Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach or any of the original concepts and nor do I pretend that I do, but I do however happen to own the characters that are custom and fully in my concept. But let's not waste time with trivial things.

A/N: Welcome Ladies and gentlemen, for those who have read me before, prepare to be wowed and amazed as I attempt to undertake a Bleach Fanfiction. For a first time, I will be trying my hand at writing a fic idea that has been running through my mind for a while; so I'd take you to take this trip with me. Now I play around with some amusing ideas alright, so bear with me alright? I am using a concept a wee bit foreign to the series, if you do not like the idea please no flames alright? It was an attempt to be original (hard enough in this world as we know it xD), well anyway. Hope it catches your fancy, without further adieu; the fic.

(End A/N)

Prologue: Meeting the Shincy

"Tou Yuushin! What have I told you about tiring our son out before it is our time train?" the voice of a very ticked off Quincy speaking as she saw the result of their son's training with his father, as usual his father carried out the battle too far over the hour that he normally took with their son after his patrolling their section of the town. It was always like this for him, always a regular trial to make it through a day at class, then to patrol for a few hours, before he returned home in time to train.

There was never enough drilling from his parents it seemed and this was his life; the life that belonged to the Shincy youth, Kousou Yuushin; a boy between two worlds. He wondered how long had it been since he lived his life this way? Always working day in and out at school, then honing his skills as both a Shinigami and a Quincy...as a hybrid of the two worlds none would ever completely understand his life. But it was fine, he came to enjoy his life and the daily routines that came with it, even if it was difficult at times. He could still remember the first day that his father told him...the tale of his father's biggest mistake involving...him of course.

(-Flashback-)

Shinigami...Quincy...Soul Society and the Balance of Life and Death; it was an equation that was never quite balanced. There was an uneven peace between the two factions since the end of the Shinigami/Quincy War. The in-fighting between the two had left the Quincy on a declining number, for many the two groups were never to mingle and would never mix...but life had its funny ways of changing such things. How it came to happen wasn't important, it was however the result which mattered most and the strange courtship of one Tou Yuushin and Niyna Shneider had come to bear fruit; that of which was matrimony.

From the day she and nearly destroyed Tou, believing him to be an evil spirit for the energy he released...the dual power he held was something that she condemned, but meeting the Shinigami...no the man behind the mask had chased her view. She had fallen for the idealistic man behind the dark power that he wielded...a Vaizard, whose power bordered that of supposed death gods and the 'dark ones' as she called them, the very thing she hunted actively in her youth: the Hollow. It seemed that life couldn't have been stranger with a Quincy marrying a Shinigami, let alone one with powers so close to the Hollow of which both hunted casually. Such a union was ill-fated and doomed to failure, this was the belief of her father who only respected the union for the sake of his daughter's happiness; he bitterly took in the fact that a Shinigami was permanently a part of his family.

It was only the day that the future of the family would be born, at this time that her father chose to become more active in the family. The birth of a bizarre union of the same powers in marriage; what child came into the world had been one half Quincy and half Shinigami in nature or Shincy if you will. From the day that he was born, young Kousou Yuushin did his best to bring pride to his mother and father, as his gifts of seeing ghosts had begun from early on and a profound kindness was already innately within him.

Life breeds one surprises and quickly.

At 6 months, Kousou was giggling and reaching out to the pluses that visited his room, as if he were born to see a world that bother his mother and father worried would cause him problems further down the line. It was when his parents noticed this that the consideration of training him to understand the world of spirits was finally accepted. Both Tou and Niyna knew they had no choice.

"Tou, I don't suppose we have a choice, he is sensitive to them as we are. His life will be in danger, he will learn to be a Quincy. I will not have our son in danger in his youth." Niyna was very quick to assert what path she thought he should take.

Tou smiled and put a hand on her shoulder gently, though he seemed to understand it pretty clearly. He could see their son would have a knack for both worlds, he could see the potential of his gentle aura; this youth could become a fine Shinigami as well.

"Let's teach him of both sides of his lineage shall we dear? He should have the advantage he was born with I think, no need to narrow his focus right?" he played off of it gently and smiled, there was no need to leave him only a Quincy, he wanted their son fully capable of accepting all he had to offer.

