Author Notes: Hello, everyone! We've finished reviving all the characters who we feel didn't deserve to die, so enjoy the epilogue :)
General Warnings: Parody, self-insert, tongue in cheek humour and OOCness.
Chapter Warnings: Spoilers for the Quincy Blood War arc.
- Chapter Start -
A few months after the Quincy Blood War...
When Byakuya-nii-sama announced that he and Hisana-nee-san were going away for a second honeymoon, no one was happier for them than Rukia Kuchiki.
After helping Ichigo and friends defeat the Quincy King, achieving her Bankai, being promoted to co-Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen, and seeing ex-Captain Ukitake alive and in full health, being reunited with Hisana-nee-san was the icing on the cake.
And seeing her stern nii-sama smile for the first time in memory?
That was the cherry on top.
Rukia assured her older sister she bore her no ill will for abandoning her so many years ago. She was thrilled to see the deep love Hisana-nee-san and Byakuya-nii-sama had for each other. She couldn't help hoping that one day, she too, would have a love just as enduring... and if a certain red haired Lieutenant's face came to mind, she just smiled.
- o -
A week later at Urahara's shop...
"Yeah, my birthday is this Saturday," Ichigo replied. "Why?"
Rukia gave a sunny smile.
"Byakuya-nii-sama and Hisana-nee-san will return this Sunday. We can hold your birthday party the day before."
"Nah, that's not necessary," Ichigo vetoed. His birthday celebrations usually consisted of a fast food lunch with his friends and his favourite dish for dinner, courtesy of Yuzu.
Rukia's smile grew bigger.
"Oh, but it's a must, Ichigo. I insist!"
Ichigo sighed.
"Come over to my place for dinner then. Yuzu won't mind cooking extra," he offered and nodded to the others. "You guys are welcome too."
"Oh no no no, that won't do at all," Rukia said, still with that wide smile on her face.
Ichigo frowned in puzzlement, but Ishida cleared his throat, nudging his glasses higher up.
"Kuchiki-san, are you by any chance planning to hold a birthday party for Kurosaki at Kuchiki Manor in Seireitei, without your brother's knowledge?" he asked, straight to the point.
Rukia nodded excitedly, large purple eyes sparkling.
"What?" Ichigo exclaimed.
Orihime started laughing, Chad nodded and even Ishida had to crack a small smile.
"That's a great idea!" Yoruichi exclaimed, grinning widely.
Ichigo shook his head, suspecting she meant the part where Byakuya Kuchiki would be excluded, rather than the idea of the actual party itself.
"Great, so it's settled then," Rukia said.
"Wait, don't you think-" Ichigo began.
"I've already informed the Women's Shinigami Association to send out invites so you'll see everyone there," Rukia said briskly and got up to leave. "Excuse me, I have preparations to make."
"Then why did you bother asking me?" Ichigo demanded. "It sounds like you've already planned everything!"
Renji chuckled and clapped Ichigo on the shoulder before getting up as well.
"You know what she's like," he said, giving her a fond glance.
Ichigo pretended not to see that, sighing as he eyed the excited faces around him. He turned to Urahara who already looked like he knew what Ichigo was going to say.
"Urahara-san, could you do that spirit exchanger thingy to allow Karin and Yuzu into Seireitei this Saturday?"
"Of course, Kurosaki-san," Urahara promised with a smile.
- o -
Saturday dawned bright and clear in Karakura Town as well as Seireitei. It was the perfect day for an outdoor barbeque.
Ichigo and his family and friends arrived at Seireitei at around four in the afternoon. Isshin invited himself 'since Yoruichi and Urahara were invited and Yuzu won't be around to cook me dinner' and offered to take his excited daughters on a tour around the place. Ichigo just rolled his eyes and reminded them to be careful since repairs were still being carried out.
Kon, Ririn, Korudo and Noba came along as well. Kon had ditched his old yellow lion plushie as soon as Urahara gave him a brand new gigai some weeks back. It looked remarkably similar to Ichigo except with blond hair and light brown eyes. Kon had been worried about Nozomi's reaction to his new appearance, but she had given her immediate approval which was good since they were dating. With Nozomi's current job as guardian Shinigami of Karakura Town, the two of them could and did meet very often.
The large grounds of Kuchiki Manor was a hive of activity with picnic mats set out on the grass. To one side were long tables set out with food and drink, and nearby were barbeque pits where various meats were being roasted.
