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 12
"Oh gods, Hephaestus... all of you. Please, please don't let her die."
Taki was below her, eyes shut in submission to pain and blood loss. Sophitia gripped the
ninja's hand tightly. Taki had lost so much blood, she knew. The ninja had collapsed on
the ground after destroying the Balrog, and Sophitia remembered screaming Taki's name.
It had become fuzzy after that. All she could remember was hauling the limp ninja with Jaeger
running towards her with the local medicine woman, and hauling off Taki to the temporary
refuge of the villagers. Later she recalled the medicine woman stitching up Taki's wounds and
Ingrid assisting her by pouring beer on Taki's wounds to cleanse them.
Taki had drifted in and out of consciousness, one time shouting at the medicine woman to not use
a dirty rag soaked with unpurified water to clean her up. Another time, the ninja had grunted and
gritted her teeth as the needle and thread worked their way through her skin in an effort to stich
up her wound and stem her bleeding.
She had not left Taki's side ever since the ninja had been put inside a tent opposite the medicine
woman's. It would take a miracle for Taki to survive that loss of blood, the medicine woman had
said. And she didn't think the ninja even would pull through.
Sophitia could do nothing but pray.
"I know she is alien to the rest of you, but Hephaestus! Surely you would save your
servant!"
She could not stop her tears. In the months that they had been together they had grown
on each other. She'd grown to be envious of the ninja's freedom just as Taki had become
envious of the stability of her life as a baker's daughter.
She could not, would not stand for this ninja to die.
She had finally found someone like her, someone who she could share her fears and who
could understand why she feared what she did. In Greece, she knew, no one would
understand. No one could ever comprehend what she'd been through.
Not even her family. Her father had thought her crazy, and her mother, always agreeing
with her father, had forbidden her to go on her quest. They sought to lock her in the
bakery and when that didn't work, in her room.
Taki... Taki understood why Soul Edge had to be destroyed, she felt. Taki knew what evil
could befall the world. Even if Taki was so different from her they were still the same.
And this wound... Taki had saved her life yet again and this wound was testimony to that.
She squeezed the ninja's hand as if doing so would bring Taki back to consciouness. Looking
at Taki's bandaged but naked top half, she could see just how terrible the wound was, jagged
and deep. It would probably scar, adding to the others she observed on the ninja's taut
abdomen.
Sophitia ran her fingers down a couple of scars. They must've been remnants of Taki's other
prey's resistance, she thought.
"I'm not leaving a first-time demon slayer! You could die, and I would never forgive myself
for that!"
She remembered Taki's words and as if in reflex raised her free hand to her cheek. She'd
been so worried about Taki's injury that she'd forgotten all about the Balrog. The ninja was
right, of course - she stood no chance alone versus the Balrog, but did their victory come
at too high a price?
At least now the villagers were grateful.
She pressed her cheek to Taki's hand, feeling Taki's knuckles on her skin. Why could you
never forgive yourself for leaving me behind, she wondered. Why at the risk of your own
life? Why?
And then she realized what she'd truly been feeling for Taki. She now knew what emotion
it was that was growing withing her and knew who it demanded.
"Hephaestus, please! Don't let her die! Don't let her die!" she beseeched him.
I... She found herself choking on that one thought, that one thought now going through
her mind since Taki had been on the verge of death. "I..."
"Taki..."
------------------
It took a while, but Taki finally managed to open her eyes. The darkness save for a lone
candle told her that it was nighttime. In the diluted orange glow of the candle she could
just make out Sophitia's blonde hair and blue eyes.
The sight before her surprised her. "Sophitia?" she whispered, still slightly weak. "Why
are you crying?" She realized just how hard the Greek had been gripping her hand, and
she squeezed in response. "Sophitia?"
The Greek looked ragged, slightly dark rings under her eyes an indication that she hadn't
been sleeping well. Had she been right here all the time? Taki tried to rise, but soon
stopped as her stitches began to cause pain.
The Greek cradled her as she raised a hand to Sophitia's face. Normally she would avoid
that blue gaze for reasons she did not know, but now she found herself looking deep into
their teary depths. She raised a feeble hand to Sophitia's face, running her thumb down the
trails of tears. "Did I worry you so much?" she asked, more from a lack of options than
anything.
This was awkward. It was always awkward around someone who was crying, especially
since she had been the cause. Taki raised herself to a sitting position, ignoring her stitches
as she rose. She stroked Sophitia's blonde hair gently, trying to soothe the weeping Greek.
"Sophitia..."
"I thought I'd lost you..." The Greek paused to wipe away her tears. "It's been a week, Taki,
a week that you wouldn't wake. You lost so much blood. I thought... I thought... Oh Taki..."
Sophitia surprised her next. It took almost and eternity before Taki realized that the Greek's
lips were on her own in a very gentle kiss. Sophitia? Taki's eyes widened for a moment at
the unbelievable emotion going through her body. Sophitia was kissing her, and it felt...
