Soul Calibur
By: Emily and Marcy
It was a dreary morning at training camp just like every other. Kilik and Talim were in the meadow talking because their morning training sessions were finished. Mitsurugi and Taki were sparring in the practice ring when all of a sudden an extremely loud bell rang throughout the training school grounds.
It was not a lunch bell. It was far too loud for that. Then, Kilik recognized it from long ago when he was a child and it had been rung. It was the attack bell. All the warriors, senior and in training, sprang up and ran for their weapons.
"Where are my Double Crescent Blades?" Talim asked frantically. She sprinted to her boarding room that she shared with Sophitia. Sophitia was also searching for her weapon.
"Where is that darn thing?" Sophitia screamed out.
"I can't find my weapon either." Talim said looking under her bed where she would usually find it if she hadn't been carrying it with her. They couldn't find them anywhere.
Only seconds later Kilik knocked on their door to ask Talim if she had seen his rod anywhere. She answered no then asked him if he had seen her Crescent Blades. He gave the same answer.
As it turned out, no one in the kingdom could find their weapons and the enemy flooded the school grounds. They lit housing buildings on fire and many had engaged in hand to hand combat although the attackers had weapons.
Many were badly injured and a few were killed. Kilik, Talim, Sophitia, Taki, Mitsurugi, Xianghua, and Cassandra had all hid away in the forgotten bomb shelter until the attackers left. They soon realized that they were alone. All others had escaped. Even the evil people in training like Heihachi, Nightmare, Ivy and Voldo.
Only seven of them were left. And the evil trainees were loose in the world.
"Oh no!" exclaimed Taki.
"What's the matter?" asked Kilik. "Other than the obvious."
"The evil masters escaped and are free to search for the Soul Edge!" Taki explained. "We have to stop them!"
"I know we do…" said Talim "… but the question is how?" The seven first set off in search of their weapons. They searched any remains of the boarding rooms. Then they traveled to the far side of the school grounds to search the dark side's boarding houses.
They all noticed that the farther to the evil side they traveled, the less damage was to be found. The only extensive damage was a gaping hole in the side of their containment chamber.
"Is it just me, or does this look like a set up to you guys too?" Kilik asked them.
"I guess it kind of does…" Talim said, her voice trailing off.
"Look over here!" Mitsurugi shouted from behind the containment chamber. "Our weapons were hidden under Voldo's bed!" he said pulling out a pair of Double Crescent Blades. Talim was overjoyed to see them again.
After recovering all of the lost weapons, they set out to search for a camp but after short deliberation, they decided to go back to their home land for a while to relax and think about what to do.
Talim and Kilik went home to places in southern Asia rather close together. Mitsurugi went to Hong Kong and Taki went to her late mother's old serenity garden in Japan. Cassandra went to Greenland where her grandmother and grandfather live and Xianghua caught a boat to China. Sophitia went to Turkey.
Talim and Kilik ended up deciding to go to the windmill near their home towns to make sure they wouldn't jeopardize their families in case the attackers might track them down.
"Ow!" Talim screamed while walking up the ladder to the windmill.
"What, what's wrong? Kilik asked.
"My wrist I, I don't know. But, it hurts really badly. I think I sprained it." Talim said in immense pain.
Kilik then wrapped it tight with a ripped off piece of his jacket.
"Thanks, that's better." Talim said not lying.
When Cassandra arrived, a hawk flew over head and dropped a red stone in the snow in front of her. It was a sign, a sign that she must get the Soul Edge and she must get it soon. The same hawk had flown over the windmill giving the sign to Kilik and Talim as well.
Next were Xianghua, Sophitia, and Mitsurugi. Taki was given the red stone next.
Later that night at the windmill, Talim and Kilik continued to discuss what they must do in order to save the world itself and protect the Soul Edge.
"I must go on a quest for the Soul Edge, Talim." Kilik said.
"I know, but I can go too. I sprained my wrist when I tripped, but I can still fight. I don't want you to go alone. Please don't go alone…" Talim pleaded.
"I must…" Kilik said. "But I will be careful and return for you."
"My wrist will heal in only one week Kilik. And when it does, the wind will guide me to the Soul Edge… and to you." Talim said.
