Chapter 3

The way Yoruichi is looking at her makes it obvious to SoiFon that she doesn't really have an option. The Shihoin is waiting for an answer. SoiFon grits her teeth and tries very hard not to let her walls come back up, her usual -safe- anger nearly in her reach. Her ex mentor triggers this kind of reaction in her. Trigered. Because as she looks at herself now, her mind stays relaxed and in a relatively peacefull state despite Yoruichi standing tall above her with her arms crossed and her little pleased smile spread all over her face. This clear demonstration of coy should have make SoiFon seeth. But she doesn't.

Could she say that she is finaly at peace with her past ?

After everything was reveiled, she objectively accepted the story of Kisuke Hurahara and Yoruichi Shihoin, Taichous of the Gotei 13. As a Captain herself, she accepted it. She swallowed the old sensation of betrayal, which wasn't true after all those years believing it to be, she noded along with everyone and went to battle against the Espada. As an officer of the Soul Society. Officialy, it was almost easy to erase the plate and start anew. A closed file in her paperwork as head of police in Soul Society. She wouldn't even be surprised if all the previous Taichous came back to their post. Maybe Yamamoto would institute some new co-captaincy to each unit concerned. Hers included. She wasn't thrilled about that idea when she realised they were all back in, but as an officer she accepted the possibility. She accepted a lot of this. Officialy.

As for her personal feelings... Well, SoiFon made it a point not to dwel on it. So much that she disregarded to even take a pause to look at it. She never stoped working, giving orders, filing files, supervising training, she increased her own training in the nights or early mornings and managed to be very, very exhausted and barely slept. She managed avoiding herself just fine after the war finaly ended. But now, now is the first time she actually stops, she actually breathes and look. Her whole being made her stop and look. It made her crack.

So now she is cracked open like a nut and she honestly doesn't know what's in it now that all the durt has been cleaned with her earlier break down. It seems that in this instant, she is empty and really relieved. Yes, if she has to put a word on it, she'd say that she is relieved and so, so light. The feeling is so odd for her that it makes her smile a little as she lets her gaze wanders in the quiet clearing. The air is warm, soft, and the sweet sakura flowers scent draps the scene with serenity. A peace SoiFon feels growing in her chest as her grin becomes bolder on her lips.

She knows Yoruichi is waiting for her to talk, to move, something. She can see her shadowing over there, her silhouette draws on the moon, and she doesn't care. For the very first time in her life, she doesn't care about Yoruichi Shihoin at all. She isn't her servant anymore, she isn't her collegue either, she isn't her apprentice nor her friend, in fact, at the state that they're in, she is barely an acquaintance. And not just in her mind, but in her emotions too. She tried so hard to get over Yoruichi, to bury her feelings for her and never look, who knew all she had to do was to actually let it all out and get rid of it all ?

Time passes and SoiFon enjoys being relaxed for the very first time since her childhood. Since before she realised her family name and all the duties and expectations that came with it. So, it's been a long time since she felt so at ease with herself. Her muscles are smooth, her brain is buzzing with tranquility and her small smile hasn't leave her lips. Yoruichi, on the other hand, isn't the patient type. Never has been. She is, after all, the Shihoin Princess and is used to get what she wants. Still, a hundred years in the human plan stripped of her titles should have tought her something... right ? SoiFon doesn't want to dwell on it. She doesn't want to think, she is good as she is now. Content. The dark woman humpfs somewhere near her and the air shifts. The Captain doesn't have to look to know she uncrossed her arms with a pout. There is some more rustle before a presence sits beside her, leaving mere inches between them in the wide open clearing. There is clearly enough space to site anywhere else, but the shunpo expert chose the closer to her, once again disregarding personal bounderies what so ever. Even so, there is no playfulness in this move, SoiFon notices vaguely, Yoruichi must have pick on her mood and dropt the charade, her previous tension fading away. For now, the Shihoin is calmed.

