All right, I don't really have much to say. Just introducing the chapter. Here's where the true quest is chosen, and, of course, we discover what happened to Takharu after she passed out. Hm... who could have saved her? Read on to find out!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the Soul Calibur II characters, weapons or plots.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Fate & Destiny
*~* Chapter 2 – A New Quest *~*
Takharu opened her eyes to discover that she was no longer in the desert. She was lying in a bed, in a small cabin. She sat up and looked around – It was empty.
The door creaked open, and a boy about Takharu's age walked in, "So you're finally awake," he stated. What had happened? How long had she been asleep? Takharu couldn't remember. "Do you have a name?" he asked.
Takharu snapped out of her trance of confusion, "My name is Takharu."
"And I'm Yun Sung. Now that the introductions are over... what were you doing out in the middle of the desert like that?"vg
Takharu thought for a moment... her memory was hazy, "I was running away..." she recalled aloud, "My mother and brother... they were killed, and I ran away from the reality of it." Yun Sung nodded in understanding, "And then... I killed the man I was being forced to marry... but I didn't do it willingly. It was as if I was being controlled."
"You probably were," Yun Sung said. He handed Takharu the shard of metal that had fallen from her sword, "That metal you were holding is a piece of the Sword of Salvation. A lot of people say it's evil, so it would make sense if it controlled you like that. I, however, choose not to believe that it's evil."
"How do you know so much about this sword?" Takharu questioned.
Yun Sung was silent for a moment, "You're not the only one who has come across a piece of the sword," he revealed that he, also, had a metal fragment.
"How many shards are there?" Takharu was growing more curious of the blade.
"I'm not sure," he replied, "But the tale of the Sword of Salvation, or Soul Edge, is known by many... so no doubt that there are a lot of people after it."
"Do you want the sword?" asked Takharu.
"I need the sword. It's the only way I can protect my country in the raging war. The ultimate weapon... I need to prove myself."
Takharu at the blade of Ra, that was by her side. She was deep in thought, "'Prove myself' he says... I proved myself and ended up falling into madness," Takharu grabbed the hilt of her sword and stood up.
"What are you doing?" Yun Sung asked her.
"I have to go..." she replied, "I have to right my wrongs."
"Not in your condition! You're still weak. You need more rest."
"I'm fine," Takharu assured him, "I can take care of myself."
"Yeah, right! You really looked like you could take care of yourself when you were lying unconscious in the middle of nowhere," Yun Sung commented sarcastically.
Takharu remembered what had happened to her in the desert, "Why did you save me?" she sat back down on the bed.
Yun Sung seemed surprised by the question, "I don't know... I guess I just couldn't leave someone to die like that."
"You've killed people before, have you not?"
Yun Sung hesitated, "Yes... but this is different. I just didn't think you deserved to die... but maybe I was wrong... going into a desert along and unprepared is practically suicide. Even if you're trying to run away from your problems..."
What Yun Sung said seemed to trigger something inside of Takharu, "You just sounded like my mother... She always told my older brother never to go into the desert alone."
|~~~~|~-~|~~~~~|~-~|~~~~|
I was young at the time... back when my brother was alive. I remember that he always loved going into the desert, it was like a hobby to him; but my mother was always furious when she found out where he had been. I always thought she was being too harsh on him...
"Mother, why can't I go into the desert? It's the only fun place around here!"
"It's too dangerous... if you get caught in a sandstorm it will be the end of you! Never go into the desert alone!"
He didn't listen to her... he should have. He went back into the desert, and a sandstorm started. It took his life... he never got to live the joys of life just because he didn't listen. My mother wasn't being harsh... he cared about him, and I realize that now... If only my brother had understood...
|~~~~|~-~|~~~~~|~-~|~~~~|
"None of this would have happened... He would still be alive... He would have gone to the temple, then perhaps the sword wouldn't have been found. My family would still be alive..." tears streamed down Takharu's face.
"Don't cry," Yun Sung sat down beside Takharu, "There's no use of even thinking about it. What's done is done... you can't change the past."
"It just tears me up inside... If my brother had understood love, my family wouldn't be in hell."
"Forget all about it," Yun Sung insisted, "Go to sleep. You need rest if you want to leave this place and return home."
Takharu nodded slowly, "All right. Good night then, Yun Sung," she lay down in the bed once again.
"Good night," he stood up and walked over to the other side of the room, and sat down on the chair. He was deep in thought, about all that had happened, "Why did I save her? Why do I care? It's not like me... But there's something about this girl... I just don't understand," he sighed, "Maybe I need some sleep, too..." he closed his eyes and fell asleep.
[----{-----|~-~|-----}----]
Late into the night Takharu awoke. She was feeling much calmer now. She stood up and looked across the cabin; Yun Sung was fast asleep. She quietly walked over to the table and wrote a note on a piece of paper:
Yun Sung,
I'm sorry I ignored your request for me to stay and rest longer... but I had to leave. I'm not going home... I have chosen to search for the sword "Soul Edge". I wish I could remain with you, but we are now rivals. If we meet again – And I hope we won't – We will end up battling each other... and I cannot fight against someone who saved my life... but I also can't let you wield Soul Edge. I'm sorry... Farewell...
~Takharu
She folded the paper and placed it on the bed where she had been sleeping. She silently slipped out the door and set out in search of Soul Edge. She had to prevent it from getting into the wrong hands... or any hand for that matter. She remembered the hieroglyphs in the ancient crypt; they spoke of the evil blade... and not the Sword of Salvation that Yun Sung believed it to be. If anyone laid a hand on that sword... his or her life would be ruined. Yun Sung had saved her life... now she had to do the same for him.
[----{-----|~-~|-----}----]
Yun Sung awoke late in the morning. He got to his feet and looked across the room to discover that Takharu was gone, "Damnit..." he cursed under his breath. He reached for the note Takharu left, and after reading it he was not pleased, "Great... now I have another person to worry about! I have to get ahead of her and get that sword... and no doubt Seung Mina is close behind me," he thought to himself, "I'd better move!" he quickly gathered his belongings and dashed out the door.
*~* End of Chapter 2 *~*
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Ooo... the plot thickens. Next chapter we will see what is going on with both Yun Sung and Takharu. I'll update as soon as I can! ((Which should be soon since I have a five day weekend starting tomorrow! ^_^))
