A/N: Just a quick note, when I posted the last chapter, I saw for some reason it did not save a few things at the very end of the chapter, so to avoid a little confusion, I recommend reading the very last part with Link and company as well as the very very last part with Zasalamel.
Also, I will take that into consideration for Chapter 5 in possibly adding some dialogue. At the time, I was under the impression samurai often battled each other without any dialogue. With that in mind, I figured Mitsurugi fit the mold and also wasn't one to prevent someone from walking away from a battle, so that's why I had no dialogue between him and Link at the time. But that's for another time. For now, here is the next chapter with the next one not far behind. Enjoy!
.
This is a sentence. - Narration. No character speaking or thinking.
"This is a sentence." - Character speaking out loud.
'This is a sentence.' - Character speaking in his/her head.
"(This is a sentence.)" - Character speaking out loud but in a language unfamiliar to the characters (and I was too lazy to research the correct wording).
This is a sentence. - Emphasis placed on the italic word in the normal course of the narration or the character speaking or thinking.
This IS a sentence. - Same as with the single italic, just a variation of expressing the emphasis.
This is a sentence. - All italics means the event is happening in a dream or flashback of which I would give a quick note prior saying a dream or flashback is occurring.
This is a sentence. - During a dream or flashback, emphasis placed in the normal text word in the normal course of the narration or the character speaking or thinking.
.
I do not own The Legend of Zelda or Soul Calibur.
Chapter 19 - Istanbul III
Everyone stayed silent as they looked at Link after suggesting they all travel together in searching for Soul Edge. He said it so casually, as if it was a normal and obvious course of action. So much so that they weren't sure they heard right.
"What did you say, Link?" Talim asked.
"Why don't we just look for Soul Edge together?" he repeated. The room was again silent for a few seconds at that before Taki spoke up.
"And why would you suggest that, Link?" Taki asked, a hint of hesitation in her tone.
"Well, we're all looking for it, right? And we each can fight and have abilities that can help each other out in case we run into trouble. Plus, there's strength in numbers as they say, so...why not?"
For a third time, the room was silent a minute at that, although for Taki, she was a little concerned where he was going with this. She supposed she shouldn't be surprised at his suggestion, as it sounded like something Link would do. And while he made good reasons for his suggestion, that wasn't enough to convince her. Although, it was enough to convince someone else.
"I agree. Why don't we all go together?" Talim stated, everyone now looking at her. "Together with our combined knowledge and abilities, we would stand a better chance at finding the blade," prompting Link to smile at her, for some reason feeling particularly excited about her agreeing with him, though he wasn't sure why. One of them, however, did not agree with that sentiment.
"Uh, uh. No way. I'm not traveling with someone I don't trust. ESPECIALLY her," Yun-Seong emphasized.
"Don't be like that, Yun-Seong. She is not a threat to you or anyone else here," Talim replied, though internally she couldn't help but sigh at her friend. It seemed he was still being stubborn as always despite how Taki assisted them earlier. Was he still so blind in his beliefs?
"Hmph. Says you."
This time Talim sighed externally. "(sigh) She is not an enemy, Yun-Seong. Can't you see that?"
"You know what's happening in my country!"
"That doesn't mean she is a part of it!"
Apparently so, it seemed. The other three watched as the two kept bickering back and forth, with Yun-Seong eventually standing up in the process in frustration and annoyance. Link wanted to get up to calm them down, but Taki held him back, saying to let them be a minute and wait before stepping in, while also perhaps learning something from them in the process. Link never did like fighting amongst friends, but he reluctantly obeyed as they listened as Talim kept preaching how the sword was evil and posed a danger to anyone who came near it, while Yun-Seong just shrugged it aside, stating vehemently that he would protect his country with it, looking at Taki as he stated it who simply kept her neutral expression in response. Finally, it reached the point where the arguing was too much for the other spectator of the bunch.
"Yun-Seong, that's enough, already!" That actually got Yun-Seong to stop for a moment, looking at his fellow Korean in surprise. "You're not helping here!"
"What!? Seong Mi-Na, you can't seriously be thinking of joining them!" he exclaimed to her.
"I didn't say that, Yun-Seong. I said I'm tired of you starting an argument with each other after what we all went through! Especially her!" she replied back, gesturing to Talim as she did.
"Hey, I didn't start-"
"Yes you did, and you know it. Now, be silent and SIT DOWN!", she yelled, gesturing a finger to the ground in emphasis.
That last yell got him to flinch a bit at her tone. For a moment, he was about to make a retort, but seeing the look on Seong Mi-Na's face made him think twice. He looked at Talim for a moment, whose frustrated/disappointed/upset look on her face was enough for him to finally stop, letting out a deep breath before reluctantly doing as told, crossing his arms in annoyance as he did with Talim slowly sitting down shortly afterwards. They sat in uncomfortable silence for a minute, Yun-Seong giving a frown at Seong Mi-Na before giving Taki a hard look and turning his head to the side with another "Hmph" as he did.
"I don't get it."
Everyone turned to Link at that who had suddenly spoken up, each of them blinking in brief surprise and confusion at his statement. "What do you mean, 'You don't get it?' Don't get what, exactly?" Yun-Seong asked, still in a sharp tone from earlier.
"Why do you two hate Taki-chan so much? You only just met her, right? So what did she do to you that would make you hate her so much?" he asked calmly despite the way he was talking and looking at his friend like that as it was starting to get on his nerves the way he kept treating his friend that way, but he wanted to find out where his seemingly intolerable hatred for her came from.
The two Koreans raised an eyebrow and looked at each other briefly at the "chan" part, familiar with the Japanese suffix but ignored it as Yun-Seong replied. "You must not be aware of the current war going on between our countries?" he said more as a statement than a question.
"Huh?" Link replied before looking up at Taki. "What war?"
"Their response towards me is understandable, Link," Taki stated calmly as she looked back. "For several years, now, a daimyo back home has made repeated attempts to take over their lands so as to consolidate his power."
Link's eyes widened at that as he looked at the two, who nodded in confirmation as Taki continued. "To my understanding, each attempt has been thus far pushed back, though more forces are being sent after each attempt, and so they are constantly in a state of war and unrest in their lands."
