Been a long time since I wrote anything to this site (talking 7+ years), so I figured I might as well see how I fair now from then.
Anyways, the whole disclaimer fun: I own none of the characters mentioned. They are the property of Tite Kubo and the Bleach universe. The only character I take claim of is Kenshin. I'm rating this T just for caution for some parts, but otherwise is a safe read.
This is simply an interlude in the midst of a story I already wrote (but have not posted). It is set after Aizen's leave from the Soul Society but before the beginning of the Arrancar arc. Enjoy and feel free to comment.
Her golden eyes glimmered in the moonlight as a cat-like smirk played over her lips. Her deep lavender hair hardly moved with her movement, a testament to her grace and speed. The way the moon lit up her tan skin made her appear truly like a goddess amongst mortal men, but how she acted would leave even the strongest of willed feeling confused and at times annoyed.
She was Yoruichi Shihöin, the twenty-second head of the Shihöin noble family and former corps commander of the Onmitsukidö and captain of Second Division. She was a figure of beauty, brains, and discipline that went unmatched in the art of Shunpo, flash step. Her speed was a thing of legend and was so revered that she proudly carried the nickname-title of Flash Goddess.
Even after a hundred years being out of practice, she still went unmatched in her speed and nimbleness. There was nothing to be taken from those that always tried to take of her the title she bore, but it was always a silly effort on the part of the offender. Such was the case of the individual chasing her. Their steps went unheard and their movement was but a whisp in the wind, and yet they still lingered steps behind the Flash Goddess.
Without breaking her pace Yoruichi could shift her direction at a second's notice. The grin on her face grew slightly as a plan crept into her mind. There was no chance the individual was going to catch her, no matter how hard they tried; but, she could always catch them. Like dust in the wind she disappeared from sight of her pursuer, forcing them to halt their chase once they reached the spot the elusive woman had vanished to.
Yoruichi watched in silence from just above the predator that had been on her tail and felt a spur of mischievousness run over her. It was amusing that a cat would be prey to anything, but that was a correction soon to be made clear to the figure below. Yoruichi Shihöin was always the predator. She slipped her legs around the branch she was perched on and locked her ankles together before flipping backwards.
With the grace and flexibility of a true feline, Yoruichi took a hold of the figure's shoulders and released herself from the tree. As the figure fell off the branch they were standing on with Yoruichi on them, the lavender-haired woman set her feet into the small of the back of the individual and tossed her weight backwards, flipping the assailant up and over.
Continuing with her momentum she rotated about and landed with only the lightest of a sound on the grass below. A glance over her shoulder gave her a chance to see the figure had done likewise despite her attempt to throw them off balance in the air; very impressive.
The two stood in silence with her back to them, but she made sure to never take her gaze away. Anything could happen in just a split second between two individuals that were proficient in shunpo. A leaf could fall from one of the trees around the two and before it even touched the ground an entire fight could have begun and ended. Such was the way of Hohö; such was the way of Onmitsukidö.
A smile graced her lips and the moonlight made her golden eyes sparkle like gems. "You can stare all you like, but wouldn't you rather pet me?" She said so with a playful inflection, but she knew the individual would take the playful taunt seriously.
"Hardly…" The figure's voice was male and gruff. Beneath the mat of dark brown hair that touched to the shoulders she could see him glaring at her with those bluish gray eyes. It was strange how those eyes gave off such a mix of emotions and thoughts. So alive and yet so cold and closed off from the world. He had a deep focus on the task before him, and yet he seemed distant from the world around him.
He was quick, but she was already a step ahead. His right fist was always his lead which made it far too easy to predict his movement. A simple side step let her catch the fist in her left hand and with it she brought her left leg up and about against the man's left arm. His attempt to pull away did nothing for him as the veteran leapt from her right foot and spun toward her left, bringing the leg up and toward his head while using the hold on his right fist to support herself and prevent his escape.
Yoruichi found herself actually surprised when her opponent ducked under the attack and then grabbed at her ankle with his free hand. She remained suspended in the air between his grasp on her and her own on him, neither combatant moving but both racing to set their next sequence of moves.
The slightest lurch in the man gave him away like a young pup accidentally rustling the leaves of the push it was trying to hide in to pounce its prey. His grip on her ankle faded and she glanced back under her to see him falling backwards while bringing his legs up; a kick coming out of a back-flip into a handstand. She released his fist to let him do so but her timing was better then his and she grabbed hold of his left foot with both hands.
