I love how you said it was definitely going to be a one shot but made it six chapters

lots of kudos to you
very moving story :)

God damn that scene was so much sadder than the original. T-T

I especially love the final line.

Wow.
I can't believe it's done.
Thanks for such an amazing fanfiction!
-Winged Serpent of Light

Wow. And the bad thing is, it all made absolute sense. Damn you're good, your Hollow Ichigo was very convincing. Love it, thank you for writing.

neh...could I request a chapter or two about the anime arc wherein the zanpakutos materialized and started a 'rebellion' against their wielders? That's when Ichigo learned to use Hichigo's powers, right?

This is a beautiful book and has changed my view on how I see the characters. I even cried in this chapter from the sadness and raw emotion I could imagine was in the voices of Tensa Zangetsu and Hichigo. This book is also the perfect sort of prequel, if you will, to the book Hogyoku ex Machina by Mac Ceallach and can be taken as what led to Ichigo not using the Final Getsuga Tensho. Thank you for the experience.

Loved this!

Waaaaaaah! Don't die! Noooooo! . . . Now I've gotta go read Hogyoku ex Machina so that Ichigo won't use Mugetsu.
Overall, a great story. Too bad Ichigo's such an idiot. How's he do that anyway? Canon already established that he gets good grades, so it's not that he's stupid; he just acts like it, the broody moron. And I mean that in a very affectionate but still frustrated way.

Awww, his little celebration over Ichigo wanting to keep the mask is downright sweet. Don't tell him I said that, though.

Ooh, interesting take on the hollow being part of Ichigo. I mean, I know that he's a part or an aspect of Ichigo, but I tend to think of him as a dormant, but always existing, part, before he awakened as a result of Urahara's process, not as a splinter of Ichigo that broke off and became a hollow.

I NEVER expected Ichigo's hollow to be or think like that! You are so creative. I think the hollow was really sweet, even though Ichigo was acting like a bitch to him...

This was very well written and your portrayal of Hichigo was amazing! It was far better than the usual "hes a hollow so hes evil" cliché that Is so common on

But Aizen still doesn't flipping die. Are you up to date with Bleach? Wonder if the hollow will ever come back.
This chapter was sad but really good TTxTT

Is it funny that I've read the Epilogue before this story..?
Great ending BTW!
"Okay, 'King'! I tried to make this work for both of us, and you wouldn't let me! So, guess what? Now, I'm going to be exactly the kind of monster you were afraid of me being! This is war, now!"
After reading this I'm actually hoping that Ichigo does lose to his inner hollow. Ichi's a JERK! xD