EPILOGUE (PART 1 of 5) - Chapter 31 – Returning Home to Prepare for What Happens Next (Ichigo/Kenpachi and
Grimmjow/Renji/Shiro part)
FEW DAYS LATER AFTER BATTLE
Ichigo's P.O.V:
It's quiet, so still now as I stand near the large Senkaimon that been fixed – after the Battle-damaged areas around the Soul Society, had been sorted. The sun is rising over the horizon of the far distant mountains - the distant rays of light shining down onto the still Soul Society and Districts, that were dotted around it – and looking upwards, see that it is blue sky filled with wispy clouds then arms wrapping around me, make me lower it back down as he takes hold of me.
"Good morning, Love." Kenpachi whispers in my ear - making me smile at that he had arrived, before everyone else – and turning in his arms, place my arms around his neck as I look up at him and he looks down at me, with the bells in his hair tinkling slightly as he lowers his head.
"Morning to you, too." I say, leaning up to give him a light peck on the lips and pull back, only to have him, pull my face closer to him again so he can cover my lips then both of our kissing, breathlessly.
He moves, slowly his lips against mine, tilting his head up and down slightly as he changes position, while the both of us kiss as sun-light soon shines down on the spot then he let's go to stroke my cheek with his thumb, gently.
I go to say something, when suddenly a scream makes us both turn to look as a large dust-bowl comes running towards us and that as Kenpachi, let's go of me as both of us see that it is Kon, being chased by whole horde of female Soul Reapers – led by none other than Rangiku Matsumoto, looking very pissed off with him – then he soon slams into my chest, causing me to fall backwards into Kenpachi, who tries not to fall, only to land with a large thud.
"Ow…. Kon, I thought I told you. Not to try to check out the Soul Society Women." I grumble, getting up and peeling him off me then fling him, only to quickly rush forwards to peel him off Matsumoto – has I managed with me flinging him, to get him stuck between the cleavage of her large breasts – as he gives small "Ahhhh" that he gotten his wish at last.
His face has a blush on it, while his face is closed smile of ecstasy making me slap him across the cheek and he turns to glare at me with his paw clenched as he shakes it at me then suddenly his whipped out my hand by Matsumoto, who suddenly brings him close to her face.
"Matsumoto-chan, just because…...hee-hee…I saw that incident…doesn't mean I was going to tell anyone." He says, giving her awkward smile and she flings him at Kenpachi, hitting my lover's chest with muffled groan as he peels off to fall to the ground.
"Ow…that chest of yours is so strong, Kenpachi-san." He mutters to himself, making Kenpachi raise an eyebrow at those words then speaks to rest of us. "By the way, the others are coming. Along with…Uryu I…MY STUFFING IT'S COMING OUT, STOP IT!" He begins to say, only to start complaining as she goes over to stomp on him for good measure and steps away after finishing, while Kon sits up with face covered in foot-prints then quickly clambers up Kenpachi to stay on his shoulder.
Giving her a mocking face, down at her as he sticks out his tongue that he now had the high ground and was out of her reach. Making her glare at him, shaking a fist at him and soon gives up, seeing that it is getting her nowhere.
The others as Kon, had said soon arrive with my children soon hugging me tightly with their little hands and Grimmjow, holding little Shiruko comes to stand next to us then my children let go of me, to wait like everyone else. Chad is followed by Orihime, who had recovered from her wound and soon Shiro, Renji with the twin girls who running ahead of them appear.
Behind them is Ikkaku and Yumichika, talking among themselves as Ishida suddenly appears beside me then quickly moves away from me, only to have his wrist grabbed by Matsumoto and whirled around as he blushes in in front of everyone.
"Rangiku…I thought…mmfff" He begins to say, only to give a muffled gasp of shock and surprise as he kisses him hard on the lips, which makes him stiffen only to soon place both his hands, gently on her hips.
After they have kissed, she heads off with other Soul Society women and see that Ishida, is touching his lips with wee smile on his face as she disappears then Urahara-san, followed by his lover Captain Jushiro Ukitake, appears in front of us.
"So, all ready to go home." He says, cheerfully – very cheerfully – and I look at him then look at Captain Ukitake, who places a hand to his lips shushing me to keep it a secret from the others for the moment then heads over to Senkaimon.
He whacks the pillar of it with his cane, making us look at him with different expressions of shock only to give a sigh of relief as it switches the large Senkaimon on then turns to look at us with grin on his face.
Sighing softly, I go to step forwards to take Kenpachi's hand, that he is holding out to me and suddenly find myself being bowled over by my Father and my Sisters – Karin and Yuzu – then land on the ground, with a muffled groan as they hug me.
