Sister story to Behind the Mask, but not plot connected. Again, takes place after the end of Bleach, with liberties taken, especially with a non-canon death.
The first meeting was pure coincidence.
She'd been in the human world to visit the Visored, of all things, the ones that didn't return to the Gotei 13. Her reconciliation with them had been a slow thing, at the start. She'd even denied remembering them when they'd first appeared again, unwilling to break down her walls to even acknowledge them. It got easier when she watched them getting injured, one-by-one. They'd been old comrades, after all, allies and peers over a century ago, and as hard as it was having them vanish once, the thought of losing them again still hurt just as much.
After the war with the Quincy, it became a little more pressing to connect with them again. So many had been lost that it seemed foolish not to keep in contact with the ones that still remained. Not all of them appreciated her company, of course. Hiyori in particular was especially prickly, but she'd never had much respect for anyone, even when she was a Shinigami, so it was expected. Hachigen was always welcoming, at least, and they usually shared some tea whenever she stopped by. Urahara was there from time to time as well, which was still a pain, but his presence didn't grate on her nerves nearly as much as it once did. There was a familiarity in seeing them again, all those former exiles. And, truth was, it had also helped her to grieve, reacquainting herself with the ones that had been beside Yoruichi-sama for that long hundred years.
The story was still shrouded, everything about the Soul King's Palace wrapped in mystery to all but the few that were granted unfettered access, but all she knew was that things had gone poorly up there, and Yoruichi-sama had died. The first time she'd left, Sui-Feng had been broken, with too much pain and loss with nothing to turn it toward. But, at the very least, it had prepared it for the second time, just a little. It still hurt just as much. But the grieving tempered it, as did the company, and it helped her to lessen the pain and move on.
And then came the first meeting.
She'd felt that faint sliver of Reiatsu as she was passing through Karakura Town, only a tiny glimmer compared to a Shinigami or a Hollow, or even a powerful human, but she still recognized it just as easily. She told herself not to follow it, that nothing good could come from trying to replace the dead. Curiosity won out, though.
She found her in a small home. It was summer time, and the screens to the back were wide open, and there she was, only a child, toddling across the floor boards to chase after a ball. Dark skin, a big mess of purple hair, and golden eyes that were full of life and wonder. She looked like just Yoruichi-sama, only so much younger.
Sui-Feng perched herself nearby on the branches of a tree, unafraid of being seen. It was so strange, watching this little girl. She'd only known Yoruichi-sama as someone older and wiser, more experienced than her, and yet here was this child that was anything but. It was so much easier to consider the girl to be a sister or just another member of the Shihoin clan, except for that constant nagging of Reiatsu. Still, the child wasn't Yoruichi-sama, and never would be.
"Hi."
She blinked, taken by surprise, which was completely disgraceful for the commander of the Onmitsukido. Looking down, she saw the little girl staring straight up at her with awestruck eyes, ball still in hand. Of course. If the child had noticeable power, no matter how small, of course she could see spirits.
"Watcha doin'?" the girl asked, full of curiosity, not even considering how weird it was to have a conversation with a stranger in a tree.
"Sitting," Sui-Feng answered simply. She could have run and vanished if she wanted, but it would be silly to flee from a child. Besides that, it would also be rude.
"Are you stuck?" the little girl questioned. "Our cat gets stuck sometimes. It needs Mommy and Daddy to help it."
"I'm not a cat," she answered. Couldn't even turn into one. "And I can get down if I want to."
"Oh. Okay," the little girl said, seeming to think that over. "Can I come up with you?"
Sui-Feng almost laughed out loud. This child didn't seem to have a single instinct for survival. "I don't think Mommy and Daddy would like it if I put you up here."
"Oh. Okay," the child repeated, a little crestfallen, before perking right back up. "Wanna play?"
She was about to refuse, but couldn't even open her mouth before the ball was flying toward her. She caught it deftly with one hand and stared at it, before looking back down at the little girl who had her arms raised in the air, waiting for the ball to be thrown back. A small hint of a smile on her face, Sui-Feng tossed it lightly, right into the girl's outstretched arms.
