It is Christmas Day as I begin this and so to all of those reading Happy Holidays. And here I am again. I hope that I don't lose any of the magic that I had throughout the original. Now for safety sake, I own nothing.
Devastation was the only word to describe it. All around the small mountain valley lay the ruins of a culture that was not too long ago thriving in the world. It had been a place of security and tranquility once, however flames had engulfed all around it. The house was no more.
And at the center of it all were two young warriors.
"How is it my fault?" A girl dressed in sparse green and white clothes pointed to herself. "You were the one that lit the bomb that started all of this"
"Even so," a young man in green screamed back, his arms extended while he seemed incredulous, "you should have known better than to bring about such a strong wind! Wind spreads fire, remember?"
"Don't yell at me," Now she had her hands placed firmly on her hips, leaning forward to the boy. "I tried to help you but you went and freaked out over what again?"
"That's not the point." He grabbed his green cap and tore it from his head in frustration. "Besides that I told you what those things were capable of where I'm from."
"Well it's not my fault that you are afraid of a little chicken like that one over there." The girl pointed to the poultry in question who had, miraculously, avoided the "bomb" attack.
"Well maybe if you spent less time with your head in the clouds you would have let me put out the fire before it got too big." He threw his hat on the ground in frustration.
"That's mean, well if you weren't suck a little chicken you wouldn't," the girl stopped herself short, "oh wait I forgot, you're afraid of chickens"
"Excuse me?" a frazzled old man tried to speak to the pair, keeping his voice relatively low, "but what about my house"
"You shut up!" They spoke in unison. Immediately after they regretted their actions, this was not just anyone, this was the village headman. "Ah," they both scratched the back of their heads, then together bowing deeply they said, "please forgive us."
"I'm sorry but my friend Link has a tendency to be a bit jumpy at times." After saying this she looked over at the boy. There was a look in those eyes, one that only he could see. It was like she was sticking her tongue out at him with her eyes.
"Talim is also a bit of a klutz as well sir." After he said this he shot her the same look as before. "We'll clean up this mess and..."
"That's quite alright" the headman did not look to happy with the pair, "Talim, Link, in month that you have been here you have destroyed three houses, caused a stampede among our sheep, managed to turn half of our clothing pink and I don't know how but I know it was you two behind that storm the other day that almost flooded the settlement."
"Actually..." they tried to speak again only to be waved off by the elder once more.
""It's too much," he shook his head, "I'm almost tempted to start a policy of isolation here." He looked around to the other villagers, "we have had enough of your antics. You both leave us no choice but to ask you to leave this village."
"Yes sir." Defeated, the two of them left.
Changing Winds.
It didn't take long for them to leave, they did not have much to pack even before the house was destroyed. It was within the hour that they left. After that it was a four day trek to the nearest town. They would have to cross through some caves and a mountain pass to do it, but it wasn't much for the young pair.
The two of them walked in silence through the pass. It was a heavy silence, one that seemed to darken the atmosphere. This was not her usual 'man of few words' Link, he was angry and rightly so. Talim knew full well the strange phobia that he had of chicken, yet she let the bird somehow get as far as to their bed, where a waking Link could not help but panic.
"Hey Link," his long ears noticeably twitched at hearing his name, it was his way of saying he was listening. "I'm sorry about earlier. I shouldn't have let that chicken in the house." He stopped, then smiled to her.
"It was my fault for panicking," he laughed, "you'd think that after two years in this world I would be used to the things. More importantly I don't think we were going to be welcome there much longer. You heard the leader, we wore out our welcome."
"Well I'm not the one who caused the sheep stampede." She laughed her usual laugh.
"No," Link himself laughed, "you were the one that managed to turn half of mine and everyone else's clothes pink, how I'll never know." They continued laughing for a few more minutes, a mirthful laugh that they shared with only each other.
"Still," Talim spoke, wiping a tear from her eye, "we really blew it this time. That was the only place so far that we didn't need to hide your ears from. The people were all friendly and understanding and..."
"It's alright," Link placed his finger on her mouth and smiled, "we'll be okay, besides I seem to recall you complaining about the food more than once."
"But..."
