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 5
"There are few in this world that are innocent to bloodshed."
Taki let her fingers drop from Sophitia's chin. "And there are even less that would not kill.
It's a rarity now, I would think, to find one such as you." You probably wouldn't survive
this world, Taki thought, this is a world where warriors have less-than-noble reasons
to raise a sword. A person as beautiful as you...
Taki quickly shook the thought from her mind. What was she thinking? She shouldn't
think such things, especially since she barely even knew this foreigner. Gods knew
how foreigners would think or what they would do.
But she... is, in a way, pretty attractive... for a foreigner, anyway... There I go again, Taki
mused, trying yet again to quell her train of thought.
Sophitia looked away, much to Taki's relief. "I know. But not being able to kill is a weakness. The
gods' will is for me to destroy all traces of Soul Edge, and I don't want to fail them. But I did, and I
almost paid for my failure with my life,"she said.
The Greek continued. "I want to be strong enough for this quest the gods have given me,
Taki." She looked up into the ninja's dark brown eyes. "I know that some people will have
to fall for Soul Edge to be gone from this world. If so, I must learn how to kill. Else I will fail."
Taki looked away. No.... this girl had been blinded by faith. Not faith, Taki thought, but religion.
Already a mindless war had been fought over desert sands for blind faith. She'd heard that
much as she travelled towards Spain from Japan. It was a huge loss. And all for what, Taki
thought. It was no different from the warring daimyo of Japan.
It was also starting to sound very familiar, and very uncomfortable. The foreigner's... Sophitia's
words seemed to conjure up some long forgotten memory and the emotions associated with it.
That there was something in Sophtia's appearance that reminded Taki of something didn't help
either.
"Then why would a god set such a quest upon one who has no intent to kill? Why would he
choose a baker's daughter? Why would it be you?" Taki asked, more to stop delving into her
memory than anything else.
"I don't know. I don't know how Hephaestus thinks. But I know that he sent you to me at my
moment of failure and you had the will to kill the pirate." Sophitia turned Taki's face towards
hers. "I think he sent you to me to teach me, that I might complete my quest," the Greek said.
Sent me to you? Your god sent me to you? Taki found it only too ludicrous. It was only a
coincidence, a twist of fortune that had sent her to the port at that time. "Are you serious
about what you just said?" Taki stared at the young blonde. "That's just.... that's just ridiculous!"
The ninja shook her head. "And you want me to teach you how to kill? How to have the will to kill?
You're mad, completely mad!" Taki found it crazy that someone would want to have the will to kill.
It was even more insane that this Greek would want to kill or hurt! All for a silly little quest!
Foreigners could be so weird, Taki thought.
However, they could also be... Taki pushed the thought that resurfaced with a glance at Sophitia
back into the recesses of her mind.
"I just want to be strong, Taki. I just want to be strong enough for this quest," Sophitia answered.
She squinted. "And no. I do not think it is ridiculous that we should have met because of
Hephaestus," Sophitia continued. "I think it was fate," she finished.
"Sophitia," Taki began. "Is that what your heart says? Is that what you really think? Do you really
want to kill people?" It was most likely not, Taki knew. Sophitia could not look her straight in the
eye when she had said that she'd desired to have to will to kill. It was a sign that would have
escaped the notice of one who was not trained by the ninja.
Sophitia remained silent and looked away. But Taki would not stand for silence. She had to know
if Sophitia was willing to give up her blood innocence for something that seemed so foolish. She
grasped Sophitia's chin in her fingers and turned the Greek's face to her own, blue eyes meeting
her own dark brown orbs.
She should not do such a thing, Taki thought. Not for this. Risking her life for some god...
Sophitia breathed in deeply, and Taki knew the Greek was struggling within herself for an answer.
"If it helps, Sophitia. I would not think any less of you if you said no," Taki assured her, grasping
the Greek's shoulders. I'd actually be quite relieved, Taki thought to herself.
By the kami, why do I even care to not think ill of her if she says no? The ninja mentally shrugged.
