SailorStar9: After getting Chapter 12 out, this is Chapter 13 and the final chapter of this fic. For everyone who put this fic on your favorited and followed lists and/or story alerts, thank you, but remember everyone, a lot of authors (myself included) sustain on readers' reviews.

Disclaimers: I own nothing, except for the plot bunny. Heck, even the pairings aren't mine.

Chapter 13: Summer! Sea! Swimsuit Festival!

Sometime later...

The Shinigami Women's Association were picking out swimsuits in a beach store.

"Should I get this one?" Ise wondered. "Or is it too flashy? We're going to the beach, so I'm allowed to show off a bit. But showing off my midriff is kind of embarrassing."

"Why's it giving you such a hard time?" Matsumoto chided. "It doesn't matter what you wear since you don't have any boobs to show off."

"Leave me alone!" Ise snapped.

"I guess I'll go with this one." Yoruichi picked out a swimsuit.

"Suì-Fēng-sempai, shouldn't you be picking out a swimsuit?" Karin reminded, standing on tiptoes to look over the clothing racks.

"My apologies." Suì-Fēng turned back to the rack she was browsing.

"Suì-Fēng, Karin, I've picked out a swimsuit for you two." Yoruichi walked over to the two younger girls. "This!"

"Yoruichi-sama, I'd like to get this yellow one." Suì-Fēng pulled out a nearby swimsuit.

"It's a bit too late, Suì-Fēng-sempai." Karin piped in, Yoruichi having presented the pink swimsuit to the counter staff.

"Yoruichi-sama..." Suì-Fēng teared.

"How nice." Isane complained. "Captain Suì-Fēng are short enough to have a lot of suits to choose from. There aren't any cute swimsuits for tall people."

"Nee-san I found the perfect swimsuit for you." Kiyone sang.

"Hold it, Kiyone!" Isane protested. "There's no way I could wear that."

"Isn't that lovely?" Unohana cut in. "This is what I'm going to wear. These go great together, you should get that one, Isane."

"But Captain..." Isane gaped.

"Get that one, Isane." Unohana repeated.

"Okay." Isane muttered.

"Captain Unohana is seriously scary." Karin sweatdropped.

Afterwards..

"And that's why the Shinigami Women's Association came to a beach in the real world for a little R&R." Matsumoto informed Ichigo.

"That didn't tell me anything." Ichigo stated.

"Then, allow me to explain things." Ise spoke, recalling how Byakuya had used Senbonzakura to demolish the swimming pool they had built in his backyard. It was then when Unohana, as the Shinigami Women's Association's chairwoman. Suggested they take a trip to the sea.

"What's with your guys?" Ichigo sighed.

"Lighten up, Ichigo." Yoruichi chided. "Thanks to her, you're at the beach, surrounded by a ton of babes in hot swimsuits. Be grateful."

"Ichigo, this is a great chance for you to show your gratitude to everyone for all the help they gave you." Rukia reminded. "Wouldn't you agree, nii-sama?" she turned to Byakuya.

"And what are you doing here?" Ichigo deathpanned.

"They said this was how they were going to pay me back for building a swimming pool in my yard." Byakuya answered.

"Don't let it bother you, Ichigo." Ukitake called out. "Let's have a good time today."

"Ukitake and everyone else are here, too?" Ichigo blinked.

"I invited Captain Ukitake." Rukia explained. "I thought it would be good for him to get some fresh air."

"Rangiku invited us because she wanted someone to liven up the party." Renji piped in.

"We didn't have anything better to do." Ikkaku shrugged.

"So, that's that." Ukitake beamed. "I've been feeling good lately, and this'll be a nice change in pace. It feels nice to sunbathe a little."

"Captain!" Sentarou and Kiyone exclaimed in horror was Ukitake passed out.

"Shouldn't we cool him down with some ice?" Isane suggested, the two 13th Squad 3rd Seat were sitting under a parasol, fanning Ukitake.

"Sounds good." Unohana agreed. "Could someone go that that shack and get some ice?"

"Hime-nee, where's the baby bok choy?" Karin called from the storage room.

"It's next to the cheese and leeks." Orihime answered. "Above the anko paste in the chappy cooler box."

"Which chappy?" Karin wondered. "The carrot-chappy or the cat-chappy?"

"The carrot-chappy." Orihime replied. "Kuchiki helped me pack that box, while Ishida helped with the other. There should be five packets I'd wanted to use."

"Orihime, while I do know we're feeding several hungry Shinigami, but five packets of bok choy is overdoing things." Hasu looked up from the metal bowl of ice water she was using the chill the mizu manju.

"Hime-nee, what's the shoe polish for?" came Karin's bewildered question.

"You see..." Orihime trailed.

