Disclaimer: The story written here is based on characters created by Tite Kubo and Norihiro Yagi. All Bleach characters and related material are owned by creator, Tite Kubo. Likewise, Claymore characters and all related material (except for original "Claymore" characters that I created specifically for this fanfic) are owned by creator, Norihiro Yagi. Please remember, this story is only fanfiction and not part of the canonical storyline of both manga.

Author's Notes: Well, this is it, the Finale. I really enjoyed the ride...for the most part. You guys have been great. I'm happy that it's finally over though. There have been many times I wanted to give up on this story, but some of you were able to give me the motivation to keep going. I thank you very much for that. I'm still trying to decide if I'll write another Bleach/Claymore crossover, but you never know. I still have another project that I need to finish, so that has to come first. Anyway, I'd like to thank everyone for your reviews, advice, support and patience, it's very much appreciated. I hope you enjoy the Final Chapter of The Yoma Hollowfications. Everyone, take care always!

-Hollowfied Tweaker

Bleach/Claymore: The Yoma Hollowfications

Chapter 23: The Final Farewell

"The wolf has come down from the North,
And your fat, little town,
Is safe no longer"
- Dr. Charles Henry Moffet

The remnants of a small town in the Western Lands

'What is this new form which this boy has taken?' Xeger thinks to himself, 'His mask is significantly different, forming the full circumference of his head along with two large horns. The large hole in the center of his chest is definitely a sign that he has become a Hollow. I barely sense anything even remotely resembling his Soul Reaper's reiatsu. This has got to be some form of a Resurrección or something simillar. No matter...I shall crush him in front of Miria and show her how powerful I have become.'

With his signature grin, Grimmjow turns his head to face Xeger and mockingly states, "Hahaha. You're in for it now. That's the same bastard that beat the shit outta Ulqiuorra. I think maybe you should start kissing his feet for forgiveness or something."

"Please be silent, Hollow. After I finish this...thing off, you are next."

"Yeah right, good luck with that."

"Come here and face me Ichigo Kurosaki. Let me show you how insignificant this new transformation of yours truly is."

He gets no response from Hollowfied Ichigo, instead the latter turns to face Miria and says in a reverberating, low growl, "...will...help you..."

"Do not turn your back on me, boy! I shall show you the consequences for disrespecting me." Raising his sword high above his head, Xeger swings it diagonally, firing off an extremely large "Rock of Amber" attack. As if on cue, with just a small hand gesture, Zangetsu breaks free from the confines of the remaining chunk of amber and flies swiftly towards Ichigo, landing directly in the palm of his right hand.

Though not much has ever really surprised Miria, she is in awe by what she had just witnessed, "How did he...he just..."

A fraction of a second before Xeger's special attack collides with the two individuals on the ground, Ichigo grabs Miria by her waist and sonidos the two of them to safety, a good distance away. He looks at her and growls, "...stay...here..."

The resulting explosion showers the area again, covering the land in thick, gooey resin, solidifying moments later. Ichigo turns to face Xeger and instantly disappears from view.

"What? Where did he go?!..."

The blade of Xeger's sword suddenly breaks in half as Ichigo reappears behind him.

"What the?! How could I have lost track of him and how was he able to destroy my Xiphos so easily?!"

Grabbing several snakes from the top of Xeger's head, Ichigo catapults him vertically into the air, thousands of feet high. He sonidos just slightly above Xeger's head and catches him by his face then dives straight down towards the ground at near supersonic speed. Releasing him 50 meters above ground level, Xeger continues plummeting towards Earth head first. A massive crater is created as he smashes violently into the ground, sending a large plume of dirt and debris into the atmosphere.

Ichigo's Inner World

Unable to hold his breath any longer, Ichigo opens his mouth and inhales deeply. To his surprise, he is actually able to breathe. He slowly opens his eyes to find himself laying on his back in his inner world. Everything here has nearly returned to normal since Azazel's attempted coup and ultimate defeat. Although the sky is blue again, there is still a bit of haze and fog covering this sideways world. He discovers Tensa Zangetsu standing silently over him.

"What's going on, why am I back here?"

"You were about to die...again."

"Xeger trapped me in amber. I tried to free myself...tried holding my breath for as long as I could but..."