Why am I even bothering to assure her of herself? She's just some girl on some quest that I just
happened to save, Taki argued.
Why do I care at all?
"All right." Sophitia closed her eyes for a moment before answering. "I don't. I don't want to have
to kill anyone during this quest." She paused for a moment, then spoke again. "I know. I'm weak.
I'm just a baker's daughter... what would I know of killing? What would I know of war?" Sophitia
averted her gaze again. "I just... I just want to do what is right."
This conflict was too much for someone like Sophitia, Taki thought. What merciless gods these
foreign deities were to torture their subjects like this. The dilemma of how to do what was right
while knowing you had to do wrong to accomplish it... that was agony to figure out.
"I can sense you do," Taki said, letting go of Sophitia. This conversation had been too..... dark,
Taki felt. And she'd shown more emotion than she should have. Why did she care, anyway, she
asked herself. Why did she care that this girl should not learn how to kill? In fact, what was the
big deal if this girl learned to kill?
"Taki?" she heard Sophitia ask as they began to walk anew.
"Yes?" Taki answered.
"Why can... Why do you have the will to kill?"
Taki thought about her answer for a moment. It took quite a while, but she soon found an answer.
"Because it's my job to kill. And I kill to protect some people."
"Is it difficult?" the Greek asked.
Taki closed her eyes again to ponder her answer. "Only the first kill. And only when it comes to
human beings."
She was sure the answer had surprised that Greek, as was evident in Sophitia's tone and her
question. "What do you mean 'only when it comes to human beings'?" the Greek asked, only
too puzzled by the ninja's enigmatic statement.
"I've never told you what I really do in Japan, do I?" Taki replied, not waiting for a reply as she
continued.
"I hunt demons, Sophitia. And you don't need a conscience to kill them."
to be continued...
*jin long speaks*
if you're all wondering where the action/adventure part is........ well, you gotta review my work!
chapter 7 isn't going to come out if there ain't any reviews!
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 5
"There are few in this world that are innocent to bloodshed."
Taki let her fingers drop from Sophitia's chin. "And there are even less that would not kill.
It's a rarity now, I would think, to find one such as you." You probably wouldn't survive
this world, Taki thought, this is a world where warriors have less-than-noble reasons
to raise a sword. A person as beautiful as you...
Taki quickly shook the thought from her mind. What was she thinking? She shouldn't
think such things, especially since she barely even knew this foreigner. Gods knew
how foreigners would think or what they would do.
But she... is, in a way, pretty attractive... for a foreigner, anyway... There I go again, Taki
mused, trying yet again to quell her train of thought.
Sophitia looked away, much to Taki's relief. "I know. But not being able to kill is a weakness. The
gods' will is for me to destroy all traces of Soul Edge, and I don't want to fail them. But I did, and I
almost paid for my failure with my life,"she said.
The Greek continued. "I want to be strong enough for this quest the gods have given me,
Taki." She looked up into the ninja's dark brown eyes. "I know that some people will have
to fall for Soul Edge to be gone from this world. If so, I must learn how to kill. Else I will fail."
Taki looked away. No.... this girl had been blinded by faith. Not faith, Taki thought, but religion.
Already a mindless war had been fought over desert sands for blind faith. She'd heard that
much as she travelled towards Spain from Japan. It was a huge loss. And all for what, Taki
thought. It was no different from the warring daimyo of Japan.
It was also starting to sound very familiar, and very uncomfortable. The foreigner's... Sophitia's
words seemed to conjure up some long forgotten memory and the emotions associated with it.
That there was something in Sophtia's appearance that reminded Taki of something didn't help
either.
"Then why would a god set such a quest upon one who has no intent to kill? Why would he
choose a baker's daughter? Why would it be you?" Taki asked, more to stop delving into her
memory than anything else.
"I don't know. I don't know how Hephaestus thinks. But I know that he sent you to me at my
moment of failure and you had the will to kill the pirate." Sophitia turned Taki's face towards
hers. "I think he sent you to me to teach me, that I might complete my quest," the Greek said.
