Author's note: So here I start another story. If you ask why do I do it instead of updating my old ones, I haven't really planned this one. I started writing a flashback for another story I'm working on and it grew too big to be included in that story without disrupting the flow. I also realized that it could be published separately, so that's what I'm doing. It isn't going to be a long story, I plan only one more chapter. That's about all I wanted to say, so now read and enjoy. And even if you don't enjoy, let me know.

Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach.

Stinging Bee

Part One - Becoming the Bee

Shaolin remembered the first time she had seen a princess. It happened when she was very young and her father took her to see where he worked. Her father was Fon Keung, leader of a unit of the Keigun Brigade and the strongest man she knew. When he announced he was going to show her the Onmitsukidou Headquarters, she had been ecstatic. The Onmitsukidou was what her family lived for. Shaolin was naturally curious about it. All her brothers had already visited here and she, as the youngest child and only girl, felt a bit left out. Especially when her brothers teased her with tales of what was to see here. Especially Shaoqiang, who was only a little older than her, kept saying that such a little girl would never be allowed to come here, because there's no way she'd be strong enough. Shaolin responded by punching his face and breaking his nose. That would teach him which one of them was stronger. Not that Shaoqiang remembered such lessons for long, he tended to forget them the moment his nose stopped hurting.

She was brought from her musings when her father pointed at something. She listened to his speech intently. She wanted to remember every word, so she could repeat it to her brothers. Maybe, if she was lucky, she'd see something none of her brothers had seen and could tease them about it for a change.

"They're the elite unit," Keung said pointing at a group of masked ninja that to Shaolin looked exactly the same like all the other groups of masked ninja. But if her father said they were the elite, she believed it. "My father used to be a part of it. He brought great honor to our family. Those were god times. Too bad that Yu brought shame again."

"Who's Yu?" Shaolin asked. She had never heard of anyone with that name before. Keung sighed, as if realizing he had said something he shouldn't. But it couldn't be unsaid now, so he decided to explain it.

"Yu used to be my older brother. He barely graduated the Academy and wasn't accepted to the Onmitsukidou or any other unit. He was a disgrace to the Fon family so he was cast out and never spoken of again. Remember this, Shaolin. A Fon has to be strong. It is our duty to serve the Shihouin clan. Whoever cannot accomplish that, has no place in our family."

Shaolin nodded solemnly. She was a bit scared now. "So I can get kicked out too?" she asked in a small voice. Keung smiled and ruffled her hair.

"You're strong, my daughter. You'll have no problem getting into the Keigun Brigade. You'll make it far. But only if you train hard."

"I will," she promised with a smile. Such praise from her father was unusual. She was determined not to let him down. She was going to become the best Onmitsukidou agent the Fon family had ever produced. She had no idea what she was promising, but at the moment it didn't matter.

There was some commotion. Keung looked up to an elevated walkway, where some kind of procession was moving. He quickly pointed it to Shaolin. A palanquin was being carried there and inside sat a princess. She was the most beautiful think Shaolin had ever seen. Her richly embrodiered kimono complimented her chocolate skin perfectly and golden combs with jewels contrasted nicely with her dark purple hair.

"Do you see her, Shaolin?" Keung said. Shaolin barely nodded. She didn't want to let her eyes stray from the princess in fear that she might disappear and return to whatever fairytale she had come from. "She is the princess of Tenshi Heisouban, the Shihouin family. She will soon become the leader of the Onmitsukidou. Become her right-hand woman and put your life on the line to serve her. Alright, Shaolin?" She nodded slightly. The procession was slowly moving away and she wanted to savor every second she could gaze upon the goddess. It was only when the palanquin disappeared from her sight that she dared to move again.

The glorious sight had disappeared, but her excitement remained. She had seen a princess! Ha! None of her brothers had been so lucky when they visited. Now that was something she could rub in their faces for a change!

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

"No," Fon Zhuang shook his head. "You aren't going to hit the target if you hold the knife like that."

Young Shaolin looked up to him. For her, her eldest brother was the ultimate authority on everything. Just below her father. Tall and broad, skilled in both Hohou and Hakuda, smart and brave and already a member of the Punishment Corps, the First Division of the Onmitsukidou, he was all a Fon youth was supposed to be. Their father, Keung, was proud of him and said that Zhuang would make a fine family head someday. He said he couldn't wish for a better heir, which was the highest praise he could give.

