Chapter 3
-------In Orihime's apartment------
"So. What do you think?" Rukia asked Yoruichi, looking up.
"Hehe." Yoruichi giggled a little.
"What, Yoruichi-san?" Orihime questioned.
"I think you're really short, Kuchiki." Yoruichi teased, grinning openly, but still mostly to herself.
"Anyway...." Rukia was obviously trying her hardest to hold back her temper, "Your opinion."
"It's great. Actually, you're pretty smart for your size." Yoruichi ruffled Rukia's hair, almost to make a point, as she only had to bend her elbow and lift her shoulder a little. Poor Rukia just couldn't take it. She sideswept her arm to knock Yoruichi's hand away.
"QUIT WITH THE SIZE JOKES ALREADY!!" she snapped, "I CAN'T BELIEVE I'M ACTUALLY HELPING YOU!!!" Orihime turned to Yoruichi to see her reaction... and saw a face full of bewilderment, apprehension, and... desperation? She glanced back at Rukia and saw her facing the opposite direction, her arms folded across her chest.
"I-I'm sorry. I'll stop. I swear. I... I just.... I'm actually really nervous, and it's how I cope...." she stepped closer to Rukia's back, and Orihime picked up on the dire tone with which Yoruichi pleaded, "Don't... don't be that way... I've been waiting a long time for this to happen.... I wouldn't be able to live with myself if I screwed things up no--"
"Yoruichi." Rukia's voice cut off the Goddess of Flash, "Stop it. You're coming this close to embarrassing yourself." She turned around and held up her hand, her thumb and index finger almost touching. At that Yoruichi smirked.
"When have I ever cared about that?" she asked.
"Good point." Rukia returned the expression, "So that's it then?"
"Yeah, but the hard part is going to be getting Ichigo to agree to it."
"Oh, I think not." Rukia said, smiling at Orihime. Orihime did the same back to Rukia, thinking,
Oh, this is going to be so BAD! But it's for a good cause.... Sorry, Kurosaki-kun.
"Here's the plan." Rukia said, smirking her dangerous yet sweet smirk.
----The next day, at Karakura High----
"WHAT?" Ichigo exclaimed, "When? Why?"
"I'm not even entirely sure myself... she just left Rukia's phone with a note telling me to tell you that she has her! Please, Ichigo! I know we can do it together without bothering the others! We'll be enough!" Orihime said. Ichigo put on his trademark determined face.
"We'll have to be. Ishida can't associate with Soul Reapers, and Chad... well...." he stopped, letting the unfinished thought linger. Orihime took a moment to let her imagination wander.
"Anyway, let's-" Ichigo started.
"Look out! There's poison in the tea!" Orihime cried, giving Ichigo a shove.
"Orhime! There's no time for that!" Ichigo grabbed her by the wrist and began to run, "Let's go!"
"Right! They're in the Soul Society!" Orihime shouted.
---- Just a little later, at Urahara Kisuke's Shop....----
"So I just need to let them through, and it'll finally be resolved!" Urahara informed the other inhabitants of his living space, smiling from behind his fan. Before a reply could come, Ichigo barged in.
"Urahara!" he bellowed, "Orihime and I need to get to the Soul Society."
"Oh? And why's that?" Urahara asked.
"We need to find Yoruichi." he answered, flashing his determined look again.
"Oh. I see. It's like that, is it?" Urahara inquired rhetorically, "Well, lucky for you, I noticed the gate open earlier, and made sure it stayed that way." Relief found its way into the undertones of Ichigo's expression, but he was still fixed on saving Rukia.
"Thanks." Ichigo said.
----In the Soul Society, not far from the Shiba's new residency....----
"So, you guys know the plan, right?" Rukia asked from the tree. She was strategically tied to it, just in the perfect place to make it seem as though she fought hard, and ended up there as a result. Her zanpaku-to (a Soul Reaper's sword), Sode no Shirayuki (Sleeves of White Snow), was also positioned according to plan, released, on the ground near the tree, making it look like it was forced from her hand, or perhaps she had dropped it. The fact that it was still released would let Ichigo know that she was alive. The clothes that both she and Yoruichi adorned were purposely ripped in a few places, for added effect. Rukia had even done a bunch of running around to make herself out of breath, just in case something went wrong. Hanataro Yamada was hiding in a nearby bush.