Link looked at the two Koreans with a somewhat more sympathetic look before looking back at Taki in confusion. "But why do they hate you, though?"
"In their minds, I am guilty by association. Since I hail from the land attacking their lands, they are naturally distrustful towards me, even if I personally have not had any part in said attacks," she explained, looking in their direction at that last part.
"And I say even if you didn't, you're still going after Soul Edge so as to allow them to take over our land!" Yun-Seong hotly declared, putting everyone on edge as it looked like this discussion was again going to get very heated very quickly. "Why else would you be after it?"
"Yun-Seong, please-" Talim started before Yun-Seong kept going.
"Or maybe enslave us? Force us to do your bidding and wipe out our culture? Our way of life?"
"Yun-Seong, stop it-"
"Isn't that what you ninja do? Kill people for money? Regardless if they did nothing to you?" he continued, by now having stood up again and slowly started walking towards Taki, who calmly watched his approach, unafraid of his actions even as he looked ready to draw his sword.
"Yun-Seong! That's enough!" Talim said sternly, but he kept going.
"Never stopping to think of the consequences? Or the families they leave behind? Of course as a ninja, family means nothing to you, right? Willing to sacrifice your own to complete a mission? In fact, it wouldn't surprise me if you killed your own fam-"
"SHE SAID THAT'S ENOUGH!"
That finally got him to stop in his tracks—along with the fist that literally knocked him off his feet. He stayed motionless on the ground for several seconds, completely caught off guard as he let out a groan, very slowly sitting himself up. He shook his head a few times, briefly wondering just what the heck it was that hit him before he looked up and widened his eyes in surprise and shock at who hit him—along with everyone else as they all looked at Link still in the follow-through position from his punch and breathing a little heavily as well, not expecting such a reaction from him. Even Taki, who was just as surprised at his actions as well as how loud Link yelled—and the fact he yelled in general.
She actually flinched slightly just from the way he yelled, having not expected such a tone (let alone a yell) to ever come from him. Sure, she'd seen him frustrated and upset at times, but never outright angry. Well, maybe that one time when she insulted him that his parents were likely worried about him and he should just go home instead of going after Soul Edge, but that was nothing compared to this.
What was equally surprising for her was for some reason she felt almost...dare she say, flattered the way he stood up for her—both figuratively and literally. Where did that come from? If it was anyone else, she would have angrily blown it off and stated she could take care of herself, but for some reason she was...content in letting Link speak up for her. Why was that? Why was it so different when it was Link? Because he was her friend? Was that what it felt like when someone supported you like that...even if you didn't really ask for it? She mentally shook her head as she continued watching silently.
Link, meanwhile, had a very fierce look in his eyes as he remained in his follow-through position from the punch while still glaring at Yun-Seong. He surprised himself a bit at his actions, but that Yun-Seong had been getting on his nerves for some time now and then he went too far insulting Taki-chan like that, and that was just unacceptable to him.
"DON'T ever talk that way to Taki-chan again," he stated while pointing at him, speaking slowly in a low but very threatening tone that caused the rest of the group to shiver slightly. Even Taki felt a little chill from the way he spoke, though she wasn't sure if it was just from the tone or something else.
'Wow...Remind me not to get on Link's bad side,' the girls thought.
Yun-Seong just laid there as he looked up at Link while rubbing the spot he was punched, too stunned by the kid's actions to even speak. Plus, he moved so fast he didn't even see the punch coming!
Link slowly moved into a normal standing position as he continued. "Taki-chan is not like that. She is a very kind, caring, and respectful person even if she doesn't always show it. She even helped save your friend when she didn't have to and DESPITE any differences you may have had, but she did anyway. THAT's what kind of person she is."
That last part made him flinch slightly, and the sudden glares from his friends now looking at him made him start sweating a little. Maybe he did go a bit too far, he thought guiltily. It showed on his face as it softened significantly from the earlier look he was giving Taki.
"And she doesn't take missions just for money as you claim," Link continued, getting his attention. "In fact, she hasn't accepted a mission in seven years now, as her own clan wants her dead."
Eyes widened again on the faces of Talim and even Seong Mi-Na while Yun-Seong tilted his head a bit at that as they looked at Taki. "...Your own clan wants you dead, huh?" he said in genuine surprise as he slowly stood back up, dusting himself off a little and again rubbing his forehead where Link punched him earlier. He was still rather upset about that, but given the circumstances, he decided to let it slide. "Interesting. What for? Steal from your own clan? Killed the wrong person? Or one of your own, perhaps-?"
SMACK!
"YUN-SEONG THAT'S ENOUGH!"
Although it appeared his mouth still hadn't softened enough. This time it was Seong Mi-Na that yelled at him before bashing him hard in the back of the head with the flat part of her blade, almost knocking him back down in the process.
"OW! What was that for?" he exclaimed, surprised at his friend's actions while rubbing the back of his head where she hit him, only to be further surprised when she pointed her blade at his neck.
"I'll tell you what that was for!" she started in a very angry tone. "If you can't keep that big mouth of yours shut, I'll just take the White Storm by force and leave home without you! DO YOU HEAR ME!?" she shouted in frustration. That got him to flinch at her tone and was now sweating a little more, barely letting out a surprised "What?" in response before she continued.
"You have been very rude since we have arrived here, running your mouth and getting into arguments—WITH YOUR OWN FRIEND, by the way—who just fifteen minutes ago was running for her life from dozens of thieves, WHOM YOU HELPED RESCUE HER FROM," she emphasized, "and THEN kept making accusations about someone without knowing a thing about her, regardless if she happens to be from the country attacking ours, and STILL couldn't stop making insulting comments at her even after what Link said earlier! I don't want to hear it!" she added at seeing him about to retort, shutting him up again.
"Now, if you can't keep that mouth of yours shut from this point on, I WILL take the White Storm by force like I said and simply leave home without you. UNDERSTAND!?" she yelled/growled. Seriously, what was wrong with him? Was he so blind with Taki's nationality that he can't see her anything beyond an enemy? Seong Mi-Na knew her friend wasn't the smartest and sometimes had a bit of a temper on him, but this was way too much, even for him, and she wasn't going to stand it any more.