"No buts." Link flicked his finger at her head. "There are other places out there for us and if not we'll make our own." With his palm he lightly brushed the same spot on Talim's head that he had just hit. "You're the one that said that when we left Greece."
"I guess your right," the wind shaman did not seemed too convinced by his words, but smiled despite herself, "that Shangri-La place wasn't so great anyway."
Two years had not changed the pair much. Link had now grown to his full height which was only about a head taller than Talim, his body had grown even stronger as a result of the traveling that they shared. Talim had even managed to talk him out of wearing his cap sometimes, when those admittedly rare occasions happened he grew his hair longer so that his long ears would not stand out as much.
Talim herself had been the one to change the most physically, she no longer wore her hair not in her twin braided pigtails but let it freely flow to the bottom of her neck. She still wore the same clothing but carried a travel bag that slung across her shoulder, butto her secret dismay she still had the same bust. Link had told her on many occasions that he did not care about such things, but at almost all those instances she would either try to hit him, glare at him or stick her tongue out at him.
In the two years that they had been together Link and Talim had traveled far, they had gone from one end of the world to the other. Always looking for the same thing, always looking for home. They had lost their place in the battle against the Soul Edge, and also their purpose. They had made their home in almost any place that would have them.
However they were often turned away soon after. Link's appearance saw to that, but there was more. Almost as many times as they had persecuted Link they did the same to Talim, thinking her as some kind of savage.
It was painful for the both of them, but they endured. It wasn't hard really, in the time that they had shared they came to rely on each other. It was to the point that they almost never cared when they were forced to leave a place.
Their quiet travel was broken by the Hylian's abrupt laughter. It was odd, he had never laughed like that in the entire time that Talim had known him. It didn't seem dangerous, but it seemed like he was going to burst because he was laughing so hard.
"Why are you so happy?" Talim pouted, wishing that she had known the joke earlier. "Do you really think it's funny that we got kick out of another place to live"
"No." He said while he wiped his eyes. "I just think it's funny that this is the first time that we got kicked out of another place because of the both of us."
"Huh?" Even though she had known him this long sometimes Link would forget how things were supposed to be said.
"Well I mean, it's not just my fault that we had to go," Talim thought she was beginning to catch on, "and it's not just your fault either."
The Wind Shaman looked away from the Hero of Time and smiled, hoping she could play this off right. "Well sorry if I'm the one who forced us out." She put on her best 'make Link think she was angry' face. "If I knew you were going to be that way I would have left without you." Not daring to look at Link again for fear of losing her control, Talim ran as fast as she could down the mountain trail.
"Hey wait" Link screamed with an outstretched arm. "I promise I didn't mean it like that."
When night fell a fierce thunder storm followed. It brought with it freezing rains and violent winds, the loud crackle of thunder and the flash of lightning was almost more than they could bear. Fortunately they were able to find a cave to take shelter in. However this did not deaden the thunder, if anything it amplified it.
The cave that they hid in was very small, no more than a few meters around. There was barely enough room to stand in, but that wasn't an issue at this point. Now Talim sat huddled in Link's arms in a shared blanket. Though she felt safe in those arms she still could not forget the sounds all around her.
The sky thundered, then again, then once more. Each time it did Talim found herself squeezing Link's body tighter until she felt his breathing strain. She had never been able to get over her childlike fear of thunder and now in the full rage that nature provided she felt no different than when she was little.
"Talim..." Link's voice seemed strained, which did nothing to waylay her fears. "I can't breathe." Looking to the Hylian's face she saw a light shade of blue. Realizing immediately it's implications she loosened her death grip on the boy.
"Sorry." As soon as she spoke Link felt a rush of air flood his lungs. However the air came in too fast and too soon. Link coughed then, making Talim worry more. "Sorry." she said again, momentarily forgetting the storm outside. "I didn't mean to hold you so tight."
"It's all right," Link smiled, "I've gotten used to it and it's not like this is the first time this has happened." He held her cheek forcing her to look at him. "I seem to recall an incident in Germany about two years ago, you remember the one where you screamed because you thought a horse whinny was..."
"Meanie." Talim said as she punched his chest lightly. "You promised to forget about it."
