Soi Fon counted the seconds. It had been hours.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
She willed tears to her eyes but they wouldn't come. Her heart pumped in her chest and chilled her blood, her arms tingling with the sensation. She could feel the cold now. It had always been there, she knew. Now it consumed her, ate at her, suffocated her. She felt as though, for the first time in a hundred years, that she could not breathe. Curse you, Yoruichi-sama. Curse you for making me feel this way.
Soi Fon closed her eyes.
The forest trembled as Unohana sped through.
"Soi Fon-taichou!"
The girl sat in the clearing, a limp Yoruichi in her arms, a lost look clinging to her eyes.
"Are you alright?"
The lost look persisted. Soi Fon didn't move for fear that Yoruichi might slip from her arms forever. Unohana's eyes glanced down at the homonka on Yoruichi's chest, her lips coming together slightly as the situation dawned upon her.
"Let me see her."
Soi Fon shook her head.
"You have to let me see her, Soi Fon-taichou."
She shook her head once more.
"Let me take her back to the 4th Division."
"I killed her," Soi Fon whispered, speaking for the first time. "I... killed Yoruichi-sama."
"The venom hasn't completely taken hold yet, and we don't have much time. I know you know that. Let me take her back to the 4th Division. Please let me do what I can, Soi Fon. Let me help her."
Soi Fon looked up from where she knelt.
"Now, Soi Fon."
She nodded slowly as Unohana approached lifting Yoruichi out from Soi Fon's arms. The girl clung to the princess's ragged clothes, and she followed as Unohana loaded Yoruichi into Minazuki. It seemed as though Soi Fon would follow her, even, into Minazuki's mouth. She guided the girl, instead, up with her to the top. They floated into the air towards the 4th Division barracks.
Soi Fon's reflection glared at her through the mirror. Unohana had pried her away from Yoruichi and ushered her away from where they housed the patients. She had only told her to wait. Soi Fon didn't know. She didn't know anything anymore. So much had happened.
"Well, good morning there, Soi Fon."
Step. Flash. Step. She held her zanpakuto to Urahara's throat, growling; "What are you doing here?"
"To see Yoruichi-san, of course. Why else?"
"You don't belong here."
"Haven't you heard?" Urahara waved his hand lazily into the air. "We've been exonerated."
"I said, you don't belong here. Get out."
"Now, now. That's no way to talk to someone who just saved Yoruichi-san's life."
"What?"
"Oh. I thought Unohana-taichou had told you. Oh well. Can't be helped. I developed an antidote to your Suzemubachi's venom before opening the gate between the Human World and Soul Society."
"Why would you do that?"
"Eh... Weren't you listening? To save Yoruichi-san." Urahara pushed away Soi Fon's blade and walked away before turning towards her with a goofy smile. "You think I would have let Yoruichi go without a fail safe? I knew quite well what you would do, and I knew even better what Yoruichi would do."
"Which is?"
"So many questions... How troublesome... Isn't it obvious? Well, no matter. I'm sure you can go see Yoruichi now. She won't be awake for a long while. Her wounds are still quite grave."
Suddenly, Soi Fon's light feet felt heavy in her shoes. It was as though her muscles had forgotten how to walk, how to move. The oxygen in the air began to suffocate her again. So Yoruichi-sama was alive. She hadn't killed her, though she had tried. Yoruichi's skin still felt cold in her arms, and her palm still clung to her cheek. She could still feel the scar she shared in her own palm. Her thumb reached for it instinctively, and she rubbed it as she thought.
"What's wrong, Soi Fon? Unohana-taichou told me all about how you clung to Yoruichi."
"Shut up."
"How troublesome... You really should go to her."
"I..."
"I will say this once, though, and I won't say it anymore. Don't sting her again."
"What..?"
"Didn't I say you should go? She's missed you for a long time."
Soi Fon walked away from Urahara resolutely, finally finding the strength in her legs to move from where she stood. She moved to slide the door open so that she might find the room where Yoruichi slept. She felt cold, still, the cold beginning to sting with an old sharpness at Urahara's words. Her brow furrowed.
"Don't you say things like that," she said. "You don't know anything."
Quietly, Soi Fon continued on her way as she left Urahara alone in the room. He took off his hat and rubbed his hand through his hair.
"Tsk, tsk. This will turn out to be quite the ordeal, won't it? Well, can't do anything about that now. I've done everything I can, haven't I?"
"It's the least you could have done," Kukaku said, appearing beside him. "You've really messed things up this time around, Kisuke."
