AND WHERE THE ARM WAS REMOVED...
Soi Fong sat on the edge of her bed. She heaved a deep sigh. "Some war…" She muttered and looked at her left arm. Or what was left of it. Nothing but a stump…just like that Shiba woman.
"I have no luck in life." She stood and walked to a mirror. She removed her robes with little difficulty. Though she admitted it was easier with two arms and hands instead of one. She removed the bandages from her remaining arm.
The moment she got back and Unohana had time she had healed it to her fullest extent. The skin covered the end of the spot where the bone had been sticking out just above the elbow.
She was disgusted with herself. She hadn't been good enough. And this was the result. She was half of herself. And she hated it.
"Hey…" The captain turned at the soft voice. "Lord Yoruichi." The violet haired woman blanched despite the situation. "Stop calling me that."
Soi stared for a moment before remembering her arm. She turned away. She didn't care about the rest of her body being seen.
Soft footsteps padded across the hardwood floor. Soi jerked and tightened her shoulders, bring them up and in when a hand touched her.
"Let me see." Yoruichi whispered. Soi shook her head. The goddess tugged on Soi's left shoulder. "Let me see."
She pulled Soi to face her.
Hot tears made their path down the captains face. Her eyes were snapped shut hard. Yoruichi touches Soi's arm just above the end of it and just below the shoulder.
"…Wow…" There was nothing she could say but that. She didn't sound amazed…she didn't sound sad…just neutral…just "wow".
Soi stepped back and turned away again. Yoruichi stepped up to her side. "Soi there's nothing wrong…" the captain cut her off.
"Wrong with me!?" Soi looked back at her, still crying, eyes full of hate. But never hate for Yoruichi…hate for her luck…hate for her life even…but never Yoruichi. "Look at me Yoruichi!"
"I am looking!"
"Well look harder!" Soi shouted as she swiped at her face to get rid of the tears. "I'm not even all of me anymore!" Yoruichi pulled her into a tight hug.
There was a long silence. It was broken by cheers and shouts. The women broke apart and moved to the window.
A blonde man dressed in black with a rainbow belt and shoe laces was dancing with a woman with black hair, also dressed in back with the exception of the belt and shoe laces.
People were cheering for them below. The pair was dancing to a tango. They acted out the song as they went.
"Bash in my brain, and make me scream with pain! Then kick me once again and say we'll never part." The Blonde man cowered as the black haired woman 'kicked' him over. Then grabbed for her as if to make her stay when she turned her back to him.
When the song was over the stood in the original tango dance position. The people below cheered heavily for them.
Yoruichi pulled Soi back and closed the window and curtains. "…Kinda hard to feel sad after that." Soi nodded. "So…your bankai…" the violet haired woman started.
Soi became rigid. "What about it?"
Yoruichi looked at her in surprise. "What about it?" She repeated. "Soi that thing is amazing!"
"I don't like it."
"Why not?"
"It's everything I'm not."
"But it's incredibly strong. And so are you. So technically it's everything you are."
Soi gave a meek half smile. "It's not right for what I do. Put it that way."
"It is loud isn't it?" Yoruichi chuckled.
"Very. The recoil is bad."
"Hence the sash you wore."
"Obviously."
Another long silence settled.
"We should go to bed." Yoruichi tried.
Soi raised a brow. "…We?"
Yoruichi gave a coy smirk. "Yes 'we'!"
Soi smiled. She liked how the woman treated her the same. Not like she was some weak little girl who needed help 24/7.
Yoruichi clapped her hands. "In bed!"
Soi stepped onto the bed and moved to the inside of the bed before sitting.
Yoruichi landed beside her and pulled off her jacket and shoes.
Soi fell back against the pillows. It felt odd with only one arm. The cold space that would normally be warmed by the appendage stayed cold until she rolled onto her side with her still intact arm.
Yoruichi pulled her tight against her. She ignored the awkward feeling of Soi not being able to do the same.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
(next morning)
Soi and Yoruichi walked out into the training grounds. A small child a foot or so shorter than Soi stood in front barking out orders.
Their hair was midnight black and past their waist. Hands fisted at their hips. They wore small shorts and the usual Shinigami robes on the upper half.
Yoruichi laughed and the person turned. It was a small boy with sharp golden eyes. "Oh…hey." He walked over to them as the stealth force gathered into small groups.
"How are ya little man?" Yoruichi ruffled the boys hair. He pushed her hand away.
"I am fine." He wasn't as uptight as this all the time. These people were just so stupid! "Today is not going well. …At all."
A kunai knife sailed by, just missing the boy's face. He whipped around and spoke to the general public. "Really!? …Really!?" They looked guilty.
"Hey!"
The stealth force went back to practice as the three looked around.
Ichigo, Chad, and Rukia walked onto the training grounds. "What's up Yoruichi?" Ichigo called with a grin. He looked at Soi and the small boy. "Hey there. Who are you two?" He asked casually.
