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 8
Sophitia sighed. Taki had done a very good thing, the right action for the right time
and place. Yet it had earned the ninja the ire of the village save for their gracious hosts.
Apparently, people could not be so grateful for a good deed if they themselves chose
to live in fear and submission. And also, a hero could do nothing for them.
She turned to Taki, who was next to her and had her oriental eyes closed. What did
the ninja think of all this? She could not sense anything from Taki other than an apathy
that seemed to have been ingrained in the eastern woman.
Sophitia looked away again, snuggling into the bedroll and staring at the ceiling of the
forge. This was the reality of quests, wasn't it?
Taki might have such a difficult time. Only because these villagers haven't the guts to
help themselves, she thought. Did they even want to be saved?
In any case the panicked folk were sure that the Balrog and its master would soon show
themselves in the town. Of course, they would blame this on Taki, instead of thanking
her for what she was about to do.
Sophitia thought back to when she was explaining the reaction of the villagers. Taki's
eyes had lit up when she mentioned the Balrog, and the ninja became even more
inquisitive such that she had to ask Ingrid more about the Balrog.
How does it look? How large? Taki had asked so many questions. And Taki even seemed
to think of going after some devilish juggernaut was fun.
Maybe it reminded the ninja of her clan. After all, Taki's clan hunted demons, didn't they?
Sophitia wondered if Taki had been struck by a sense of homesickness at any point during
their journey. The Greek had felt in a good number of times, and the bread she had for her
meal even reminded her of the bakery she'd left.
She leaned over, looking at Taki's relaxed expression and gently brushing stray strands of hair
from Taki's face. "I wonder what your family is like. Do you miss them?" she mused out loud. "Or
is it such a difficult thing to talk about? I know that one time you mentioned them you stopped."
Sophitia smiled, watching the ninja sleep. "You doubt it so much, your being sent by
Hephaestus to me. To save me." Sophitia breathed in deeply, then continued. "Everything
points to it. Don't you see? He sent you. You're a smith," she noted, remembering what
Ingrid had told her. "And he is their god."
She watched Taki stir for a moment, then the ninja rolled to face her, looking into her eyes.
"You really still think that?" Taki asked, half-asleep.
"I never doubt it for a second." That was the truth, she knew. Apparently, she couldn't ever
convince Taki of that fact. "He may be my god, but I'm sure that there is another entity,
another force that caused you to meet me. I can't ever doubt that."
The ninja smiled, and Sophitia noticed, as Taki had taken off her mask. "It's just coincidence,
Sophitia." Taki sighed. "I know, I know. You're not going to accept that, but I'll always think
that."
Sophitia's thoughts turned the the Balrog and its inevitable arrival. Taki acted somewhat cocky
upon hearing about the Balrog. Was it just to mask some emotion or another? She knew that
if she was in Taki's place, well, she would be scared, more or less. After all, it was a foreign
demon and she might not quite know how to fight it or even win.
"Taki, are you scared, thinking of what you have to do when the Balrog gets here?"
"No," Taki answered without missing a beat. "All I care about is killing it and moving on. You
still have to get home, remember?"
Sophitia nodded slightly.
"You know," Taki began, "I think I might need your help for this one."
My help? Sophitia wondered about that. She couldn't... kill, she knew. Why would Taki want her
aid in this endeavor. She got somewhat scared just thinking about facing a gargantuan beast of
flame. People were easier to deal with; all you had to do was prove that you were better or at
the very least scare them. Demons... now demons had no fear whatsoever...
"Are you sure? I... I might just get in your way..." And that would be a dangerous thing, Sophitia
thought.
"Not at all." Taki gave her a long, hard look in the eye. "After all, I need someone for bait."
Bait? Sophitia gave Taki a wierd look. She was going to stare the monster in the face, scream
like a little girl and just hope Taki would manage to rescue her and defeat the demon at the
same time? Did Taki think she would stand for that?
