Cult of Personality
By: Karasu Kyra
[Cult of Personality: Intense obsession of one person
She was all the long-haired, petite captain could think about. She hated her with every fiber of her being. For her betrayal. She loved her so much, and would have done anything, gone anywhere, and become anyone for her. She was Yoruichi Shihouin, whom Soi Fon, Captain of Second Company, was utterly and completely devoted to. A cult of personality, really.
Soi walked briskly away from Seireitei, a frown planted firmly on her sharp featured face. She was headed to a small restaurant owned by a poor elderly couple. She was particularly fond of the couple, and they always gave her a discount. She'd met them shortly after…Yoruichi had left her.
Deserted her was more her opinion. Not a word of warning was whispered her way. And to help Kisuke. She scowled. Inwardly she hurt. Even now, a hundred years later, the pain was as fresh as if it were yesterday. She trained, waiting for the day to beat the woman.
After all she was the reason for Soi's existence. Part of the Fon family, in eternal servitude to the Tenchi Heisoban. And now, she was to exterminate the Tenchi Heisoban; defeat her, disgrace her, hurt her as she had been hurt. A vendetta.
She ate a quick meal at the small restaurant, and then headed towards the Sokyoku. Today it would be released to execute Rukia Kuchiki adopted sister of Captain Byakuya Kuchiki. All captains were to be present. She sighed, flash stepping towards the execution grounds.
Soon, everything went awry. Ichigo Kurosaki, the wanted Ryoka, had easily destroyed the large, wooden, kido protected scaffold holding Rukia in place. The vice-captains incompetent as always had failed to do their duty, and as such needed to be punished, and just as she was crushing the lungs of one, she was knocked backwards and dragged of the cliff.
Her eye's widened as the figure above her pulled down the half mask. "Y-yoruichi!" She had to inwardly correct her use of –sama. Her eye's hardened. She could do this. She could destroy this woman; the woman who was inadvertently her own life.
She lived and breathed for this woman once. And she still does, except no longer in servitude, now in vengeance; to destroy her.
In her musings she hadn't realized how close the ground was getting, she cried out as her back slammed full force against the ground. She flash stepped to a tree branch, using a hand to support herself. And before she knew what was happening, her force had been defeated and her and her Goddess were trading blows.
She called on her zanpakutou and set chase after Yoruichi. More blows were quickly exchanged, her anger directed towards the coffee-skinned goddess more verbally than physically.
Then, she called on it. The technique she invented. The technique that would first be tested in real battle upon Yoruichi Shihouin, Goddess of Flash herself. But then, once again her world came crashing down. It had already been…invented. By Yoruichi…she outclassed her again! Damn it!
She screamed at her again, thinking her lungs were about to burst, falling into her memories. "Yoruichi!"
A small Shaolin Fon looked up at the direction her father was pointing. At her. The Tenchi Heisoban. He explained that the Fon family was born to serve the Noble family of Shihouin; their destiny. She looked in awe at that which she would soon devote her life, her every breath and thought. That day she took up the name Soi Fon, as her great-great grandmother had, and swore to follow her without question.
Slowly, her awe changed to something of admiration. And shortly after that it bordered obsession. Even in battle she was happy. Just to be by Yoruichi's side. She swore she'd protect her Goddess with her life. She'd tasted the cold breath of death and decided she preferred it, but Yoruichi meant so much more to her. She was her obsession, her will to live, her life.
A fortnight later she was in the cherry blossom trees practicing. She berated herself as she swung wrong again. She squeezed the hilt harder, cutting her hands, sending blood down the fine gold decoration. And then suddenly, warm and gentle hands wrapped around her own, callused fingers firmly holding her own against the hilt of her sword.
"Like this." Yoruichi whispered softly in her ear, guiding her arms and body in a swinging motion. She hummed softly as she finished with the follow through.
