Promises
The captain of the Second Division leaned against the thick trunk of the
sakura tree, sliding down until she was sitting comfortably on the cool
grass. The wind rustled through the leaves, scattering the spent petals
on the ground like confetti. It was a rather peaceful sight, but Soi
Fong's thoughts were wandering to more turbulent happenings. Part of her
still couldn't believe that three of her fellow captains had been
working all this time to subvert Soul Society, and moreover had joined
forces with the Shinigami's oldest foes.
"I knew I'd find you here." Soi Fong was rudely shaken out of her
reverie by a voice she knew all too well. Nonetheless, she jumped and
turned around to find a tall, dark-skinned woman with a sinister-looking
smirk and piercing golden eyes walking lazily towards her. "...Hello,
Little Bee."
134 years ago, Soi Fong would have turned furiously red upon hearing
Yoruichi call her by her nickname, but the matured and far more stoic
Chinese woman only gave her former leader a disdainful glare before
turning her gaze back to the forest of cherry blossoms. Yoruichi walked
until she was standing beside the girl, but did nothing to force her to
look in her direction. She smiled out at the trees speckled with pink
before speaking again.
"Well...this certainly brings back memories, doesn't it?"
In spite of herself, Soi Fong's cheeks turned a light shade of pink,
matching the color the blossoms had been on that night so long ago, when
she'd laid here with Yoruichi and promised to stay beside her forever...
She shook her head in an effort to stem the warm nostalgia flooding her
mind, then finally decided to speak up.
"...What are you doing here?" Yoruichi made an odd little clicking noise
as she shook her head, that insufferable grin refusing to fade even the
slightest.
"Aww... Is there something bothering you, Little Bee?" the Shihouin
woman said sweetly, inadvertently making Soi Fong angrier.
I can't believe her...she's acting like the fight never happened! After
we nearly killed each other-- How the hell can she act so casual about
it?
She was starting to wonder why she had ever cared about--much less
idolized--this woman. It seemed appropriate that she could change into a
cat; Yoruichi seemed to have little to no concern for the feelings of
others, coming and going when it was convenient for her.
"...If you've come to bother me, Yoruichi..." she said with a vicious
emphasis on the other woman's name, "...then go the hell away. I don't
owe you anything, much less my respect." At this Yoruichi's catlike grin
seemed to falter just slightly. Soi Fong blinked, uncertain if she had
imagined it, but when her former master spoke she sounded the same as
before.
"Now, that's no way to behave, Little Bee...after all, I came here to
speak to you." At that, Soi Fong snorted in disbelief, the closest she
ever came to a laugh.
"There's nothing that you and I have to talk about. I don't know why you
even bothered to come here. Now unless you're looking for a rematch, I'm
leaving."
"...Do you hate me, Soi Fong?" The Chinese woman froze in mid-stride at
the carefree tone in Yoruichi's voice. She felt her hand clench into a
fist as silent footsteps slowly approached her from behind. Her anger
was threatening to boil over but she struggled to keep it under control.
The only time in her life she could remember really letting her emotions
show was back when Yoruichi had been her whole world, and all that
happened was that she had been betrayed, tossed aside like an old toy.
It was bad enough that she had wept like a child after their battle--she
would not grant Yoruichi the same satisfaction again. But then she felt
a hand on her shoulder, strong and gentle at the same time. Soi Fong
knew her anger was wavering as she sensed the other woman's presence,
much closer than a few minutes ago. Almost within arm's reach... She
didn't trust herself to speak, but her mouth began working regardless.
"...How dare you ask me that. You...you just leave--no warning at all--
and you ask me if I hate you?"
"I left because I had to. I made a promise to him, and I couldn't just
break it without a reason," Yoruichi said calmly, as if no further
explanation was necessary. Soi Fong tried to tell herself to stop
talking, to just let the whole matter drop and be forgotten, but to her
chagrin her body continued to ignore her brain's growing protestations.
"...We made a promise, too--did you care about breaking that?" She was
glad that she was at least facing away from Yoruichi, as her eyes were
starting to itch and her vision was blurring. She knew she was being
irrational, but she couldn't help saying what had been on her mind for
all this time. Yoruichi said nothing for a moment, as if trying to look
for the right words to say.
"...Little Bee--" Yoruichi's voice stopped as Soi Fong simultaneously
brushed her hand off and spun around, aiming a fist at the Shihouin's
face. It was only thanks to her lightning speed that Yoruichi managed to
catch the desperate physical attack from her former pupil, grabbing the
fist with her palm as Soi Fong pushed harder against her. The younger
girl's normally cold eyes were burning with unbridled fury, much like
they had been during their battle a few days prior. Soi Fong had
abandoned all pretences at maintaining her composure, and her voice came
out loud and near hysterical.