Times passes again and none of them talk. SoiFon contemplates the nature at peace and breathes the sweet parfum of the air. Thanks to both her haori and her Omnitsukido uniform she is quite warm in the night, she doesn't use her reiatsu at all, only masking it so no one looking for her would trespass on her peacefull time. Yes, peacefull time. She hums quietly at that. She is at peace. Finaly. She wants to hold on that feeling as long as she can before going back to her life, her duties mostly. Dealing with her Captaincy, the Omnitsukido and her own House is a three jobs full time that she gladly took on before, to keep her busy, to escape herself. Now there is no reason to. She hums again into the night. Yoruichi will come in handy, after all. Maybe they can collaborate and ease the tasks, Omaeda absolutly isn't one for help, the man is fukotaichou by pretence only.

'Huh, Soi ?' The voice on her left is hesitant, almost shy. Never in her life SoiFon has heard this tone of voice in Yoruichi's many colorful expressions. It is... strange and somehow fiting for this new beginning.

'Mm ?' is her only response as she still is gazing at the stars above.

'An't you gonna say something ?'

There is no demand in her voice this time, no swagger. She is probing with words carefully picked. SoiFon hums once more. It is a nice change too. There are so many changes setting place on this night, it seems. It is like a rebirth for SoiFon, she is sure of it as it is deep and absolut in its intensity. Maybe it could be a rebirth for their relation too. There is a new pace in their communication. For now anyway. Until the princess gets bored.

Really, SoiFon doesn't want to talk, she doesn't want to spoil this state she is in.

'Let's enjoy the quiet a little bit longer' she murmurs into the night then, giving Yoruichi something to hold on. Patience, it says.

For now, SoiFon doesn't want to talk.

/

She doesn't remember closing her eyes or diving down to sleep. She was serene in the silence and it seems at some point she dozed off, for now her consciousness wakes. Her eyes flutter slowly open as she takes on her position. She is still sitted her back against the sakura tree, but in her slumber her head has slidded to the side in search for a pillow she found in her neighbour's shoulder. Their sides are touching now, orange jacket against the black and white of her haori, her yellow obi barely visible. She doesn't move and keeps her breathing even as she watches dark chocolate fingers idly playing quietly with the ring of one of her white braid.

Yoruichi.

In the back of her head SoiFon briefly wonders how many times did she lost consciousness since they got here. It doesn't really matter, what matters is that each time she allowed herself to be unguarded because Yoruichi was here to keep watch. No matter what her past and current situation, Yoruichi is a reliable person, at least on the professional front.

It's time to talk.

The Captain finishes to wake up with a grunt, stretching her stiff muscles and slowly withdrawning her head from the shoulder, massaging her neck along the way. Her body cracks as she shifts back a little, not much, takes a deep breath and finaly turns to face her. Yoruichi hasn't moved, the long braid still losely in her hand, her face only showing her profile. She is waiting. She has been waiting a lot tonight, serious and calm. The sun isn't out yet, but the sky has already started to embrace shades of blue. The time passed differently tonight.

A small smile grazes SoiFon's lips as she choses not to take her braid back. She doesn't want to send the wrong message, even though she doesn't know what message she actually wants to give. She remembers the evening with clearity. Surprisingly, her throat isn't sore when she speaks.

'I forgive you, Yoruichi'

She hasn't planned to say that. The words just come out and the peace remains, stronger.

Those words are healing balm, for her and for Yoruichi, even though the princess didn't dare ask for it.

The dark woman beside her gasps but doesn't turn. She doesn't move an inch, even. Somehow, SoiFon sees it as the testimony of their new beginning still at work. The Shihoin princess is still and quiet, and she isn't bored yet. SoiFon wonders how long this side of Yoruichi is gonna last. She tilts her head to the side and sighs before continuing.

'I finaly am able to move on' She admits quietly, staring at her companion's face with a strange lack of emotions. So many times before, she would have blush, stutter, or if not that she would have be mad, angry, resentful. Full of hate too.