Faced with the increasingly angry look and tone of his friend, he swallowed the large lump that had been developing in his throat before nervously nodding his head yes, which calmed her down slightly as she continued.
"Now, look. I know you don't like her, but I trust him," she gestured to Link still standing before him before gesturing to Taki, "and he trusts her, so that is enough for me to...to," she trailed off, trying to think of how to put it.
"Give her the benefit of the doubt?" Link finished for her.
Seong Mi-Na looked at him in slight confusion at that. "Give her...'the benefit of the doubt?'"
Hmm, looks like he introduced another phrase to them, he thought to himself. "It basically means you do not necessarily believe or trust someone on a given issue but are willing to let it be until proven otherwise."
A thoughtful look appeared on her face for a few moments before nodding in acceptance. "Yes, I believe that would be a good way to put it," she replied before turning to Yun-Seong with a stern look again. "So let's 'give her the benefit of the doubt,' as he put it, until she proves otherwise. Alright?" she said slowly, the sharpness not lost in her tone.
Yun-Seong looked at her a bit, still surprised at her lecturing him like that as well as how she even went so far as to put her blade near his neck like that. He then looked at the others around him giving similar looks of disapproval, Talim in particular, which really hurt him on the inside. As he took the time to actually think about it a bit, though, he realized he actually was out of line...more than he'd like to admit. He felt rather disappointed with himself as it was just like when he challenged Hwang to a duel just to prove he was better, a very selfish reason especially when his country was in a state of peril. With the help of the White Storm Seong Mi-Na had lent him, he realized how foolish he was in challenging him like that, and now here he was doing the same thing, if not worse. Apparently he hadn't quite learned from it as much as he thought (though it didn't mean he still had to like the ninja woman).
Finally he let out a frustrated sigh. "Alright, fine" he grunted as he slowly moved up to sit back down but was stopped by Seong Mi-Na, who had pulled him by the back of his shirt to a standing position.
"Uh, uh," she said, shaking her head no.
"What?"
"What do you say?" she chided.
At that, Yun-Seong couldn't believe his eyes, and ears, at what Seong Mi-Na was doing, his eyes widened in disbelief at his friend's actions. "What? You can't be serious!"
"Just say it," she stated forcefully.
"Seong Mi-Na-"
"Say it!" she stated again, not taking no for an answer.
Eager to get this out of the way, Yun-Seong rolled his eyes in annoyance before replying. "(sigh) Fine, I'm sorry. Alright?" he stated impatiently, which got her to nod.
"Good. Now to them," she gestured.
Yun-Seong looked behind to the rest of the group before looking back at Seong Mi-Na, eyes widened again. "Seriously!?" he asked incredulously.
"Yes. Now do it," she replied with a no nonsense tone. "Come on, now. We haven't got all day."
The rest of the group, where before were watching their exchange in concern, now were watching in slight amusement at seeing Yun-Seong's uncomfortable look under her gaze. He looked like he was going to retort, only to be silenced by Seong Mi-Na giving him a "Do it or else you'll be sorry" look. He always hated it when someone looked at him like that, and it always seemed to come from women. Seriously, how was it females could pull off such a look with ease and allow them to get men to do what they want from it but men couldn't do the same to women? It was so unfair!
He reluctantly turned towards the group, flinching a bit as he saw the cross-armed Link still standing with that look he was giving him. It briefly made him question who had the scarier look—him or Seong Mi-Na. He hesitated a bit as he briefly looked back at Seong Mi-Na, only to get the same look as before and so decided to just get it over with. "I'm sorry...to all of you...for my earlier actions and behavior," he said very slowly, as if it pained him just to say it while giving a reluctant bow.
"And?" Seong Mi-Na added, gesturing to Taki (with Link stepping out of the way a bit so he could see her) which made him give her another pained look before turning towards Taki.
"And...for insulting you. That...was out of line," he slowly...and painfully added, but was enough to get Taki to slowly nod in acceptance.
"That's better. Now you can sit," Seong Mi-Na said with a nod, a rather satisfied look on her face after that last part as she sat down herself, Link doing the same with both looking as if all was well again. The rest of the group smiled and mentally applauded at how she got him to settle down, Taki in particular giving a slow but grateful nod to Seong Mi-Na in thanks for calming the situation, who actually gave a small smile and nod in return. Though, Yun-Seong still felt it necessary to make one last comment as he sat down.
"But just so we're clear, I still don't trust you, and I doubt anything you say will convince me otherwise," he said to Taki, crossing his arms in emphasis after sitting down.
"That is fine," she stated calmly, as if nothing happened. "You can believe whatever you wish. I do not care. If it calms your fears, neither of you nor your people are enemies of mine. Regardless of any...differences between our nations." Yun-Seong let out a scoff in disagreement but otherwise stayed quiet.
"You are right in that it is Soul Edge as the reason why Link and myself are here, though," she continued, getting their attention again. "But it is not to obtain it for the daimyo attacking your land as you suggest, or for any other daimyo for that matter, or even for ourselves."
"Hmph. For what, then? Why go after it if not for them to take over our land and get paid, or at least protect your own country with it?" Yun-Seong asked.
Taki raised an eyebrow at that last part but let it slide. "Simple. To destroy it altogether, and prevent its evil from spreading across the world."
Surprise briefly appeared on the faces of Talim, Seong Mi-Na and Yun-Seong before he scoffed. "Tch. Great, first Talim, now you, too? I never bought into it being evil or cursed as Talim claimed. How can something be 'cursed' or 'evil' when it's said to be the 'Sword of Salvation' or the 'Sword of Heroes?'"
"Regardless of the rumors regarding the sword," Talim explained, "it is indeed as I describe. You remember the poor boy that had been suffering from its energy. How do you explain that?"
"What difference does it make? You cured him from his ailment."
"That's not the point! A single shard of that blade in that village made him feel that way. How do you expect to survive a whole blade of evil energy surrounding you?"
"Enough!" Seong Mi-Na stated harshly before he could reply, getting him to slowly stop again. Seong Mi-Na took a calming breath before continuing. "Yun-Seong, I believe she is telling the truth."
