Meeting

When Yoruichi saw how nervous Soi Fon was, a wicked smile tugged at her lips. Anyone who knew Yoruichi would have recognized that some poor soul was about to fall victim to her tricks. This time, though, that poor soul was Ye Yang.

"I'm afraid that won't do. He and I have a deep grudge against each other." Yoruichi's smile vanished in a flash, replaced by a serious expression as she faced Soi Fon.

"What should I do?" Soi Fon asked anxiously.

"How about this?" Yoruichi suddenly said. "I'll take you to see him, and then we can decide, all right?" Hearing that there might still be hope, Soi Fon was delighted. "Yes, Lady Yoruichi!"

Yoruichi led Soi Fon to Ye Yang's quarters. "Wait here. Don't come in until I call you." With that, Yoruichi entered Ye Yang's room.

"Yes, Lady Yoruichi!" Soi Fon replied.

After entering the room, Yoruichi found Ye Yang asleep, just as she had expected. Veins bulged on her forehead as she pressed a hand to it and sighed. "I knew it. Get up! Do you know what time it is? You're still sleeping? Is this how a lieutenant should behave?"

A shout jolted Ye Yang awake. He sat up and looked sleepily at Yoruichi. "What is it? Can't you let me get a decent sleep this early in the morning?"

Yoruichi bristled at once. "Damn it! Look at the time! It's already noon, and you're still sleeping?"

"What's gotten into you today? You know I always sleep until noon on Mondays."

"True, but I came to see you about something today," Yoruichi said, leaning closer.

"What is it?"

Yoruichi gave Ye Yang a meaningful look. "Tell me, have you been doing something out there without my knowledge?"

Ye Yang looked at her indifferently. "There are plenty of things you don't know about. Which one do you mean?"

"What? What else are you hiding from me?" Yoruichi asked, pretending to be hurt. "Have you been doing something to betray me out there?"

Ye Yang was utterly embarrassed. "What are you even talking about? You make it sound as if I seduced someone and abandoned her. Besides, if anyone did that, wouldn't it be Kisuke? How did I get dragged into this?"

"Are you asking for it? I'm talking about you! Have you seduced someone and abandoned her?" A suspicious blush rose on Yoruichi's face.

"Huh?" Ye Yang was lost. When had he done anything like that? But Yoruichi didn't look as if she were lying. He asked, "What are you talking about? Where did you hear that?"

Yoruichi said irritably, "She's come all the way here, and you're still denying it? How could you bring yourself to deceive such an innocent girl?" Yoruichi shouted, "Come in!"

Ye Yang now had a rough idea of whom Yoruichi meant. Sure enough, a petite figure came through the doorway.

Soi Fon saw Ye Yang as soon as she entered, but with Yoruichi present, she didn't throw herself into his arms as she usually did. She merely stood beside Yoruichi and said, "Lady Yoruichi."

Ye Yang had no such reservations. He greeted her, "It's been a few days, Little Shaoling. Have you joined the Punishment Force?"

Soi Fon nodded without speaking. As soon as she had entered the room, she had realized that Ye Yang and Yoruichi's relationship was nothing like Yoruichi had described. The two were quite familiar with each other.

Yoruichi said nothing either. She simply looked at Ye Yang as if waiting for an explanation.

Ye Yang didn't panic. Instead, he looked perfectly calm. Since he had known Soi Fon was going to join the Second Division, he had known she would discover his identity sooner or later. He had long since thought about what to tell her; he just hadn't expected her to find him on her very first day in the Punishment Force.

Ye Yang gave Yoruichi a look, signaling for her to leave first, but she acted as though she hadn't seen it and remained where she was. Helpless, Ye Yang couldn't very well drive her away. "Ahem!" He cleared his throat twice and continued, "Little Shaoling, come here."

Hearing the familiar call, Soi Fon walked over to Ye Yang out of habit. Ye Yang said, "Shaoling, I didn't tell you before, but as you can see, Yoruichi and I know each other well. We're more than friends. Our relationship is... we're sister and brother."

At those words, Soi Fon felt as if her head couldn't keep up. "Huh?" she exclaimed softly. "Sister and brother?"

"That's right. Yoruichi is my older sister. Before, I only told you my given name, not my family name. My family name is Shihoin! I'm Ye Yang Shihoin!" Ye Yang explained.

"Ye Yang Shihoin? Then why..."

"You want to know why I didn't tell you from the start, right?" Ye Yang stroked Soi Fon's head and said slowly, "Do you think we'd still be like this if I'd told you who I was from the beginning? You probably would have admired me for a bit, and then we'd never have seen each other again. With how strongly you believe in hierarchy, would you still have accepted my teaching? Isn't it better this way?"

Soi Fon fell silent. What Ye Yang said was true, but then Yoruichi cut in. "Why did you decide to teach her all that in the first place?"

Ye Yang rolled his eyes at Yoruichi. "Wasn't it for your sake?"

"For my sake? What does this have to do with me?"

