Author's Note: Final chapter! Yes, all good things must come to an end, although as you will see, I've left myself plenty of setup for another story in this series. Sighs… Sitting here at the beach writing this has been great inspiration (although it's not as warm as the Caribbean here in the Carolinas!). We're sailing next weekend, and I'm sure I'll be dreaming about being aboard the Soul Warrior with Ichigo and crew. XD

Special thanks, as always, to Whitecloud, for her friendship and her wonderful ideas. And thanks to all of you who have been so supportive of the story with your PM's and reviews – it's really been fun! I wish you smooth sailing and calm seas! -Lex

Chapter Twenty-Five: A Clean Slate*

"Ichigo!"

The haze of darkness in his mind began to clear slowly. Ichigo could feel his heart pounding and could hear the familiar popping sounds of salt water in his ears. His lungs hurt; his head throbbed. The harbor was nearly forty feet deep near the loading docks, and he lay on the bottom in the thick mud.

"Focus!"

The voice was vaguely familiar, as if somewhere in his brain, someone or something was trying to tell him what to do.

"You can't survive much longer here. Use your powers!"

Powers? Ichigo struggled to think; he felt sluggish, almost as if he were drunk. A fleeting image of waves crashing against the bow of a ship, of a sword, glowing brilliant blue, of his hands reaching out across the waves…

"I have to get to the surface," he thought desperately, as his body screamed for oxygen. "I have to…"

He felt a surge of something warm in his fingers. Power.

"My power."

The water beneath him churned violently and, although the iron bracelets still held his hands tightly behind his back, he began to move upwards towards the dim light of the surface.

"You must stay awake, Ichigo," said the insistent voice in his mind, as his eyes threatened to close once more.

He forced his eyes open. The light from the surface had gotten brighter.

"You are almost there. Stay awake!"

Ichigo broke through the surface of the water, coughing and spluttering, trying to clear his lungs to breathe. He bobbed for a moment, buoyed still by the churning water beneath him. For a moment, he thought he might loose consciousness again, but then he felt a strong arm grab him by his collar and haul him out of the water and onto the wooden planks. In the distance, he could hear the sound of fighting, and gunshots.

His shoulder seared with pain as the air touched the open wound. He rolled onto his left side, coughing up the rest of the seawater in his lungs, gasping. He felt a hand cover the wound on his shoulder and felt it warm to the touch. As his vision began to clear, he saw Hitsugaya fighting off some of the Navy men, ten yards away. There were only a few left now of the original group.

"Who…?" he croaked, his voice barely audible. There was no answer, but he felt the metal cuffs around his wrists warm slightly, then heard a metal 'pop', as the hinges sprang open. He pulled his hands in front of him; his arms, long numb, tingled painfully.

Hitsugaya, having rendered the last of the guards unconscious, now ran over towards Ichigo and his rescuer. "We have to catch the ship, before she leaves the harbor," he shouted. "They are sending reinforcements to the docks."

Ichigo struggled to his knees, trying to visually locate the ship that carried Rukia and Karin near the mouth of the large harbor. His rescuer slipped his arm under Ichigo's, pulling him roughly to his feet. Ichigo swayed slightly, and the other man steadied him.

Ichigo turned to get a look at the man who had helped him. "Thanks," he said, his voice returning. "I owe you…" He broke off in astonishment as he looked into a pair of steel colored eyes. "Lord Kuchiki?"

Byakuya raised an eyebrow, but his expression was glacial. "You father thought you might need some assistance," he said, evenly. "He was, apparently, correct."

"My father?" Ichigo said, coughing again. "Then you…?"

"Rukia told me she needed a ship. I had not expected, however, that I would be needed to render you more aid," he replied. Ichigo couldn't tell if the man was irritated or intrigued by the situation.

For once, Ichigo was speechless.

"Captain," Byakuya said, ignoring the stunned Ichigo and turning to Hitsugaya, who was preparing a small launch, "you are unlikely to catch up with the Symphony in that."

Hitsugaya scowled and looked at Ichigo. "Captain Kurosaki here should be able to manage it," he said, stressing the word 'captain' with particular disdain.

