[Ichigo fades away and Zangetsu flops, spreadeagled on the sideways building. He feels the drops of cold rain on his face and he brings up his arm to cover his eyes with his forearm. Just because he doesn't want that accursed precipitation in his eyes. Definitely not because he can feel the edges stinging.

He hadn't meant for this. He hadn't meant for any of this]

I didn't... I didn't do it because I wanted to be free or any nonsense like that. I did it for him. [spoken quietly, for only the Old Man to hear, in a voice that has lost its angry, bitter edge] Neither of you were ever supposed to know. [he takes a deep breath in, and it shudders in his chest] And even then! Even when I'm not in here... I'm still with him. It would take... it would take so much more for me to ever sever myself completely from that fucking moron. Why doesn't he understand?

[and he doesn't really want to! Maybe before, maybe a few times, but... he was part of one of the most powerful beings their world had ever seen -- that ANY world had ever seen. And it came from their synergy, hard won that it was. And now he feels like he's shot himself right in the foot by trying to do the right thing] Whenever I try to help, I just fuck up.