"Eh, well, I had no choice."
"Forget it. What matters is what happens now."
"That's up to them, though, isn't it?"
Kukaku pouted; "Yeah."
Soi Fon watched as Yoruichi's chest rose and fell with every breath. She felt relief fill her at the rhythm. Her feet grew heavy again. They felt as though they were nailed to the floor. She didn't make an effort to move, though she longed to once again touch Yoruichi's skin, feel its warmth and its life. She swallowed as she swept her eyes over the sleeping figure.
"You never answered my question."
Soi Fon was answered with a heavy silence. Yoruichi only breathed.
"Why did you leave with him, Yoruichi-sama?"
Silence.
"What is it about Urahara that made you leave so easily?"
Silence.
"You didn't even say goodbye. You could have said goodbye."
Yoruichi's eyes were closed. Peaceful. It was as though they had never fought, and she had never left.
"You could have taken me with you, Yoruichi-sama. I would have come with you. You knew that. I swore an oath to you. I would have done anything. I admired you. No, more than that. I worshiped you. I worshiped the ground you walked on. And you... You left as if none of that mattered. As if my oath meant nothing to you... Is that what I was to you? You left so easily. After everything we had been through... After everything that we were... You just walked away..."
Soi Fon had grown lost in her words. She didn't even notice the way Yoruichi's face changed. Pinching, even, in her sleep. The steel had begun to creep back up around Soi Fon, hardening her again to the world.
"I dishonored my family by raising my blade to you. No matter what your actions had been, I dishonored my oath." She paused. She could feel the cold steel close around her heart, and its familiarity was, almost, comforting. "But I was a fool to have believed as I had. I'll do everything in my power to not make that mistake again."
"Are you going to stand like that in the door forever?"
"Unohana-taichou."
"I'm sorry for not reaching you sooner. We've had many casualties rush in."
"Urahara told me everyhing."
"I'm glad." Unohana put a hand on Soi Fon's shoulder. "She'll be fine. She's very resilient. Had she been anyone else, she wouldn't have survived."
"Thank you," Soi Fon whispered.
"Hm?"
"Please take care of her."
Soi Fon disappeared without a sound, leaving Unohana alone with a sleeping Yoruichi. She sighed, walking over and seating herself beside the futon. She could feel the intent in Soi Fon's reiatsu. She souldn't see the 2nd Division Captain again in this room. She placed a cool towel over Yoruichi's forehead.
"Aizen caused quite the stir. But I suppose you knew that, Yoruichi. I suspected something of him, but nothing like this. His little zanpakuto trick fooled even me. But it's all over now. Your plan worked out perfectly."
Unohana sighed again as she applied the medicine.
"You've caused quite the stir yourself. Your charge is in turmoil."
Yoruichi remained silent as the sun tossed light into the room through the window. Unohana left, continuing her rounds throughout the Division. Yoruichi's eyes remained closed, lost in the world of her mind. Her brows furrowed as the words swirled around in her head, mingling with her dreams. The sun settled across her face as it faded, setting in the distance. Darkness filtered through the window.
Unohana poked her head through the door, leaving one last glance with the sleeping Yoruichi.
"Ensure that she receives her medicine at the proper intervals. And watch for a fever. Do you understand?"
The night watch nodded their heads; "Yes, captain!"
She left for the night. It wasn't until she let for her quarters that another presence made itself known. The new presence didn't say a word; she only stood by the window, frowning at her weakness as she stepped in. She knelt beside the futon, unsure as to how to move. Her heart settled as she tentatively placed her hand on Yoruichi's, relieving her unrest. She watched as Yoruichi's tense face relaxed.
She moved her thumb to Yoruichi's palm and found the scar, matching it to her own.
She wished she could stay as so forever.
The sun began to rise with a soft blue light. She grimaced as it exposed them, washed them in color that she wished she could ignore. She could see now, the bruises still across Yoruichi's skin, where she had struck her. She could see the small cuts across the skin. She could see the homonka that she had left, still marking her skin.
Soi Fon counted the seconds. It had been hours.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
Tick.
She willed tears to her eyes but they wouldn't come. Her heart pumped in her chest and chilled her blood, her arms tingling with the sensation. She could feel the cold now. It had always been there, she knew. Now it consumed her, ate at her, suffocated her. She felt as though, for the first time in a hundred years, that she could not breathe. Curse you, Yoruichi-sama. Curse you for making me feel this way.
Soi Fon closed her eyes.
To be continued.