Rukia ran out of the house to greet them. She was dressed in a light purple flowered kimono instead of her usual black Shinigami robes, a sight that made Renji's eyes warm with admiration.
"Happy Birthday, Ichigo," she said, "and hello, everyone!"
- o -
Byakuya stopped walking when he felt the mass of reiatsu in the general direction of his home.
"Byakuya-sama, is anything wrong?" Hisana asked. They were due to return tomorrow, but her morning sickness - she was in the early stages of pregnancy - prompted them to return home a day early.
In answer, Byakuya tightened his hand around hers and shunpo'd them to a nearby hilltop overlooking his home. The gardens were not empty as he had expected, but filled with people. The air was full of chatter, laughter and the delicious aroma of roasting meat.
"I didn't know there was a party at our home," Hisana said happily, not in the least bit fazed by the unexpected sight.
"So it would seem," Byakuya replied, swallowing his initial furious retort.
He looked around again, slate grey eyes narrowing at a large group of people seated beside the koi pond. Amongst them was the orange of Kurosaki's hair, the light brown of Inoue's along with Yasutora and Ishida's dark heads, and the unmistakable red of Renji's. Focusing on that group, he sensed two other reiatsu that felt similar to Ichigo's - his two imouto, perhaps?
Lips tightening, Byakuya looked around, recognising various members of the Gotei 13. There was what looked like half of Squad Eleven bickering over one of the roasting lambs, no doubt wanting to have the entire animal all to themselves. The other half seemed to be engaged in minor squabbles here and there. They had better not damage any of his precious trees or flowering shrubs, and heaven help them if he found a single koi missing.
Halfway along the bridge spanning the pond stood the pink kimono clad figure of Captain Commander Kyoraku with Special Advisor Ukitake beside him, no doubt enjoying sake and one of their usual chit chats. At one foot of the bridge was Nanao, keeping a vigilant eye on the two while conversing with her co-Lieutenant of Squad One.
Byakuya turned his head and saw another group of people seated on a hill furthest away from the house. Casting a huge shadow on the grass was the hulking form of Komamura. Beside him sat Iba, Hisagi, Kira, Matsumoto, Hitsugaya, Hinamori and - wait.
Byakuya's eyes narrowed still further.
Kaname Tousen and Gin Ichimaru.
Those two traitors had been spirited away from Central 46 on the day of their sentencing two years ago. Where had they been hiding all this while, and what the hell were they doing here now on his grounds?
"Well, well, well! Fancy seeing you here, Byakuya-bou," said an all too familiar voice in his ear.
Byakuya whipped his head to the side, cursing himself for letting down his guard.
Yoruichi stood there, golden eyes twinkling merrily.
"Did I catch you off guard again?" she teased. "You were frowning so fiercely! Tell me, were the koi in the pond swimming out of line? Was the grass on the lawn growing at different heights?"
As Byakuya ground his perfect teeth together - was the were-cat behind this party? - Yoruichi turned to Hisana and hugged her.
"Hisana, my dear, you look radiant!"
"Thank you. It's good to see you again, Yoruichi."
"Byakuya-bou must've given you one hell of a honeymoon, eh?" Yoruichi said with a saucy wink that made Hisana blush and Byakuya bristle.
"That is none of your-"
"Kisuke," Yoruichi interrupted him cheerfully, turning to the shopkeeper who had just materialised beside her. "I told you Byakuya-bou would be homesick and return early, didn't I?"
"You are right as usual, Yoruichi-san. Captain Kuchiki, since you and your lovely wife are here, you might as well join in the fun. We are celebrating Ichigo Kurosaki's eighteenth birthday. There's a lot of food to go around and everything is superb! But of course you already know that, don't you?"
The two of them laughed and excused themselves, disappearing in a flit of shunpo and reappearing beside Ichigo's group.
With a sniff, Byakuya turned to see two servants trekking up the hill towards Komamura's group, bearing food and drinks. Before he could take a step forward, Hisana's fingers tightened around his and he paused to look down at her.
"Byakuya-sama, I can't imagine coming home to a happier sight than this," she said, smiling. "Our family and our friends together, laughing and celebrating. It gladdens my heart."
