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
lycan11@yahoo.com
Chapter 14
Time somehow just seemed to go by so fast.
The seasons seemed to change so fast as the wheat fields turned golden in color. Leaves once
green now became red and brown, falling from their trees to the now barren ground. The wind
was colder now, not of an unpleasant sort, but still enough for one to wish for a warm fur on
one's shoulders.
Sophitia breathed gently, watching her breath form on the cool air. It would be winter soon, and
it would last two months, three at the most. And after those three months she and Taki would
be on their way again, headed east to Greece.
It made sense to wait. Travelling from the bakery to the flour mills and back in Greece during
winter was difficult enough, what more from this foreign land to the borders of her home country?
Even with the horse that Taki had taken from one of the bandits they had battled the journey would
still be arduous.
Sophitia blinked, breathing inward softly again. It would be difficult to travel in winter, but for
her journeying would actually be at its hardest come spring. It would not be because of the
season, she knew.
She heard the sound of a horse's gallop and turned around to face the source of the sound.
Taki came riding up to her, halting the horse and dismounting. "I figured you'd be here," the ninja
said, grinning, Sophitia saw, as Taki had taken to not wearing her mask lately. "Just watching the
leaves, aren't you?"
Sophitia smiled. "Yes, the leaves, and my companion."
Taki put on a comically suspicious look and pretended to get into a fighting stance. "Where? Have
you been seeing someone behind my back?"
Sophitia smiled and cupped Taki's cheek in her hand. "Silly foreigner.... you know I mean you."
She watched Taki grin momentarily before she kissed the Japanese woman gently. Taki responded
just as softly, cupping the back of the Greek's head and pulling her closer.
"I know that you do," Taki said as the kiss ended. "I just... well, you've been kind of... off, lately.
You seem to have an aura of, well, we Japanese would call it negative ki... energy about you."
Sophitia ran fingers through her hair, tucking back a stray blonde strand behind her ear. It was
true, she thought. She realized she'd been somewhat gloomier as the months passed. "Nothing
escapes you, huh, Taki?" she asked.
Taki smiled. "Force of habit. I do have to be rather observant to be a ninja." She stroked
Sophitia's cheek gently, saying "I just wanted to cheer you up, that's all."
"Thank you." Sophitia went to the horse and stroked its mane slowly. "I just.... I was just thinking
about my family, that's all," she said.
"Homesickness, I suppose?"
"You could call it that," Sophitia replied. "But I... no... never mind." She breathed in softly. She
didn't exactly feel like talking about what was on her mind. Somehow, Sophitia felt that Taki
wouldn't quite understand what she wanted to say. It was a rather... personal matter to begin
with, and telling another person - even one she loved- was difficult.
But Taki's confession those months ago... hadn't that also been something so personal to the
ninja? Sophitia wondered if she was being unfair - after all, Taki had trusted her enough to
divulge such information about herself. Besides, Taki was taking her back to Greece and trying to
be of some comfort right now.
No. Sophitia decided to think about it.
But oh, by Hephaestus, she really wanted to tell Taki about it.
-------------------------
It was a perfectly good place to watch a near perfect sunset's light filtering in through dead brown
and red leaves. Sophitia leaned against Taki, enjoying the feel of the other's arms around her in
a very tender hug. They had taken to occasionally wandering a little ways off from the village to
this spot some time ago. It provided some freedom to not be discreet as was their usual manner
in the village.
Sophitia loved it here, and also the conversations they had, particularly philosophical talks. The
Greek was one of the few women in her village that could read, having spied on the boys in school.
When she perused various old manuscripts, it had always been either Plato or Aristotle that had
managed to capture her attention. However, philosophy for Sophitia was best served in
conversation and debate, two things she could get neither from her family nor her friends.
She would miss this, she knew, just talking to Taki about philosophy, both the familiar Western
philosophy and the intriguing Eastern kind. She would miss this greatly, but should she give it up?
She could choose not to go back to Greece, could choose to keep what she had gained on her
journey, but.....
There was that duty, that particular concern that had been bothering her, and had been pestering
her still.
"Taki?" she began, somewhat unsure of what she wanted to ask.
"Hmm?"
"If you had to choose between duty and love, which would you choose?"
Taki looked at her oddly. "Wha..... Oh, one of those hypothetical questions......" the ninja said. Taki
paused, thinking for a moment. "That's kind of difficult....." the ninja began. "I.... well, maybe I'd
choose duty over love."
Sophitia proceeded in curiousity. "Why?" the Greek asked. "You would give up loving someone
for a duty that you don't like but feel you must absolutely do?"