"Yes, we were aware of the situation and immediately intervened."

Looking around, Ichigo finally asked, "...where is...he?"

"Out there...attempting to preserve that which you want to protect."

"What?! Will he..."

"Do not concern yourself Ichigo, he knows what is at stake here and will act accordingly. However, there is something we must discuss, something imperative."

"What is it?"

"Your memory still has not fully returned. Something must be done about that...something drastic before you completely lose your powers. I know of only one way..."

Back near the village

As the dust clears, Hollow Ichigo scans the crater for any signs of life from his foe. Nothing has stirred for the past several minutes. Is Xeger playing possum or has he truly met his fate? For the moment, things seem a bit peaceful as a large flock of birds soar through the sky, some having to evasively avoid the individual floating stationary in front of them. Suddenly, a dark orange Cero pierces the cloud of dust, necessitating the need for Hollow Ichigo to sonido away from the path of the beam. This however is not a regular Cero, it does not cause its victim to explode upon contact...it does something probably much worse. Unfortunately for a lone bird, it is not so lucky in avoiding the beam. After being struck, it falls to the ground with a thud. The bird has been literally turned to stone, resembling a well sculpted statue.

"!...the bird that was hit by Xeger's Cero..." Miria says aloud, horrified, "was just turned to stone?!..."

"Did you honestly believe that La roca del ámbar (Rock of Amber) was my only offensive ability? That by destroying my sword, you will have the advantage? That, young man, will be a fatal mistake."

Using sonido, Xeger reappears in the sky above and immediately targets Hollow Ichigo. A ball of energy quickly charges in front of his eyes, "Cero petrificar la mirada" (Petrifying Gaze Zero).

Due to Hollow Ichigo's speed however, Xeger would have better luck shooting a fly with a handgun. He fires one after another, but his current opponent easily evades each one, almost as if he is merely toying with Xeger. Fully frustrated, he fires a fusillade of Cero petrificar la mirada, which lights up the sky like fireworks. The surrounding area below the battle has literally turned into a petrified forest, littered by stone statues of the inhabitants and invaders alike. Although this rain of fire manages to kill almost every living creature down below, Xeger's primary target still continues to elude him.

"Damn him!" cursed Xeger, "Maybe what I need is...a little bait!"

Using his Pesquisa to locate Miria, Xeger vanishes from the air and reappears in front of the former single-digit warrior.

"I wonder, in his current state, would he even try to rescue you, Miria? Let's find..."

Before he can finish his sentence, Miria attacks him using a combination of the reiatsu she absorbed from Ichigo and her own yoki. Her sword strikes have become immensely more powerful, creating small shock waves with each swing of her claymore. On the fly, she also develops a new type of Mirage technique using the basic principles of her flash step training, unlike her original Phantom Mirage which uses yoki release. This new version has the added advantage of more subtle movements and near limitless use. To defend himself, Xeger manifests two swords made of high density amber.

"You miscalculated, Xeger." Miria declared, "I am no damsel that needs saving."

She continuously circles her enemy, creating a row of after-images while striking him from several different angles and directions. Even though Xeger is apparently more powerful than Miria, her extensive experience in battle and tactics would seem to give her the edge. He receives injury upon injury from her unrelenting assault, but due to his Hollow form, he quickly heals from every damage inflicted. What he lacks in experience, he more than makes up for with patience and brute strength. Timing her attacks, he goes on the offensive and slashes mercilessly with both swords, pushing Miria into a corner. For some reason, she lowers her guard for an instant, giving Xeger an opportunity to stab her in the midsection.

He brings his other sword up against her neck and questions, "How was I able to corner you this easily? A warrior of your stature would not have fallen this quickly. Anyhow, it is a mistake that you will not live to regret. Goodbye my beautiful Mir...argh!"

Xeger hears a low reverberating growl a split-second before both of his arms are torn away from his body. Hollow Ichigo then grabs him by the snakes which replaced the hair on top of his head and flings him high into to air. Looking up, he charges a huge ball of red energy from between his horns and fires a tremendously huge Cero. The beam travels upward diagonally, piercing through several layers of clouds until finally connecting with the hapless target. The ensuing explosion engulfs Xeger in a blast so powerful, that it nearly tears the fabric of space in two, sending him rocketing towards the ground at high speeds. He slams through rows of fossilized trees before crashing hard into the side of a mountain.

