Sorry this chapter is so short, but I realized that anymore might ruin the moment. Besides, the story is already over and this is just a conclusion.

Two people however, were not present at the festivities. Well, people is the wrong word, but they are very important individuals nonetheless. Hyourinmaru and Mizufenikkusu sat on the roof together, watching the stars, just as Hitsugaya and Karin had done so many years ago.

"It seems Karin is back to normal," Mizufenikkusu said with relief. "Thank you, Hyourinmaru."

"Don't thank me, thank Toushiro," he replied. "He dealt with this very admirably. I'm proud of him."

"Yes, I couldn't have done it without him," Mizufenikkusu agreed. They sat in silence for a while.

"We're very lucky to have you two," she continued. "Toushiro's love for Karin has been very good for her. It makes her stronger."

"I wish I could say the same," Hyourinmaru said almost amused. "Karin has done nothing but weaken Toushiro. He's more receptive towards his emotions and displays them with much more ease. His mind wavers more often. You've made my job very difficult."

"You say all that like it's a bad thing," Mizufenikkusu teased. Hyourinmaru's eyes sparkled briefly.

"In truth, he is a better person for all of that. I'm very grateful to Karin for everything she has done for him." The two zanpaktos looked at each other. Meeting like this was a highly unusual occurrence. Ordinarily, they didn't need to speak to hear each other. They had an understanding that went beyond words and a bond that was stronger than love. Even tonight, very few words passed between them. Their feelings did not need to be expressed. They were implicit. And so they sat together, dragon and phoenix, two of the strongest zanpaktos in Soul Society, reveling in their shared success, and appreciating the time, however short, that they could sit here together, alone, basking in the moonlight.

The End!

Thank you so much everyone who made it this far. It's been a lot of fun. Thank you so much for your reviews along the way. Please review to tell me what you thought of the whole thing. I write for you people, so if there is something you would like to see me write next, I'm currently out of ideas, but open to suggestions. Thanks again for reading!