A/N: This story will consist of at least two parts. This is the first part and it will focus on Renji and his life with his family and how everything changed for him. It will also serve to set the backdrop for the whole story and explain the world all the characters live in. It could possibly be as many as 10 chapters long, but I will try to make it as short as possible while still conveying all pertinent information. It must be done though, because without this part much of the second part would be hard to explain without multiple flashbacks and explanations halting the story. Though you won't see Byakuya at all until part two, this is a ByaIchi and it will eventually head that way, so please be patient. Themes are mainly fantasy, drama, family, and romance.

This story is set in a present day, alternate universe and is a meld between Bleach and my own universe that has been in my head since I was a child and has grown up with me. This pretty much means that it is a very in-depth world on its own, though adding some characteristics from Bleach has significantly changed the majority of it... Oh well, you'll see eventually...

BEWARE, I'm about to bore all of you with pseudo-science and impossible medical mumbo jumbo. Please let me know if there is something I didn't explain well enough or if it was simply too tedious to be enjoyable. Also, be warned that many of the characters may be a little OOC, though I did my best to get as close as I could within the perimeters of my plot.

Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach or any of its characters, it is owned by Kubo-sensei and all other affiliated parties. The title "Into the Ocean" is taken from the title to a Blue October song. I also do not own any rights to this song or album, it just seemed to fit the mood. This story, however, is from my imagination, so please give me that much credit at least.

XoxoxoX

Chapter One- Insight

"Uncle Renji!"

Renji Abarai looked over at his 8 year old nephew as he practically flew towards him from the other side of the small yard. The vibrant, orange tone of his hair was almost outmatched by the bright smile stretched across his face and the excited gleam that lit his warm, brown eyes. His younger, twin sisters chased after him, squealing with delight. Renji loved his nieces and nephew with every breath within him. They were rambunctious and mischievous little devils, but they were so happy and excited about life that he couldn't help but feel that same infectious spirit within himself.

"What's up, kiddo?" Renji asked as he squatted in front of the young boy, as was their usual routine when playing.

"Look it." Ichigo demanded as he thrust his hands, right over left, a little less than arms length in front of him. A small chuckle bubbled out of Renji at his nephew's sudden scowl and look of intense concentration. The boy shot his uncle a little glare and Renji clamped a hand firmly over his mouth to show that he wouldn't make any more noise.

Ichigo returned his focus to his hands and closed his eyes. He inhaled, through his nose, long and deep, then exhaled, through his mouth, sharp and quick. As the abrupt flow of his breath reached his hands, there was a soft, electric sounding crackle before a small, white spark lit between his outstretched palms. Renji's eyes widened as more sparks cracked to life and tiny, delicate tendrils of electric light stretched and wove together intricately. Once the strands completed a circuit, an electric, pure white butterfly formed and fluttered away for his sisters, Karin and Yuzu, to chase in joy. Renji fell back on his rear, stunned, and watched as the bright light drifted away lazily. It was...

"I made yours and Mommy's butterflies!" Ichigo pointed at his creation with pride.

...An Impulse Butterfly.

Renji was completely baffled as he watched his nephew make more glowing butterflies for his sisters to bound after in their small backyard. It wasn't that he'd never seen an Impulse Butterfly before, on the contrary, they were quite a common phenomenon in large cities. When two people with the right type of opposing energy signatures come in close contact the reactive particles bounce off each other and create a charged energy field. Once this occurs, an outside force, such as a breeze or a third energy field, disrupts the charged field and creates an electrical current that winds itself into the approximate shape of a butterfly. This was called an unconscious energy shift and it happens in the span of a second. Through trial and error over the course of many centuries, people had learned how to control such shifts and perfect them.