"...Ichigo..." Miria says in a low voice

He turns his head to glance at her, but again says only two words, "...help you..." then vanishes from sight.

Xeger slowly gets up from the ground, his armor is all but shattered and his clothes are extensively ripped and torn apart. "That bitch...she *cough* purposefully took my attack in order...to give Ichigo an...opening. How...how did he...*cough*...become so...powerful?" he asked himself while coughing up large amounts of blood, "I...made a grave...*cough*...error not killing him the first chance I...got *cough*. I will not let it end...like this. I shall kill...this damn whelp!"

As he tries to regenerate his arms, Hollow Ichigo suddenly appears above him. For probably the first time in his adult life, Xeger actually feels fear. This...frightening beast seems to be more than he can handle. In an act of self-preservation, he charges a giant Cero, "Cero petrificar la mir..."

However, before he can discharge his attack, Hollow Ichigo swings his zanpakuto horizontally, slicing through the ball of energy as well as both of Xeger's eyes. He wails in agony as large amounts of purple blood gush out from both eye sockets. His Cero implodes, creating large amounts of smoke and dirt that fill the air within a hundred foot radius. After mere moments, the silhouette of both Hollow Ichigo and Xeger can be slightly seen through the smokey haze. The former tightly grips the faux Arrancar by his throat while continuing to growl.

"What...what the hell are you?!" Xeger cursed, "Why won't you die?!"

The only response he receives is the sound of Hollow Ichigo's Cero powering up at close range.

"Damn you," he says, "I'll see you in hell!"

Grimmjow's sudden appearance makes the possessed Ichigo pause for a second.

"Dammit Ichigo...wait!" Grimmjow screamed, "For fuck's sake, he's the only one who knows how to get us back!"

Completely ignoring the former Espada, Hollow Ichigo releases the powerful energy building up between his horns, completely incinerating the upper half of Xeger's body while blowing his entire head clean off. The energy beam demolishes the hillside behind them and eventually collides with a mountain range a few miles beyond, generating a large, firey mushroom cloud. As Miria arrives at the scene, Hollow Ichigo drops Xeger's smoldering remains while turning to face both her and Grimmjow.

"It's finally over?" She asked, "Now, my only concern is trying to get the two of you back ho..."

"You stupid son of a bitch, I told you to wait! We're fucking stuck here now..." Grimmjow raged while unsheathing his sword , "We might as well finish our fight now...GRIND, PAN..."

At that moment, a tremendous burst of yoki pulsates through the air making the three individuals pause for a moment.

"What the hell?!"

"Could that be...Xeger?" questioned Miria as she gazes at his burnt up corpse, "How could he still be alive?!"

"...grrrh..."

What's left of Xeger's body begins to bubble and bulge, growing immensely in size and shape. The oozing flesh splits in half as the head of a serpent with enormous fangs and a multitude of horns crowning its head, emerges from the grotesque remains. One after the other, another head appears until the entire enormous body comes into full view. Xeger's awakening is in the form of a scarlet colored, gargantuan Hydra with seven heads, a long, spiked tail and an enormous Hollow hole in the center of his chest. All seven heads roar in unison, creating a high-pitched sonic scream while simultaneously charging a Cero petrificar la mirada.

"SHIT! It's probably a good idea if we get the fuck outta here!" screamed Grimmjow as he sonidos safely from the area

"Ichigo, we have to go now!" Miria yelled vociferously

"...go...run..."

"Not without you..."

He looks up towards the sky, letting out a roar that nearly matches that of Xeger's recent outburst, "...RUN!..."

With a heavy heart, Miria flash steps away, leaving her companion alone to face the wrath of their enemy. Standing his ground, Hollow Ichigo plants his feet then leans forward, charging another obscenely huge Cero. Both he and Xeger fire off their respective attacks at the same time, unleashing cyclonic force winds in all directions. All seven of Xeger's Ceros fuse together, creating a beam ten times more massive than Hollow Ichigo's. When the two energy beams collide, the latter's attack is deflected skyward by the orange wave then continues forward unabated. Everything within the path of the beam is instantly turned to stone, including the hollowfied Soul Reaper.

