Here is the epilogue. Thank you for the support from everyone who read, reviewed, followed, and added the story to their favorites. It's been a pleasure sharing the story with you. I do have another story that I'm working on. Look for it in a couple of weeks.

Posted 5/4/14

Epilogue: Success is a Journey…

Present Day (beginning of Bleach anime)

The day was sunny and crisp, the cold, December air nipping at my exposed skin as I made my way to the training grounds behind the division. It was early morning, my favorite time of the day. Being an early riser gave me time to train on my own for a few hours before I had to get back to the office. When I didn't train, I took the time to read or just enjoy a walk around Seireitei. I had very little time to myself during the workday, so I relished the early mornings that I could enjoy with my own thoughts.

This morning, however, was not going to be spent in quiet reflection. Once a month, I met with my sixth seat officer so that we could work on his swordsmanship and his reiatsu control. We started these training sessions when I was the ninth seat and he was a fresh new recruit, and we'd kept them going as we both rose through the ranks.

"Hitsugaya-taichou, you're late," Chiba said as I joined him in training field number six.

"I'm the captain, I'm never late," I replied.

Chiba grinned at me, and we both began our warm up routine. Chiba had joined the 10th division two years after I did. I was very surprised to find out that he'd put in an application to join our division when he graduated from the academy, and Matsumoto had asked for my input on whether or not he should be accepted, since I'd known him at the academy. I'd been a bit concerned to have him in my division, but I hadn't let my personal feelings interfere with my assessment. In the two years since I'd left the academy, Chiba had gotten stronger, smarter, and had graduated near the top of his class. He'd really turned himself around and he deserved a second chance.

Part of my job back then had been to help train new recruits, and he'd been assigned to one of my squads. We were very awkward around each other at first, but we'd both eventually gotten over that initial phase. Chiba had shown an eagerness to learn, and he'd been more than happy to take instruction from me. He was a quick learner, and the longer we trained together, the more I looked forward to the sessions.

When I was promoted to captain, my free time quickly disappeared, but neither one of us wanted to stop our sessions. I'd since come to think of Chiba as one of my more trusted officers and a good friend.

"What's it going to be today, Hitsugaya-taichou?" Chiba asked when he'd completed his warm up routine.

"How about a little swordsmanship?" I asked. "Last time we trained you weren't doing so well offensively.

I unsheathed my zanpakutou and he did the same. I held Hyourinmaru in front of me and motioned for him to attack me.

He released his sword and came at me. Chiba's zanpakutou wasn't an elemental-based one like mine. Instead, Chiba's reiatsu was used to strengthen and widen the blade. If an enemy blade touched it, the enemy's reiatsu would be absorbed into the zanpakutou, which made it stronger while it weakened the opponent. Chiba had perfected its use to defend himself, but had yet to master its offensive capabilities.

We traded blows, but Chiba's stance was weak and it was easy enough to break through it and land a fatal blow if I'd been so inclined.

"Damn it!" he said in frustration. "You're not even winded."

"Come at me again and analyze what you're doing carefully."

Chiba attacked again. This time, instead of avoiding the blow and breaking his defense, I grabbed onto his wrist. He jerked back, surprised, but I maintained my grip.

"Look at your stance," I said as I held his hand over my head. His legs were too far apart and all of his weight was going forward with the swing of the sword. "Look at how open and unbalanced you are. All I have to do is this…" I let go of his wrist and ducked, and Chiba fell forward, his momentum making him take a few steps forward. Before he could recover, I had the tip of my blade on the back of his neck.

"Swordsmanship is not all about power," I said. "It's also about finesse."

Chiba nodded. "I think I'm too worried about how strong my blows are to notice how I'm actually landing them," he said. "I'm not thinking about the holes I'm leaving for my opponent."

"Exactly," I said. "Now, with that in mind, let's try it again."

The next hour went by very fast, but Chiba was starting to make some progress. He'd even managed to land one blow.

"Go see Yukio-sensei," I said. "He can help you work on your stance."

"I will," Chiba said and re-sheathed his zanpakutou.

"Same time next month?" I asked.

"Wouldn't miss it," he replied.

I turned to leave, but Chiba's voice stopped me.

"She's planning on doing it again this year," Chiba said. "I just thought I'd warn you."

"I know," I replied. "She stopped listening to me years ago."

With that, I left Chiba and made my way out of the 10th division. I had another old friend from the academy to visit.

I got to the academy just as classes began for the day. The few students that were still out and about gawked at me as I passed. I never have gotten used to the feeling of being stared at, even though now it was for completely different reasons. I used the adoration and/or fear that came with my haori when I needed to, but was content to mind my own business otherwise. Unlike other captains I worked with, I didn't need constant acknowledgement to feel content.