She grudgingly accepted her husband's proposal...perhaps it would be better if he had both abilities on hand. And as soon as she accepted it, the days began to pass slowly as they worked out their way to ease a lesson into their son's life from that day forth; he would learn to be both a Shinigami and a Quincy.

The trials began slow...but picked up as their son learned to walk and talk, they eased him into the deeply mystifying world of spirits.

-Four years later-

"Kou! it's time for your flashcards!" the sweet voice of Kou's mother, Niyna Yuushin resounded like the call of a lark through the rooms of their elegant home, her son came to her side and hugged her; she smiled and pet his head.

For the past four years she and Tou had been pushing their son slowly into the world of Shinigami, Quincy, and Hollows...little by little he had been emersed in knowledge about his origins (both sides) and slowly had been taught the beginning skills of both peoples. While Kousou had difficulty at his age, he was still quite capable and eager to prove himself to his parents.

While Niyna was very strict with teaching him mannerisms of the Quincy and how to maintain his dignity and keep a level head, his father was quite the opposite. Tou was a loose kind of parent and never pushed Kou on his manners or scolded him for failure; instead he joked about it and pressed him that much harder in their training lessons. In the end neither Tou nor Niyna were exceedingly cruel to their son, they just made sure that he was able to summon his powers at an instant; able to respond should he ever need to.

Now was time for Kou's visual and sensing lessons, Niyna had prepared exercises in their kitchen to train their son to tell the difference between a plus and a darker energy; those with dark intentions.

As Niyna held the spiritually charged cards, Kou idenitied each correctly without a second guess. His ability was natural and this was all the more reason that she tried him so often; she tried slipping him up when she could, but he had started catching onto her tricks. His mother was a remarkable woman, with a keen mine built for examining the odds of a situation, this skill to was something that Kou had gained from her; an incomperable intellect.

Soon after the 20 minutes of the flashcards, Kou had been through with them sooner than she thought.

"So sweetie, what is it you want to do? Something must be on your mind, you're so focused." she said with a soft smile, picking her son up and embracing him.

Kou laughed softly and hugged her closely, this was what he wanted. As much as he didn't mind the training, he desired the affections of his parents and almost took it that the training was always in the way of that. Just one year prior he used to throw fits over the exercises and now he simply executed them smoothly without much error.

"I just want to be with you Mommy." his words gentle as he leaned against her shoulder, face in her hair just taking in the sweet scent that he knew to be his mother.

His words always managed to melt any resolve she had for training, at least in the minutes off. She treated it like business on some ends, balancing her roles as his mother and his Quincy instructor at times were difficult. She had to be loving, but with a firm hand. She had to show tenderness but show her son resolve and to his credit he was doing well with it. She loved that about her child, from birth he'd been very malliable as a baby and never gave her much grief.

"We have our archery practice next son, alright? So 5 more minutes and then we go to the basement, okay dear?" she spoke sweetly to him and he nodded to her.

The family basement was hardly normal.

Made of pure Soul-Synthesized Silver, used to line their hidden basement beneath the false 'typical' basement. It hid reiryoku from those who could sense it and allowed her and Tou to train their son in peace. It was much deeper than the false floor and still the two of them had to be careful not to cut loose, as too much power might crack the soul-synthesized silver. It was bad enough maintaining the repairs with the little time she had managing a restaurant; it was lucky that Tou understood the construction and could repair it.

He was the perfect live-in dad. While he managed an online business, he was the at home cook, all purpose repairman, and when he couldn't do it; he could always rely on his old friend Urahara Kisuke, though not without a price of course. This was something that Tou knew all too well from past dealing with his somewhat comical friend.

Tou watched his wife head downstairs carrying their son, he honestly couldn't have been more proud, after all it was every day that you got to see your son putting up with such difficulties. Tou was thoroughly surprised at their son's ability, given that Tou trained him in each of the four Shinigami techniques: Zanjutsu(Swordsmanship), Hakuda(Hand-to-Hand), Kido(Demon arts), and Hoho(Footwork). All of this and he still learned all his mother taught him, from tactics to the rare Quincy techniques.

However from this day forward, it was something that Tou was considering all in mind, he knew their son might need something forbidden. And though he never said anything to his wife about it, what he had in mind was for their son's own good.

