A/N: I know I mentioned last time this chapter would move onto Ichigo. I guess you could say he plays an important part in this chapter (I think you guys have figured that part out by now), but I kind of lied. His trip will start at the end of this chapter. I changed my mind because I can and because cliffhangers :P

As a result, this chapter will be a little bit shorter than usual, but the next one should be REAL long (or broken up into two chapters depending on how I decide to do it).

Enjoy

Ichigo turned his gaze from Hikaru to the crystal-clear sky. His arms remained crossed, emphasizing his muscled left extensor digitorum. "Is it always this windy here?"

"How would I know?" Hikaru shrugged, following his fellow student's train of sight to bask in the summery warmth. "You know as well I do this is my first time here."

"This is the first time I've seen it as well."

His attention tracked back to Ichigo in confusion, and he was surprised to find the man's back now facing him. "I thought this place is your doing."

Ichigo's hair blew wildly as he paced a perfect circle around Hikaru, who refused to follow him with his body or gaze. The student's attention seemed to be focused elsewhere, still a bit dazed from his precious interaction. However, Ichigo was not going to give him a moment's reprieve. "This setting is your doing as much as mine. Together we will build a world where you will spend the rest of your life."

"That's a morbid way of putting it." He chuckled almost sadly. "Is that my fault as well?"

Ichigo stopped at Hikaru's six o'clock. "We are both accountable; assuming any less will disgrace our relationship."

"I'm pleased you're willing to call it a relationship." With that he turned about-face, zeroing in on Ichigo's new location. Hikaru realized immediately he'd never bothered to turn around at any point during his time here, and what he saw subverted all his expectations.

Ichigo was now sitting neatly behind a desk, his feet kicked up on the surface unclearly labeled 'psychiatric help'. Hikaru couldn't help but sweat drop.

"I don't know if I like the implication here. Also, your handwriting is terrible."

Ichigo pulled his feet down so he could lean forward over the desk. He gestured to something written in a similar scrawl below. "Indulge me. It's only fifty yen."

Hikaru reached into his shihakusho so he could cough up the amount. "Steep price to pay myself to talk to myself… maybe I do need psychiatric help."

Ichigo's grin oozed smugness as he flipped the coin into the air. It never came back down.

"Neat." Hikaru mused, decidedly unamused. "I've paid up. It's time to uphold your end of the bargain."

Ichigo's uncharacteristic melancholy sigh unnerved him. Hikaru was not used to seeing him exude that flavor. "Haven't you wondered why it looks like a knock off Beatles' hit around here?"

"Don't follow."

"Summer Snowflake Fields Forever. This isn't real, Hikaru. It's time to stop misunderstanding. This is not your soul, but I think you already know that."

Hikaru now understood Ichigo's tone, and it began to infect his own.

"She loved these stupid flowers. To her, they were the most beautiful in the world. Despite being likened to snowflakes, they flower in spring; despite their namesake being summer, they lie dormant that season. Snow is a portrayal of winter characterized by harshness, solitude, and death. Almost in spite of that, the Summer Snowflake symbolizes hope—it embodies the rebirth and growth that spring begets. I think she fell for the dramatic irony of it all." He trailed off with a muted chuckle. Staring longingly across the fields, he found himself filled with a cocktail of feelings he had no hope of boiling down.

"Do you think that's why she fell for you?"

Hikaru snapped his gaze to Ichigo, fists clenched and eyes wide as nostalgia muddled his thoughts. Reigning in his emotions, he snorted in contempt. "Please, there's no humorous dichotomy in here, and—if there is—I doubt it's beautiful."

"You're deflecting, Hikaru. How long can you keep running before your fears consume you rather than fuel you, or has it already begun? You feel it within you. Every day you delay the confrontation you risk losing yourself to the struggle entirely. It's time to be strong, Hikaru. Take responsibility for the decisions you've made. After all, we're not just the sum of our successes, are we?"

"Is the solution really so clear cut?"

"That's so very like you to think in terms of solutions and complications, does everything have to be black or white? Is anything purely good or bad? Holding onto the good and bad in something is what's most important. You, however, always fail to see the good and run from the bad. What becomes of someone with nothing left to hold onto?"

Hikaru sighed, ruminating. Ichigo crossed his arms once again, content to give Hikaru the time he needed. The sun that once beat down from on high had begun to lower by the time the young man was ready to respond.

"The first time I took a life, or rather, just before, I heard this smooth voice in my head. It reached out to me with wonder and curiosity, tempting me to answer questions I feared as much as any other: 'What will you be like after this? What will you become? What type of person will you be after this? Don't you want to find out?'"