It continued for a while longer, their game. Any onlooker would probably have thought that the child was just bouncing the ball off the tree with uncanny accuracy, but no one even came by. Eventually, though, Sui-Feng heard the sound of a door opening inside the house, and tossed the ball back one last time.
"It sounds like your parents are home."
The little girl scrunched up her nose adorably, looking over her shoulder before sighing loudly.
"Okay. Bye-bye," she said, scampering off back to the house, no doubt to tell her parents all about the lady in the tree. It wouldn't matter, no one would believe the child anyway. Finally lifting herself from her seat, Sui-Feng vanished into the wind, never planning to see the girl again.
She was 5 years old then.
"Help! Someone help!"
The second time was also a coincidence, but an entirely different kind. Sui-Feng had felt her Reiatsu again, like she had before, and many times after since that first meeting. She was always disciplined, though, always refusing to follow it. It was the second source of Reiatsu that drew her full attention, and the screams that quickly followed. It should have been expected, in hindsight, that a child with a natural spiritual presence would be a target for Hollow.
She was there in an instant, landing atop a light post as she spotted the girl fleeing down the street, breath ragged and terror written on her face, a monstrous masked beast in close pursuit. And, though it wasn't really the time, Sui-Feng couldn't help but notice that the girl was quite quick on her feet.
The fight ended instantly, if it could even be called that. A low-class Hollow wasn't even close to a challenge for her, and she ended it with a single clean stroke that split its head in half. It probably didn't even realize that she was there, even as it faded away. Cleaning up these kinds of enemies definitely didn't fall into to the duties of a Captain, or even the role of the Onmitsukido.
"And I thought this region was taken care of," she commented to herself. It seemed almost a joke, that in the districts watched over not only by the Thirteenth Division but also the Substitute, that she would have to be the one to deal with it. She'd have to talk to Kuchiki about this – the sister, not the Captain.
Looking back, she saw the young girl staring at her once again, this time with fear instead of wonder. No surprise, after witnessing her kill the beast so easily. Then the girl caught her off guard once again, as she rushed forward and wrapped the Shinigami in a tight hug, sobbing heavily into the folds of her uniform. Sui-Feng didn't really know how to react, only giving awkward pats on the girl's back.
It was a long time before the child calmed down, but she'd finally released her hold, now sitting down on the edge of the sidewalk. Her eyes were still puffy and red, but her cheeks were dry, and her breaths were even. Sui-Feng considered leaving now, knew that was the wisest decision, but instead lowered herself down and took a seat beside the girl.
"Thanks," the child said after a while, "For saving me."
"It's part of my duties," Sui-Feng answered back. It was also only partly true.
The girl was quiet a little longer, before looking up with a smile. "I remember you, when I was young. You played ball with me. No one believed me, then."
"I suppose they wouldn't have," she said. This wasn't good, forming a connection. It wouldn't be the first time a Shinigami talked with a human, far from it. But it wasn't about breaking rules, it was about projecting emotions onto someone they had nothing to do with.
"Are...things like that going to come after me again?" the girl asked, clearly frightened at the idea.
"I'll see to it that they don't," Sui-Feng stated simply. At the time, she fully meant that she would report the incident to the Thirteenth Division.
"Thank you," the girl said again, her face brightening.
She was 8 years old then.
The next times were completely intentional. She always found some little excuse to drop by at first, and the girl was always happy to see her. Eventually it became something of a pattern, separated by weeks and months instead of years.
"I'm so fast, you should see me!" the girl exclaimed proudly. "Faster than all the boys, even. As soon as I'm in middle school, I'm joining the track team."
There were under the shade of a tree in a park, the girl sitting on the dirt without a care about the mess, and the Captain leaning casually against the trunk beside her. Other kids were running around in the sun, chasing one another and playing games, but the girl was choosing not to join in. By now she'd learned that she could see things that other people couldn't, and knew it was best kept a secret from people who wouldn't understand. Some humans hated it, being weird and different, but this girl embraced it wholeheartedly, likely in no small part because she'd made a friend. A friend whose visits were considered extremely valuable time.
"You probably are fast," Sui-Feng said, smirking slightly, "But not nearly as fast as I am."
