Hello, well I'm not going to take up all your time with a bunch of nonsense so I'll get to the point. This story takes place in California, US. I do not own bleach, Tite Kubo does. But I do own my Original Characters, that's it though. So please review and let me know what you think. By the way the city where this takes place, I have no idea if it really exists. It is purely from my imagination so if there is it's a coincidence.

Soul Society

Rows of soul reapers monitor screens, tracking different flashing dots and relaying the location to those in the field. Some lean back bored as their screen remains lifeless. Suddenly, erratic beeping and flashing startles a soul reaper whose monitor was blank moments ago. "Ah, Captain Kurotsuchi more Hollows have appeared in the western quadrant."

"Oh really? How peculiar, Nemu!" An odd looking man is joined by his smaller lieutenant who speaks with a small voice.

"Yes Captain, I have the data right here."

"Good, now let us see if the Head Captain will take action this time." Walking out of his barracks they head for squad 1.

"Captain Hitsugaya, as you can see the situation is getting worse and we can no longer ignore it. You along the chosen soul reapers will be deployed at once. We will supply you with some necessary items, but you will need to find a way to survive there on your own."

"I understand, I will meet the others at the Senkaimon tonight." The white haired genius waits to be dismissed before leaving. His lieutenant waiting for him outside.

"So, what was it about?" Her perky voice catches others attention but he waits until they are in the barracks before briefing her.

"We, along with others, are being sent to America to control a strange outbreak of hollows. We are to remain there until further notice." He starts to get ready for the mission while Rangiku jumps up ecstatic by our new mission.

"America! That's like, the second greatest shopping country in the world!" Sighing, the captain walks out of the barracks with Rangiku right behind him as they go meet the others who are assigned to this mission.

America (California, US)

Ava

"Come on Ava hurry!" picking up the pace I race after my sister who starts to pull ahead.

"Slow down, the beach isn't going anywhere." Flipping her black hair away she looks back at me with her dark, almost black, brown serious eyes.

"I know, but we have only two hours until people start to come. I want the beach to myself for a little bit." Sighing I get up next to her and agree with a nod. Racing each other for the last bit we skid to stop on the beach. Kicking off our sandals we head for the surf when I trip on my own foot. Landing face first in the sand I hear Venus laughing at me.

"You klutz, what did you trip on?" sitting up I spit sand out of my mouth and glare at her.

"Oh, shut up. Great, it's going to be a pain to get this sand out of my hair." shaking my dirty blond hair I fling sand everywhere. I'm not vain, but sand is a pain to clean out.

"Don't worry about it; your hair is so similar you won't even see the sand." Nodding, I realize she is right, and get up forgetting my hair. "Now, how about we get into the water?" As we go to the water once more we feel a slight tremor, but tremors don't happen in the air.

"Venus, did you feel that?" Looking at me she nods before scanning the area. Doing the same I almost fall backwards when it stops. Stepping towards me she looks at me with wide eyes, "Do you think we imagined it?"

Nodding I turn my gaze to our house up on the ridge, the small mansion overlooking the ocean. "We must be a little tired still. Come on, the sea water will wake us." Quickly forgetting what had just transpired we run into the low surf. With jeans on we go knee deep into water. Laughing and splashing each other in an attempt to make the other wetter.

Suddenly the pressure was back, but higher and more painful. Shocked by the suddenness of it I don't notice the wave until it crashes into the back of my legs. Falling to my knees another wave washes over me, drenching me from head to toe. Spitting out salt water I see Venus pop out of the water like a fish. We were knocked onto a rock that's underwater, but as I step of it I sink instead of landing on sand.

Quickly kicking my legs I pull myself up and collide with my sister painfully, "Ow, watch it."

"Whoops, sorry. But are you ok?"

"Ya I'm fine, but now my mouth is all salty. Yuck." She spits into the water before reaching over and we clasp hands, starting to let the waves carry us to shore. But for some reason it looks like we aren't getting any closer.

