OK, sorry about the mega delay on this chapter! My computer.... Uh... my mom had to restart it because we had FIFTY-FIVE VIRISS! How can a computer have that many you may ask? I HAVE NO FREAKIN IDEA! So, the ALL of the data on my fanfictions were COMPLETELY DELETED... I was almost finished with this chapter! I can't believe it. Oh well, let's get going!
I own nothing of Soul Calibur II and never will, but the script is mine and if you take it I get to sue you AND GET A BETTER COMPUTER THAT HAS A FIRE WALL!!
Chapter Three: A Rival Made
Talim sat down on the floor of her room, next to her small bed. It was small, but big enough for Talim to stretch just a little.
She looked out her window, listening to the bits of news that the Wind was telling her. Or, more appropriate pieces of what it was carrying.
She was listening without speaking, almost as if in a trance.
"But she said...."
"I can't believe that that brat actually...."
"How dare you say that you love me when I saw you last night with...."
Talim giggled when she heard that, and then she continued to listen until she found something interesting.
"Train harder! Are you little girls wearing pink fluffy dresses or...."
Talim smiled, she knew that voice it was Edgar! She kept on smiling and then kept on listening for other things.
"Well he said that I had the brain of a bird, I said...."
"Let's eat something that...."
"I didn't get a great sleep last...."
"Damn it my noodles burned! I knew that I shouldn't have just left them by...."
"Pick that up! I demand...."
"Quiet it down do you want...."
Talim stopped listening and stood up, looking around her room. She had been in here for about a week, and tomorrow she would leave.
Well, if she passed.... But she had no doubt in her mind that she would, but than again she always tried to prepare herself for the worst.
She looked at the white walls, her little table that was for food, and her peach colored carpet. She only had one window, and she cherished it. For it let the Wind pass through, Talim hated it when she couldn't feel the gentle fingers of the Wind.
Talim looked back out the window, it was right beside her bed at the end of the room. She wanted to see how a certain someone was doing.
The Wind blew rapidly for a second, then it died down and the Wind started speaking to Talim.
'Kalana is morning for you. And no matter how much I try to comfort her she still grows sadder each day. She is getting ill, young Talim. She worries for you.'
Talim swallowed the large lump in her throat. Her Grandmother, the one out of two who really cared. Even so, she still wanted to see how her whole tribe was doing.
'Yes, even the tribe is sad, although they try to hide it. Lidi is also starting to grow sadder by the day, although not ill. Sanput is telling her that there is nothing to worry about at all and that she is being foolish. Alun has been set free as you know, and is now making his journey to you. I have tried to ask him to stop as you wished, but continues to travel.'
Talim listened to this quietly and felt a tiny tear trickle down her face. She didn't try to wipe it away; she just let it fall peacefully.
"Thank you, Wind."
'My pleasure is to give you comfort, young Talim.'
Talim nodded and then wiped away the tear just as it was about to get to the bottom of her face. She had to be strong. For her tribe. For the Wind. And even though she had jut met him about two weeks ago, she had to be strong for Link.
She smiled to and said this to herself:
"Calm down Talim... Ok."
Satisfied that she could go out without any negative thoughts, she checked to make sure that Syi Sarika and Luka Loha were on the table and then left the room.
She went outside and found that Link had been waiting for her. He blinked at her and then smiled.
"Morning Talim." He told her as they started walking together to get something to eat.
"Greetings Link, have a good sleep?"
"You bet; I'm ready for the last test!"
"Oh, it took me three hours to get to bed. I was too excited."
Link laughed just as they rounded the corner, he was always used to sleeping when big days were ahead so after a while he just slept right when his eyes closed. It was an odd habit, but a useful one.
"I wonder who I'll fight?" Asked Talim ponderously, Link thought for a moment and wondered whom he was going to fight.
"Who knows? What would happen if you got that guy again?"
"What guy?"
"You know, that guy with the hair that looked like it was real fire."
Talim elbowed Link in the ribs at his joke and then nodded.
"Oh, him. That would be weird if I got Yunsung again."
"How did you remember his name?"
Talim winked just as a glimmer of mischief passed through her eyes.
"I have my ways."
Link looked at her for a moment and then looked forward again, they were at the food court.
Talim walked in ahead of Link and got food and found a comfortable spot where she and Link could eat alone.