"Y-yes, Kuchiki-san. I'll stay where I'm supposed to until you show up." Hanataro said, already trembling, "Oh... why did I agree to this...?"
"And I fight Ichigo until Soi Fon comes to help me." Yoruichi said, a little flippantly, then her tone became hard, "But are you sure this'll work? I mean... fights don't exactly...."
"Fighting Ichigo has a way of opening your eyes, or at least that's what I've noticed. Almost all of the people who have fought Ichigo have made a discovery about themselves." Rukia said.
"Have you ever fought him?" Yoruichi asked, purely out of curiosity.
"Well, not in the physical sense... I mean, I've hit him plenty of times, and we yell at each other a lot...."
"Have you learned anything?" Yoruichi's question made Rukia hesitate. To say, or not to say.... Hanataro stayed silent.
"Oh, yeah," Rukia said, "you still don't know, do you?"
"Know what?" Yoruichi asked.
"Orihime Inoue and I are... together." she responded, smirking. Yoruichi stood, staring up at Rukia, her face overtaken by disbelief. In the next second, she was sternly watching over her shoulder, out of the corner of her eye. Rukia took her role and became limp, appearing to hang unconsciously from the tree. Hanataro, being the last to sense the familiar spiritual pressure, but still smart enough to take his cue from everyone else, ran off to his post. It took a few moments for Ichigo to suddenly materialize, with Orihime on his back. Orihime jumped down as soon as she got the opportunity, started doing apologetic gestures towards Rukia, then noticed that she was acting unconscious, and stopped, blushing ever so lightly. Just enough for Yoruichi to notice.
It's true.... she thought. Ichigo glanced up at Rukia, taking in her false condition, then glared at Yoruichi.
"Orihime." Ichigo said.
"Y-yes?" Orihime said. In her mind was one thought: Wow, just like she said he would!
"Get Rukia out of here."
"Right!" she nodded. Amazing!
She ran past Yoruichi to the tree, grabbed up Sode no Shirayuki, and used her Koten Zanshun (Lone God Cutting Shield) to cut the ropes that held Rukia, caught her as she fell, and ran away as soon as she felt the body hit her arms.
She ran to Hanataro's post, as planned.
"It's about time you showed up!" Yoruichi shouted in a manner that was almost gloating.
"Yoruichi... why?" Ichigo growled, "You worked just as hard as the rest of us to save her before... so why are you doing this now?" He slowly drew his giant zanpaku-to, Zangetsu (Cutting Moon), but didn't assume a position, simply leaving his arm at his side. Yoruichi smirked and leaned forward a little, her hands on her hips.
"Oh, so quick to jump to conclusions, are we?" she chided, keeping up her teasing tone, "Who said I was after her?" Ichigo reacted just as she thought he would, his jaw dropped and his eyes widened.
"But... you trained me! You trained me to use bankai! You helped me get stronger so I..."
"Exactly." Yoruichi said, making up the story as she went along, "I want to see just how strong you've become." she put her right foot in front of her left, making her right shoulder point toward Ichigo, and offered her hand, smiling. Ichigo frowned. He swung Zangetsu from his left side to his right, then took his sword in both hands and moved himself into his fighting stance.
"Let's do this, Zangetsu," he said to his sword.
Ichigo charged forward as Yoruichi stood, still smiling....
----Meanwhile, at Hanataro's post....----
"There you are." Orihime muttered, having spotted Hanataro. Rukia opened her eyes and turned her head to see him. She leapt from Orihime's arms gracefully, and landed next to her with just the same ease of movement. Orihime immediately scowled at her. Rukia was confused.
"What?" she asked.
