will put you away for a long time, Sousuke."

"What you have there will hardly be worth the effort of stealing it," Aizen chuckled confidently.

Shinji was about to respond, but a searing pain tore through his body and he gasped in reaction before collapsing to the ground. The rest of the conversation was completely lost on him as his consciousness faded into nothing.

When Shinji came to, he was unable to identify his location. Around him were the other seven soul reapers that had been exposed to the strange process he'd remembered Urahara and Aizen mentioning; hollowfication. It took him a few minutes for his body to remember how to move properly, before he was able to get to his feet and stumble his way to the only door he could see. Luckily for him none of the others were in his way, so he didn't have to worry about tripping over them.

When he reached the door, he was somehow able to pull it open with his almost non-existent strength and make his way down a dark hallway. The next door he came to was wide open and he could see it led to a bathroom. So he quickly stepped inside, flipped the light on and stared at his image in the mirror. To his relief, the mask he expected to be there was gone.

"Looking for something?" a familiar voice asked cautiously.

Shinji turned slowly to see the owner standing in the doorway. He was wearing an old looking kimono and clogs on his feet. "Kisuke. Where are we?" he asked noticing a severe lack of familiar reiatsus.

"The human world."

"What? Why are we in the human world?" he demanded starting to get worked up. "What happened with Aizen?" As he asked, he could feel something stir within him and a dark voice chuckled seemingly pulling at his mind and body.

"Woah, you gotta stay calm, Shinji," Urahara said quickly, holding his hands out in a placating manner. "I promise I'll explain everything once the others wake up. But until then you have to remain calm."

Shinji felt the pull again and was forcefully reminded of Aizens words. "...it appears that an agitated state helps to accelerate the hollowfication process." Instantly he realized what Urahara's concern was directed at and started taking deep calming breaths.

"So, the process is still continuing?" he asked slowly.

"Not exactly," Urahara answered sighing in relief. "But I should wait to explain it until I can tell everyone else. So if you'll just relax for a bit, I'll clear everything up."

Shinji waited a few moments for the tugging sensation to dissipate before responding. "Alright, I'll wait."

He allowed himself to be helped back into the first room, where he sat down against the wall and waited. Urahara didn't stay with him long, instead he and Youruichi came in and out at various moments. The entire time he realized that the strange stifling sensation kept returning, as did the creepy laugh. What was going on with him?

Eventually all the others began waking up one after the other until they sat, alert and trying to control whatever was happening to them. That is, all except for Mashiro who didn't seem to be having any troubles at all.

That's when Urahara, Tessai, and Youruichi joined them. They took turns explaining what transpired after Shinji passed out all the way up until they began awakening. They were all fugitives from the soul society now, who branded the eight of them as dangers to the soul society to be destroyed as hollows. Tessai and Urahara were blamed for the incident and punished, the kido chief with imprisonment and the ex-captain of squad 12 with banishment to the human world and sealing of his abilities.

Youruichi had bailed them both out before the orders could be carried out, and they'd transported the eight ex-soul reapers out of harms way. Urahara then went on to explain that he'd placed each of them into a new gigai he'd invented. Ones that would be capable of masking their reiatsu. He told them the new forms would be capable of keeping them from being found by soul society or Aizen...until the time came they could fight him out right.

Then he explained that although the hollowfication process was halted, he could not reverse the damage already done. They all were now carrying a hollow with themselves, one that would constantly be trying to gain control over their bodies. The barrier between hollows and soul reapers had been broken and the only thing keeping them as they were, was their own strength of will.

"So, that's what the laugh is," Shinji thought and he heard it again. The hollow within. "There's still one thing you haven't explained yet," he muttered out loud, drawing the attention of the others. "What happened to Yukiko?"

"I'm sorry, I couldn't find it," Youruichi answered sadly.

"You mean that soul candy?" Kensei demanded jumping to his feet. He reeled for a moment and the others did what they could do calm him. "He had it with him...he had her trapped right there...and you couldn't grab it?"

"I did grab it," Urahara sighed. "However, it was empty. There was nothing in it. While that should tell me he was lying, I don't think he was. The power she held was unique and something he would try to find a use for. I believe he does have her trapped in a soul candy somewhere within the Seireitei. We just haven't found it yet."

"Then we have to go back. I'm not leaving her in that bastard's hands," Kensei declared before marching to the door.

"You don't have a chance!" Youruichi said loudly. "If you go back the way you are, you'll either fully transform into a hollow, or you'll be killed. What good will that do her?"

He stopped and Shinji understood what was going through his mind. He agreed. They had to get her out, but at this point, and after everything Aizen had said about what had befallen her the last six years he knew one thing. Whether it was now or later, she would not come out unscathed.

"Youruichi will continue to go to and from the soul society gathering any information she can," Urahara continued. "She'll also be looking for Yukiko's prison. Until we have that information, however, it would be best if you remained here and tried to figure out how to control the beasts within you. It could even prove to be useful in your future battles against Aizen."

Everyone agreed with the assessment and began thinking of how they were going to go about controlling the hollows. Even Kensei was grudgingly going along with it, having finally calmed down enough to listen. Shinji, however, couldn't get his mind off of Yukiko. He was sure Kensei couldn't either but figured talking more about her would be a bad idea right then.

"Yukiko, we will find you," he silently promised. "Just hold on a little longer...I know you're strong enough to do it. Whatever you do, don't give up. We'll be there soon."

Shippoman: And that's a wrap. I hope you all enjoyed my story and the way I positioned everything. Now I want to make sure you all know that I actually have ideas for how to continue this with the appearance of Ichigo and the others as Ryoka. But, I feel like it'd be a pointless thing to post if no one wants to see it. So I'm leaving it up to you the fans. If you want to see me continue this and reveal more about her time with Aizen let me know through reviews or PMs. Also let me know if you think I should just leave it at this. So please, even if you haven't told me anything about the story yet at least let me hear your opinion. Should I continue with the anime or leave it as is?

Thanks again for all the support you've given me this past year and I hope to hear from you the next time I throw a story up. :D