Talim looked around the room, and as usual she was one of the only females there. Fact was; there had to be about three hundred males in here and only about twenty females. Woman normally didn't like to fight, and it almost made Talim cringe when she saw woman sitting on their butts fanning themselves while flirting with men. The things that they were missing, why couldn't woman understand that there was more to life then just sitting around? Just gardening would be better, Talim could sympathize with those who were crippled, but those who could get up and move didn't do anything! Talim sighed and looked back up as Link walked up to her and sat down.
"Something wrong Talim?"
Talim did her small smile and then took a quick drink of her water.
"I simply wish that woman would do more."
"More?"
Talim nodded and started eating her food, feeling uncomfortable without the Wind blowing through. Link thought for moment and then spoke again.
"Where I come from, woman work hard... although not many pick the path of a warrior they still work hard to keep things together. My sister works hard to make sure that everyone stays safe...." He felt his mind wonder for a moment as Zelda's smiling face popped into his head. It soon dissolved unto nothingness, and a messenger appeared by the table.
"This message will tell you two which opponents you will be against. Names please?"
"Link."
"Talim."
He nodded and started rustling through the bag and soon pulled out two small pieces of paper and handed one to Link and the other to Talim.
"Good day, hope that you pass."
He ran off to another table, obviously handing out the same thing that he just gave Talim and Link.
Talim opened her small paper and read it as a smile spread across her face like a sunrise.
"I'm fighting Yunsung!"
Link had barely opened his paper when he jumped up and stared at Talim.
"Are you serious?"
Talim nodded and put her paper down and started wolfing down her food faster then Link ever could. She finished before he even knew it and stood up with her tray in hand.
"I'm going to get ready! See you later!"
And before he could do anything she ran off and put her tray away and then dashed out of the food court with others staring at her.
Link looked at her for a moment and then looked down at his paper. He was fighting a male named Talison. A wry smile crossed his face; the first three letters T-A-L-I were just like Talim.
Talim raced to her room and nearly ran into the door but stopped herself just in time. She laughed quietly to herself and then opened the door. Her smile immediately disappeared when she saw that Syi Sarika and Luka Loha weren't where she had left them.
She closed the door and then turned around, and already knew who would be there.
"Is there something that you require Yunsung?"
He smirked as he held her Elbow Blades in one hand and laughed.
"Nope, not really."
"Then would you please give me back my Elbow Blades?"
"So is that what there called?" Yunsung lifted them up as he leaned coolly on the wall.
"Please give me back Syi Sarika and Luka Loha." Talim asked again.
"So they aren't just called 'Elbow Blades'?" He laughed and smiled at Talim again. "Funny names."
Talim sighed and looked back at him again.
"Does it matter what they are called? I'm sure that your weapon has a name as well."
"Yep. It does. White Storm."
"Hmm."
"By the way, who is it that you talk to when your by yourself in here?" he shifted on the wall and crossed his arms over his chest. "I never hear anyone answer you, do you like to talk to yourself?"
"That's none off your concern." Talim replied seriously. "Give me my weapons back."
"But I want to know who you talk to!" he told her with a fake innocence.
"I pray."
Yunsung stared at her for a moment, and then he nodded.
"If you're going to pray then go to the Temple."
Talim sighed in comfort for a moment, but held it.
She did her best to try and keep her power of the Wind away from others ears. The first time some man asked her who she had been talking to and she had told him the Wind she had been chased for three weeks because he had thought that she was crazy and needed to be locked up as she sang little nothings to herself. She had hardly been able to sleep and get anything to eat, and finally she went to the Wind to create a large Windstorm to stop from being chased. They would have certainly caught her soon if it hadn't been for the Wind.
"Now that you know what you want, would you give me my weapons?"
Yunsung smiled and just kept on holding the Elbow Blades.
"Any other question?"
"I'm fighting you."
"I know that. Use your fists, unless you don't know how."
"I do."
"Ha...."
"Something funny?" Talim asked.
"You."
Talim studied him for a moment, and then spoke.
"Do you have another question? Or will you chose to give me what I want?"
"Another question... and why do we need to talk about that? How about something else? It isn't interesting."
"Your spinning." Talim told him as keenly as a knife.
"Spinning?" Yunsung asked in an amused tone.
"Spinning. You're avoiding my question, almost as if you're a little toddler running away from their mother to avoid being punished."
"You were spinning."
"I was, but at least I finally said something about it."
Yunsung apparently didn't like her come back because he threw Talim's Elbow Blades strait at her with an angry look on his face. Talim dodged them and the Elbow Blades went into the wall like a pair of nails. He walked out and closed the door quietly as Talim looked at her Elbow Blades.
