There's been a wee bit of a wait, but here is the latest chapter. It's got a bit of violence but not too much like off-putting stuff or blood. It's a bit longer than some of the other chapters but I really have to keep a constant detail. Oh, and there's already a chapter I really don't like that i posted- the soppy one about Talim being a psycho and Seung-Mina being a punk-ass bitch- that sounded so kiddy and stupid. Ah well, it's a learning experience at least. Oh yeah, ENJOY and REVIEW!

------------------------------------

Yunsung bought some supplies from local stores before heading out with Taki. She waited stiffly outside, her back fully straight and standing beside the store like a bouncer- she certainly looked intimidating. Her small eyes watched everyone walk past. Her face was straight, as it always was.

When he was finished, Yunsung led Taki out of the village and towards the forest, where, deep inside, he had left Tornado. He had slashed the branches of trees with White Storm to mark his path. On the way, Yunsung obediently described Tornado's characteristics to Taki. Every question was indifferent but inviting in a strange sort of way. Taki was cold and initially appeared inwardly and uncaring, but there was something, Yunsung couldn't quite place it, which made her seem less so, as if she was just dutiful.

"Violent, foul-mouthed, sex-wanting... I see. Nothing I wouldn't expect." she said thoughtfully, staring at the cobbled ground in front of her, the handles of her blades bobbing above her shoulders with her walk.

"I don't get why she wants sex so much, I mean, she acts like she hates humans..." said Yunsung.

"I would assume she needs anything she can get as a stimulant." said Taki knowledgeably, "Souls were her stimulant before, and I expect they gave her some kind of sadistic pleasure. Now, she wants any kind of pleasure- she's running dry."

"What d'you think will happen when it runs out?"

"No-one knows, of course." said Taki, "But I assume she would get much weaker, possibly back to the same strength as her old self..."

"Which was pretty strong." Yunsung sighed.

"Hmm..." Taki considered this, "Still not strong enough to withhold both of us. Which reminds me. How did you capture Tornado?"

"I didn't really...not by myself." he explained, "I confronted her when she was attacking a village. She started attacking me, but she got cocky and started to taunt me. Then, some of the village archers shot her in the thighs with bolts..."

"Aha. The ideal tactic."Taki said wisely.

"So, it wasn't me who captured her, really." Yunsung continued, pushing further into the forest, watching for cut branches, "I just took her away when she collapsed."

"Hmm." said Taki again, "And yet you distracted her long enough for the bowmen to get a decent shot. You played part enough in her downfall. Heroic indeed, some might say."

Yunsung felt very strange being flattered like this by someone who didn't seem impressed with anything. He fell silent and concentrated on watching out for slashed branches. Taki was watching him closely.

"We're nearing her now." said Yunsung. He walked across into the small clearing, where Tornado's tree was, the ropes wrapped around it. He pushed aside the bushThere was nothing to be seen- the ropes were simply wrapped around the tree, and Tornado was not between them. A chill struck Yunsung like a dart in the chest. "Oh no..."

He looked at Taki fearfully. She was standing beside another tree, and she stared at him, eyes narrowed dangerously, unmoving. He turned back to the ropes hastily, and noticed something. "Wait...there's only one set of ropes here...she hasn't got the ones off her legs ye-"

"CHAAAAAII!" at that very moment, Taki had screamed suddenly and jumped vertically into the tree. Yunsung watched the branches rustle sporadically. He heard another scream, and two bodies came hurtling through the air- one was Taki and the other was Tornado, her legs still bound with rope. The two crashed into the bark of an opposite tree, Tornado first, so there was the nasty thump of her body smashing into it, forced by the ninja's vice-like grip. The two slid to the ground. Tornado landed on her front, but Taki, miraculously, was standing there just as she had been just a few confusing seconds ago.

"Yunsung, help me!"Tornado cried in a gurgling voice devoid of emotion, as she struggled to get up. Taki reacted instantaneously, snatching her neck and pushing into the bark. Tornado flailed, roaring and screaming and spitting. But one second later, she was silent. Taki reached up with her free hand, took one of the blue knives, and pushed the flat side into the right of Tornado's neck- where Soul Edge's affliction was.

The second of precious silence passed. Then, Tornado let out the most ear-splitting scream, the highest sound Yunsung had ever heard from a human voice. But it was not of anger, or frustration. It was a frightened scream of pain. Taki lifted the knife away slowly. Tornado panted, her face strained red, and looking up, fear etched onto her face. Tornado, frightened.

Yunsung's senses started to come back as the quiet standstill rested. Taki, whose face was still impassive, began to order Tornado, "You will stay, and be quiet. You are not to run away again."

"Should I tie her up again?" Yunsung asked.

She paused. "Yes. Do it properly this time." she said impatiently.

"I did." he said back, and instantly regretted it. She looked at him, noticeably fierce, but composed, and she stood as straight as always, "Do not speak to me like that. I would have killed you had she not been here."

"Right."said Yunsung stiffly. He picked up the ropes and walked over to Tornado, who looked up at him from the bottom of the tree, surveying him carefully. She was sitting, motionless and stock still, as if invisible cords were already binding her to the tree. Yunsung ran the ropes around her and the tree she was at. He tied in a complicated knot. He could feel Taki's eyes on the back of his head, watching his technique. He ignored this, and looked at Tornado. For once, she was completely silent, completely docile at the sight of him. He reached out to put his hand on her cheek.

She shook her face away with a grunt. Yunsung was disappointed but slightly relieved- she was still 'normal'. He set his eyes on the side of her neck, where the blade had touched, and saw there was no noticeable change, but Tornado still wrested her neck from his glare, a look of fright passing across her face again.

"Interesting." said Taki, kneeling down to examine Tornado also.

"Don't do that." said Yunsung instantly.

She peered at him, "Do what?"

"Don't speak to her like that." said Yunsung, looking at her with a cold distaste, "Stop treating her like she's some specimen you want to experiment on."

It must have seemed he had been stretching his imagination too far, but it was how he felt. He knew Tornado was evil, that she had killed so many and she was profane, but somehow when he saw she could fear he knew that the Talim he felt for was still present within her. He was angry, angry at Taki for hurting her. He was standing up for someone so evil- it felt wrong, but with the fear, he saw feeling, and with the feeling he found love...

"Talim..." he said soothingly, as he tried to put his hand in her hair and she jerked away, "Talim, don't do that..."

"She may bite." Taki inputted.

"Shut up." said Yunsung indifferently. He caught Tornado's head between his hands, pushed it gently against the tree, and rotated his right through her soft locks. Tornado was getting increasingly angry, grunting and trying to shift away, glancing at Taki fearfully. Taki was completely silent, apparently still confused as to Yunsung's motives.

Eventually, Tornado roared, "Get your disgusting hands off me!" in the most cruel voice she could muster. Yunsung stopped. His uplifted, airy feeling melted and drowned away inside him. He stood up quickly.

"Yunsung!" said Taki boldly.

"Watch her for a minute." said Yunsung distractedly. He didn't know what he was feeling, but what he couldn't help was it letting out. He sat behind a nearby tree, shielded from view, and mourned silently. He was so mixed up- he didn't know what to do next, or what he thought, or what he felt, all he knew was that it was now imperative that Talim be healed. As he cried, there was a slight condolence to him as he heard Taki say, "Perhaps you should get some rest, Talim."