Disclaimer: I don't own Bleach, but I can write fanfiction, and that's good enough for me.
"This is a waste of time," Hitsugaya huffed as he chucked another wave of snowflakes across the ballroom.
Hinamori giggled and held out a hand to her familiar who handed her a few glowing seeds. She chucked them over the balcony, sending her own array of miniature stars into the room as they expanded into their true form with a flash of light. "Oh come on, Toshiro. It's not that bad." The pair of them were sitting in one of the cordoned off balconies, setting the mood as Kisuke had put it. Damn him, Hitsugaya thought. That bastard knew how to get to him. If he had been asked directly it would have been nothing to refuse the man's requests, but Momo had invited him and knowing his best friend… Well, she was a total romantic.
Hitsugaya grunted and threw another wave of frost across the hall. "When are the replacements getting here? The least he could have done was bring us dinner."
Soi Fon sucked in her breath as they entered the main hall. It was a mixture of awe and disgust. Of course, the Shihouins never held back. The ballroom was decorated with hundreds of silver banners and crystals gently twinkling in the air. Above them, snowflakes and rainbow lights swirled, glittering even brighter as they dissipated past the crystals. The front half of the hall was already filled with families reserving their seats, while students mingled at the far end of the room, some dancing, others clinking glasses and toasting each other for unheard reasons. A slow waltz wove through the air, compliments of the full orchestra parked at the east end of the room. Of course, they had a full orchestra. They couldn't have gone with a standard music charm, they had to have a live performance. How much had that cost? She could even see Prof. Rose conducting them. For the noble families, no detail was too small, too intricate to spare. Well, except one, she mentally grumbled. Retainer lives didn't seem to be too valuable to them.
"Wow," Yuzu and Suzumebachi whispered in tandem. The sprite was currently hovering around the younger girl, wearing a gold and white dress. After Suzumebachi had woken up, Yuzu had insisted on finding a ball outfit for Soi Fon's familiar, and surprisingly, the fairy had happily agreed.
"No offense, but I'm not exactly a fan of your fashion sense," she had explained as Yuzu had started pulling out her old dolls and sewing kit.
"None taken," Soi Fon had shrugged. It was clear Suzumebachi didn't like being "put away" and if she was going to materialize for the whole ball, she would need a new outfit anyway. Besides, Soi Fon was well aware that form over function was about as far from her preferences as possible, which was why she had let Yuzu pick out her ball outfit as well. Still, it was surprising how well her own familiar had taken to her adopted sister.
"Where's the buffet table?" Karin poked her head from around Yuzu, a pair of dark red shades in her suit pocket. Just like Suzumebachi, Ichigo had also left his familiar to watch over the two of them while he mingled with his friends. Renji, on the other hand, had opted to arrive separately with Rukia. Something to do with his "soon to be brother-in-law" demanding that he be properly groomed for public appearances.
"We just got here, Karin!" Yuzu huffed. "Can't you wait a little? You're the one who's going to be going to this school later anyway."
"Don't say that. I'm sure you'll have a breakthrough soon. You've still got time, and it's not like we ate before we came!" Karin fiddled with her cuffs, trying to straighten out her undershirt. They had left for the ball as soon as Isshin had picked her up from soccer, and she had flailed into her outfit on the car ride over. Like all of their outfits, it was new, and with Yuzu's approval, Isshin had spared no expense in purchasing them. In all honesty, Soi Fon didn't know how the man managed his finances. She and Renji received a small stipend for attending Shin'o on scholarships and Ichigo was more than a full ride student, but taking care of five kids was bordering on irresponsible with the way he doted on his daughters. Well, daughter. Karin was fairly level headed.
"I'm fine with not getting in. Someone has to take care of the clinic," Yuzu laughed. "Honestly, you're such a worry-wart, Karin."
"Mph." Karin stuffed her hands even deeper into her pants pockets.
"Soi Fon, there you are!"
Soi Fon turned around to face the Kotetsu sisters and blinked. It was easy to forget since she usually talked to Isane when they were sitting, but the older Kotetsu was tall, a detail made only more apparent by Kiyone standing right next to her and the flowing navy dress she was wearing. Silver stitchwork ran the length of the gown, accentuating the woman's height and the soft sheen of her own hair.
"It's good to see you two." Soi Fon grinned. "Though I'm surprised to see you," she gave Kiyone a once over.