Sent me to you? Your god sent me to you? Taki found it only too ludicrous. It was only a
coincidence, a twist of fortune that had sent her to the port at that time. "Are you serious
about what you just said?" Taki stared at the young blonde. "That's just.... that's just ridiculous!"
The ninja shook her head. "And you want me to teach you how to kill? How to have the will to kill?
You're mad, completely mad!" Taki found it crazy that someone would want to have the will to kill.
It was even more insane that this Greek would want to kill or hurt! All for a silly little quest!
Foreigners could be so weird, Taki thought.
However, they could also be... Taki pushed the thought that resurfaced with a glance at Sophitia
back into the recesses of her mind.
"I just want to be strong, Taki. I just want to be strong enough for this quest," Sophitia answered.
She squinted. "And no. I do not think it is ridiculous that we should have met because of
Hephaestus," Sophitia continued. "I think it was fate," she finished.
"Sophitia," Taki began. "Is that what your heart says? Is that what you really think? Do you really
want to kill people?" It was most likely not, Taki knew. Sophitia could not look her straight in the
eye when she had said that she'd desired to have to will to kill. It was a sign that would have
escaped the notice of one who was not trained by the ninja.
Sophitia remained silent and looked away. But Taki would not stand for silence. She had to know
if Sophitia was willing to give up her blood innocence for something that seemed so foolish. She
grasped Sophitia's chin in her fingers and turned the Greek's face to her own, blue eyes meeting
her own dark brown orbs.
She should not do such a thing, Taki thought. Not for this. Risking her life for some god...
Sophitia breathed in deeply, and Taki knew the Greek was struggling within herself for an answer.
"If it helps, Sophitia. I would not think any less of you if you said no," Taki assured her, grasping
the Greek's shoulders. I'd actually be quite relieved, Taki thought to herself.
By the kami, why do I even care to not think ill of her if she says no? The ninja mentally shrugged.
Why am I even bothering to assure her of herself? She's just some girl on some quest that I just
happened to save, Taki argued.
Why do I care at all?
"All right." Sophitia closed her eyes for a moment before answering. "I don't. I don't want to have
to kill anyone during this quest." She paused for a moment, then spoke again. "I know. I'm weak.
I'm just a baker's daughter... what would I know of killing? What would I know of war?" Sophitia
averted her gaze again. "I just... I just want to do what is right."
This conflict was too much for someone like Sophitia, Taki thought. What merciless gods these
foreign deities were to torture their subjects like this. The dilemma of how to do what was right
while knowing you had to do wrong to accomplish it... that was agony to figure out.
"I can sense you do," Taki said, letting go of Sophitia. This conversation had been too..... dark,
Taki felt. And she'd shown more emotion than she should have. Why did she care, anyway, she
asked herself. Why did she care that this girl should not learn how to kill? In fact, what was the
big deal if this girl learned to kill?
"Taki?" she heard Sophitia ask as they began to walk anew.
"Yes?" Taki answered.
"Why can... Why do you have the will to kill?"
Taki thought about her answer for a moment. It took quite a while, but she soon found an answer.
"Because it's my job to kill. And I kill to protect some people."
"Is it difficult?" the Greek asked.
Taki closed her eyes again to ponder her answer. "Only the first kill. And only when it comes to
human beings."
She was sure the answer had surprised that Greek, as was evident in Sophitia's tone and her
question. "What do you mean 'only when it comes to human beings'?" the Greek asked, only
too puzzled by the ninja's enigmatic statement.
"I've never told you what I really do in Japan, do I?" Taki replied, not waiting for a reply as she
continued.
"I hunt demons, Sophitia. And you don't need a conscience to kill them."
to be continued...
*jin long speaks*
if you're all wondering where the action/adventure part is........ well, you gotta review my work!
chapter 7 isn't going to come out if there ain't any reviews!