"She may not like it at first, but this is all for the sake of his survival." he said as he looked outside, before heading out of the front door and leaving his wife to train their son.

He knew that their son's skill was growing considerably, but how would he do battle with Shinigami that have been in standing for hundreds of years? Should he ever be found out, even the advanced skills may not serve him. He would consult Urahara, this was not something he could leave just to their powers alone. He might need to become more like his father...more like a Vaizard.

-Two years later-

At the age of six, Kousou had been under the direct tutelage of both of his parents for two years; his life had become quite complex for someone of his youthful age. It was school, studying, homework, and off to his secondary life: training, patrolling (with his parents) for hollows, and constant 'testing' to see how far his powers could be pushed. He found that his attending these three schools (regular school, and classes in both Shinigami and Quincy arts.) gave him an outlook no normal child looked had. He'd always realized he was different, but when he heard any child his age complain about schoolwork, he found himself chuckling. They couldn't know true difficulty.

At times it was a bitter pill to swallow really, being so different from the children had Kousou feeling a bit left out. While both his father and mother loved him and spent time with him treating him like a normal child, it still felt a little hefty to have such fierce training; it changed both his mother and father into two way different instructors of their arts. Though it seemed that he had no idea what was in store for him today.

After what had been the usual hours of school, his mother took him out for the day. She brought him to a secluded area just outside of the mountainside park they lived near, they spent the first hour and a half playing and spent the rest of his with an improved game of tag. He had never been so happy to use Hirenkyaku at one time or another. Since he'd first started practicing both Hirenkyaku and Shunpo one year ago, both his mother and father said one thing that seemed to mirror one another in philosophy: that he needed to grow swifter in order to enjoy tag. He still didn't fully understand but he did his best often when alone. He would practice using the technique in his room quietly, he kept his reiatsu as low as possible and repeated the steps as quickly as possible.

This exhaustive extra practive had paid off for the diligent young Shincy, as his mother complimented him today. She held him longer after she finally caught him, she seemed really impressed with his growth in the steps today.

"Son, you've done me proud today. I never expected you to get so fast so soon." She said while running her fingers through his hair and planting a kiss upon his forehead.

He relished her treatment from him and smiled as he held onto her. This was the kind of praise that made him practice, especially coming from his mother had always been a rarity; so it was something he really loved in her responses to him. After the practice today he felt as if he could do anything, though now it was time to train with his dad. Even though his father was easier on him than his mother, it was still by no means a walk in the park like today. Tou said he was taking him to train at Urahara's today and it made him curious, since he'd only met the mysterious shop keeper last year and visited a couple of times.

Niyna seemed wary of the man even though she trusted him, Kou could tell that his mother sensed something hidden behind his every action.

-At Urahara's Shop-

"Well sweetie, I've got to work a little later tonight, but you'll see me when you get back from training tonight okay? I'll come get you and your father tonight. And son, please tell me what's so special about tonight since your father never trains you second." her face grew inquisitive as she looked at Urahara's shop.

Her husband had not told her why train here again today, it was rare that he and Kou weren't just training in the basement. But he said it was important and by now she knew her husband wouldn't say something that wasn't true. But she shrugged the thought off, her husband could be a fool at times but he was a brilliant fool at that.

With a kiss to her son's forehead she saw him off and then drove away and headed towards the restaraunt. Unknowing of the life changing events that would follow on this fateful evening.

Tou emerged from the shop doors with a small look on his face, something that was unreadable to his son. He seemed to be a little uneasy tonight, Kou could tell by the way he scooped Kou up and held him close. He'd never felt such worry from his father before, each gentle squeeze from Tou made his son all the more curious.

"Kou, I'll need you to try extra hard for me tonight okay? I'm gonna push you harder than I've ever done before okay? But just know that I love you...its for your own good now you here?" his father's words still stuck to him in present.

Those last words that Kou would ever feel as a mere Shincy youth, that status would change after tonight.

Kou had smiled at his father and held him back and nodded to his father's request, if his father was going to push him harder tonight, that would be alright. Given how often that his father took it easy on him he would be happy to see what it was like being pressed harder.

The store had not changed any it seemed, as Kou was lead to the long ladder that led into the basement training grounds. The place that still amazed him with how close it was to the outside, the sky was so blue...it had always amazed him. But his focus soon found its place once again as he felt his father's reiatsu building slowly.

