disclaimer: I do not own Soul Calibur, Soul Edge, Taki or Sophitia. These all belong to NAMCO.
Such a pity; they won't let me have them. Oh well. But this fanfic is mine.
Requietum
by jin long
jin_long@lycos.com
Chapter 3
The foreign girl blinked, eyes evidently adjusting to the light. "Who?" Taki heard the blonde
young woman say, noticing her. "Where?" the young woman added.
Still like a young girl, Taki thought as she watched the foreigner. Still unlike a warrior, who
would be more cautious in the presence of a stranger, like Taki was right now. "I would ask
you the same thing, you know," Taki said. "Who are you?"
The girl blinked again before replying. "Sophitia. Sophitia Alexandra. And you?"
"Taki of the Fuuma ninja."
"Oh." The girl squinted, obviously trying to orient herself. "That's a strange name."
Of course it would be, Taki thought. It was a name that not many outside of Japan bore. But
'Sophitia' would be strange as well to a native of Japan, and it was such right now to her.
"Well, so is yours," Taki said, for some reason smiling.
Sophitia chuckled, and Taki knew that the young girl had thought the same thing. "Well,"
Taki began, "nice to see you're awake. You were drifting in and out of sleep for at least
three days." Sophitia seemed surprised. "Three days?!" she exclaimed. "Unbelievable."
She began to take in her surroundings, peering around at the forest."What am I doing
here?"Sophitia asked. "Last thing I remember, I was at this port and there was this
pirate and....." Her voice trailed off, and she fell silent for a moment. Then she looked
at her arm, and at one of her stitched wounds. "The sword... Soul Edge...." she
whispered quietly, yet Taki heard.
"Yes. It wounded you," Taki replied. Wounded you severely, almost fatally, Taki
thought. And it poisoned your mind for some nights... that dark sword...
"What is... what was your part in all of this?" Sophitia asked, eyeing Taki curiously.
"I was pursuing Soul Edge. I needed it to help repair my Rekki-maru," Taki answered.
"When I got to the port... I found you there, fighting that pirate. You shattered one of
the swords, but the shards struck you and you were going to die. I... well, I think you
can tell what happened next."
Of course, that was only one way of telling the story, Taki knew. It was always what
she would say if asked about her pursuit of Soul Edge, like when a young man in Korea
had asked her once. She didn't think it was necessary to tell this young foreigner about
her....problems back in Japan, the difficulties with regard to her clan and another evil
sword she carried. No, it would serve no purpose, and hence there was no point.
Above all, she wanted to deal with her problems on her own. It was out of some pride,
maybe, the same pride that made her go solo against Gel-o-Fury. Yes, it was just pride.
She should just keep telling herself that.
"I see..." Sophitia turned away with some trace of disgust. "You're just like the foreign
man who came to that port before I. You just wanted Soul Edge for yourself, and you
desired its power." She shook her head. "Such a thing should not be in the hands of
mortals such as ourselves. Hephaestus was right....It's too much of a temptation...."
Taki almost slapped the girl, but restrained herself. A power-hungry ninja? She?! It
must have sounded that way, given the excuse she'd answered with, but still! If anything,
she had come this far because Mekki-maru had been resonating evilly with Soul Edge.
She was at the port because her stepfather was being driven mad. She'd been after the
demonic sword, but not entirely for the reasons this girl thought!
"And what part does a girl like you play in all this?" Taki retorted, almost stinging in tone,
and cursing herself for the rise in temper she always had under control. A girl like you,
with no training. A girl like you who surely has no problems such as that which I have!
"You're pretty quick to act all noble and self-righteous. I would ask you the same thing,
Sophitia. What did one such as you hope to accomplish in that port? Why were you seeking
Soul Edge, I'd like to know?"
"I...." Sophitia hesitated, appearing unsure of what to say. She looked away. "I... went
there to destroy Soul Edge. I was... The gods.... I was ordered, commanded by the gods
to go there and destroy that evil sword. But, well, I suppose you know what happened...."
Indeed I do, Taki thought. "The gods.... sent you?" Taki raised an eyebrow. The girl had
the spirit to fight, true, but was lacking a certaint intent that was essential, the ninja thought.
"Why would the gods send you just like that?" Taki scratched her head. "I mean, from what
I see right now and what I saw at the port, you haven't had much training for..." her voice
trailed off. For killing.
The pirate had been open. His guard was down, Taki recalled. It was clear enough. One stab,
one slash with the sword, and this Sophitia could have killed him. This young foreigner wouldn't
have had to endure those wounds or Soul Edge's poison only if she had slain the pirate instead
of merely shattering the sword....What were this girl's gods thinking?
"Yes, I know that. Sometimes I wonder why I was chosen." Sophitia closed her eyes, breathing
softly. "They are supposed to work in mysterious ways, but this... that was too much," she said.
Opening her eyes, she again looked at Taki, green eyes shining with curiosity. "If it weren't for
you... I...." she began, trailing off.
"I'm sorry. Maybe I was a little quick to judge your motives for being in the port." Sophitia
smiled. "I mean, someone who would stop to save another person can't be all.... well, you
know what I mean...." she continued. "We kind of got off on the wrong foot, and ah, I
haven't exactly been a grateful patient, have I?"
Taki smiled, the slight twinge of anger dissipating from her senses. Sophitia had been
unprepared for all she'd been through, after all. "Apology accepted. Now then," she said,
rising to her feet and breathing in deeply. She felt really hungry, and who wouldn't after three
straight days of small, brief meals. Sophitia must've been starving as well. It made quite the
utmost sense to Taki to say "How about we get ourselves some breakfast?"
to be continued......
