Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'm back! ^-^ This is the first time I've written a fantasy story and well I hope you guys like it. Oh and I do recommend my other story All Around the Town, which I will be updating very soon. This story was inspired by Tangled, Lord of the Rings and the Tanabata Legend.

I would very much like to thank AnnieInWonderland for helping me and giving me advise and encouraging me to write this story :)

Disclaimer: Bleach does not belong to me (sigh) Tangled belongs to Disney. Lord of the Rings belong to J.R.R Tolkien and the Tanabata Legend belongs to . . .uhh . . . I really don't know but it doesn't belong to me hehe XD

Prologue:

The Tale of the Ageless

In the beginning, the gods divided the world into five kingdoms; the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Realm, the Eastern Land, the Western Country and lastly Crux.

Crux was the most powerful among the kingdoms and was ruled by a King that no one had ever seen but everyone adhered and revered. In the heart of Crux lay the mighty city of Seireitei. Seireitei was inhabited by the nobles, the elite, the warriors and the royal family. It was the center of the world.

The Southern Realm on the other hand was the most unprogressive kingdom. It was barren and bleak; a perilous place filled with crooks, thugs, ruffians, muggers and criminals. The Southern Realm o Hueco Mundo(in their native tongue) was ruled by the notorious Luisenbarn Clan. For years the Southern Realm was feared and loathed by other kingdoms, until the rise of a young prince. The prince had overthrown the Luisenbarn Clan and taken over the whole of Hueco Mundo by force, his name was Prince Aizen Sousuke. Ever since the prince took over, the Southern Realm had begun to prosper. Soon, the Southern Realm had become more powerful than the Crux. He was a great leader, at least they thought he was.

But Aizen turned out to be a power hungry rogue, who cared about no one but himself. He formed an army that was awefully loyal to him and called it, Arrancar. He was not satisfied with just the Southern Kingdom and conquered the Western Country, along with the Eastern and Northern Kingdoms of the world. With the four Kingdoms at his mercy, Aizen almost had the world to himself but almost was not enough for him. He wanted the whole world to himself and the only thing that wasn't his was Crux.

When the Southern Army arrived at Seireitei, the people thought that they had come for the annual Star Festival, so they welcomed them. Then on the eve of the festival they attacked the center of the world. It was a long and gruesome bloodshed but in the end only one was victorious, in the end Aizen was victorious.

The prince, now a king, infiltrated the royal palace and murdered the King and his family. He tore down the old palace and built a new castle, a huge fortress he called Las Noches. He surrounded himself with a band of fierce and brutal warriors that protected him from those who threatened to harm him, they were the Espadas.

For years King Aizen reigned mercilessly, spreading fear throughout the world, executing anyone and everyone who dare defy him. It was the beginning of the Dark Age.

One day, the King caught a plague and the people believed it was the end of his wicked rule for what he had led to death no matter what medicine he took. The mighty King Aizen Sosuke was about to die of old age.

But the king was not ready to give up his thrown, no, he would never give his thrown. And so he launched a frantic search for an elixir or anything that would lengthen his life span. He searched every kingdom and raided every village but to no avail. Desperate for an elixir, he went to the gods. He built a high tower that reached the heavens and asked the gods.

People say the gods granted him godhood for when he returned to Earth, he was no longer his graying self but has reverted back to his young and powerful form. Other people say that he forced the gods to make him immortal, after the high tower was built the stars never shone. Some say that he sold his soul to the devil. But one of Aizen's workers said that the king found a treasure that kept him forever young. There, on the fifth and highest tower of his fortress he kept a treasure that glowed brighter than any star in the sky, that is, when the stars used to shine.

"What kind of a retard would believe that crap of a story of yours!" a boy with unruly orange hair scowled. He was around the age of ten, he was tall for his age and had chocolate brown eyes that held depth despite his age.

"Insolent boy" a young man with light blond hair mumbled behind his fan, "a lot of people believe my story" he insisted. "Well" the orange haired boy crossed his arm over his chest, "a lot of people are idiots!"

"Not all" a small girl interrupted, "just those who believe Urahara-san". She was a pale girl with huge violet eyes and raven hair that reached her shoulders. She was dressed in an old kimono that was a little too big for her thin frame.

"You believe him so you're an idiot too" a boy, just a year older than the first boy we met said. This boy had long fiery red hair and a gaze that was tough and determined. Just like the little girl, he was dressed in an old and dirty kimono that just didn't fit his body well.

"Shut up Renji! Nobody asked you to speak!" the girl glared at the redhead.

"You're not the boss of me!" Renji retorted, "I speak when I wish to speak and there's nothing a midget like you can do about it" he sneered.

Violet eyes narrowed at the statement. "What did you just call me?" she asked in a dark and threatening tone.

"Have you gone deaf Rukia? Or shall I say midget" he laughed aloud.

Clamping her little fingers on his ear and twisting it, she shouted "How dare you call me a midget you baboon!". She heard another burst of laughter from her left and glared at the orange haired boy, "What are you laughing at, Strawberry!" she shouted before grabbing his ear too.

Immediately, the laughing seized. "This is your fault!" the tangerine haired boy accused the older boy. "My fault? You laughed too, Ichigo" Renji protested.

"I wouldn't have laughed if you wouldn't have called her a-" Ichigo bit his bottom lip to stop him from letting out another wave of laughter. "Called her a-" now he had to clamp a hand on his mouth to stop laughing.