"Same to you. I'm just here to make sure sis doesn't get in over her head on punch. What about you? I would've thought that you guys would've stayed as far as possible from anything to do with Yoruichi." Kiyone punched her sister lightly on the bicep.
"H-hey, I'm not that much of a light weight!"
Soi Fon winced. "Yeah, well. Things happened." She shared a look with Karin. Even if she could have refused the compulsion, Yuzu would have strong-armed her into going anyway.
The younger sister just shook her head. "You can blame Yuzu for that."
"Don't you mean thank Yuzu?"
"Why don't you two try and find that buffet table, alright? Suzumebachi can fly up to give you a better idea of the floor." Soi Fon gently guided her sisters by the shoulder out into the middle of the room. "I'll catch up with you two later. Just send Suzumebachi or Zangetsu back to one of us if you need anything."
"Alright…" Yuzu pouted. "Come on, Karin."
Soi Fon breathed a sigh of relief as the two departed, Suzumebachi waving apologetically to Isane as she guided them.
"Huh, they really are like Ichigo." Kiyone followed the twins with her eyes before turning back to Soi Fon.
"What do you mean?" Isane asked.
"Ah, maybe you don't know since you're not in our year, sis, but trust me, the black-haired one might be a mage like her brother, but the brown-haired one's going to be the sweetest menace you've ever seen, magic or not."
"Uh…"
"Kiyone!"
"No offense of course, Soi Fon." Kiyone shrugged. "But you gotta admit, the way she smiles, it's almost like Prof. Unohana."
"It's nothing like Prof. Unohana's!" Isane protested.
"You're just saying that because you're head over heels for her, sis." Kiyone nodded sagely. "If you didn't have the wool of love pulled over your eyes, you'd realize that she's the scariest woman alive."
"I am not, and you're one to talk," Isane scoffed. "Don't think I don't notice how you gush over Prof. Ukitake!"
Kiyone flushed. "My interest in Prof. Ukitake is purely academic! He's just the chair of Seals and Barriers and I want to specialize in that!"
Soi Fon sighed and shook her head. It was good to know that some sibling dynamics never changed, even if it was a far cry from her first family. "Alright, you two. Let's go find those beloved professors of yours then. I'm sure they're around here somewhere."
"I see you're taking a backseat for once, Yoruichi Shihouin."
Yoruichi resisted the urge to whip around and deck the Kuchiki heir in the face. "And I see you must have been practicing your flash step. It's getting harder and harder to avoid you." She leaned further off the balcony and focused on the glass in her hand.
Byakuya tsked. "I merely wished to offer my congratulations on a job well done. The venue is well organized and the set dressing is of a superlative quality. As someone who has had to organize one of these functions myself, I thought my approval would be comforting."
Yoruichi rolled her eyes. Byakuya trying to comfort her? "Rukia must really be rubbing off on you if you're trying to comfort someone." She turned to face the elder Kuchiki sibling. "Where is she by the way?" The Shihouin scanned the man in front of her. She had to admit, it wasn't the worst suit she'd ever seen. As stern as his face was, the pink undershirt suited the man, and while a white suit was probably the worst color to keep clean in a crowded dance hall, she had no doubt the Kuchiki heir would be able to do it. "Unless you were looking to get some alone time with me."
Byakuya scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself, Yoruichi."
"Good," Yoruichi raised her glass to her lips and knocked back the rest of her iced tea. On one hand, she knew she couldn't handle her liquor like Kuukaku. On the other, she really could have used some to deal with the man in front of her. "At least I won't have to compare you to a common thief again."
Byakuya raised an eyebrow, the gesture enough to make Yoruichi realize what she had just said. "I wasn't aware you were spending more of your personal time with her in the first place. I had wondered why you weren't doing anything about the gossip around Shin'o."
"Hardly," Yoruichi scowled. "And even if I was, I don't want to hear it from you, Byakuya. You're about to be in-laws with the men who kicked your ass."
"Hmph." Byakuya turned his nose up at Yoruichi. "Be that as it may, perhaps you'll take my example as a warning, Yoruichi Shihouin. In any case, it seems my presence is disturbing you, so I shall take my leave."
Yeah, you do that, Yoruichi mentally growled as Byakuya Kuchiki turned and left the balcony. After he had disappeared from view, Yoruichi turned back around to gaze at the main hall and rubbed her temple with her free hand. She could really use a place to lay her head down after that.
"Huh, you've got some nerve showing up here."
