The wind whistled past her ears as they fell, and she could feel the words fall from her tongue though she couldn't hear them. The woman's eyes were softer than that she would have expected from an accomplice of the ryoka. More conflicted, even. Strange for a group so driven by conviction alone. The cloth fell from the woman's face, and her skin began to burn where they touched. Her eyes grew drunk with the light that reflected off her skin. It had been decades. She didn't need more than a shot to feel the haze begin to settle behind her forehead.
"Yoruichi-sama."
She steeled herself once more.
With soft movements, they struck each other with the intensity of beasts, cutting through the air in sync, as though every twitch and strike were coordinated. They landed opposite from each other, their toes making contact with small taps.
"You shouldn't have come back," Soi Fon said. "You should not have shown your face here again."
Yoruichi only pursed her lips, her gaze fixed upon Soi Fon. She let her eyes examine the way the girl had changed. Her attire. Her hair. The way she carried herself. The way her stare chilled her skin.
She heard a deep thump as Soi Fon pulled at the hilt of her Zanpakuto, sending it into the thick branch beneath her. Her eyebrows lifted. Yoruichi didn't need to turn her head to know who had arrived ,to know that she had been surrounded. She remembered a time when she herself held that sime power in her palm.
"You know what happens, don't you? An execution battle is imminent. Death is imminent. Even for the former commander."
Yoruichi nodded as she dispatched every one of her former subordinates. She flash stepped them away from the scene - this wasn't their battle. This wasn't their fight. She knew, in her gut, that the entire bout would be unaviodable. She had known since the moment they had stepped into Soul Society with Kurosaki and the others.
She looked up at Soi Fon; "There's still one title you haven't stripped from me." Her next words were barely a whisper, caught behind the lump in her throat. "You never will."
Soi Fon pushed her cousin away as he tossed rice cracker crumbs at her face. She picked the little pices out of her hair and brushed them off her uniform. She glared at the older boy as he laughed.
"Stop it! You'll mess me up."
"What will it matter anyway? Shihoin-dono will induct you into her personal guard anyway. It isn't as if she'll change her mind."
"You never know."
Xue Fon rubbed at his hair; "Baka. It's not every Fon that gets inducted in the current Commander's guard. And it certainly isn't every inductee that gets personally mentored by the Commander. She isn't going to change her mind." He sighed as he dropped down onto the tatami floors. "Most of us end up as body guards for a bunch of old farts."
"You shouldn't say things like that. It's unbecoming."
"I'm just teasing," he said, laughing. "I really do like Daisuke-sama. He's very fair, and he always lets the men off early on the weekend. Makes managing the corps easier. Plus. he has good taste in sake."
Soi Fon grumbled as she turned away to give her uniform one last look over. she rubbed her fingers over minuscule wrinkles only she could see, pulling at them until they disappeared.
"I'm just saying that Shihoin-dono is hot."
She hit him across the head with the hilt of her zanpakuto; "I told you to stop saying things like that!"
"You're blushing."
Soi Fon raised the hilt back up into the hair to swing back down on him. The door slid open.
"Excuse me," said the masked man. "But we are ready for you."
"Hai."
Soi Fon sheathed her weapon and silently followed the man out of the room. Xue Fon smiled as she watched his younger cousin walk away.
The room was lit by nothing more than small candles. Yoruichi sat lackadaisically in hre chair, a stark contrast against the old man, rigid beside her. the sleeveless uniform hung neatly off her sking, her captain's haori loose off her shoulders. A small smile spread across her face as she sensed Soi Fon's reiestsu. She had done this many times before, said these words many times before. This time was different. She knew it was.
Soi Fon sat across from Yoruichi and watched as her mentor shifted herself into a more formal position. The man beside them looked up from the book before him and nodded towards the two women. Deliberately, they unsheatehd their swords, laying them across their laps. As she began, there was only the silence, and all else she could hear was the sound of the man old man scratching ink into the paper.
