Snow Calibur
By ArchangelUK
Part 3: Been a while, yes. However things are
as they must be and coursework came along to slap any work on this right to
the back of my mind. Here be the third part of four and a return to more serious
issues.
ArchangelUK (29/4/2004)
I do not own Soul Calibur or The Legend Of Zelda just this extremely uncomfortable red leather corset...
Part 3: Past, Some Presents & Future
It was certainly an odd way to celebrate Christmas, Ivy thought caressing Valentine against her left cheek. And she was sure what had been proposed broke every single rule about this time of year but quite frankly the tall snow white haired woman didn't care.
After she and Xianghua had calmed down with the elfin youth Link, which had indeed taken some considerable time and a sufficient punishment was dished out to those roaring with laughter the discussion had once more turned to tomorrow and presents in particular.
"Guess we'll have to forgo the exchanging of gifts." Kilik
had said, looking around the room for somewhere to put the bulky Kali-Yuga and
eventually settling on what turned out to be an umbrella stand.
"I suppose so." Ivy sighed lowering herself elegantly down onto a plush leather chair.
Raphael's eyes visibly sparkled as an idea sprang to life in his mind, tapping his left index finger against his cheek he replied. "Not necessarily. Let's think about this, we have a whole – if not extortionately large – farmhouse."
"Villa." Siegfried corrected.
"Whatever. Why don't we find something for everybody here and give it to them tomorrow?"
Talim frowned as did Kilik and Siegfried, it was Xianghua though who voiced their thoughts. "Isn't that stealing though Raphael?"
"Well, from a certain point of view." He shrugged.
"I'm not particularly sure I like this 'certain point of view'." Talim replied seriously.
"I agree." Added Siegfried, his eyes narrowing suspiciously something noted by the ever observant Frenchman.
"You're a fine one to start developing scruples now Herr Schtauffen." Raphael sneered, his upper lip curling to reveal those pristine pure white teeth of his. "If you'd just let me explain…"
Siegfried growled and the very floor seemed to shake, Raphael did not seem to notice however or perhaps did not care.
"Since good Master Basheim has departed for, let's say, worlds anew." Raphael fondled the hilt of his sword deliberately. "There is no one who actually owns this residence, he possessed no family I know this for a fact. Besides the lands have fallen into decline so no one has yet stepped forward to make an offer on their sale or to even claim them as their own."
"I don't see what relevance that has." Kilik said bluntly.
"The relevance is that in this current climate how long would an abandoned villa and much less a well furnished villa like this go un-noticed by a thief? One week? Two? A month possibly? It has been a great many months since Basheim met his end and this residency remains untouched. When we in turn leave how long do you think it will remain so?"
Raphael let his argument hang in the air for a moment before proceeding.
"If the place is only destined to be picked apart by the carrion birds like the doomed corpse it is why not we make use of it further than we have done so already."
"You're proposing that we become the vultures and ransack the place?" Ivy scoffed and Raphael half-sighed half groaned in frustration.
"No no, not at all! I'm suggesting we all scour the house looking for items we think the others may find useful. One per person that way we can give them to each other on Christmas Day. Everyone has a present and we make use of the resources left here."
The argument as it was raged for a good two hours before everybody agreed in principle to disagree. Of course this did not necessarily mean everybody still refused, begrudgingly those opposing eventually came around to Raphael's proposal although not his way of thinking. Talim and Ivy still not overly liking the idea said they would try to use as little interior or personal items as possible, and instead count on natural or perishable items that would only be wasted anyway should the group leave without taking advantage of them. Kilik had then mentioned something cryptic like 'gifts not necessarily have to be from the physical plain' but Ivy hadn't really heard correctly. Raising an eyebrow she'd assumed in her own skeptical way he'd simply said that to cover his back so that in the event of not being able to find something for someone he could give them a gift of 'spiritual energy' or some such rot. Later on however she'd come to realise that it was a pretty smart move for the young monk to make, Ivy only wishing she too had a form of safety net.
Valentine's segments oscillated in as much a parody of a snigger as the weapon could manage. Mistress Ivy was presently up a very tall tree surveying the farm/villa/whatever from above as to get an idea what to get everyone. She shifted unhappy at her current position and rather self-conscious of the view she'd give anyone who looked directly upwards from beneath her. So far she had gained a few items that she had scavenged from around the grounds, in the main living room she had discovered a framed map and though hardly the thing to lead to treasure it was inlaid with gold leaf and expertly illustrated. Ivy thought maybe Maxi would like it for the contents of his new cabin if whenever and if ever they completed this quest.