Soi Fon tensed. She could hear the sneer in that voice, and she hated that she knew who it was. Both of the Kotetsu sisters had drifted off to talk to their professor of choice, and Soi Fon had been hoping to similarly drift away from the party to be on her own. It seemed like that was just a fantasy now. "Omaeda." She turned to face the lumpy oaf. Unlike Zaraki, the word had no positive connotations when it came to the man in front of her.
Marechiyo Omaeda. The man was the spitting image of his father, smug, fat, and tacky. He was dressed to the nines in the gaudiest suit Soi Fon had ever seen, rhinestones and glitter sparkling with the dim lighting of the indoor stars. Ironically, the mess fit him. He really was an Omaeda.
Soi Fon growled. The Omaedas had always been rivals of the Fēngs, ever since the Shihouins had adopted the latter as retainers. They had the benefits of legacy, having served since the near inception of the noble clan and had the wealth that came along with it, but they lacked the devotion and loyalty of the Fēngs. They were bullies and brutes, powerful and cunning and-
Soi Fon cut herself off. All of that was in the past. Let the Omaedas have the Shihouins. They deserved each other. "I'm sorry. Am I disturbing you?"
"I was just commenting on how insolent you must be to show your face here. After all, first you abandon the Shihouins, then you assault their heir after stealing her familiar. Do you have no shame?" Omaeda waved his hand in the air, fork in hand, before plunging said utensil into the lasagna he had piled onto his plate.
Soi Fon wrinkled her nose. He had probably seen her while eating at his table and gotten up just to harass her, only the oaf couldn't bear to part with his food for even a second. "I was invited, thank you very much."
"Really? I can't understand why you of all people would receive an invitation." Omaeda shoved the greasy noodles into his face.
"I got a personal invitation. I bet that's more acknowledgement from your precious master than you've ever received." The words burned Soi Fon's lips as she uttered them. What a pathetic card to play, measuring how much attention a noble had bothered to throw her way. So what if she had a personal invitation? The most she could really say was that Yoruichi had hand delivered them to her brothers. She didn't even want to be at the ball in the first place. Still, the look on Omaeda's face might have made the evening worth it.
"I- You-" Omaeda sputtered.
"Now if you'd like to sit down and finish your food, I'm more than happy to leave you in peace." And without waiting for an answer, Soi Fon spun on her heel and walked away.
Yoruichi sighed and reached for the punch ladle. As if Byakuya wasn't enough to deal with, the moment she had descended back to the ground floor, her suitors and the other nobles had started clamoring around her. It was enough to make her wish for the elder Kuchiki. At least he felt no need to put up with pretenses.
Kuuna was already announcing the first item on the charity auction and she needed a drink. At the rate things were going, the auction would wrap up smoothly, and the rest of the evening would proceed to the dances. Then guests would slowly filter out, and it would finally, thankfully, be over. She was basically homefree, and that deserved at least one drink.
But someone was already scooping out a glass of punch for themselves. "Ah, sorry." Yoruichi shook her head and apologized to the Chinese woman. She blinked.
Soi Fon blinked as well. "Sorry," she recovered, handing the serving ladle to Yoruichi, "I'll let you serve yourself first, Ms. Shihouin." She glared up at the princess.
"Thank you," Yoruichi murmured. An odd feeling settled in her chest as her brain tried to match the younger mage's anger with the soft, warm woman she had laid her head on earlier. It didn't help that now she was looking down at the other mage instead of up at her like she was used too. Her new vantage point, or rather her original one, only added to her sense of confusion. It reminded her of how vulnerable, how weak the other woman had looked in S2, and despite the glare she was receiving, Yoruichi couldn't shake the image out of her head. "I'm surprised that you showed up," she finally offered.
Soi Fon paused. That didn't add up. She had been expecting something similar to Omaeda's quip or even Kiyone's sarcasm, but the Shihouin princess seemed genuinely surprised. Hadn't she invoked her name in the invitation? Did Yoruichi not know about the compulsion on her clan or had that letter actually been written by someone else? "Well, you did invite me." She shrugged and waited for the ladle. For now, it was best to keep that information a secret.
Yoruichi handed it to her. "You didn't have to come."
"My family wanted to."
Yoruichi winced. She didn't know how much Ichigo and Renji had told Soi Fon, but she herself still remembered the looks of disgust on their faces when they had showed up the next day for her class. They were assigned to the course and she was the TA, but obligations didn't make their interactions any less awkward. "I see."
The two of them lapsed into silence as Soi Fon filled her cup.