Even as someone who had only spent a short amount of time learning the delicate balance of science and intuition that was energy shifting, Renji understood how it worked. All matter, visible or not, living or not, is comprised of energy. While anyone is capable of 'shifting', or manipulating, the varying types of energy, not everyone could. According to recent statistics, about one in every hundred people are capable of sensing energy and one in every thousand are capable of manipulation. Of these people, some were far more talented then others and understood the concepts easier, excelling quicker. There are seven categories of energy shifting, ordered by level of difficulty: Unconscious, Kinetic, Energy Field Manipulation, Absorption and Redirection, Expansion and Contraction, External Particle Manipulation, and, the most difficult shift, Internal Particle Manipulation. Many could master a single type of energy shift, fewer could master multiple types, and, in very rare cases, a person could master all. But, it took time and discipline to learn the properties and structures of these energies, much like a scientist would need to understand molecular and atomic compounds before they could create a proper chemical reaction. That an eight year old, who'd never had any kind of training, could figure out how to create two opposing poles of energy, concentrate them between his palms and then know he had to add a third element to get the reaction he wanted was completely impossible. Or so Renji had thought before he watched Ichigo do just that.

"Masaki... Masaki! Masaki!" Renji shouted once the shock wore off.

"What's wrong!" Masaki asked, alarmed, as she ran out of the house with a potato and peeler clutched in her hands. The look of panic that fell across her gentle features instantly had Renji feeling a little guilty for over reacting.

"Don' worry, nothin' bad happened... But look!" He pointed to where Ichigo was playing with Karin and Yuzu.

Masaki followed Renji's line of sight and blinked in surprise when she noticed the sheer amount of Impulse Butterflies in her backyard. Once the shock wore off, she huffed in exasperation and threw her arms out to the side, "Little brother! I swear, if you ever scare me like that again... and over somethin' so... so..." she gestured erratically at the scene in an attempt to express its insignificance.

Renji picked himself up off the ground and walked over to his elder sister's side. "No, look. And I mean really look." He said, focusing back on Ichigo just as he made another butterfly. "That isn' an unconscious shift." His voice was beginning to take on an excited tone. "That's Energy Field Manipulation."

He was smiling like an idiot now, he was sure of it. Adrenaline was surging through him and he felt like he wanted to jump up and down, or dance, or... something! Looking over at Masaki, Renji could feel his grin faltering at her accusing eyes.

She clenched her hands around the items she held before placing her fists on her hips and asked, "Renji... Have you been teachin' my eight year old how to shift energy?" Her voice was low and cold, and Renji knew from experience that it meant very bad things were about to happen. "You of all people should know how dangerous that is at his age!" Though her tone was hushed, the anger behind her words was very clear.

Renji could understand his sister's anger. Children in Soul Society were often born with severe internal energy imbalances that strained their bodies and, as a consequence, many developed serious heart, nervous system, and lung related illnesses. In fact, it was so common that he and Masaki had had three siblings that passed away in direct relation to those illnesses. It was for this reason that it was forbidden to teach even healthy young children how to shift energy lest they aggravate those imbalances.

Renji held his hands up in surrender as he backed away from his sister a step. "I swear I didn' teach him anythin'! You know I'd never do that! Especially since he was so sick when he was a baby!" And that's what this was really about. Renji knew that Masaki was worried more because Ichigo had been in and out of hospitals as an infant. The complications had kept piling up and the doctors had thought his imbalance was too severe to survive. However, all of his health problems simply vanished one day and Ichigo was left completely healthy and happy at three years old. The sudden turn had everyone completely baffled. Renji had only been a child himself, but he remembered that feeling, that overwhelming joy and relief, as he watched his nephew run and play without hindrance for the first time. "I'd never risk that, not even for the twins, though they weren' ever sick."

Confusion furrowed Masaki's brow as she turned her attention back to Ichigo. "Then... how?"

"I don' know." He noted his sister's expression change to something he couldn't name as she watched her children play.

"Oh, I should get back to what I was doing!" She said, her attitude lightening suddenly. Masaki turned and went back into the house, leaving Renji a little stunned at her response. He had expected many kinds of reactions from his sister, but complete dismissal was not one of them.