"Oh yeah? How fast are you?"
The Shinigami vanished from her spot, and appeared just as suddenly a few steps in front of the girl, who was now gawking at her. "That fast."
"No fair," the girl complained, puffing out her cheeks. "You're using your cheaty powers. I could beat you if I had them."
She'd also learned some things about the Soul Society and the Shinigami, and the Hollows they cleansed, largely because she was a girl that was full of endless questions, and Sui-Feng didn't quite have the resolve to deny all the answers. She didn't know any of the deeper secrets of the Seireitei, but had been told enough to realize that there was a whole other world in the afterlife. It was important to her after seeing so many ghosts wandering the human world, and the Hollow that hunted those spirits.
"Maybe you could," Sui-Feng said, smiling, "And maybe not. There's only a few that were ever faster than me."
"Well I'm going to be one of them someday!"
It was certainly a possibility, all things considered, but she didn't want to dwell on the thought. The girl still had a long life ahead of her. No point in thinking about what would come after.
"Oh, I almost forgot, want some candy?" the girl asked, pulling a handful of wrappers out of her pocket.
"I couldn't eat them," Sui-Feng said. She never wore a Gigai for these visits, feeling like it would be committing too far, having a physical body in this world. Truth be told, she already had committed too far, and she knew it full well.
The girl just shrugged her shoulders, crinkling off the plastic wrapping of one of her candies and popping it in her mouth. Sui-Feng didn't pay it much mind until she took a closer look at the decorative labels and recognized them.
"Where did you buy those?" she asked slowly.
"Oh, just some funny little shop in a back alley. It looks really weird, but they've got some really cheap food. And the shop owner's even weirder, always wears this funny hat and sandals. The other people are nice, though. There's this red-haired guy, like really, really red, and he's kind of cool, and I think it's his girlfriend with him..."
Sui-Feng kept quiet as she listened, but left shortly after, rushing quickly to find Kisuke Urahara. When she arrived at his shop, she almost broke the door down as she threw it open, absolutely livid. And when he greeted her, it was with the same lackadaisical air that he always had.
"Well hello there Captain. Looking to buy something?"
"You talked to her," she growled out accusingly.
He stared for a moment, before hiding his eyes beneath his hat. At least he wasn't playing dumb, and knew exactly what she meant. "So did you, apparently."
She sputtered, her anger suddenly diffused. She couldn't exactly deny it, could she? Hands still clenched, she stared down at the ground before mumbling out, "What did you tell her?"
"Probably less than you," he said with an amused tone. She looked back up to glare at him, ready to snipe at him again, but he continued. "Absolutely nothing. It was coincidence, actually, she just walked into the store one day. Quite a surprise, too."
"...okay," she murmured in acceptance. He could be lying – he certainly had a habit of it – but she chose to believe him. After all, it was hard to imagine either of them wanting to hurt that girl in any way. She turned to leave, just as abruptly as she'd arrived, but paused for a second. "Sorry."
"Don't worry about it," he said jovially. "It sure was nice seeing her again."
"It wasn't," she said immediately, just before she vanished. "It's not her."
She was 10 years old then.
"Look at all these," the girl said, beaming with pride as she displayed all her awards. First place, every one of them, all shining and gold. "I'm even a starter in my first year. Told you I was fast."
"I never doubted it," Sui-Feng answered, staring at the medals with a bit of pride of her own. It had been a while since her last visit, and sometimes it was easy to forget just how quickly the lives of humans flew by. It was already halfway through the girl's first year of middle school, and she already seemed quite accomplished.
It had also been some time since she'd been inside the girl's house. It was always hard to find a private place when there were others in the household around, and she certainly didn't want to encourage the girl to be seen talking to unseen people. Today, though, the girl's parents were out, and she'd taken the opportunity to invite Sui-Feng inside.
It had changed drastically in the years. Some furnishings and appliances were the same, some different, but most notable were the changes in the girl's room. There were still remnants of her childhood, with toys and books still sitting on shelves, but there was also a clear shift in maturity. Music, clothes, magazines, they were scattered about, all displaying whatever was supposed to be important to a human girl her age.