"I said no blood." Orihime said.
"Oh." Rukia acknowledged, looking down at her leg where she had made herself bleed, "That was an accident! You know I'm no good with blades, and what else could I have used to cut my clothes besides Yoruichi's knives!" Orihime paused. Hanataro was now standing by the couple, waiting for the next step in the plan, but was pretty much ignored.
"You mean you didn't use Sode no Shirayuki?"
"No, that would have been harder to avoid cutting myself with. That, and I felt that it was better to use Yoruichi's weapons rather than my own for that. The story was that we were fighting, not that she was standing around as I cut myself." Rukia explained, and added in embarrassment, "But it was mostly the harder to control part that convinced me to use the knife.... I didn't want to make you mad...."
"Oh, Rukia...." Orihime said, stepping closer to her, "I could never really stay mad at you...." she moved in a little, going for a kiss, but interrupted herself, "I mean, I can hold a grudge, and I could probably stay mad for a couple of weeks, but no longer than that. I could stay mad at anyone else for months, but-" Rukia smirked and finished Orihime's original movement, cutting her off with a kiss... which turned into a few kisses... which-
"Umm.... Excuse me...." Hanataro stuttered, snapping the girls back to reality. They stepped back and blushed.
"Sorry, Hanataro...." Rukia said.
"Oh, no, that's alright! I was just wondering if we were going to go on with the rest of the plan soon." Hanataro said, holding his hands up and smiling that shy smile that can only be pulled off by wimps, but is too adorable to really dis.
"As soon as their spiritual pressure gets to the right point." Rukia said.
"Oh. Okay. I'll just stand where you told me to, then." Hanataro said, walking over to the exact spot where Rukia had asked him to stand earlier: facing the wall of the Seretei, but some good distance away. Rukia followed, expecting to have to move him a little.
"Wha- Hanataro! That's exactly right! That's amazing!" Rukia exclaimed from behind him. Hanataro turned his head and rubbed the back of his neck, smiling that smile again.
"Well, after being roughed up as many times as I have for being a centimeter off, you learn to get it right the first time."
"Oh... I see." Rukia said as Hanataro turned back around.
Poor Hanataro.... Orihime thought, holding her hands over her heart.
Then they felt it: the wave of powerful spiritual energy that caught their attention, but was still small enough to not concern anyone who didn't know the fighters.
"Now!" Rukia cried, rushing to her place, a few feet behind Hanataro, "Are you ready?"
"Yes!" Hanataro said, bending his knees a little and staying there.
"Now, I want to remind you, I've only done this once before, and it was with Kon, so...."
"I'm ready!" Hanataro butted in, focused on the task at hand, "If this helps Captain Soi Fon become less sad and bitter, then I want to help!"
"Okay." Rukia said, silently applauding his bravery. She stabbed the ground in four places in front of her, and each of the holes emitted a small pillar of white light. Rukia kneeled, taking aim just above Hanataro's head with the point of Sode no Shirayuki. She noticed the medical bag Hanataro always wore on his back shift a little as his muscles (or whatever muscles he had) tensed, preparing for what would happen next.
"You'll be alright, Hanataro!" Orihime cheered, "I know you will!" Hanataro gave the effect of having taken those words to heart.
"Do it!" he told Rukia.
"Second dance," she said, keeping the blade pointed, "Hakuren (White Wave/Ripple?)."
As soon as these words were uttered, Hanataro closed his eyes and jumped a little higher than a regular human's jump. A giant pillar of ice shot out from Sode no Shirayuki, right into Hanataro's back, making him lose his breath upon impact, and launching him over the wall to the Soul Society and out of sight....
When Hanataro opened his eyes, he made sure he could breath, and even though it was irregular, he knew he was fine.
That hurt... he thought, but when I was told of this plan, I couldn't say no... I wanted to help.... They needed someone to alert Captain Soi Fon of this battle at the right moment... someone who wouldn't look suspicious for getting help... but I'm not fast enough to get there in the time required between when Rukia gave me the signal and a few moments after.... "It's a critical window," Rukia said. He continued to fly through the air, watching as the Rukon District passed underneath him, until he saw his destination. There. That's Captain Soi Fon's window.... He made a startling discovery, but it was too late.