Hikaru shuddered slightly as he remembered the storm of emotions hidden behind the eyes that stared at a beaten man. Fear, trepidation, insecurity, anxiousness. He leveled Ichigo with that same look.

"I did want to find out. I wanted to know what it felt like to cut flesh, to make someone bleed, and to watch someone's life leave their body. I wanted to know how I'd sleep after—how I'd live with myself. If I ever learned to, I felt like that would speak volumes about me."

He settled into the soft grass, placing his elbows around his knees. Ichigo did not interrupt him. "Eventually I did learn to. The consequences of what I'd done faded away as simply as turning down the volume. I tried to stay positive, but the fear and distrust had already been sown. I was scared that path would leave me unable to protect those I loved, and I was right. Shin'ō came knocking and the rest is history; I became someone with nothing to protect. However, I am a faulty machine that still desires to fix itself. The only way left to me is to join the system. In the system laid out by Yamamomo and the Gotei 13, accountability is handed to you with power. I just hope I can find strength within myself along that journey…"

Ichigo's eyes softened as the seemingly younger man trailed off, speaking gently for the first time in a long time. "In strength you expect to find purpose. In purpose you expect to find happiness. Strength is an objective quantity. It can be seen clearly at all times, and it is present in all facets of life; happiness is similar but must be sought differently. Like strength, there is no question whether or not it exists, but you must look for it in your own way. Like glass, it is easy to miss and ignore. You view the world behind it without noticing its presence. However, simply change your perspective and it will shine."

"You make it sound so easy. What is happiness to you?"

"Living with people I could die around."

Such a matter of fact answer sent Hikaru off balance, he'd been expecting more philosophical drivel from this decidedly long-winded character. Once again, it took a moment for him to find the words.

"My… friend," the sudden onset of flavor triggered by the word set his mouth alight with the taste of fireworks, he took a moment to softly smack his lips together, "you are strong. I must find my strength as well, or else, everything I've sacrificed will mean nothing."

Ichigo nodded smugly, his former air of confidence returning. "Don't go breaking anymore hearts, Hikaru, people only have one. Break their bones instead, they have two-hundred and six of those."

"Did you think of that one all on your own?"

"I wonder…" Ichigo grinned wryly, standing up from the desk.

He looked off to his right where waves had started to approach the pair; the tide he'd not noticed before was coming in. The freezing wind continued to blow parallel to the shore, but it no longer bothered Hikaru. Ichigo motioned for his friend to follow and began walking towards the water.

Now standing ankle deep, Hikaru found his sandals and socks somehow remained dry. He looked to Ichigo in confusion, seeking an explanation.

"This is our world, Hikaru, and you are finally ready to open your eyes. Living is easy with your eyes closed."

At this point, Hikaru had forgotten that he never opened his eyes after he'd closed them, long ago, in an attempt to quiet his mind. In a flash he forced his eyes open. His body tensing as it braced against whatever the looming uncertainty would bring.

The world before him was now only slightly different. Water splashed as he spun, trying to drink in every inch of the scenery. Behind him, the once summery fields had dissolved into a fine, deep crimson beach that slowly bled into untouchably tall glacial peaks and cliffs. Looking up and down, the sand and cirques stretched all the way to the horizon; never before had he been in the presence of something that made him feel so incredibly small. He rushed over to the beach, socks and sandals flying off, allowing the uncountable weathered beads to caress his feet. He breathed in the crisp ocean air, relishing in the pleasant coolness that settled in his lungs.

A smooth voice he'd heard only once before broke him from his boyish explorations. This time it carried with cool authority rather than temptation, wonder, and curiosity. "Look up and bathe in the sun's light, for it is setting soon."

Hikaru followed his instructions, gazing out to watch the sun sink into the endless ocean. Its dying light tinging the sky a soothing spectrum of orange, pink, and purple before eventually fading into night. Behind him, no moon rose to counter the extinguished sun. With no offending light to hide them, a silvery belt of stars glimmered brightly, softening the glow of the sand. To the north, he noticed a distant Aurora shining vibrantly.

The other presence began to notice towering thunderheads building off the coast, deciding now was the time to bring Hikaru back to their conversation.

"How are you feeling?" It was a rhetorical question—the spirit was now in tune with his counterpart.

Hikaru gulped, tensing his hands to stop their shaking as he noticed the approaching storm, understanding the implications of this reckoning. The waves crashed in tune with the thunder, wind now lashing the shore. Fierce lightning flashed, periodically brightening the shadowed horizon. "I am… afraid."

"You fear the depths of your soul, you fear there is an untamable storm brewing that will consume you if you were to embrace it even for a moment. Within that storm lie your strongest beliefs—a dogma repressed by your own distrust for yourself. Have you ever visited your soul? Toured the facility shaped by your past? Who are you, child? Wouldn't you like to know?"

