Disclaimer: Soul Edge, Soul Blade and Soul Calibur are all property of Namco/Bandai. I do not own anything.
Smiles and Tears
Fu-Ma no Sato
The rain had finally let up as what was left of the day became night. A chilled wind blew playfully through the village causing shrubbery and the loose straw roofs of the hamlet's housing to slightly rattle. The trio had long since entered the village and was allowed time to rest from their long travels. Taki, the demon huntress, was taken to the Fu-Ma clan healer to assess the injuries she'd sustained during her mission, leaving Heishiro and the beautiful foreign girl alone while they awaited the arrival of the clan's leader.
"I wonder how long they'll keep us waiting…" Setsuka muttered as she sat by the roaring fire situated in the middle of the pair's current dwellings.
"Not too long, I hope. I have business with the clan leader!" the young samurai spoke with barely contained excitement.
The beautiful foreigner's eyes downcast as her thoughts returned to the horrific events that took place just hours ago. She reflected on how Benkei gave his life to save hers. Though his intentions were less than pure when they'd first met, Setsuka had grown to respect the most honorable of the three men. What the blond woman remembered most were his kind eyes. A tear ran down the foreign girl's cheek as she recalled the tall man's sacrifice.
"Benkei…" Setsuka whispered, wiping her sorrowful tears away with the sleeve of her kimono, but they wouldn't stop falling and she was tired of fighting them.
"Hm?" Mitsurugi turned to see the young woman softly weeping into her hands.
The hut was thick with silence as the samurai's dark eyes gazed sadly at the weeping beauty.
"Should I say something?" the young warrior thought to himself, wanting to comfort the woman but not knowing what to say.
Heishiro didn't have much experience with woman since he'd lived in the mountains after…
"Okay…" the rugged samurai sighed and walked casually to the fire pit where Setsuka was, and seated himself next to her.
"You were…thinking of your companions, yes?" Mitsurugi spoke as he laid a consoling hand on the blond woman's shoulder.
Setsuka looked up; her eyes were a bit red and puffy from her crying. The sympathetic warrior wiped her tears away and smiled.
"My mother once said, "We should not mourn the ones we've lost, but treasure instead the bonds we've found."
The foreign woman gave the rugged samurai's words some thought, and after a moment of silence, looked away from him.
"I hadn't known him for that long…but Benkei gave his life for me."
"I see. This Benkei must have believed your cause to be worth protecting then, Ms. Setsuka." Heishiro comforted, smiling still.
"My…cause…?" Setsuka repeated as her hazel eyes met the dark gaze of the samurai.
"Yep. So, it's up to you to make sure his death was not in vain."
The woman's eyes widened somewhat as her companions words echoed back to her.
"I…I wanted you to know, in case the Fu-Ma clan moved on, that my blade is at your service."
"Benkei…" Setsuka spoke softly; a small and beautiful smile accompanied her words as more tears ran down her cheek.
"Uh-Ms. Setsuka! I-I didn't mean to make you cry again! I was trying to help! Honest!" Mitsurugi stammered, completely misinterpreting the foreign girl's tears.
"Thank you…Heishiro." The blond woman said, turning to the samurai to show him that he indeed helped.
Mitsurugi nodded and smiled. "Think nothing of it, Ms. Setsuka."
The blond girl wiped her tears away and returned her gaze to the warm light of the ever dancing fire.
"Please, just Setsuka."
Meanwhile, within Healer Kyoko's hut…
"So, the Devil of Bizan was just a boy draped in demon hides, how amusing." The elderly woman said as she placed a cloth dipped in medicinal herbs onto the deep cut on Taki's inner thigh, pressing lightly on it.
"Yes. He really surprised me when he'd cast the demon hides aside." The young huntress said as she recalled seeing the young warrior's eyes for the first time, her cheeks tinged with red.
Kyoko smiled a bit as she realized what was going on, removing the cloth and placing another batch of the healing herbs onto the wound, forcing a small hiss from the younger woman. "Don't be a baby, Taki."
"Y-yes, master Kyoko." The huntress hissed as the clan leader entered the hut, making his way over to the two women.
"So, was it the young man that did this to you or perhaps the foreigner?" Toki accused, crossing his arms and gazing down at the young, injured kunoichi.
"No Master, but he did kill the demon responsible for my injuries. Both Heishiro and Setsuka have shown great skill." replied Taki, leaping to the defense of her new allies.
"So it's… Heishiro and Setsuka, is it?" the Fu-Ma clan leader spat, masking the rage he felt for Taki bringing outsiders to the village.
The young huntress glared at the old man as she suddenly remembered the reason she hated Toki.
"Kyoko…leave us." The clan leader commanded, his lips curling into a devious smile.