"DON'T YOU DARE CALL ME THAT! WHAT DO YOU CARE IF I HATE YOU OR NOT? YOU
KNEW HOW MUCH THAT PROMISE MEANT AND YOU JUST ABANDONED ME! I WOULD HAVE
UNDERSTOOD IF YOU HAD TO LEAVE, BUT YOU DIDN'T EVEN TRUST ME ENOUGH TO
TELL ME THE TRUTH! WELL, IF MY FEELINGS ARE SO INSIGNIFICANT COMPARED TO
THAT BASTARD'S, THEN WHY DON'T YOU STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM ME AND GO BE
WITH HIM!" Yoruichi only stood there, not moving or showing any emotion
as Soi Fong abruptly poured her heart out, her head now turned
helplessly to the ground as she struggled now to stop her tears from
falling. "Just...just leave me be..." she whispered weakly as she turned
her head up to Yoruichi. But when her eyes met the older woman's she
nearly gasped in surprise. Yoruichi was staring at her, the piercing
gaze of her yellow orbs somehow softer, almost gentle as she continued
to hold Soi's fist in mid-swing. She looked almost...sad... an
expression the Captain had never seen on the princesses' face. She had
no time to gasp, or even to react, as Yoruichi suddenly pulled her into
a strong hug.
"Y-Yoruichi?" She uttered her name without thinking about it, bewildered
by the sudden kindness being bestowed upon her.
No...No, I won't let you trick me again...I promised myself I'd never
let you fool me...Not after everything you've done...
Soi Fong tried to push away from the taller woman, using her hands as
leverage, but Yoruichi only pulled her closer, squeezing her so tightly
that the petite girl couldn't move her arms.
"...Do you really think...that I wanted to do that to you?" Yoruichi
said quietly but the girl in her arms listened, the soft and gentle
voice still maintaining the same power over her that it had over a
century ago. "The last thing...I ever wanted to do was hurt you. I
didn't want to go, but...he needed me. I couldn't just turn my back on
him. Can't...can't you understand that...?" The sorrowful lilt of
Yoruichi's voice melted Soi Fong's anger in an instant, and before she
knew it she was returning the embrace, arms encircling her former
master's waist as she cried helplessly.
"...Y-you didn't...you didn't even say goodbye... I...thought t-that you
h-hated me..." She continued to weep bitterly into Yourichi's shoulder
while the violet-haired woman buried her face affectionately into Soi
Fong's short hair, quietly inhaling a scent she'd forgotten about long
ago.
"Shh..." she whispered sweetly, feeling herself get lost in the delayed
joy of being reunited with someone she cared so deeply for. This was
what she had wanted it to be, not a battle where she had to fight the
first person who had ever made her feel wanted. "...Don't say that. I
could never...EVER...hate you. I...I missed you, Soi Fong. If you still
hate me...then I won't blame you if you want me to leave..."
"No." Soi Fong managed, once again unable to stop the tears from falling
from her eyes. "Please...don't go...Don't leave me alone again..."
Yoruichi said nothing, she only planted a light kiss on the top of Soi
Fong's head as the girl sobbed her eyes out. All was silent for a
moment, the only sounds being Soi Fong's occasional gasps and the leaves
moving in the wind.
"Soi Fong..." Yoruichi said reluctantly, "...You know that I'll have to
go back soon...right?" It took the other woman a moment to speak.
"...Yes..." she responded, failing to hide her unhappiness. Yoruichi
lifted her chin up with her thumb and forefinger, coaxing Soi Fong to
meet her eyes.
"But this time...I promise I'll come back for you." The Chinese girl's
eyes widened, unsure if she was willing to believe it.
"...Really?" Yoruichi nodded slightly while using her thumb to gently
wipe the wet streaks from Soi Fong's face.
"So... don't cry anymore. You know I hate seeing you like this," she
added with a smile. Soi Fong could only return her head to its place on
Yoruichi's shoulder, breathing a long-suppressed sigh of utter
contentment. Yoruichi's eyes slid shut as she surrendered the warmth
surrounding her, to the only real peace she'd ever known in her long
life. She didn't realize she'd what she'd said, in a husky whisper,
until it had passed her lips.
"...I love you, Soi Fong." The petite girl's eyes shot open, almost
certain she'd heard Yoruichi say something.
"...What?..." Suddenly she felt her arms give way as air replaced the
warm body she'd embraced, then twisted her head in time to see a black
cat dash off into the trees. For a moment she felt the annoyance of her
beloved princess running off on her again, but, unable to stay angry at
Yoruichi, a wide smile spread on her face.
Oh well. I waited for this long...what's another few weeks?
She spent the rest of the evening staring at the sakura petals, her mind
on the new promise they had made, and that she knew wouldn't be broken.
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