Outside in one of barns she had also found a cupboard partly covered by an old canvas tarpaulin. After moving the heavy cover she had been amazed to find inside a vast selection of preserves obviously left there until the time was right. A brief glance over the labels revealed various pickles, chutneys, marmalades, honey and most importantly – jams. Her eyes lit up when they focused on several labeled'strawberry' and Ivy had licked her lips involuntarily. She had taken one of the larger jars of this for Xianghua's present and also pocketed a blackberry one of equal size for Raphael. She then deliberately left the cupboard open in the hope that someone would find it and think of giving her one of the other strawberries. If not of course she could always come back here before they left and help herself, she grinned.
After that piece of luck her good fortune had run pretty dry, ideas for presents for the others were difficult particularly when it came to the other males especially Siegfried and Kilik who both needed a lot more consideration when it came to something for them. As for Link she was completely lost, like the majority of the group she didn't really know what he carried with him now much less what he didn't have or would want.
Then there was Talim; Ivy had found herself not for the first time ruing the fact she was not back in England having been decidedly let down by the French countryside. Her hunt for that particular gift had been entirely fruitless. The complex had been searched from north to south and east to west at least twice and was disappointingly devoid of what she was after. She sighed and resigned herself to having to look inside for something else, thus beginning her slow decent down the tree.
She had walked about three paces from it when all of a sudden Valentine zipped open and coiled itself around her.
"Valentine! What the devil?" The sword 'pointed' at something behind the nearest barn. "What is it?"
'There.' Valentine jabbed itself towards the spot more intently.
"I see nothing."
Valentine's consciousness growled, Ivy felt she could envisage the sword rubbing its temples in frustration. 'THERE!'
"I…" Ivy began, but in a rare show of petulance Valentine snapped roughly back together, then broke apart again in the direction it wanted her to go. The motion was so rapid that it actually dragged Ivy a good few paces towards the destination. Valentine did this a few more times before its mistress, who would normally be angry with it but was too shocked by the sword to be able to think anything at the moment got the message .
"This better be worth…" She began once more before her eyes settled on something growing out of the hedgerow. "Oh, Valentine you clever thing, that's just what I needed! You're a lifesaver!"
'Hallelujah.' Valentine sighed, 'Yes, I am rather aren't I?'
The sound of metal striking wood echoes around the farm, in a cordoned off area behind the smaller of the two barns Maxi was taking out his frustrations in a surprisingly effective way by chopping wood for the fire. His frustrations were mainly based around what to do about tomorrow, it had all started rather innocently with the conversation about Christmas Day.
Xianghua and Ivy he remembered had still been very cross with Link, Siegfried had been able to discern very little from the hero of Hyrule since his encounter with the cockerel some thirty minutes prior. Link had sat in a corner panting and muttering something about cuckoos and 'Melon' or something like that, even Talim had been unable to calm him.
"Well, that was an interesting little debacle." Raphael had yawned mockingly.
Although he never would abandon the use of Soryuju, his beloved pair of nunchaku he couldn't help but admire how good it felt to swing an axe. His grip on the oaken shaft flowing smoothly down as the axe arced through the air to bury its steel head into the… the…
Worms!
Insects!
SOULS!
Maxi cried out in pain, confusion and alarm as images of his fallen companions threatened to overcome him. All dead, all slain, and their murderer looming above him - the gargantuan form of Astaroth his mighty axe dripping with blood, looking down he saw that the hands that were held the wood axe were no-longer his. Purple skin covered two monstrous hands, blackened nails stained with the dried gore of many victims standing out prominently and the axe was not any ordinary axe. Not anymore. It was a scythe, a blade of death that was responsible for cutting all too many men, women in children down like they were merely corn before a farmer.
His mind in a blind panic Maxi took the axe and threw it away from him as hard and as far as he could. It wind milled through the air and buried itself deep into the side of the nearest tree a good twenty metres away.
"No." He said quietly to himself. "I will have my revenge upon you freak, after we meet again no more will you murder and kill for sport or the satisfaction of your demon blade."
