A/N: Kubo's storyline is messing up this story (and his own story for that matter) so I'm sorry for any inconsistencies. I tried hard to keep it the same, but I can only do so much. Forgive me.

Previously (in case you forgot): Ichigo and Rukia had two children: Masaki and Kaien. We find out that the veil sheltering the human world is coming undone exposing humans to hollows. Ichigo and others storm into Hueco Mundo hoping to cut down the amount of hollows and espada able to attack the human world when the veil goes down. While there Ichigo meets and refuses to kill a small boy with red eyes he names Ulqui after the emotionless eyes present in both this boy's and Ulquiorra's eyes. At the same time in a different section of Hueco Mundo Isshin shows test results to Byakuya stating that Kaien and Masaki's overwhelming reiatsu will eventually tear their bodies apart most likely by the time they turn 18. It is discovered that Hueco Mundo declared war on the Human world using the shinigami's assumption they would attack the Seireitei in this time of emergency. Ichigo and Toshirou rush back to find a world in chaos without the veil protecting the humans. At this moment Orihime also gives birth to a boy (who we find out In this chapter is named Sora after her brother) delivered by Yuzu while Karin as a Shinigami protects the house.

Chapter 5: The Beginning

(16 years later)

(Ichigo's POV)

"What is the report on the last battle?" Kyoraku said in an official voice. He stood at the helm of the room with a tired look in his eyes. The unrecognizable foot soldier, layered in scars, kneeling in the center of the room looked up triumphantly.

"Human World battle #353 was a success. We only lost five Shinigami, sir." Smiles littered the faces of the 10 captains, including myself, lining the room. The left side contained: Soi Feng, Matsumoto, Isane, Byakuya, and myself while the right side had: Renji, Hitsugaya, Kenpachi, Urahara, and Ukitake.

"Finally a win." Renji said with a relief filled sigh, "The last fight took fifty Shinigami from my squad." Our smirks were short lived. 353 battles… That was the number of fights that plagued the human world since the start of the Human War. In every single battle lives were lost.

"How is the recruitment process for squad nine going Renji?" Kyoraku asked. Renji solemnly shook his head side to side. "I see," he paused before continuing, "Do you have a damage report on the human world Ichigo?"

"We are trying our best to aid recovery and expand safe zones, but with another battle every month it's hard to keep up." I looked down at my feet. What had this world become? "Where are they getting all these reinforcements damn it!" I shouted.

"With more and more fear in the world Ichigo," Urahara, the current captain of squad 12, said, "humans are turning to killing and hatred. I'm sure Hueco Mundo is flooding with new arrivals. Don't forget: the essence of hollows are humans with darkened hearts that aren't ushered to the Seireitei. We are part to blame… we can't keep up with the demand." A deafening silence filled the meeting hall.

I turned to leave the hall, but spoke out of frustration before reaching the door: "It's been sixteen years of this hell and nothing is getting better."

"Ichigo we aren't done yet!" Renji yelled at me with gritted teeth.

"No, it's okay. We are done here for today." Kyoraku said. One by one the captains flooded out behind me with sullen looks. I stood in the doorway looking up at the cloud covered sky. A hand landed on my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

"Ichigo go home. You aren't needed here anymore. We'll let you know if anything changes." Ukitake said. The look on his face seemed sympathetic.

"I have speak with my squad first and—," Ukitake stopped me mid-sentence.

"Squad five will be fine without you. Now that 353 is over we have a few weeks to recover." His voice was reassuring, but I knew what darkness lurked behind his words: In a few weeks everything will start all over again… the death… the killing… Nothing is going to stop this cycle.

"I'm going." I said giving in to defeat. Within a few seconds I was at the portal to the human world. It had a constant flow of traffic including medics, squads, and the occasional soul who was lucky enough to find a door out of the human word or as I liked to refer to it: hell.

(Rukia POV)

"Masaki, Kaien, ready for school?" I called upstairs waiting impatiently for them to leave the house. Ichigo was coming home soon. They couldn't see him as a Shinigami.

"Coming." I heard Masaki yell before sliding gracefully down the railing, "Dad's not home yet?" she questioned grabbing her bag by the front door.

"He'll be home soon. You know how the restoration crew's hours are." I laughed with a slight cringe. The lie sounded too natural.

"And you be careful too on your way to work mom." Kaien kissed my cheek as he flew by me to catch up with his sister.

"It'll be fine. We have the barrier." I said. Both of my children smiled at me. "Which means you two better stay inside it. Understand me?" My glare made them shrink back.

"We would never go outside that Mom." Kaien said. The way his eyes searched the room told me all I needed to know—he was lying. I sighed.

"Don't worry Mom I'll keep him out of trouble." Masaki yelled as they both ran out the door.

"That doesn't comfort me at all." I said to myself feeling a headache coming on. As if on cue, Ichigo walked through the backdoor.

"Thought they'd never leave." He said with a smile. I smiled back at him.