Taki found her eyes closing in response to the kiss. Even more surprising for her was the fact
that she raised her hands to cradle the Greek, running her hands through that blonde hair, that
golden blonde hair. This was... Taki began to lapse out of consciousness again. She couldn't
think. She still didn't have enough blood or energy in her to even stay awake. And even if she
could, she wasn't sure she could comprehend it.
She ended up lying down with the smaller woman above her. It was then the kiss broke and she
stared into the Greek's eyes. She felt so lightheaded, euphoric even, something she hadn't felt
for some time. Was it... Taki looked questioningly into the girl's eyes. "Sophitia?"
"Taki..." Fresh tears fell from the Greek's eyes and Taki raised a hand to wipe them away.
Sophitia looked so uncomfortable, and Taki wasn't at all insensitve to this despite being half-
delirious. "Go ahead," she replied encouragingly, though she didn't know why she was saying
it. "I won't think any less of you, you know I won't."
Sophitia breathed in deeply, and it took a moment before she spoke. "I love you, Taki."
"Love... me....?" Taki felt as if she was in more of a haze than she already was. No one had
ever told her that. Not even her stepfather, and definitely not in the context that it was being
spoken now. "Since... since when?" she managed to choke out, her head still in the clouds as
she felt the Greek against her.
"A month ago... I didn't think that I did, but I always felt..." The Greek looked away. "You...
you don't have to do anything..." Sophitia continued. "I... I just wanted to be honest... honest
about my feelings... for you..."
"I..." Taki found herself at a loss for words. She didn't know how to reply to this, and
unconsciousness was taking over her senses again. Darkness surrounded her as she felt
the Greek give in to sleep as well and collapse upon her.
Had she heard that right? Had this all been real? Sophitia..... Sophie.........
Blonde hair...
Blue eyes...
to be continued...
*jin long's notes*
i really debated with myself on wether or not to include this chapter since it's very emotional
and i am not such a good writer of emotional stuff. i also wondered if i should make this fic
a shoujo-ai fic since there is an excellent Sophie/Taki fic on the same site where this is posted.
trust me, i'm about as delirious as Taki is right now. i'm not too sure on how to follow this thing
up, but i will find a way of course. for some reason or another i already have the epilogue
worked out.
......
check out my other fic!
*end of jin long's notes*
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 12
"Oh gods, Hephaestus... all of you. Please, please don't let her die."
Taki was below her, eyes shut in submission to pain and blood loss. Sophitia gripped the
ninja's hand tightly. Taki had lost so much blood, she knew. The ninja had collapsed on
the ground after destroying the Balrog, and Sophitia remembered screaming Taki's name.
It had become fuzzy after that. All she could remember was hauling the limp ninja with Jaeger
running towards her with the local medicine woman, and hauling off Taki to the temporary
refuge of the villagers. Later she recalled the medicine woman stitching up Taki's wounds and
Ingrid assisting her by pouring beer on Taki's wounds to cleanse them.
Taki had drifted in and out of consciousness, one time shouting at the medicine woman to not use
a dirty rag soaked with unpurified water to clean her up. Another time, the ninja had grunted and
gritted her teeth as the needle and thread worked their way through her skin in an effort to stich
up her wound and stem her bleeding.
She had not left Taki's side ever since the ninja had been put inside a tent opposite the medicine
woman's. It would take a miracle for Taki to survive that loss of blood, the medicine woman had
said. And she didn't think the ninja even would pull through.
Sophitia could do nothing but pray.
"I know she is alien to the rest of you, but Hephaestus! Surely you would save your
servant!"
She could not stop her tears. In the months that they had been together they had grown
on each other. She'd grown to be envious of the ninja's freedom just as Taki had become
envious of the stability of her life as a baker's daughter.
She could not, would not stand for this ninja to die.
She had finally found someone like her, someone who she could share her fears and who
could understand why she feared what she did. In Greece, she knew, no one would
understand. No one could ever comprehend what she'd been through.
Not even her family. Her father had thought her crazy, and her mother, always agreeing
with her father, had forbidden her to go on her quest. They sought to lock her in the
bakery and when that didn't work, in her room.
Taki... Taki understood why Soul Edge had to be destroyed, she felt. Taki knew what evil
could befall the world. Even if Taki was so different from her they were still the same.
And this wound... Taki had saved her life yet again and this wound was testimony to that.
She squeezed the ninja's hand as if doing so would bring Taki back to consciouness. Looking
at Taki's bandaged but naked top half, she could see just how terrible the wound was, jagged
and deep. It would probably scar, adding to the others she observed on the ninja's taut
abdomen.
Sophitia ran her fingers down a couple of scars. They must've been remnants of Taki's other
prey's resistance, she thought.