"You certainly have grown up," Sui-Feng commented as she looked around.
"Ugh, I don't to hear that from you. It sounds too much like my Mom," the girl complained loudly, flopping down on her bed, and waved an arm to gesture at the rest of her room. "If I wanted to talk about this stuff, I'd go to my friends at school. And all they want to talk about is how cute some boy is, or how they can look prettier."
"And you don't want to talk about that?" the Shinigami Captain asked, quite amused at watching the young girl flail about on her bed.
"Of course not! I've seen real monsters, and these cool heroes that kill them with swords, like 'hyah'," the girl said, mimicking the swing of a sword. Sui-Feng could only smile at that. If she'd ever wielded a blade that pathetically, Yoruichi-sama would've made fun of her.
The girl paused, looking thoughtful for a moment, before turning and glancing over. "Hey, I've been wondering. Why do you look different than the other Shinigami?"
"Because we're all different," she answered coyly.
"I don't mean that," the girl said, rolling her eyes. "I mean all the others just have their boring black clothes, and you've got that really cool haori with those fancy symbols."
Sui-Feng paused, unsure how to answer that, but figured that it wasn't a secret to keep. Shinigami positions were quite open knowledge. They even stated them clearly every battle they walked into. "It's a sign of rank. I'm a Captain, one of the highest ranking Shinigami in the Soul Society."
"Really?" the girl said, sitting up straight now, her eyes wide in awe. "That is amazing. So you get to command a whole bunch of other Shinigami? What are you Captain of?"
"The Onmitsukido. The Shinigami special forces."
The girl's eyes couldn't possibly go any wider. "So like, ninjas and assassins and stuff?"
"That's quite close," Sui-Feng said, chuckling lightly. She'd always worn her position with pride, but it seemed almost silly using it to impress a young girl.
"Wooooow," the girl dragged out, still looking starstruck. "So what's someone as awesome as you doing hanging out with me?"
That question was unexpected, and Sui-Feng found herself biting her tongue. Of all subjects, this was one that she'd wanted to avoid at all costs. But now...she owed it to the girl to be honest. So she said it as simply as she could, "You reminded me of someone."
"Oh," the girl said, her previous delight slipping away. "...someone important to you?"
"More important than anyone else I'd ever known."
"...what happened to her?" the girl asked softly.
"She's gone," Sui-Feng said. "She's gone."
She was 13 years old then.
Her frequent visits didn't go unnoticed by others in those years. The Seireitei didn't know her reasons, though, and she always cleared her trips to the human world through the proper channels. It wasn't like she was the only one to travel over, either. But it was the ones residing in the human world who had slowly pieced the puzzle together, even if she and Urahara had both kept their lips sealed tightly.
"I don't exactly approve of this," Hachigen stated sagely as he took a sip of his tea. She didn't see the Visored as much anymore, obviously having something else competing for her attention in Karakura Town, but she still stopped by now and then.
"There's nothing to approve of," she stated with finality, drinking from her own cup. "It's my decision to make."
"Yeah, get off her back Hachigen," Hiyori said sharply. They never seemed to get along, but the blonde girl always seemed to be there whenever the Captain was visiting. "If that's how the bitch wants to get her jollies, let her do it."
Sui-Feng felt her eye twitch and the cup crack in her hand. They might not be part of the Gotei 13 anymore, but a little respect would still be appreciated.
"If you don't mind, I rather like these cups," Hachigen said with faint exasperation, holding out his hand to project a glowing light that repaired the damage to the dishware. "And I disapprove out of concern for you. This behaviour isn't very healthy."
"And what exactly is unhealthy about it?" she questioned gruffly.
"Yer like a little girl with a goldfish that died," Hiyori supplied, "And you wanna pretend its not dead, so you flush it down the toilet, then run out to the store to buy a new one that looks just like the dead one, and pretend the new one's the old one and it never died in the first place, except the old one's still dead and...Ah, dammit! You know what I mean! Yer replacing your goddamn dead goldfish."
"Yes, that would be the general idea," Hachigen commented with a nod.
"I'm not replacing anyone," Sui-Feng insisted, hissing out between her teeth. "You think I don't know that Yoruichi-sama is dead? Is that what you need me to say? She's. Dead."
