A/N- Thank you to all of the readers who read the story, made it a favorite, or gave it a positive review, it's because of several of you that I was inspired to do so many of the chapters that I might not have done otherwise. I certainly never expected this story to go beyond 100 chapters when I first started writing it, so now you know how much the nice things you say inspire me to keep on writing more.

No more delaying, please enjoy the final chapter!

Chapter 130

Conclusion

Ichigo is amazed that the smoking is part of the tradition of the coronation ceremony, considering how potent the herbs are, but everyone starts smiling happily when the ceremonial pipes start getting passed around. It seems that this is a favorite pastime of the Shinigami in Kyousei Tentou Shigai. It's obvious by the looks on their faces that this is the high point of their day.

Ichigo feels completely toasted as the ceremonial smoking finally comes to an end. Everyone in the great hall is red eyed and giggly by the that time as well, which has Ichigo even more amazed than he was prior to the beautiful pipes being passed out.

Then a piece of starting information hits him…only the royal family is allowed to smoke for free unless it's a special occasion, and that the royal family gets the best of the crop. The rest the Shinigami must pay for, and it's certainly not cheap, even at their generous salaries.

I guess we're allowed to smoke this stuff here anytime we want to.

"We have to go to the front of the castle since everyone in Kyousei Tentou Shigai that wasn't at the coronation will be gathered in front of the castle." Masaki tells Ichigo and Rukia.

"Wasn't everyone there when we got here?" Ichigo asks his mother irritably, since he really wants to get along with all of the business he's already sure he'll have to attend to today.

He wonders if that will even be possible, considering how cloudy his mind has become due to getting high as a kite.

"No, almost everyone was, but this is tradition." Masaki tells him, and Ichigo sighs in submission.

"Don't be like that Ichigo." Rukia orders him, and Ichigo straightens up a bit. "I can't believe there are people who would miss that." Rukia says to Masaki, who laughs.

"Trust me, everyone wanted to be here, but the room would have been way too crowded, and the great hall is the traditional area to do the coronation, so only the most important people in Kyousei Tentou Shigai are allowed to be at the ceremony." Masaki says, and the words ring true to Ichigo and Rukia, who feel like the information is coming just a tiny bit slower while they're affected by the herb.

"Fine…" Ichigo says, realizing no amount of grumbling will change anything.

Rukia passes Mitsukai to Masaki and grabs Ichigo's hand to squeeze it tightly, since she knows he's having a rough day with or without being high. Ichigo gives her a quick sideways glance with a small smile, since he's glad with his whole heart that he fell in love with and married her.

Masaki notices the gesture, and she is beyond happy that her son found a woman he loves so thoroughly, not only that Rukia fully returns all of her son's feelings. For her, it is truly something worth celebrating. She knows not all people can find love like she did with Isshin, but Ichigo did as well, and she couldn't be happier for him.

"The two of you really make a wonderfully handsome couple." Masaki tells them, and the happy couple both begin to grin like idiots.

Whether it's from her compliment or from the herb they smoked, Masaki can't be completely sure. She wants to laugh herself for no apparent reason at all.

"Thanks!" Rukia says, beaming at her mother-in-law, and Ichigo is pleased as hell at his mother's comment.

"I always thought we did too." Ichigo says, but he doesn't add that he feels it's Rukia who gives them that effect far more than himself.

Rukia nods her head. When she had seen their wedding portfolio, she thought they made a perfect couple, and that their looks complimented each other perfectly.

"We will have lovely children too. Mitsukai was very beautiful when we saw the vision Chiyo presented to us." Rukia says, as the visions she'd seen of her daughter fill her mind.

"She has your features, that's for sure." Ichigo says, and Rukia turns red from his insinuation.

"I wasn't trying to compliment myself. One of the reasons she's so beautiful though is that cocky attitude she had. She reminded me of someone I love very much." Rukia says, giving her husband a sly look, and Ichigo chuckles.