She saw the look of surprise on his face and permitted herself to smirk down at him. He jerked his foot out from under her but it did little to change the outcome. He may have been first to his feet before she had landed but her mind was ahead of his own. The man brought his left leg crashing against her forearms but wasn't able to move her from her crouched position.
With the ease, Yoruichi pushed the leg away and before her assailant could react she slid toward the foot he was standing on, slipping it out from under him with a light kick to the back of the ankle. She rolled to one side as he hit the ground on his back and moved to her knees. Her flexibility was something of beauty as she leaned back onto her hands and flipped over to straddle the man's chest. With her legs spread enough to place a knee to his biceps she grinned victoriously.
There was no point in struggling; he knew that well enough by now. He had been her apprentice for months now and if the Flash Goddess ever got him pinned in some sort of way, he had lost. No amount of struggling was going to work to get her off and even if he succeeded, she would already have him pinned again before he could make a second move. Yoruichi was not a woman to take lightly. Even after a hundred years from being from her post, she still had a slender and toned figure that spoke volumes of her capability to take even the largest of opponents down with just her hands. She was truly a master of Hakuda.
As much as he hated to say it, there was no point in dragging out a fight that was over. "I surrender…"
Her smile remained over her lips but she did ease her knees off his arms, but chose to remain on top of him by sliding down to straddle him around the waist. She always felt guilty of thinking such of her pupil, but he was a sight to behold. He was toned from years of discipline in combat, but only had a single scar. She knew it was not because he had hardly seen battle; in fact, quite the opposite was true. This man had already put a list of kills to his name. His efficiency to take others down even when out numbered spoke volumes of his skill.
The scar, however, was not from any mission he had ever taken, but from a choice he had made in protecting the life of his superior; her other pupil. This man had been the apprentice of Soi Fon which made it rather easier to understand why he reminded her of Soi Fon in so many ways. He had the same impatience for Yoruichi's playful antics and never took her teasing for what it was. He had Soi Fon's intense focus on things set before him and a stubbornness to complete those task no matter what.
There were differences between him and Soi Fon that truly made him unique though. He kept his thoughts to himself. Unlike Soi Fon who had been destined to serve Yoruichi because of her family's heritage, this man had no desire to learn from her; at first anyways. He had hated her completely when he became her apprentice; however, time heals all things and he finally came to kneel before her and accept her as his sensai.
Yoruichi noted he had finally caught his breath and moved off the man to let him get up. As he did she felt her mind wondering again about this strange man. He was a former member of the Onmitsukidö under Soi Fon's command but had become a member of Eighth Division under Shunsui Kyöraku. She really did not like thinking about the reason why he had switched squads as it reminded her too much of the rift that had formed between her and Soi Fon so long ago.
"Lady Yoruichi?" She glanced up to see him staring down at her with no real display of emotion on his face. He had his arms crossed over his chest and he had brushed the long strands of hair from his face, revealing his strong jaw line and rough features. He really was a handsome man and the way the moon shone over the side of his face gave him a mysterious look.
With a sigh she pushed from her knees to her feet and patted herself off. As she stood up her violet hair tossed back behind her and a smile settled over her lips, lips he tried to not look at. He always avoided meeting the woman's gaze for those golden orbs always made him feel uncomfortable. There was no deceit in this woman; she was the most straight-forward individual he had ever met. If she had something to say she simply would say it without any real regard for who she said it to or how she said it. Those eyes though…
They always caused him to feel less then he was. He had looked into the eyes of so man individuals in his life and had gazed into the eyes of each person he killed during his time as an assassin in the Executive Militia; but why did this woman's eyes affect him? Was it the way they glimmered with secrets untold or how they sparkled with her vast years of discipline and wisdom that would always be a step ahead of individuals like him?
Or was it because she had truly broken his will?
That had to be it…no matter how much he yearned to hate this woman, no matter how much he desired to wipe that smile from her face she always could break him. From the very first time he confronted her on his own he felt small before her, but he had tried to dismiss such notions from his mind. Finally though…he had snapped and found himself on his knees before the Flash Goddess. He had only spoken to Soi Fon once before coming to stay in the human world and learn under Yoruichi, but her warning about Yoruichi was true. One did not stand before this violet haired, tan skinned, and golden eyed goddess; they kneeled before her.
He saw her hand move up to his face and felt it caress his cheek rough with whiskers from a mildly-maintained shave. He did not want to look up to meet those eyes, he knew he would break once more before her; but, she always got what she wanted. His gaze left the ground between them and traveled up her body which may as well been nude beneath the tight fitting black garbs she wore.
