I wanted to have a go at writing in this vein, after reading so many others. It's one of my favourite 'Bleach' fanfic plots, the imprisonment of Ichigo as his quest into Las Noches fails, and the 'unorthodox' ways in which Aizen attempts to make him submit to his rule.

SLIGHT AU NOTE:

While this does take place as part of the canon Bleach universe, a few elements of the story have changed. Namely, Ichigo is eighteen, rather than fifteen, and in his final year of high school. This change was made for obvious reasons. Secondly, the fact that Isshin is a shinigami and friends with Urahara was revealed to Ichigo prior to the beginning of this story, when Isshin killed Grand Fisher, rather than during the Karakura Town Battle as in the manga. This isn't hugely important to the plot, just something to keep in mind.

Warnings:
It goes without saying that this story contains one sided, AizenxIchigo. This forms the backdrop against which the UraharaxIchigo relationship will arise. The NC will be mainly contained to the first few chapters, but it does form a running theme throughout. As you can expect, there is also a large amount of angst, swearing, abuse, non-con and dark themes, so if you don't like that sort of thing this is one best avoided.

That all being said, this is my very first multi-chapter fanfic. So forgive me if the plotline is unoriginal, and I do hope you enjoy it regardless. Constructive criticism is always very welcome, as are reviews. So fire away, I'd love to know what you think of it. The first few chapters are super short and the story may seem rushed to begin with, in the first chapter in particular, but they're more scene setters than anything else. I promise that it does pick up as it goes on.

Into the blue we go...

xx

I keep fading into you, drowning in your Darkest Blue.
A sorrow pulls me down, I'm weightless without sound,
I still hear them calling...

Chapter 1: It's Not the End of the World (But I Can See It From Here.)

It's not the end of the world now darling,
But I can see it from here!
Oh baby, don't cry tonight, your tears they will bleed.
Underneath this blood red moon I'm defended by your screams.

"I forbid it!"
"Does that mean, you're abandoning Inoue..?"
"Indeed. There is no point in weighing the life of one person against the fate of the entire world… Your power will be needed in the upcoming battle. I cannot permit you to act selfishly and die like a dog. Stand by until you receive further orders. That is all."

Ichigo bit hard into his nail, on his lips was the beginnings of a snarl forming at the memory of the Captain-Commanders cruel words. He earned himself a sharp glare from Ishida as the Quincy straightened out his cuffs, brushing away imaginary specks of dust from his pristine uniform.

"What?"

"Do you have to look so feral, shinigami? I'm beginning to fear for your sanity." Ishida quipped. His unruffled demeanor brushed over Ichigo as he spoke, making the shinigami even more irritable.

Ichigo gave him the finger as he jumped down from the rock that he had been sitting upon. Being entirely unlike Yoruichi in these matters, he stumbled as his feet hit the ground and slipped over onto his behind, narrowly missing Chad in the process. Ishida smirked from his position aloft the large boulder as he too alighted, employing a great deal more grace as he landed than Ichigo ever had.

"Show off." Ichigo grumbled at him before losing interest, turning as he yelled, "OY! PERVERT! WHEN IS THIS THING GOING TO BE READY TO GO?"

The pervert in question poked his hatted head around the rock face and threw a striped fan at Ichigo's.

"It will be ready when it is ready," Urahara retorted, grinning that stupid grin of his. "Er, can I have my fan back now please?"

He almost whimpered when Ichigo broke it in half across his knee.

"Why Ichigo, how rude of you!" Urahara's brow creased in a faux-frown as he waved his finger at him. "Lucky I always keep a spare." The grin returned as he pulled another fan out of some hidden place in his jacket. A scowl graced Ichigo's face, forcing Urahara to relent. In his eyes Ichigo did always look so adorable when he scowled. He bit his lip at the thought, now was so not the time. "I'd say it'll take about another 2 minutes and 34 seconds approximately. Can you hold on that long Kur-o-saki?" he teased as he waved his fan.

"Hmph. I suppose." A slight smile twitched at Ichigo's lips as he regarded the grinning blonde. "Go on then, I'm timing you."

Urahara smirked, "Oh Ichigo, you know I love a challenge."

Approximately 2 minutes and 34 seconds later the four men stood in front of the gaping maw of the garganta, every breath drawing anticipation from their chests and expelling it into the cool air of the training ground. Above them lay Karakura Town. In front, Hueco Mundo and the Gods only knew if any of them would return in one piece, or at all. Ichigo shivered briefly, pushing thoughts of unknown terrors to the back of his mind, his thoughts fixated on Orihime and his resolve to get her out of this mess he had dragged her into.