Then Taki cracked up and Sophitia realized the ninja had been joking. "You fell for it! Did you
seriously think I would just use you as bait? What a waste of a warrior who managed to
shatter Soul Edge!"
"Aw!" Sophitia punched Taki in the shoulder, groaning.
"Seriously," Taki said after her laughter subsided. "If the demon is a giant, I'm going to need
some help. Back in Japan my whole clan once had to go against this huge demon..." Taki's
voice trailed off and her gaze darkened. It did not go unnoticed by Sophitia. "Taki?"
The ninja shook her head. "No, it's nothing." She breathed in deeply. "In any case, I'd better
check our equipment and repair it if necessary." The ninja closed her eyes. "Except for
Rekki-maru. Foreign forges don't have what's necessary."
Sophitia laid back as well, thinking about Taki's sudden change in mood at the mention of
her clan and now, a demon. She found herself wondering about it very intensely. It hadn't
been just that. Taki would almost always avoid looking at her for a very long time. The
ninja would even avoid her gaze sometimes, as if her blonde hair and blue eyes conjured
up a buried and unwanted emotion.
The Greek laid back. What a strange savior you have sent to me, Hephaestus, she thought.
to be continued...
---------------------------
*Quips from Taki and Sophitia overheard by jin long*
Taki: This is so typical. The heroine destroys what needs to be destroyed, then ends up with
a husband and some kids and it's easily bye bye adventuring days and no more sword
chasing.
Taki tosses game manual onto floor
Sophitia looks up from the Playstation 2 and the game she's playing
Sophitia: What the heck are you talking about, Taki?
Taki gives Sophitia one long hard look
Sophitia: What?
Taki just stares at Sophitia with a curious look
Sophitia: What? Is there something on my face?
Taki: No. Forget I said anything.
Taki thinks (Man, I hate storylines like that)
Taki: So, whatcha playin'?
*jin long muses*
i think everyone can tell what I and Taki think of the canon Soul Calibur storyline...
if you don't know what we're talking about, you haven't read enough on Soul
Calibur.
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 8
Sophitia sighed. Taki had done a very good thing, the right action for the right time
and place. Yet it had earned the ninja the ire of the village save for their gracious hosts.
Apparently, people could not be so grateful for a good deed if they themselves chose
to live in fear and submission. And also, a hero could do nothing for them.
She turned to Taki, who was next to her and had her oriental eyes closed. What did
the ninja think of all this? She could not sense anything from Taki other than an apathy
that seemed to have been ingrained in the eastern woman.
Sophitia looked away again, snuggling into the bedroll and staring at the ceiling of the
forge. This was the reality of quests, wasn't it?
Taki might have such a difficult time. Only because these villagers haven't the guts to
help themselves, she thought. Did they even want to be saved?
In any case the panicked folk were sure that the Balrog and its master would soon show
themselves in the town. Of course, they would blame this on Taki, instead of thanking
her for what she was about to do.
Sophitia thought back to when she was explaining the reaction of the villagers. Taki's
eyes had lit up when she mentioned the Balrog, and the ninja became even more
inquisitive such that she had to ask Ingrid more about the Balrog.
How does it look? How large? Taki had asked so many questions. And Taki even seemed
to think of going after some devilish juggernaut was fun.
Maybe it reminded the ninja of her clan. After all, Taki's clan hunted demons, didn't they?
Sophitia wondered if Taki had been struck by a sense of homesickness at any point during
their journey. The Greek had felt in a good number of times, and the bread she had for her
meal even reminded her of the bakery she'd left.
She leaned over, looking at Taki's relaxed expression and gently brushing stray strands of hair
from Taki's face. "I wonder what your family is like. Do you miss them?" she mused out loud. "Or
is it such a difficult thing to talk about? I know that one time you mentioned them you stopped."
Sophitia smiled, watching the ninja sleep. "You doubt it so much, your being sent by
Hephaestus to me. To save me." Sophitia breathed in deeply, then continued. "Everything
points to it. Don't you see? He sent you. You're a smith," she noted, remembering what
Ingrid had told her. "And he is their god."