"How?" she asked. She was convinced she was doing it exactly like their father had shown her. But Keung, the Eighth Head of the Fon family, had trouble moving his right hand properly thanks to an old injury he had sustained in the line of duty that had never healed right. It was the last of a long line of injuries that had eventually forced him to retire from the Onmitsukidou.

"This way." He adjusted her fingers on the handle just a tiny bit. She couldn't see the significance in the difference, but when Zhuang said it was important, she believed him. "Now try again," he prompted. She did. The blade lodged into the target close to the center. "See," Zhuang smiled, "It's much better now." Shaolin smiled too. "This way, you'll shine at the Academy."

"So when can I finally go to the Academy?" she asked. She was the only one of the Fon children not enrolled yet. Zhuang had already graduated with flying colors. Hao, her second oldest brother, had graduated recently too. His results weren't as good as Zhuang's, but he had been in the Advanced class and that counted for something too. Now he was taking the entrance exam for the Onmitsukidou. Jiao-long and Ju-long, the twins, were in their fourth year now. They were doing fine. And Shaoquiang, the youngest of her brothers and only a little older than her had just been accepted into the Academy and would start attending in a couple of months.

"Soon," Zhuang answered. "You're talented, Shaolin. You'll have no problem getting in and graduating. Soon, you'll be in the Punishment Corps with me."

"Then why couldn't I enroll already?" she pouted. She couldn't wait until she could start her shinigami career and serve the beautiful Shihouin princess. The one time her father had taken her to see her future mistress was etched deep in her memory. She couldn't wait to see her again. "I'm better than Shaoqiang."

"But you're also younger," Zhuang pointed out. "Father thinks you're not ready."

"Is it because I'm a girl?" Shaolin pouted.

"Of course not," Zhuang said.

"Then why?" she demanded.

"You're still too rash and impatient," he replied. "You plunge into things headfirst. This attitude would get you killed in the Onmitsukidou. Learn some patience and restraint and you'd make a fine assassin."

"I will, she promised." They resumed throwing kunai at the target.

"Dinner is ready," their mother's voice announced, interrupting their practice. Fon Lien-Hua stood in the door. She was a petite woman with jet-black long hair and black eyes. The eyes were now watching her children train with worry. Unlike the rest of the family, Lien-hua had never been a member of the Onmitsukidou. In fact, she had never been a member of any official unit, despite having a formal training in the spiritual arts. Her health and stamina had never been very good, so her parents didn't allow it. Something like that would have been impossible in the Fon family, where those too weak to be accepted to the Punishment Corps were disinherited without mercy. But Lien-hua hadn't been born into the Fon Family. She was the daughter of another noble family, one with slightly better standing than the Fon, and her marriage to Keung was supposed to raise the social standing of the Fon. She had a hard time accepting the rules the Fon lived by and was against her children joining the Onmitsukidou. She was too scared for their lives. But the rules of the Fon couldn't be changed and she knew it. The constant worry was slowly taking toll on her already fragile health. But that day it hadn't become apparent yet.

The family filed into the dining room. Almost everybody was there. They settled down and began their meal, trying to act like nothing was going on, but the anxiety over the one missing member was palpable. Hao still hadn't returned from his trials. Shaolin felt it too. But she couldn't let it drag her down. Her brother was strong. He would make it. He wasn't going to be kicked out of the family and never spoken of again, like it had happened to uncle Yu she had heard about only once. Yet keeping a cheerful mood was difficult, despite Shaoqiang's best attempts to make everybody laugh.

Then, when the dinner was almost over, she heard the door slide open. Everybody else heard it too. Whatever conversation they were trying to have quieted down immediately. Everybody turned to stare at the door, where Hao's broad figure walked through. Nobody made a sound as the youth made is way to their father and knelt down in front of Keung.

"How did your testing go?" the head of the family asked solemnly.

"I passed." The room immediately erupted in cheers. Shaolin jumped from her place and raced to hug him. She held on to him tight. She could keep her brother. Later, she would remember it as one of the last truly happy moments in her life.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Only a few months passed before the time for the Enterance Exams to the Shinoureijutsuin came. And this year, Shaolin was permitted to participate. She took the opportunity eagerly. Soon, she will be a shinigami student like Shaoqiang, Jiao-long and Ju-long and not long after a full-fledged member of the Onmitsukidou like Zhuang and Hao, who was now known as the Just Fist, a name inherited for their grandfather's younger brother.