The storm drew closer to the shore. The wind howled balefully, and the waves began to meet one another in a struggle for dominance, their frothing white caps spraying like blood on a battlefield.

"People hunker down when there's a storm, don't they? They stock up on food, fortify their shelter, and take cover. Walking into the teeth of a storm is suicide!"

The spirit responded calmly. His voice carrying simply and easily despite the weather. "All fishermen know the dangers of the sea, don't they? They've never found that a compelling enough reason to remain ashore."

Hikaru had no such luck, having to raise his voice to be audible. "But what's the point?"

"Tell me, lost one, do you think you need the gentle rains and summer breezes now? Will those help you become what you need to be? No. You need the whipping wind, the thunder, and lighting. You need the storm to rouse who you really are. It's time to stop running, time to turn and face this test."

"What if I lose myself? What if I can't bear to face what I've become?"

"What is your fear to those who have nowhere left to run? Empty, hollow, and mocking. What is your trepidation to those who ran from the storm until the very end? Life is defined by a culmination of experiences, many more valuable than others. Be proud you're faced with another opportunity to reap what you've sown."

Hikaru's fist clenched and he turned around, staring into the swirling depths of the looming front. Taking in the sheer size of the front forced him to take a step back and behold the beauty of its unstoppable force.

"Still afraid, lost one?"

Hikaru looked down and noticed he had begun to tremble again, goosebumps trailing up his forearms before disappearing under his hakama. He swallowed uncomfortably, the shadow of an impatient grin flickering as though it were cast from a time almost forgotten.

"Thrilled."

Looking down to inspect his open palm with curiosity, Hikaru turned to the spirit for answers once more.

"Snow?"

He swore his companion almost chuckled.

"Tell me, did you not consider a blizzard a storm?"

With that, the storm was upon them. Hikaru raised his arm to shield his eyes as the darkness became complete, enshrouding him entirely. He only realized he'd vacated his inner world when the whipping snow ceased ripping his skin. He remained suspended in darkness for a moment longer.

'This is the path my ideals have taken me down; who I am is the culmination of the decisions I made to uphold them. For better or for worse, I am the sum of those costs and benefits. I should embrace this path to the very end, even if it ends with my suffering. What I've wanted from the very beginning is not a tainted dream.'

Putting his hand to his head to stave off the sudden onset of nausea, Hikaru tried to sit up slowly. Renji was there in an instant. "Easy there, kiddo, the sedatives might not have totally cleared your system, let's get you over here."

"Is this real?" Hikaru asked warily, still clearly out of it, as Renji helped him to a small chair on the other side of the room. "I can't even tell anymore."

Renji chuckled. "If you can believe me when I say it, you should mostly be clear of the psychedelics. It's just the sedatives fucking with you now."

Hikaru breathed a pleased sigh of relief, sinking contently into the real chair. "Holy shit. Thank literally everything that is over."

"That bad, huh?"

Hikaru contemplated for a moment. "I guess I wouldn't call it bad, but it was definitely intense. I need a break."

"You'll be pleased to hear we've had Ogidō clear our menial duties for the rest of the day. The cafeteria will be wrapping up dinner shortly, so we should probably get some food sooner rather than later. Then, we've got a date with an away party."

"We do?"

"I might've bargained with Ogidō."

"Nice job!" Hikaru's eyes lit up at the prospect.

"I figured that'd be something up your alley." Renji nodded smugly, before remembering something seemingly important. He strode over to a counter and grabbed a couple sheets of paper. "Here's what you were working on while you were still conscious. You wrote down a couple names of some sort. Mean anything to you?"

"I'd forgotten about these." Taking the offered pages and examining them, he felt his blood run cold for the slightest moment, and, ignoring two of the other names, moved onto the one he did not recognize.

"Hakutō Hari…" Hikaru was lost in thought for only a brief moment before a question crossed his mind. "Renji, where's Ichigo?"

Rather than answer verbally, Renji moved to the side so Hikaru could gaze upon the still unconscious Soul Reaper.

"Why is he still unconscious? It's long since been the required six hours."

Renji chuckled nervously, eyes darting around the room to avoid Hikaru's pinning stare. "I'm no doctor, but I'd blame the sedative."

Renji's earlier statement finally clicked for Hikaru. "You sedated us?"

"Yes. Well, if it makes you feel better, Ogidō sedated you. Apparently, it's standard procedure when the subjects enter their inner world." Renji's face adopted a most curious expression, and he leaned towards Hikaru, turning his own pinning gaze on his friend. "Now that I think about it, a first-year student probably hasn't yet manifested the landscape of their inner world ortheir Zanpakutō spirit. What did you see?"