Even to this day she still wore the ceremonial uniform of the corps commander of the Onmitsukidö; sleeveless and backless, tight to the skin to restrict anything to grab at and maximize wind resistance. It did little to hide her figure and how lovely it was. He hated standing before her like this, before this woman that truly was a goddess in the flesh.
His gaze met her own and it felt that twinge of doubt about himself and his capabilities. He wanted to grab at his stomach and remove the knotted feeling that came any time he looked his mentor in the eyes. Her touch sent shivers down his spine and made him want to sink to his knees and hands, but he hated the thought of showing weakness before this woman; she would love to see him do it, he knew that.
She grinned as she studied his eyes and couldn't help but think how much he was trying to resist her. It wasn't that she was trying to break him, but she wasn't a fool to ignore the truth that she had and could. Never would she turn on him nor seek to hurt him. She had sought his trust and finally had it. Even if he still felt resentment toward her, she knew he would fight at her side in a heartbeat against any threat.
"Ready to go home, Kenshin?" Even the way his name rolled off her tongue irritated him. For some reason beyond his understanding, something in the way his name came off those lips just did not feel right. It was no different then looking into her eyes; she could weaken his resolve by saying his name. The softer she whispered it, the worse the feeling got.
With reluctance he nodded and replied with a simple, "yes, Lady Yoruichi." He hated being stuck with her inside that apartment. He may be unable to elude her in the open, but at least he had the means of freedom to move around. Inside a building, there was nowhere to run to avoid being near or around her.
Why did she always get her away?
It was the same as it was every time they came back from sparring. They would each clean up and he'd take the time to meditate while she made a meal for them. Meditation was probably the only real time he was free from the affects of the Flash Goddess. In his mind he could clear away all thoughts and images and just thrive in the darkness of his mind's eye.
Silence and darkness were where he thrived most. It was in such a place that he used to exist as an assassin for the Executive Militia, the first branch of the Onmitsukidö. To an assassin the shadows were your best friend. They embraced you and asked nothing of you but for you to use them like a home. Shadows never betrayed you and always welcomed you as their master. He always had enjoyed lingering in the shadows while watching his targets foolishly go about their business, never aware of what lurked so close by.
His peace was broken when he felt the light sting of a flick on his nose and knew she was there in front of him. As his lids drifted open and light filtered in he could see that ever present grin of eyes and those eyes focused on his own. "Dinner's ready, Kenshin."
There was that shiver down his spine again. He hated that amount of control she had. He hated how she chose to strut around in such a small, revealing top and underwear. He hated how her hair graced her slender back and the way her hips swung ever so slightly when she walked. It was all a lure to ensnare her prey with.
Dinner always consisted of her talking to him about their sparring match that night with her pointing out and analyzing what Kenshin did right and what he did wrong. It was possibly the only time she didn't look at him with that hint of lust; something, he was grateful for. It was probably the one time in the day she would treat him as a student rather then her prey.
Unfortunately, such things had to end and once the meal was done and he had finished washing the dishes he would be asked to join her in relaxing and watching some television. Television was a human indulgence, not a shinigami's. The sort of things humans put on for others to watch always was odd and annoying to him, but the noise was a means for him to return to his thoughts while his mentor left her focus on the show. It wasn't as good as his time when meditating, but…
Her soft touch over his forehead while he absently stared at the screen and the flashing images on it relaxed him. He could understand how the mentor he had served under for fifty years could be so quick to turn soft before this woman. He understood why the Soi Fon he knew had vanished before his eyes that day he came seeking to beat his former mentor. She hadn't been the focused, unyielding captain he remembered but rather like a child before their idle.
At first he had been utterly disgusted at such a memory, but after having been broken by this woman's will he came to forgive such a memory. It helped that Yoruichi further explained her past with Soi Fon and the sort of dedication Soi Fon had shown in her that Kenshin had in turn shown in Soi Fon. While he didn't idolize Soi Fon has she had Yoruichi, he had been unyielding in his dedication to her as his commander and master. That was why he bore the scar across his torso to this day.
He rolled onto his back and looked up to the ceiling until she leaned over him. This time, he let his gaze meet her own and let out a soft sigh as she smiled down at him. For as much as he wanted to hate this woman…
He knew he would follow wherever she asked him to…
She was the Flash Goddess and he had learned to kneel before her. It wasn't so bad…