Byakuya found his annoyance dissipating immediately. The somber mood that had blanketed Kuchiki Manor for the past fifty years had finally lifted thanks to Hisana's miraculous return. His home was a happy place more once and the servants went about their duties with smiling faces. Byakuya himself was happier than his first few years of marriage, for Hisana was no longer burdened with finding Rukia while battling poor health.
"It's all because of the one they call Ichigo, isn't it?" Hisana continued. "I would very much like to meet him."
Byakuya raised her hand to his lips and pressed a loving kiss to her knuckles.
"It is, and you shall. Right now."
With that, he shunpo'd both of them over to Ichigo's group, taking satisfaction in seeing the shocked expressions on everyone's faces - particularly Rukia's - at their sudden appearance.
"Nii-sama! Nee-san!"
Rukia recovered admirably in seconds, embracing Hisana warmly before introducing Ichigo to her.
Byakuya wasn't surprised when Ichigo jumped to his feet to give Hisana a formal if slightly awkward bow, remarked on how much she resembled Rukia and addressed her respectfully as 'Hisana-san'. Just like he wasn't surprised when he was greeted in turn with the usual 'Hey, Byakuya!'
- o -
An hour later...
After a delicious meal of grilled fish and milk, Yoruichi walked around, enjoying the evening sun on her back and the ticklish grass beneath her paws. The lanterns hanging in the trees and the bridge had just been switched on, turning the Kuchiki grounds into a colourful wonderland.
Her ears twitched at snatches of conversations as she leisurely wound her way past the various groups of people. She glanced back to where Ichigo and his friends sat. Her younger brother Yushiro had fully recovered from the grave injuries inflicted by that Quincy Askin and had pestered her to bring him along. Ichigo's younger sisters were quite taken with him, plying him with equal amounts of food and questions.
Yoruichi walked past a tipsy Ikkaku who was teasing an increasingly flustered Yumichika about how he was willing to use his real Shikai to defend him against Toushiro during the war. The zombified Captain had put an end to that with a vicious slash across Yumichika's chest, but Ikkaku insisted it was the thought that counted.
Chuckling to herself - who knew that Ikkaku was 'playful' when sake was involved - Yoruichi walked past Captain Kaien Shiba and wife Miyako Shiba who was co-Lieutenant of Squad Thirteen together with Rukia. Kaien had reluctantly agreed to step up as Captain when Ukitake sacrificed himself during the Quincy Blood War. Yoruichi was there when Ukitake appeared at Squad Thirteen's barracks with Captain Commander Kyoraku beside him. Ukitake had received his squad's stunned amazement and noisy tears of welcome with his usual aplomb, laughingly refused to take back his old position despite Kaien's vehement protests, and assured him he would make a fine captain.
Smiling at the memory, Yoruichi made her way up the hillside and sat down on her haunches beside Iba. She nodded at Hinamori who was sitting very close to Hitsugaya - practically on the skirt of his captain's haori although the two of them pretended not to notice... such adorable children!
Rangiku and Ichimaru were sitting just as close with Ichimaru's arm around her shoulders and his previous mocking, snake-like smile replaced by a serious expression. The two were inseparable now and Hitsugaya had resigned himself to approving his Lieutenant's frequent trips to the Real World if it didn't interfere with her other duties, namely the paperwork which she detested.
Yoruichi was amused to note that Iba was looking rather put out, but whether it was because of how close Komamura, Tousen and Hisagi were sitting together, or because the dojo Tousen and Ichimaru had set up in Karakura Town was doing very well, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that after Yamamoto's death, Tousen and Hisagi had somehow managed to persuade Komamura not to seek out his great grandfather to become more powerful. It was a good thing as Komamura's werewolf clan had a secret that would have ended his career as Captain.
Standing up, Yoruichi gave a luxurious full body stretch before looking around for Kisuke. That man had a lap like no other and his hands knew exactly where she liked to be stroked and petted.
Too bad he was nowhere to be found now. No matter, she would seek him out later. For now, Yoruichi went to curl up under a nearby tree for her evening snooze. It was a comfortable spot, but the most comforting thing of all was the peace that enveloped the Kuchiki grounds and the happy chatter all around her.
STORY END
A/N: Thank you for reading! The manga didn't show how several key characters fared after the Quincy Blood War so we hope we've managed to tie up all the loose ends and that you've enjoyed our zany, tongue-in-cheek humour. Please review :)