"She did have a badass attitude." Ichigo agrees with his eyes lighting up and Masaki smiles at her granddaughter who seems to be staring her straight in the eyes.

They are taking a different path from the rest of the crowd, which has filed out ahead of them, and used shunpo to get to the front of the castle before the new reigning couple gets there. Masaki, Ichigo, and Rukia are all taking their time walking through the hallways though.

"The tour…" Rukia says suddenly, and Masaki smiles at her.

"That's right, after you wave a greeting to everyone gathered, the two of you will be able to get a better look all around the Kyousei Tentou Shigai." Masaki tells them, and Rukia looks excited.

"From what I already saw, it looks beautiful! I cannot wait to see it all close up." Rukia looks really excited but her husband has different ideas in mind. He leans down to whisper in his wife's ear.

"I'll be able to scope out some good places outdoors where we can get it on later too." Ichigo's voice is quiet, but his words get his wife to blush furiously.

He has a one track mind…

"This is your kingdom after all." Masaki tells them, and Rukia just looks like she still finds that information difficult to comprehend while Ichigo appears to be looking forward to something.

"When I was an orphan running around Rukongai, I never once believed that I'd rule a kingdom." Rukia says quietly, and Ichigo nods his head.

"When I first learned that there was such thing as a Spirit King, I never believed I was next in line to inherit that title." Ichigo says, and Masaki smiles.

"Your father wanted it that way." Masaki tells him and Ichigo nods his head.

"I knew he was responsible." Ichigo mutters, and Masaki smiles.

"You should have seen him when you were born Ichigo, he wouldn't stop praising me for giving birth to the perfect son. He's always been so proud of you." Masaki tells him, and Ichigo guffaws.

"Do you know how he's spent years waking me up?" Ichigo asks in a horrified voice and Rukia starts to giggle.

"I think it's cute."

"You would, freak." Ichigo tells his wife, and she pinches his rear end quite hard.

"You are the freak, not me." Rukia informs her husband in a testy voice and Masaki shakes her head at them even as Ichigo smirks at his wife.

"I'd like to be getting freaky with you." Ichigo murmurs into Rukia's ear, and she swats at his arm in not such a gentle manner.

"You really do have a one track mind." Rukia mutters at him, and Ichigo looks happy to hear it.

They reach the huge foyer, and Masaki smiles at them as they head for the doors. Two servants open the doors for them, and stay in place to cheer from their posts. Ichigo and Rukia step back outside of the castle, and a resounding cheer greets them.

They step forward, and the cheers grow louder as they wave at their loyal subjects. Rukia is a bit surprised at how hope shines in the eyes of everyone looking on at them.

She wonders how much hell Hiroto and his son put everyone through before they were killed by the two of them. Everyone looks happy at the fact that Ichigo and Rukia are now the ones in charge, even the youngest subjects in sight appear to be ecstatic at the change in rulers.

Rukia realizes that Amatsugo was old, and had left Kyousei Tentou Shigai to his brother, but she can't help but to feel that was a terrible decision on Amatsugo's part. One look at all of the subjects in the royal dimension is enough to convince her that the people in general were not treated right by his brother.

Rukia glances back at Masaki again, and wonders precisely what kind of hell her mother-in-law was forced to endure.

Whatever it was, she will have a peaceful life from now on…I swear it.

Rukia makes this silent promise to herself and then quickly extends it to everyone in sight. When the cheering dies down, Rukia takes a step forward, and everyone stares curiously at her since it's obvious she wants to address the crowd.

"It is our goal to improve Soul Society, and to improve the quality of life here in Kyousei Tentou Shigai! Those of you who strive to make things better with us will certainly find life enjoyable. The only people who will suffer are those who have evil intentions towards us or anyone else here or in Soul Society. We will show little to no mercy to our enemies." Rukia says clearly, and Ichigo quickly nods his head in agreement.

"I have already seen enough corruption, evil plots, and attempts on my loved ones lives. None of that will be tolerated, I will turn you into dust myself if you attack my wife or daughter." Ichigo says, and everyone begins to smile since he neglected to include himself.

