Disclaimer: All rights to the name "Soul Calibur" belong solely to Namco. I neither own this franchise nor do I profit from the writing of this story.
Author's Note: Just wanted to write a short one shot on the life after Patroklos saved Pyrrha and their adventures. Hopefully it isn't too boring. Enjoy.
Pyrrha hummed contently to herself as she was in the bakery, helping her aunt Cassandra knead the dough in order to prepare for another long day of serving their regular customers and travelers from far away.
It was hard work no doubt. She was required to rise at four in the morning in order to start on the mixing, making sure that the consistency was right so that she could start kneading while her aunt started the the fire in the furnace.
She had to be quick. Once one batch was done, Pyrrha was required to continue on kneading some more dough so that there would be a sufficient supply once their shop opened around seven in the morning. From there she would help serve her customers. While there were the occasional sour grapes that dampened her mood from time to time Pyrrha was often glad to be of service to her customers; people who did not know of her tattered past and were thus inclined to be kind and courteous to her.
As she was kneading under candle light at the crack of dawn Pyrrha could not help but go down memory lane.
She and her brother had gone through so much to attain their lives of peace now. What with the destruction of both Soul Edge and Soul Calibur two years prior.
Pyrrha had initially thought that she would live alone with Patroklos but was rather surprised to hear him say that they would stay with some relatives, saying that it would do her some good.
The shy blond knew that she had relatives but she had never met them, having been abducted as a young child. The only family she knew personally was her former master and fiance, Jurgis, but alas he was dead now. The thought of meeting people that had known her mother (a figure of complete wonder to her as Patroklos often told her of the great feats their mother had accomplished before her death) had filled Pyrrha with such fright.
No she wasn't scared OF her relatives but scared of whether they would accept her or not. She was once a malfested being that everyone hated and while Soul Calibur had cleansed her she could not help but feel that this was going to be no different. Her relatives would reject and hurt her and she would be shunned, forced to live alone. Such thoughts plagued Pyrrha but Patroklos insisted that this would not happen.
They had finally reached their destination within the territories of the Ottoman Empire in a small village just outside of Athens. The house they made their way to was meek and humble, a mere cottage that was but a few yards away from what looked like a bakers shop, which seemed to be occupied at the moment. At once Patroklos made his way over there. Pyrrha followed quietly a knot forming in her stomach.
They soon got within sight of the bakers shop. There were currently no customers at the moment nor was there an attendent at the front of the shop. Patroklos sighed in annoyance before suddenly shouting out.
"I hope that you are not goofing off too much in there aunt Cassandra!" said Patroklos.
There was a rustle and bustle coming from the room behind the counter and the door soon opened to reveal a lovely looking lady. She was thirty eight years old but could easily pass for her late twenties. Her blond hair was draped down to shoulders being slightly longer than the length she had in her days of her youth. Her body was stout and strong with a hefty bosom that strained her apron though perhaps not as muscular as it had once been due to lack of combat. Her face bore a pout from being disturbed by her peevish nephew.
"Patroklos! Its not often that you come by here to visit. Are you still on that hopeless quest of yours and just merely passing by or have you finally come to your senses and decided to finally settle down and stay with us?" asked Cassandra with her hands on her hips.
Patroklos could not help but narrow his eyes in playful anger as he heard his aunt taunt him in this manner.
"For your information my 'hopeless' quest was quite productive. The gods found it appropriate that I was worthy of success and success is what I have claimed. Through battle and fire, cold and hunger I have journeyed but finally my quest has been completed. The girl next to me is none other than our dear, long lost Pyrrha." proclaimed Patroklos proudly.
Cassandra had a look of confusion before suddenly speaking out.
"Has your travels made you muddle headed my dear nephew? The only thing I see next to you is the lovely scenery." said Cassandra with a giggle.
Patroklos suddenly turned his head to find that his older sister was nowhere in sight. At once he stomped the ground and eyed his aunt, who was smiling mischievously.
"S-She was here! Just you wait! I'll bring her to you and you'll see!" said Patroklos as he suddenly stormed off.
"Sure Patroklos. I guess I'll see you next year I suppose." giggled Cassandra. She loved poking at her nephew's buttons.
Patroklos turned, his face red with embarrassment and frustration before stomping his foot once more and sticking his tongue out before turning about and started to look for his sister.
He made for a small woody area just north of the bakery.
"Pyrrha!" cried Patroklos.
Thankfully for Patroklos he did not have to search long before finally finding his older sister, her back against a tree with her head hung low.
