‘ The younger of the two immediately went quiet, not noticing the look return to Yoruichi’s face again. Yoruichi sighed to herself, wondering how long she could keep this up, pretending that nothing was going to change. It’s happening tonight, Kisuke had said when she’d ‘spoken’ to him this morning. She knew this should have come as no surprise, but she just hadn’t been expecting it to happen THIS quickly. He’d been working for the last week and a half on the experimental gate, and all he needed was until nightfall to ensure that it would be stable enough for safe passage to the human world. Kisuke had asked her, for about the fiftieth time since she’d agreed to accompany him, if she was certain about going with him, about giving everything up, her position and her throne. She’d answered as she had before; that she didn’t regret her decision if it meant helping him, that she was tired of all the standing on ceremony and the dull monotony of high-class living, that being a princess of Soul Society meant nothing to her. She’d be glad to be rid of it. Well, then… you’ll have ’til tonight to say goodbye. Hmph. To who, she’d asked with a skeptical look. Byakuya-kun? He’ll probably turn us in if I ever told him ANY of this. And then… he’d just given her this look. …to be continued!