"A midget?" Renji asked, chuckling a bit. The two boys stared at each other then began to laugh so hard their stomachs ached. Of course, the little girl, Rukia was only angered even more. She tightened her hold on the boys' ears and like a pair of cymbals, made their foreheads collide. "Shut up before I decide to break you heads like eggshells!" she ordered.

Rukai, despite her age, weight and height was a strong girl. She was the eldest among the girls in Urahara's orphanage and she was also one of the toughest. She was a girl but acted like a boy and was sometimes mistaken for one. She and her older sister were brought to the orphanage after Aizen's men burned their village. She and her sister came to the Shoten with Renji, who lost his father after trying to fight the outsiders off. Urahara's shoten served as a shelter to the children who were from war stricken villages. Urahara Kisuke was the former king's doctor and his 12th captain but after Aizen took over, he retained his position as the royal doctor but worked as a spy for the Shinigami, the army that was against Aizen. After sometime, Aizen found out about him thus making Kisuke a fugitive, and now an orphanage keeper.

"Now, now children, there's no need to fight over such trivial matters" Urahara said breaking off Rukia's hold from Renji's and Ichigo's ear. He felt a slight tug on his sleeve, he turned around only to see a pair of light brown eyes staring up at him. "What kind of treasure do you think king Aizen has, Urahara-san?" She asked in a small voice.

Urahara smiled at the little girl and said "I think, he caught an angel"

"An angel!" she squealed in delight.

"An angel" the other girls scooted near Urahara to listen to him. "You see, when I worked for Aizen, but that was a long time ago, I was posted near the 5th tower and every time the topmost of the tower shone, the voice of an angel could be heard"

"Don't listen to a word he says Yuzu" came Ichigo's command. The little girl pouted, "but Onii-chan I want to know how King Aizen caught the angel"

"Don't call him King!" he raised his voice, "he's not a king! He's the bastard who killed-"

"Ichigo!" a deep and authoritative voice interrupted, "not infront of your sisters please" he warned. Ichigo turned to see a man in a black kimono warrior garb with the coat of a capatain wrapped around his arm. He had jet black hair and the same black eyes.

"Dad" Ichigo mumbled.

"Ah Isshin-san, good evening" Urahara greeted

"Daddy! Daddy! King Aizen caught an angel" Yuzu ran into her father's arms.

"He did?"

"Yes, he caught an angel" she exclaimed

"Really? Well I caught two angels" he said proudly

"Two?" her eyes widened. "Yep, two" Isshin grinned. Suddenly he grabbed the little girl with short black hair, sitting by Urahara, reading a book. "There, two angels, Yuzu and Karin" he said

"Let go of me old man!" the black haired girl squirmed as Yuzu giggled. Despite being twins, Karin and Yuzu were the exact opposite of each other. While Yuzu was sweet and had honey brown hair, Karin was feisty and tomboyish with short black hair.

"But you know I actually have three angels" Isshin told his daughters

"Mama?" Karin asked, but Isshin shook his head "No sweetheart, Mama is my goddess" he chuckled

"Then who's the other one?" Yuzu asked. Grinning widely he pointed to a certain orange haired boy, "Ichigo of course". This time it was Rukia's turn to laugh.

"Ahahaha Ichigo? An angel?" Rukia laughed, "Strawberry Angel" Renji snickered

"Shuddap!" the boy scowled deeper. "I'm not an angel! I'm a protector" he proudly stated

"Sure, Strawberries protect you from colds right" Renji laughed even more.

"Baka! I'm the first guardian and you are the stray dog!" he pointed to Renji. Renji glared at Ichigo and the two began to rumble.

"Okay boys that's enough now" a huge man with glasses lifted them up. "If you want to fight take it outside" he said. This was Tessai, the orphanage's cook and caretaker. "I don't think that's a very good thing to say, Tessai-san" Urahara said, opening his fan.

Before Tessai could even say a word the two boys have resumed their fight outside. Urahara sighed, "boys will be boys. Sado-kun, would you do me a favor and retrieve those two for me please" he asked the tall boy who in reply nodded. He turned to Isshin and said "how is the army?"

"Terrible. We still need a little more time to prepare for the war" the captain answered, severity in his voice.

The warriors of Seireitei have been in battle with Aizen's soldiers for quite some time now. The thirteen captain of the late King and their squads were trying to reclaim Crux and rebuild the city but to their dismay, Aizen's soldiers out number them.

"Well then Kisuke, thank you for watching over my children" Isshin said before carrying his two daughters.

"It's always a pleasure to have them here, oh wouldn't you like to stay for dinner?"

"oh no, we've bothered you enough for tonight. Thank you nonetheless" the father replied

"Ichigo! We're going" he called for his son, who abruptly let go of Renji making him fall face first on the ground

"Good night, Urahara-san!" Yuzu waved at the orphanage keeper

"Good night, Yuzu-chan, Karin-chan, Ichigo-kun" he waved back. A terrible gut feeling washed over him, telling him he should have insisted that they stayed, he shouldn't have let them go.

Author's Note:

Hmm . . .I wonder why Urahara had a feeling that he should have asked the Kurosaki family to stay?

Do you like it? Do you hate it? Anyway review please. I'd like to hear your comments and criticisms so that I can write better. I'll update as soon as I can.

Yours truly,

~Ember~