"On my honor, I, Soi Fon, do solemnly swear that I will support and defend the Shihoin lineage; that I will give my life to protect Yoruichi Shihoin, 22nd head of the Shihoin house and Commander of Onmitsukido. I will never forget the blood spilled together by our families in war. On this blood, I swear my oath."
Yoruichi brought her zanpakuto gently to Soi Fon's hand and pressed the blade against her palm, drawing blood.
"On my honor, I, Yoruichi Shihoin, do solemnly swear that I will honor the oath sworn to me by Soi Fon, daughter of Shun Fon; that I will serve my guard and shield as they serve me. I will never forget the blood spilled by our families in war. On this blood, I swear my oath."
Soi Fon tentatively cut Yoruichi's palm, as she had hers. They pressed their palms to each other, their blood coming together. Soi Fon held her breath for what seemed like hours.
"Well then," Yoruichi smiled as she pulled them both up. She placed her clean hand on Soi Fon's head. She chuckled as the young charge blushed. "Looks like that's done with. How does it feel, Soi Fon? It's written in stone now. We'll keep our promises yet."
Soi Fon launched herself into the air towards Yoruichi, her hands aimed carefully at Yoruichi's critical points. Yoruichi raised her own hands to parry Soi Fon's attacks. She felt Soi Fon's strike gaze her cheek. She smiled as she realized that the small strike could have killed her had she not moved out of the way.
"Stop that! Stop smiling! I am stronger than you! I should have surpassed you already! You should have weakened these past hundred years and I should have grown in strength! I swear that I will end this!"
Yoruichi wiped the blood from her cheek. Soi Fonhad grown a great deal. She had grown strong. She knew this and felt a handful of pride begin to mingle with the bitterness in her stomach. She braced herself for the next set of attacks. Keep them coming, Soi Fon, she thought.
She felt a bead of sweat roll down the side of her head as Soi Fon launched herself at Yoruichi once more. In truth, she didn't know. She didn't know what she was doing. Kisuke had warned her to stay away, to remember what was at stake. To remember Aizen. She had agreed. Of course, it had Aizen's presnece that had led her to this moment, to her instinctive uncontrollable actions. She had lept, leaving Ichigo on that cliff, pushing Soi Fon far from the site of battle.
After all, what did it matter if Soi Fon...? No.
She let Soi Fon strike her once more and she could feel the unadulterated rage in the force. Her eyes widened with realization. She knew then what she needed to do, that she needed to do mroe than just keep the girl away from Aizen. She slowed her arms by a fraction of a second and felt the reverberating force of the strike.
A second strike pierced the skin on her side. The third dislocated her shoulder.
"Enough," said Soi Fon. "I don't know what tricks you're trying to pull, but this ends now."
Soi Fon pulled her zanpakuto out from the branch. In an instant, it disappeared, replaced by a cold metal that raun up her hand, encasing her fingers. The point of her weapon glistened in the sunlight as she held it up towards Yoruichi. She could feel the venom pulsate in her arm. Yoruichi turned her eyes away.
At first, it had felt strange to not hold a hilt in her hand. She swung her arm and felt that the weight was the same. The needle sliced through the air silently. She smiled at the accomplishment and felt her muscles relax for the first time in weeks.
"I did it."
Her legs buckled beneath her, and her breathing grew heavy. She relished in the feeling of the fine dirt against her skin. She didn't even try to wipe away the crusted blood, sweat, and mud that caked over her usually meticulous appearance.
She felt a pair of feet flash step towards her at incredible speed.
"So there you are," whispered Yoruichi. "I thought I told you to take the night off."
"I did."
"This isn't what I meant."
Yoruichi passed her warm hands over Soi Fon's body, healing what little she could. She suddenly felt a deep seated regret in ignoring most her medical training, forgoing for what she believed to be more practical skills. Not so practical now.
"It's okay, Yoruichi-sama," said Soi Fon. "I learned her name. I learned her name, today."
"Hush. Save your strength."
"Suzemubachi."
"Hm?"