"The same goes for anyone who attacks my husband of course!" Rukia adds in case nobody understood that with what she'd first said.

Masaki looks happy as she looks at the crowd. She can tell that nobody has any ill intentions towards the royal family and that everyone will work hard to do Ichigo's and Rukia's bidding.

Ichigo suddenly notices that a lot of people are actually crying, they're so happy to be part of this event, and thrilled to see the end of Hiroto's management of the royal dimension.

"Excuse me, Rukia-sama?" A young servant girl gets Rukia's attention, and the new Queen smiles at the young girl when she sees how shy the child is being.

Her hair is black, and she is very tanned. Something about her seems familiar but Rukia can't put her finger on what it might be.

"Yes?" Rukia asks, and the girl bows her head.

"Amatsugo-sama asked me to prepare a special surprise for you. He asked me to tell you before the tour…" The girl practically whispers, and Rukia looks surprised.

"Really? I have no memory of that." Rukia thinks a moment longer and still nothing comes to her.

"He didn't pass along the knowledge since it's supposed to be a surprise." Masaki tells her, and Rukia brightens up.

She remembers how Amatsugo told her that he's been watching her since she was a child, and if that is the case, then she's positive that she'll like whatever surprise that he left for her.

"What is your name?" Rukia asks the servant girl, who looks extremely shocked that the new queen wants to know that about her.

"Mio." The girl is still whispering, and Rukia smiles at her.

"What a beautiful name. I would be delighted to see the surprise that Amatsugo-sama left for me." Rukia tells her, and the girl beams proudly at her new mistress, obviously relieved that the new Queen is very kind.

"There will be a party this evening in the backyard of the castle! The tour for the royal family is being put off a bit at the request of Amatsugo-sama!" Masaki announces, and Ichigo practically groans since he's been partying so much the past few days, but everyone starts to cheer in response so he sighs in acquiescence.

"I'll come with you to see this surprise." Ichigo says to Rukia, and Mio looks terrified at that comment.

"May I hold Mitsukai again?" Masaki asks, so Rukia gives up her daughter to Ichigo's mother, and Mio leads them all into the castle.

"Is she afraid of me?" Ichigo whispers quietly into his wife's ear, and Rukia nods her head a tiny bit at him, since she too had noted the fear on Mio's face when Ichigo volunteered to join her.

Rukia motions for Ichigo to lean his head down and she quietly whispers into his ear.

"Don't address it now, everyone will soon learn that as long as they're not our enemies, they have nothing to fear." She advises him, and Ichigo just gives her a quick nod.

Mio could hear them talking under their breath, but she didn't hear what they were saying, but she tenses up anyways, an action that both Ichigo and Rukia notice. They both look a little bit guiltily at each other, not liking that they're scaring the young pretty girl.

Rukia puts a finger to her lips, and Ichigo nods, while Masaki just smiles. Everyone has been a bit on edge with Amatsugo having been so ill, and Hiroto having his own free for all in the Kyousei Tentou Shigai.

They turn down a wing of the castle they've had yet to visit, and then Mio opens a door.

When Rukia steps inside, she gasps happily, while Ichigo wrinkles his nose at the scene.

All around the room are pens with rabbits in them, all different colors and styles for Rukia's enjoyment.

"Chappy! There's one here and here! Oh Ichigo!" Rukia is flipping out and Ichigo is wondering why in the hell there must be a rabbit room in his freaking castle, but when he looks at his wife, he realizes his grandfather did him a favor.

Her eyes are lit up in happiness and she rushes over to one of the pens, and picks up a floppy eared tan colored rabbit. She looks almost as happy as she looked once Mitsukai was born, and Ichigo just chuckles when he sees his wife with the rabbit.

"That would make a cute picture." Ichigo tells her, and Rukia just keeps smiling.

"This is so great!" Rukia tells him, and Ichigo just nods his head at her.