He turned back to his nieces and nephew, paying careful attention to Ichigo's movements. As he made yet another butterfly, Renji noted his fluidity. His nephew's creations were made with concise, strong, and confident movements that seemed to take little conscious effort. The two poles never conflicted. They never faulted, collapsed or exploded.

How?

Before, Renji had gotten so excited over the prospect of Ichigo being a talented Shifter that he didn't consider how it was possible. In truth, he'd never heard of a person who could learn how to shift before being taught the basics. He'd heard of prodigies who excelled through their classes at unprecedented rates, or who were given special permission to start learning to shift at a young age because they were extremely intuitive to energy fields. However, no matter how gifted, none had ever learned how to shift without instruction. Creating Impulse Butterflies was a pretty basic skill, but there was no one around, besides Renji himself, who could have instructed Ichigo. What was most unnerving, though, was the ease with which he shifted the energy. Like there was no thought involved. As if it were as natural as breathing...

"Hey, Ichigo!" Renji called out. The orange haired boy paused what he was doing to look at his uncle. Renji gestured for him to come closer and Ichigo walked over a little nervously.

"What's wrong?" He asked, unsure.

"Hey, no worries, I'm not mad. I just wanna know how you learned to make those butterflies."

"I watched you and Mommy make them. That day we went to the park. And then I could do it too." His nephew answered simply.

Renji knew what day Ichigo spoke of. He and Masaki had naturally opposing internal energy fields that sometimes resulted in the creation of Impulse Butterflies. Last Saturday, when they brought the children to play, he and Masaki had reached for a dropped ball at the same time and a spark flashed between them. An Impulse Butterfly fluttered away catching the attention of Yuzu and Karin, who chased after it with peals of delighted laughter. Ichigo had only watched. However, this didn't answer Renji's question.

"I know you saw it, but how did you learn. Did someone tell you how?" He asked again.

Ichigo shook his head 'no'.

Renji sighed and frowned, puzzled. "Did you figure it out yourself?"

His nephew smiled brightly and bounced a little bit with enthusiasm. "Yes!"

He scratched his head as he tried to piece together the mystery. There was a niggling sensation in the back of Renji's mind telling him that he really didn't want to know, but at the same time he had to. "How'd you figure it out, Ichigo?" He prompted.

The excited bouncing stopped as Ichigo looked at him in confusion. "Don't you know? I know you make them too. Can't you see it?"

Renji felt dread sink low and heavy in the pit of his stomach. Dropping into a squat in front of the young boy, he looked Ichigo in the eye before asking, "You can see it?"

His nephew nodded in answer.

Looking around, Renji picked a small, yellow buttercup hiding amidst the grass and held it up. "Do you see it like you see this?" He asked, suspecting that the answer was a bit more complicated then the eight year old expressed.

"No..." As the young boy pointed a finger to a spot dead center on his forehead, Ichigo continued, "I see it here." He dropped his hand back down to his side, cocked his head in confusion and asked, "Don't you?"

"No." Renji replied defeatedly as he sat back on the ground.

He had been worried that Ichigo would answer in just this way. When a Soul shifted energy, they had to play a bit of a guessing game. They could sense different types of energy fields and, sometimes, even the particle movement within, but how to distinguish one from another and what was compatible with what came after much trial and error. No one could see these fields and know them as separate bodies in a distinct way. It was something different, unusual, and unknown. Renji felt momentary panic as he realized just what questions these kinds of "unknowns" could bring up. Suddenly, Masaki's dismissal and abrupt departure made complete sense.

"Uncle Renji... Is there something wrong with me?" Ichigo asked, sensing his uneasiness.

The unsure voice snapped Renji out of his thoughts and he looked to his nephew. Those warm, brown eyes shimmered with suppressed tears and wariness, making the red head feel guilty.

"Absolutely not!" He said as he swept the boy into a strong embrace. "Listen to me, there is nothin wrong with you, Ichigo. You're just... unique." He pulled back and kissed his nephew on the forehead before looking him in the eye. "Do you understand?"

Ichigo nodded his head with a little smile, wiping at his eyes.