"Excuse me." Ichigo called out, entering the shack with Renji. "Could you give me some ice?"

"Okay." Orihime answered.

"Inoue." Ichigo gaped. "What're you doing here?"

"Working." Orihime beamed.

"You're too loud, Kurosaki." Ishida chided, at the frying pan.

"Sado is here, too." Orihime supplied, said giant walking in with a crate of chilled drinks.

"Why're you here?" Ichigo gawked.

"Didn't you hear?" Renji asked. "Captain Unohana asked them to do this."

"Shinigami may be my enemy, but I can't refuse a direct request from Hasu." Ishida explained.

"We're renting this entire beach for the day." Renji supplied. "We can't kick back and relax if there are people from the real world here."

"So, that's why everyone came." Ichigo sighed.

"Anyway, don't you need some ice?" Orihime reminded.

"That's right." Ichigo remembered. "Ukitake's got heat exhaustion, so we need some ice to cool him off."

"How horrible." Orihime gaped. "I'll get to it right away. Tōshirō, ice please."

"Good grief." said ice Captain complained. "I told him not to overdo it."

"Tōshirō," Ichigo blinked. "You're here, too. Why aren't you with everyone else?"

"Because I hate the heat." Hitsugaya muttered.

"Tōshirō is in charge of making all of our ice with Hyōrinmaru." Orihime explained.

"Should you really be using your Zanpakutō for that?" Ichigo wondered.

"Back off!" Hitsugaya snapped. "Do you want ice or not?"

Just then, Karin pushed-dragged the carrot-chappy cooler box into the shack. "Guys, how about a little help..."

Hitsugaya huffed and was up in less than a second, taking over the cooler box from his female counterpart.

"Hi, Tōshirō, nice to see you too." Karin drawled. "Are you done being an ostrich?"

"Karin, what are you doing here, with them?" Ichigo screeched, pointing a frantic finger at his sister.

"Working." Karin deathpanned, pulling out a packet of vegetables, picking up a smaller, plastic version of Zangetsu and started chopping the stems.

"About the ice..." Ichigo prompted.

"Sōten ni zase, Hyōrinmaru." Hitsugaya conjured an ice dragon on the sand. "There."

"It's too big." Ichigo gawked.

"Eto..." Karin started, staring at the ice dragon sculpture, then at Hitsugaya, then at Ichigo.

"Karin, this..." Ichigo stammered. "I mean, this is just..."

Karin just leveled a glare at her older brother, already about to summon Suzaku to the field.

Ichigo just sighed, "Can we talk?" he pointed to the shade between the shack and the storage room.

"Come on, Tōshirō!" Karin whined, trying to pull the ice Captain out.

"I refuse!" said snowy-haired Captain was steadfast in avoiding the heat.

"And why not?" Karin pouted.

"I told you, I hate the heat." Hitsugaya answered.

"And yet you come to the beach." Karin was confused. "Honestly Tōshirō, I don't get you sometimes. Fine then, stay inside and sulk. I'll go find Yachiru or someone else!" she stormed off.

"Your arguments are still as amusing as ever." Hasu teased, settling a plate of freshly made mizu manju before Hitsugaya.

"Hasu-sama, please..." Hitsugaya blushed.

"That was a big success!" Yachiru beamed, high-fiving Karin after the pink-haired Lieutenant dropped a crab right on Ikkaku's thigh.

"Everyone, lunch is ready." Orihime called, the teens were bringing out the foodstuff they ha prepared.

"It's yakisoba and onigiri, courtesy to the Sea Shack." Ishida supplied. "Please enjoy your meal."

"If you leave it there..." Isane started, the food were laid down before the sand coffin structure Sentarou and Kiyone had laid Ukitake in.

"Doesn't it look like a funeral?" Karin blinked.

"I think Captain Ukitake's team is clearly the winner now." Unohana beamed.

"Was Captain Ukitake competing, too?" Isane wondered.

"Wasn't he?" Unohana blinked.

"Isane, Ise!" Karin exclaimed, barely managed to dodge the black tentacles that had stretched out to her, the two female Lieutenants were not so lucky when they were caught by the tentacles.

"Where do you think you're touching?" Ise wailed when the tentacle holding her snuck into her swimsuit.

"There's a tentacle in my swimsuit." Isane winced.

"Wow, that's crazy." Matsumoto gawked. "I'll make a fortune if I sell pictures like this."

"This isn't the time for that!" Karin reminded

"I thought it might show up." Unohana noted. "Actually, there were rumors about a special type of high Reiatsu Hollow haunting this beach."

"Karin, let's go." Ishida had already formed his spirit bow.

"On it." Karin nodded, summoning her 'Sunfury Bow', and both teacher and student fired off their arrows.