I manage to wriggle free, out of their grip and getting up then place a hand on Kenpachi's arm to hold my back with the other hand for support as my children, come to check the Mama was alright then standing up, straight hear a satisfying crack come from my back.
"Were ready to go." I say, which makes Urahara-san, whirl around and step into the glowing mass as the rest of us, soon follow him into the glowing mass that will take all of us home.
Kenpachi's P.O.V:
"Ichigo, is something wrong?" I ask him, which makes him turn his face to look at me and goes to say something, only to close his mouth again as we continue to walk down the long Reishi path that was leading us home then he suddenly stops.
He turns around to face me, making me stop and our children, who been running ahead of us with the Hell Butterflies assigned to them complaining among themselves that they are being forced to work overtime then suddenly hugs me, so tightly around the waist that it makes me stiffen slightly at it.
I look at him, seeing that he is trembling and taking hold of him, lift him up as he soon buries his face in my neck, his legs wrapping around my waist for support then taking hold of the back of his head, sift my hand through his hair to soothe him.
Turning around with him, I continue to walk with him still in my arms, when suddenly the Reishi path gives out on all of us then managing to turn myself in the air, that whips past us, hold him tightly.
Soon, feeling myself land on something soft with a muffled thump noise, the bells in my hair tinkling slightly as Ichigo, rises his head to look up at me, to check that I'm alright as our children soon join us, keeping at certain distance though like they were expecting something else to drop out the sky.
I allow Ichigo to roll off me, onto his back and must quickly grab him, rolling out the way as Shiro, pushed it seems out of the doorway in the sky above Karakura Town, lands with muffled thump where we had just landed, giving a muffled groan as the twin girls jump down with Renji, then hear Ikkaku shouting at Yumichika, making us all look up at the doorway into the sky.
"YUMI…. YOU…. WAIT, DON'T HOLD ONTO MEEEEEEEEEEEEE?!"
Ikkaku and Yumichika, fall next in front of whole of us in very comprising position that makes a bright shade of crimson rise on both their faces then Yumichika, is kicking Ikkaku off him as he quickly sorts his Shihakusho, only to suddenly to grab Ikkaku by the collar of his Shihakusho.
"I can't believe…. that I'm fucking doing this." Yumichika says, suddenly in front of all of us, smashing his lips into Ikkaku's, who gives a muffled gasp of shock and surprise at the action and brings his hands to hold Yumichika's arms for support.
"Mmfff…. Yumichika!?…. Need to breathe, Yumichika." He gasps, managing to get his lips free and looks at him, with a flushed face and lips swollen from the kiss then is being dragged to very back of the still "Whatever the flying thing was?" that we were on.
"Is that everyone?" Urahara-san asks, counting the number of people and satisfied that everyone was here then pats the fabric, making it suddenly speed through the night sky towards his shop, passing Ichigo's house in the process and can hear screaming come from behind me.
I couldn't tell whether it was Yumichika or Ikkaku.
"IF YOUR WONDERING WHAT IT IS. THIS IS URAHARA-SAN'S FLYING CARPET." Ishida, shouts at me and look at the man, holding his hat with hand so it doesn't blow off and decide not to think about how this had been created then the carpet soon comes to a screeching halt in front of the shop.
The carpet, suddenly tilts so gently that grabbing Ichigo, I decide to flash-step down onto the ground instead and placing him down then grab all four of our children as they come sliding down the carpet.
Catching them in my arms as they all giggle at me and place them down on the ground then stand there, next to Ichigo as the others soon follow in their own way. Ikkaku the one being sick around the corner of the shop, while Yumichika as happy smile on his face and everyone else, looks relatively okay from the journey.
Shiro, who tries not to show that he had been affected by the "Flying Carpet" journey, walks shakily to the front door's which he goes to slide open when suddenly a fan whacks his hand, making him go back over to Renji, holding his now, throbbing hand that is bright red from being fan-whacked.
"Not yet. I need to check a few things." Urahara-san says, sliding the door open and goes to close it, when he sees that I've placed my foot on the other door to stop him then move it quickly away as he gets a hammer, only to whack a nail back into wood that had popped out.
"Urahara, I would let us in. As it's rather cold and I think it will be better if were all around the dining table, getting something hot to eat." Captain Ukitake says, going up to his pregnant lover and placing a hand on the door to fully open it then quickly jumps back as a firework comes shooting out from inside the shop, right over Urahara-san's head.
It blows his hat off in the process and explodes up in the night air, making Urahara-san, give us a sheepish smile at all of us then voices begin to speak in whispers behind him.
"Jinta…. Look what you done?"
"I…Ganju-san, it was him."
"Not guilty at all, Brat."