"Pyrrha! What's the matter? Why did you just leave like that?" asked Patroklos.
"I-I can't Patroklos. What if they don't accept me? What if they hate me? I-I wouldn't be able to bear it." stammered Pyrrha through her tears. She was clearly afraid.
Patroklos could not help but feel sorry for his older sister. Too many years she had lived alone forced to do another's bidding while being hated and scorned by many. Despite everything she was still so kind. Her desires were not that of world dominion or power. All she simply wanted was a peaceful life where she could be accepted.
Before he even knew it Patroklos soon stepped forward and embraced his sister. He felt her stiffen in surprise but soon she relaxed under his embrace and lay her head on his shoulder as he soothed her.
"Look. This is our family here. Both uncle Lucius and aunt Cassandra will be glad to see that you are truly alive and well. Our family has suffered. Our mother is long gone, a casualty of war while our father passed soon after of pestilence. To know that there is another one of us still alive and well would be welcome." said Patroklos.
To Patroklos dismay he felt Pyrrha's head turning frantically on his chest.
"You may be right but I-I'm afraid. I don't want to get hurt again. I would rather just live alone, content with you, then to be hated by more people. Please, just let me go and-"
"Damn it Pyrrha! You are not even giving us a chance! You keep sulking that you knew no family, that you desired a family of your own to care and love you. I have worked hard and trained under the most extreme conditions in order to find you and make sure that you got back to your rightful family. Maybe you don't remember but I do! I remember my big sister being there with me, playing with me while mother and father smiled. That these memories are precious to me. That they kept me together when I thought I would fall apart. I have you now and your family is waiting. But you'll never get your wish if you keep pushing me...if you keep pushing us away Pyrrha."
There was stunned silence between the two siblings as they stood there, still within each other's embrace. Pyrrha looked up through teary eyes to regard her brother. Though younger he was considerably taller than her, almost six feet in height with a body of iron forged through harsh training. She could not help but feel safe in his arms and trust his words. He may be younger but Pyrrha was not afraid to admit that she regarded him as her authority, someone she looked up to and followed for guidance.
And now he was here, showing her a way out of the darkness. He put everything on the line to find her and to make her happy and the only thanks she gave was throwing it back in his face but not trusting him. By whining and complaining but never wanting to take initiative.
She was afraid of his angry outburst but his words held merit and she could not deny that. In the end she decided that she would trust him. Even if her extended family did reject her she knew that at the very least Patroklos would be there for her and that, to her, was all that she needed.
With that in mind she soon broke the embrace and looked Patroklos in the eye. She soon nodded and spoke.
"Okay. I'll meet them but only because you want me to." said Pyrrha with a determined voice.
"That's what I want to hear. Come, aunt Cassandra is waiting."
It only took them a few minutes to make their way back to the bakery, where Cassandra was still waiting at the counter though there were still no customers.
Cassandra saw Patroklos coming and soon spoke.
"Well, well. You came back sooner than expected. I really thought you had taken off into the blue once more and would not be back until next summer at least." said Cassandra playfully.
Patroklos could only smile before speaking.
"Don't act so haughty aunt Cassandra. I don't speak any lies. The girl next to me is Pyrrha, our long lost Pyrrha." said Patroklos in a triumphant tone.
Once again Cassandra looked confused before giggling once more.
"Uh-huh. If that thing is our little Pyrrha then I'm Hephaestus himself." giggled Cassandra.
Patroklos looked to his side to find a weasel there gnawing on some grubs but Pyrrha was nowhere in sight. Patroklos slapped his hand on his forehead and looked over to see his aunt still giggling at him for his folly.
"B-But she was just here and-"
"Patroklos perhaps you need some rest. You have been gone a long time and the stress of travel has not bode well with your state of mind." said Cassandra now more seriously.
But Patroklos would not be cowed. He knew that Pyrrha was nearby but she was incredibly shy.
"Pyrrha! I know that you are here. If you don't come out this instant I'm going to tell aunt here about that little dream of yours you had." threatened Patroklos.
"No! Not that!" cried Pyrrha as she suddenly dashed out of some nearby bushes and made her way toward Patroklos and grabbed at his vest.
"Please! You promised that you wouldn't tell anybody." cried Pyrrha in worry. However Patroklos only smiled.
"And your secret is safe with me now that you are here. Pyrrha this is our dear aunt Cassandra." said Patroklos.