"Going once! Going twice! Three times? Sold!" Mashiro's voice echoed between the two of them.
Yoruichi squirmed.
Soi Fon finished filling her cup and started to walk away.
"Look, I-"
"Save it." Soi Fon glanced over her shoulder at Yoruichi. "If you're going to apologize, I don't need it. You can even pretend as if this meeting never happened if you want."
For an instant, Yoruichi's temper flared. For once in her life, she was willing to bend her head of her own volition and this thief didn't even want to give her the time of day? "Well, if you're going to be like that, I guess I won't bother."
Soi Fon studied her, then turned back fully to face Yoruichi. "Why did you invite me in the first place?"
Yoruichi paused. She had expected the sneak-thief to storm off. "Because my father asked me to. And," she admitted after a sigh, "because I wanted to apologize to my students."
"But not me?"
Yoruichi looked away. "I wasn't thinking about you then, no." At the time, all she had wanted to do was forget Soi Fon, but Ichigo and Renji were a different matter. She had to face them everyday. Soi Fon could have just disappeared into the background. In fact, she had been hoping for just that after Kisuke had refused to tell her what he knew about her. The fact that Soi Fon had continued to reappear in her life was more a fluke than any effort on her part.
Soi Fon nodded. The princess was insufferable in most aspects, but at least she was honest. "Did your father write my invitation for you?"
It had been a long time since anyone had accused Yoruichi of being a daddy's girl. She had worked hard to stamp out any notion that she was riding her father's coattails, but the way Soi Fon asked it didn't seem accusatory. It was a genuine question. The girl was genuine, and Yoruichi found that she too admired that about the woman across from her. It reminded her of the girl in the clearing, the one who had giggled and petted her and rambled about all the crazy things in her life instead of the woman who had blasted her back into a maple out of frustration. "Yes."
Soi Fon breathed a small sigh of relief internally. Good, that meant Yoruichi really didn't know about her clan oath. It hadn't had anything to do with her brothers or the unreasonable missions that had been piled onto her parents. Suddenly, the ball didn't feel so heavy, though the same couldn't be said for her conversational "partner." She scanned Yoruichi's face. "You look good," she offered. It was a small peace offering, but now was as good of a time as any to give it. If nothing else, she would do it for her brothers who had to deal with the Shihouin on a daily basis.
And to be fair, the Shihouin did look good. It was a given that nobles would dress their finest for a public appearance, but Yoruichi's dress was humble in comparison. It was a deep purple with gold accents matching her earrings and eyes, all of which seemed to glow in the soft light of the hall. The dress's purple was similarly matched with the older mage's hair which had been pulled back in a stylized bun, leaving her bangs to frame her face. It was an outfit made to complement the woman. Even the way the cut of the bust and the thigh slits showed off the Shihouin's skin was elegant, not gratuitous.
"Oh." Yoruichi hesitated. She hadn't been expecting a compliment after being so abruptly cut off and interrogated. "You look good too." And Yoruichi realized she meant it after she actually studied Soi Fon for a moment. If Yoruichi had been asked if the woman in front of her would have been suited to any kind of formal wear a week ago, the noble might have replied mourning gear. The idea of Soi Fon wearing anything other than beat up, scruffy hand-me-downs, which was all Yoruichi had ever seen the woman in, cat form or no, was ridiculous, but now she knew she was wrong.
The younger woman had donned a deep red kimono adorned with dark butterflies and vines. It showed very little skin, and in fact, long flowing sleeves fell down to the Chinese woman's forearms, but the black sash tied around her waist still emphasized her figure. It was admittedly a little out of place in the winter setting, but it somehow perfectly encapsulated Soi Fon. Strict, yet the attire didn't limit her movement; understated, but beautiful.
"It's good to see that you've recovered," Yoruichi added after a while. "And that Suzumebachi's finally woken up too." She could smell her old familiar's honey on Soi Fon. It was even sharper than when she had smelled it on the mage in her cat form, so the sprite must have been fully healed by now.
Soi Fon tensed. How did the Shihouin know that? Now that Suzumebachi had woken up, plenty of people had seen the two of them in the hall, but before that, the only people who had known that Suzumebachi was incapacitated were the professors, Reaper class, and her family. With the exception of Isane and Kiyone, nobody could have known that Suzumebachi hadn't fully recovered until recently.
She was just about to ask the Shihouin for clarification when the sound of tearing filled the main hall.