"Indeed?" Byakuya said, slightly surprised. "Then what Yamamoto suspected is true."

Hitsugaya stepped into the boat, reaching out his hand to help Ichigo board. Stubbornly, Ichigo tried to jump into the boat without help. He nearly fell headlong back into the water. Hitsugaya grabbed his arm and Ichigo found his footing, sitting down resignedly in the little boat.

"You wouldn't think it to look at him," Hitsugaya replied, shaking his head. "But the kid's pretty handy in a pinch."

"Kid?!" complained Ichigo. "Who are you calling a kid? I'm a captain in the Royal Nav…"

"What about you?" Hitsugaya asked Byakuya, interrupting Ichigo, a flicker of a grin on his face.

"I'll be fine. Just get my sister safely out of here and back to the island," Byakuya replied, his sword vanishing into the air.

"And your ship?" Hitsugaya asked.

At this, Byakuya laughed. "Stealing a Kuchiki ship in broad daylight in the London harbor? What better a tale to add to the mystique of the boy pirate? You can keep her, for now." Then, frowning, he added, "Of course you look a bit too old to be called a boy anymore, Captain." Hitsugaya was now about the same height as the other two men.

"Kurosaki," said Hitsugaya. "Time to leave."

Ichigo scowled, then nodded, reaching his numb hands out in front of him. They glowed blue, and the boat began to pull away from the docks. Ichigo could just make out the masts of the Symphony near the mouth of the harbor. He willed the small boat to join her.

"Kurosaki," said Byakuya, standing on the edge of the docks as the boat moved away. "Take care of Rukia. I do not intend to rescue you twice. I will visit you both in Thyilea when the child is born." Ichigo's mouth dropped open.

"Time to leave, Kurosaki," prodded Hitsugaya as Byakuya and walked away without waiting for Ichigo's reply.

Ichigo frowned, willing the boat to move faster, steering it using the water. It raced quickly between the other ships, large and small, that dotted the harbor. Within minutes, they had caught up to the Symphony. Then, climbing up the ropes that still dangled off the stern of the ship, Ichigo and Hitsugaya quickly scrambled on deck.

"Ichigo!" shouted Rukia, who uncharacteristically ran to him and pulled him close. Still sore where he had been shot, he winced and pulled away slightly. She ran her fingertips gently over the wound, looking concerned.

"I'm fine," Ichigo said. "Your brother fixed me up pretty well."

"My brother?"

"He helped us out of a little bit of a mess there, on the docks," Ichigo replied, looking over at Hitsugaya, who was standing near Karin.

Ichigo followed Rukia over to the center of the ship. There, at the wheel, was Renji, red hair blowing in the wind, adjusting the ship's course to catch the wind as they steered out of the channel.

"Oy! Captain Kurosaki," Renji shouted as he saw Ichigo approach. "You let a woman rescue you again?"

Ichigo ignored Renji and turned to Rukia, scowling. "What's he doing here?"

"Saving you," she deadpanned, shaking her head. "He and Hitsugaya were sent to retrieve you."

"Sent by whom?" Ichigo asked.

"Yamamoto," Renji answered, laughing. "You hadn't figured that out yet?"

"I…," Ichigo stammered. "No. I didn't realize…"

"You thought he'd just let you hang, did you?"

"Renji," Rukia admonished, "you know that's not fair. I myself didn't realize Lord Yamamoto intended to let Ichigo go. I even asked Yamamoto to do so, and he refused me."

"Well, he couldn't just have let him walk out of prison, could he?" Hitsugaya pointed out, clearly relishing the revelation that he and Renji had been sent to rescue Ichigo.

"No. I guess Yamamoto couldn't have done that. I suppose he did say something along those lines," she admitted.

"Really. Just how long did the old man think we would sit by and do nothing?" interjected Karin, glaring at Hitsugaya. "Should we have waited until they tightened the hangman's noose around his neck?"

Hitsugaya raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Renji! Ship ahead, three o'clock!"

Ichigo looked up and saw Matsumoto, perched on one of the crow's nests, a brass spyglass in her hand. Renji frowned as Ichigo and Hitsugaya ran over to the starboard railing.