A surprised but relieved look appeared on Talim's face at another believing her while a shocked look appeared on Yun-Seong's face, as she expected. "What!? How can you say that, Seong Mi-Na? Are you not also looking for it to protect our country with it? You did the last two times, last I heard."
"Not if it as evil as the old man said, and that was then, this is now. And now that she also states it is evil, I am inclined to believe him. And them," she stated, glancing at Talim and Taki.
"WHAT!? This is outrageous! How can you say that?" Was she seriously taking their side on this? Including that Taki's side? The thought was unbelievable to him! Then another thought came to him. "And what old man? What are you talking about?"
"Actually, I am curious about that myself," Taki calmly spoke up, hoping to avoid another argument. "What old man are you referring to?"
Seong Mi-Na looked at Yun-Seong a bit, then to Taki. "Well, I met him in the Himalayan Mountains before eventually traveling here. I saw he was a fighter and challenged him to a duel before he...well, easily took me down. Despite this, he offered to train me, which he did for a few months. At one point, I was describing my travels to him while resting, and when I mentioned Soul Edge, a worried look appeared on his face and warned me not to go after it, saying the sword was evil. At first I did not believe him, but he did not seem to me someone who would just lie to me like that. You be quiet, Yun-Seong!" she replied at hearing him scoff again.
"Hmm...interesting," Taki replied. "And did he give you his name, by any chance?"
"Well, I don't know if it was his real name or a title of some kind, but he called himself 'Edgemaster.'"
"Wait, Edgemaster? THE Edgemaster?" Taki stated with widened eyes, surprising everyone at her tone, especially Link as she did not show surprise that often. Even Yun-Seong gave her a curious look.
"You know him?" Link asked.
Taki blinked a bit before shaking off her shock. "Not socially. I had only heard of him in rumors. It is said he has mastered literally every weapon style in the world. And when I mean 'every weapon style,' I mean EVERY weapon style," she emphasized. "And when I mean 'in the world,' I mean in the WORLD. Whether from Asia, Europe, Africa or beyond. He learned it and mastered it, or so it is rumored."
"Tch, I doubt that."
"Is there anything you don't doubt, Yun-Seong?" Seong Mi-Na dryly quipped.
"Hey, I'm just saying I find it hard to believe one man can somehow know every fighting style out there, let alone master them. It just sounds absurd."
"I admit, that it is hard to believe," Seong Mi-Na started, "but he did have me practice against like ten different types of weapons he had. Long swords, short swords, and staffs of different kinds, and he fought with them so flawlessly. I never beat him once no matter how hard I tried."
"Mm...alright fine, big deal. He knows several fighting styles. I just don't see how even if he is as she claims that he knows EVERY style out there."
"As I said, they are but rumors," Taki quickly interrupted, not wanting to see him start shouting again. "And regardless of his existence or skill, it is not relevant to the case at hand. And if you want more evidence of Soul Edge's corruption, we can enlighten you even more."
"We?" Talim asked.
"Myself...and Link," she gestured to herself and then Link, a rather sad look appearing on his face at that.
"What happened? If you don't mind me asking, that is?" Talim asked softly.
The two looked at each other a bit before Taki stated her story first, later followed by Link. The others stayed mostly silent, chiming in with a comment or question here or there (and Yun-Seong sometimes getting elbowed upon saying something rude...by both girls).
When they were done, Talim and Seong Mi-Na had softer looks on their faces, particularly towards Link, and though Yun-Seong was skeptical on some of the details, he at least kept his mouth shut about it.
Seeing Link and Taki sharing their reasons for going after Soul Edge, Talim decided to share her story with everyone. She explained how she was a wind priestess in her village and how she used her abilities to read the wind in various ways. During the incident with the Evil Seed seven years ago, she lost consciousness during due to her connection with the wind. She would recover, though, and learn how to better use her wind abilities. Then one day, a man brought what he called a "vitality charm" when it was in fact a shard of Soul Edge. Sensing the dark energy coming from it, she saw how dangerous it was and could feel its presence seeming to be all over the world, spreading its evil influence. She then resolved to return such an evil power to wherever it belonged, wherever that might be.
She started traveling the world, collecting some of the shards in the process (surprising Link and Seong Mi-Na at that fact) until she came across a village with a corrupted watermill and met a boy who was sick from its effects. She stayed with the boy, helping to cure him with her connection to the wind by channeling the evil energy into her, much to the shock of Link, Taki and Seong Mi-Na. It was a slow process, and she found herself slowly losing her connection to the wind in the process, worrying her greatly.
By then, Yun-Seong had arrived at the village by chance asking about Soul Edge. When he saw her her feeling down at the boy not being cured despite her efforts, he helped cheer her up and convince her to not give up on it, which helped give her the confidence to keep trying. That led the other three to give him a look at that.
"What?" was all he said when the other three gave him a surprised/awkward look at that fact.
She then made the suggestion to try to release the energy all at once from the boy as opposed to slowly over time. The boy did not want to do it, though, as he did not want her to suffer more than she already had for his sake, but Yun-Seong managed to convince him to go through with it using his sword, which he explained is able to reflect a person's innermost thoughts upon those who look at the blade's reflection. Link and Taki looked at each other in confusion at that, but Seong Mi-Na confirmed it was true, and so they let it go.
After the boy reflected on the sword's...reflection of his thoughts, she began the ritual and was successful in purging the both of them of the evil energy in one large burst of wind. She lost consciousness in the process, but they would both safely recover, prompting congratulations from the others which she just smiled in appreciation, particularly at Link as a light blush appeared on her face at his praise, not noticing the dirty look Yun-Seong was giving him.
Taki, however, was thinking of the possibilities of being able to purge the energy from Soul Edge out of others. It was a shame she had not been able to meet Talim months earlier. Then she could have used her abilities to possibly cure her master from his corruption. But with that no longer possible, she thought to how effective it could be in curing others, whether they were corrupted from Soul Edge itself, an oni, or something else.