Grimmjow Jaegerjaquez was not amused. These were the famous mages of Shin'o?
He couldn't see why they had been so cautious about invading the venue, even going as far as to dispatch four Espada. Hell, one or two of them could have wiped out the party on their own. This kind of job was better left to the Numeros. "Pathetic," he muttered under his breath at the crowd of humans huddling in terror from their entrance. One Garganta and a few Ceros and they had scattered like the vermin they were. He glanced at the boy beneath his boot. "Just pathetic. Why in the world would the boss want someone like you?"
"You bastards," Ichigo grunted, trying to shove himself into a plank position.
"Stay down, kid." Grimmjow leaned forward on his foot and slammed the mage into the ground again. "I ain't getting paid to listen to you."
"Ichigo!" Grimmjow glanced up at the hulking figure charging towards him, fists raised, and spat. He didn't even bother raising an arm to project a shield. The brat hadn't noticed the even larger sorcerer behind him. Yammy Llargo plucked Sado Yasutora up by his arm and squeezed his fist, shattering the smaller man's humerus.
"Heh, trash shouldn't be getting in the way."
"Leave him alone. We're not here for the chaff that can't even get into this pitiful institution." Both sorcerers turned towards the bored voice, as Ulquiorra Cifer tossed aside the mage in his grasp. Yammy shrugged and dropped Chad. "Zommari, have you restrained the main targets?" The pale man glanced back at his colleague.
"Veritably. You shouldn't have expected anything less of me." The black man splayed both of his hands' fingers and a wave of students and professors shuffled forward at his command.
"Good, then I see no reason to stay here any longer." Ulquiorra turned and inserted his arm into the Ether, his hand disappearing from sight as the air wobbled.
Grimmjow yawned. "Sure, let's hit the road. I ain't trusting Szayelaporro with the place even if Tier and Starrk are there." He turned to watch Ulquiorra. He was a detestable man, boring, which was the worst vice Grimmjow could imagine, but the lower ranks were bound by the higher ranks, and at least he'd be back home soon.
"What do you think you're doing with my brother?" A red-haired man had leapt out of the crowd.
Bladed cords wrapped around the blue-haired sorcerer's arms, tethering them to his body. Grimmjow tsked. "Another brat. Here," He kicked the boy under his feet towards Ulquiorra.
Ulquiorra shook his head, not even bothering to scowl as their primary target crumpled to the ground behind him. Instead, he continued to slowly turn his hand, as if opening a lock. "Yammy."
"I'm not your bitch."
"Howl, Zabimaru."
For the first time that evening, Grimmjow winced. The cords ripped around his body, their blades' teeth scraping furiously against his Hierro. "An annoying brat," he corrected himself. He turned to face the red head. "And you are?"
Renji didn't respond, instead leveling his arm and recalling his familiar. The cords coiled around his arm and neck, reforming into a baboon and white snake. "Let them go."
Grimmjow rolled his eyes. "Rude," and flash stepped next to the mage. "Very rude." He slapped the man, sending him flying back towards the rest of the brats. "I guess, they don't teach manners at your school either."
"Hado number 4: Byakurai."
Grimmjow actually grunted this time as a beam of blue light shoved him forward a step. "Ah great, another one." He whipped his head around to face the new annoyance.
"You're still up." Byakuya Kuchiki strolled forward to face the number six Espada.
"What? After that peashooter?" Grimmjow barked a laugh. "Yeah right, pretty boy."
"My apologies," the noble leveled his gaze, "number 33: Sokatsui." Sky blue flames rushed out of the third year's hands, slamming into Grimmjow.
"Oh," Grimmjow chuckled. "A tough guy, huh?" He grasped the flames, and his hand morphed, bones audibly cracking as it expanded into a giant claw. "Hey, Cifer! Who's he?"
Ulquiorra paused, turning to observe the scuffle. "Byakuya Kuchiki, soon to be 28th head of the Kuchiki line. Zommari." He flicked his free hand. "If you would. The girl should be here somewhere."
"Soren Sokatsui." Byakuya raised his other hand, doubling the gout of flames bearing down on Grimmjow.
"Okay… not so much of a pushover…" the Espada grumbled as sweat began to run down his forehead and he braced his arm with his free hand.
"I would surrender now before the headmaster gets here and truly melts you." Byakuya advanced on Grimmjow. "Or you can just wait until you collapse from heat exhaustion."
"You're real cute," Grimmjow snarled.