I walked quickly through the hallways until I reached a well-remembered dojo. I let myself in quietly so as not to disturb the class and stood in the back, watching. This was a sixth year class, and I could see that a couple of the students already had their zanpakutou. One in particular caught my attention: she was tall, lanky, but very fluid in her motions. Unlike Chiba, her stance was perfect, well balanced, and as tight as it could be. She and her zanpakutou moved as one, not a move wasted. She dispatched her opponent quickly, to the chagrin of her partner.

Kudou-sensei, who had been standing next to the sparring pair, finally noticed me and waved.

"Class, take ten minutes. I'll be right back."

The students turned to where their teacher was going and then started whispering to each other when they saw me. The girl I'd been watching met my eyes, dipped her head in greeting, and then turned away.

"I see Watanabe has already caught your attention," Kudou-sensei said as he led me out of the dojo and into the adjoining office.

"I take it that's why you called me here," I said as we settled at his desk.

"Indeed. Better yet, she has an ice-type zanpakutou as well. There aren't many of those around, certainly none here at the academy. Who better to answer questions than the master of the ice himself?"

I shook my head at yet another nickname.

"Trust me, Hitsugaya-taichou, she has a lot of questions. She reminds me of a certain white-haired student I had way back in the day."

My hand went to the green sash across my chest, the one that still held my zanpakutou on my back, and I remembered how excited I'd been when I came to see Kudou-sensei to tell him I had my zanpakutou. He'd been very supportive then, and we'd kept in touch over the years. Every once in a while, an extremely talented student crossed his door and he always let me know, especially when he knew that I was willing to either mentor them myself or to have one of my officers do it. I'd only mentored one student myself, back when I was third seat, and he was now a member of my division. He turned out to be a damn good explosives expert.

"How long has she had her zanpakutou," I asked, returning to the subject at hand.

"She acquired it just recently," Kudou-sensei replied. "She's already very proficient in using it as a weapon, as you just saw, but I think she needs help communing with her spirit. I've tried to help her, but my zanpakutou is not an ice elemental. Ice elementals tend to be a little… special," he finally said. "Only a fellow ice wielder can understand."

Special is putting it mildly, I thought, and Hyourinmaru chuckled in response.

"What do you say, are you willing to at least talk to her?"

"Sure," I said. "We can go from there."

Two hours later, I left Kudou-sensei's office, satisfied that I'd made the right choice in agreeing to mentor Watanabe. She was powerful and eager to learn, and I had no doubt that she would do well wherever she ended up.

I ran a couple of more errands and then headed back to my office to finish out my workday. The guards greeted me as I walked by and I saw a couple of other division members in the hallways. I mentally checked the division calendar for today to remind myself what everyone was supposed to be doing. By the time I'd gotten to my office, I was so preoccupied with the business of the division that the shout, when it came, almost made me jump.

"Surprise!"

I managed to conceal my jumpiness as people popped up from behind the couch, my desk, and Matsumoto's desk.

"Happy Birthday, Hitsugaya-taichou," Matsumoto yelled as she enveloped me in a hug. Her assets had stopped making me blush long ago, but I still couldn't wait until I was tall enough so that I wasn't at eye level with them. When she released me, Hinamori enveloped me in a hug.

"Were you surprised, Shirou-can?" she asked.

"It's Hitsugaya-taichou, damn it," I reminded her for the thousandth time.

She released me and several other people came up to wish me well. Chiba, I noticed, hung out at the back of the office. He gave me a shrug when he noticed me looking at him. He could have at least told me when and where they were going to do it.

It had become a game of sorts. Matsumoto knew that I didn't like parties, especially ones I didn't know about, but every year she kept throwing me a surprise birthday party. The time and place changed every year so I never knew when it was going to happen, but it nevertheless always did.

"Come on, let's get some food. Maybe I'll even manage to get some sake in you this year," Matsumoto said as she led me towards the food.

"Not a chance in hell, Matsumoto," I growled.

I let her lead me, a scowl on my face, but I had to admit that I enjoyed the trouble she went through every year. I looked around the familiar faces in my office and was glad that, after all the trials and tribulations my career had put me through, I'd gotten to a place where I finally belonged, a place I was accepted for who I was.

That thought fled quickly out of my head as soon as I took in the scene in front of me.

"Damn it, Matsumoto, what the hell have you done to my desk?" I yelled.

Appearances had to be kept up after all.

THE END

There you have it. See you all next time!