Hikaru grinned lopsidedly. "You're starting to sound like Ogidō, Renji. I'll tell you soon, don't worry, I just need some time to process."

Renji nodded, sitting back and accepting the explanation. "Understandable. I am, however, beyond curious."

Before the silence could extend, they heard a loud grunt from the table as Ichigo, drenched in sweat, shot upright. His face contorted for a moment and his eyes screwed shut, then, he promptly turned over the side of the bed and retched.

"Aren't you glad I was there to stop you from doing that?" Renji asked rhetorically, patting Hikaru on the shoulder gaily. He then strode over to Ichigo, clearly less concerned about this subject than he had been about the other one.

"I see you're finally awake. So, how was it?"

Surprising Renji, Ichigo made no effort to take the bait. Somehow, he managed to appear contemplative as he cleaned himself up, which, if you asked Renji, Ichigo couldn't do if he tried. "Actually, it was rather interesting. I wonder if I have something to talk to Kisuke about…"

- Ichigo's trip!

Ichigo worked furiously, if one looked close enough they might've noticed smoke rising from the friction of the tip racing across paper, as he tried to recreate the familiar scene. He was by no means an expert artist, but he'd spent a fair amount of time doodling during his high school days in the World of the Living.

Quickly his interpretation was taking shape. His pen flew down the landscape-oriented page to connect the floating wispy figure to the sideways skyscraper. The moment that the penultimate touch to the flagpole met the heavier line of the building, he felt solid glass materialize beneath his feet. Ichigo looked down in wonder before, connecting the dots, he quickly met the hidden gaze of his Quincy spirit.

"How the hell did that just happen?"

The spirit ignored his question, his dark cloak billowing in the phantom breeze Ichigo could never enjoy, instead speaking to Ichigo with a tone he'd never heard from the spirit.

"I am unsure what exactly you've done, but I think you should speak with the Hollow."

Ichigo tilted his head in bemusement. As far as he could remember, this was the only time the stoic spirit had ever recommended he seek out the other resident of his inner world. As a result, Ichigo felt anxiousness build at the potential implications.

"What happened?"

The spirit remained on his flagpole, turning his head to gaze off into the infinite skyline of Ichigo's inner world. "I cannot say. I also cannot find the Hollow, which I believe should be a decent cause for alarm."

This made logical sense to Ichigo. His Quincy powers had spent so long suppressing his Shinigami strength that the man must have grown accustomed to being acutely aware of the amber-eyed troublemaker at all times. He believed the oxymoron "deafening silence" was an apt description of what his spirit was likely experiencing.

"I understand." Ichigo nodded resolutely despite having absolutely zero clue how to locate that part of Zangetsu. Usually that was not an issue, and thankfully that trend remained untarnished.

"King!" The distorted voice echoed off the walls of the building as a black void split the sky beside Yhwach. Strangely enough, the spirit was not the sole occupant of the void.

Ichigo, understandably, had two questions. "Is that a Garganta? And who the fuck is that?!"

The pair left the inky blackness, stepping out into his inner world. The teeth of the Garganta closed behind them, leaving the sky unblemished apart from the palpable tension in the air. There were not supposed to be three tenants of this world.

"This… is Ichigo."

Taking in the man's appearance, Ichigo noted the familiar dual Khyber knives fastened to a shihakusho identical to the ones he kept in his closet. Although the figure was adorned with slightly different drip: A slim silver chain shined stark against black fabric that crept up most of his neck, and a similarly silver snake earring hung from his left ear—seemingly attached to the lobe by its fangs. His counterpart seemed to have opted to grow his hair out. In fact, the look reminded him uncomfortably of a certain white-haired stickler who no longer wore a haori and teal scarf; the longer orange hair was brushed simply to his right side, ensuring his earring remained the centerpiece of what he displayed above his shoulders.

Vanilla Ichigo found there was only one thing he could say. "Holy fresh."

A/N: I tried to put a lot of little allusions/homages in this chapter: Strawberry Fields Forever by the Beatles is referenced straight-up, but there are some lyrics taken directly from the song and others just inspired. The psychiatric help is a Peanuts reference. Lucy charges 5 cents which I adjusted for inflation (using 1952 dollars) and converted to yen. Ichigo's comment about breaking bones and the subsequent 'I wonder' was a way of poking fun at that quote in general. I feel like it's is commonly attributed to Ichigo, but I can't actually find where the quote comes from. If anyone can cite it feel free to let me know. The scared and brave back and forth is a little homage to one of my favorite Game of Thrones quotes. You can find it in a conversation between Bran & Ned about being brave when you are afraid. "That is the only time a man can be brave".

As always, let me know how I did.