"And I would stop if I were you, Byakuya Kuchiki." Zommari's voice boomed.
The elder Kuchiki flinched as he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder. He wasn't so much scared of the fact that an enemy had managed to sneak up on him. Senbonzakura could always cover his blind spots, and he trusted her to do that. No, what frightened him was that the hand was familiar. "Rukia."
The younger Kuchiki was trembling, a black sun tattooed on her forehead as her other hand glowed with the pale flames of her own Sokatsui and stretched to slowly enclose her throat. "Nii-sama!"
Byakuya whipped around, flames cutting out as he rounded on Zommari. "You!"
"Forgetting about someone?" Grimmjow pounced.
"Yeah, you are," Renji grunted, yanking on his familiar as the snake materialized around Grimmjow's leg.
"Brat!" Grimmjow screamed and crashed into the ground, only to scramble up and charge the red head.
"Enough." Ulquiorra finished turning his hand and sliced through the air. "Garganta." The room filled with the sound of tearing once more as a hole in space opened like a cavernous mouth. "We're leaving."
"Oh, leaving so soon?" The maw snapped shut. "If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were party crashers. Mind if security checks your invitation?" Kisuke readjusted his hat and offered his hand for the invitations he knew the sorcerers didn't have.
"Kisuke Urahara," Ulquiorra noted. "We were right to be cautious. It seems your abilities exceed our information."
"Oh? He's one of strong ones, yeah?" Yammy leaned over and leered. "Let me have a taste."
"Go ahead." Ulquiorra didn't so much as shrug. "I'll be calling our backup exit."
"Uh, uh, uh!" Kisuke wagged his finger as the giant advanced. "I said invitations!" He grinned. "Otherwise, I'm afraid I'll have to call the bouncer, and trust me, she doesn't like playing around."
Yammy sneered. "Yeah? Well first, he'll have to scrape you off the walls!"
"I'm a girl, dude." Yammy recoiled as Urahara burst into flames, only to be replaced by a busty woman.
"With a nice rack," Yammy snorted. "Hate to damage those tits, bitch. Why don't you step aside and we'll save playtime for later?"
"I say get bent." Kuukaku slammed her fist into the giant, her whole arm erupting into an inferno.
"Shame," Yammy sighed. "But I don't mind hard-to-get girls."
"Yammy," Ulquiorra warned.
"Why don't you pay attention to me, monsieur?" Kisuke reappeared next to the gaunt sorcerer. "Benihime and I were just thinking of a more personal inspection."
"There's zero need for that."
Kisuke tensed and threw himself out of the way of the unleashed mana torrent. "Woah, woah, woah! I see you really don't waste words, huh? Weaving an incantation into normal speech? That's some pretty high level stuff!"
Ulquiorra remained silent.
"Come now," Kisuke grinned. "You could at least tell me your name while you're stalling for time." He twirled his cane. "I might not know what it is, but I'm sure you've got another way out here."
"No. Cero." This time the sorcerer actually raised his arm and aimed at Kisuke.
Time slowed for Soi Fon as she spun on her heels away from Yoruichi and towards the chaos behind her. Four men had emerged from a black tear in space, all dressed in white uniforms.
Her eyes widened.
The Institute.
Immediately, the room was filled with streaks of red light.
Soi Fon watched as her adopted brother crumpled to the floor. Mashiro Kuuna followed suit, with Hiyori soon after. She could literally feel their mana signatures drop off the face of the earth as they fell. She hadn't realized how much she had gotten used to their mana in Reaper class.
Prof. Rose staggered, having raised a last minute shield to protect his students in the orchestra before collapsing as well. The temperature of the hall plummeted with his body, and a group of students stiffened and swayed, lumbering over to the black bald sorcerer that had emerged.
And still she was rooted to the spot.
The sound of a snap echoed through the room and Chad slumped over.
For these newcomers to take out so many Reaper students and a professor so easily… There was only one explanation, only one group from the Las Noches Institute who could accomplish such a feat. The Espada.
"Let them go."
Renji stepped out into the center of the hall to confront them.
No! Soi Fon mentally screamed. Renji! But her throat refused to work. What was he doing?! He was going to get himself killed!
She needed to help him! Needed to move!
The blue-haired Espada knocked her second brother away.
Byakuya Kuchiki stepped up.
Rukia stiffened, walked up to her brother, her hand glowing with their family's signature blue flame. Was she going to?…
Move!
Byakuya dropped his guard, started wrestling his sister for control over her arm.