"Glad to hear it." Kilik's voice startled him.
"What do you want?" Maxi barked, "Come to offer me some tips on spirituality monk? I've already told you I'm not interested."
Maxi hadn't meant to sound so harsh, right now he just wanted to be alone and try and come to terms with the vision he'd just had. He wasn't prepared either though for the look on Kilik's face when he said it. For a split-second he saw anger naturally enough, then a look of deep hurt as though the young man's heart was under great strain before calmness and resolute determination became the focus in his unwavering eyes.
"What did you see?"
"Nothing that would concern you."
"On the contrary I believe what you saw had a great deal to do with me, in principle anyway."
Maxi looked suspicious, "What do you mean?"
"Your chi is out of focus, you're already aware myself and Xianghua know you even though you don't remember us."
"That." Maxi scoffed, "Is ridiculously well documented."
"Don't play games with me Maxi." Kilik growled, "I see the confusion in your eyes and the pain in Xianghua's which you too have seen and felt. I sense your frustration at not knowing and yet the fear of what may be there if you were to discover it. I have an idea of how to reveal this all to you should you wish me to. "
Maxi remained briefly silent before replying, "Why?"
"If you remembered me then you wouldn't be asking that question."
"This isn't just for me though is it?"
"No, for I can no longer bare the sadness that surrounds Xianghua."
"You care for her don't you." Maxi smirked.
"Silence!" Kilik boomed, "Do you want this help or not?"
The sailor chuckled, "Didn't mean to strike a nerve Kilik, I would accept this help you offer as your Christmas gift to me. I… assume this process will take time to regain my full memories?"
"That will be up to you, from the beginning I have said it would be unsafe for you to regain all your memories at once and dangerous for you and your quest. I am only proposing to set you on the path to what you need. I will take the first step with you however after then the journey must be yours alone."
Again Maxi paused, "If that is the way must be then that is the way must be, come Kilik show me what needs to be done."
It was late.
Link closed to his bedroom door behind him and leant against it, so tomorrow was to be this 'Christmas' and everyone was giving each other gifts from around the house. Oddly Link was not too bothered by this; he saw Raphael's point much to Siegfried's astonishment and it had taken Link only 45 minutes to get all but one of the gifts for his friends. However what was on his mind now was how he had embarrassed himself earlier with Ivy and Xianghua.
"Feikram." He muttered savagely and took off his leather gauntlets revealing underneath his own two ludicrously clean hands. On the left was the dull mark left behind where the Triforce of Courage had left him to remain in Hyrule. He missed the feeling of that power coursing through him almost imperceptably, he was homesick for Hyrule a great deal and he did miss Zelda and Saria and Malon terribly. That brought him to the back of his right hand and an ugly scar, perhaps 2 inches long and slightly faded lay where unblemished skin should be. He looked at it and winced his heart aching and he felt the bitterness swirling in his mouth - an unfamiliar taste he thought. It was the only scar he possessed, miraculously from all the battles so far here on Earth his fight against Majora, that time traveling quest to rid Hyrule of the dreaded Ganondorf this was the only wound that had scarred.
It had been a late evening on Lon Lon Ranch he had been staying there for a few days rest and to see Epona his horse. The ranch's portly owner the mustached Talon Lon Lon had challenged him (yet again) to a game of hunt the hunt the cuckoo. Link was obliged to say yes as quite honestly he needed the rupees but he had failed miserably and ventured back into the barn with Talon's daughter, the beautiful Malon Lon Lon for some late night practice.
"So how did you do the last time?" The ranch girl asked, Link just muttered that he was lousy and Malon giggled. "So you want to try again? OK I'll release those cuckoos for you." Link had practiced all night but still could only find two within the time limit when three was required, exasperated he had batted one of the birds away with his hand and that was what when it happened.
"COCK-A-DOODLE DOOOOOOOO!" The cuckoo screeched, all the others turn to face the 'offended' bird. "COCK-A-DOODLE DOOOO!" it repeated slightly angrier this time and with a sudden beating of his wings launched itself at Link the others following rapidly.