Watching from afar, Miria screams out, "ICHIGO!"

Ichigo's Inner World

Hollow Ichigo appears suddenly in front of Tensa Zangetsu and the one he calls "King". Tremors can be felt below their feet as the buildings off in the distance appear to turn into stone, quickly making its way towards the trio.

"What the hell is happening?!"

"Xeger's winning, dumbass..."

"We are running out of time, Ichigo. Only the outer portion of your body has petrified thus far. Once it reaches us here, it will be all over. Also, I sense that your powers are waning. You must re-learn your ultimate technique as quickly as possible."

"Okay, let's do it."

Tensa Zangetsu and Hollow Ichigo merge once again, forming a being that has aspects of both. Holding his white bankai sword with a black tsuba, he immediately charges at Ichigo

"Prepare yourself, Ichigo...this will be our final farewell..."

At the devastated village

As Grimmjow makes his way through the now desolate town, the bodies of both Yoma and the massacred townsfolk lay scattered about like a bad nightmare. He senses something strange, somewhere in the sky directly above the center of the area. Quickly making his way to that location, he finds some type of portal floating overhead.

"That's it!" he says aloud, "That...thing should be able to get me back."

Taking flight, he swiftly soars towards the energized doorway. Unfortunately, he is unable to enter due to some kind of energy barrier blocking the threshold. It seems that this is only a one-way portal as he can see Karakura Town, slightly obscured, just beyond it.

"What the hell is this shit?!" He yells out, more than frustrated, "There's gotta be a way through this thing."

A few miles away, Miria flash steps to Ichigo's petrified body and examines him.

"He's dead, Miria. There's absolutely nothing you can do to save him. Honestly, there was never anything you could have done to save him," taunted Xeger, "I'm going to give you one last chance to join me or you can meet your lover in Hell."

"I would rather die than be your consort," Miria replied angrily

"That can be arranged, wench."

Without another word, Miria immediately flash steps and attacks her newly awakened foe. Utilizing the new version of her Phantom Mirage, she easily evades his slashes and tail whips, drawing herself closer with each step. One of Xeger's heads lunges down toward her while spitting out poisonous acid. Sidestepping out of the way, she raises her large sword into the air as the head passes right by her and accidentally plants itself in the ground. With all her might, Miria swings her sword and decapitates the slithering head with ease. Xeger shrieks in pain while reeling backwards. To her horror however, two new heads instantly grows in place from the stump of his neck.

"You bitch, that hurt! I am not just going to kill you, I am going to devour you and savor every moment. I am going to kill you...oh so slowly and make you suffer."

Simultaneously, each head opens its mouth and discharges globs of thick, sticky resin into the air. Miria tries to flash step away, but one wad manages to land on her left leg, completely encasing it in dense amber. No longer able to move, she brings her sword up in a defensive posture.

"You should have agreed to join me. Though it will definitely be a waste to kill someone as beautiful as you, I am going to enjoy swallowing you whole."

Xeger screeches as one of his several mouths open wide in order to swallow the incapacitated warrior. A few hundred feet away, the stone covering Ichigo's body cracks then shatters, exploding outward. Both parties are shocked to see the young Soul Reaper standing there, seemingly uninjured. Miria notices that Ichigo's appearance has slightly changed. A black glove now covers his right hand and the chain attached to the bottom of his sword has wrapped itself around the entire length of his right arm.

"Sorry Xeger, but I won't give you the chance to harm Miria."

"What?! How is this possible...how can you still be alive?! HOW MANY TIMES DO I HAVE TO KILL YOU!" Xeger roared

"...Ichigo, I thought you were dead."

"I'm sorry, Miria. I didn't mean to worry you." Ichigo says with a smile, "Don't worry though, it'll be over soon."

"Ha! You've said that many times before, boy. Yet I'm still here, breathing. Also, I don't sense any reiatsu from you...not even a small trace. Have you lost all of your powers?"

"No...not yet at least. That's why I need to finish this quickly."

Before anyone even has time to take another breath, Ichigo flash steps to Miria's location, grabs her and takes flight. Within seconds, they arrive at the town and land gently on the ground. Ichigo frees Miria's leg from the amber by striking it with the palm of his hand.

