219 B.C, Qin Dynasty
Mu Guiying* was reaching her 80's, though she could hardly walk on her own, she has remained regal in bearing. She walked side by side with the emperor, implying that she was also a revered figure in the dynasty. Mu Guiying is after all, the matriarch of the Women Generals,and had earned the privilege of standing next to god.
"Emperor...my only wish is for Soi Fon to resume her education on The Way. She is too focused on unifying the country in whatever means possible. I fear for her well-being. She needs to find balance", the matriarch pleaded.
The Emperor smiled at the matriarch. "Mu Guiying, look below you and tell me what you see"
Soi Fon stood proudly on top of a newly built part of a wall, observing silently the on-going construction. The matriarch looked on despondently. "My dear child..."
Shi Huangdi smiled proudly. "This wall...will be the strongest wall man will ever see...It will drive away the barbarians and hold the country together. But the wall is only as good as those who will fight within it. In other words, Soi Fon is the one that's making it formidable, Mu Guiying. There is no time for education, when it will hinder heaven from imposing its will"
The old warrior sighed and bowed her head. "As you wish, my emperor. Would you however allow me to speak with her?"
"Mu Guiying, I have fought many wars with you, and you still ask permission for something as simple like that?"
"You have taken her away from us, your highness. I merely did not want to be presumptuous"
---
Soi Fon smiled at the presence of her house's matriarch. She bowed her head and held her hand. "Would you like to see the wall being constructed, Ama?"
The old woman smiled back, gripped Soi Fon's hand and climbed up slowly. "Ama, we are nearly done. Can you see how far it goes?"
"At what expense, my child?"
Soi Fon turned away. "Sacrifices are inevitable in order to achieve greater cause"
"Soi Fon...this isn't how your mother wanted you to be. Yes, she wanted you to be loyal to the Emperor, but not be blinded by his own megalomania."
Though Soi Fon had emerged to be the most powerful person in Qin, next only to the emperor, she had maintained respect and child-like fear over the woman beside her. She frowned and lowered her head. "This is the will of heaven"
"Tell me, my child. Is this how you have envisioned heaven? With dozens of slaves dying everyday in order to build this wall? Does heaven want you to stand here and watch nameless faces be buried and forgotten under these bricks? How much more madness can you take before you say enough is enough? You have united the country, you have driven away the barbarians, what more is heaven asking from you?"
"To ensure a millennium of peace within the country"
"A millennium?! Through a wall?"
"As long as Shi Huangdi exists, these walls will stand and it will maintain stability"
"And you are saying he will live that long?"
"Longer, Mu Guiying"
The matriarch laughed bitterly. "He has had you believing in his alchemists. You too, now believe, in the existence of the elixir of life. A fool's egotistical fantasy of achieving immortality"
"It is not foolish! Shi Huangdi has discovered immortality. And I, too, will achieve it and continue to fight and to serve him"
Mu Guiying cupped Soi Fon's face and caressed it tenderly. She spoke with so much sadness, that even Soi Fon couldn't help but be moved. "What is the point of reaching immortality, when all those who cared for you would no longer exist in this world? Open your eyes, child. Don't stray from what your mother taught you...and what she had died for"
Soi Fon was left alone standing on top of the world, while the woman, whose eyes have seen the best and worst man had to offer, slowly descended. She looked back at Soi Fon one last time, who was staring at her intently as well, as if committing to memory every part of her. How can I rest peacefully when my soul is screaming for your sake, Soi Fon?
---
Soi Fon's steps echoed through the empty halls leading toward the Emperor's chambers. She pushed the door open and came face to face with Shi Huangdi, then kowtowed. "You have called for me, your highness".
The emperor smiled and walked towards Soi Fon. "Yes. Come with me"
Soi Fon and the emperor stood next to each other on the balcony silently for a few minutes. Soi Fon first broke the silence. "Your highness, it has been reported that within the steppes, there are barbarian groups forming. Though our men have dismissed their capacity, I wish to inform you that by midnight, I will dispatch a hundred and fifty of our soldiers within their area to crush any potential danger"
The emperor nodded. "This is why you are my best general, Soi Fon. Always on her toes. Anything else?"
"Yes", Soi Fon replied. "I have good information that a noble house is plotting rebellion. The House of Han, located southwest of our capital, has been slowly gaining influence. What is your order?"
"Leave them be for now, Soi Fon", the emperor said, much to Soi Fon's surprise.
"Your majesty"
The emperor raised his hand, effectively stopping Soi Fon from protesting. "Crush them now, and they will look helplessly bullied, and potentially gain sympathy. Concentrate your efforts on the enemies outside the walls."
"But your majesty. With all due respect. The walls were built to weaken the enemies outside. We do not have anything of that sort, inside our walls"
"Oh? Have you forgotten who I am, Soi Fon? I am the wall that will weaken these envious nobles", the emperor replied with what seemed like a smirk on his face.
Shamefaced, Soi Fon blushed and lowered her head. "Yes, your majesty"
"Good. Moving on. Your report isn't why I called for you, Soi Fon. There is something much more important than barbarians or nobles". The emperor spoke afterward in an almost hushed tone. Soi Fon could barely recognize him as his face was filled with sadness, then almost immediately transformed into a cold, stern man upon giving his final orders for the night. Soi Fon turned pale, and her heart protested, but the emperor's orders must be followed.
