"Hello, son, how's Jada doing? Did she give birth?"
Ren's mother asked over the phone. He had to inform his parents about Jada's early labor scare.
"It's fine, Mom. The doctor said it's just false labor contractions," Ren replied.
False labor, also known as Braxton Hicks contractions, are irregular uterine contractions that occur a few weeks before childbirth. They are more common in women who have previously given birth, which Jada hadn't experienced with their first child, Yueyue.
"Oh, thank goodness. As long as everything's okay," Ren's mom sighed in relief. She didn't quite understand the medical terms but knew from Ren's tone that Jada was fine.
"Make sure you take good care of your wife, understand?"
"Got it, Mom," Ren assured her before ending the call.
He felt a weight lifted off his shoulders and headed back to the room where Yueyue was sleeping. Since it was late and the hospital was a good distance from home, Ren decided to stay overnight rather than return home. Thankfully, there were available rooms in the hospital.
As he lay down, Ren breathed a sigh of relief. It had been a false alarm. Although he eagerly awaited their child's arrival, he wanted a healthy baby. Even though they could afford medical care, he'd rather not have their child endure any suffering.
Perhaps due to the exhaustion from the day's events, Ren soon drifted off to sleep.
The next morning, Yueyue woke up, rubbing her eyes. She excitedly shook Ren awake, "Daddy, where's my little brother or sister?"
Having fallen asleep on the way to the hospital, Yueyue was unaware of the situation. She still remembered Ren saying that her mom might give birth.
Ren yawned, "It was a false alarm. Your mom had something called false labor contractions."
"Huh? What does that mean?" Yueyue looked puzzled by the medical term.
Seeing her confusion, Ren thought for a moment and explained, "It's like when you want to play before finishing your homework, and your mom or I catch you. Your brother or sister was trying to come out early, but your mom kept them inside."
"Oh, I get it," Yueyue said, shaking her fist playfully. "My brother or sister is naughty! They made me miss my sleep! Daddy, when they come out, we have to scold them!"
"Sure," Ren chuckled, patting Yueyue's head. "Now, let's have breakfast and get you to school."
"But I haven't brushed my teeth yet!"
"Let's buy some toiletries first, then head to school."
...
The scare had shaken Ren up. After this incident, he was extra cautious, even going so far as to sleep on the floor to avoid disturbing Jada. As a result, he hadn't thought about 'supplementing his nutrients.'
During this time, Ren's manga, *Bleach*, was nearing its conclusion. While the series had the same name as the original, Ren made significant changes. For instance, the Zanpakuto were replaced with Chinese-style Tang swords, and the setting was adjusted to fit a more Chinese aesthetic.
The most notable changes were in the final battle of Karakura Town. In the original, both sides fully mobilized, with the Soul Reapers setting up a defensive formation and Aizen's side holding the upper hand. Ren adjusted the strategy to a more tactical one, emphasizing protecting the pillars that maintained the swapped locations between the real Karakura Town and the Soul Society.
In this version, the characters had more interactions and strategic maneuvers, enhancing the story's depth and stakes.
The final showdown with Aizen also differed. In the original, the protagonist often powered up just in time to defeat the villains. Ren chose to change that pattern.
After Ichigo trained in the Dangai to master the "Final Getsuga Tensho," Gin betrayed Aizen and used his Bankai to attack him. However, Aizen's Hogyoku saved him, and he killed Gin. In Ren's version, Gin played a more significant role. The poison on Gin's Kamishini no Yari, developed with Mayuri Kurotsuchi's help, temporarily paralyzed Aizen, weakening him significantly.
Ichigo and Gin delivered a final blow together, weakening Aizen and disrupting the Hogyoku's evolution. This allowed Urahara and Ichigo to seal Aizen successfully. Aizen was then sentenced by Central 46 to 18,800 years in the Muken, later increased to 20,000 years for his continued disrespect.
With Aizen defeated and Ichigo losing his powers, peace was restored.
Thus, *Bleach* came to an end.
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