'Or perhaps cure a corrupted blade,' she thought as she thought back to her Mekki-Maru. Could she purge it with her abilities? It was a rather inviting thought, though she wouldn't want the girl to be hurt in the process or overtax herself in doing so. And then there was the fact she detected the shards on them despite the seal placed on the box storing their shards. And the fact said box was itself sealed in Link's mystery pouch, as she called it. Not only could she feel Soul Edge from that, but she could also feel it all over the world? That would prove to be a very useful ability. Even Taki's ability to sense Soul Edge was not that good. Link's suggestion of joining up, at least with Talim, suddenly seemed less farfetched, she thought.
Talim then finished with how she later met Yun-Seong again after they had initially parted ways at the village. With the wind guiding them, their journey took them all the way to Egypt before the wind then guided them north to Istanbul where they eventually met up with everyone present.
When asked what took them to Egypt, Talim explained the ancient temple they found, much to Yun-Seong objections in sharing that information with Taki but was silenced by Talim and Seong Mi-Na. He was starting to get annoyed by them constantly joining up against him.
They listened in fascination to the tragic story of the Hero King and his son that they had learned while they were there. While Link and Seong Mi-Na had sad looks on their faces at the story, Taki had a more thoughtful look on her face as she processed what she learned, a look that did not go unnoticed.
"Something on your mind, Taki-chan?"
Taki looked up at Link, who was looking at her curiously. "Just thinking on this story and its possible connection to Soul Edge."
"What do you think? Do you think it's true?"
She put a hand up to her chin as she went into a thinking mode. "Well, rumors and stories are usually based on truths in some way, but given the way it was described, it sounds very much plausible. And while it does not actually state the sword was Soul Edge, I personally believe that it is and there is at least some truth to the story. Though I am not sure how it assists us in any way."
"Likewise," said Yun-Seong, for once agreeing with the ninja woman. "So what, now? I'm still not going to join these two."
A look of disappointment adorned Talim's face, as well as Link's at that. Did he really think Taki was still untrustworthy?
"I am also not sure on that," Seong Mi-Na stated, getting everyone's attention before looking at Taki. "Don't get me wrong, for me I no longer consider you an enemy, as Link is right. It was wrong of me to associate you with those attacking our country when you had nothing to do with it...and I apologize for any misgivings towards you earlier," she said softly, giving her a bow after speaking, much to her friend's shock.
Taki stayed her expression, but inwardly was appreciative of the young woman's actions and gave a bow in return. "Apology accepted. No hard feelings," she replied, a brief smile on Seong Mi-Na's face at that before she continued.
"But despite this, I am only here to retrieve our family heirloom, not find Soul Edge. Which would mean bringing you back with me as well," she said as she looked back at Yun-Seong, who was not happy with that declaration.
"Uh, uh. Not going to happen. Not until I find Soul Edge first."
"It's not worth it, Yun-Seong."
"Ugh, will you girls just drop it already? Nothing anyone says is going to stop me from going after it. And no one here is going to stop me either."
Everyone frowned at his comments (and attitude). It seemed like he was unable to listen to reason or believe the mounting evidence against him regarding Soul Edge's nature. Link in particular was trying to think of some way to get him to see how Soul Edge was evil and how its power was not worth protecting one's country with it. It somewhat reminded him of the Hundred-Year War in Hyrule, or rather why the war was fought.
The many races of Hyrule, minus the Kokiri, fought each other for a hundred years, each accusing the other of having the legendary Triforce when in fact NO ONE did. He wondered what would have happened if one side DID, in fact, have the Triforce and how the war would have played out. Suddenly, his eyes widened, as if a light bulb went off in his head, as he heard someone put it, as an idea came to him. He thought it over to himself for a bit before speaking.
"Let me ask you this, Yun-Seong," Link started, getting his attention.
"Uh, huh. And what's that, kid?" he replied in an annoyed, disinterest tone.
Ignoring the "kid" comment, Link continued. "Say you succeed. You obtain Soul Edge and bring it home with you. Then what?"
"Then I would use its power to protect my country and drive my enemies out, like I said. For good," he emphasized.
"And how would you do that, exactly?"
"How? I would wipe out so much of my enemies with it in battle that they would be too scared to ever mount an attack again!" he declared, making a gesture with his fist as he did.
"Then what?"
"I...what?"
That last question actually seemed to catch him off-guard, which was what Link was hoping for as he continued. "After ensuring no one in Japan ever attacks your home again, then what would you do?"
"I, uh...," was what he replied with, blinking his eyes a bit as he was unable to come up with an initial response. "Then...I guess I would just live my life like normal. Without all the constant fighting and war," he replied a bit hesitantly. "Why?" he finally asked, wondering where the kid was going with this.
"Do you really think everything will go back to normal after defeating your enemies with Soul Edge?"
Yun-Seong gave a confused, almost incredulous look at that before replying. "Well, of course it would go back to normal as no one would then be invading my country."
"...Are you sure?" Link asked slowly, as if hinting something to him, but he did not pick up on it and merely started getting annoyed.
"Yes I'm sure! Why? Just what are you getting at, kid?"
"Well, let me ask you this. If it becomes known that it was now YOUR land that had Soul Edge, what would happen then?"
Outwardly, Taki merely shifted her head slightly, but inwardly she was very intrigued at where he was going with this, while also wondering to herself why she hadn't thought of that earlier. Similar intrigued looks adorned the faces of Talim and Seong Mi-Na as they looked expectantly at Yun-Seong, who still wasn't quite getting what he was asking.
"So what if they knew? What difference would it make if my enemies knew I had Soul Edge?"
"I don't mean just Japan. What about all the other nations? Like China? Or India? Or the rest of the world? What do you think would happen if suddenly THEY all knew your country had Soul Edge? Do you really think they would all just stay away?"
"Of-Of course!" he stated, but with noticeably less confidence in his tone. "If they knew I had Soul Edge, they would be...too afraid to come after it."
Link noticed his hesitation at the end, prompting him to continue. "Really? With all the vast empires in the world, do you really think none of them would have the confidence to try taking Soul Edge from you?"
Link could see that Yun-Seong was starting to realize he was losing this argument as he would open his mouth a few times to reply but nothing came out. He then turned to Seong Mi-Na. "What about you, Seong Mi-Na? Do YOU think the world would just leave your nation alone if they knew you had Soul Edge?"
Seong Mi-Na, who until now had been silently reflecting over Link's words, looked over in thought at his question before shaking her head. "No, I do not. In fact, I...think they would not leave us alone," she said slowly as realization started to show on her face.