"Still calling her 'sama' though, ain't ya?" Hiyori jabbed in again.
"That's all I ever called her," the Captain growled out, ready to start throttling the little blonde pest.
"I would like to believe you," Hachigen said, trying to be diplomatic, "But it does seem far too much of a coincidence that you would attach yourself to someone who carries her soul."
"It was a coincidence. I met her once because I followed her Reiatsu. I saw her again because I had to stop a Hollow from killing her. Every time after that was because I wanted to meet her, not to see some goldfish. She's not Yoruichi-sama, why can't you or Urahara understand that?!"
Hiyori just stared at her, not saying a word this time, looking far more sympathetic. It was Hachigen who spoke again. "So what is she to you, then?"
"A friend."
She was 14 years old then.
"Entrance exams are horrible," the girl whined loudly, kicking her legs out wildly.
They were standing on a bridge, backs turned to the traffic that was passing behind them. The girl was sitting on the guard rails, legs and arms hanging into the air. Sui-Feng was standing on the sidewalk beside her, leaning her arms on the barrier and looking down at the river below.
"I bet Shinigami don't have anything like entrance exams," the girl whined out again, making the Captain chuckle.
"We do, for entrance into Shin'o Academy. And if you want to become a Shinigami, you have to go through the Academy," Sui-Feng said. Then a thought occurred to her, and she quickly corrected herself. "Most have to go through the Academy."
"So who didn't?"
"Kenpachi Zaraki," she answered, a wry smile on her lips. The exception to end all exceptions.
"So how come he didn't have to go to your school?"
"Because he killed the Captain of the Eleventh Division, and we had to let him inherit the title."
"Just like that?" the girl asked incredulously, looking absolutely dumbfounded. "He kills someone, and you just hand him a big cushy position for it? What kind of leadership system is that?"
"There's no 'just' about it," Sui-Feng explained patiently. "Captains are the strongest Shinigami in the Soul Society, without equal. They have to be, or else no one would follow them. There's even a test to become a Captain, and it takes decades, even a century, just to train enough to pass it, and only if you're among the handful that can."
"Or you could just kill a guy."
"Yes, or that," she chuckled.
The girl had a contemplative look as she was mulling all of that over. "So...that means you're strong, right? Like, really, really, really strong?"
"Stronger," Sui-Feng teased.
"How strong?"
"Stronger than anything you've ever seen."
"I doubt it. We live in Japan, I've seen all those old videos of the nukes."
That made the Captain laugh hard, first bowing over to try and suppress the sound, before giving in and throwing her head back, letting her voice carry to the wind as she howled uncontrollably. It was fortunate that no one else could see or hear her, because it certainly would have attracted some unwanted attention.
"You're kidding," the girl said, looking completely awestruck again, before her brow furrowed. "So, does that mean you could do something like, wipe out all of Karakura Town?"
Sui-Feng took a few moments to sober up and regain her composure before answering. "No, not all of it. This place has some strong people too."
Confused, and a little weirded out, the girl just shrugged her shoulders. "I don't get it."
"You're still young, you don't have to understand."
"Hey, I'm not a kid anymore!" the girl protested. It was true, to a degree. She was growing up, filling out, and every time Sui-Feng saw her, the resemblance to Yoruichi-sama was becoming more and more apparent. It was something she was going to have to get used to.
"Still a kid," she said smugly, "Who's whining about entrance exams."
"Cheap shot," the girl said grumpily. "It's not like I'm trying to become a Shinigami, or some Super Captain that can blow up the world. I'm just trying to get into high school."
"And you'll do fine. You're a smart girl."
"...thanks," the girl sulked, but bounced right back up. "Hey, I know! What if you give me a good luck charm?"
"Like what," Sui-Feng asked warily. She certainly wasn't handing over anything from the spirit world, and she couldn't just go and get something from the human world.
"Like...a kiss?"
She stared with a blank expression at the girl, much older than when they'd first met, but still her junior by more than a century. Then she placed a hand on the girls hair, and ruffled it roughly, stating simply, "You shouldn't joke about things like that."