"Miria, I needed to get you outta harm's way before I fight Xeger. Trust me, you don't want to be anywhere near us."

"I understand." She says with a worried look

"Don't worry, I'll be fine."

"It's not that, something just seems different about you. Even though there isn't any trace of spiritual pressure, I can sense your powers have grown by a great margin."

"Yeah, I was able to regain the powers I had when I fought Aizen, though I don't think it'll last too long. I also got all of my memory back as well."

"I see..."

"You do trust me, right?"

"Yes of course."

"Okay, I'll be back. Please stay here for now."

As Ichigo disappears before her eyes, Miria senses some kind of strange energy pulse originating near the town's center. It's the same kind of energy signature she felt before in the valley south of Pieta. She leaves hastily to locate the source, hoping it isn't something dangerously threatening.

Ichigo arrives at the plain moments later, landing only several feet away from Xeger. The expression on his face has completely changed since their last confrontation. He seems to be calmer, more composed, relaxed and confident.

" Let's go Xeger. I have no time to waste."

"You are very conceited for someone who doesn't seem to have any spiritual powers remaining. However, if you really want to die right now, I'll be more than happy to obl..."

In the blink of an eye, Ichigo grabs Xeger by his tail and swings him over his shoulder, slamming him hard into the ground, creating a small earthquake and upheaving a large portion of the landscape. Although slightly stunned, Xeger quickly gets up from the ground.

"I see you have grown quite strong, but you still have no chance of defeating me, boy."

Xeger fires a salvo of La roca del ámbar at his adversary, from all eight heads. To his surprise, Ichigo does not move or flinch at the sight of the incoming barrage. Instead, he swings his sword twice, forming the shape of an "X" and easily deflects the entirety of Xeger's assault.

"Impossible..."

"Not really, Xeger."

"I'm going to tear you limb from limb, brat!"

Ichigo doesn't say another word, instead he swings his zanpakuto diagonally, sending out a nearly invisible wave of energy which severs the left side of Xeger's front and hind legs. The hillside behind the combatants is shattered, reshaped by a single sword swing. Xeger falls down hard, unable to get up due to his missing appendages.

"What the hell...was that?! You weren't even near me..."

"Kuretsusen..." Ichigo responds while swinging his sword several more times

In nearly an instant, four of Xeger's eight heads fall to the ground, squirming...more victims of Ichigo's special attack. More parts of the hillside surrounding the area is demolished and flattened. Like before however, eight heads grow in place of the ones that were decapitated, making them a total number of twelve.

"Though you have greatly increased your strength and power, the chances you have for victory is very slim to none...for I am immortal!"

"I guess you still haven't quite noticed yet...but I've become more powerful than you." Ichigo asserted as he slowly walked toward him

"Let us put your beliefs to the test, brat!"

From his center head, Xeger fires a Cero petrificar la mirada at his adversary, but he continues to walk forward, unwavering. Ichigo raises his left hand and swats the beam away, sending it shooting straight up into the air.

"Impossible...bare-handed?!"

"As I told you before, I'm much stronger than you are now."

"Impudent child, before I crush you, I shall destroy everything here and the lands beyond, just to prove how insignificant you are."

Finally regenerating the two legs he lost, Xeger stands up and increases his yoki/reiatsu. A swirling whirlwind begins to encompass his body as his spiritual pressure violently explodes outward. As all twelve of his heads look up towards the sky, Xeger fires an enormous battery of La roca del ámbar,
Cero petrificar la mirada and poisonous venom which showers the landscape with the deadly arsenal at his disposal. Everything in the immediate are is either petrified, covered in amber or dissolving due to the hydrochloric acid within the venom. The unrelenting onslaught quickly spreads out towards the already desecrated town. Ichigo, fearing for Miria's safety, flash steps directly in front of Xeger.

"I'm gonna end this madness now, Xeger."

The head closest to Ichigo opens its jaws wide and roars, charging a Cero petrificar la mirada at point blank range. Using the blunt side of his sword, Ichigo strikes it hard between the eyes, causing it to swing down, underneath its own body. The Cero discharges, blasting Xeger directly into the Hollow hole located in the center of his chest. His high-pitched screech echos through the land as his body starts its transformation to stone.