"Sure it is…" He mutters, but Rukia is far too happy to let anything he says get to her.

"I can already tell I'll be spending a lot of time here." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo can't help but to laugh at her a bit.

"Everyone is going to wonder what's happened to the Queen since you'll be spending all of your time in the King's rooms and here." Ichigo tells her, and Rukia blushes since Masaki and Mio can hear him.

"That's not true, they'll see me!" Rukia argues, and Masaki laughs at the new reigning couple.

"Ichigo you're embarrassing your wife." Masaki tells him, and Ichigo just shakes his head at his mother.

"Just being honest." Ichigo says, and he gets his rear pinched again, since Rukia adjusted the rabbit into one arm and got close enough to get her point across.

"Shut your trap Ichigo." Rukia orders him, and her husband practically jumps out of his skin.

"Ow!" Ichigo says, and Rukia nods her head approvingly before she exchanges the tan rabbit for a gray one with ears that stick straight up.

"So cute!" Rukia croons, and Mio smiles at the new queen, thinking that things will be much better than they ever used to be.

"After you've admired the rabbits for a bit, we can do the tour." Masaki says, and Ichigo crosses his arms.

"From the looks of it, seems like it will be awhile." He says, and Rukia shakes her head.

"No, I can come back here later, I am too curious about everything here, and I want to see it all." Rukia tells them, before she sets the rabbit down with a bit of reluctance.

They head out of the room, and Mio closes the door behind them and then follows them back to the front of the castle. Ichigo grabs his wife's hand for the walk, and he begins to think that what his grandfather said was true. They really will get to experience happiness being here together.

Once they do make their way back outside, they're shocked to see a royal looking carriage pulled up in front of the castle, and Masaki smiles.

"They must have done this because of Mitsukai. I thought for sure they'd have only the horses out." She says, and Rukia looks at her with questioning eyes.

"We're going to tour Kyousei Tentou Shigai like this?" Rukia says, and Masaki smiles.

"I see Amatsugo purposely kept that from you too…perhaps he was worried you'd end up liking the horses better than the rabbits, since you've never been exposed to them like this." Masaki says, and Rukia just looks at the horses with fascination.

"It looks like fun," Rukia says, and she pulls Ichigo towards the fancy looking carriage, which is all white with silver and gold designs on the outside of it. It reminds her of a Cinderella type carriage, it's so grand looking.

"Riding them is fun, though they can't possibly move as fast as you can in shunpo, it's still really nice." Masaki says, and Rukia lets go of Ichigo's hand to climb in.

Ichigo and Masaki enter behind her, and they see Rukia admiring the inside of the carriage with the red velvet seats and backs for their comfort, and once all three of them are seated, Mio waves at them, but Rukia holds out her hand to the young girl.

"Come with us!" Rukia orders her, and Mio's eyes widen in shock as she finds herself pulled into the carriage and seated next to the dowager queen and across from the new queen.

Even Ichigo looks a bit surprised, since the girl had obviously been terrified of them, but it seems like it was a good decision on Rukia's part because the girl looks so happy.

"We're ready!" Masaki calls out, and she throws a smile at her son's wife.

She's even kinder than I imagined she was…

The carriage begins to move, and Rukia peers excitedly out of the window next to her seat, still in awe at how green the grass is, and how bright all of the colors here are. There's nothing drab about the royal dimension.

Ichigo is leaning over her a bit to also look out her window, and it seems he's just as curious about their new home as she is. They move around the lake that Rukia had noticed when they first arrived, which still impresses Rukia, and they can see turtle heads poking out of the water, along with some ducks floating lazily on top.

"Wow." Ichigo says simply as he looks at it.

Their reactions tend to be the same with each new sight they're presented with, and Mio looks pleased that they're both properly impressed with their new home. Once again, Rukia is stricken by how familiar the girl seems, though she still can't figure out why.