"Prepare yourself Kou, release your Zanpakuto...your going to need it." Tou warned his son ahead of time.

Kou blinked softly and did as he was instructed, he drew his zanpakuto, Kazashiryuu and looked warily at his father. Was so much reiatsu needed? He cleared his mind and breathed in deeply as he spoke the words of release to his Zanpakuto.

"Slash with the four winds, Kazashiryuu!" he spoke the words of release and felt the surge of increased energy run throughout his entire body.

It was still a rush to feel his Shinigami powers awakening. His mind sharpened and the familiar voice of Nagare, the spirit who inhabited his mind and shared her power with him was clearly present. He smiled softly since he didn't feel alone in this and even the pressure of his father's reiatsu lightened somewhat as he steadied.

'Kousou, let's focus on what we've discussed alright?' the voice of Nagare resounded through his mind, a sweet soft echo of the young girl about his age appeared beside him.

Kou had been stunned the first day they met each other when he was three, when he heard her voice reaching out to him. He could hear her voice, her true name was Kazashiryuu, but as they talked he found that she enjoyed being called Nagare and had since become close friends with her. She was the one who often accompanied him in his dreams and someone he'd grown close to in a hurry. His very close partner in battle and best friend in his mind, they were inseparable in late; now they'd be pushed to the test.

His katana had become that of an ornamental Chokuto with a tassle at the base, a rectangular hiltguard, and a forest green blade tip. Even though only one-sided, as Kazashiryuu was a Void or wind pressure zanpakuto, it easily generated cutting wind blades from any direction. It seemed to possess more powers that had yet to be unlocked. His focus was assured now, he awaited his father's move.

"Prepare yourself Kousou." his father's voice grew suddenly stern, as his left hand rose to the right side of his face and the pressure suddenly became unbearable.

Kou's focus was nearly shaken but the sudden increase in pressure around his body, he felt his father's gentle reiatsu become violent and threatening, and for once Kousou was truly afraid of his father's coming attack. His eyes focused on his father's mask..? Where had that come from?! Then his father disappeared and Kou began to look for him frantically.

'Kousou! Your left!' Nagare's yell had gotten Kou's attention as he turned to parry the attack.

As Kou managed to block the violent slash of his father's, he was sent into the air like a helpless ragdoll. He watched his father's sudden dash, the ground beneath his once loving father ripping up as he followed his son's flying pace. Kou stopped fearing, he stopped being afraid and focused hard. As his feet dragged upon the air, lots of dust built up beneath him at his effort to stop. He found there was no chance, no time to react, he managed another block that sent him even higher; towards the blue sky above.

Then in an altered voice he heard his father...and a sharp pain racing through his body.

"Forgive me Kousou..." these words were all that he heard before the blackness swallowed him whole.

-Within Kou's consciousness-

Kou felt the life bleeding from him, he felt something was horribly wrong...what had happened? He awakened in the meadow in his world...his mind, where Nagare lived.

"What..? Why is it stormy?" he said as he looked around him with a frown, the once peaceful meadow was riddled with rain and a sky full of thunder. The questions running through his mind stopped once he had sensed Nagare, once he heard her cries of fear from the woods.

He turned and raced without a thought in mind, the only thing on his mind was to save his friend. One of the best in his life up to this point, his father had not been joking when he said that a Zanpakuto was more than a partner; she was as a sister to him born of the same desire to do good in life.

The sight of Nagare rolling through the soaked sea of grass to avoid being nipped up by this great bird scared him, what...what was that? The great shriek from the golden eyed bird, there its dark navy irises focused on Kou and watched him with a vast intelligence behind them. Cruel and sinister, the intentions coming off of the bird did not appear to be something that was to be taken lightly.

Kou made it to Nagare's side and took her hand, helping her up while he glared at the large bird that perched on top of the canopy; eyeing him with a grin on its large beak.

"Who..is this Nagare? " He was fearful, body shivering...but his focus steadied his frazzled nerved. He knew that he had no choice in the case of even such a beast but to focus, he could not lose his friend or his own mind in his inner-world; not now or ever.