"How can this...be? To be defeated by a...mere...child. Damn you Ichigo Kurosaki! I will..." are the last words Xeger bellows out before he completely falls victim to his own power

Not willing to take a chance, Ichigo grabs his right arm with his left hand, "This is the end."

A large amount of black spiritual energy bleeds from his gloved-right hand as he swiftly lunges forward, pointing the tip of his zanpakuto directly at Xeger's petrified body, "Kokuryugatotsu"

The stone statue of his enemy is pulverized by the attack and shatters into thousands of pieces with the fragments scattering out over a wide area. Although he is relieved that this battle is finally over, he worries about his chances of getting home now. He closes his eyes for a moment to search for Miria's yoki. Locating her near the center of town, he quickly departs.

Back at the Village

Grimmjow tries relentlessly to enter the portal, but to no avail. Frustrated, he fires a Cero, only to have it deflected back toward him.

"Damn! What the fuck is this?!" he yells out

"It would seem that this...doorway will not allow anything through from this side." Miria says while observing from the ground

"No fucking shit, lady!"

"There must be a way for the two of you to enter."

"Well, once you figure it out, let me know...You really are..." Grimmjow pauses, sensing that the battle has concluded, "I guess Ichigo beat him."

"Yes, I can no longer detect Xeger's yoki."

Suddenly appearing down below next to Miria, Ichigo looks up to stare at the gateway to his world.

"Miria...Is that it?"

"Yes, I believe so. Are you alright?" she asked

"Yeah, I'm good. Xeger has been dealt with..."

"I take it you were not able to get the information which you required from him."

"...no..."

"This doorway to your world is not accessible from this side. Grimmjow has been trying to enter it for some time now."

"Yeah, I even tried a Cero, but it reflected back at me."

"Maybe, it requires more power..."

"Hey broad, screw you!"

"I meant no disrespect, but if this...thing needed a large amount of energy to materialize, then it would make sense that it requires an equal, if not more energy to reverse it. With all the battles and deaths that have occurred here, I would deduce that we will need a substantial amount of energy, probably greater than the two of you combined."

"I guess killing Xeger was a bad thing then?"

"No it wasn't, Grimmjow. He needed to be dealt with...but If this portal needs a lot of energy, I think I have the solution."

"What is it?"

"...The Final Getsuga Tensho. I used it before to defeat Aizen, but right after, I began to slowly lose my Shinigami powers then my memory. I think I might still have enough reiryoku to do it."

"Will that be safe?"

"Miria, I don't know how much longer I'll have my powers...or if I can even use my ultimate attack again, but I have to try. If it doesn't work, I'll completely lose all of my powers and be stuck here for the rest of my life."

Clearly irritated, Grimmjow yells, "Just try whatever it is you're gonna do already before this damn thing decides to close."

"Yeah, but before I do, I need to ask you a favor, Grimmjow."

"Geez, what the hell is it?!"

"When I first got here, I was sucked into some kind of vortex. Uryu shot an arrow at the tail end of it which caused a big enough explosion that the vortex collapsed in on itself. However, he was too late...I was already caught in it. If this works and we manage to get through, I need you to try the same thing. We gotta close the portal to protect both worlds."

"Yeah, yeah...what the hell ever. Just so you know, this doesn't make us friends or anything. Once we get through, I'm still gonna go and kick your ass. Got it?!"

"Yeah, I got it." Ichigo responds, grinning

"Ichigo...if this plan does work, We will probably never see each other again. I just want to thank you for everything...I..."

Staring at her with a smile, Ichigo says, "No, thank you. I don't think I would have made it this far if it wasn't for your help...I'm gonna miss you, Miria."

"You as well," she answered, giving him one last kiss on the lips

"Oh come on, seriuosly! Do we really have time for all this mushy crap?! Let's get on with it already" Grimmjow raged impatiently

Blushing, Ichigo turns around and tells Grimmjow to move far away from the portal. Extending his right arm forward and placing his left hand over his forearm, Ichigo poses as if to activate his bankai.