"Um Ava, I'm no genius but are we getting farther away?"

"I think so. Damn, did we get caught in a riptide?" I stop moving to feel if a current really was holding us. Suddenly jumping Venus lets go of my hand.

"Something touched me!" Whirling around I start to kick out in the water.

"There is nothing here." Just as the words leave my mouth something darts out of the water and wraps around my waist. Panicking I try to pry it off but my hands can't get a grip on the slimy thing. Is this a tentacle? Don't tell me the Kraken is real.

"Ahhh, let me go!"

"Venus!" the tentacles lift us up high into the air as the creature comes out of the sea foam, an odd white mask on its ugly face.

"Let me go before I kick your ass." Thrashing about she kicks at the long arm, only succeeding in getting even more slime on her. Struggling weakly against the monster I start to look around for options. Well we only have a few options, and none of them are pretty. 1-this thing eats us. 2-it drops us and we hit the rocks below. 3-it suffocates us then eats/drops us.

Gritting my teeth I squeeze my eyes close and scream, "Damn it!" pounding a fist on the slimy thing I feel my body loosing oxygen quickly.

I-I can't breathe.

"Mommy! Daddy!"

It's getting darker.

"Don't worry, we won't leave you."

Is this really a family curse, to die by water?

"Promise us, promise."

No, it can't be. Curses don't exist.

"I promise. I'll take care of sister and me."

I, I promised!

"Good girl Ava."

Throwing my eyes I open I dig my nails into its flesh and hear it scream in response. Throwing a punch into it I feel it twitch but the pressure doesn't release. Suddenly Venus is thrown into my view, her mouth open as she shouts at me.

"Ava, I told you-"

"Shut up! There is no curse!"

"But,"

"No, we won't die. Not until I'm ready." With new found hope from the memory of our parent's and the promise I made to them I find strength to fight.

"OK, well at least explain to me why my head feels like it's going to explode from this pressure." Pausing for a moment I feel it too, a weird sensation separate from the pain of suffocation.

"I don't know, it could be from the lack of oxygen. But if that's true we shouldn't be able to talk this loud. Look, the monster is even getting weaker, I think."

"Weaker, or distracted." We both stop our futile struggles and looking towards the beach we see six figures appear out of thin air. The early morning fog had started to drift in and now I could no longer see Venus clearly.

"Damn fog."I restart my attacks on that beast even though I know it's worthless. It's all worthless, so why do I continue? Each blow I land on it makes it constrict even more. Hanging on to consciousness by a thread I hear sisters attempts get quieter and quieter. Squirming around I try to find some weakness, something that will make him let me go. But then what would I do when I fall to my death.

"Roar, Zabimaru!" A slicing sound is followed by Venus's startled yelp then her piercing scream.

"Sister!" I swing my arm through the fog trying to push it out of the way but the enraged monster begins to swing me around like a rag doll. Thrashing about it hits me a couple of times in the face, on accident or purpose it doesn't matter. The pressure on my head, I realize, isn't only on my head but my chest too. Hunching forward I lean against the tentacle for support feeling light headed and unstable.

Different names get called by different voices. None of them are recognizable and I start to tune them out when one voice calls out from close by. A gust of icy wind jolts the air and the arm around my waist loosens, allowing my limp body to slide through. Falling through the air I see my hair whip around my face. Unable to move I look up helplessly as what I think are dark shadows darting at the massive blob that held me only a few moments ago. Below I hear the waves crashing against the rocks get louder and louder.

Venus

"Roar Zabimaru!" a red haired guy in a black kimono wielding an odd looking sword cuts a tentacle that was about to hit me. Standing on the arm holding me he turns his back to me.

"What the-. Hey who are you?" seconds tic by as he continues to ignore me, "Hey I'm talking to you, you tattooed freak!" Again he ignores me, but I think I saw him twitch. Without warning his weird elongated sword comes down on the tentacle cutting me loose.

