Chapter 1-5 sound of bells

[shaolinsfight]

SOUND OF BELLS - soi fong/ zaraki kenpachi pairing

Anime: *that clear liquid in a bottle* BLEACH, it does a body good
Characters: Zaraki Kenpachi/ Soi Fong
Warnings: NC-17 for smut and some language
Disclaimer: Tite Kubo owns Bleach as well as the characters used in this fanfic *but I love him for it*

 ( chapter 1 )







Chapter 5 Sound of Bells

Soi Fong walked down the corridor with an occupied Vice Captain trailing behind her; concentrating on getting his bag of cookies open. They were on their way to meeting the new recruitment for the squad who were to begin training for their new posts under her orders.

“Taichou, maybe you shouldn’t leave your quarters today. After all you’re sick.”

“I don’t get sick.” She snapped and continued in her hurried strides. Damn, she was already late; that little trouble back at headquarters put her behind her strict schedule. Omaeda continued.

“Nah. Really taichou. You were pretty bad this morning. I could take care of everything today.”

Still moving forward, she looked up at Omaeda who managed to catch up with her finally. “Any ways, I’m fit enough for it.” He continued in his arrogant tone.

She considered it for a moment but changed her mind as she watched him now pull at the bag with his teeth. This guy couldn’t even manage to open a bag of . . . whatever if was he was fiddling with today. How in the world was he going to manage this by himself?

“No. I’m fine.” She finally answered.

“Hmph.” He snorted and was suddenly shocked when his captain’s pace ceased and he stumbled to quickly stop beside her.

“. . . Taichou?”

She only responded by extending her hand out to him, palm up. When he didn’t do anything but stare at her hand she motioned all her fingers together signaling that she expecting him to put something in it, but all he had was  . . .

He dropped the cookies in her small hand. With ease she pried the container open and removed a small chocolate treat from within it. He watched curiously as she stared at the object and then, to his astonishment (as she had never done anything like it for the past 100 years he worked with her), she popped the cookie into her mouth and chewed happily.

“Yummmmm. This is good.” She smiled and continued her walk down the corridor, digging around in the bag and nibbling on more of its sweet contents. Omaeda walked behind her, shocked out of his mind, this just wasn’t like Soi Fong taichou. Hey, that bitch stole my cookies.

When they reached their destination, all officers, familiar and new, stood at attention. The one in command, until Soi Fong arrived, gaped at the switch around between Captain and Vice-Captain.

“Captain Fong,” he greeted her with a bow, “I didn’t think you would make it; I heard you took ill this morning.”

“Jaa, I’m well now.” She answered finishing the last cookie.

“Yes . . . ano, I can see that.” He didn’t think she would have been able to eat that stuff if she was ill, he guessed.

*********

Training in the 2nd division was as strenuous and difficult as always and Soi Fong, long grown accustomed to it, didn’t hold back on her ‘students’, ignoring her aching body; still recuperating from the weakness that took hold of her only a couple hours previously. During a sparing match with one of the trainees Soi felt her energy drop. Her vision became blurred; her opponent coming in an out of focus as she struggled to block each of his attacks, some which should have been easy for her to counter attack had come close to hitting her. Her body was reacting. Nevertheless, she ignored it to continue with her sparring match but a wave of vertigo disoriented her, this time rendering her unable to dodge the open palm jab that made its harsh contact with her chest. With a sharp gasp, Soi Fong collapsed to the floor, breathing for air, unable to get back up.

“Taichou!”

“Taichou!!” The sound was ringing in her ears.

She could feel her reitsu climb back up; rising more than her average amount and lower slightly, like Kenpachi had described it to her a week earlier. The change in her spirit force didn’t go unnoticed by her squad that now surrounded her with concern and confusion.

Soi Fong struggled to raise herself at least to her hands and knees, she hated looking weak in front of her subordinates and she cursed under her breath as her commander came to her side and raised her to her feet, holding her steady under his arm. She knew that if he were to loosen his grip on her she wouldn’t be able to stand on her own, she felt sick and when her lieutenant suggested she see Unohana-taichou in 4th division she didn’t argue this time.

Those in 4th division were surprised to see Soi Fong being carried into the ward looking as tired as she did; a frightening change from her everyday ambiance.

“Soi Fong taichou? What’s wrong with Soi Fong taichou?” the shaky voice of a young 4th division healer, Hanataro chirped. He approached the tall 2nd division commander and gazed at the woman half conscious in his arms.

“I think she pushed herself too far in training, that’s all.” The commander answered.

Although, he didn’t say so, Hanataro disagreed with the man. Having been trained under Unohana’s division he knew more than what most gave him credit for. Not wanting to keep them out here any longer, Hanataro lead the commander to a room were he instructed him to place Soi onto the bed.

Soi Fong felt herself being lowered onto a soft surface and she began to open her eyes peering at the two familiar faces that stood over her now. She looked a little pale but she felt better now that she rested a little and was able to lie down.