No one else would've heard the girl's words, said under her breath, quieter than a whisper, but the trained ears of the Onmitsukido commander couldn't have missed them.
"I wasn't joking."
She was 15 years old then.
They were caught in a sudden rainfall that came out of nowhere. The girl didn't have an umbrella, and Sui-Feng certainly didn't have anything like that, so instead they found the nearest overhang to take shelter. The Shinigami briefly considered just using her Shunpo and taking the girl home herself, but quickly quelled the thought. She'd told the girl stories and answered questions, but never exposed her directly to any sort of spiritual abilities. It was better that way. And besides, it was just rain, and it couldn't last forever.
"Ugh, my clothes are all damp," the girl said, picking at her school uniform to no avail. Sui-Feng tried not to look, ignoring how the wet clothes were clinging to the girl's skin. She was almost all grown up now, and even gained the height advantage on the Shinigami Captain in the last year, something she enjoyed immensely. She also looked almost exactly like Yoruichi-sama had a century ago, and that was causing a lot of conflicted feelings.
"And of course it has to starting raining on the day you visit," the girl sighed, clearly depressed about her luck. "Knew I should have prayed to the rain gods more."
"There aren't any rain gods," Sui-Feng commented idly, "But I know a few Shinigami that could dry this up, or make it snow instead. And...someone else, who could control all of this water."
"I wasn't being serious," the girl muttered. Lately she'd grown less and less interested in talk about the Soul Society. It was part of maturing, probably, that kids grew less enamoured with stories of the intangible, and more interested in what was right in front of them. The melancholy on her face vanished soon, though, as she gave an impish grin. "Oh! Or maybe this is actually my lucky day. I mean, there's all kinds of hotels nearby, and what better place to get out of these damp clothes."
This kind of talk was growing a lot more common. The girl's infatuation had been obvious for a long time now, and she was becoming more and more overt about her affections. Not helping the matter was the fact that Sui-Feng always reacted to it, just like now, with a deep blush on her cheeks. It was comical, really. Only a short while ago she had been like a cool, wise mentor to this girl, and now she was a battle hardened Shinigami that couldn't handle being chased by a schoolgirl.
"Oh come on, you obviously want to," the girl said confidently. "It's not like my parents or anyone else will find out. No one else can see you, and there'll be all kinds of proof that I went in alone. I'll just say I had to find somewhere to get out of this rain."
"I don't want to," Sui-Feng insisted hotly. "You're only a child."
"Do I look like a child?" the girl said angrily, standing up and motioning to all of herself. The Captain stared pointedly into the girl's eyes, not wanting or needing the distraction.
"I knew you when you were five years old," she tried to reason out, "You could barely string a full sentence together. We played ball. I watched you grow up."
"And who asked you to do that?!" the girl yelled out, her emotions flowing out now. "Oh, right, I reminded you of someone. I bet you were just waiting for me to grow up to be just like her, except now you don't have the guts to go through with it -"
"You're not her!" Sui-Feng said, stepping in and wrapping the girl in a tight hug. The last time they had this kind of contact was nearly a decade ago, when she protected a scared little girl from a Hollow, and broke a promise to herself in doing so. The girl made a loud gasp, before sniffling loudly, again and again. "You were never her, never could be her. You're only you."
"So why can't you love me?" the girl cried out, sobbing now, her tears only adding to the rain.
"I do," she answered clearly and honestly, "But it can't be like this. You'll meet someone else, someone that can live together with, grow old with you."
"How can you say that?" the girl asked. "You're the one I fell in love with. It's always been you."
She was 17 years old then.
She looked beautiful out there.
It was graduation day. There was a crowd of seniors out there, ready to step out into the world, saying their final farewells to each other and to their tearful juniors. But she only had eyes on one of them. She hadn't visited again since that day in the rain, wanting to put some distance between them. She'd gotten an earful from Hiyori after that time, a lot of we-told-you-sos, but the blonde had also been a surprisingly sympathetic ear. Still, this was something she wanted to see, so there she was, perched up in a tree again to watch. It was kind of nostalgic, actually. She also couldn't deny the pride she felt in seeing the girl all grown up and ready to be an adult.