We were off! I need a little more hight! I'm gonna....!
Hanataro, failing to think of anything else to do, started screaming and flailing around.
----In Soi Fon's room....----
Soi Fon turned and look out the window in the direction of the spiritual energy.
Yoruichi.... she knew the first signature well. The second felt familiar, but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. So what? Soi Fon thought. Yoruichi could probably handle it. She was a great fighter, after all. And she didn't even have a zanpaku-to anymore. But I'm supposed to bring her in... maybe I can use this to my advantage....
And then what? Her own consciousness countered her, Would you really turn her in if you beat her?
....No. she admitted, I wouldn't. She turned away from the window and stood, forcing herself to stay where she was.
You swore you'd protect her, Soi Fon. Her conscious was fighting her again, You said you'd give your life to keep her safe.
That was when it was my job to! She argued, the tone in her head grew angry, then dropped as she felt her insecurities threaten to swallow her whole right there and then. She doesn't need me now....
She straightened herself as a sound tugged at her ear.
Screaming, she decided, getting louder! A booming THUD came from just below the outside of Soi Fon's window, so she crossed the room and poked her head outside.
"Oh! Captain Soi Fon! Thank goodness!" Hanataro managed to say. It was so airy that it was little more than a loud whisper-sigh. "Um.... would you... m-mind... helping me out?" Soi Fon was staring, baffled. She shook her head, and her usual frown came to her face as she pulled Hanataro into the room. He began coughing like crazy, but Soi Fon picked up that he was trying to stop so he could speak.
"What happened?" she questioned, her tone rather cold.
"Yoruichi's in trouble!" Hanataro gasped, then coughed a little more. Soi Fon's frown changed to one of mixed emotions... of surprise, anger, and a duty that she thought was lost to the ages. Her usual frown returned, but this time with a pinch of Ichigo's determination, and an added bitterness.
"Explain everything." Soi Fon told him.
"I can't, I don't know everything." he said, his coughing having subsided, "But she's fighting Ichigo, just outside the wall! It seemed serious, and...." Hanataro was cut off by a powerful spiritual pressure, and he understood what was happening immediately, "He just released his Bankai!!"
"Take me there!" Soi Fon commanded without thinking.
----Back to the fight----
"Good, good!" Yoruichi said, as she blocked Ichigo's Tensa Zangetsu with one of her knives, "You can keep up now! Maybe this'll be a challenge!" Ichigo brought Tensa Zangetsu down for another attack, wielding his weapon in only his right hand. Yoruichi moved to block again, purposely falling for the trap as she sensed Soi Fon's approach. Ichigo grabbed her blocking arm with his left hand, spun and pulled, so Yoruichi was forced onto his back, but with a twist: he had brought the blunt side of Tensa Zangetsu to rest across his back first, so Yoruichi's stomach was greeted by Ichigo's black blade instead of the black cloth of his coat.
"Hah." Yoruichi commented, "Didn't quite expect that." Her midsection was cut, she could feel the blood seeping into her shirt.
Excellent. She twisted her lower half and swept one of her legs under Ichigo, making him fall. She took the opening to cut him deep in the side.
"AAAAHH!" he cried out in pain and lashed out blindly. Yoruichi flash stepped out of the way, but it still caught her right shoulder, lightly. She hunched over and made it look like she was tired as Ichigo hoped right up. Yoruichi tried to look surprised when a mark with the likeness of a butterfly formed itself on the left side of Ichigo's chest, blazing white on his coat.
"Why--?" Yoruichi went with the idea that she would have been confused right now if this hadn't all been planned.
"What that hell?" Ichigo asked, "What kinda trick is this? I saw you, whoever you are! Show yourself!"
"You'd better not let her hit you there again," Yoruichi warned, fake panting.