I open my mouth to thank him when I look down and see the ocean quite a ways below me. "You idiot!" my scream echoes through the fog as I rush through the air. Waving my arms I try to backpedal as if I have wings but only manage to flip myself onto my back.

"Ok, ok, calm down. Now, if I land feet first I'll probably break my legs, but if I land on my back I'll break my spine." Thinking for a moment I nod, "Legs it is." Positioning myself feet first I cross my arms over my chest preparing for the impact when an arm wraps around my waist. All of a sudden I am being pulled through the air by the weird red head. "Uh, hi, well uh thanks."

I hear him mumble something but I can't be sure. Lifting up my arm I smack him on the head.

"Ow, you little-"

"Who the hell are you! Put me down! Let me go! I don't know you, who are you! Freaky stranger let me go!" With a quick release I drop, face first, into the sand. Jumping up I spit sand out of my mouth and start to yell again. "What the heck was that for?"

"That was for hitting me, now shut up I just saved your life!"

"I already said thank you! Now tell me your name baka!"

"Baka?"

Huffing I glare at him, "Yes baka, its Japanese for fool or idiot." He opens his mouth, his face frozen in confusion, but is cut off as we dodge another arm of that monster. Freaking out from the attacks it starts to randomly swing about. The fog obscures my vision but in a flash of movement I see Ava lying limp in the things arm. "Ava!" rushing towards the beach I don't get three steps before someone yanks me back by my collar onto the shore.

"Yumichika, Ikkaku, keep an eye on her before she kills herself." Sitting up I try to stand a sword drops in front of me. Gasping I compose myself before getting up. Spinning on my heel I glare at the two new guys. One has black hair styled in a bob and weird feathers in the corners of his eyes while the other is bald.

"Leave me alone, that is my sister out there and I have to help her." Glaring at them I continue, "I don't care that you guys are freaky weirdoes with weird magical swords, that doesn't matter. All that matters is-" An icy blast of air hits my back making me turn out of curiosity, squinting my eyes to look through the fog I try to see the source of the cold air. A lone black figure falls towards the water tinted by the suns weak waves.

The figure drops out of the fog and the object is visible. A girl with shoulder blond hair limply cuts the air with her body; her eyes open yet are blank. "Ava! Shisuta!" Screaming out her name I sink to my knees as my legs give out. Powerless to do anything I can only watch.

"Quick you have to save her!" grabbing the forearm of baldy I thrust him towards the water.

"Hey, what do you,"

"Please hurry I beg you!" I interrupt him and continue to push him forward. His mouth stuck open, unsure whether to be angry by my pushing or silent because of the desperate look on my face.

"What's with all the noise?" a new voice speaks behind me making me real around. A short boy with strange teal eyes and pearl white hair dressed also like the others except with a white, sleeveless cloak. Tilting my head down I feel like I'm looking Ava, who is about the same height. Panic fills my throat, threatening to burst out of my mouth in a scream, when I notice a small person in his arms.

"Ava!" wobbling slightly I regain my balance I look up at the eight strangers standing behind the small kid. "Is she alright?"

"I'm not sure," he speaks lightly in an almost icy tone as he looks down at her pale face. Nodding I motion for them to follow.

"Alright then, you guys can come to our house until I am for sure that Ava is ok." A spiky orange haired boy steps forward and looks at me questioningly, "And you're going to trust us, complete strangers with swords, just like that?" Hesitantly I look him in the eye, my doubts and fears swimming against my dark irises.

"I have my doubts, but you saved our lives. If you were dangerous you wouldn't have killed that monster or saved my sister from falling. Plus you seem to have some idea of what that was so maybe you could help Ava." Shrugging his shoulders he accepts my response and the rest resume walking. They don't seem to be from around here, but still, have I made a mistake in trusting them? Do I even have a choice?