He knew that she would dodge them, but Talim still didn't like the fact that he had thrown them at her.
Talim grabbed the handle of one of her Elbow Blades and pulled, the blade being stuck firmly into the wall it took a while before it came out. It took a while to get the other one out as well, but eventually it did. Sighing, Talim looked at her blades, and felt anger boil up like a steaming pot.
The edges were dulled; she wouldn't be able to scratch Yunsung at all with these! Sure the impact of the Elbow Blades hitting the wall and the slim shape had caused them to go through, but it was not because of their edge. She had sharpened them, and she knew this well. And she also knew quiet well who had dulled the edges, the one person that had just been in the room with her.
Taking in a deep breath of air, Talim did her best to calm her and to settle down. It didn't work that well, but at least she wasn't as angry as before.
Talim turned around and searched for her Wind Guides, she found them soon, and found that the tips were just as they had been before.
But they weren't meant to be sharp, they were meant to dance with! Talim wouldn't be able to sharpen Syi Sarika and Luka Loha in enough time, and these were her only options. The Wind Guides would be able to scratch Yunsung, not that well though. And how would she keep balance? True she had danced with them all of her life, but that was dancing, not battling! It would so difficult... but she would win, she had too! Or else she wouldn't be able to go with Link! She had to do this, she absolutely had to.
Seeing no other choice, Talim grabbed them and stood up with her face facing the window.
She would do this; she couldn't fail.
Taking in a last deep breath of air, Talim exited her room with two deep marks left in the wall that would make the maids stare when they came to tidy up her room if Talim had missed anything, which was never.
--------------
Link was waiting for Talim at the arena, he waved hello to her and she did the same. Although she seemed a little steamed, something Link had never seen Talim do before.
"Something wrong?" Link asked as they looked at the fighters fighting in the middle.
Talim sighed and lifted up her Elbow Blades, but instead of them being designed with light brown marks they were blue, with the tips thicker then most of the weapon. Those were the Elbow Blades that Talim had danced with the first night Link had met her.
"Hey aren't those..." Link was about to say, 'those things that you danced with that night...' but stopped himself just in time.
"I know," Talim replied. "You were going to say, 'Hey aren't those different weapons?'"
Link was surprised that Talim had thought that she had thought that he was going to say that, but that thought soon disappeared when he realized that they the tips were duller those of Syi Sarika and Luka Loha.
"But those aren't as efficient! You're other Elbow Blades are way sharper!" Link pointed at them, Talim sighed and nodded. Then she shook her head and then forced a smile upon her face.
"I need to be positive, if I'm going to be negative then I won't be able to concentrate in battle." Talim did a big laugh, and instantly everyone started looking at her. The battle that had been going on in the ring had just ended, so now all of the attention had been focused upon Talim. She kept on laughing, and by now Link had begun to want to start edging away but kept himself from doing so. After all, Talim wouldn't have edged away from him.
Talim stopped laughing, and opened her eyes and saw that everyone was looking at her. And instead of hiding behind Link, she smiled at them and said,
"Hello."
Everyone turned away and started talking, just as the announcer yelled,
"NEXT BATTLE!" looking at a piece of paper he read the two names on it. "LINK AND TALISON!"
Link laughed and then looked at Talim.
"Well, I guess that I better get going." He told her.
"Good luck Link!" Talim called after him as he went down to the ring that was the same one that Link had first seen when Talim and Yunsung had battled on it. The young man Talison was waiting there for him, he had a tanned face, light brown hair and dark brown eyes. He just wore puffy pant, along with a sword. He didn't offer Link any greeting, he just stared at him, and Link could tell that he was determined to win.
Link was going to hate to beat this guy, it really seemed to be ready to win... but he was an opponent, and Link needed to win.
"FIGHTERS READY? FIGHT!"
The young man started circling Link, and Link just stayed in a defense position. Link could already see a few places where he could hit the man and the battle be over, but he didn't want to have the battle be over so soon.... And it would hurt than young man's ego, something important that every warrior should have a little of. But if he had too much, it could lead up to major trouble. He did seem too cocky, the way that he was looking at Link. So maybe he should just....
Link moved aside just before the young mans blade was about to crash down onto his side. It was a close move, and Link decided that the battle should end before this guy got too cocky and Link really did some damage to his pride.