She watched Taki stir for a moment, then the ninja rolled to face her, looking into her eyes.
"You really still think that?" Taki asked, half-asleep.
"I never doubt it for a second." That was the truth, she knew. Apparently, she couldn't ever
convince Taki of that fact. "He may be my god, but I'm sure that there is another entity,
another force that caused you to meet me. I can't ever doubt that."
The ninja smiled, and Sophitia noticed, as Taki had taken off her mask. "It's just coincidence,
Sophitia." Taki sighed. "I know, I know. You're not going to accept that, but I'll always think
that."
Sophitia's thoughts turned the the Balrog and its inevitable arrival. Taki acted somewhat cocky
upon hearing about the Balrog. Was it just to mask some emotion or another? She knew that
if she was in Taki's place, well, she would be scared, more or less. After all, it was a foreign
demon and she might not quite know how to fight it or even win.
"Taki, are you scared, thinking of what you have to do when the Balrog gets here?"
"No," Taki answered without missing a beat. "All I care about is killing it and moving on. You
still have to get home, remember?"
Sophitia nodded slightly.
"You know," Taki began, "I think I might need your help for this one."
My help? Sophitia wondered about that. She couldn't... kill, she knew. Why would Taki want her
aid in this endeavor. She got somewhat scared just thinking about facing a gargantuan beast of
flame. People were easier to deal with; all you had to do was prove that you were better or at
the very least scare them. Demons... now demons had no fear whatsoever...
"Are you sure? I... I might just get in your way..." And that would be a dangerous thing, Sophitia
thought.
"Not at all." Taki gave her a long, hard look in the eye. "After all, I need someone for bait."
Bait? Sophitia gave Taki a wierd look. She was going to stare the monster in the face, scream
like a little girl and just hope Taki would manage to rescue her and defeat the demon at the
same time? Did Taki think she would stand for that?
Then Taki cracked up and Sophitia realized the ninja had been joking. "You fell for it! Did you
seriously think I would just use you as bait? What a waste of a warrior who managed to
shatter Soul Edge!"
"Aw!" Sophitia punched Taki in the shoulder, groaning.
"Seriously," Taki said after her laughter subsided. "If the demon is a giant, I'm going to need
some help. Back in Japan my whole clan once had to go against this huge demon..." Taki's
voice trailed off and her gaze darkened. It did not go unnoticed by Sophitia. "Taki?"
The ninja shook her head. "No, it's nothing." She breathed in deeply. "In any case, I'd better
check our equipment and repair it if necessary." The ninja closed her eyes. "Except for
Rekki-maru. Foreign forges don't have what's necessary."
Sophitia laid back as well, thinking about Taki's sudden change in mood at the mention of
her clan and now, a demon. She found herself wondering about it very intensely. It hadn't
been just that. Taki would almost always avoid looking at her for a very long time. The
ninja would even avoid her gaze sometimes, as if her blonde hair and blue eyes conjured
up a buried and unwanted emotion.
The Greek laid back. What a strange savior you have sent to me, Hephaestus, she thought.
to be continued...
---------------------------
*Quips from Taki and Sophitia overheard by jin long*
Taki: This is so typical. The heroine destroys what needs to be destroyed, then ends up with
a husband and some kids and it's easily bye bye adventuring days and no more sword
chasing.
Taki tosses game manual onto floor
Sophitia looks up from the Playstation 2 and the game she's playing
Sophitia: What the heck are you talking about, Taki?
Taki gives Sophitia one long hard look
Sophitia: What?
Taki just stares at Sophitia with a curious look
Sophitia: What? Is there something on my face?
Taki: No. Forget I said anything.
Taki thinks (Man, I hate storylines like that)
Taki: So, whatcha playin'?
*jin long muses*
i think everyone can tell what I and Taki think of the canon Soul Calibur storyline...
if you don't know what we're talking about, you haven't read enough on Soul
Calibur.