"That's her name. That's how I can protect you."
Soi Fon wobbled as she pulled herself off the ground, readying herself as she activated a dummy hollow. The light reflected off the point of her weapon.
"Wait! What do you think you're doing?"
"Stin your enemies, Suzemubachi."
With the last of her strength, she jumped into the air at the hollow, leaving only the smallest of slices. A pattern, resembling a butterfly, appeared across the surface of the beast. She bounced back up from the ground , the balls of her feet tapping softly against the dirt, and the tip of her blade found its mark, pricking the hollow once more. It disappeared into the air.
Soi Fon collapsed again. Yoruichi caught her and held her.
"See, Yoruichi-sama? I can protect you now."
"Enough of that. You've always been able to, Soi Fon." She pulled off her captain's haori and draped it around the girl. "Here."
"Yoruichi-sama! I can't...!"
"I thought I told you to hush." Yoruichi let a smirk spread across her features. "Besides, who knows? You might wear this for real one day."
"Yoruichi-sama!"
"Sting your enemies, Suzemubachi!"
They danced. At least, Yoruichi pretended as though they were. Soi Fon would jab, Yoruichi woudl step aside. Soi Fon would slice, Yoruichi would guide her hand away. They stepped around each other, moving at speeds no one else could. Yoruichi felt a sting in her chest and watched as a butterfly blossomed beneath the blood. She felt her heart clench at the pain. It's okay, she thought, smiling playfully. We're only dancing.
She leapt up into the air once more. She felt a prick on her back, and again on her arm and cheek. Patterns marked her dark sin where had been stung. Her breathing grew heavyas the venom began to spread. It had been so long.
Soi Fon lited Suzemubachi once more.
"Why aren't you fighting back?" Her arm trembled. "Say something! Answer me!"
Yoruichi pushed her feet foreward, stumbling. The pain had begun to numb.
"You left me alone! I was extremely disappointed in you! I hated you! I cursed you! I swore to arrest you one day with my own hands! Then to surpass you! I struggled... gained strength... I will never forgive you, Yoruichi! For betraying my respect and trust, I will never forgive you! Like I said... this ends now, Yoruichi. All of it ends now." Soi Fon spit out only the shape of her last words, her voice suddenly hoarse. Yoruichi read the silent words from Soi Fon's lips. "I don't care. I don't want to feel this anymore."
A blash of energy began to sprint full force through her body, and her muscles buzzed with potential. She squeezed the power together, holding it tight until the moment she could unleash it all.
"You should feel lucky," she said. "I only just crated this. You'll be the first to witness it. It doesn't even have a name yet."
"Shunko." Yoruichi smiled, lifting her head to meet Soi Fon's determined stare. The pain from her wounds had numbed down to a light ache. "I suppose it can't be helped, then."
As Soi Fon hurtled towards her, energy exploding into the air, Yoruichi closed her eyes, matching the energy and shooting it through her arm.
Soi Fon hadn't expected there to be silence. Blood dripped down, smashing against the dirt and it sounded like thunder. She could hear her breathing, weak and uneven, brushing against her neck. Her arm burned where Yoruichi touched her and guided her. Yoruichi's hand, still resting on her arm, began to shiver. What have I done?
They collapsed together, the tip of Suzemubachi falling from Yoruichi's chest. She held Yoruichi's head in her lap, her throat tightening, head heavy, arms numb, stomach churning, pulse thundering.
Yoruichi lifted a shaky hand to Soi Fon's face, cupping her cheek as she smiled. She could feel the rough scar on Yoruichi's palm against her skin.
"Soi Fon-taichou," she whispered.
The hand fell.
"No! Disappear! Disappear!" She began to force kido into the markings, despeartely trying to will them away. What have I done? "Why... Why didn't you take me with you, Yoruichi-sama?"
Soi Fon ran her fingers through Yoruichi's hair as she had one hundred years ago, left with nothing more than her reietsu, lurching unadulterated into the air, bitter and thick.
To be continued.