"But..." Renji cautioned. "You have to promise me that you won' tell anyone that you can see energy shifts or shift energy outside anymore."

"Why?"

"Because you're bright and unique," he said as he ran his large hand through Ichigo's soft, orange hair, "and not everyone likes that. Ok?"

"Okay!" His nephew giggled with his usual enthusiasm. "I'll tell Tensa Zangetsu not to say anything either!"

Renji chuckled lightly as Ichigo spoke of his imaginary friend. "Alright, you tell him to not flap that loud mouth of his."

The young boy looked affronted at his Uncle's flippant statement. "Tensa Zangetsu's never been loud! He is calm and quiet and smart!" Ichigo declared proudly.

"Fine, fine." Renji said as he held his hands up in surrender. "Just go and play with your sisters."

With that, the boy flew off in another burst of energy. The joking smile slipped off Renji's face as Ichigo left and he looked back to the small house. He got up and walked inside through the glass sliding door, determined to speak with his sister.

The house, like many of the houses in Hanging Dog, was small and cramped for a family of their size. As Renji entered, he was staring directly into the living space and to his right was the kitchen. If he continued to walk through the living room there would be a hallway on his left that led to the bathroom and three, small bed rooms. Everything was located on one floor and, though there was a basement, it was tiny, not furbished, and only housed Masaki's washer and dryer. The house smelled of exotic spices and deep, rich earth, and felt warm against the crisp, early spring weather as Renji closed the door behind him, instantly reminding him of his childhood.

He and Masaki's mother had died when Renji was only nine years old due to a long term illness. Instead of allowing her brother to go to an orphanage, Masaki and her new husband, Isshin, offered to raise him. That first year had been difficult, since Renji, in his grief, decided to be a complete brat and act out in school; getting into fights, cutting class, and skipping assignments. However, Masaki had handled everything Renji could throw at her with a firm, yet gentle grace, while Isshin, in all his goofiness and upbeat persona, slowly, and begrudgingly, became the father figure he'd never had. The fiery ten year old he'd been was already beginning to calm down when Ichigo was born. His illness had been such a hard blow to the small family that Renji found himself wanting to cause less trouble, and even looking for ways he could help out. Despite all of the trials those early years were heavy with, the young man could not look back with anything other then fondness, because Renji had felt safe, secure, and a sense of belonging that he'd never experienced before, even while living with his real mother. If he was asked, Renji would say that he considered Masaki and Isshin his parents.

Shaking himself from his thoughts, he continued on to the kitchen where Masaki was cutting the last potato. Her body moved with the motion, the long skirt of her dress swaying slightly. Renji leaned back against the small table, that would just barely fit the five diners, as his sister finished putting the root in the pot of water on the stove beside her and set the burner to 'high'. She moved over to the sink where there was a stainless steel strainer filled with green beans and turned on the tap to rinse them. Abruptly, Masaki stopped what she was doing, just staring out the little window. Renji followed her gaze and noticed that it was settled on Ichigo. The boy was, oddly, standing stock still in the center of the yard, staring out into the distance where the once clear, blue sky was beginning to cloud over.

"Masaki..."

"My children are normal." Masaki cut him off with a voice so terse, stern and unlike his sister that it stunned Renji. "There is nothin' wrong with them."

"I never suggested they weren' normal or that there was somethin' wrong. It never even crossed my mind." Renji said defensively. The problem was what everyone else might think, and that was what Renji truly worried about. Masaki simply ignored him and continued to rinse the green beans. "Did Isshin ever say anything? You know... Before he disappeared."

Renji knew that that subject was a hard one to bring up. It had been almost four years since Isshin had been seen or heard from. He had simply left one night on an errand Masaki sent him on, promised Ichigo he would be back for a bedtime story, and never came back. There was never any clue what may have happened to him, and not even his car was found. Had it been any other man in the world, Renji would have believed that he had simply abandoned them, but Isshin was not that kind of person. There was nothing he cared for more then his family; Masaki, Ichigo, his, at the time, unborn babies, and he, Renji, was worth more to this man then anything even God in Heaven could provide. Even if Renji didn't believe in God, he believed at least that much. Considering all of the pain that would be dredged up by his questions, Renji knew his sister would not want to talk about it. However, he had to ask.