The Exams weren't easy, but thanks to all the training she had received since she had learned how to walk, she had no trouble passing. When she held the letter announcing her acceptance into the Academy and into the advanced class no less in her hands and when she showed it to her father proudly, she thought it was going to be another of those happy days. And it almost was, if it wasn't for what happened after the sun set.

When they were about to settle for the night, Zhuang came home. He was dressed in his uniform, but it was torn in several places. It seemed bloodied too, though it was hard to tell considering it was black. But the worst thing were his eyes. They were so sad Shaolin's heart skipped a beat. What could have made her strong, perfect brother look so sad?

The whole family quickly gathered. Zhuang gulped, as if bracing himself for something. "I bring you ill tidings," he spoke. "Hao is dead." For a moment, silence reigned. Then Lien-hua broke it with a heart-wrenching wail and collapsed to her knees.

"I knew it," she whispered between sobs. Keung shot a distressed glare to his wife. It was unbecoming for a lady of a noble house to express her grief so publicly, but he couldn't begrudge her. He was close to tears too.

"How did it happen?" he asked.

"We were on a mission. I am not allowed to tell you the particulars, but we have been hunting for a group of criminals. We were ambushed. We eventually won, but Hao was slain. He fought valiantly." He was trying to make Hao's death sound honorable, but it was largely a vain effort. The fact remained that Hao had died on the very first mission he had been assigned. That was seen as a sign of weakness.

Shaolin listened in stunned disbelief. So Hao, her big brother, was dead. And it was the work of criminals. At that moment, she hated the criminals like nothing else in the world. She was glad that she had been accepted into the Academy. She'd do her best and in just six short years she'd have the opportunity to hunt the criminals herself. Then she would avenge Hao's death.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

"Look at that impossible hairdo," a student whispered to her companion. "Did she cut her hair with a sword?"

"And when was the last time she brushed it?" the other girl added. Shaolin walked past them, doing her best not to show a reaction to their words. They were stupid. They cared more about beauty and boys than their training. She wondered why they were even in the Advanced class when they weren't dedicated to their carrier. Didn't they know that being a shinigami was dangerous, no matter what unit they served in? Didn't they know somebody who had been killed in the line of duty? Probably not. Not all families were so dedicated to service as the Fon. These two were probably going to be killed soon after graduation. There was no reason to feel hurt by their immature comments.

Shaolin stood at her place in the dojo. It was almost time for their Hakuda lesson. She didn't like them. Not because she had trouble, but because she found them too boring. Years of training meant that she was much better at it than her classmates. Standing in line with them and repeating movements she had mastered years ago was a waste of time for her.

But today was going to be special. It was time for their first sparring matches. Shaolin couldn't wait to relieve some tension. She watched as her classmates fought each other in really pathetic brawls and waited patiently for her turn. Finally it came. She was paired with a boy twice as big as her. He looked down at her, scoffed derogatorily and once their sensei gave the signal to begin, threw a half-hearted punch at her. Shaolin could dodge it from a mile away. So she ducked below the fist and kicked the brute in the solar plexus, sending him to the ground, curled on himself. That was too quick for Shaolin's tastes.

The sensei called the end of the match and she returned among the spectators. She listened to the hushed whispers around her and realized that this display made her no friends. But she never wanted friends like these, so she didn't care. Not even the tiniest bit. Sincerely.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

"Well," Shaolin smirked, "are you still going to call me the little one?"

"Of course," Shaoqiang smirked back. "You still don't reach even to my shoulders." That was sadly the truth. Shaolin hated the fact that out of all the Fon children, she was the only one who had inherited their mother's petite figure. All her brothers were just as tall and bulky as their father. Though she knew that she wasn't any weaker than her brothers, being the shortest still irritated her.

"But I'm in the same class as you now," she says smugly. "Top that, brother. Have you ever skipped a year before?"

"You barely made it," he scoffed, but it sounded forced. She had deserved it and he knows it. Yet he has to jibe. "I heard you nearly hit sensei with your Kidou instead of the target."

"That's not true!" she protested vehemently. So Kidou wasn't her strongest suite. So she had missed the target, but not as badly as Shaoqiang claimed. But nobody could catch her in Hohou, no-one could beat her in Hakuda and her zanjutsu was pretty good too. That was all that counted. Onmitsukidou didn't use Kidou much, so Shaoqiang would find his strongest subject of no use to him.

"But you're bad with it," he stated.