Taki tensed, seeming slightly miffed at the noticeable rise in her tone and the turn the conversation
seemed to be taking, Sophitia noticed. "I... I'm sorry. I... I just found myself thinking of this friend
of mine..."
"Oh?"
"Her father.... Back in Greece, her father is not known for his craft, but as a gambler. He has so
many debts... his shop would be closed right now if he hadn't managed to make a deal with the
local blacksmith."
Sophitia inhaled deeply, cupping one of Taki's hands in her own before continuing. "The deal is...
was perfect for him. What the blacksmith offered in exchange would cover all his debts. But what
this father of my friend offered..." Sophitia frowned, pausing. "This father of my friend offered
either one of his two daughters as a bride for the blacksmith's son."
Sophitia heard Taki snort in disgust. "Typical. I've seen it happen lots of times. Even in Japan some
people use their daughters as bargaining items." The ninja toyed with Sophitia's fingers before
continuing. "A samurai friend of mine lost the woman he loved because of it. But let's get back to
your friend, Sophitia."
The Greek leaned more deeply against the ninja. It was becoming a lot easier to talk, for some
reason or another. "I... This friend of mine, she doesn't want to go along with it. She's been able
to get out of Greece and travel the world. She knows freedom, and she now knows that a Greek
woman isn't simply there to marry a Greek man, make Greek babies, and cook enough Greek
food for everybody.
"And she's in love with someone from the Orient." Sophitia paused again, unconsciously squeezing
Taki's fingers affectionately. "She... She doesn't want to go back, but..." Sophitia sighed. "But it
seems as if she has to. She can't stop thinking about her sister. If I... my friend doesn't wed this
blacksmith's son, her sister will."
"My friend feels that... that her sister should know freedom, should know a world outside of Greece
before settling down and being stuck in Greece for the rest of her life. My friend... my friend thinks
... I think that my sister should know what I do! She's only sixteen, Taki! She's too young to throw
her life away just to settle our father's debts!"
Sophitia felt the tears in her eyes and felt Taki stroke her hair gently, wordless but wanting to give
comfort. "It's outrageous! We have nothing to do with his gambling debts! Why should I or my
sister pay for them? If only the bakery wasn't in trouble, if only we wouldn't lose our home......
Gods damn this, Taki!"
Sophitia turned around, burying her face against Taki's neck, not caring that tears of anger fell
from her eyes. Why had her father made that deal? Why had he treated her and her sister as
mere commodities? Why hadn't her mother objected? Why didn't anyone ask her or her sister
how they felt about it? Why even think of using a child to settle one's debts? Why? Why?!
"I love you so much, Taki! I don't want to give you or all of this up! But my sister... my sister is
too young to lose her freedom for someone else's debts!" Sophitia whimpered, though less than
before, feeling Taki kiss her forehead and caress her gently. "I... why... why..."
"Duty... that's why I asked about duty and love... I... I don't know what to choose. I love both
you and my sister so much..."
Taki held her until her sobs subsided, silent and waiting, gently caressing her back. Sophitia
breathed, thankful for it, closing her eyes and crying her frustration out until she could not longer
feel it. She hugged Taki almost desperately, not wanting to let go and desiring to burn this memory
into her mind.
------------------
"I understand how you feel, at least, part of it."
Sophitia had closed her eyes, just leaning against Taki and listening to the ninja's voice and
breathing. "I too have a duty that I must sacrifice this for," the ninja continued, leaning in against
the Greek's neck. "I told you before that my clan was after me, did I not?"
Sophitia nuzzled closer against Taki. Yes, it was true that the ninja had told her that, right before
confessing love and kissing her. "I... I made a promise to one formerly of my clan to guard
another cursed sword that has driven my stepfather insane."
Taki hugged her more tightly. "I... I don't want to lose you either, but I... I'm afraid. If you go with
me, if you stay with me, you might get hurt and I don't want that." Sophitia felt the ninja's breath
as Taki exhaled then inhaled again. "If they track me down, if they find me and you're with me I...
I don't want to think about it. You'd be safer in Greece. You'd be away from this whole mess that
has nothing to do with you."
Sophitia opened her eyes and began to speak, but Taki silenced her with a finger on her lips.
"Maybe we can't be together, not now, not yet. But," Taki began, looking to the heavens, "Maybe
someday, we will be. When all of this is over, when both our problems are finished, then...then
surely..."
"I know I will have to let go of you soon. But right now, right now I'm going to spend what time I
have with you not thinking of when we will part. Right now, Sophitia, is what matters most. I'm not
giving you up. Not now, and never."
to be continued...
Such a pity; they won't let me have them. Oh well. But this fanfic is mine.