After a few hours in the carriage, the tour finally enters the backyard of the castle, which is even more amazing than either Rukia or Ichigo imagined. When they'd pictured a desert and the snow capped mountains, they pictured an ordinary desert, and ordinary mounts, but everything in the Kyousei Tentou Shigai is extraordinary.

The sand for the desert is a dark orange color, and it looks like a desert in the summer since there are blooming cactuses. Both Ichigo and Rukia are enthralled when they see the mountains, they're far larger than either of them imagined they might be. The size of the castle had kept them from seeing how truly large the mountain actually was.

"That would be a great place to train you in kidou." Rukia tells Ichigo who nods his head, while Mio's mouth drops open.

She doesn't dare to tell the new reigning couple that she is incredibly talented with kidou for fear she might insult her king, but she doesn't expect that the dowager queen is aware of her abilities.

"Mio here can also help," Masaki says to Ichigo, and his gaze lands on the small child.

"You're good at kidou?" He asks her, and she visibly starts to shake.

"Yes." Her voice is so quiet that if Ichigo hadn't been watching her, he wouldn't have heard her answer.

"If Rukia is busy, I may have to do that then." Ichigo says, and Mio's face looks a bit pale but Masaki smiles comfortingly at the girl.

"You are extremely talented, like the new queen is with kidou, and it may do my son well to learn from you." Masaki tells her, and Mio just nods her head while hoping the new queen takes over the task of teaching the king rather than leaving it to her.

The tour finally ends, and Masaki looks regretfully at the new reigning couple.

"Unfortunately, you two only have about fifteen minutes before the party starts." Masaki tells them, but Ichigo doesn't look put off at all.

"Good to know. You can watch Mitsukai in the meantime." Ichigo says, before he drags his wife into the castle and into the transporter, alone.

Once there, he proceeds to remove her robes, even as the thing is moving along the castle walls.

Rukia returns his excitement by getting him out of his robes as fast as she can too. When they both naked, Ichigo pulls her body tight up against his own, and begins to kiss her. They're both fairly into their kissing when the door to the transporter opens, and Ichigo grabs their robes with one arm, his wife with the other, and he rushes her to the bed they have yet to try out in any capacity.

He's not at all gentle when he uses shunpo to get to the bed, and then he tosses his wife into the king sized bed before diving in after her. They're all over each other, kissing in a frenzy, even though they already had a quickie just before the coronation ceremony.

"You're so built." Rukia whispers as she runs her hands along his rock hard muscles, and Ichigo groans in pleasure as his wife makes him feel better than the special herb grown in the Kyousei Tentou Shigai.

Ichigo groans when his wife sinks her teeth into his neck in a not so gentle manner, and his hands reach for the slick spot in between her legs, to make sure she's ready to take the full length of him.

"We don't have a lot of time." Ichigo mutters, and his wife moans as he gets right onto the spot that makes her wriggle and squirm beneath him.

"Even so, I want to be on top." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo smirks at her.

"No way, I'm on top." He argues, but then his lovely wife gets her hands on his nuts, and she repeats herself.

"I get top." She tells him, and Ichigo winces.

"Yes dear of course…anything you want." He tells her weakly, and she nods as he obediently flips over to let her have the top.

She looks at his body hungrily, and he wants to kick himself as he wonders why in the hell he argued with her. She's incredibly sexy when she's all in control like this.

Rukia leans forward, and Ichigo stares at her perky breasts, before he pulls her closer so that he can suck on her neck a bit. He bites her back and that's when she slides herself down on top of him.

"Ichigo…" Rukia says, and he bites her a little bit harder.

"Mm." Ichigo murmurs against her neck, and Rukia pulls away from him to be able to get moving.

He lets go of her, and admires her as she starts to lift herself up and down to make love to him on the bed. He puts his hands on her hips, and helps her speed up her action, which only feels better for him, and she lets out a moan that lets him know she is enjoying the faster speed as well.

She starts to swivel her hips a bit before she leans down to kiss him while still moving back and forth along his erection and they kiss each other ferociously.