"I can beat you in a fight anytime," she scoffed. It was true and they both knew it.

"Let's see if you can beat my classmates too. There are some tough guys here."

"Our classmates," she corrected him. They were both in the Third year and they were the last of the Fon children not in the Onmitsukidou yet. Jiao-long and Ju-long had graduated recently and both had made it to the Punishment Corps. The whole family was proud of them, but Shaolin couldn't help but feel worried. The twins were about as strong as Hao. And Hao had died on his first mission. How would they fare? Would they get killed soon too? Shaolin didn't know what it would do to her. And what it would do to their mother. Lien-hua was slowly wasting away ever since her second-born son had died. Every time Shaolin saw her, she renewed her wow to punish those who had taken Hao away.

"Our classmates," Shaoqiang grumbled. "We have a Hakuda class this afternoon, so you can show them what you're made of, little sister."

"Of course I will," she replied confidently. She wasn't scared of her new classmates. She was interested in what they were like. Would they be like her old class? She never liked them and they had no love for her. She didn't mind leaving them behind. Would she make some friends in her new class? She didn't know. They would probably be the same as any other students. But at least she had Shaoqiang here.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

The Fon house felt too empty that day. She and Shaoqiang were home for the holidays. Their father and mother were there to welcome them as always, but none of their brothers were present. Zhuang, Jiao-long and Ju-long were all on duty and couldn't come. Shaolin missed them dearly, but she understood that it was their duty. It was the purpose of their family. But she still couldn't help but worry. She knew that she shouldn't. Zhuang was a veteran agent now, with five difficult missions under his belt and Jiao-long and Ju-long had survived a mission too. They were more competent than Hao. They weren't going to be killed like him. They were going to return soon. There was no reason to feel lonely at the dinner table. There was no need for the sense of foreboding.

Her heart leapt into her throat when she noticed somebody approaching. Somebody in the Punishment Corps uniform. At first, she thought that her brothers were returning, but then she realized that the figure and the reiatsu belonged to none of them. It wasn't anybody she knew. What was a strange Onmitsukidou ninja doing here?

Her answer came soon enough. Too soon. She couldn't believe the words she heard the man say. Her brothers were dead? Zhuang, Jiao-long and Ju-long weren't going to return anymore? She couldn't do anything. She could only stand there frozen. Or maybe she was trembling, she wasn't sure. She had somebody wail. The heart-wrenching sound bit deeply to her heart. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lien-hua collapse to her knees in tears. Keung tried to comfort his wife, even as he asked the messenger how did it happen. Shaolin listened, though she truly heard only every second word. Ambush... deserters... outnumbered... hit from behind... took down two enemies... She couldn't put together what had happened. She only knew that the cursed rule-breakers took away three more of her brothers. Her desire to destroy them utterly surged.

Several days later, the funeral of her three slain brothers took place. All the Fon clan gathered. Shaolin could hear what all the cousins, uncles and aunts were saying. Killed so soon. Just the second mission. And Hao died on his first. That's just shameful. At least Zhuang completed five missions before he bought it. But that's still too little for the heir of the Fon clan. It looks like the main family is on the decline.

Shaolin felt anger upon hearing their words. Her brothers weren't even buried yet and their greedy relatives were already speculating that some of them might become the new head of the Fon clan soon. But she couldn't deny that they were right. All of them had survived in the Onmitsukidou far longer than her brothers. They had the right to sneer on their shamefully early deaths. She knew that it was going to be upon her to restore the honor to the main Fon line. Shaoqiang, though he was the heir now, wasn't any more talented than the twins or Hao. There was a good chance that he was going to fall early too. It scared Shaolin. She resolved to protect her brother with all her might. And she also resolved to become the best ninja to ever come from the Fon family. Because she was the only one who could.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Lien-hua's funeral took place a year later. After she had received the news of three of her sons' deaths, her health took a rapid turn for the worse. She spent more time bedbound than on her feet. And even when her physical health was good, her mind was in shambles. She kept talking to thin air, calling it by the names of her dead sons. Keung was trying to help her to the best of his ability, called the best doctors he could afford, but nothing helped. Lien-hua was slowly withering away until she drew her last breath after a year.