"Are you sure going into the Royal Guard is a good idea?" Masaki asked abruptly before pulling the green beans out of the sink and resting them on the counter top. "You know it's five years of your life that you are never gonna get back."

He sighed in exasperation at Masaki's avoidance, but decided to let it go for now since Renji didn't want to upset his sister. "You know it's the only way for me to go to school. Yamamoto Academy is way too expensive for us." He started, knowing this would lead to yet another debate over how he chose to go about his schooling.

While there were many different schools he could have gone to, including a local one, none of them had courses solely focused on energy shifting. Yamamoto Academy was an extremely prestigious private school and was founded by the Captain-Commander of the Royal Guard divisions. Not only did it offer the best instruction in understanding and controlling energy, it also allowed students to attend free if they made a five year commitment to the Guard. It wouldn't be an easy task to work in the military at lower pay then typical inductees, but it was the only way and Renji even welcomed the challenge.

"It won' be so bad. Hell it may even be fun!" Renji replied enthusiastically. He'd been attending the school since he was sixteen, the youngest age they would except without express permission from a doctor specialized in energy stability, and felt the physical training was some of his most engaging and invigorating classes.

"Fun?" Masaki asked incredulously. She stopped snapping the ends off her green beens and whipped around to face him. "People die in the Royal Guard. Especially new recruits, and for what? Glory? Pride?" She grew more agitated the more she spoke. "If you wanted to learn to expand your talent with shifting energy, I could have found a way to pay for private instruction. But, no! You wanna run off and play war hero with the stupid Shinigami, who start meaningless wars with Arrancar and treat *Mar-O' children like worthless animals! Ignorant Soul Reapers!" With that, Masaki violently turned off the boiling pot of potatoes and went back to the green beens.

Renji blinked in astonishment. Never before had he heard his sister use derogatory words like Shinigami or Soul Reaper. Such words implied brutality, that Guardsmen kill indiscriminately without hesitation or remorse. It was a ruthless and hurtful expression, and even Renji himself felt a little offended. He didn't even know Masaki held animosity towards the Royal Guard. Then again, it was possible she was just a little worked up over his prodding questions earlier.

"I just..." He started, not sure what to say. "I coulda taken private instruction, but... I just wanna be around kids my age who are like me. Who can sense energy and manipulate it like me. I just didn' wanna be different for once."

Masaki's shoulders sagged as she sighed dejectedly. She walked over to her little brother and wrapped her arms around his neck in a hug. "You're not different, your like me." She said soothingly.

"It's not the same." Renji countered.

"I know, but you don't have to feel like your alone."

"I don'..." He said. Suddenly, a sly smirk spread across his mouth. "At least not while I'm at school."

Masaki huffed and threw her arms in the air. "Fine! Go ahead and join the Guard." She said playfully. "It's not like it matters anymore, you're graduating soon." Her expression softened and turned apologetic. "I didn't mean what I said before. This all just makes me really nervous. I love you and I don't wanna see you get hurt."

"I know and I don' intend to." He said with a wicked grin. Pushing off the table, Renji walked over to the sink and looked out the window. While The twins were playing something that involved Karin carrying a large, inflatable ball with Yuzu chasing after her clumsily, Ichigo stood exactly where he had been since Renji had come inside except the boy was now staring at his feet. "I wonder what it is he's seein'?" He wondered as he thought about their conversation earlier. Renji was both curious and amused by Ichigo's antics.

Masaki leaned over to peer outside as well. "I don't know." She said with a little shrug. "He's always been a bit spacey."

"Yeah."

Suddenly, a low rumble of thunder reverberated through the sky. "Can you get the little ones in Renji?" Masaki asked. "Dinner will be ready soon anyway."

