Hey guys! Yes, I'm alive, unlike what most of you might think. XD

I'm sorry this fic has been dead for so long. I planned on discontinuing it, but the reviews I've received the past months told me that there are still people reading this. I'm trying to edit the writing, but I'm not quite sure about editing the details in it. I didn't know Ashido's last name, for one, when I first started writing it. Plus Tessai's former occupation in the Shinigami ranks was written way after I wrote this, so forgive me if I robbed him of his past. I'm trying to get things to work, but with school work piling up fast, I just can't get the time to write. I'm on my last year in college, so I'll probably get back to writing after I graduate (hopefully). I also have to read the chapters I've missed. I don't know Ulquiorra's resurrecion which will cause a problem if I plan on writing a fight scene between Ichigo and Ulquiorra.

I promised someone that this year wouldn't pass without the word "Complete" in this fic's status. I'm sorry I won't be able to fulfill that promise. I've broken quite a few, and I deeply apologize. I can't believe it's taken me over a year to update this thing. And I'm ashamed, to be honest.

But know that I WILL work on it. Just give me time. My muse comes and go without trace, so it's hard to search for her.

Here's a preview of what next chapter will be (written over a year ago):

"Tell me, Kuchiki-san, if I am correct in saying that the Espada's main aim was…the completion of the Hōgyoku?"

Inoue was completely stupefied. "The…Hōgyoku? But…I thought it was destroyed?"

Urahara closed his eyes. "Yes, everyone thought so. And I should have known better than to believe it. There is no way to completely destroy the Hōgyoku."

"Even though your soul was adhered to your gigai, the physical damages it received never once reached your spirit form."

Rukia stared on in confusion. "Why are you saying this?"

Urahara lowered his bucket hat to further hide his eyes. "Because it means, Kuchiki-san, that you have not been…tainted."

As Rukia jumped into the fight, only one thing played in her mind over and over again.

"There's only one thing you can do, Kuchiki-san…" Urahara said grimly as he lowered his head. "You have to make a sacrifice."

Rukia shivered at the shopkeeper's low and serious tone. "Sacrifice what?"

Urahara opened his fan and covered half of his face with it as he looked at the raven-haired woman dead in the eyes. "Yourself."

THERE! That's all you'll get from me for now. We'll see how I get around to actually writing the whole chapter. THANK YOU to everyone who's still around reading this I love you all to bits! :D Til the next update!