Her funeral was a somber affair. Most of the people attending didn't know whether to be sad or relieved. Lien-hua had suffered a lot during her final year and now she finally found peace. Shaolin watched the proceedings with dry eyes. Inside, she felt shattered. Outside, she had no more tears to cry. She had spent them all during the nights of the last year. Her brothers' loss had hit her deeply. She swore repeatedly that she wasn't going to let her last surviving brother get hurt. She would do everything in her power to protect him from those who dared to disturb the peace of Seireitei. She trained until she fell with exhaustion and studied books when she didn't have the strength to train. And she punished everybody who broke rules mercilessly.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

"What are you doing?" Soifon sneered at her two classmates in the library.

"Working on our assignment," one of them answered, his eyes full of hate. "Piss off, Fon," nobody wants you here.

"You're copying your homework off your classmate," she corrected. "That's against the rules!"

"It's not like the teachers will notice," the boy shrugged.

"It's forbidden!" Shaolin exclaimed. "How can you do something that's forbidden?"

"Everybody does it," the boy shrugged.

"I'm going to tell," Shaolin stated and turned on her heel.

"You aren't!" the boy shouted. He knew very well that she would do it. She had already tattled on a couple of their classmates who were trying to sneak out during the night. It had earned her no friends. So he jumped after her, trying to restrain her. Shaolin batted him away easily. He couldn't even touch her in Hakuda.

"Attacking a classmate?" she sneered. "That's a serious offense." Without further words, she headed towards the teachers' lounge. This miscreant had to be punished.

"Are you really going to tell on him?" Shaoqiang asked, appearing from behind a bookcase.

"Of course," she answered. "He broke the rules. He has to be punished."

"It's just a minor thing," Shaoqiang pleaded. The offender was his friend.

"It starts with minor things," Shaolin said. "If they can get away with it, they'd going to commit worse and worse crimes."

"That's crazy," her brother said.

"It isn't," she disagreed. "And how can you protect the rule-breaker? The Fon family exists to punish the rule-breakers. And you are the heir now. You should uphold the rules the most!"

"You're crazy, Shaolin," Shaoqiang whispered fearfully. He got scared by something he saw in her eyes. "You didn't use to be like this. Where is the sweet little sister I used to know? When did you change so much?"

"I'm just doing my duties," she stated. Shaoqiang just nodded and left. Shaolin could see that he was scared of her. But why? She couldn't understand. Couldn't he see she was doing it all to protect him?

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

Graduation had been a walk in the park. She scored close to the top of her class, hindered from becoming the best only by her Kidou, which was a bit below average. Shaoqiang was near the middle of the Advanced class. They both had no trouble getting into the Punishment Corps. Soon they were known not as Shaoqiang and Shaolin, but as the Sharp Dagger and Stinging Bee, names inerited from their great-great-grandfather and great-grandmother respectively.

The first time she stood at attention amongst the other agents of the Punishment Corps, she felt out of place. She was the smallest there and a girl. All around her were tall, broad, muscular men. Even Shaoqiang was much taller than her. She felt very conscious of her petite figure inherited from her mother. But she wasn't going to show that the dubious glances the other recruits and veteran members were sending here affected her. She had earned her place here. She had graduated close to the top of her year, she would have been the best if it wasn't for her bad kidou score, but kidou wasn't used here much. Hakuda and Hohou were and nobody could beat Shaolin when it came to these two disciplines.

That day was when she saw Yoruichi for the second time. She walked along the lines of her subordinates, accompanied by her bodyguards. She didn't look like a princess anymore. Gone were the expensive dress and ornate combs. Instead she wore the special uniform that showed a lot of her well-muscled arms and back. Shaolin admired her even more. She was a petite woman among bulky men too, yet there was no doubt that she was stronger than them. She looked like some warrior from ancient legends, maybe even a war goddess. Shaolin thought that it was indeed a great honor to serve somebody like her. Maybe she'd even become a bit like her. She couldn't wait for when she'd be assigned her first mission. Her dreams of sinking her blade into some traitor's neck were close to being fulfilled.

I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I-I

The reconnaissance group had messed up. That was the first thought that flashed through Shaolin's mind. It was their first mission as members of the Keigun brigade. The objective was to capture or eliminate a group of four defectors that had been escaping the justice of Seireitei for several months. Then they were finally tracked down by the scouts. And the punishment group was deployed. Now the latest intel said that three of the group were lazing around in a cave in Rukongai and the fourth, the weakest one, went to a nearby village to gather supplies. So the main force, lead by Shihouin Yoruichi herself, headed for the cave and a smaller unit, containing five ninja including Shaolin and her last remaining brother, deployed to take care of the lone deserter. As it was Shaolin's and Shaoqiang's first mission, they felt anxious, but the three experienced assassins with them eased their tension a bit. It should have been a walk in the park.

