Sunset in Heaven

Chapter 29

EPILOGUE

Three months later...

Ichigo stepped out of the Fourth Squad barracks with mixed feelings. He remembered Unohana's face as she told him his condition. He couldn't help but sigh.

Byakuya was waiting for him outside the barracks with his usual stoic and cold expression. The man was wearing a formal kimono only set for a noble like him. His hands were crossed over his chest, an action that Ichigo found out the noble usually did when he was tensed. The raven's relaxed form immediately turned attentive when he spotted the younger Taichou across the pathway.

"How's your condition?" The noble immediately asked.

The teen gave him a small smile and shook his head. "The antidote tasted worse than I thought. But it helped in destroying the poisonous elements in my system." There was something in Ichigo's tone that said it wasn't as much of a good news as the noble hoped. Byakuya waited for the next words in utter dread. "She also said... that even if I already took the antidote, the damages done to my organs were already severe. My body cannot go back to the way it was before anymore."

The noble's expression dulled out, mirroring how he felt deep inside him. They were hoping that the antidote Kurotsuchi made could make Ichigo's body return back to normal. The fact that all it did was remove the poison was a little disappointing considering the span of time they had spent in making it.

Ichigo noticed that the noble seemed a little upset about the result. "It's fine, Byakuya. The most important fact here is that my body will not deteriorate even more. Unohana said that given time, it might actually start to slowly heal once again... although it's still a theory."

"You'll still suffer its effect from fatigue and too much use of your reiatsu." Byakuya simply said, indicating there was no actual change in the teen's condition. The only consolation they had was the fact that Ichigo's condition wouldn't get worse anymore. Thank goodness...

Ichigo smiled at his lover before he tiptoed and gave the noble a chaste kiss on the cheek. "Don't worry about it too much, Byakuya. I promise not to work myself out to the point where I'll cough up blood again." Somehow, that act combined with those words had managed to calm the raven down, much to Ichigo's satisfaction.

"Let's hurry up or we'll be late." Byakuya simply said before the two of them shunpod over to Seireitei's huge gates. The noble closed his eyes to reminisce the softness of Ichigo's lips on his cheeks. His expression beheld nothing but seriousness and stoicism but his heart had actually almost flown out of his chest from that act alone. The teen rarely did something like that, especially in a place so public. He couldn't help but smile a little. Really, for Ichigo to have that much power over his emotion was something so disbelieving and yet also very incredible...

They passed the gate quietly, having only small talks once in a while. They reached the first District of Rukongai together, trying their best not to be separated in the middle of multitudes of people who had gathered there in order to witness yet another noble wedding – and not any other noble wedding but the noble wedding of the first Female Head of the Kuchiki Clan.

Ichigo and Byakuya went to the palace-like structure of the Kuchiki Clan's main manor where almost all the other members lived. They were both received with special attention and reverence, making Ichigo more than self-conscious especially when many people bowed down to him too.

Two months ago, Byakuya made a declaration that he was stepping down as the 28th Head of the Kuchiki Clan, much to everyone's deep shock and disbelief. Many members of the Kuchiki clan actually questioned him and even dared oppose him, especially when he announced that the next head would be none other than his sister Rukia Kuchiki whom he had given the responsibility only because he deemed her worthy enough to replace him. He had made it clear that she was not chosen because of her position as his sister but because she seemed to be the most suitable candidate for the next Head. Other members of the Kuchiki Clan and even other nobles were in opposition to the announcement, saying a female could not possibly lead a noble family, but Byakuya's decision and resolve remained firm regardless of all the unfavorable reactions and criticisms he received.