Disclaimer: Bleach isn't mine, but it sure is fun to write like it is.

The Art of Transformation

by siyentista

Chapter 7: Improvements

After Yoruichi finished her visit, Unohana told Soi Fong that recovery will be extraordinarily slow because she didn't have enough reiatsu to help the healing along. Usually, she said, the Fourth Division could just administer the pills that the Division members themselves use to replenish their energy. Unfortunately, when they were treating her, Soi Fong wasn't just low on reiatsu. She had exhausted it almost completely and seemed to have expelled the last of it so violently that it was dangerous to build up her stores artificially.

They had placed a temporary seal on Soi Fong to direct her reiatsu to her internal organs, making sure that her meager reiatsu got to the most critical injuries. In another day, Soi Fong could be released from the Fourth. The problem was that Soi Fong's reiatsu was also needed to make the effects of the bone-setting kidou permanent. Indeed, if she wanted, she could leave the Fourth soon, but she would need to keep off her leg and not strain her ribs until she had enough reiatsu to bond the bones completely. That would take another week or so. Of course, without her left arm, there was no way that she could manage to stay at home alone.

"This sucks," Soi Fong muttered darkly while she lay on the bed.

She had just been conscious for a day and a night and already, boredom was gnawing at her. She almost wished that Omaeda would bring over some paperwork so she had something to do. For sure, with the events of the last week, there were a lot of things that needed to be reviewed and reported. Unfortunately, the buffoon picked this time to actually act like a responsible lieutenant. 'Maybe Yoruichi wasn't kidding about him after all,' she mused.

'A whole week… No, a week or so… '

What would she do? There were only so many tiles that she could count on the ceiling.

At that moment, Yoruichi barged into the room and loudly and cheerfully asked, "Ready to go, Soi Fong?"

Apparently, when she had been informed of Soi Fong's status, she instantly volunteered to take care of Soi Fong at her quarters until her bones were healed.

"That's where I've been staying anyway," the woman explained casually as if she hadn't just been trespassing for the last four days and as if she hadn't just invited herself to Soi Fong's home for another week.

Soi Fong looked at her incredulously, though she had to concede that it was just like Yoruichi to disregard the rules of social conduct—the ones that said a master doesn't tend to the servant, and the ones that pertained to respecting another's privacy and property.

'This is going to be a very… interesting week.' Soi Fong predicted.

***

Soi Fong had reservations about Yoruichi's plan. It wasn't that Yoruichi wasn't welcome in her home. Soi Fong might have thought her a little more reachable than before, but she was high enough that Soi Fong would still let her have most everything she wanted. If anything, Soi Fong didn't want to hassle her and she was a little worried about how to act around the woman who was suddenly paying her so much attention. She supposed that she should be happy for the attention, but she didn't want Yoruichi to spend time with her as a charity or out of guilt.

"Yoruichi-sama," Soi Fong tried to discuss the matter with her companion as she was pushing her along in a wheelchair.

"Now, Soi Fong, don't you think you can drop the –sama by now? After all, you've saved my life, right?"

"Uhh… "

'That was unexpected,' Soi Fong thought. It was the first time that Yoruichi had complained about the honorific in more than a century.

"It's such a cumbersome name. I'm sure you don't want to say it and I don't want to hear it all week."

"Umm… "

'Perhaps it is time to drop that habit.'

"You have my old job. I'm an exonerated criminal. I don't see why you shouldn't…"

"Yoruichi-sama!" Soi Fong scolded her reflexively for the self-deprecation.

Yoruichi stopped walking, quirked an eyebrow and bent down to face Soi Fong in the wheelchair.

"Hmmm?"

"Uhh, Yoruichi… ," Soi Fong corrected slowly, making a conscious effort to stop the honorific from rolling out, "please don't speak of yourself like that."

"Okay, Soi," Yoruichi answered nonchalantly as she straightened out and continued walking.

'… … Soi… ?'

It seemed Yoruichi found her name cumbersome too. With a breath and a tiny smile, Soi Fong decided not to correct her former commander.