Renji nodded and went to open the sliding door. "Ichigo, Karin, Yuzu! Let's get inside before y'all get wet!" He hollered as the first rain drops began to fall.

The three kids' attention snapped to their Uncle and Yuzu and Ichigo began walking over to him. However, Karin simply stood where she was, not ready to come inside yet. "I'snot that bad." She protested as she squat back down to grab her ball.

Just as he was about to step out and grab her himself, Renji saw Ichigo run back over to his sister. "The storm's gonna get bad, Karin. Come on." He said as he reached down and grabbed her by the wrist. Karin pouted, but allowed her big brother to pull her to her feet, her short dark hair swishing with the movement. Once all three children were inside, Renji slid the door closed and locked it for the night.

"Wait!" Yuzu squealed, upset, as she walked up to the door and put her hands on the cold glass.

"What's wrong, honey?" Masaki asked from where she stood in the door frame.

"My dolly! She'll get dirty!" She said, pointing out to where the curly haired doll lay on the grass. Her eyes were wide with worry as she looked over to her mother and Renji.

"Don' worry squirt, I'll get it." Renji said as he tugged on her pigtail and pushed her aside so he could open the door.

"No!" Renji jumped, startled at the sudden shout and the hands that latched themselves to his pant leg. "Don't go outside!" Ichigo cried.

"What's wrong buddy?" Renji asked, looking down at his nephew.

No sooner had the words left his mouth then there was a bright flash and a loud, resounding crack of thunder as lightning struck the backyard. Renji jumped back and stumbled a little in surprised shock as the twins burst into wails. Masaki quickly moved from where she stood and wrapped her two daughters in a firm embrace, trying to calm them with hushing sounds and gentle words. The trembling hands clenched in the fabric of his pants had Renji glancing down at his nephew. Ichigo's face was buried against his leg as the frightened boy shook. The only thing Renji could think to do in his own shock was run a soothing hand through the wild, orange hair.

"Well then," Masaki said as she stood, catching everyone's attention, "that was surprising wasn't it? But look! No one's hurt! Everyone's fine!" She finished cheerily, only to have four solemn faces blinking at her in bewilderment. Sighing in frustration, she tried to think of something to ease the tension. A sudden thought popped into her mind and she smiled. "You know, the weather does weird things all the time. Like..." Masaki stopped speaking for a moment to gently touch her fingertips to her lips and tilt her head upwards slightly. Pausing only to glance at the suddenly excited young children and the smugly grinning red-head, she moved her hand away from her mouth with a quick snap and twist of the wrist while simultaneously blowing out long and languidly. Renji felt goosebumps rise on his skin and the hair on his arms stand on end as he sensed the atmosphere in the hallway change. Soon, white, puffy flakes appeared out of nowhere and floated gently down to the floor. "Snow inside the house." Masaki finished as Ichigo, Karin, and Yuzu seemed to snap out of there reticent behavior, happily dancing in the snowy hallway.

Renji laughed out as Masaki moved closer to him. The two siblings looked on as the three children attempted to catch the falling flakes, Ichigo using his tongue. For some reason, the fact that his nephew still felt awe and wonder for energy shifts made Renji feel relieved.

"That was a good idea." He said to his sister.

"I just remembered that making you very happy and calm on a few occasions." Masaki replied with a satisfied smile.

"It's still my favorite." Renji smiled back as he lifted his hands up, feeling the cold, wet flakes melt on contact with his skin. "I wish I could do somethin' like this." He said a little forlornly.

"Don't be that way." Masaki said softly. "This is all I can do, but you..." She waited until Renji was looking back at her. "You can do just about anything if you tried."

Renji huffed a little at his sister's statement and concentrated on the falling snow. He knew the theory behind it; sense the water particles in the energy field (or join two hydrogen and one oxygen particles if need be), condense them, then rapidly slow their movement until they crystallize. If you didn't do that quickly and accurate enough, you would end up with rain, gas, or just buckets of water falling down. "Slow things down, speed things up, break things apart. No matter how hard I try, I can't sense particle movement in an energy field. Even if all you can do is make snow, at least you can do it. External particle manipulation is a rare ability."