Soi Fon found herself staring at the mirror, before wrapping a black cloth all over her face, leaving only the eyes uncovered. She has changed her clothes to an equally black attire. Like a thief in the night, she entered the concubines' quarters and searched for a particular room. There, sleeping peacefully is the emperor's most-favored concubine and their newly born son. I am sorry, but you are a threat to our peace. Soi Fon gripped her knife and in one swift blow, slashed the woman's neck. The infant started crying, as blood splattered on his face. Life will not be kind to you. Consider this as Shi Huangdi's act of love, my dear child. A split second was all it took for the infant's incessant crying to stop.
Soi Fon left as quietly as she came in, though her mind was filled with noises she could not muffle.
That same night, Mu Guiying unexpectedly collapsed. In a few hours, All the women generals of the House of Da gathered around their matriarch's bed, who spoke of only one name. "Soi Fon..." In one gasp, the woman breathed her last.
---------
2008 A.D. Soul Society
Soi Fon woke up with tears rolling down her cheeks. She curled up in a fetal manner and cried hysterically.
This was the worst of her dreams yet. Soi Fon could barely find the strength to get up for work. The heaviness in her heart was beyond anything she had ever felt--not even with Yoruichi's departure in Soul Society. She finally started to accept that this has been affecting her deeply and needed to find answers.
She groaned at the idea, for the one person she knows could probably help her, is the last person she wanted to see--Urahara Kisuke. Worse, getting through him would mean Yoruichi being informed with her situation. Soi Fon shook her head in frustration. This isn't going to get better.
---
"Captain Ukitake", Soi Fon said. "I will be needing a huge favor from you"
The gentle man smiled. "What is it, Captain Soi Fon?"
Soi Fon sighed and explained the situation, glancing at Ukitake every now and then to catch his reaction. The man, however, remained still, listening intently and waiting for Soi Fon to finish.
"If this is already affecting your well-being, then we do indeed have to act on it", he said thoughtfully. "We are in luck, because there has been reports of strong and unknown reiatsu in Karakura town. This would be a perfect pretense for me to send you there"
Soi Fon nodded and thanked the other captain, and headed straight to Karakura town. She immediately recognized Kisuke's shop and sighed. But before she could even take one step, an extremely strong reiatsu appeared. Soi Fon stood still and readied herself, keeping her senses acutely aware of her surroundings. She immediately jumped and narrowly avoided an arrow. She landed facing where the weapon's direction came from and saw a soul, not a hollow as she had expected. Her eyes bulged at the sight of the man in front of him. Why...is his reiatsu so familiar to me? The man as well stopped and hesitated to make another attack. He eyed Soi Fon silently, and then disappeared in an instant, right about when Kisuke and Yoruichi arrived.
"Soi Fon! What happened?" Yoruichi rushed towards Soi Fon, who seemed to have been frozen on the spot. "We felt that reiatsu. What is he?"
Soi Fon shook her head. "I don't know. It's the first time I have encountered that kind of spiritual energy" Her attention shifted on the arrow firmly planted on the ground. She picked it up and immediately recognized its design. It's the same one from my dreams. A slight shiver ran down her spine. Perhaps my dreams really aren't just dreams. She gripped the arrow and held it up.
"That's an odd looking arrow", Kisuke commented. "I haven't seen one like that before"
Soi Fon passed the arrow on to Kisuke. "That's because you're not Chinese", she replied flatly.
"Oh-hoh! Made in China!" Kisuke exclaimed, while he held the arrow in close scrutiny. "There's an inscription on the arrow itself, Captain Soi Fon. Can you read it?"
Soi Fon whisked it back from Kisuke and held it against the sun. Just as I have suspected. "All under heaven", she said clearly for Kisuke to hear.
Yoruichi frowned. Why is that phrase...Soi Fon...that's what she said before...
Soi Fon read Yoruichi's face and sighed. "I'm afraid this is exactly why I am here", she explained, holding the arrow up. She turned to face Kisuke and grimaced while she spoke, "I might be needing your help"
---
This was the second time Soi Fon had to explain the situation, from start to finish and was getting weary of it. But she needed answers, and so even if she had to repeat this process to several dozen men, she would. Kisuke's face looked deep in thought, while Yoruichi seemed lost and worried. She finally could not stop herself, and interrupted Kisuke's theorizing. "Soi Fon, why didn't you tell me any of this before?"
"Yoruichi-sama", Soi Fon interjected. "It would have been hard for me to tell anyone that my dreams have been troubling me, let alone confide that in you"
Though Soi Fon spoke respectfully, Yoruichi felt slighted by her former bodyguard's statement. She stood up and left the conversation, leaving Soi Fon dumbfounded by Yoruichi's behavior. Now, however, isn't the time to humor her temper-tantrums, and so Soi Fon returned her attention to Kisuke. "Do you suppose this is the same case as the Memory Rosary?"
"Not even remotely close, Captain Soi Fon. Senna was a matter with consciousness created by a certain abnormal process. You are, on the other hand, I am more sure than anything, a Shinigami through and through"
Soi Fon sighed, relieved of Kisuke's answers. The last thing she needed was to find out that she wasn't real in the first place.
"This is however, a really curious case. You say it all began when you used Shunko at full force? Perhaps we should ask Yoruichi-san if she had similar experience"
"I doubt that. She would have already said something while I mentioned it earlier. As it is, she is more concerned of the fact that I hid it from her, so perhaps something like this did not happen to her"
Kisuke fanned himself and thought of other ways to investigate this. Soi Fon stood up and spoke. "Actually, there is one thing we can do right now"
"And what is that?"
"Do you have access to any library here? I have a particular subject I need to see"
Kisuke's eyes brightened. "Ohhh...so you suspect that--"
"This so called Qin dynasty really existed", she finished, holding up the arrow once more.