"She's Navy," Ichigo shouted back. "Looks like she's changing course to intercept. She'll be within firing range in a few minutes."

"Head her out to sea, Renji," Rukia shouted.

"I can't yet," Renji replied, as Ichigo ran back over to the wheel. "We're too close to the sea wall, and she's maneuvered herself so that we'll either hit the wall or ram her if we change course."

Ichigo, taking a deep breath, considered the situation. From the angle of the approaching ship, he knew that using his powers might force the oncoming vessel into the sea wall. The current was strong here; if their pursuers hit the wall, it would be unlikely the other ship would be scuttled and her crew injured or killed in the collision.

"No," he thought. "Our lives are no more valuable than theirs. I won't see them harmed." There had to be another way.

"Renji!" shouted Matsumoto again, "she's readying her cannons."

"Damn," swore Renji, under his breath.

"Hand me a spyglass," Ichigo demanded. Karin, who had been standing nearby, reached into a small canvas bag lashed to the center railing and handed one to Ichigo. Ichigo lifted the glass to his eye, doing his best to steady himself to read the writing on the bow of the approaching ship.

"It's the Vincent," Ichigo said. "That's Shuuhei's ship, now."

"Then we're fine," laughed Karin, relieved. "Shuuhei wouldn't…"-

There was the sound of an explosion, far off the bow of the Symphony, and Ichigo grabbed Karin's arm to keep her from falling over.

-"…fire on us," she finished, regaining her balance and looking slightly pale.

"It's not any different for Shuuhei than it was for Yamamoto," Ichigo pointed out, narrowing his eyes. "He can't be seen to let us go. There are too many men on that ship – witnesses."

Karin, who had been to sea only two times before in her life, took a deep breath and grabbed the center railing as another cannonball, closer this time, hit the water off the starboard bow.

Ichigo looked at Hitsugaya and Rukia. "We have to move the ship."

"Move her?" Hitsugaya asked.

"Like you did, with the Soul Warrior, Rukia, when I was aboard the Vincent," said Ichigo.

"But they'll see us," she answered, shaking her head. "It was dark and stormy that night and you still knew something strange had happened. It would be foolhardy…"

"No," replied Hitsugaya, interrupting Rukia, "it would not be foolhardy. Not if they can't see us."

"What are you thinking?" Rukia asked, turning back to Ichigo, understanding dawning.

"How far away can you move us?" Ichigo asked.

"If we all work together," Hitsugaya replied, "fifty nautical miles, perhaps. But there's no guarantee we won't land her on the rocks or even one of the small islands around here. The technique is not that precise."

"I can make sure you don't ground her," Ichigo said confidently. "You'll have to move her, though – I won't be able to help. But I can hide us from them, and I can guide you." Of this last statement, he wasn't quite so sure.

A third cannon shot landed in the water and the ship rocked with the aftershock.

"Matsumoto!" shouted Hitsugaya. "Get down on deck. Abarai, keep us on our current heading. If Kurosaki is correct, the cannons will continue to miss us, at least for now."

"I'll need a few minutes," Ichigo said. "Wait for my signal."

"Aye, aye," replied Renji, looking up from the wheel.

Ichigo ran to the railing, planting his feet between the rails, as he had done before. Another cannon blast rocked the ship, but his feet held firm. He closed his eyes and held his hands out directly in front of him. He could feel the water beneath the keel of the ship, pressing against the smooth surface of the wood.

"I know how to do this," he thought, focusing his mind on the water itself. "Not a wall of water. Something…more subtle."

He opened his eyes, breathing deeply and gazing out at the waves. His fingers began to tingle and he could feel the cool touch of water on his face.

"Smaller. Much smaller."

The water, which had risen in large droplets from the surface now began to disperse, floating like a cloud. The cloud began to thin slightly as it spread outwards, enveloping the ship in a blanket of fog. Ichigo's fingers vibrated with energy now, as he envisioned the fog fanning out across the water. As the fog shrouded the Vincent, Ichigo caught a brief glimpse of Hisagi, standing at the edge of the ship.

He was saluting Ichigo.