"The first time I met her was the day you became head of the Shihoin Clan. I saw how much she admired you, so I chatted with her for a bit. Then I thought that if he joined the Punishment Force, he might become friends with you, Sis. You get along well with Kisuke, but there are some things you can only talk about with a friend of the same sex. You have quite a few friends, Sis, but you only get to see them a few times a year. If she came, maybe you'd be happier."

Ye Yang glanced at Soi Fon and continued, "That was why I started, but later, when I was training Shaoling, I discovered she was truly very talented. Her talent for Hakuda and Shunpo in particular was every bit as good as yours or mine. I didn't want a genius to go to waste, so I did my utmost to teach her well."

After hearing Ye Yang's explanation, Yoruichi felt relieved and silently left the room, leaving Ye Yang and Soi Fon alone.

The two stood facing each other in silence. After a while, Soi Fon spoke first. "Lord Ye Yang, did you really take me in for Lady Yoruichi's sake?"

Hearing that, Ye Yang promptly rapped her on the head with his knuckles. "Are you silly? That was only part of the reason. Most importantly, Little Shaoling's strength and persistence moved me. And Shaoling is very cute, too. Also..." Ye Yang put on a frightening expression. "Don't let me hear you call me Lord Ye Yang again, understood?"

"But..."

"No buts!" Ye Yang said sternly.

"Brother Ye Yang..." Soi Fon said softly. "Brother Ye Yang, when I joined the Punishment Force, I inherited my grandmother's name. I'm called Soi Fon now."

"That name isn't nearly as cute as Shaoling. No matter what, you'll always be that Little Shaoling in my eyes." Ye Yang stroked Soi Fon's head, his gaze full of tenderness.

The girl smiled. "Mm."

After they finished talking, they left the room, only to find that Yoruichi hadn't gone away. She was standing at the door, waiting for them. When they came out, she asked, "Well, little brother, finished explaining? Deceiving innocent young girls—I never would have guessed you had a taste for that."

Instead of flying into a rage, Ye Yang smiled at Yoruichi. But that smile, gentle as a spring breeze, immediately made Yoruichi back down. She turned her head away as though it had nothing to do with her.

Yoruichi knew her little brother's smile all too well. Whenever he smiled like that, nothing good was sure to follow. If anyone in Seireien had a smile like his, it could only be the Fourth Division Captain, Retsu Unohana.

"Cut the nonsense. Now that you know, give her a position," Ye Yang said with a curl of his lip.

"Tch, Soi Fon is in my Bodyguard Corps now. I just sparred with her. Did you teach her that King of Hell's Three-Point Hand? I nearly suffered a huge loss!" Yoruichi said resentfully, as though it were Ye Yang's fault.

"Yes, I did. What, you nearly suffered a huge loss?" Ye Yang nodded and said to Soi Fon, "Well done, Shaoling. Make sure she suffers a loss next time. Show her that someone I've taught isn't easy to bully."

"I..." Soi Fon was speechless. The way this brother and sister got along was truly unusual.

Yoruichi looked at Soi Fon. "Tch, Soi Fon is in my Bodyguard Corps. If she's going to hit anyone, it should be you. Isn't that right, Soi Fon?"

"Huh?" Soi Fon looked troubled. Just as she was struggling with what to do, a voice interrupted her thoughts. "Hey! Yoruichi, Ye Yang, nice weather today. Let's go out for a drink."

Ye Yang didn't even need to look to know the voice belonged to Kisuke Urahara. "Kisuke, do you really have nothing better to do?"

Kisuke Urahara walked over to Ye Yang and asked, "Who's this lovely young lady?"

"Soi Fon, a new member of the Punishment Force and part of Yoruichi's Bodyguard Corps." Ye Yang gave a brief introduction. He didn't want to complicate matters.

Sure enough, Kisuke Urahara paid her no mind. He walked over to Yoruichi, patted her on the shoulder, and said, "Honestly, don't you want to go out too? Come on." With that, he pulled at Yoruichi, about to leave with her.

But just as he was about to take a step, he stopped. A sharp Zanpakuto rested against his neck. Its owner said to him, "What are you trying to do to Lady Yoruichi? Looking at you, you can't be a good person. How dare you incite Lady Yoruichi to abandon her post? Lady Yoruichi, how should we deal with him?"

Indeed, Kisuke Urahara looked as if he had just come out of his laboratory. His pale blond hair hung loose and untidy, giving him a slovenly appearance, like an unemployed drifter.

Yoruichi didn't know whether to laugh or cry as she watched Soi Fon hold her blade against Kisuke Urahara's neck. But feeling playful, she said to Soi Fon, "This man clearly intends to assassinate me. Soi Fon, castrate him."

"Huh?"

Kisuke Urahara immediately felt a cold breeze sweep across his crotch. He gave a strained laugh and said, "Yoruichi, could you not make jokes like that?"

"Oh? Even you have moments like this, Kisuke Urahara? Hahaha... All right, Soi Fon, stand down. This is our Second Division's Third Seat, Kisuke Urahara. Let him go."

"Hmph! Someone like him can be a Third Seat?" Soi Fon released him reluctantly, leaving Kisuke Urahara much safer.

(Sorry, the internet at home wasn't working yesterday. I'm making up for it today!)