'I heard what you said and i respect it. I also know that the new me is different from what you knew back then, even from what you know now. I barely know who i am, really. I always was someone evolving around you, even when you were gone. Now, for the very first time, i don't feel the connection anymore. I am finaly free.'

Yoruichi visibly swallows as her head slowly turns toward the ground, defited.

'For a long time you wanted me to stop seeing you as a princess, as a godess. Even in my hatred i still did see you as such, above and beyond me. ' She smiles softly. 'Not anymore.'

As slowly as the silent woman dipped her head, SoiFon moves and puts her hand on her shoulder, squezzing lightly. She lets her hand there before she continues, her voice smooth in the clearing.

'Since i was a child i was shaped to gravitate around you, one way or an other, it's who i was supposed to be. I was never free to be myself. You know what it's like. You are the heir of one of the Four Noble Houses. You discovered freedom in the human plan, and for that, i am happy for you.'

Her companion grites her teeth at that, her fingers twitch on the golden ring.

'Yoruichi.'

SoiFon's voice is firm. The ex-mentor turns her head and finally meet her eyes. Her face is serious, her eyes glissening, but she keeps quiet. SoiFon is grateful for it, and once again wonders how long will that last.

'I am happy for you. For a hundrer years, you've been cut out from the Gotei 13, cut out from responsabilities, and you could breath. I didn't. I choke. I choke, and i choke, i could barely breath before, you were my oxygen, and when you were gone i stoped breathing all together. I never learned to breath on my own.' She gives her companion a gentle smile as the ex-captain attempts to open her mouth to speak. SoiFon squezes the shoulder she still holds and Yoruichi closes her jaw without a sound.

'I want to thank you, because tonight something happened inside of me, i don't know what it is exactly but it set me free. And i know you were the trigger of it. '

Yoruichi tilts her head to the side and looks at her with new eyes, scanning her reiatsu. SoiFon nods, she already knows what she is reading, she can feel it in her every cells.

'My signature changed.' She whispers, still in awe of her own transformation.

'So, you see, i have much to adjust on my own now. All the choices i made, i made because of you, weither i admitted it or not. I don't want that anymore. You don't want it too. So i am asking you to wait.'

Yoruichi's head snaps at attention, her back straight as she turns her whole body to face SoiFon now. Her eyes are wide open, her pupils dilated and her stare is burning with purpose.

SoiFon smiles fully at that, for the first time in her life she really is smiling now, a full toothy smile with sparkling eyes. No restrain.

'I want you to wait, and i want you to be my friend. Can you do that ?'

It's her turn to tilt her head to the side, eyeing the Shihoin criticaly. Face still very serious Yoruichi nods her head freneticly up and down like a little child, her attention solely on the conversation. It seems that a new equality is taking roots between them. The suffix -sama and all the decorum is nothing but an old memory, from an other time.

SoiFon laughs freely, amused by Yoruichi's eagerness. She is light. She lets herself laugh as the Shihoin watches her, an amased expression on her face. When her giggle subdue, SoiFon withdrawns her hand and straightens herself with a playful glint in her eyes.

'So we start fresh'

She extends a hand between them, a bright smile on her face as her eyes catch Yoruichi's.

'My name is SoiFon, nice to meet you'

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A/N

I felt like making a short one for a change. I may write a sequel to this, as i want to give them a chance to start new, really new, in a day to day life. I feel SoiFon's character is too submitted to Yoruichi to make a good match, so they first need to be on equal level to work. That being said, i might write this pairing in an other light in an other story later too, seeing as a cocky Yoruichi and a grumpy SoiFon are fun to read. We'll see.

For those who read it, i'm still planning on finishing 'Can we take a break' and 'Small gesture'. Updates will come soon, hopefully. I admit i am a little stuck on fighting scenes, i usualy tend to avoid writing these but with Clarke training i cant really skip all of it, can i ? ^^

As always, i thank you for your support !