Yoruichi chuckled. "This is Soi Fon. Captain of the second division and leader of the stealth force. She's the one who took my place."
Soi nodded to Ichigo and Chad. She already knew who they were.
"And he is…?" Ichigo motioned to the boy.
Yoruichi pulled the boy by the shoulders back into herself in a hug. "This is Zakky." She grinned.
Zakky rolled his eyes. "It's just Zak or Zakarius."
"Hey Zakky." Ichigo taunted. Zak's jaw twitched as he glared at Ichigo.
"But who is he?" Chad asked in his low, dull voice.
"My son." Yoruichi answered simply. Ichigo blanched and Chad looked surprised. Rukia laughed at them.
Soi nudged her. "Our." She stated. Yoruichi chuckled. "Our son."
Ichigo stared at Zak. "…Wow." he turned and walked away briskly. Chad following slowly.
"Why are they so shocked?" Zak looked up at Rukia, who shrugged. "Apparently two women having a child is impossible in the world of the living." She answered carefully.
Zak blinked. "…Humans are stupid." He muttered and kicked at the ground.
"Zakarius!" Yoruichi scolded. He looked over at her. "What!? They are!" He defended himself and his pride. "Doesn't mean you have to say it!" Yoruichi smacked him lightly upside the head.
Soi smiled and gave the boy a one armed hug.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
(Later)
Zak stared at his mothers lost arm. "…Did it hurt?" He was incredibly curious. He had gotten that from Yoruichi. As well as a strange love for milk and tons of food. And he was skinny as Soi.
"Not as much as I thought." Soi saw his hands twitching. He wanted to see if you could feel bone. "Go ahead." Zak timidly touched the remainder of the arm.
"…Wow." Soi gave a short laugh. That seemed to be the word of choice these days. He set his hand in his lap. "…You know…" he began shyly, "I know a friend who could give you a new one. It wouldn't be a human arm or Shinigami or like aunty Kukaku's."
"What would it be?"
"Metal. You could move it and everything and it would be strong too!" Zak stood and looked down at her. "All I have to do is make a call and we could get you in there by tomorrow afternoon."
Soi looked from her son to her stump of an arm. It wouldn't be all of her….but it would be better than this. "Call please." She spoke softly.
Zak smiled and ran inside.
Yoruichi walked up to the porch Soi was on. "Hey there." She smiled as she sat beside the younger.
"Zak is going to arrange for me to get a prosthetic arm." Soi mumbled.
"Like Kukaku's?"
"No. It's metal and actually works."
"Nifty." Yoruichi smirked.
Zak ran back out and sat between them. "Tomorrow at noon. I'll take you over."
"Thank you Zakky."
"It's Zak mom." He growled.
Soi chuckled and stood. "Let me know what we leave." She walked back inside.
Zak went to his own room and Yoruichi stayed out looking at the sky.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
(Noon: next day)
"Come on!" Zak shouted from up ahead. He was walking backwards. He grey and gold Zanpakuto in his left hand. He always went about barefoot.
Yoruichi and Soi were walking slowly behind. "Hold your horses." Yoruichi called back.
Zak huffed and stopped walking. He waited until they were closer before walking again. "My friend said they could hook the thing up with feel sensors and every thing. Even make it feel warm so it'd be like you lever lost your arm. She said she could make it channel your spiritual pressure into it too."
"Sounds better than my old one." Soi mumbled with a smirk. Yoruichi nudged her.
Zak turned around and walked properly. "Here we are!" It was a rundown stone building with rusted and broken metallic limbs around the front.
Soi stared with an odd expression. "…Yeah this looks totally safe." She muttered, obvious sarcasm. Yoruichi snickered.
Zak looked mildly offended. "Hey! This is MY friend we're talking about here. She's actually really good. Come on." He walked inside.
Yoruichi and Soi followed him in slowly, Soi leading.
XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX
Yoruichi and Zakarius had not been allowed into the room. All they heard were the drills and occasional shocks. No cries or grunts of pain from Soi Fon.
It had already been an hour.
The drills stopped and seconds later the door opened. Three different people walked out. "She's fine!" One called back as the walked down the narrow hallway.
Yoruichi and Zak stood and looked into the room.
Soi was sitting on the edge of her bed clenching and unclenching her hand. "It doesn't feel like mine…but it doesn't feel to off either." She muttered.
The two outside the door walked in.
"Can you feel with it?" Yoruichi asked curiously as she sat next to the captain.
"Yes. At least it does that much. Thank you Zakky." Soi smiled at the small boy.
"Zak!" He growled.
Yoruichi laughed and Soi shook her head as they made their way back out of the building.
"Hurry up Zakky!" Yoruichi shouted up ahead on the road.
"…ZAK!!!"