The only problem was that the scouts had messed up big time and instead of one weak target they were now facing all four, three of them quite strong. And these four had noticed their approach somehow and ambushed them. She had dodged just barely and Shaoqiang was the lucky one who hadn't been attacked during the first strike. One of the experienced assassins was killed instantly and the other was wounded badly. It was unlikely that he'd influence the battle in a way other than that somebody would trip over him. The third assassin was luckier. He dodged the initial attack and managed to take out one of the defectors. So now it was three against three. She quickly drew her zanpakutou, preparing to fight. Shaoqiang did the same.

"Kizutsukere, Chimaken!" one of the defectors called. (Wound, Bloody cursed sword!) His sword turned completely red, blade, hilt guard and all. He attacked Shaoqiang, who blocked swiftly. Shaolin couldn't watch how the battle went. She was busy fighting off her own opponent. He was good, but so was she. Despite being just out of the Academy, she could hold her own. And then she managed to surprise him with a kick to his stomach. The man doubled over and she finished him of with a slice to his neck. Then she heard a painful cry. Shaoqiang! She whirled around to see her brother bleed from a shallow gash on his upper arm. It shouldn't be a serious wound, but it had been inflicted by the strange blood-red sword. Instead of trickling slowly, the blood was flowing out in a thick stream, being drawn to the cursed red blade. It took just a second before Shaoqiang collapsed to the ground, dead from lack of blood in his veins. Shaolin could only stare helplessly. That couldn't be happening. Not her last brother. He was the last she had left, now it would be only her and her aging father, who didn't have many years left. No, this couldn't be happening. Shaoqiang couldn't be dead.

His murdered straightened up, sending Shaoqiang's blood flying with a flick of his wrist. He was discarding the life of her brother. That was unforgivable. Something snapped inside her. Time seemed to stop for a moment.

"Do you want to avenge your brother?" a familiar female voice asked.

"Yes," Shaolin answered.

"Then repeat after me." And then time suddenly resumed its flow.

"Sting all enemies to death, Suzumebachi!" she called. The wakizashi in her hand changed into a glove with attached stinger on her middle finger. Shaolin didn't even pause to look at it. It was completely natural to her. She shunpoed to the murdered. She became too fast for his eyes to follow. She quickly stabbed him in the chest and followed it with a second stab in the same place. She didn't think about it. She just knew that this was what she was supposed to do. Then she watched in satisfaction as the double Houmonka blossomed on the man's chest, a surprised expression appeared on his face and then his whole body dissolved into reishi.

Then something slammed into her, knocking her to the ground. She lifted her head to see what happened. It was the fourth defector! How could she have forgotten about him? He had defeated the Onmitsukidou member and blindsided her completely. She lifted her right her to sting him, but he stomped on her wrist, possibly breaking it, and thus rendered Suzumebachi useless. Then he raised his zanpakutou, preparing to end her life. And Shaolin, lying on her stomach, the man standing on her back, was helpless. She could only watch as the blade swept down.

It never connected. There was a black blur and the weight from her back disappeared. Then a loud snap sounded and the defector's reiatsu disappeared. Shaolin raised her head to see what was going on. The defector lay crumpled on the ground, his neck broken. Above him stood a woman with chocolate skin and purple hair. Lady Yoruichi herself! Shaolin's breath caught in her throat.

But her star-struck mood evaporated quickly when she glanced at Shaoqiang's lifeless body on the ground. Her last brother was dead. She was alone now. Shaoqiang was dead. What was she going to do when her big brother wasn't there anymore? Nothing, that was it. There was nothing Shaolin could live for anymore.

"Sorry we took so long to arrive," Yoruichi spoke. Shaolin snapped from her daze. "Before we figured that the targets weren't there and where they could have gone..." the Commander of the Onmitsukidou sighed ruefully. "But at least I arrived in time to save you. Good job dispatching that guy. And nice zanpakutou."

Shaolin blushed. She was thankful for the ninja mask that hid the redness of her cheeks. Lady Shihouin herself had praised her! How could she have ever thought that there was nothing to live for? She glanced down at her new shikai. Suzumebachi, she thought. Fitting. She had truly become a Stinging Bee now. Yes, she decided, that was what she was going to be from now on. The life of Fon Shaolin was over. The life of Soifon just began.