"This is the Final...Getsuga Tensho." His reiatsu erupts in a bright, blue explosion. Powerful wind currents surround his transformation as Miria and Grimmjow try to make out Ichigo's new form through the blue and black malestrom of energy. Exploding violently outward, his swirling, smoky-looking, black reiatsu continues to emit from his body, most of which is focused around his right arm. The color of his hair has changed to jet black while the length of it is now past his waist. Bluish-gray bandages are tightly wrapped around his upper body and the lower half of his face, just slightly below his eyes. He is also no longer in possession of his zanpakuto.

"The Final Getsuga Tensho...is when I become Getsuga itself."

Looking quite shocked at his transformation, Miria is near speechless, "...Ichigo?"

"Yes Miria, it's me."

"Eh, so that's the form that took down Lord Aizen." Grimmjow thinks to himself, "I hate to admit this, but I probably don't have the power to beat him, right now...but just give me some time and we'll see..."

"Stay back everyone." He says while materializing a long, black blade of spirit energy in his right hand

Raising his right arm vertically above his head, he says only one word, "Mugetsu."

He swings the blade down and a massive veil of extremely powerful, black spiritual energy erupts upwards from the ground, rising high in the air and quickly approaching the portal like a tidal wave. The sky darkens as the energy rift gets completely engulfed by Ichigo's final attack. It continues traveling for a few miles, cutting a deep chasm through the landscape before dissipating into the sky. The bandages covering Ichigo's body, crumbles and blows away in the wind.

The portal begins to crackle with electrical current and implodes seconds later, creating a large swirling vortex made of energy. Hurricane-like winds smash through the town as the vortex grows in size.

"That's it Ichigo! Let's go!"

"Right, let's do it."

As he's about to leap toward the vortex, Miria grabs his hand tightly and speaks in a low voice, "Ichigo...I...just wanted to say..."

Looking directly into her eyes, he uncharacteristically puts his hand behind her neck and brings his lips closer to hers. As their lips touch, a part of him wonders what the hell he is doing but then let's his other half take control. They share a long, passionate kiss before being interrupted by a very impatient and irate former Espada.

"DAMMIT YOU DUMBASS! WHAT THE FUCK ARE YOU DOING?! LET"S GET THE FUCK OUTTA HERE ALREADY!"

"Yeah, okay. You're probably right. We should get going now."

"Oh, ya think?!"

"Goodbye, Miria. Maybe we'll see each other again someday."

"Yes, maybe we will." she says smiling back at him

Jumping towards the vortex, Ichigo turns his head to glance at Miria one last time. He can't believe that he actually kissed her...more than once. That's totally unlike him. Suddenly, his long, black hair vanishes, returning to its original orange color. He can feel his strength weakening as he is pulled directly into the inverted tornado. "My...Shinigami powers...are finally disappearing..." The last thing he sees before passing out is Grimmjow shooting the vortex with his Gran Rey Cero then the quiet darkness takes over consciousness.

Miria watches as both Ichigo and the vortex implode then dematerialize from the sky above. "Farewell, Ichigo..." she says one last time.

"Miria!"

Turning around surprised, she responds, "Clare?! Why are you here?"

"I had to make sure you were alright. So what happened to Xeger? I no longer sense his yoki."

"It is all over. Ichigo was finally able to defeat him, he'll no longer be a problem."

"So what happened to Ichigo?"

"He returned to his world..."

"I see."

"Where is Deneve and Helen?"

"Waiting for us. They are about a quarters day's journey North."

"Alright, let us go meet with them then head directly back to Pieta. The Organization still believes us dead so we must remain in hiding. Hopefully, they have not yet discovered us."

"For how much longer must we hide?"

"For as long as it takes, Clare. We should also change out of these Organization issued attire and find something...less conspicuous."

"Did you have something in mind?"

"Probably," Miria answered while clutching a small piece of Ichigo's shihakusho, "Maybe something in black..."

"Okay, let's get going then."

"Right."

The two former Organization warriors immediately leave the war-torn village and head out to meet with their two other comrades, hoping to forget the recent events that had just transpired here. As the sun begins to set in the West, the light purple twilight emerges from the horizon and a cold breeze blows gently through the now silent town.

Karakura Town

The deafening silence and pitch darkness begins to fade as Ichigo slowly opens his eyes. Although a little blurry at first, he can somewhat distinguish several people standing over him. As his vision sharpens he realizes those people are actually his close friends Orihime, Rukia, Chad and Uryu. He remains lying on his back for several seconds with his eyes wide open, wearing a long sleeve shirt with the number "15" printed on the left side.