"We cannot wait that long." Kilik said.
"Well, if that's the story, I will go too." Talim responded.
"That's, that's absurd to even think about." Kilik said frustrated.
"No it's not because you will be there with me…"Talim said adding, "I will be safe."
"It would be far too risky…"Kilik said. "I don't want to risk it."
They sat on the windmill feet hanging over the edge silently. Then Kilik leaned in to kiss Talim, even though it was against his relationship with Xianghua. Before their lips touched, out of the darkness emerged 5 ninja warriors.
Kilik jumped up staff in hand ready to fight.
"Run Talim!" Kilik screamed. "You can't fight!" Talim hopped to her feet with one Crescent Blade on her non-sprained arm.
"I won't leave you here alone Kilik!" Talim responded. Then Talim ran toward an attacker that had his back facing her and knocked him over the edge. Kilik ran at two other guards that sprung toward Talim, and hit them both down with one swipe of his rod.
"Three down, two to go." Kilik said lunging at another ninja knocking him off the edge. Talim hammered the last intruder off the side of the windmill.
"Well, I guess you can fight with one arm." Kilik said impressed.
"And you doubted me." Talim retorted.
Kilik laughed and then got a serious look on his face. "You still can't go." he said turning around.
Talim grabbed his shoulder and turned him to face her saying, "You just saw me fight, I brought down two, two of them. I have to go."
"You don't and won't. End of discussion." Kilik said heading to the ladder.
"You are not the boss of me! I can do what ever I want." Talim said standing up straight.
"If you come with me you will lose more then your life." Kilik said standing close to Talim.
"Okay, but-"Talim said getting interrupted by Kilik.
"No buts. Thank you for agreeing with me. Me and the others will go…I'm sorry…I will be back as soon as possible. Please don't leave the windmill." Kilik said now holding Talim hands.
Talim dropped his hands and took a step back, "Okay just go. I will stay here"
Kilik sighed and went down the ladder leaving Talim alone.
"I'll give him a day." Talim said with a smile on her face.
"Okay guys, and girls, we have made it this far now we just need to enter the tunnel. Let's split into two teams," Kilik said using hand motions, "Me, Xianghua, and Taki. And then the rest. Okay we'll go first and then you guys. So, let's do this!"
Then the teams spilt up with Talim not that far behind ready to get some action too.
"Nightmare!" Kilik said drawing his rod.
"Kilik, what do you think you're doing here?" Nightmare said getting his sword ready as well.
"What do you think?" Xianghua said mockingly.
"Well let me tell you, I wouldn't take a step forward if I were you." Nightmare said very confidently.
"Oh, why would we?" Taki said lunging at Nightmare with Kilik and Xianghua behind her falling into a trapdoor.
"Hey, I warned you" Nightmare said laughing, "Ah, the others have come to join you."
"Let…me…go!" Sophitia shouted scrambling in Voldo's arms.
Voldo, Ivy and Heihachi dropped Mitsurugi, Cassandra, and Sophitia into the hole.
"Well, dinner will be served in about ten days." Heihachi laughed and walked away with the others closing the top with bars ten feet above the prisoners.
"Ow, I think I broke something." Cassandra said rubbing her ankle.
"We're all hurt, but we have bigger problems." Xianghua said looking for a way out.
"There has to be a way out!" Mitsurugi said swinging his sword at the stone wall making not even a chip.
Xianghua walked Kilik into a dark corner and whispered, "This will be are last days together." and leaned to kiss Kilik.
Kilik turned his head refusing the kiss and said "Don't doubt." and walked away.
"I think you're boyfriend is losing interest in you." Cassandra said walking toward Xianghua.
"What?!" Xianghua said a little loud.
"You know what I mean you're just afraid to admit it." Cassandra said with a smile.
"I-I don't know what you're talking about." Xianghua said looking the other way.
"But you do. You've seen the way Kilik has looked at Talim, I mean yeah there's a seven year difference but, they hang out every day." Cassandra said leaning on a wall.
"Man, I'm starving, I don't think I can last ten days!" Sophitia said surprised no one laughed at her joke, "What? I was just kidding."
"Stop complaining, it will go a lot faster that way." Taki said helping Mitsurugi beat-up the wall.