"Exactly. Plus, look at us. Here we all are from different lands following mere rumors of the blade way out here in Europe. Did its rumored power and stories prevent us from coming all this way in search of it? Even if for different reasons?"
Once again, Yun-Seong was silent. The hotheaded, brash Yun-Seong who almost always had something to say...was being humbled by an even younger boy in green. A part of him was greatly annoyed at that fact, and yet he found himself unable to retort back.
"And that's my point," Link continued, getting his attention again. "If the whole world knew your country now had Soul Edge, they would not just stand idly by, or just send a few people to try to obtain it. They would send armies. Some of them with tens or maybe even over a hundred thousand soldiers. They would all continue to invade your land until the sword was theirs. Do you really think you could defend against that many? Even with Soul Edge?" He paused to let that sink in before continuing. "And even if you DID somehow manage to continue fending them off, do you really think they would eventually stop?" Link paused again, letting it sink in several moments before continuing. "No, the invasions would just keep on coming for years to come. One attack after another. Week after week, year after year. Never letting your people rest, even for a moment...Is that what you want?"
Everyone was now looking at Yun-Seong expectantly, while also holding a bit of admiration at Link. The way he talked was not one would expect from someone his age as he seemed unusually insightful. Was he learning to be a scholar or something? Even Taki, who knew of his time as an adult, was very impressed with him as even wise men five times his age—whether as a teenager or as an adult—have not been as profound. It never ceased to amaze her just what Link could do.
Now if he could just share his little secret regarding his "mystery pouch," she thought to herself.
"I...hadn't really thought that," Yun-Seong finally said, finding himself at a rare loss for words. He had to admit, if all nations knew he and his land had the sword, it would only make sense for them to start coming after them. But if they tried attacking even just once, he would fight them off and then they would be too afraid to challenge them again...right? Even WITH their massive armies as Link said. Armies with tens of thousands of soldiers...each.
Or maybe over a hundred thousand...each. Attacking a relatively small nation. Surrounded on three sides by water. And by multiple nations...possibly at once.
He stayed silent as he thought this over in his head. And the more he thought about it, the more and more the possible dangers of invasions grew in his mind. After a few minutes, he finally stood up. "I'm going out for a while."
His sudden declaration made his friends a little concerned for him. "Is everything alright, Yun-Seong?" Seong Mi-Na asked worriedly.
"I'm fine. I just...need time to think. I'll be back later."
"Are you sure-?"
"That is fine, Yun-Seong. Just don't take too long," Talim interrupted, giving a look to Seong Mi-Na, who reluctantly stayed silent.
Yun-Seong nodded before proceeding out and closing the door, leaving the four of them to themselves. Shortly after he left, Seong Mi-Na then turned to Talim.
"Are you sure he'll be alright?"
"I don't think you need to worry. I think he finally is beginning to see the folly in searching for Soul Edge, at least for the reasons he had been giving. Just give him time." Talim then turned to Link. "And thank you for being able to talk some sense into him," she said with a light bow, which made Link blush a little at the praise. "I know he can be quite a handful at times."
"I'll say!" Seong Mi-Na exclaimed. "I usually have to literally beat some sense into him as well, as you saw earlier," she commented, which drew a few laughs from the group (Taki staying silent as usual).
"He...won't be too mad at me, will he?" Link asked hesitantly. Despite the way Yun-Seong talked about his friend, he still felt a little bad at punching him. Not even to Mido had he ever done anything like that...no matter how often he wanted to. Just what made him snap like that?
"Aw, don't worry about it, Link," Seong Mi-Na waved off. "It's not the first time he's made a fool of himself. He'll get over it...eventually." Link wasn't sure if that made him feel better or not, but he let it drop. "By the way, just where did you learn to talk like that, Link? And can you teach me how to do that? That way I don't have to keep bashing his skull to get him to listen?" she laughed.
"(giggles) I must admit, I too, am very interested. Where did you learn that?" Talim asked him.
"Was it that 'Great Deku' you mentioned earlier?"
"Or maybe that 'Impa' woman? She sounded pretty smart. Or that 'Rauru?' sage?"
"And what other magic tricks can you do? Anything else you can suddenly make appear you can show us?"
"Pleeease?"
Link suddenly felt a little flattered/embarrassed by the girls' sudden questions, and that last part by Talim made it hard for him to say no. The way they were asking him made his cheeks redden a bit, and the fact they both sat down rather close to him didn't help, either. He glanced at Taki for help who merely shrugged and turned so she was now facing and surrounding him too, although he didn't miss the light smirk on her face.
"I, too, am a bit curious, as you still haven't shown me the secret of your little 'mystery pouch.' We've known each other for months now, and you still don't trust me?" she asked in faux anger, putting her hands on her hips for emphasis.
"Well, that's not very nice. I'm surprised at you, Link," Seong Mi-Na stated in a similar manner she spoke with Yun-Seong.
Link, however, was very much surprised as he looked at Seong Mi-Na at that before looking at Taki. "What? But you said-"
"You mean you really don't trust her, Link?" Talim interrupted in a sad, pouting way.
"I thought she was your friend?" Seong Mi-Na added.
"Can't you show us, Link? Pleeease?" Talim asked with a very innocent tone and puppy dog-eyed look that Link couldn't help but give in to.
It was moments like this just made him helpless before girls, and he could never figure out why. He looked back at Taki for help, but to his surprise, he couldn't help but notice she was trying hard not to smile...Wait, was she enjoying this!?
Yes, yes she was. Seeing Link squirm like that was very satisfying to her. After all the times he had tricked her, it was nice to get a little payback. Plus, he looked rather kawaii when he was embarrassed like that-
'What the...did I seriously just think that!? Ugh, what is wrong with me?' she thought to herself. She had been noticing such unusual thoughts popping into her head every now and then, and every time it was related to Link that made her think that way. Was this a side effect of accepting someone as a friend, she thought?
The other girls, meanwhile, couldn't help but gush internally at Link's nervousness at them. He just looked so adorably cute! And after Talim's "Pleeease" request, Seong Mi-Na couldn't help but say it, too.