"Ahh!" Link had cried out, as the birds attacked him with pointed beaks and sharp claws and knowing all too well the dangers of an aroused cuckoo, Link dived into the relative safety of the nearest hay pile so that they couldn't get hold of him. This had two unfortunate and inconceived side effects: firstly it managed to tick the birds off even more and secondly it made them look for someone else to take their frustrations out on. Malon's scream tore through the night air as the birds changed their attentions to her, without hesitation Link leapt back out grabbed her by her arm and swung her around into the hay pile before diving on top of her to keep the birds away. All he could hear was the cacoffany of clucking and crowing and the beating of wings as they pecked and ripped at his back and legs with their claws. It seemed to last forever, Malon sobbing in fright underneath him until the barn door burst open and Talon stormed in – not even an army of cuckoos could come between Talon and protecting his daughter and being relatively smart creatures they took the opportunity and left in a the great flurry of feathers.
Link's green Kokiri tunic had been practically ripped to shreds, his back was a mass of deep scrape marks, many of them bled staining the shredded green material an ugly black hue. Thankfully Malon had escaped with only a minor scrape to her left leg however it too bled. Link when he had been able to stand, produced from his pack a red potion he had acquired from somewhere or the other. A small drop remained in the jar and he rubbed this on the wound. It was as he was doing that he noticed his left gauntlet, a much lighter leather than he now wore, had been viciously torn asunder by one of the more animated birds. Extricating his hand from the wreckage of it's supposed protector, Link found the back of his hand a mass of blood - obviously this cuckoo had done its damage.
Malon was back on her feet in no time and no worse for her ordeal than the scrape which had healed rapidly leaving no mark on her perfectly silken skin, Link though wasn't back on his feet for a while and while his wounds healed the fear he had that he could have lost Malon through carelessness and the whim of a gang of petty farm animals did not. As if a constant reminder that wound scarred, a testament to a time he almost failed to protect a member of Hyrule.
Link sighed and removed the ocarina from his belt, he was very lonely though
he would never admit this. Sure he had the companionship of his new friends,
he had Siegfried and of course Talim… yet for some reason he felt more
lonely than he had ever been. Even on all those journeys alone with no company
save for the annoying Navi who used to shreak down his ear at the first sign
of trouble. Yes, even lonelier than in Termina when every three days he would
have to travel back in time and everyone would forget he even existed. At least
they all spoke his language back then, here only Siegfried could and though
Link was too kind to admit it, the way the German pronounced some of his words
was nothing short of comical. If it had been anyone but Link, another Hylian
may have been considered insulted by it.
He idly looked at the ocarina in his hand, perhaps… after all Siegfried said that Christmas was the time for miracles…
Tentatively he raised the instrument to his lips and began to play a song he knew oh so well. It was a call, a call across time, across space and a call to a friend he missed more than life itself - but Saria did not answer her song. Dejected, Link looked back at his other hand, the one bearing the Triforce symbol. It seemed that miracles were only reserved for those in the boundaries presided over by the three goddesses even if the one asking is their Hero of Time.
After several minutes pause Link poignantly replaced his gloves, covering the memory of the people in his then and concentrated on finishing his Christmas gift to the most important person of his now.
There was another who was up at this god forsaken hour, in the next room Raphael chuckled ruefully as ocarina notes lightly came through his wall. The Frenchman couldn't sleep, perhaps the elf boy's music would sooth him as it did Talim and Siegfried. He pondered Link for a moment; this young man (if man he was) had the remarkable ability of being an innocent and a warrior at the same time. The fighting spirit of a demon or perhaps of someone fighting for an absolute belief with nothing to lose and yet he could cause dispite the language barrier moments of sheer joy and laughter.
Talim simply lit up whenever he was in the room, Siegfried was reliant upon him in fact it could be said that in Link they had the glue that binded them together. He was lonely Raphael could tell, his heart made the same sigh day after day that his did and yet… and yet Link could smile, really smile and make everyone else's day better.
He wondered why this was…
He wondered why he wasn't like this…
He wondered what Link was actually doing…
He wondered… He wondered if Amy would have liked him…
For the umpteenth time he fished out the small portrait he kept of his adoptive daughter. He had promised her so much, he would not fail her now or ever – and yet, he would not be there to give her a Christmas. He missed her so much.
For the umpteenth time Raphael gently replaced the portrait and for the umpteenth time Raphael Sorrel laid down and gently cried himself to sleep
To Be Continued....
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ArchangelUK 0:o)