She shook her head softly, having never seen this figure ever once in her life, he who's darkness invaded the sanctity of the usually comfortable meadow. She gripped Kou's hand and squeezed it tightly while she stook beside him a moment. Giving a gentle smile, the young girl transformed into her katana form and released herself without another question.

"He is someone to be defeated Kou, he is somehow linked here...but we can't just let him take over, right? Come on!" her focus was realized once again since Kou's presence made her calm, he who was like a brother to her had come and saved her from this giant bird.

"You know, you two are really pathetic. 'We can't let him take over' my beak, give it up little one this place is mine." the voice coming from the giant crow who's laugh echoed through the vast sign of the trees, he seemed easily capable of dealing with this inexperienced double of his.

The crow didn't wait for Kou, instead leaping into the air and whipping its left wing, sending a small whirlwind towards the young Shincy; to his amusement the boy was blasted into the air from the shot. He moved above him in an instant...what Kou didn't understand this day, he would later to know be sonido. The giant crow whapped his spinning body with his left wing and effortlessly batted him through two trees below.

Kou's body twisted in pain upon the ground, what power...he felt the pressure coming off of this great bird and frowned even more; this was not right. What was he to do in such a situation? The power felt overwhelming...but he couldn't afford to let it get to him now.

"Kou are you alright?! He's so strong, damn him...he has my powers, he has what we do." Nagare spoke in a disappointed manner as she watched the large bird land once again on the great tree, looking unamused by the two.

"If you just give up, it won't be painful; that I promise you." he was obviously toying with them, this would be something painful.

-Outside of Kou's mind-

Tou found himself being pushed harder than he'd ever expected, was his son really hiding such power from him? No...this was the combination of his boy and the hollow within.

Once again Tou found himself pushed back by the great pressure being wielded by the swift moving hollowfied form of his son. The beast used sonido and was hovering above the ground; the two great wings from his son's back was what most troubled him, he appeared to be some bird of some sort...perhaps a crow? Though the wings were far too large for it to be so simple.

"Well damn boy...you sure you have a temper, hah...I wonder if you really knew that you had it in you?" he was musing over this fact and seemed to be toying with that as an idea; he needed only to keep his inexperienced child busy. This was why he needed to come to Urahara's shop, there was no way Niyna would ever have approved. He knew that she would be disappointed in him...no, she'd be furious beyond words.

He knew that she'd possibly even hate him for doing this to their son, but as much as that thought hurt...he knew that he had to do this. This for the sake of Kou's future down the line, he had to make him ready for anything but any means necessary.

He smiled at his son's body, he could hardly wait until Kou defeated the being within. In fact he had no doubt that subjugating the hollow within would be a simple task due to one fact; Kou had a quincy set of powers that would allow him to easily defeat the darkness within.

"Your mother trained you well my son...use it." he said with a soft whisper as he deflected another attack, he didn't think it would take his son a long time to figure out what he'd need to do.

The bout between enraged hollow and his host's body raged, while Urahara looked on from the side. He knew that Tou could handle the battle and contain his son's body, but...what to do when Niyna was through talking with Tessai? There would be no word to describe what an upset mother would do in the case of her only child behaving violently in such a way. Either way it would not end well, Niyna had come looking for her husband and child about 20 minutes ago; and Urahara knew that her patience was wearing thin even if she entertained the formalities for now.

-Back within Kou's mind-

"I won't...I won't give up!" Kou said as he watched Nagare's form some 50 yards from him, how could this large beast be so fast?

He had underestimated his enemy and was paying for it, he had been thrashed straight from the battle's start by this powerful hollow form that mocked him.

"This game is coming to bore me child, I will devour you and your world...it shall be mine." the great crow spoke with a laugh following point, raising in the air...it was time to put this to an end.

Kou's mind was running short on ideas, he knew that this battle was going to end and in a rush at this rate; he had no doubt that this was going to end. Then he remembered...how could he have forgotten? His mother's words were simple, never forget the ray of light that shined within his soul. Though her words were more in his Quincy soul, he smiled at the sentiment and immediately raised his left hand; forming the thin bow of light within his palm's base.

In that instant all of his thoughts about his powers returned, it appeared that the Great Crow was able to fog his mind. But no longer!

An instant before the diving crow's claws ripped him in two, Kou disappeared. A shower of 6 arrows raced into the back of the large crow, who shrieked in pain at the sudden shots rained of pure light.