Pyrrha looked over to Cassandra and could not help but feel so small and bashful at the sight of the older woman. Her stomach was in knots and her brow was sweating. However she took this time to bow slightly and speak.
"I-I'm Pyrrha...older sister of Patroklos. You don't have to believe me or anything, I mean I wasn't sure if I even had family left but still, all I ask is that you-"
Pyrrha soon stopped as she found Cassandra just staring at her as if in apparent shock. Pyrrha could not help but feel nervous under Cassandra's gaze and her fear started well through her soul.
This was it. Her only family would reject her and she would be hurt once more. The thought of having to bear this pain once more was almost overwhelming but she did only for Patroklos. If she had it her way she would not even be here.
However Pyrrha's fears were unfounded as Cassandra soon started to speak.
"By Jove...it couldn't be. W-Wait here you two." said Cassandra seriously as she left the bakery and made her way to her small cottage.
Both Pyrrha and Patroklos were forced to wait but not too long as Cassandra was soon back in as little as five minutes. She carried what looked like a large portrait though it was turned back so they could not see what it actually was.
"I knew it. I thought I was seeing things when I saw you but I had to be sure. For right now I just want you to look at this portrait." said Cassandra as she soon turned the portrait around.
There sat a woman in a decorative room. She wore a small, one piece white dress with a brown vest adorned around her waist. Her hair was short, only down to her shoulders. Her face showed that of kindness but of great burden as well.
Patroklos was stunned at the sight and soon spoke.
"I-Is that...Pyrrha? But how?" asked Patroklos in confusion.
"No. Its not Pyrrha though I can see how you would be confused. Even I couldn't believe my eyes until this very moment." said Cassandra seriously.
"I-If that is not me...then who is it?" asked Pyrrha, somewhat unnerved at seeing a portrait of someone that could very well pass as her twin.
"She...is your grandmother Nike Alexandra. This portrait was done by a painter paid for by your great grandfather, Rodinion, on the week before her wedding day. He wanted a memento of his only child before she would be married and move away. On the day before his death he gave it to back to his daughter, your grandmother, so that it would not be lost. I was only five at the time but to this day I still remember. However your grandmother hid the portrait as it gave her much grief, reminding her too much of her deceased father."
It was at this moment that Cassandra soon stepped forward toward Pyrrha. Both women were about the same height but Pyrrha could not help but feel subdued by this woman's presence. Despite her cheery exterior she held an inner power that seemed to make Pyrrha cow a bit in fear.
However Cassandra was not malicious in her advance and instead place a soft hand on the cheek of Pyrrha. Her eyes were brimming with tears as she did this. Pyrrha closed her eyes in content and found herself leaning her face on the hand of Cassandra.
"Pyrrha. You are the splitting image of my mother. Down to the very last freckle. And I just want to say one thing...welcome home. We missed you." said Cassandra as her tears were now streaming.
Pyrrha could only feel overwhelming relief and happiness as she heard these words from her lost aunt and before either of them knew it, both aunt and niece were in each other's embrace and weeping in joy.
Pyrrha was so engrossed in her memories that she had neglected in her duty of kneading the dough as she just stood there with a blank look in her face.
"Hello? Anyone in there?" said Cassandra suddenly as she waved a hand up and down Pyrrha's face.
"W-What?" said Pyrrha in confusion.
"Looks like your head was in the clouds and I just brought you back down. You really should get to sleep earlier otherwise you'll find yourself sluggish and not feeling for work. And the customers won't care. So hop to it!" said Cassandra in a upbeat voice, perhaps too upbeat considering the time in the morning.
"S-Sorry! I'll do my best, I promise." said Pyrrha as she soon attacked her dough with a vengeance and worked quickly. Cassandra just giggled at the sight.
"Atta girl! That's what I want to hear. But careful with that dough! Knead it with precision and care, as if you were kneading the very bosom of Artemis herself!" said Cassandra.
Pyrrha could not help but turn red at hearing this and tried not to think of anything obscenely lewd as she kneaded the dough.
However as she looked over at the rising sun, she could not help but smile.
She was with a family that loved and adored her, especially Cassandra whom she regarded as a mother figure. And despite her pains and sufferings she was willing to put them behind her. Her work was hard and she did not have much free time but she wouldn't have it any other way.
At last she was finally home.
Author's Note: I really wanted to write something naughty on this (Pyrrha x Patroklos. Yes that's the vibe I get from them in the game) but figured that this was better instead. Hoped you all enjoyed.