"Goodbye, old friend," Ichigo said, his words lost as the fog descended.

Only the cockpit area where Ichigo and the others stood was visible in the thick white blanket. "Now!" he shouted to his companions, still looking out over the water.

Rukia, Hitsugaya, Matsumoto, Renji and Karin laid their hands on the great wheel, their combined energy illuminating the ship, bathing it in white. The warm light traveled around the deck and up the masts, branching out to cover every inch of the vessel, growing in intensity and brightness.

"I need you, Zangetsu," thought Ichigo, keeping his left hand out in front of him and reaching for the sword. "I'm not sure how to guide them." He felt the sword warm in his hand and, for an instant, he felt as though he had become one with the ship.

"Use the Talisman, Ichigo," Zangetsu answered. "I will show them the way."

The Talisman. Of course. He could feel the water, the sandy bottom, the rocks, the reefs, the islands. He could lead the ship there, find a safe harbor where the others could put it down, far enough away from the coastline that the Navy would be hard-pressed to follow.

The ship began to hum with energy, and Ichigo felt the change in the water beneath her as she lifted out of the waves, gliding above them, still glowing like the sun. Zangetsu, too, had begun to glow with the same, familiar whitish-blue light.

Still maintaining the fog with his left hand, he felt Zangetsu guide his mind forward, out to sea. He could almost see the ship as it traveled over the water like a bird. After several minutes, he felt the ship begin to slow, and he released his left hand. It had begun to shake slightly with the effort of maintaining the fog, but he knew they were far enough away from the Vincent that no one would see them now. There were no ships nearby to observe the ghost-like vessel float gently back down to the water.

He took a deep breath and felt Zangetsu's presence retreat, felt the sword disappear from his right hand. "Oy! Rukia!" he shouted, running over to join the others in the cockpit. "Everything alright?"

"Fine!" came the reply, as Rukia ran to him and held him tightly. Renji easily turned the ship about and the sails began to fill. Out of the corner of his eye, Ichigo saw Karin, looking relieved and just a tad green around the gills.

"Where to, Captain?" asked Renji, with a grin.

"Home," said Rukia, taking a deep breath. "Take us home, Renji."

"Aye, aye, sir!" he shouted, happily.

Eight Years Later:

"Hard about!" Rukia shouted to the sailor holding the wheel of the Soul Warrior. The bright Caribbean sun illuminated her hair as it blew around her face.

"I know what I'm doing," came the quick reply, laced with sarcasm.

Ichigo, who was sitting on the center rail of the cockpit, laughed and raised his hand slightly. The sails filled, and the ship pulled hard to port.

"No fair!"

"Listen to your mother, Sayuri," admonished Ichigo, shaking his head. Then, glancing over at Rukia, he added, "She's as stubborn as you are, you know."

Rukia snorted as the red-headed girl at the wheel compensated quickly for wind. Despite Ichigo's protestations to the contrary, Sayuri was very much like him – quick-tempered, pigheaded, but utterly loyal. At eight years-old, she already possessed the skills of a far more-experienced sailor, and could handle a sword with ease.

"Daddy," came a voice from behind Ichigo, "Uncle Renji says he won't let me climb the mast unless you say it's okay."

"Ryuu," chastised Rukia, "the last time you decided you wanted to try climbing up by yourself, I ended up having to climb up there after you and carry you down."

"That was last year, mom," said the dark haired boy. "I'm older now. Wiser. More mature."

"He's starting to sound just like your brother, Rukia," said Ichigo, with a smirk. "Six years old and talking just like a Kuchiki."

Rukia smiled. Truth was, Ryuu looked very much like Byakuya, despite the fact that the elder Kuchiki was not a blood relative. His eyes were slightly darker than Rukia's, a deep violet-blue, and his hair was the color and texture of black silk. Ryuu, like his sister, showed the promise of his birthright, although he was far more introverted than Sayuri.

"Give it a try, Ryuu," laughed Ichigo. "And tell your Uncle Renji not to be a mother hen."

The boy scrambled across the deck, looking positively gleeful. Several minutes later, Ichigo looked up as Ryuu began to climb the high center mast. At the bottom stood Renji, watching like a hawk, ready to catch the child.