The blue-haired man pounced, then slammed into the ground.
Renji struggled to his feet, reeling in the Espada with all his might, only to be tackled to the ground himself by the sorcerer.
Move, Shāolíng! Move your stupid ass!
"Brats get timeout." The blue-haired Espada withdrew a black cube and slammed it into Renji. The red head flinched, and then the Espada leapt back as his victim was enveloped in a black void.
The tear reopened, hungry to swallow the Espada and their hostages.
"Oh, leaving so soon?" The maw snapped shut. Kisuke! The green robed mage appeared out of nowhere, treating them as if they were nothing more than mischievous kids.
The giant of the group advanced on him, only to stagger back as a gout of flames erupted where the dirty blonde had been, revealing a tall ravenette Soi Fon had never seen before.
Move!
Everyone, even that Kisuke, was doing something, so why weren't her legs moving?!
"Hmph."
A sound like someone snapping their fingers and white light flooded the room.
Soi Fon winced as her eyes burned, but she forced them back open. Cages of light had encased the Espada and each of their prisoners. Had Kisuke?-
"Fuck." Kisuke swore. "So that's it, huh?" He set his cane down and glared at the cages. "Negacion… What a failsafe way to flee."
No.
Soi Fon twitched.
Renji was sealed, Byakuya was struggling with his sister, and Kisuke wasn't doing anything anymore.
"No…"
She started moving.
She started running.
Yoruichi didn't stop her.
"No!"
She rammed her fist into Ichigo's cage, an invisible force preventing her from piercing it. Pain slammed into her, the recoil nearly shattering her barely mended bones and the heat of the cage searing her skin.
"No!"
She punched the cage again with her other hand, enhancing it with as much of her mana as possible.
"No!"
She sharpened her affinity, wind whistling as her mana cowl screamed against the light with another fist.
"NO! NO, NO, NO, NO!"
Power. She needed more power to break through!
"SHO!"
Number 1.
The back of her kimono started to shred, pressurized mana bursting out of her body.
"SHAKKAHOU!"
Number 31.
She was feeding the flames her mana, even her weak affinity whipping the fire to a hellish intensity.
"HAIEN!"
Number 54.
The sleeves of her dress disintegrated.
More. She needed more!
"SOREN SOKATSUI!"
Number 73.
She kicked with all her might.
Why?
WHY?
Her arms were bleeding.
Everything. She was pouring everything into her strikes. Mana, muscle, spell and incantation, hope and fear. It was a hellish blend of pain and power scraping futilely against the barrier.
But she still needed more.
Something hotter, something harder, something stronger than herself.
And she found it.
Yoruichi watched as the Asian woman by her side leapt forward. What was she thinking?! She probably wasn't, Yoruichi realized, and for a split second, she held a spark of admiration for the woman before it was dashed by her own frustration.
Why wasn't she moving?
Why was she letting Soi Fon charge in while she waited?
The rational part of her brain told her that there was nothing she could do, could have done in the first place, but the rest of her roared indignantly. How could Yoruichi Shihouin let this happen?
She felt her muscles flex.
Then amazement rooted her in place again.
It was crude, primitive, but she could see the unmistakable rudiments of her family's technique in front of her. The sneak-thief, no, Soi Fon was slamming into the Negacion with it, a frenzied blend of hado and brawling.
But that was impossible. How could Soi Fon of all people tap into that? As far as it was from its perfected form, the seamless blending of kido and hakuda, to think that a commoner could withstand the pain of overloading her muscle fibers with the mana necessary to complete her spells' circuits was ludicrous. Even with the tomes she had scavenged from her family's vault under the nose of her own father, Yoruichi had never perfected the technique. Yes, her own proficiency was leagues above Soi Fon's, but just the fact that the mage in front of her had grasped the fundamentals on her own was…
Yoruichi grit her teeth.
Even shunko, especially Soi Fon's hackneyed version, couldn't pierce a Negacion. She needed to stop Soi Fon. Maybe it was a matter of pride, maybe it was a matter of concern for the woman, but she couldn't let her continue this.
She was halfway through her first step before she felt it again, a sharp tug on her own mana.
Yoruichi froze. Now that she had more experience with it, now that she wasn't in combat herself, she could tell it was the same pull as back then, during their fight in S2, a sharper, furious yank demanding her power.
No.
That wasn't possible. They weren't even in contact, how could Soi Fon, a mere commoner, appropriate her mana? But the pulling increased, furious.