Requietum
by jin long
lycan11@yahoo.com
Chapter 14
Time somehow just seemed to go by so fast.
The seasons seemed to change so fast as the wheat fields turned golden in color. Leaves once
green now became red and brown, falling from their trees to the now barren ground. The wind
was colder now, not of an unpleasant sort, but still enough for one to wish for a warm fur on
one's shoulders.
Sophitia breathed gently, watching her breath form on the cool air. It would be winter soon, and
it would last two months, three at the most. And after those three months she and Taki would
be on their way again, headed east to Greece.
It made sense to wait. Travelling from the bakery to the flour mills and back in Greece during
winter was difficult enough, what more from this foreign land to the borders of her home country?
Even with the horse that Taki had taken from one of the bandits they had battled the journey would
still be arduous.
Sophitia blinked, breathing inward softly again. It would be difficult to travel in winter, but for
her journeying would actually be at its hardest come spring. It would not be because of the
season, she knew.
She heard the sound of a horse's gallop and turned around to face the source of the sound.
Taki came riding up to her, halting the horse and dismounting. "I figured you'd be here," the ninja
said, grinning, Sophitia saw, as Taki had taken to not wearing her mask lately. "Just watching the
leaves, aren't you?"
Sophitia smiled. "Yes, the leaves, and my companion."
Taki put on a comically suspicious look and pretended to get into a fighting stance. "Where? Have
you been seeing someone behind my back?"
Sophitia smiled and cupped Taki's cheek in her hand. "Silly foreigner.... you know I mean you."
She watched Taki grin momentarily before she kissed the Japanese woman gently. Taki responded
just as softly, cupping the back of the Greek's head and pulling her closer.
"I know that you do," Taki said as the kiss ended. "I just... well, you've been kind of... off, lately.
You seem to have an aura of, well, we Japanese would call it negative ki... energy about you."
Sophitia ran fingers through her hair, tucking back a stray blonde strand behind her ear. It was
true, she thought. She realized she'd been somewhat gloomier as the months passed. "Nothing
escapes you, huh, Taki?" she asked.
Taki smiled. "Force of habit. I do have to be rather observant to be a ninja." She stroked
Sophitia's cheek gently, saying "I just wanted to cheer you up, that's all."
"Thank you." Sophitia went to the horse and stroked its mane slowly. "I just.... I was just thinking
about my family, that's all," she said.
"Homesickness, I suppose?"
"You could call it that," Sophitia replied. "But I... no... never mind." She breathed in softly. She
didn't exactly feel like talking about what was on her mind. Somehow, Sophitia felt that Taki
wouldn't quite understand what she wanted to say. It was a rather... personal matter to begin
with, and telling another person - even one she loved- was difficult.
But Taki's confession those months ago... hadn't that also been something so personal to the
ninja? Sophitia wondered if she was being unfair - after all, Taki had trusted her enough to
divulge such information about herself. Besides, Taki was taking her back to Greece and trying to
be of some comfort right now.
No. Sophitia decided to think about it.
But oh, by Hephaestus, she really wanted to tell Taki about it.
-------------------------
It was a perfectly good place to watch a near perfect sunset's light filtering in through dead brown
and red leaves. Sophitia leaned against Taki, enjoying the feel of the other's arms around her in
a very tender hug. They had taken to occasionally wandering a little ways off from the village to
this spot some time ago. It provided some freedom to not be discreet as was their usual manner
in the village.
Sophitia loved it here, and also the conversations they had, particularly philosophical talks. The
Greek was one of the few women in her village that could read, having spied on the boys in school.
When she perused various old manuscripts, it had always been either Plato or Aristotle that had
managed to capture her attention. However, philosophy for Sophitia was best served in
conversation and debate, two things she could get neither from her family nor her friends.
She would miss this, she knew, just talking to Taki about philosophy, both the familiar Western
philosophy and the intriguing Eastern kind. She would miss this greatly, but should she give it up?
She could choose not to go back to Greece, could choose to keep what she had gained on her
journey, but.....
There was that duty, that particular concern that had been bothering her, and had been pestering
her still.
"Taki?" she began, somewhat unsure of what she wanted to ask.
"Hmm?"
"If you had to choose between duty and love, which would you choose?"
Taki looked at her oddly. "Wha..... Oh, one of those hypothetical questions......" the ninja said. Taki
paused, thinking for a moment. "That's kind of difficult....." the ninja began. "I.... well, maybe I'd
choose duty over love."
Sophitia proceeded in curiousity. "Why?" the Greek asked. "You would give up loving someone
for a duty that you don't like but feel you must absolutely do?"