"So it seems you remembered, it still won't save you!" the Grand crow raised its wings, though it found them achingly responding to the shots that continued to rain on him.

The shots of light appeared to be his bane, the depth of which wasn't clearly understood by Kou. Despite the return of his Quincy powers, Kousou still struggled with the crow; who took arrow after arrow to the body and did not stop. The great avian's shadow seemed to spread everywhere, despite the wounds that the massive body suffered, a will as great as Kou's own remained.

As he felt the sky growing misty, Kou did the one thing he knew to finish this battle, it was to focus the depth of what he had remaining into his bow.

His father often reminded him that sometimes a powerful will would not fall unless it was met with stronger determination and this seemed to be the case here as he faced as with this massive form, this giant avian would not go down and it bothered him. For one reason or another he hated to see the bird in such pain, this being was a part of his world like it or not.

"Can we...please stop?" he asked the great bird, still gathering the energy into it; he would have one last pass with this bird and he knew this to be so.

"Foolish child, I will only stop after I finished you, taken this world for my own, and make you watch as I devour my precious new power; the power of Kazashiryuu!" the mighty avian made it clear; this would end when one of them stopped and not one moment sooner.

The pass hadn't lasted more than a moment, with Kou having raced past the great bird and staggered in his tracks after the bird landed on the ground. The young Shincy fell to his knees and took a hold of the ground while his bow faded. His panting having no chance to cease, while behind him did he hear a great crash. The skies wept only soft drizzle now as the massive bird began to fade into a smaller form; something to that of a boy equivalent of Kousou's physical age.

Nagare ran to Kou's side and took his shoulder, starting to help him rise from the ground before she watched the dark tan youth; who'd been the opposite of Kou's softer tan complexion. She felt the gentle ripple of reiatsu still eminating from him as he faded away slowly.

"I'll bow...for now Kousou Yuushin, you win...but give me time. This world...this plane will be mine, as will all of your powers; even your precious Soul's light." the words were serious by word as he faded into a subtle mist and drifted into Nagare's form.

This had confused her a moment at first, though she seemed to gain understanding of the whole process as to what happened to her. She understood then what he was and now what she held dominion over, she could not help but be shocked by the turn of events.

"He is...he's your hollow, you just beat what darkness is within." she said this while helping Kousou stand, steadying out his weakened body. Then his eyes shut in the innerworld...as he was forced to consciousness by his victory.

-Outside of Kou's mind-

The great battle had ended with much of the inside of the barrier protected area scattered, large swathes cut in the ground from Tou's great battle with his son's body. It was only the relief of seeing the sudden pain in the hollow form of his child and the bird beak, wings, talons, and long tail feathers fade into light that brought him relief.

"Finally its over..." Tou whispered as he sheathed his Zanpakuto, his son had won after some 40 minutes total.

However his worries had only begun, as a familiar pressure shot through the room at the sight of what was seen. The pressure of his wife's reiatsu sky-rocketing at the sight of her falling son, who fell into his arms.

"Tou Yuushin! Give me one reason why I don't shoot your skull full of arrows?! You didn't tell me!" her voice was pitched high, as her eyes narrowed on him.

In an instant she was beside him with an arrow drawn back in her forest green Quincy bow, the thickness of the arrow showing her intense anger, but best of all her focus despite this. Had it not been for his holding their downed child she would have shot him right there.

"One reason, give me one reason...you betrayed me, the trust that I have given you...god knows that I love you, but this is unforgivable! I'm taking Kou and going home to my father, I knew it! I knew I shouldn't have married a twisted dark one, not like you." she cursed him with her fury filled words.

The words that struck home had Tou's eyes fill with pain, he knew she'd be upset but there was no way he could predict any kind of reaction from her, especially nothing of such volume. Though he had no time to feel this pain now, he had to try to explain this situation to her, even if she were to hate him forever he had to tell her what was going on; had to tell her what made his decision valid.

As he began to speak he was stopped by something else this time, the stirring of his son; whose mask had fallen onto his stomach while he rested in Tou's arms.

"Momma...please don't...don't get mad..." he said faintly as he tried to open his rippling eyes.