"What?" Ichigo asked.
"You heard me." Yoruichi said. At that moment, Ichigo's eyes went wide as he blocked an unseen attack to the same spot. Soi Fon materialized in front of Yoruichi, facing Ichigo.
"Who are you?" Ichigo roared.
"I am Captain Soi Fon of the Second Division." Soi Fon answered in a voice that was not angry, but assertive and commanding.
"A friend of Yoruichi's?" he asked. Soi Fon hesitated. Yoruichi stared at the back of Soi Fon's head, listening intently for her answer.
"If you had asked me that five minutes ago, I would have said 'no'," Soi Fon replied, "that I was trying to take her in myself. She's an enemy to the Soul Society."
"But." Ichigo prompted, knowing it was there. Soi Fon's frown gained more curve, and she squinted slightly.
"But," she repeated, "there was a time in my life when I swore to protect her, and I would have risked my soul to do so. I would have given everything I had, done anything I could. I've been trying to deny it ever since she betrayed me over a hundred years ago, by training all that time to bring her down." she paused, wondering if she should continue with Yoruichi right behind her.
"So are you a friend, or not?" Ichigo asked again. Soi Fon only took the barest second to respond.
"Yes," she said, "I am a friend of Yoruichi's." she spoke a little louder, perhaps to make sure Yoruichi was listening, "I may never forgive her for what she did, but I can't..." Yoruichi picked up a pause that Ichigo didn't, and recognized it.
She's holding back tears.
"... deny it anymore! I still want to protect her! I still...." Soi Fon stopped herself, sharpening her glare, and lifting her right hand to show Ichigo her shikai, which most resembled golden armor on her middle finger, with a point on it, and bee stripes, "But we were going to fight."
"Yeah." Ichigo said, readying himself, "We were."
"No," Yoruichi said, stepping in front of Soi Fon, making it obvious that she wasn't really tired, "You're not."
"Y-Yoruichi-sama!" Soi Fon blurted in astonishment, letting the 'sama' slip.
"Ichigo," Yoruichi called out to him, "You've made great progress. I'm satisfied."
"You're satisfied?" Ichigo was stunned, "But what about...."
"Oh, right." Yoruichi muttered under her breath, the yelled, "KUCHIKI! INOUE! HANATARO!! GET OUT HERE!!" All three of them hopped out from a bush nearby... actually, Rukia did the hopping, the other two were pulled out.
"Rukia! You're okay? But I thought...." Ichigo said. Rukia smiled and hung her head, letting Yoruichi do whatever she was doing without interference.
"Yeah, she's fine. In fact, I never even kidnapped her. This was all planned."
"Planned?" Ichigo and Soi Fon asked, both totally lost.
"We were trying to set some things in motion," Yoruichi said, glancing at Soi Fon, but turning back to Ichigo quickly, "I know where this is about to go, and I don't want it to go there. I've heard enough." she turned around to completely face Soi Fon. Soi Fon blushed. Yoruichi smiled, although she looked like she was about to cry.
"My bee," she said softly. She was hardly able to speak, she was so overwhelmed by her own emotions. She buried her face into Soi Fon's shoulder, and held her close around the waist, "Please stay that way." Soi Fon was astounded, and had to hold back a gasp when she felt Yoruichi's tears on her bare shoulder. "Soi Fon..." Yoruichi continued, unmoving, "I know you'll never forgive me for what happened. I know I should have taken you with me. I... I felt bad for a long time for not doing so... just ask Urahara... but everything went so fast.... I went back, you know... I wanted to find you... that was when I learned that we was branded as traitors to the Soul Society. I missed you, Soi Fon...." she lifted her head, but didn't let go of Soi Fon's waist. She watched her bee's startled face with a weak smile. "Soi Fon...." she didn't want to encroach too much on Soi Fon's senses all at once, so she decided that, in this case, actions were a little too loud.
"I love you." Yoruichi admitted, "I... I know I'm not the type of person people could see falling in love, but I can't deny it anymore either."