"Come on, Link. Pleeease?" Seong Mi-Na echoed with a similar tone and puppy dog-eyed look.
That finally did it as Link cracked under the pressure. "Alright, alright!" he said hastily.
"Yay!" the two girls squealed in delight.
'This might be a long day...' he thought ruefully to himself. It was only when he caught a glimpse of Taki and her smiling face did he realize what she had done. 'Why that dirty...she tricked me!' he exclaimed to himself, which just made Taki smirk even more when she saw the realization flash across his face.
'Payback is sweet indeed,' she said to herself as she silently continued watching Link's discomfort with unabashed glee.
Yun-Seong had been walking for some time now, not really having a destination in mind as he wandered aimlessly. Some people gave him passing glances, as most had never seen someone of his nationality before, but he paid them no mind as he kept walking, his thoughts focused on the young kid's words.
He wanted to say, "Ah, what did he know? He's just a kid," but he found himself unable to ignore his words. He had to admit, the idea of armies constantly attacking his home for Soul Edge did not sound appealing. He felt confident that he could defeat them all with Soul Edge, and he tried to reason that showing his might with Soul Edge would convince the rest of the world it was foolish to try and come after it.
But...would that really be enough? Would that really be enough to scare them into attacking again? Or would they just eventually send one large army as an all or nothing assault? Would he be able to handle that sort of attack? And even if could, what if another large army from another nation suddenly attacks right after-
"OOF!"
He was suddenly interrupted from his thoughts when he was abruptly knocked down from behind and felt someone landing on top of him. "What the-?"
"I got it! Come on!"
He felt the sudden weight lifted off of him, and he looked up to see what appeared to be two kids running away from him, one of them holding what looked to be-
His eyes widened as he checked his person, only to confirm his sword was indeed missing.
"Hey! Come back here with my sword!" he shouted as he got up and started giving chase. "Ugh, first the masked ones, now the little ones. I'm sick of thieves!" he muttered to himself as he followed them down the street, trying to avoid the people walking by but occasionally pushed some aside in his haste.
He saw them turn the corner, and he followed suit, briefly pausing in the middle of the street to see where they went before spotting them again. "There you are! Give me back me sword, you little brats!"
He continued chasing them for another minute before they entered into an alley. He pursued them, only to quickly halt in his tracks when he found his own sword pointed against him by one of the kids, who had unsheathed it and turned around to face him with it.
"S-Stay back. I'm warning you," he replied, though it was clear to Yun-Seong he was in over his head. Like he had never down this before, his friend standing close behind him who looked just as nervous. Still, he put his hands up in a placating gesture, trying not to frighten them more.
"Easy, kid. Don't be doing something stupid," he said while slowly approaching the kids, not really worried or intimidated despite his situation.
"Just...stay back!" the one with the sword cried, the two slowly backing up in response.
"Come on, now," he stated as he kept moving forward, though he stopped at seeing him point the sword closer to him. "Look. I know you don't want to do this, and I can tell you it's just not worth it. Just give me my sword back, and I'll forget this ever happened. Agreed?"
The other one looked like he was willing to accept that as he addressed his friend. "M-Maybe we should do what he says."
"Quiet! Just...let us go!"
"Like I said, you just give me back my sword, and we'll forget this ever happened. Alright?"
At first it looked like he was going to do just that, but then he quickly turned around and ran. "Come on!" he shouted to his friend. However, his friend did not to follow him. Instead, he just watched him a couple seconds before looking at Yun-Seong, then at the ground before sighing and gesturing to Yun-Seong in resignation to go after him, as if he had enough. Yun-Seong gave him a look as he slowly passed him, still upset at him for helping to steal his sword, but he shoved that aside as he kept running.
However, he did not have far to run as shortly after he turned the corner where the thief ran, he saw the boy trip up ahead by what appeared to be a local who stuck his foot out, the sword dropping to the ground ahead and away from the boy several feet. As Yun-Seong approached, he slowed down in confusion as the local then stood in between the kid and the sword. The kid shook his head a bit before he looked for the sword. He spotted it—only to see someone in between it and him. He nervously looked up at the one who tripped him, who merely glared back down at him. It was then he realized he was finally out of luck.
Seeing another alley not blocked off, he got to his feet as quickly as he could and ran off—without the sword. Normally, Yun-Seong would have gone after him, but he decided to let it be and focused on the stranger in front of him, who also did not pursue and instead turned around and leaned down to pick up the dropped sword, his back facing Yun-Seong.
He watched as the white-hooded figure seemed to admire it in fascination a bit as he stood up, which only made him wonder if he was going to simply give it back or if he now had to fight him for it. He did notice how he was admiring his reflection in the blade and seemed to be muttering something to himself, though he couldn't hear what he was saying and didn't appear to be a language he knew. After half a minute of this, Yun-Seong decided to speak up.
"Hey, uh, thanks for stopping him and all, but, can I have my sword back, now?"
That seemed to wake him up as he slowly turned around, though his upper face was still hidden beneath his hood. "My apologies. I was admiring your blade and got lost in my thoughts. Here you go," he replied before gently offering it back to him.
"Thanks," Yun-Seong replied, a satisfied look at getting his sword back as he looked it over.
"You still look troubled, young one. Something on your mind?"
Yun-Seong was surprised at the man still addressing him as he looked back at him. "What makes you think I am troubled?" he asked somewhat suspiciously.
"I can see it in your eyes. You have the look of someone who is unsure of himself, as if his beliefs have been put into question and now is not sure what course of action to take. I have seen it many times. Sometimes when I look in the mirror," he joked to himself.
Yun-Seong stayed silent at that. Normally, he would retort at something like that, but he wasn't in the mood. Since he did help him get his sword back, though, he decided to humor him. "You could say that," he said slowly as he picked up the sheath the kid had also dropped.
"Anything you want to discuss?"
"Uh, not with a stranger I just met...even though you did help me out."
"True..." the stranger shrugged in acceptance, "nonetheless, I am willing to lend an ear if you otherwise had no one else to talk to."