Ichigo felt a soft hand on his arm.

"Have you told him yet?" Ichigo asked her, his face suddenly serious.

"No," she replied, softly. "But I will."

"He's always wanted his own ship," Ichigo said, still watching Ryuu climb the mast.

"Yes, but not like this," she answered, sadly.

"Toushirou is fine," Ichigo said, trying to convince himself as well as her. "Yamamoto said…"

"I know what Yamamoto said," she answered, wearily. "We've had this conversation before, Ichigo. Captain Hitsugaya would not just leave his people."

"He always talked about going off on his own," Ichigo pointed out. "He's probably somewhere in the Keys, giving the Americans hell."

"He wouldn't have left without his ship," Rukia said, her eyes narrowed. "And, no, I don't believe he would have found himself another. He loves that ship."

"Even if he didn't leave on his own, Rukia," Ichigo responded, kindly, "you know Thyilea can't survive with just the Warrior making runs anymore. It's growing too fast for just one ship to supply the food and essentials. We need the Ice Dragon, and she needs a captain."

"I know," she said, with a sigh.

"Look," said Ichigo, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her gently against his chest. "We'll be in England in a few weeks. Yuu and Yuri can spend some time with your brother or Isshin. We can do some poking around. Toushirou disappeared in London – maybe there's a clue to be found. It's been about six months since I last saw Shuuhei. Maybe he's heard something."

"Thanks," she said, reaching up and pulling his face to hers. "I know it's probably a waste of time but…"

He kissed her, a long and passionate kiss, and all of the thoughts that haunted her vanished, at least temporarily. She sighed and, pulling away from him slightly, smiled contentedly.

"Ewww," said Sayuri, making a face. "Do you have to do that in front of me?"

Ichigo laughed and kissed Rukia again, this time with a bit of exaggerated drama, for effect. The ship lurched to starboard, and Ichigo reached over and grabbed the rail to keep them both from toppling over. He looked over at Sayuri, eyes narrowed.

"I told you, Dad," she said, with a satisfied grin, turning the wheel back on course. "That's disgusting."

Ichigo shook his head and looked at Rukia. There was the sound of footsteps on the deck, and Ryuu came running, grinning from ear to ear. "I did it! I did it!" he shouted, clapping his hands and jumping up and down.

"Great job, Yuu," said Ichigo, proudly. "I knew you could do it."

"He did great," Renji said, following closely behind. "Climbed all the way up to the highest crow's nest and back down again without batting an eye."

"Thanks for watching him," said Ichigo.

"He's a good kid," Renji answered, grinning. "It's not his fault that you're his father."

Ichigo raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.

"Renji," ask Rukia, "is Matsumoto still sleeping?"

"She's probably up by now," he replied, "although she's usually grumpy after taking the night watch."

"I was hoping to speak to you both."

"You want to talk about the Dragon," he said, without missing a beat.

Rukia's mouth dropped open. "How did you know?"

"Despite what your husband thinks, I'm not stupid," Renji replied, shooting a dark look Ichigo's direction.

"Well?" Rukia prodded. "She's moored outside of London."

"I'll captain her," Renji replied, putting his hands in his pockets. "But only 'till Toushirou says he wants her back. You think you can manage with this" – he frowned at Ichigo – "fool of a first mate?"

Rukia sighed. "I think we'll manage."

"Daddy, daddy!" shouted Ryuu, pulling on Ichigo's arm, "show me how to tie the dock lines!"

Ichigo looked at Rukia and smiled, grabbing the boy's hand. They walked to the stern, side by side. Ryuu picked up one of the ropes and began to unwind it. Ichigo watched the boy for a few minutes, then sat down on the deck and lay down, looking up at the cloudless sky. He could sense Rukia was watching them.

"We finally got it right this lifetime, didn't we?" he thought, dreamily, as the boy chattered happily on.

"Yes, my love," came the reply on the wind. "We did."

THE END

*Clean slate – At the helm, the watch keeper would record details of speed, distances, headings, etc. on a slate. At the beginning of a new watch the slate would be wiped clean.