“Don’t wait on me. I’ll be fine and I’ll be back in no time,” Soi Fong said to the taller of the two men, voice gone soft from exhaustion, “you can count on it.”

“Demo taichou, maybe I should stay. After all Omaeda fukutaichou is in command at the moment, he can lead them for the rest of the day.” With this suggestion, the room grew silent for a moment; both second squad members looked at each other and sighed at the thought.

“You’d better go.”

“I better go.” They answered simultaneously.

After he left, Soi Fong turned to Hanataro who was fiddling with things in the room.

“Shouldn’t you be getting Unohana-taichou, Hanataro-san?”

“Ah, ano, she’s already informed.” He said shyly. His nature always became a bit meeker than average in the presents of a captain.

“How? I didn’t even see you leave the room.”

“Unohana-sama always knows when a patient is needed, um . . . a . . . are you comfortable Soi Fong sama?”

She nodded to the bashful shinigami. He reminds me of Shaolin, she told herself, that girl who’s long gone now.

Hanataro and Soi Fong both turned to look at the doorway; they could feel the reitsu of the 4th division captain approaching.

When Unohana came into view, Soi Fong forced herself to sit up while Hanataro voiced his protests in vain, it just wasn’t in her nature (thanks to her upbringing) to care for her well-being. Unohana, however, allowed her patient to do as she pleased.

Unohana smiled at her young subordinate, “Thank you Hanataro-san for taking care of Soi Fong taichou until I got here. You may leave now.” The little shinigami bowed to his taichou and to Soi Fong. He hesitated before he turned to leave; looking at Soi and smiling a perceptive smile that had her gazing back with arched brow in a “what-do-you-know?” manner.

****************

The entire examination didn't take long thanks to Unohana's expertise and now Soi waited for the doctor's return. Although, the room was rather comfortable, Soi Fong hoped she would be able to leave soon and return to her duties for the day's training. She looked up when she felt Unohana's presents enter the room.

“Well, Soi Fong taichou, I have quiet the news for you.” Soi waited for Unohana-san to close the curtain to the doorway that lead to the room, before she finished her ‘news’. She liked Unohana but get on with it she complained to herself, that way you can fix me and I can get back to my training.

“Soi Fong,” she smiled her ‘comforting’ motherly smile at her, “you’re pregnant.”

Soi Fong’s jaw went lax, “Huh?”

The second division captain knew everything there was to know about the Secret Mobile Corps, Soul Society, and fighting but if there was one thing the young captain knew close to nothing about it was what Unohana just said. Shaolin never knew her mother and the only kind of ‘the talk’ she received was from Yoruichi-sama which started off with “Every man has a zanpakutou.” So Soi had only a vague knowledge about what she had just been told. She searched Unohana’s eyes for confirmation.

“You’re going to be a mother is what I mean,” Soi’s hand went to her belly automatically. “That’s why your reitsu is raising slightly every once in a while. Unfortunately this takes a toll on your body so you’re going to have to learn to take it easy since this fluctuation alone would exhaust any shinigami.” Soi Fong still gaped at the woman as if conversing with a vegetable made more sense than this. The doctor continued, “I know it’s very rare, but it’s possible, after all, you were born into Soul Society and are therefore capable of reproducing just like anyone from the noble families.”

Being the first time Soi Fong heard any of this, she began to listen carefully to Unohana’s words.

“It’s very normal if both parents are born in Soul Society, I mean if not, well that would end the families now wouldn’t it?” she cocked her head to the side; eyes squinted closed, smile still warm.

“Demo . . . he’s from Rukongai, he wasn’t born here.” Soi Fong said timidly, dark hair shielding her eyes.

“Who? Oh, the father? What!” her eyes shot open, “Well, that is strange isn’t it?” the 4th division captain’s smile broke only for a moment before it returned to her lovely face. She saw the panic in Soi’s eyes growing ever since she told her she was expecting and she wanted to calm the girl down anyway she could; a smile was all she could do for the moment. Suddenly there was a change in the 2nd squad captain’s eyes as panic changed to anger.

Deciding the examination was over; Soi threw her haori back on and tied the sash around her waist. Now it was Unohana’s turn to panic:

“Wait, Soi Fong taichou. You really should rest, someone in your condition . . .” the soft voice was broken off by a lower, harsher one.

“Rest? I can’t rest; I have a job to take care of and as far as ‘my condition’ goes, I’m fine, never been better.” She continued her next sentence talking more to her self than anything, “I’m gonna kill that son of a bitch!”

Unohana watched her storm out the room. The meeting didn’t go as well as she hoped but she couldn’t help but smile to herself. This was certainly a surprise, but a good one; it had been a while since Soul Society was given a child. It was fifty years in fact that this same unusual situation occurred only once before: When a ‘Prince’ of a noble family and his young wife of Rukongai conceived a child. It was a joy that ended in tragedy all too soon. Maybe this time it would be different. Soi Fong, don’t be foolish, you don’t know how precious a gift you carry.