Masaki blushed slightly at the compliment. "Thank you." After the last flake of snow fell, she turned to her children and said, "Now let's get to the kitchen! Dinner is almost ready!"

Renji followed after his family, feeling completely content.

XoxoxoX

The storm let up, dinner was finished, and Renji found himself outside and standing by the edge of the plateau as the sun began to set. Hanging Dog certainly was an aptly named town, considering that it was built on a large, mostly flat out cropping ledge of a mountainside. Rukongai, the poorer section of soul society, was set in the Rukon Mountain Range and most of its cities and towns were built in mountains or valleys. However, Hanging Dog was unlike the other little towns because the homes, businesses, and schools were built right up to the cliffside without any high walls for protection, only sturdy barriers made of energy shields. It is said by many in Rukongai that people from this little town were born fearless. Renji snorted at the thought, as he laid his hand against the invisible barrier, the energy formed like solid glass. People here feared things here just like any other place, they just weren't afraid of falling.

Renji watched the sunset from his high perch at the cliff, drinking in the beauty of the reds and oranges splashing against the rocky terrain of the mountain range. As much as he enjoyed his school in Seireitei, the more groomed grounds, the rush of the city life, the fact that there was so much to do close by, he always felt a little pang of regret for leaving this raw beauty behind.

"Uncle Renji!" Also, for leaving his family behind.

"What's up Ichigo?" He turned and asked his nephew. The strap of his duffle bag dug into his shoulder as he moved away from the ledge and gave Ichigo a questioning look.

"Do you have to leave? Already?"

"Yeah, sorry kid." He said as he ran a hand through the boy's orange hair. "It takes almost a whole day to get back to school from here."

"Can't you just read me one more story?" Ichigo pleaded.

"No, sorry. The train leaves pretty soon and I hafta get the bus to the next town to make it." He replied as he shifted the bag on his shoulder and took Ichigo's hand, walking him back to the house.

Renji could tell Ichigo was still upset about him leaving, but the boy didn't say another word in protest. As he began the walk to the bus station at the edge of town, he turned back to see Masaki, his nieces, and nephew all standing out on the front lawn watching him walk away. He raised his hand and gave them a final wave goodbye, which they all returned enthusiastically, before turning back to the road ahead of him.

Had Renji realized that this would be the last time he would see his family whole and healthy, he would not have continued walking away.

XoxoxoX

* I have not explained who Mar-O' are or the controversy surrounding them yet, I didn't want to try to add yet another thing to this chapter as it seemed to drag on as it was. They are integral to the plot line for both parts, so they will be introduced soon.

So... This was a long and challenging chapter to produce as most of it was explanations and character introductions. Hopefully things will go smoothly from here, but I can't guarantee that all of my chapters will be as long. Sorry if the end seemed a little bit rushed, I just wanted to get it done and posted. Also, when you picture the scenery of Hanging Dog, I want you to picture something like Orvieto in Italy. The only difference is that Orvieto sits on a flat plateau of volcanic butte and Hanging Dog is actually on a large cliff side.

Below is a snippet for the second chapter just to get you interested. Part of it is already written, but it still needs some work, so I don't know when I will be able to post it.

See you next time!

Abstract For Next Chapter 'Happy Birthday'

"Telephone." Ichigo said distractedly.

Masaki's brow furrowed questioningly. "Wha-"

A shrill ring caught her off guard causing her to jump, startled. Ichigo giggled at her reaction, looking at her with mischievous eyes. She gave him a light smack on the shoulder and smiled with a quiet "brat" on her lips before corralling him out into the hallway. After instructing him to get his and his sisters' coats, she finally picked up the incessant phone from the hallway table.

"Hello?" She asked politely.

"Found you." Said a smooth voice that sent a chill down her spine so cold it stole her breath. She knew this voice, it was his voice.