Urahara stood with them, already regretting his decision to not accompany them. He knew Isshin would murder him if anything happened to Ichigo as a result of his sending him to Hueco Mundo, and beyond that fear of his old friend, he also knew that if anything happened to the redhead, he'd never forgive himself either. It was the secret that neither of them talked about, because to give the feelings life into the air left them open to attack, and made them both vulnerable. The long nights spent down here in the training room, the glances that became something more than that, the touches that lingered longer than they should have between friends. The way the redhead looked at him sometimes, and the look he gave in return.

Suffice to say, Urahara had become… very fond of the boy over the course of those nights. Their friendship was at a turning point, neither would amid it but both knew it. Maybe when he returned...

'if he returned'

Urahara sighed.

"Well, we'd better get going then." Ichigo was the first to break the uneasy silence, and Urahara silently thanked him for it. His thoughts were straying towards dark places, and he knew he couldn't let his resolve falter, not at this crucial juncture.

"Ah yes you'd better do! Go on boys, get out of my basement! And, be careful, all of you." He turned to Ichigo, with a hint of sadness about his usually stoic voice. Before he could stop himself he reached out to rest his hand on the redhead's shoulder, rubbing along the line of his collarbone with his thumb. "You especially Ichigo. I know what you're like in battle, hot headed and stupid. So take care of yourself and… stay alive. I wouldn't want to be the one to face your father if you don't come back in one piece."

"Thanks, I'll try." Ichigo muttered, a blush painting his face that was part embarrassment and part something else.

Ishida glanced between the two men, sighing, as he turned to Chad.

"Let's get out of here, the amount of pheromones flying about is making me feel ill."

Releasing his grip on Ichigo, Urahara smacked Ishida on the back of his head with his fan, messing up his hair before shouting, "Away with you!" and ushering them all into the threatening dark hole above. Ichigo turned back briefly to see Urahara waving them farewell with his hat, his eyes shining free from their usual shadowy confines, until the darkness swallowed them completely and he had to concentrate fully on not falling off his silvery path.

Back underneath the Urahara Shōten, the shopkeeper pressed a hand to the darkness and said a silent prayer.

'What the hell happened?'

Ichigo panted heavily as he ran, drawing desperate breaths through aching lungs.

Everything had been going so well. They'd met up with Rukia and Renji, had reached the edge of the white palace, and they were so close… Then all of a sudden Urahara and Yoruichi had shown up out of nowhere, shouting something or other about a trap and ushering everybody back through the newly opened garganta.

Ichigo had opened his mouth to protest, to refuse to leave Orihime in this place one minute longer, trap or no trap, but had got no further when the garganta snapped shut around his friends and he was pounced upon by a snarling hunk of muscle, bone and blue hair. He thought he heard Urahara call his name as the portal closed around them, but surely that can't have been right. At any rate, they were gone, all of them. And he was here alone. In enemy territory. Facing off against a creature that wished nothing more than to rip him limb from limb. And to top it all off, somehow Grimmjow had gotten his arm back.

Shit. Shit. Shit.

He unsheathed Zangetsu as he found his footing, his heels slipping and sliding in grains of sand. His hollow screamed for blood, cursing inside of his head. His eyes glinted silver, his fingertips humming with power as he summoned his mask.

Grimmjow snarled at him, his eyes narrowing as he recognised that action. Without even bothering to throw the usual threats and insults, he flew straight towards Ichigo, fangs bared. The shinigami swept his zanpakutō up behind his head, summoning all his energy to throw one massive getsuga tenshō at Grimmjow.

"Sorry," He smirked behind his mask as he spoke, "But I don't have time to play around with you. I'll end this now." Ichigo threatened, swinging his sword downwards as hard as he could, meaning to unleash one massive blast to stop the fight before it ever began.

His eyes widened in shock as he found his sword immovable.

"That's a shame shinigami," Grimmjow grinned manically as he spoke. "But you see, neither do we." Ichigo looked behind him to see a dark-haired, pale-faced hollow with teardrop-like teal lines running down his face. He was holding onto his sword. Ichigo tried to wrench Zangetsu from the creature's grasp, but he was too strong.

And then Grimmjow barreled into him at full force.

Bones and skin broke together as all light was knocked from his vision, and Ichigo fell into the dark chasm of unconsciousness.