Niyna's anger was replaced by concern as both her bow and the shot she had charged for Tou were dropped, she looked down at her helpless child and cupped his cheeks gently. This was one of those moments that made Niyna very human, a time rare in the Quincy's life aside from the day she married Tou and later made love. All of that fell to their child who was calling to his mother, wanting her to not be angry, she had no choice but to comply.

"Kou...your father did this to you, you are not in your right mind...let's go visit Grandpa." she said trying to reassert her earlier intentions of taking him and going.

His soft eyes opened again, some pain in them...though he was torn obviously by the moment.

"Daddy...meant well mom, this...this power...can help." he whispered softly, trying so hard to be the logical one.

His eyes began already to burn with tears, his emotions began to creep onto his young features as the first tears began to well up in his eyes. His parents splitting? He couldn't ever believe the day that would happen and didn't want it! Kou tried to continue but a whimper broke from his lips instead, he was worried above all else now.

Niyna looked to Tou and then to their son, her mind was boiling with rage and yet full of worry over her son, she could bearly contain the wish to make Tou pay right now. She almost desperately wanted to beat his face in, he was not her husband right now; but felt like an enemy.

"...Don't waste a moment Tou, make me believe again...right now." she said this reluctantly as she took her son into her arms and sat down on the ground, her work dress pooling around her as she looked at him.

Tou wasted no moments and dropped to his knees before her, he was shamed by his haste...but it was too late for that; so he cleared his throat and began.

"Dear Niyna, I know this will be hard to understand. But you know that our son's existence will attract the attention of not only mindless hollows, eventually he will run into Shinigami and the dark ones...the true shadows that control the hollow in the dark world of Hueco Mundo." the look in his eyes was pained but serious, as he needed to make this clear.

He went into detail about the world he'd mentioned before, she knew it as well as he had told her. The dark land of Hueco Mundo, where Hollows lived and where he'd faced the powerful hollow form that left him with wounds so serious that he became a Vaizard. He'd discovered the inner-hollow within and the use of his hollow powers, how he discovered the use of the Garaganta through experimentation and came to Karakura Town. The huge mess that all of this contained and how it came to be, he reminded her of all of this and that he knew there was some organized force behind the hollows.

"...This is what made me do this to our child. It was not some spontaneous decision or even a greedy wish to make him like me. You know I would want only the best for him and even though I forced this upon him; I knew he was strong enough to handle this." he said this last part more quietly.

Niyna's hand raised and slapped Tou in the face harshly, a slap which echoed in the massive training ground area.

"You complete and utter jerk!" she yelled as she looked at him, angrier than she had been before. Even feeling Kou's snuggling against her body did little to calm her anger, which was overriding any normal and logical thoughts for the moment.

"..." Tou looked at her and ignored the painful sting of her hard slap, he looked at her in some confusion and just wondered what was on her mind right now.

She said nothing and rocked Kou gently as she kissed the side of his head.

"You should have told me...we could have at least discussed it. I had no idea what was driving you to be such an asshole like this. You could've killed our son! You would've had to if the hollow took him over! I can't forgive you for this Tou, not so soon..." she said as she looked at him with regret in her eyes.

He was about to say something, but the press of her fingers to his lips stopped him.

"...But I will give you a chance Tou. You are honestly the biggest idiot I've ever known...and I can't help my love for an idiot. But you've really...really hurt my trust you know?" she was frowning still, but the fact that she was not going to leave was enough to make him calm down.

"Try really hard Tou...you have to earn mine and Kousou's trust again. This is nothing easily forgivable, but I will give you a chance...don't screw it up you got it? Because if you so much as blink funny not only will I give you an arrow between the eyes...I will take Kou without a word to you." she said this coldly, she could not let her anger go; so she made it clear here and now.

Tou only smiled at this chance, he would not mess it up. He said no words and only nodded to her softly. She asked him to come home with her and Kou and he did as she asked, they returned...a family but forever scarred by this day. Little did he and Niyna come to realize just how important this day was; to forge family bonds that would later prove unbreakable.

-Present Day-

10 years back to the day of his original betrayal, it seemed that Kou had not been slowed by that act and had since still been training; from day to night under the tutelage of his parents. He had become far more profficient than in his past and was certainly ranked higher than any mere foot soldier of the Gotei 13. His potential had grown immensely for a boy of his talent and his father might rate him along the lines of the average lieutenant, maybe a little further than that.