Yoruichi held her ground. Soi Fon's body could barely withstand her current technique, if she added her mana to it, it would reduce her arms and legs to ash.
"Stop…" Yoruichi muttered and clenched her fists, but she could already feel her mana emerging out the other end of their connection. Invisible lighting forked out of Soi Fon's shoulders, shredding the back of her kimono off. "Soi Fon!"
Soi Fon's fists ran into something hard. They scraped it, this familiar feeling, and Soi Fon's vision clouded over black, as if she was back in the forest, battling Yoruichi.
Yes! The world faded back in. If she could just manifest that power again, the power that had knocked even the Shihouin off her damn throne… If she could just channel it this time, turn that rogue spell into a proper attack!…
Her mouth began to move, unconsciously forming the words of power. "Raikoube-"
"Stop."
Someone grasped Soi Fon's arm and time obeyed the unknown voice. She was in a different world, a formless abyss that should have been filled with the sun's warmth and the golden buzz of activity but was now as cold as a frozen tundra.
"You!" Soi Fon growled and glared at the woman grasping her arm. She was a tall woman, with long brown hair and a black and gold hanfu dress. She didn't know who this woman was, only that she was stopping her from saving her brother.
"I said stop, Soi Fon. You're not ready for this yet."
Who did she think she was?!
I don't care!
"I know you don't." The woman scowled back. "That's why I'm here to stop you, Shāolíng."
Soi recoiled. I'm not!-
"Then why are you acting like her, relying on the Shihouins again? This isn't your power to wield."
I don't care! I don't care who gives me this!
She just needed the mana to cast something intense enough to pierce the light.
The woman narrowed her eyes, and only then did Soi Fon realize they were a solid black. "Then tell me, even if you don't mind bowing your head to those murderers and destroying your own body, are you really so selfish as to sacrifice me again?"
Soi Fon locked up.
Again?
The winds died down around her shoulders and Soi Fon slumped forward, staring helplessly at her adopted brother from across the wall of light.
Ichigo stared back, unbelieving, terrified.
"I-I…" Soi Fon stumbled. "I'm so sorry…" Her eyes watered. "I'm so sorry, Ichigo."
And then the light drowned everything and sound disappeared, and the Espada were gone.
A/N: Whew! That's a lot for one chapter, but I promised you guys I would try to make up for the late upload last time. On the other hand, this burned me out a bit, so the next chapter might be shorter or late… Ugh, I should really learn to pace myself…
Anyway, around the time I was writing the Yoruichi vs. Soi Fon fighting scene I had planned on the ball being a whole set of chapters with Soi Fon finally figuring out Yoruichi was the cat in S2 and maybe considering giving her a second chance or seeing her in an entirely new light, but then the idea for this next arc hit me, and I just knew I had to crash the party. There were quite a few ways I considered interrupting the ball too, but in the end I figured if it ain't broke, don't fix it, so Hueco Mundo arc let's go! (Side note: the arrancars' full names absolutely infuriate me.)
I also didn't want Soi Fon to be so quick to forgive Yoruichi either. I didn't think it was a natural development for them at this point and I wanted their reconciliation (and romance) to be a hard earned victory. At least they're not hostile towards each other anymore, so that's progress considering that Soi Fon was aware it was Yoruichi she was talking to this time.
And of course in typical Bleach fashion, I had to throw in some fight scenes. This chapter ran so long, I considered cutting them into a different chapter, but then they'd both be a little short and I didn't want to leave you guys hanging after last month. So you're left with a pretty chaotic mess. Still, the Grimmjow/Espada PoV was pretty fun to write and giving Renji, Byakuya, Kisuke, and Kuukaku their moments to shine felt awesome too, even Kisuke. Look, it may be my goal to one day see YoruSoi fics outstrip the Urahara-Yoruichi ones, but he is a cool character, and seeing goofy characters pull off serious feats is a guilty pleasure of mine.
Soi Fon however continues to collect L's. Poor baby! You're my favorite character, which is why you must suffer so much. At least Suzumebachi(?) managed to talk her down from destroying her body again, though I'm having fun writing out the rudiments for Soi Fon's Shunko and Bankai over the course of this fic despite the anguish it causes our favorite bee.
Anyway, if you'd like to see Soi Fon get some wins soon, please leave a comment! I love reading them and they inspire me to keep writing! And I'll see you guys in the next chapter. (Hopefully it doesn't take too long to come out…)