Sado released an 'El Directo' for good measure.

"What?" Ishida gaped when the tentacles nullified their attacks.

"Reiatsu-based attacks won't work on it." Nemu supplied. "Its vines has the ability to absorb Reiatsu. So physical attacks are the only way we can damage it."

"So we have to whack it with our Zanpakutō?" Ichigo realized. "Damn it, I didn't bring my Substitute Badge or Gikongan, so I can't turn into a Shinigami. Rangiku, Rukia."

"We came here on vacation." Matsumoto reminded. "There's no way I'd bring a Zanpakutō with me."

"Sorry, Ichigo." Rukia started. "I left Chappy in the Sea Shack."

"Renji?" Ichigo blinked when the redhead brought out Zabimaru.

"I thought this might happen, so I brought Zabimaru with me." Renji grinned. "Howl, Zabimaru!" he jumped to attack.

"So much for that plan." Karin mocked, seeing Renji being tossed off into the sea by a tentacle.

"Kurosaki!" Orihime wailed, a tentacle having grabbed her.

"Kurosaki, the rest of us will handle things here." Ishida told Ichigo. "You go get your Substitute Badge."

"Well, can't say that wasn't expected." Hasu sweatdropped when Ichigo was stopped by a watermelon-like Hollow raising from the sand, and she summoned her light purple Senescence Scythe.

Yoruichi jumped in, kicking through the watermelon-like Hollow and saving Ichigo.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi." Suì-Fēng's attack freed Ise, Isane and Orihime.

"What's wrong with you?" Yoruichi chided. "That was pathetic. So what was going on here? What's with that monster?"

"What a great sleep." Ukitake awoke. "You already started whacking the watermelons?"

"He's right." Orihime gave herself a lick. "It tastes like watermelon."

"Please me to explain." Unohana stepped in. "This is a new game of whack-the-watermelon that Captain Kuchiki, Captain Ukitake and I thought up."

"But those rumors..." Ichigo started.

"I made that up to get everyone excited." Unohana added.

"It's a special type of watermelon created by the Research Bureau to fight Hollow." Nemu supplied.

"Since whack-a-melon and the beach go hand-in-hand, I asked our substitute vice president to bring it along." Yachiru beamed.

"Everyone, we're not done." Nemu stated as several move watermelon-like Hollows appeared from the sand. "I brought enough watermelons for everyone."

"Lieutenant Kurotsuchi, new rule." Hasu sighed. "No unauthorized anti-Hollow inventions are to be brought to the real world without my approval."

About an hour later...

"Are you covered in..." Hitsugaya shifted closer to the pouting Karin who had entered the shack and took a good whiff. "Watermelon?"

"Anti-watermelon Hollows are surprisingly hard to break through." Karin complained, helping herself to one of Hasu's mizu manju. "I've got watermelon where no one else should get watermelon."

"Just wash it off." Hitsugaya went back to his shaved ice.

"Later, ice prince." Karin winked, feeding him a spoonful of her mizu manju.

Just then, both Matsumoto and Ise walked in, the two Lieutenants were similarly splattered by watermelon juice.

"Aw, Nanao, would you look at that?" Matsumoto teased. "Captain's chilling off with his girlfriend. Come on, Captain, give her a kiss!"

"Matsumoto!" Hitsugaya's Reiatsu skyrocketed.

Omake: Shinigami Zanpakutō Introductions

Matsumoto: Today's sword is Hitsugaya Tōshirō's Hyōrinmaru.

Insert clip of Hitsugaya releasing Hyōrinmaru.

Matsumoto: Captain Hitsugaya's Hyōrinmaru is the strongest ice-type Zanpakutō and has the ability to form a dragon made from ice and water. His Bankai is Daiguren Hyōrinmaru. It's incredibly powerful, but it's normally a feeble, useless Zanpakutō that can't do much besides make ice.

Hitsugaya: (Twitching) You're the only person in the universe who'd call it feeble!

SailorStar9: In the start of the next arc, one night, a group of ryoka attempt to enter Yamamoto's quarters. Yamamoto and Lieutenant Sasakibe confronts the intruders, but what they see leaves them in shock. Later, Yamamoto summons all the Zanpakutō wielders to Sōkyoku Hill. There they are met by t Muramasa. Komamura tries to attack him with his Zanpakutō, but Tenken appears in a human form and turns on him, ending the battle by knocking him unconscious with one swing of the blade. The other Shinigami attempt to release their Zanpakutō to attack, but are somehow unable to do so. The Zanpakutō assume human-like forms and join Muramasa, who states that the Shinigami's Zanpakutō have renounced them and have declared war.

Now that's done, read and review.