"B-but…Taki's injuries must be treated, Master! I can't just…!"
"Now!" the old man interrupted with booming authority.
Kyoko looked past Toki and to the young huntress with apologetic eyes. Both women knew what was coming and both women knew they were powerless to stop it. Taki nodded, grateful to the old woman for trying.
"As you command, master." The healer conceded with a bow then exited the hut, leaving the poor injured kunoichi to fend for herself.
As soon as the Kyoko left, Toki's hand shot forward and latched onto Taki's neck, his grip tightening slightly. The huntress grasped his wrist with both hands as she struggled for air.
"When will you learn, Taki…" the old ninja licked his lips as his free hand cupped the young woman's breast, kneading the soft mound of flesh as roughly as he could manage.
"You are mine! And nothing…" Taki gritted her teeth as the Fu-Ma clan leader squeezed her flesh with what felt like all his might. "…Nothing will change that!"
A tear rolled down the young woman's cheek as the lecherous old man latched his lips onto hers; his slimy tongue swam into her mouth and moved around like an eel. After a while, Toki broke the kiss and grinned devilishly as he tore the fabric between Taki's legs, exposing her bare womanhood.
"Please, no…" the young woman implored, her voice which was usually strong and confident, sounded so small and powerless as Toki slithered to the opening, then looked up and gave the injured kunoichi a cold half-smile.
"You may be the finest warrior our clan has ever produced, but you are still just a woman. And you are mine."
Tears continued to roll down Taki's cheek as the Fu-Ma clan leader began violate her. The young woman, though revolted by the old man's very touch, could not stop her body from reacting to this contact. Taki closed her eyes as tightly as she could manage and began to imagine someone else with her. The demon huntress moaned aloud as the assault continued and her thoughts roamed to the young man she'd met earlier. His powerful frame on top of her, his strong hands exploring every inch of her body, his dark, focused eyes gazing lovingly into hers…
"Heishiro…" she whispered, almost inaudibly, giving a name to the face she imagined, a small smile gracing her face.
A disclosed location, Japan…
After another day of unspeakable torture, the elderly captive was thrown into his cell and clapped in chains once more as his tormentor glared down at him, her full lips curled into a twisted smile.
"While I'd love to make you squirm a bit more, my father would have words with you." The busty, scantily-clad woman spat as she licked her lips at the bruised and bloodied old man.
"Enough, Ivy." a raspy voice commanded from behind the silver haired woman.
Ivy turned to the owner of the voice and dipped her head slightly in greeting.
"Father, I think he's almost ready."
The lightly armored figure snatched the old man by the chains on his wrist, lifting him into the air with very little effort. Whoever this man was, his strength was undeniable, which shattered the elderly prisoner's notions of escape.
"Listen carefully, old man." the figure started as the prisoner stared defiantly into his foreboding eyes, "In order for our master to be reborn into this world, you must be broken."
"Physically." the younger man grabbed the prisoner's wrist and twisted it, effectively breaking it.
"Gyaaaaaaaagh!" the elderly prisoner howled as he helplessly dangled from the chains held by the mysterious armor-clad figure.
"Mentally." The powerful man added as he forcefully tossed his captive into the cell wall with a sickening thud, before collapsing to the floor with ragged, shallow breaths.
"And spiritually. That is why you are kept in the dark in-between our…sessions." Ivy added as she turned the bloodied master over on his back and straddled him.
"Well, old man, it seems my daughter has taken a liking to you. I wouldn't necessarily call that a good thing however."
The woman licked at the blood that slowly trickled down the old man's face deriving a sick, twisted sort of pleasure from his suffering.
"G-get…get…off of m-me…you…harlet!" the old Japanese man spat in a desperate act of defiance.
The old master weakly struggled beneath the woman as she laughed at his feeble attempt to free himself.
"Try as hard as you like, old man. Until we get what we want, you are our prisoner. Ivy…" the powerful man said as he turned to leave the cell.
"He's all yours."
"Thank you, father." The busty woman replied as the other leader of the captors made his exit.
"Now then, it appears we will have more time to play…"
The white haired woman's words sent a surge of fear through the prisoner as he stared up at her, eyes filled with terror. The man she called father had revealed that the prisoner must be broken completely for their master to be reborn into the world. What did he mean by that? The elderly prisoner would have to harden his resolve to prevent something that could potentially be catastrophic if the situation hinged on how strong his soul was. But for her, he would remain strong. For his precious snow flower, the old man smiled, weakly.
"Setsuka…" the name slipped from his lips like a whisper, barely audible to anyone but himself.
Alrighty then! Sorry about the long wait! I came down with a case of writers block…At any rate, R/R and all that good stuff!