Chapter One: The Queen of Thieves
It was a cool, clear day in Soul Society, the kind of day that usually brought a certain calming quality with it, but today was an exception. There was a buzz going about Soul Society, one that had both unseated and seated Shinigami whispering, trying to gather the latest information on the newest rumor. One captain in particular, however, was completely clueless to the gossip that was making its way about. As Shinji Hirako made his way towards his division, he was oblivious to all of the quiet whispers and murmurs that were growing more and more frequent as the morning went on.
He was almost all the way to his office before he noticed the groups of people that were huddled around each other, and the constant murmurs that were coming from them. That finally peaked his curiosity, but as soon as he tried to get their attention, they all walked off, seemingly not wanting to get caught gossiping while on duty. By the time his lieutenant had found him, the captain was rather frustrated, but he would not surrender until he figured out what was going on.
"Captain Hirako-" Aizen began, only to be cut off as soon as he started.
"What's all the commotion about?" Shinji demanded.
"You haven't heard?" Aizen wondered.
"If I had, I wouldn't've asked!" Shinji retorted, his frustration increasing by the second.
"Lieutenant Ōmaeda has retired and Captain Shihōin has already chosen his replacement. They say that the replacement didn't even go to the Academy, and that she got her from District 80 in Southern Rukongai," Aizen explained.
"Her?" Shinji pondered.
"Yes, and rumor has it that Captain Shihōin went all the way to District 80 herself to get her," Aizen continued.
"And just what's so special 'bout her?" Shinji asked.
"Apparently, it's the Queen of Thieves." Shinji had heard of the Queen of Thieves before, but he couldn't believe it. Why would Yoruichi replace Marenoshin Ōmaeda with some crook, and the proclaimed Queen of Thieves for that matter? It was said that the Queen of Thieves could steal anything, money, jewelry, any sort of valuable, you name it, and she could steal it without leaving any sort of trace. There was even a rumor that she had stolen from the Shihōin family themselves, but that she had come back and left the artifact where she found it once she had figured out what it was. It was merely a family memento, worth nothing on the black market, so she returned it in the same way that she took it: unseen and untraceable.
"Is she here?" Shinji asked.
"I believe so," Aizen answered, while nodding. "I believe that is the purpose of the meeting that we have been called to."
"Meeting? What meeting?" Shinji asked, exasperated.
"I was coming to find you and tell you," Aizen told him. "The Captain-Commander has called an impromptu meeting with the captains and lieutenants. I would assume it would be about the new lieutenant."
"Then what're we waitin' for? We'll be late at this rate," Shinji stated, turning around and beginning to make his way to the First Division. Aizen just shook his head and followed behind his captain.
"I wonder what she looks like," Shinji pondered.
"What?" Aizen asked, surprised by his captain's sudden outburst.
"The Lieutenant! She's from District 80, so I bet she's from one of those Thief Clans. She's probably some rough, ugly woman. Ugh, I can only imagine," Shinji commented, shuddering in disgust in the process.
"I suppose that could be true," Aizen muttered, trying to understand why his captain had chosen to go through that particular thought process.
"Oi, Kensei!" Shinji called. The captain of the Ninth Division turned around to see who was calling him.
"What?" he called back, waiting for Shinji and Aizen to catch up with him and his lieutenant, Mashiro Kuna, who was surprisingly quiet for once.
"Any idea who this new lieutenant is?" Shinji asked him as they continued walking.
"Not a clue. None of the captains have met her except for Yoruichi," Kensei told him.
"What? So nobody knows anythin' about her, accept for these wild rumors that're goin' around," Shinji stated, kicking a rock that was in his way.
"Yeah, 'Queen of Thieves' my ass. That's a myth," Kensei scoffed.
"Ah, I wonder where they would even get that idea," Shinji added. He was startled when Hiyori Sarugaki walked up beside him and…did not hit him. She was quiet. He thought hell had frozen over.
"Uh, Hiyori," Shinji began.
"Is it true?" she interrupted, keeping her eyes ahead of her.
"I don't know. Probably not, but I can't say for sure," Shinji told her.
"Of course it's not! That's just a myth! I don't know why you and Mashiro are so wound up about it," Kensei scoffed, again, looking off to the side. He didn't believe that the 'Queen of Thieves' was anywhere near the Seireitei, but he was curious about this new lieutenant and why Yoruichi had chosen her.
"Well, I guess we'll find out," Shinji commented as they finally reached the meeting hall. As the doors were opened, he saw that they were the last ones there. They quickly took their places and were silent so the Captain-Commander could begin.
"Let this meeting begin!" Yamamoto stated, slamming the end of his cane against the ground. "I have called you here today regarding the Lieutenant of the Second Division. As you have heard, Marenoshin Ōmaeda has retired, and Captain Shihōin has already chosen his replacement. Would you step forward, Captain?" Yoruichi gladly bowed her head and stepped forward, rather excited to bring in her new lieutenant.
"She's not in here," Shinji thought. "But where is she?"
"Captain Shihōin, is it true that the replacement that you have chosen has not attended the academy nor stepped anywhere near the Gotei 13?" the Captain-Commander asked. Everybody expected her to deny it, but they were in for a surprise.
"It's true," she stated, shocking everyone.
"Then why do you think it is justified to make her your lieutenant, when she is not even qualified?" Yamamoto asked.