"I'm not good enough to protect you!" Soi cried in frustration. Yoruichi had saved her! It was supposed to be the other way around. All she could think about was this woman and saving her; Soi had already decided she'd give her own life for this coffee-skinned woman without any hesitation.
"You're just fine." Yoruichi smiled at her.
"But-" Soi started but was cut off, as a finger pressed against her lips, effectively silencing her. She sighed and sank to her knees, closing her eyes. Her Goddess didn't think her worthy to speak. She was fine with that. She could easily endure silence and any other tortures if Yoruichi saw it fit.
"Soi Fon, you could take down the entire force and you know it."
"But that's not good enough! I need to be able to protect you!" Soi yelled in frustration.
"Soi, Soi…You know what? I admire you. You're really everything. When you swung at me, that night I stepped in and helped you during sparring. You're all that's been on my mind and I really can't help it."
And then a weight was placed in her lap. It was Yoruichi's head. She'd sprawled out across Soi.
Surprised Soi only sat frozen, her arms hovering over her personal Goddess. Then when she'd thought her commander to be sleeping she lowered her hands, gently running her hand through Yoruichi's hair.
"I promise," She murmured quietly. "To always be by your side, no matter what."
"Mm…" A small sound of agreement came from the Shihouin, startling Soi. "A promise. I'll never leave you."
Soi smiled. Yoruichi opened her golden eyes and reached a hand up to Soi's head and tilted it down, gently pulling the girl down to her, pressing her lips to the others.
"I love you…" She whispered.
"I-I l-love…you…too." Soi stuttered out, embarrassed but content.
And after that night…Yoruichi left.
"You left me! After you promised! You still left me!" Soi screamed at Yoruichi, whose fist was only centimeters from her. She felt a small resentment bubble up but it ebbed away developing instead into adoration once again. No matter what, this woman would always be her will to live; her life.
Soi broke down falling to her knees, sobbing. "You said…you loved me! Why didn't…you take me with you?" She dropped her head to the ground at Yoruichi's feet. Her careful façade broke and she screamed.
Soi Fon spoke softly. "I would have become anyone, done anything for you. Your…you're my life, my world-" She broke off as a sob wracked her body. "My everything. All I could and can think about is you. I was brought up to ever serve the Tenchi Heisoban of my era; And that is you. Every fight, every skill, every breath I drew was for you!"
Another sob wracked Soi's body, and she knew she was speaking incoherently, but Yoruichi needed to know…the depth of her feelings. "After you left, I quite literally almost killed myself. When you left I lost all feeling, all sense of time. My life was just this bothersome thing with no meaning. There was this hole, this empty thing inside me, and you were still all I could think about.
"And then as I was shirking my duties again I wandered into a small café on the edge of Rukongai and this elderly couple owned it and…" Soi wondered idly if anything she was saying was making sense anymore. It certainly wasn't to her. "And they…I don't know really. Just somehow I ended up breaking down. Much like this, actually…" She paused.
Her thoughts coherent enough for her to speak again, she continued. "They somehow understood, I think, and they helped me through it. I finally decided I'd kill you. By my blade you would draw your last breath. And now, and now…"
Soi started crying, unabashed at Yoruichi's feet, everything over the past hundred years coming undone. A wave of emotions tore through her, wrenching her heart.
Yoruichi looked at Soi her eye's full of sorrow and affection. She knew just what it took out of Soi to declare all that. To tell her all those feelings she felt. And in so many words…She had no idea that her leaving would have that much affect on the other. She damn well knew she would feel that way, but her Little Bee? "Little Soi…I did it for you. I did it so that you wouldn't loose your honor. I did-I do love you. I…"
Soi pulled herself up, using what little strength she had left. "I…I still love you, too." She whispered.
Yoruichi smiled, complete and utter adoration in her eyes. Quite like the obsession Soi had with her. She smiled lacing her fingers with Soi's.
Soi Fon was not the only one with a cult of personality.