"I love feeling you inside of me like this." Rukia mumbles after they pull away from each other, and Ichigo groans at her again.

"Damn you're sexy…I'm going to come…" Ichigo informs her and Rukia gets a bit more energetic in her motions when she hears that.

"Come inside me, baby." Rukia tells him, before she leans down to bite his neck again, and he groans at her once more.

He follows his wife's orders, and pulls her hips downward so that he can be as deep inside her as he can get as he climaxes.

They both breathe deeply, and his wife collapses against his chest. Ichigo chuckles at her.

"You need to brush your hair." He tells her, and Rukia laughs.

"Yes, I suppose everyone would have a good laugh if they realized we were at it again so soon after the coronation." She says, and then he scowls.

"Those bunch of perverts…I bet they liked listening to us." He tells her, and Rukia just smiles at him as she pulls herself out of him.

"I want to check out the King's bathroom!" She says, and Ichigo pops off the bed after her.

"I'll come with you!" He volunteers, and they both nearly melt in happiness when they see what is in the room they knew to be the bathroom.

It is the most exquisite bathroom either of them have ever seen. There are gold sitting stools and there are gems on the hoses attached to shower heads to rinse off with, and then there is a bath large enough to be considered a pool within, with steam rising from the water which looks like the cleanest water either of them have ever seen.

"Oh Ichigo…we're definitely going to be late for the party." Rukia says, since there is no way she's going to rush through her first bath here.

"It's fine. Who is going to punish the new rulers anyways?" He asks her, and Rukia smiles at him.

"Your mother might." She tells him, and Ichigo laughs outright.

"She'd never punish me." He tells her and Rukia laughs at him.

"I suppose she left that to your father?" Rukia asks, and Ichigo shakes his head.

"I guess. There were never that many rules besides everyone being home for dinner at seven at night. I don't remember getting myself into trouble as a kid. When I got older, I'd just get into a fight with my father…but he always encouraged me to fight back. He said that if I was so sure what I'd done was right then I should fight to prove my point. He was always a weird father." Ichigo admits, and Rukia grins as she rinses her body off.

"He's a wonderful father." She tells him, remembering how she used to be a bit envious of Ichigo's father. She never remembered having a father of her own, after all.

"He's alright." Ichigo says, since he realizes Rukia never had parents, and his father certainly could have been far worse.

They finish with the rinsing and head into the large tub where Ichigo pulls Rukia into his lap.

"I want to bathe with you like this every day." Rukia tells him, and Ichigo nods before he closes his eyes and gets a glimpse of Zangetsu smiling…then his head swivels around and his hollow is winking like a pervert at him.

"Yeah King, you got it made, with Rukia-chan in that bath with you!" His hollow wriggles his eyebrows, and Ichigo quickly opens his eyes.

"Me too." He says before he places several kisses along the side of her face.

Rukia closes her eyes, and sees Sode No Shirayuki with snow flying all around her being.

"You've overcome so many obstacles…I know we'll be able to overcome anything else that comes our way!" Sode No Shirayuki is far more optimistic than Rukia remembers her being in the past.

Then her face distorts into Hollow Rukia who winks at Rukia.

"The only thing you need to be overcoming is your man's hard cock!" Rukia gasps and opens her eyes to stare up at her husband.

I guess no matter what I'll always get small appearances from her…

They take their time in the bath together, and as predicted, they're very late for their own party, causing Masaki to shake her head at them.

"Everyone has been requesting that we smoke some more pipes for the party…" Masaki tells them, and Ichigo rolls his eyes.

"They didn't get high enough earlier?" He asks, but Rukia starts nodding enthusiastically.

"Of course! Bring it out! This is a party!" Rukia says, and Ichigo shoots her a quick look.

"Great…my wife the pothead." Ichigo mutters, and Masaki laughs.

"You don't like it Ichigo?" His mother asks him bluntly, and Ichigo appears to think a minute.

"It's not that I don't…it's just that I've been conditioned to think drugs are bad." Ichigo says, and Rukia shakes her head at him.