Taki tensed, seeming slightly miffed at the noticeable rise in her tone and the turn the conversation
seemed to be taking, Sophitia noticed. "I... I'm sorry. I... I just found myself thinking of this friend
of mine..."
"Oh?"
"Her father.... Back in Greece, her father is not known for his craft, but as a gambler. He has so
many debts... his shop would be closed right now if he hadn't managed to make a deal with the
local blacksmith."
Sophitia inhaled deeply, cupping one of Taki's hands in her own before continuing. "The deal is...
was perfect for him. What the blacksmith offered in exchange would cover all his debts. But what
this father of my friend offered..." Sophitia frowned, pausing. "This father of my friend offered
either one of his two daughters as a bride for the blacksmith's son."
Sophitia heard Taki snort in disgust. "Typical. I've seen it happen lots of times. Even in Japan some
people use their daughters as bargaining items." The ninja toyed with Sophitia's fingers before
continuing. "A samurai friend of mine lost the woman he loved because of it. But let's get back to
your friend, Sophitia."
The Greek leaned more deeply against the ninja. It was becoming a lot easier to talk, for some
reason or another. "I... This friend of mine, she doesn't want to go along with it. She's been able
to get out of Greece and travel the world. She knows freedom, and she now knows that a Greek
woman isn't simply there to marry a Greek man, make Greek babies, and cook enough Greek
food for everybody.
"And she's in love with someone from the Orient." Sophitia paused again, unconsciously squeezing
Taki's fingers affectionately. "She... She doesn't want to go back, but..." Sophitia sighed. "But it
seems as if she has to. She can't stop thinking about her sister. If I... my friend doesn't wed this
blacksmith's son, her sister will."
"My friend feels that... that her sister should know freedom, should know a world outside of Greece
before settling down and being stuck in Greece for the rest of her life. My friend... my friend thinks
... I think that my sister should know what I do! She's only sixteen, Taki! She's too young to throw
her life away just to settle our father's debts!"
Sophitia felt the tears in her eyes and felt Taki stroke her hair gently, wordless but wanting to give
comfort. "It's outrageous! We have nothing to do with his gambling debts! Why should I or my
sister pay for them? If only the bakery wasn't in trouble, if only we wouldn't lose our home......
Gods damn this, Taki!"
Sophitia turned around, burying her face against Taki's neck, not caring that tears of anger fell
from her eyes. Why had her father made that deal? Why had he treated her and her sister as
mere commodities? Why hadn't her mother objected? Why didn't anyone ask her or her sister
how they felt about it? Why even think of using a child to settle one's debts? Why? Why?!
"I love you so much, Taki! I don't want to give you or all of this up! But my sister... my sister is
too young to lose her freedom for someone else's debts!" Sophitia whimpered, though less than
before, feeling Taki kiss her forehead and caress her gently. "I... why... why..."
"Duty... that's why I asked about duty and love... I... I don't know what to choose. I love both
you and my sister so much..."
Taki held her until her sobs subsided, silent and waiting, gently caressing her back. Sophitia
breathed, thankful for it, closing her eyes and crying her frustration out until she could not longer
feel it. She hugged Taki almost desperately, not wanting to let go and desiring to burn this memory
into her mind.
------------------
"I understand how you feel, at least, part of it."
Sophitia had closed her eyes, just leaning against Taki and listening to the ninja's voice and
breathing. "I too have a duty that I must sacrifice this for," the ninja continued, leaning in against
the Greek's neck. "I told you before that my clan was after me, did I not?"
Sophitia nuzzled closer against Taki. Yes, it was true that the ninja had told her that, right before
confessing love and kissing her. "I... I made a promise to one formerly of my clan to guard
another cursed sword that has driven my stepfather insane."
Taki hugged her more tightly. "I... I don't want to lose you either, but I... I'm afraid. If you go with
me, if you stay with me, you might get hurt and I don't want that." Sophitia felt the ninja's breath
as Taki exhaled then inhaled again. "If they track me down, if they find me and you're with me I...
I don't want to think about it. You'd be safer in Greece. You'd be away from this whole mess that
has nothing to do with you."
Sophitia opened her eyes and began to speak, but Taki silenced her with a finger on her lips.
"Maybe we can't be together, not now, not yet. But," Taki began, looking to the heavens, "Maybe
someday, we will be. When all of this is over, when both our problems are finished, then...then
surely..."
"I know I will have to let go of you soon. But right now, right now I'm going to spend what time I
have with you not thinking of when we will part. Right now, Sophitia, is what matters most. I'm not
giving you up. Not now, and never."
to be continued...