"Oh, she's more than qualified. I'm sure you've heard of the Queen of Thieves, haven't you? And I'm sure that you heard that she stole from my family as well, even though she returned it. Well, I can tell you why she did it," Yoruichi stated, gaining the interest of all of the captains and lieutenants.
"Hm? How would you know that?" Shūnsui Kyōraku asked, pushing his hat back slightly.
"I dared her to," Yoruichi answered, with a large grin on her face.
"You dared her?" Jūshirō Ukitake repeated.
"Yes, I dared her. I met her a few times before that, and on one of the later times, I dared her to steal from my family. I didn't think she could do it, but she did, and she didn't even leave a trace of reiatsu," Yoruichi explained. "We met many times after that, and I trust her with my life. She is a commendable warrior and a master of her craft, so I believe that she is more than qualified to become my lieutenant."
"That can't be true! The 'Queen of Thieves' is just a myth!" Kensei stated, voicing the opinions of many of the people in the room.
"I'm afraid she's not," Yamamoto commented, shocking everybody except for a few. "After hearing so many rumors, I sent Yoruichi out to inspect them, and in turn, it seems she found the Queen of Thieves, even though she failed to report it to me."
"And ruin the surprise?" Yoruichi teased. The Captain-Commander let out a sigh, hoping that he wouldn't regret his next decision.
"I will allow it," he stated. "But be warned, if she is suspected of any criminal activity, I will apprehend her myself."
"Oh, she really isn't like that. She was just trying to make it by, and she just so happened to become one of the greatest thieves ever known in the process," Yoruichi laughed.
"I can't believe we're letting a criminal in our ranks," Kensei muttered.
"You're only a criminal if you get caught, Kensei," Love laughed. He, along with a few others, was excited to see this new Lieutenant. They were curious to meet the woman who was so notorious for her crimes, but could never be tied to them or caught, and was therefore not technically even guilty of committing them.
"So, where is she?" Rose asked.
"Yes, bring her here, Yoruichi, so we may see this thief," Yamamoto agreed, still anxious about his choice.
"She's been on the roof the whole time," Yoruichi told them.
"Bull. There is no way that she was right outside and nobody saw or sensed her," Kensei grunted.
"I told you she was a master of her craft," Yoruichi snickered. "I wouldn't be surprised if she pickpocketed some of you while you were coming in."
"Now you're just making stuff up," Lisa Yadomaru commented, pushing her glasses up.
"I mean, I might have told her to, you know, to prove a point," Yoruichi stated slyly. "I guess we'll see what goodies she got."
"REN!" Yoruichi yelled, making those who were standing close to her cover their ears in shock. There was silence for a moment, but soon enough, the doors began to slowly open. Nobody knew what to expect. A few (like Shinji) were expecting some rough looking woman, while others were expecting some scraggly, sinister looking woman. None of them were right.
As the doors finally opened, they couldn't believe what they saw. Her body was very similar to Yoruichi's, except she might have been an inch or so shorter, but everything else was almost exact; she was even wearing the same type of sleeveless uniform that Yoruichi had on under her captain's haori, except she was wearing an orange sash instead of a sword belt. Her skin was lightly tanned and it looked soft to the touch. Her dark brown hair barely went past her jawline, but it was shorter in the back than it was in the front and it hung in loose curls that shined with red and orange highlights in the light. What was most striking was her eyes. They were a deep, burnt orange color, finishing off her appearance and making her give off the essence of the autumn season. She was beautiful, and there was no way that she was the Queen of Thieves. She looked far too gentle and meek for the title.
"Everybody, this is Ren. Ren, meet your new co-workers," Yoruichi announced. Ren gave a light bow, and then walked across the room towards Yoruichi.
"So, what'd you get?" Yoruichi asked, the mischievous glint never leaving her eyes. Ren held out a sack to her, and it looked to be rather full.
"Everything they had," Ren answered, returning Yoruichi's grin. Everyone started to feel around their pockets, and sure enough, they came up short, even the Captain-Commander. Yoruichi opened the sack and pulled out a few of the money bags.
"My, my, you really did!" she laughed, beginning to throw the bags to their prospective owners.
"Well, I do aim to please, Captain," Ren told her, putting a slight emphasis on 'Captain'.
"There's no way!" Kensei roared.
"Oh, deal with it," Yoruichi retorted, throwing him his money bag. "You just don't want to admit that you got pickpocketed by a girl." Kensei was about to say something back, but the Captain-Commander cut him off.
"It was…an impressive display of skill," he conceded, as he caught his money bag. "Just don't make it a habit."
"Don't make it a habit? That's it?" Kensei asked, astonished. He and a few others couldn't get over what had just happened, but some of the others thought that it was hilarious, which included Shūnsui, Love and a few others.
"Yes, that is all. This meeting is dismissed. Make sure to give your lieutenant her badge, Captain Shihōin."
Before anyone else could say a word, Yoruichi and her new lieutenant Shunpo'd out of the meeting hall, leaving several confused people in their wake, including one stunned Shinji Hirako. He, however, was not dumbfounded by their speed or their sudden dramatic exit. No, he was mesmerized by the beauty of the Queen of Thieves and also by the skill that she possessed. To put it simply, with just one glance at the woman, he was already smitten.