Link moved forward quickly, this obviously surprised his opponent because he made plenty of open spaces for Link to make one swing of his sword and boom; instant death.
Link swung his sword and hit the young man with the head with the blunt side of his sword, knocking him out.
Everyone held his or her breath, waiting to see if the lad on the ground would get up or if he would stay.
"ONE, TWO, THREE, FOUR, FIVE, SIX, SEVEN, EIGHT, NINE... TEN! THE WINNER IS...." Again, the person paused to remember what the winners name was. "LINK!"
Link sighed and raised his sword up as everyone cheered and thought about how quickly he had taken out that other young man. They stood up and clapped wildly for the person who had taken the other out with one blow.
Link walked out of arena and back to Talim who smiled and clapped.
"You won Link! Congratulations!"
"Thanks Talim." Link told her. "But he really wasn't that hard, had a big ego thing going."
"Just like Yunsung." Talim laughed and hugged Link.
He was surprised by the physical contact, but at the same time he found that he liked being hugged by someone... the last person that he had hugged had been Zelda, who had waved good-bye to him just before he had gone through the portal to this world in the Temple of Time. A memory went through his head swiftly of Zelda....
"Link!" Zelda cried as Link held her in his arms, Link did his best to comfort her, but how could he when he was uneasy himself? "I wish that didn't you have to go, I wish that I hadn't been the one to tell you to leave! What will I do when you leave? You're my only family left!"
Zelda wept harder, and Link held her closer.
"Zelda, I wish that I could tell you that I would come back... but...."
Zelda pulled away from Link and wiped away the tears that had gone down her face. The top of her dress was completely wet with her tears.
"I must be strong," she told Link as she stood in front of him with her chin held high. "I must be strong for Hyrule, I cannot let myself be weak. I must protect it now.... I must not cry. I need to be strong, for me, for this country. You're the one that's leaving, and I'm the one that crying...."
She took in a deep breath, and then smiled at Link.
"I give you this as my token of love. Keep this with you always, and as you play it, I hope that you think of me, and everyone of Hyrule, and of Hyrule itself."
She pulled something out from behind her back, and Link recognized it as the Ocarina of Time, Link had given it back to her....
"Zelda, I can't!" Link protested as she held it out to him. She shook her head and took his arm and placed the Ocarina in his hand.
"Yes you will, as the Queen of Hyrule I command you to take it with you! Now go, Link, the Hero of Time. And most of all, my brother."
Link smiled at Zelda, and embraced her one more time. Then, letting her go he turned around.
A light came out of the windows, and suddenly a portal of black appeared in the center of the Temple of Time. Link took in a deep breath of air, and then, he walked through the portal.
Behind him, he could hear Zelda's sweet voice calling out after him.
"Link! I love you! I will never forget...."
And he heard Zelda's voice no more.
"Link? Are you alright?"
Link looked at Talim, who had apparently stopped hugging him and was standing in front of him with a concerned look on her face.
"Link, are you alright?" she asked him again more franticly.
After she had hugged Link and stepped, she had seen tears collecting in his eyes... and she was worried, that she had done something wrong. She didn't want to cause him pain she hated causing anyone pain. And she had caused people that she loved pain, and she felt horrible for that.
"I-I'm fine Talim." Link finally stuttered out, Talim smiled and then pointed to the ring hoping to change the subject.
"The next fight has started, I forgot their names unfortunately."
"It's alright, I would have forgot too." Link replied, Talim smiled and then nodded.
A couple of fights went by, each one more boring then the other. It was entertaining to the crowd, but both Link and Talim had seen better things then what they were seeing now, especially Link. It seemed that both of them were going to fall asleep when someone was shaking Talim. Looking up, Talim saw that it was her turn to go into the ring.
"Oh, thank you!" Talim told the man and then trotted off to the ring, which is after poking Link awake.
Talim went calmly down to the ring, her opponent waiting for her.
Yunsung smiled at her, although it wasn't in a friendly way.
"I hope that this fight will turn out well." Talim told Yunsung as she did a small stretch, although it looked more like she was a rubber band to the people watching her.
"I'm not going to lose to fools like you." He simply told her, Talim smiled and laughed instead of getting angry, which surprised Yunsung.
"FIGHTERS READY? FIGHT!"
Both Talim and Yunsung sprung into action, both searching for opening by habit.
Talim went forward, hoping that she wouldn't lose balance with the move that she was about to do.