"It's not a drug here…it's an herb. And smoking it isn't bad for you, because nothing in the Kyousei Tentou Shigai is bad for you." Masaki says, and Ichigo shakes his head again.

"That kind of thinking will take some getting used to." He admits, but the servants already heard Rukia and have already produced some of the castle's finest quality herb for the party.

"Would you like some sake, your majesty?" Mio has appeared before Ichigo, smiling radiantly in what looks like a new kimono.

"Yes!" Ichigo says, and Rukia starts to laugh.

"You sure don't have any qualms with the sake!" Rukia tells him, and Ichigo remembers the drinking games he played with Rangiku-san and Yoruichi-san.

"I guess not…" Ichigo admits as Mio hands him a saucer.

"This is known to be the finest sake in existence." Mio announces, and when Ichigo takes a sip he instantly agrees.

"This is awesome! Rukia, have some!" Ichigo orders her, and Mio has two more saucers for Masaki and Rukia.

Rukia takes a saucer and eyes the young girl while she does.

"Mio-chan, what is your position here exactly?" Rukia asks curiously before she takes a sip, and Mio shuffles her feet nervously.

"I am just a castle servant." Mio says, and Rukia eyes her intently.

"Do you like children?" Rukia asks, and Mio nods her head immediately.

"I love Mitsukai-sama. Masaki-sama was letting me hold her while we were waiting for you to arrive to the party." Mio says with a pretty smile, and Rukia grins as she finishes the saucer of sake.

"I think you would be perfect as Mitsukai's personal maid. You can also start teaching her kidou, and be her confidante outside of her parents." Rukia says firmly, and Mio's eyes light up in surprise.

"Me!? Mitsukai-sama's personal maid?! I'd be honored Rukia-sama!" Mio says with her features clearly showing she's unbelievably honored to be picked for that position.

"Then we'll be spending a lot of time together, Mio-chan." Masaki says with a smile, and Rukia nods.

"Are your parents here?" Rukia asks, and Mio suddenly looks sad.

"My parents are in the living world." She says sadly, and Rukia looks shocked.

"I thought you were born here!" Rukia says, and Mio shakes her head no.

"I was born in Soul Society. I think you know my parents, actually. Urahara Kisuke is my father, and Shihouin Yoruichi is my mother." Mio explains, and Ichigo nearly falls over.

"What!?" He demands and Mio falls to her knees.

"I'm terribly sorry for offending you, sire!" She is so timid that both Ichigo and Rukia have a hard time believing her parents are who she just said they are.

"You didn't!" Ichigo says, but he still can't believe it.

They had a kid together!?

"So that'swhy you looked so familiar!" Rukia exclaims with a smile, but Ichigo is coughing from his shock, and not the herb.

"I thought they were just friends!" Ichigo says, and Rukia rolls her eyes.

"You're an idiot." She tells him, and Mio quickly turns to walk away and get some more sake for the royal couple.

"Why's she so skittish?" Ichigo asks, thinking she's nothing like her parents, and Masaki sighs.

"I'm afraid she was forced to serve Eikourou, and he was always threatening her." Masaki tells them, and Ichigo frowns.

"Don't you think that I should have come here much sooner?" Ichigo can't understand why it took so long for him to be called to the Kyousei Tentou Shigai if things were so horrible, and Masaki sighs.

"You had to prove yourself capable of running it, or there would have been no way for you to have contested it when Hiroto and Eikourou challenged you for the throne. Though it may not have seemed like it, they were far more powerful than any of the other opponents you actually faced…but because of all of your experience, you came through easily." Masaki tells Ichigo and he still doesn't really understand.

"How could pops have left this place, knowing all of this was happening?" Ichigo asks, and Masaki raises her eyebrow at him.

"He came to find me." Masaki tells Ichigo and her son blushes.

"I guess that's an okay reason, but he still should have taken care of them before he left." Ichigo insists, and Masaki sighs.