"Y-Yoruichi-sa-" Soi Fon started to stutter.
"No." Yoruichi said, shaking her head, "Just Yoruichi. Please."
"Yoruichi...." Soi Fon said, "I... I've always loved you."
Yoruichi smiled a wide, happy smile. However, it was short lived, and replaced by concern.
"But what about you never forgiving me?" Yoruichi asked. Soi Fon sighed.
"Maybe I won't.... But that never stopped me from loving you before, Yoruichi, and I really wanted it to. So, instead of worrying... let's just...." she wrapped her arms around Yoruichi, under her shoulder blades, but above her waist. Her cheeks were a rosy hue as she leaned closer to Yoruichi, asking for the gesture her former teacher had refrained from earlier... and Yoruichi was glad to give it. Their lips met, and both of them had certain fantasies realized....
Just like honey.... Yoruichi thought, enjoying the taste.
Just like chocolate.... Soi Fon thought, amazed that she was right.
"So, wait...." Ichigo said, looking back and forth from the three at the bush to the two making out, "This was all fake?"
"Right." Rukia confirmed.
"And you were never in danger?"
"Nope."
"But you had Orihime tell me you were, so I'd fight Yoruichi... but more importantly this other chick."
"Right again."
"To do... what exactly?" he asked.
"To get them together!" Orihime's energetic reply hit the air, and confused Ichigo all the more.
"What the hell?" Ichigo asked, "What makes you people think that fighting me will get them together? Since when has fighting ever been associated with romance?"
"Since people started sacrificing themselves for their lovers in wars and such," Rukia countered.
"That's right... and it worked here, didn't it?" Hanataro added, pointing at Yoruichi and Soi Fon, who were finished with their... escapade... and were now watching everyone else for each other's arms, Yoruichi with her smirk and Soi Fon with a smile... which made the two Soul Reapers by the bush stare at her.
"Captain Soi Fon...." Hanataro said unintentionally.
"What?" Soi Fon was suddenly curious, and Rukia, Yoruichi, and Hanataro all noticed that the edge that usually would underlie any emotion she had was gone.
"You were smiling." Rukia told her. As soon as the statement left Rukia's lips, Soi Fon's edge returned.
"So? Why does that matter?" she asked, sounding annoyed. Hanataro rubbed the back of his neck and looked at Rukia, who was giving him a face that said, "We're in trouble, but this should be interesting."
"Uhh... um...." Hanataro tried to come up with something that wouldn't get him yelled at.
"It matters to me."
Everyone turned their attention from Hanataro and Rukia to Yoruichi.
"Yoruichi-san?" Orihime asked softly to herself, to try to register what was going on, and how amazingly sappy everything was actually getting. But she loved it. She watched with anticipation as Soi Fon's puzzled gaze was locked with Yoruichi's honest, intense, sparsely dismal one.
"It matters more than the world to me."
"WHAT THE HELL!" Ichigo bellowed, "I thought things like that were only said in TV shows! I've had enough of this! I'm outta here!" he turned on his heel and pretty much dissipated, due to his flash step.
--Later, in Orihime's apartment--
"I feel kind of bad for Ichigo." Orihime said.
"So do I." Rukia nodded, "But I think it was worth it."
"Of course you do. You came up with the plan."
"That's true." Rukia grinned just as there was a knock on the door.
"I'll get it." Orihime said, standing.
"Arisawa-san?" Rukia asked as Orihime opened the door.
"Yeah. Hope I'm not interrupting anything. We brought ice cream and some movies." Tatsuki said.
"'We'?" Rukia repeated.
"Yup. Step up, Chizuru!" Tatsuki shouted. Chizuru stepped out from behind Tatsuki, looking a little nervous. "She'll behave herself. I promise."
"If you're willing to vouch for her, I believe you." Orihime giggled, "Come in you guys!"
Rukia and Orihme smiled as Chizuru and Tatsuki entered the room.
The End.
Yaaaayyy!!! XD