"Princess, is that you!? What the heck, are you doing here?" I ask, surprised and shocked that I was hearing his voice, peering into the gloom of the darkened shop, which is illuminated suddenly by small kido light – thanks to Renji - to reveal Captain Kuchiki, Jinta and Ururu, Shiba Ganju and Hanataro standing there.
As well as others, around them and soon shouts come from people who have associations with them, from behind me.
"RANGIKU!?"
"TACHOUI!? HISAGI!?"
"SHUN…cough... CAPTAIN KYORAKU!"
Renji's P.O.V:
"Renji, you look tired. I think you should head to bed." Hisagi says, making me lift my head and turning my face look at him as the sounds of laughter and chatter, come flooding back to my ears then feel an arm slip around me, while Shiro takes hold of me as he sits down next to me.
"I'm fine. It's just…." I begin to say, only to trail off with my words as I don't know what to say to him and go to say it again, when suddenly a squeal comes from Sena, making us look over at my little girl who is covered in noodles from one of the bowls on the large table.
"Kiluya! Come here." I say, trying not sound angry and yet it comes out like that, looking at my other little girl – who has lowered the empty bowl that the cold noodles, had been in – and comes up to me then lowers her head to look at the floor, while tears form in her eyes that her Mama, wasn't happy.
"Hey, Renji…Look what you done now." Hisagi says, picking her up and plopping her in his lap as he starts to talk to her, about doing things like that and when it was appropriate to do stuff like that.
Sena, it seems is still covered in noodles and comes up to me, making me take the towel that Tessai has gotten for me then placing that on my lap, pick her up to take the noodles off her. I look over at Kiluya, feeling ashamed that I had done that and handing Sena, to Shiro then reach slowly for her to place a hand on top of head.
She turns her face, looking at me and go to move my hand away, when suddenly her little hand grabs it then folding up the towel with my other hand, pull her to place her on my chest as Hisagi, smiles at me as I give her hug to apologize.
"Sorry, Kiluya. Mama, didn't mean to be angry with you. Okay, hmm?" I say, looking down at her, which makes her lift her head to blink at me with tears still in her eyes and grabbing a napkin, gently wipe them away for her.
"Yes, Mama." She replies, soon snuggling into my kimono and smiling softly down at her then she begins to gently snuffle, which makes me look over to see that Sena – after being dried of with the towel – is now fast asleep and decide that is time that the little ones were placed in their beds.
Shiro, helps me stand up and the both of us quietly slip out of the Dining Area, walking down the dim-lit corridor to our sleeping quarters, where Shiro with one hand slides the bamboo door open then steps inside the quarters. I follow him inside, which makes Kiluya shift slightly in her sleep and going over to the new small futon that been brought for them both then gently, lay her down as Shiro, lays Sena down on it.
I pull the cover up around them both, bending to kiss their foreheads and watching as they shift to hold each-other's hand like when they had been born then getting up, head over to the wardrobe, getting out one of the night kimono's.
Now, changed into it and laying under the cover of the futon, I feel Shiro slip his hand over my chest and pull me close to him as I turn to look over my shoulder at him then smile softly at him as he places his forehead against mine. I roll to face him, bending down to kiss him lightly on his lips and he takes hold of the back of my head, sifting his hand through my hair then let's go of my lips.
He pulls me to lay back down, pulling me close to him and placing my head on his chest, close my eyes as I allow his heartbeat to soothe me to sleep, while our children are close by to us. Gently, sleeping next to the one's who dearly love and care for them – their Mama and Papa.
Grimmjow's P.O.V:
A yawn comes from me, making me place a hand to my mouth and decide that it was time that the both of us. Me and little Shiruko, who is gently snuffling against my chest to go to bed then cradling him, close to it gently raise from the sitting pillow that been sitting at the table then head out, followed by Kieo, Rye, Li-Li and Ukuro with Kenpachi and Ichigo, close behind them.
I come to the Sleeping quarters for their children and slide the door open, stepping inside as they follow then going over to the large futon, slip under the cover – not really taking my clothes and changing into a night kimono as I was just too tired – and lay down on my side, with Shiruko, shifting to sleep with his back against my chest.
I lay my head down on the pillow, hearing Ichigo, help his children get ready for bed then after tucking them in, comes over to me. He places a hand on my shoulder, checking to see that I'm alright with little Shiruko, who shifts in his sleep again to snuggle right into my chest, making me smile down at my little one and place my arm over my little boy then Ichigo, seeing that I'm alright, quietly slips away from us.
The light clicks off, soon dousing the Sleeping quarters in darkness and distantly hear the bamboo door being closed by Ichigo then sliding my eyes shut, allow myself to fall asleep with my little boy in my arms as outside snow begins to swirl downwards onto the city of Karakura, that is silent as everyone sleeps with the ones they love, admire and care about in their arms.