Amy sat quietly on the edge of one of the many steps leading up to the Sorel mansion. Whatever her new father tried, he could not make her properly happy. He could make her smile, but only momentarily. Amy longed to remember what 'happy' felt like. She had only met it as a small child. Even then she couldn't quite be sure, for she used to be simple-minded. Amy longed to have someone teach her what happiness felt like.

Raphael taught her that power was happiness, and to gain power you needed to be empty hearted, to feel little empathy for those you rob of power. Amy stared at her sword and sighed. This is not the road I would have chosen. She thought to herself, though she understands that this was the only path that was presented to her. She sighed again and grasped Albion in her hand.

Gracefully shifting to her feet, she notices a girl out of the corner of her eye. She looked similar in age to Amy, though she had a more youthful aura than her. She had two strange looking weapons seemingly attached to her wrists. Amy's hand tightened around the sword's handle as the girl grew closer. The two girl's eyes met, they knew what was to happen between them.

"You're after my father, aren't you?" Amy claimed, with absence lingering in her voice.

"Is your father a minion of Soul Edge?" The girl replied calmly, she had an airy voice.

"My father is no being's minion." Amy lifted her sword towards the airy girl, "The sword is his slave."

In response, the girl raised her foreign swords just a foot from her face. "I refuse to fight someone I don't know the name of. I am Talim."

"Amy Sorel. Now please, may we begin?" Amy was a polite fighter; she understood the etiquette of proper battling. One did not just leap in, both challengers must be prepared. Cheating was not strength, skill was. Talim nodded, and they both hesitated to be the one to strike first.

Amy thrust her sword towards Talim's bare stomach. Talim quickly parried with her wrist-blades. She ducked and aimed high with her blades. Amy stepped aside and with her Albion, threw Talim off-balance. Moving quickly, she went to slice at Talim's back, but her challenger was far too quick. Talim guarded the attack with one of her small swords, and launched a fist at Amy's stomach, landing a bruising punch. Talim cringed as she hear Amy's groan.

Amy hadn't been shook by the blow. She launched a graceful horizontal slice at Talim. She blocked it instantaneously.
"Won't you give up?"

Amy's face became shrouded with frustration. She sprung into the air and brought her light sword confidently down towards Talim's head, begging for this to be the attack that landed. It, too, was block, tossing Amy to the ground. She struggled to bring herself to her feet, or even to her knees.

"Why do you not finish me?" Amy's confusion was evident in her voice. Was the point of battle not to conquer your opponent?

"I do not wish to cause you real harm." Talim shrugged, "You're far too young, to stop your life now… It would mirror my life stopping."

Amy was lost in this girl's words. She was scared. She… she felt as Talim was. It was pointless to end either of their lives. Amy dropped her sword and Talim, her blades.

Talim smiled and looked at Amy, expecting her to do the same. "I see no point in smiling; I have neither won nor lost a battle."

"Why are you so intent on fighting?" Talim's hand reached towards Amy, "It's such a painful, destructive thing."

"It's… Its one of the few things I know." Amy stared at the outstretched hand, barely understanding why her opponent was attempting to show her another act of kindness. "Why are you so kind?"

"It's what I know." Talim laughed. Her laughter was as bubbly as she seemed to be. Both deeply intrigued, the polar pair sunk into eachothers mind.