The girl noticed her, of course. After all this time she at least knew the feeling of Reiatsu, and Sui-Feng wasn't taking any serious effort to conceal hers. So the girl made some excuses to friends, and made a slow meandering walk over, leaning up against the trunk beneath the shade of the leaves.
"Hi," she said simply, not looking up, her lips barely moving. Even after the long absence, it seemed so easy to fall into the habit of talking without drawing any attention. They'd practised enough over the years, after all.
"Hi," Sui-Feng said back. "Congratulations."
"Thanks. Top of my class, you know?"
"Naturally," she drawled out easily. "I didn't expect anything less."
"Now it's off to university for more school. I thought about going straight to work, but that seemed like a waste. Besides, everything sounds so dull compared to fighting off masked monsters and super villains, how's any job supposed to compare to that?"
"That's because I only told you the exciting stories," Sui-Feng said, laughing. "Most of the time it's the same routines every day, with lots of paperwork. And when things get really exciting, you learn to cherish those peaceful days."
"Grass is always greener, I guess," the girl commented, shrugging. "I missed this. Missed you. Sorry I had to go and make everything so difficult."
"It was always difficult," the Captain said honestly. "Right from the start. But I always made the effort."
"Just...don't go disappearing for good, okay? You've been there my whole life now, it's hard to imagine you not being there for the rest of it."
"...sure. I think I want to be there for the rest of it, too. Just make sure you enjoy it. You still have a long life ahead of you."
"I'll try my best," the girl said, a serene smile on her lips.
"Congratulations again. And good luck."
She was 18 years old then.
Her last visit wasn't like any of the others.
Sui-Feng walked slowly now, taking her time. She knew these streets and paths well, having memorized them over the years. She didn't have to search hard. She could sense her, after all, but even if she couldn't she still knew exactly where the girl would be. It should have been sad – and it still was – but she couldn't help but feel a little bit of joy from it. Which was quite twisted of her, really. Then again, it wasn't like she was the only one sharing the sentiment.
"I hear you've been causing trouble for the other Shinigami," she said in greeting, a wry smirk on her lips.
"Of course I have. Don't know why they keep trying, they're all so slow. No way they could ever catch me," the girl said, smiling impishly.
"You just have unreasonable standards," Sui-Feng said, feigning annoyance. "And unreasonable demands. It's not every day that a Captain comes out to do a routine Konso."
The girl was a ghost now, adrift in the human world, waiting for her soul to be purified so she could cross into the spirit world and join the others in the Soul Society. She was just being extremely petulant about it, and acting like a pest to the Shinigami that normally patrolled Karakura Town. She did have a point, though; those Shinigami had to be quite lacking to be evaded by a simple ghost for so long.
"You're also being rather reckless. Put it off too long, and you could become a Hollow."
"I know that," the girl said airily, "I wasn't planning on waiting forever."
"You've also been causing all kinds of trouble for me. Kuchiki has been giving me an earful, wants to know why a human spirit is requesting me by name," she said. The sister, not the brother. They were both Captains now. "And you should hear the rumours that are beginning to spread around."
"Please, those rumours are your own fault, and you know it."
"I suppose so," Sui-Feng admitted freely, sighing. Then she put aside the jokes, and her tone took a more serious turn. "I hope you didn't do this on purpose."
"I'm not that dumb," the girl said insistently, rolling her eyes. "I know you'd never forgive me if I did something that stupid. It was a complete accident. Really lame way to go, if you ask me. But it happened, so might as well make the most of it, right?"
"You could at least try not looking so happy about it."
"Like you're one to talk, hypocrite."
Well, she couldn't exactly argue with that.
"You think there'll be room for me in your Division?"
"There always is," Sui-Feng said coolly, "But you'll have to earn it. Don't expect me to pull any strings for you."
"Not a problem. I can do anything if I put my mind to it."
"That you can," she agreed wistfully.
"So..." the girl purred out, a sudden cat-like expression on her face, "How about that kiss?"
Sui-Feng only smirked, placing her hand on her Zanpakuto, running a thumb delicately across the hilt. "Ask me again on the other side."
She was 20 years old now, and ready to start anew.