She lunged forward with her Elbow Blades on both sides, and as Yunsung saw this he prepared to use his sword to hit Talim's neck, not to kill her but to make her unconscious.
Yunsung flexed his muscles in his arm, a signal that Talim recognized. He swung his sword to the left, and Talim used her left Elbow Blade, and knock his sword out of the way. He didn't stumble back, but that wasn't what Talim had wanted him to do anyway. Instead, she grabbed his left arm and then lifted her foot up to his knees that was slightly bending forward and then lifted her other foot to his collarbone. Stepping on it, she kept a firm hand on Yunsung's arm and then climbed up on his shoulder. Still holding his arm, this time with both hands, she used both feet and put them on his back and pulled while pushing as hard as she could on his back.
Everyone gasped and Yunsung screamed in pain as Talim dislocated his shoulder. And to add more pain, she smashed her elbow into his shoulder socket and then jumped off of Yunsung.
"Damn it!" Yunsung screamed at her with pure anger within his voice. He grabbed White Storm from the ground, but he would have been better if he hadn't.
Talim ran forward and her knee flew strait into his rib cage.
Yunsung gritted his teeth, but as he fell down he grabbed White Storm and rolled back up. His left arm was hanging down farther then it was supposed to, but that was to be expected.
Talim kept her feet moving, her feet tapping the ground every moment. It was part of her fighting skills, to always keep the body moving.
"Wind," Talim whispered under her breath. "Guide me."
Talim felt the Wind stir around her, nothing else moved at all, not even the flags or the others watching moved. Only Talim's hair and clothes moved as the Wind gently flew around her. Feeling the Wind with her, Talim felt more energy then she had before. Then, charging forward, she made a swing into Yunsung's stomach with both blades. And even though the Wind Guides had barely any edge at all, her weapons cut through strait his flesh, creating a deep wound.
"YUNSUNG HAS BEEN WOUNDED IN THE STOMACH! MATCH OVER! THE WINNER IS..." he paused and looked down to what the name of the person was. "TALIM!"
Talim laughed and smiled as applause spread through the crowd, and everyone stood up out of their seats and cheered Talim's name.
"Good match." Talim told Yunsung as he sat on the ground holding his stomach. He only grunted and watched her leave with a frown.
How the hell had that midget won? How tall was she? And how did that freak wind come up all of the sudden? But what did that have to do with anything? Nothing.
"I won Link! I am victorious!" Talim ran up to Link and Link smiled and laughed. She hugged him again, this time faster then the other time.
"You won, how did you get on his shoulders like that?" Link asked, Talim shrugged.
"It is an advantage of my weight and how tall I am. If I weighed too much, then Yunsung would have fallen under the pressure of my weight and the move wouldn't have worked. And if I was too tall then it would have effected my weight."
Link nodded, thinking all of this over. Whoever had trained Talim, they had trained her well. But maybe she learned by herself, just as he had.
Edgar walked up to the two champions in the garden, grinning.
"That was terrific work you two did!" He told them with a grin.
The two of them smiled, the battle had been two hours ago and nearly everyone that they had seen had asked how they had fought so well.
"I'm guessing that the two of you are going to Thuban?" Edgar asked.
"Thuban? Is that the next area?" Talim asked, Edgar nodded but then he frowned.
"You two really don't know where you're going do you? You must be from far away, then. Well, I had a feeling because of your weapons, fighting style, and mainly clothes."
Both Link and Talim glanced at their clothes.
"So I got you a map."
He pulled it out of a pocket and handed it to Link, who opened it up.
"This is a fully detailed map!" Talim cried. "How much did this cost?"
"Never mind about the cost, just use it well. I'll be there to send the two of you off tomorrow. Get ready for it!"
Edgar left his two pupils, or was he their pupil? He had learned much from both of them; he would never forget either of them. And he hoped that they never forgot him.
Talim and Link smiled at each other, both of the same things going through their heads.
Their journey had truly begun, and not a second too late.
OK! There was the chapter people! I hope that you liked it!
Oh, and a special thanks the one who gave the information that I need! I won't say your name, because some people prefer their privacy, but thank you and I'm SURE that you know who you are!
One more thing, if anyone is interested in having an e-mail friend, then please look at my Bio for more info! I want some e-mail friends, but don't be older then sixteen please! I already have two older friends; I would prefer to simply keep that number. My e-mail address is on my Bio if you look at the little I want a friend add.
So Until Next Time,
CrypticElf....