"I'm not leaving a first-time demon slayer! You could die, and I would never forgive myself
for that!"
She remembered Taki's words and as if in reflex raised her free hand to her cheek. She'd
been so worried about Taki's injury that she'd forgotten all about the Balrog. The ninja was
right, of course - she stood no chance alone versus the Balrog, but did their victory come
at too high a price?
At least now the villagers were grateful.
She pressed her cheek to Taki's hand, feeling Taki's knuckles on her skin. Why could you
never forgive yourself for leaving me behind, she wondered. Why at the risk of your own
life? Why?
And then she realized what she'd truly been feeling for Taki. She now knew what emotion
it was that was growing withing her and knew who it demanded.
"Hephaestus, please! Don't let her die! Don't let her die!" she beseeched him.
I... She found herself choking on that one thought, that one thought now going through
her mind since Taki had been on the verge of death. "I..."
"Taki..."
------------------
It took a while, but Taki finally managed to open her eyes. The darkness save for a lone
candle told her that it was nighttime. In the diluted orange glow of the candle she could
just make out Sophitia's blonde hair and blue eyes.
The sight before her surprised her. "Sophitia?" she whispered, still slightly weak. "Why
are you crying?" She realized just how hard the Greek had been gripping her hand, and
she squeezed in response. "Sophitia?"
The Greek looked ragged, slightly dark rings under her eyes an indication that she hadn't
been sleeping well. Had she been right here all the time? Taki tried to rise, but soon
stopped as her stitches began to cause pain.
The Greek cradled her as she raised a hand to Sophitia's face. Normally she would avoid
that blue gaze for reasons she did not know, but now she found herself looking deep into
their teary depths. She raised a feeble hand to Sophitia's face, running her thumb down the
trails of tears. "Did I worry you so much?" she asked, more from a lack of options than
anything.
This was awkward. It was always awkward around someone who was crying, especially
since she had been the cause. Taki raised herself to a sitting position, ignoring her stitches
as she rose. She stroked Sophitia's blonde hair gently, trying to soothe the weeping Greek.
"Sophitia..."
"I thought I'd lost you..." The Greek paused to wipe away her tears. "It's been a week, Taki,
a week that you wouldn't wake. You lost so much blood. I thought... I thought... Oh Taki..."
Sophitia surprised her next. It took almost and eternity before Taki realized that the Greek's
lips were on her own in a very gentle kiss. Sophitia? Taki's eyes widened for a moment at
the unbelievable emotion going through her body. Sophitia was kissing her, and it felt...
Taki found her eyes closing in response to the kiss. Even more surprising for her was the fact
that she raised her hands to cradle the Greek, running her hands through that blonde hair, that
golden blonde hair. This was... Taki began to lapse out of consciousness again. She couldn't
think. She still didn't have enough blood or energy in her to even stay awake. And even if she
could, she wasn't sure she could comprehend it.
She ended up lying down with the smaller woman above her. It was then the kiss broke and she
stared into the Greek's eyes. She felt so lightheaded, euphoric even, something she hadn't felt
for some time. Was it... Taki looked questioningly into the girl's eyes. "Sophitia?"
"Taki..." Fresh tears fell from the Greek's eyes and Taki raised a hand to wipe them away.
Sophitia looked so uncomfortable, and Taki wasn't at all insensitve to this despite being half-
delirious. "Go ahead," she replied encouragingly, though she didn't know why she was saying
it. "I won't think any less of you, you know I won't."
Sophitia breathed in deeply, and it took a moment before she spoke. "I love you, Taki."
"Love... me....?" Taki felt as if she was in more of a haze than she already was. No one had
ever told her that. Not even her stepfather, and definitely not in the context that it was being
spoken now. "Since... since when?" she managed to choke out, her head still in the clouds as
she felt the Greek against her.
"A month ago... I didn't think that I did, but I always felt..." The Greek looked away. "You...
you don't have to do anything..." Sophitia continued. "I... I just wanted to be honest... honest
about my feelings... for you..."
"I..." Taki found herself at a loss for words. She didn't know how to reply to this, and
unconsciousness was taking over her senses again. Darkness surrounded her as she felt
the Greek give in to sleep as well and collapse upon her.
Had she heard that right? Had this all been real? Sophitia..... Sophie.........
Blonde hair...
Blue eyes...
to be continued...
*jin long's notes*
i really debated with myself on wether or not to include this chapter since it's very emotional
and i am not such a good writer of emotional stuff. i also wondered if i should make this fic
a shoujo-ai fic since there is an excellent Sophie/Taki fic on the same site where this is posted.
trust me, i'm about as delirious as Taki is right now. i'm not too sure on how to follow this thing
up, but i will find a way of course. for some reason or another i already have the epilogue
worked out.
......
check out my other fic!
*end of jin long's notes*