"Sor-" Sophitia began to apologize but was interrupted.
"Talim!" Kilik said louder than he should have.
"Shh!" Talim whispered at Kilik. "I'm going to get you guys out of there but I have to go find some rope. I'll be right back. Don't move! Oh, right, you can't." Talim said running off silently to search for rope.
"I hope she gets back here soon." Mitsurugi said still looking at where Talim had stood.
"Well, well I bet we could just get out of here on our own if we actually tried." Xianghua said still a little upset about Cassandra's remark.
It's a good thing Talim never listens to what I say or we would still be stranded here! Kilik thought to himself.
Minutes later Talim came back with rope in hand. She attached one end of the rope to a metal bar and dropped the other to the six below. Mitsurugi climbed up first followed by Taki, Cassandra, Sophitia, Kilik, and Xianghua.
"Alright, we have to move fast and I have a plan." Xianghua said already walking quickly through the tunnel ahead of everyone else. "Mitsurugi will jump in first and Taki will sneak up behind and attack. Then Kilik will jump them. Cassandra can take on Heihachi with no problems and Sophitia can take Ivy. I'll get the Soul Edge and then go destroy it. I know exactly where to go. Alright, let's move!" Xianghua commanded.
"Hey, what about me?" Talim asked.
"Oh, I must have skipped you. Um, you can stand guard. Alright, now let's move.
I don't think so. Talim thought as she continued down the hall. When the seven arrived at the secret room at the end of the tunnel, Talim snuck off to the rafters while the rest followed Xianghua's plan. All was going according to plan except Kilik was trying to take on Nightmare on his own! Mitsurugi was fighting Voldo so he couldn't possibly help Kilik now.
Finally, some action! Talim thought to herself as she dove on Nightmare's back.
"Hey, what's going on! Who's back there?!" Nightmare screamed. Nightmare was so big and bulky, he couldn't turn his head far enough to see that Talim had landed on him and was about to knock him out with her Double Crescent Blade.
Only a moment later, Nightmare was on the ground unconscious along with Heihachi and Voldo.
"I've got the Soul Edge!" Xianghua yelled as she darted for the tunnel entrance. "I'll take care of the sword. You guys put them in the hole!" The remaining six dragged the unconscious bodies to the hole and dumped them in.
"See ya, wouldn't want to be ya!" Sophitia said as she helped Cassandra dump Voldo into the hole. As the team emerged from the entrance, Xianghua was waiting.
"I got rid of the sword." She said. "Now let's get out of here!"
"Sounds like a good idea to me." Cassandra said already walking. "We can go find our boat on the other side of the island." They walked for about an hour before taking a short break.
Kilik and Talim went to sit by the pond that they had stopped near.
"I'm so happy that this is all over!" Talim said with a sigh of relief.
"Me too. And by the way, thank you so much for saving me back at the tunnel. It was really brave. Especially because you still have a sprained wrist." Kilik praised.
"Well, we'll just say I had some motivation." Talim said shyly. Talim leaned and began to kiss Kilik. While they were kissing, Cassandra came around the corner only to see them and hid behind a tree.
Kilik looked up ready for his rod, "What was that?"
"I-I don't know" Talim said joining Kilik to stand-up.
"Kilik! Oh, Kilik." Xianghua said walking to the pond, "Oh, there you are, and Talim." She said dropping her smile.
"Yeah, we were just….talking." Kilik said walking to Xianghua.
"Well, I'm gonna leave you guys alone." Talim said walking to the group.
"So, now we're going to go back home. To our normal lives." Xianghua said leaning to kiss Kilik again hoping not for a refusal.
Kilik didn't refuse, but was uncomfortable with it.
Cassandra gasped still spying, but now Talim saw her.
"Cassandra?" Talim said.
"Oh, hi." Cassandra said now walking toward the group too.
"What were you doing?" Talim said already knowing she saw everything.
"I won't tell. I promise on Sophitia's grave." Cassandra said now with the group.
"Hey, sis I'm still alive here." Sophitia said sarcastically.
"Okay, let's get going." Taki said.
"Hey, love birds come on!" Sophitia shouted to Xianghua and Kilik.
Cassandra gave Talim a little smile and then they were off for home.