"Mom, I'm home!" he said as he opened the door.

No sooner than he had were three arrows flying his way and giving into his conditioned training, Kou disabled them with the sudden appearance of his bow; which held a gentle crystalline appearance. While more solid than in his childhood, he still had a long way to go with it.

Niyna came to the door with a small smile on her face, he had improved again since last week when she pinned him to the pole outside.

"Impressive son, come in." she said before disappearing back into the interior of their house, still dressed in her working clothes. She had only just come back from her job this afternoon some mintues before Kou returned home.

While as he entered, Kou also ducked his father's Zanpakuto with his bow, before his father chopped the bow in two; shattering it into spiritual particles while thrusting the blade at his son's face in a vicious manner. To his pride, Kou dodged them each without blinking and continued to defend himself unarmed for the moment. Tou's blade met the side of Kou's Zanpakuto sheath. This thrust attack continued as Kou skillfully twirled the sheathed katana and defended himself before finally thrusting the hilt at his father; making him back off.

For a moment Tou looked ready to continue, but eventually he drew the Zanpakuto up and smiled at his son.

"Very good my boy, a big step since last week you could hardly even sense me coming; let alone stop me." Tou was proud of his son and followed suit by sheathing his sword, marking the end of the exercise.

This was life for the young Shincy, still the routines of vigorous training had continued; with extra archery practice on Saturday and additional mask summoning practice on Sunday. Since he had become a Vaizard like his father, the training with the mask doubled at first and had recently tripled in the past 3 years. He spent more time as a Vaizard than as a Shinigami it seemed and the only training he got as a Shinigami now was against his father's Hollowfied form. The training had grown more intense and he had no idea what lay down the road for him.

Kou was no fool, he'd known that his parents had been acting stranger as the years passed, from showing him more care than they had before; to just training him that much harder. While he still couldn't figure out what all of it meant, he was eager to learn all his parents had to teach. It was his birth that gave way to a very unique amount of powers and just how far could it go? There was no way for him to tell, he was advanced in his skills as a Quincy and advanced as a Shinigami; good enough to be a lieutenant his father had told him. Though it didn't stop there since his father was eager to force him into Bankai and had mapped out plans down the line.

It was even being discussed over the wonderful meal that his mother had just prepared.

"..And so I think it'd be best if by next week that we start pushing you harder, you have to listen to your Zanpakuto my son. The person who will be doing the hard work will be you...you have to learn to deal with manifestation and then subjugation. I'm afraid that you will have to go further than asking Kazashiryuu son." Tou had known that Kou was too kind for his own good.

He was glad that he'd learned to be tough and to do whatever it took at times to get things done; but this did not take away from the worry here. If he told his son that in order to gain that power he had to earn it; then it would be enough. He seemed to be pretty sure that it would work for Kou; if he put his mind to it.

"I understand dad, me and Nagare have been talking about it for a while." Kou answered with a smile.

There was no need to tell him anything, since he and Nagare (as she preferred to be called) were discussing the battle ahead and that she would wait until he was ready. In fact she was already capable of self-manifestation, but they had not taken the next step where she willingly attacked him with everything. Kou was certain he could do it with a couple of months more under his belt.

His mother of course stepped in and spoke up, since she would not have her child putting himself at risk so easily.

"It will happen Kou, when you are able to surpass the next Quincy Exam I am giving you...this will not be as simple as the first three I have given; this fourth will slate you ready for the final exam further down the line. It will be in two weeks, so prepare yourself okay? I would like an even balance of your powers so you can handle anything; especially this Bankai training." Niyna added.

Despite her not caring much for powers she did not have, even she had begun testing his Shinigami ability: From Kido, to Zanjutsu, then Hoho, to Hakuda.

While she was no master of Hakuda, having learned several arts of self defense she knew well how to fend for herself without her bow. She used each Quincy skill to counter any her child used: Ginto to his Kido, Hirenkyaku to Shunpo, Bow to Sword, and hand to hand. She was happy...but could not help but worry as a mother often did. His future was looking a bit grim, as she knew that something dark was coming down the line...a chain of events that would not be good in the longrun.

And as the family continued to eat their dinner, the open of Kousou Yuushin's life; the Interlude of the Shincy had begun.