Yun-Seong looked at him for a bit, contemplating what to do before shrugging and decided to enlighten him a bit. "Well, I'm...searching for something in these lands. I have been looking for it for awhile, now. It would greatly help my country in its...current struggles if it was in our possession, but now I'm starting to wonder if it is worth it. That if I find it and bring it home, then it would actually bring MORE, uh, struggles to my people," he said, selecting his words very carefully and not mention Soul Edge like he normally would.
"Hmm...I can see you are not wanting to give out too much. That is understandable, as it must be a sensitive discussion for you," he replied before continuing. "Well, suppose after you solve your country's current...struggles, as you put it, with this object you are looking for, you simply give it away to someone else? Perhaps sell it for a good sum of money?"
That got Yun-Seong to tilt his head in curiosity at that as he thought it over. "Hmm...no, I do not think that would work as the person I would give or sell it to could then later use it against me and my people."
"I see...Well, then what if you destroyed it as soon as its usefulness was over? That way no one home could be affected by it or used against you from that point on?"
Yun-Seong's eyes widened at that. That...actually seemed like a good idea. If he brought it home to stop the current invasions, and when he felt confident his country didn't need it anymore, then he could have it destroyed...but would his people be willing to go along with that? Hmm, maybe he could get Seong Mi-Na to help with that. Maybe even Hwang, as strange as it was for him to think that.
He then turned to his sword, staring at his reflection like he had done before in situations like this. As he continued looking at his reflection, he silently watched as its magic took effect while he thought of his prior conversations, including with his friends—and that Link and ninja woman—as well as the recent one with the stranger. He had to admit he was rather surprised at what he was seeing reflected back at him, though not necessarily disappointed as he kept tilting his head slightly at what he was seeing.
He had been gazing at it for some time before the stranger coughed to get his attention again. He suddenly felt a little embarrassed at spacing off in front of him like that. "Uh, hehe. Sorry about that," he said sheepishly while finally sheathing his sword.
"Ha-ha, no worries," the stranger laughed. "I did notice the wheels seemed to be turning in your head, if you will, as you were looking at your reflection. That is the look of someone who feels they may have discovered the solution he has been seeking."
"You know...maybe I do," he trailed off, looking to the side as he did.
"I often find looking at one's self in the mirror can sometimes help. Or in this case, your sword," he joked. "I have to admit it had an unusually reflective surface when I was looking at it," he commented, which actually brought a small chuckle out of Yun-Seong.
"Heh, yes it does, doesn't it?" he replied, while internally commenting 'You have no idea,' to himself.
"Well, I shall leave you to your thoughts. Take care, young man," he stated before calmly walking away.
"Uh, right, you too. And thanks again for your help," he shouted as he left, the stranger waving a hand in reply as he kept walking forward.
"What a strange man," he said to himself. It was only when he left did he think to ask what the stranger saw in his reflection while looking at his sword, but he shrugged it off. Oh, well. He then saw the setting sun and realized he was out later than he thought. "I better get back. Last thing I need are two angry women breathing down my neck...or hitting me in the back of the head again," he added, rubbing it a bit before running back to the inn.
Zasalamel smiled darkly to himself as he parted with the Korean, pleased with what had occurred. It actually went better than he thought, particularly with the conversation he had with him. He did not initially plan that, but he saw an opportunity present itself from it, and now he was glad that he did. As he thought about it, he almost felt he didn't need to use his magic as his words alone may had been enough to convince him.
'But, can't be too careful,' he thought. After walking a bit, he headed into another alley, where he then saw the two boys from earlier that took the Korean's sword, who nervously stood at attention upon seeing him.
"Um...did we do what we wanted you to, sir?" one of them asked timidly.
"Yes. Everything went exactly as planned."
"But...you don't have the sword," the other boy stated upon not seeing it on him.
"I merely needed to look at it, not steal it. Now, here is your reward as promised," he said before handing them both a small bag with coins in them. One of them turned to walk a way while the other was still hesitant.
"I don't know about this...it doesn't feel right."
"I know it was likely a little uncomfortable for you," Zasalamel said softly, "but no one was harmed. Not much, anyway. And nothing was really stolen, and you now have extra money for your families."
"I know, but...still..."
"Well if you prefer, I could alert the police as they are still likely looking for you after the cries of theft from earlier," he added with a soft yet threatening tone.
"No-No need! Come on," his friend urged, putting a hand on his shoulder. "Let's get out of here before someone sees us."
That was enough to get the two to leave as they spared him one last look before quickly running away from him. "Hmph. It's amazing how two mere children were far more useful than forty adult thieves," Zasalamel mused before turning to leave himself. If his plan worked as he thought, he could at least help minimize the damage from his latest plan's failure and make it at least a little easier to accomplish what he had planned.
"We'll just have to see how well it really worked," he said to himself as he disappeared into the city.
A/N: Merry Christmas! I thought about continuing on, but thought this would be a nice place to stop, though admittingly this Istanbul section took longer than I thought. I'll have the next chapter posted in the next day or so.
I particularly had trouble portraying Yun-Seong. I tried to give the impression he is ultimately good-hearted but still had a bit of prejudice towards those of Japanese descent, in this case Taki, given the state of affairs between the two nations at the time. If he sounded particularly harsh even for him, keep in mind America had a similar attitude towards the Japanese in WWII, going so far as to put them in concentration camps their fear was so great, and a similar attitude persists today towards Muslims—letting the actions of a few define the many.
I thought of like having the SC characters meet in like a tournament or have a random thief steal shards of Soul Edge from Talim before eventually meeting Link, but then I wasn't sure how to introduce Seong Mi-Na as in canon she met Talim and Yun-Seong in Istanbul, so I decided to ultimately use the Assassin character hired by Zasalamel to get them all to meet.
I was not expecting to showcase the diplomatic skills Link showed with Setsuka, but then I was asking myself a what-if scenario of what would happen if it was KNOWN a country had the sword as opposed to just RUMORED? And that eventually led to me having Link bring that up to help persuade Yun-Seong not to go after Soul Edge. Hope it didn't detract from the story too much.
But with all said and done, Zasalamel has made yet another move. But just what did he do? And how will it affect Yun-Seong? And the rest of the group?
Find out next time when they leave Istanbul. But...will they all be traveling together? Stay tuned!
For now, this is Agent Ghost-Writer 000 signing off.