"Back then Amatsugo had a handle on things. It wasn't until about four or five years ago that everything took a turn for the worst." She tells him, and Ichigo frowns.

"Four or five years is a long time for the Kyousei Tentou Shigai to feel like it's become a hell instead of this great place." Ichigo points out, and Masaki nods her head in agreement.

Mio returns with sake, and Rukia accepts the first of the ceremonial pipes to be passed around.

"Trust me Ichigo, everyone here is overjoyed that you've come to take over. It will finally be the way it was meant to be here, with the two of you in charge." Masaki tells them, and Ichigo nods as he drinks more of the best sake he's ever had.

Throughout the evening, that sentiment is repeated many times by Ichigo's and Rukia's new subjects. By the time the party is over, they already feel like they've belonged for ages.

For the subjects of Kyousei Tentou Shigai, it's the dawning of a new peaceful era, and they're sure they don't have to worry about a Hiroto situation again for the rest of their lives.

Ichigo gets completely smashed on Kyousei Tentou Shigai's sake, and Rukia gets completely stoned off of the herb. She only stops to breastfeed Mitsukai. Luckily for her, Mio and Masaki help her out by keeping an eye on Mitsukai until it's time to put her to bed.

Both Ichigo and Rukia decide to take over that task, even though Masaki is the one who carries Mitsukai to her new room. Even though the booze and herb themselves can't harm the infant, two inebriated parents who could trip and fall at any second certainly could.

Ichigo and Rukia stare at Mitsukai in her crib while Masaki backs out of the room to give them a moment alone, and Ichigo looks down at his wife.

"I never once thought I'd get a happy ending…I thought deep down that things for me would be tragic like Romeo and Juliet." Ichigo tells his wife, slurring his words just a bit, but Rukia smiles up at him.

"Who says it's the end? Life here is just beginning." Rukia tells him, but he looks down at Mitsukai and doesn't care how corny he sounds as he speaks to his daughter.

"And the Kurosaki family gets to live happily ever after." Ichigo pitches to the ground, completely knocked out after that statement and Rukia rolls her eyes.

"And your father will always be an idiot." Rukia says, before she hauls her husband off to the King's rooms, earning a few laughs from some of the servants who spot her lugging his ass to bed.

Even so…with an inner hollow and all…I'm totally happy.

A/N- I can't stop laughing at myself for that totally corny ending, but it's the only way to end a story that had so many tense moments, right!?

I really need to give credit to DeviantHollow23, who I have become real good friends with since the earlier chapters of this story. She definitely inspired me to write some of the more daring chapters that I posted, and I may not have taken it where I did without her encouragement! For this, I would like to award her with the Hollow Ichigo doll that Hollow Rukia no longer uses as a result of being one with Sode No Shirayuki! Enjoy your doll DeviantHollow23! (And I know you will!)

The Rukia doll I will give to ObliviousWarrior89, who inspired me to hook up Renji & Rangiku. I had no plans to hook Renji up with anyone back around chapter 50 or so, but because of him, I did hook him up, and I really enjoyed writing the Rangiku/Renji dynamic! So the Rukia doll goes to him…all figuratively of course!

I have had more than one person do fan art for this story, and the links to those are in my profile, please go and check them out! I just adore the fan art! (HUGE SMILE!)

I hope you all really enjoyed the story, you don't have to worry, I plan to do more writing even if I have slowed down my posting. Life seems to be getting in the way more and more frequently with my writing these days. I have already started my next long story, which will be an AU story, similar to Agreed To In Innocence. If you haven't read that story, I honestly feel it's my very best work, even if some of you liked this one better.

One more thing…I know I said it in the beginning but I want to reiterate...I want to thank EVERYBODY who reviewed, made the story a favorite, or put it on alert. If it wasn't for the constant encouragement from all of you, I'm sure this story would have ended a long time ago. Your constant support is very inspiring, and I enjoy each and every nice review I get. Don't like the flames, but I dealt with them in my replies (evil grin).

THANKS, and THE END!