Such a pity; they won't let me have them. Oh well. But this fanfic is mine.
Requietum
by jin long
jin_long@lycos.com
Chapter 3
The foreign girl blinked, eyes evidently adjusting to the light. "Who?" Taki heard the blonde
young woman say, noticing her. "Where?" the young woman added.
Still like a young girl, Taki thought as she watched the foreigner. Still unlike a warrior, who
would be more cautious in the presence of a stranger, like Taki was right now. "I would ask
you the same thing, you know," Taki said. "Who are you?"
The girl blinked again before replying. "Sophitia. Sophitia Alexandra. And you?"
"Taki of the Fuuma ninja."
"Oh." The girl squinted, obviously trying to orient herself. "That's a strange name."
Of course it would be, Taki thought. It was a name that not many outside of Japan bore. But
'Sophitia' would be strange as well to a native of Japan, and it was such right now to her.
"Well, so is yours," Taki said, for some reason smiling.
Sophitia chuckled, and Taki knew that the young girl had thought the same thing. "Well,"
Taki began, "nice to see you're awake. You were drifting in and out of sleep for at least
three days." Sophitia seemed surprised. "Three days?!" she exclaimed. "Unbelievable."
She began to take in her surroundings, peering around at the forest."What am I doing
here?"Sophitia asked. "Last thing I remember, I was at this port and there was this
pirate and....." Her voice trailed off, and she fell silent for a moment. Then she looked
at her arm, and at one of her stitched wounds. "The sword... Soul Edge...." she
whispered quietly, yet Taki heard.
"Yes. It wounded you," Taki replied. Wounded you severely, almost fatally, Taki
thought. And it poisoned your mind for some nights... that dark sword...
"What is... what was your part in all of this?" Sophitia asked, eyeing Taki curiously.
"I was pursuing Soul Edge. I needed it to help repair my Rekki-maru," Taki answered.
"When I got to the port... I found you there, fighting that pirate. You shattered one of
the swords, but the shards struck you and you were going to die. I... well, I think you
can tell what happened next."
Of course, that was only one way of telling the story, Taki knew. It was always what
she would say if asked about her pursuit of Soul Edge, like when a young man in Korea
had asked her once. She didn't think it was necessary to tell this young foreigner about
her....problems back in Japan, the difficulties with regard to her clan and another evil
sword she carried. No, it would serve no purpose, and hence there was no point.
Above all, she wanted to deal with her problems on her own. It was out of some pride,
maybe, the same pride that made her go solo against Gel-o-Fury. Yes, it was just pride.
She should just keep telling herself that.
"I see..." Sophitia turned away with some trace of disgust. "You're just like the foreign
man who came to that port before I. You just wanted Soul Edge for yourself, and you
desired its power." She shook her head. "Such a thing should not be in the hands of
mortals such as ourselves. Hephaestus was right....It's too much of a temptation...."
Taki almost slapped the girl, but restrained herself. A power-hungry ninja? She?! It
must have sounded that way, given the excuse she'd answered with, but still! If anything,
she had come this far because Mekki-maru had been resonating evilly with Soul Edge.
She was at the port because her stepfather was being driven mad. She'd been after the
demonic sword, but not entirely for the reasons this girl thought!
"And what part does a girl like you play in all this?" Taki retorted, almost stinging in tone,
and cursing herself for the rise in temper she always had under control. A girl like you,
with no training. A girl like you who surely has no problems such as that which I have!
"You're pretty quick to act all noble and self-righteous. I would ask you the same thing,
Sophitia. What did one such as you hope to accomplish in that port? Why were you seeking
Soul Edge, I'd like to know?"
"I...." Sophitia hesitated, appearing unsure of what to say. She looked away. "I... went
there to destroy Soul Edge. I was... The gods.... I was ordered, commanded by the gods
to go there and destroy that evil sword. But, well, I suppose you know what happened...."
Indeed I do, Taki thought. "The gods.... sent you?" Taki raised an eyebrow. The girl had
the spirit to fight, true, but was lacking a certaint intent that was essential, the ninja thought.
"Why would the gods send you just like that?" Taki scratched her head. "I mean, from what
I see right now and what I saw at the port, you haven't had much training for..." her voice
trailed off. For killing.
The pirate had been open. His guard was down, Taki recalled. It was clear enough. One stab,
one slash with the sword, and this Sophitia could have killed him. This young foreigner wouldn't
have had to endure those wounds or Soul Edge's poison only if she had slain the pirate instead
of merely shattering the sword....What were this girl's gods thinking?
"Yes, I know that. Sometimes I wonder why I was chosen." Sophitia closed her eyes, breathing
softly. "They are supposed to work in mysterious ways, but this... that was too much," she said.
Opening her eyes, she again looked at Taki, green eyes shining with curiosity. "If it weren't for
you... I...." she began, trailing off.
"I'm sorry. Maybe I was a little quick to judge your motives for being in the port." Sophitia
smiled. "I mean, someone who would stop to save another person can't be all.... well, you
know what I mean...." she continued. "We kind of got off on the wrong foot, and ah, I
haven't exactly been a grateful patient, have I?"
Taki smiled, the slight twinge of anger dissipating from her senses. Sophitia had been
unprepared for all she'd been through, after all. "Apology accepted. Now then," she said,
rising to her feet and breathing in deeply. She felt really hungry, and who wouldn't after three
straight days of small, brief meals. Sophitia must've been starving as well. It made quite the
utmost sense to Taki to say "How about we get ourselves some breakfast?"
to be continued......