Orihime screams out, "KUROSAKI-KUN!"

Sitting up in bed, Ichigo looks around and asks, "Eh? Huh? Is...this my house?"

"You've been out cold for almost a month now." Rukia explains to him

"Everyone's so calm..." Orihime says in a low voice, blushing, "I'm so embarrassed for screaming all by myself..."

"...one month..." Looking a bit confused, "That's right, my powers!..."

"...Ichigo."

"We heard from Urahara. It seems...that you've lost your Shinigami powers." Rukia looks at Ichigo with a bit of concern

"Oh...so you heard. Yeah, seems like that's the case. Guess I'll have to give back my Substitute Shinigami badge."

Rukia explains, "...the first stage of loss brings intense pain, loss of consciousness and a reverse flow of the time that your body experienced in the Precipice World. Your hair has gotten shorter, hasn't it? It's not because we cut it. You lost your Shinigami powers at that point. Then in the second stage, your remaining reiatsu stabilized and you woke up. Then in due time, the remainder of your spiritual power will completely disappear."

Ichigo turns to look at his friends, speaking in a low voice, "...oh, I thought so."

Rukia looks at him, astonished, "...y...you're not surprised?"

"Nah, I figured that this would happen...," Ichigo glances down with a noticeably sad look in his eyes and thinks to himself, "Miria...was it all just a dream. It seemed so real...all of it. If it was just a dream...why do I feel...sad? Why do I really miss her? Maybe one day I'll see her again. Goodbye, Miria." He looks toward his friends and asks, "...can I go outside?"

Ichigo, wearing a black hoodie over his shirt, steps outside of his house, looks around and says to himself, "I can't sense any spiritual presence." He looks to his right to glance at Rukia. "Even Rukia is slowly fading away. My powers really are disappearing..."

Rukia looks at him and says, "This is farewell, Ichigo."

"...seems so..." He says, smiling

"What?!" She replies, crossing her arms, "Don't look so sad. Even if you can no longer see me, I can still see you."

Scratching his head, Ichigo retorts, "What?! That doesn't make me happy at all!...and I wasn't making a sad face either."

Rukia stares at the ground as she slowly fades from Ichigo's vision.

"...tell everyone I give them my best." He says to her

"...okay." Rukia reponds as she glances up to look at him with a look of sadness.

Ichigo smiles at her as she completely fades from view and says, "Bye Rukia...thank you."

And the rest is history...

End

Prologue: The Wolf of the North

The town of Pieta

The savage blizzard rages on, yet this desolate town remains unchanged. Though the buildings are empty and deserted, they stand their ground against the unrelenting winds and the harsh, negative twenty degree temperatures. It is one of these buildings which the strange individual, caught in the middle of this brutal snow storm, is attempting to use as some form of refuge from the elements. Though the clothes he wears is not typically made for this kind of weather, the color matches his current surroundings quite well.

"Where are we?" a female voice questioned, "...I don't even remember how we got here..."

"Me either," he responded, "For now we need to get to one of those buildings or we'll freeze to death."

"Are you sure we aren't already dead. I mean the last thing I remember is..."

"Of course we aren't dead. We sure as hell wouldn't be freezing our asses off, now would we?"

"How should I know..."

"Be quiet...something is coming this way...something...big."

"Where?!"

From out of nowhere, a monstrous Awakened Being appears in front of them, blocking their path. It opens its mouth and shrieks, causing the man to cover both ears.

"Geez..."

Looking at the monster, the man speaks in a calm, but demanding tone, "Would you do me the favor of letting us through? I'm very tired and cold...I could really use a nap about now."

"Hahaha. Who exactly is 'us'?" the beast questioned, "I'm hungry and would like to eat your entrails."

"Why don't you just kill this thing already?" the female said angrily

"...yeah, I guess you're right. I don't think he's gonna move outta the way just because we ask him to." he answered back

"...huh? Where'd the other voice come from. Who the hell are you talking to?!"

"I really wanted to avoid this, but I guess I have no choice. It's too damn cold for this to take too long, so I'm gonna finish you off quickly." the man declared while bringing the weapon in his right hand to bear.

"Cero Metralleta!"