"Not covered with blood? I'm impressed." I said. My body instinctually moved forward to hug Ichigo. Our bodies clashed together as if it were the last time we'd see one another.

"You'd kill me for making you wash blood stands out of my clothes again." He complained. I rolled my eyes.

"Damn right, you idiot." I said.

(Kaien POV)

"What do you think is out there?" I said questioning my sister. My attention was focused on the orange barrier encasing the town. It had been there ever since I could remember.

"Lots of Hollows." She answered. Her hands flung back in a stretching pose as if bored.

"Doesn't it interest you?" I gawked at her.

"Of course it does, idiot, but look around you." Lines of tents, shelters, and half demolished houses were scattered along the road, "We are needed here." I nodded in agreement.

"But who needs a pair of powerless 17 year olds anyway." I grumbled at the sky.

"Hey wait up!" A shout sounded from behind us. I glanced to find Sora running to catch up.

"You headed to school too?" I asked the brunette boy.

"Of course!" He retorted.

"Good two-shoes…" I mumbled under my breath. A swift punch to my face sent me flying towards the ground.

"Leave him alone." Masaki said. Her body towered over mine.

"I didn't do anything wrong!" I argued. Slowly I pulled myself up to look into her eyes. My muscular 6 foot figure towards over her 5 foot 3 body, yet she didn't look intimidated.

"You're always picking on him!" She complained.

"Guys…" Sora tried to interject.

"He knows I'm kidding!" I yelled back at Masaki.

"Guys!"

"Doesn't matter!" Our argument continued. Masaki put her hands on her hips and turned her face away from me.

"GUYS!"

"WHAT!" Masaki and I shouted in unison. On cue, we could hear a faint bell sounding in the distance.

"Crap!" I screamed as we all darted towards school.

"This is your fault!" Masaki yelled at me.

"Like hell it is!" I said back. All three of us darted towards the half demolished, dirt covered school in the distance.

(Ichigo POV)

"So what's the damage?" Rukia asked solemnly. Her hand clutched a mug of steaming coffee I had placed in front of her.

"5 dead." I said. Her head dipped slightly.

"It's better than last time." She sighed.

"There shouldn't be any deaths. This fucking war has gone on for sixteen years. Masaki and Kaien have never known a world without death and fear!" I struggled with the thought of my children. We kept them in the dark about their heritage so they didn't have to worry about these things. "Was this all for nothing? Did we do the right thing keeping them away from our world?" Rukia was silent.

"I don't know Ichigo. I don't." Her head shot up—the look in her eyes different. "But we can't change it now. Now shut up and stop sulking. It's not going to help anyone."

"Shut up." I smiled.

"We will have to tell them one day. We can't keep their massive reiatsu bottled up forever… but until that day comes let them live in a blissful ignorance." We both hung our heads hoping that day never had to come.

(Masaki POV)

"I'm going to go take a walk." I smiled at my friends in the beaten up classroom. My hand clutched my side. For as long as I could remember I've had aches and pains, but lately they were getting worse. On the days I couldn't bear the pain I would seclude myself in the forest behind the school hoping it would stop.

With ease I snuck out of the highly guarded building and over the large fence trapping us in for protection. Hollows couldn't get through the barrier—it had been tested time and time again. It was the other humans we needed to worry about.

The woods were quiet and peaceful, but maintained an orange hue that reflected off the barrier. It was a constant reminder of how trapped we really were. I walked closer and closer to the edge of the shield until I stood several feet away from it. I was just like Kaien—I wanted to know. My hand reached out instinctually, but stopped when I heard a sound echo from the bushes several yards away.

"Hello?" I yelled cupping my hand to my mouth. "Anyone there?"

My curiosity got the best of me. Slowly, I snuck around the trees using the foliage as cover. Who did I think I was hiding from? I have no idea. We were safe in here. Did I believe that for one second? No. My stealthy façade disappeared when I saw a male maybe a year or two older than me sprawled out on the ground covered in bruises and blood.

"What happened?" I ran to his side turning him onto his back. No response. "I'll go get someone, I don—" Life sprung into the man's bright red eyes; his hand grabbed my arm.

"Please don't. No one can know I'm here." His voice was weak. The grip loosened on my arm—he was losing consciousness again.

"Who are you?" I said. My hand gently pressed against the side of his face while the other smoothed the hair out of his eyes. What beautiful eyes he had.

"It doesn't matter. I need—" He coughed up a small amount of blood that landed on the skirt of my school uniform.

"What? What do you need?" my voice was frantic and desperate.

"Shinigami…" He spoke softly looking directly into my eyes, "The Shinigami with Orange hair." He said with the last bit of his strength. My head rested against his heart listening. I sighed with relief. He was alive.

"What the hell am I going to do with you?" I whispered to myself. My eyes ran down my body covered in blood from the stranger and dirt. "What the hell…"

A/N: Sorry for such a delay. So many other stories to work on too. But I'm back in the swing of things with this story so I should get a few chapters up in the next week or so.

Review!