"No I promised not talk about in front other people." Talim's cheeks puffed as her brow furrowed. Clearly she did not like the direction this was taking.
Later Talim regarded the next few seconds as a mixed blessing. It was probably the loudest thunderclap she had ever heard in her life, and it forced her to once again fiercely embrace Link. However this time she did not hide her face in his chest. Instead she found herself on his lap, his breath warm against her neck.
When Link heard the thunder that almost made his ears bleed all he could think of was how much of a pain it was. They had already lost almost half a day of travel because of the weather and there was always the chance of a landslide blocking them in. Yet his thoughts abruptly changed when he found Talim on his lap, her breath and body warming his own.
Talim pulled away after the roar subsided. Now she was eye level with the boy, her head tilted slightly, but still looking him in the eyes. She had wished she could have appeased the storm, but it was in it's rightful place at it's rightful time. Idly she wondered why she thought about the storm at that particular moment.
Link brought his left hand up, his fingers grazing Talim's soft cheek, and smiled. It took almost no coercion at all -he merely brought his fingers towards his own face- for Talim to follow. She stopped herself just short of his nose, then turning slightly she closed her eyes and kissed Link. It was light at first, as it had always been when they kissed, followed by a stronger one.
The next time Link kissed back. It was strange when they kissed, each one felt like a rippling pond caressed by the wind, each one leading to one stronger than before. It was like an increasing fervor. It wasn't long before Talim had encouraged Link's mouth open with her own. Feeling each other's warmth flow from their mouths encouraged them further, made them breathe heavier.
The next cue came from Link as he brought his tongue into Talim's mouth, causing her to yelp playfully and force her eyes open before she returned the gesture. Wanting to feel more Talim began to rake his back lightly through his tunic with the tips of her fingers as he leaned forward.
Link heard Talim moan lightly as he rubbed the palm of his hand against her almost bare back. His instincts were starting to take control as he felt that there was entirely too much clothing on Talim's body he began to remedy the situation when another loud crackle of thunder filled the cave.
This time Talim paid it no mind instead wishing that Link would just hurry up and get her clothing off. Placing her hands on his ears so as to allow him to more easily remove the damned things she felt something warm trickle down his ear.
Apparently that last strike had made his ears bleed, or one of them at least. Looking her hand Talim saw a substantial amount of blood there. Breaking off suddenly and causing a trail of saliva to form between their mouths Talim looked panicked.
"Link." she was not speaking quietly enough, for when he heard her voice the Hero of Time breathed sharply and gripped the side of his head before screamed and fell to his side in pain.
Forgetting the moment entirely Talim looked into their things to finds something to dress Link's injury. Taking out a soft cloth and a water skin she started to clean the wound. This wasn't the first time that a loud noise had hurt the Hylian. In fact it had happened so many times that Talim knew exactly how to dress it and what to do. Inwardly she breathed a sigh of relief. It had almost happened again, she had almost lost control again.
Link could barely concentrate through the pain. He was quickly already tired of the almost entirely too easily exploitable weakness that was his hearing. Though it did take an incredibly loud noise or high pitch to do this to him he still could not stand it. His ears were like a mixed blessing, something to constantly remind him of where he came from. For that he was grateful, but the fact was that sounds in this world were sometimes so unbearable that he wanted to rip his ears off just so that he would not have to deal with the pain.
Yet even so. Somewhere in the back of his pain soaked mind all he could think of was it almost happened again.
When the Sun rose so did the two youths. The previous night had ended with nothing. After Link's ear was dressed they decided to just sleep. This was not the first time a night had ended as such either. At every attempt they were thwarted, usually by each other.
It was strange, but in the two years that they had been together they had never been together. This was through no constant fault of one of them, but rather both. Each had their own private reasons for why though and in the time they share, the life together and the battles they fought, they had never told the other why.
To the casual observer his may have affected either of them, but if it did then they neither showed it nor talked about it. Yet slowly this silent pain was tearing at the both of them, forcing each other to ask themselves why.
-to be continued
It has been over a year since I first posted Soul Calibur II: Of Wind and Forest. It's strange but as I look back I can't believe I wrote the damn thing. I had thought, briefly, of using Talim and Link in a different situation and starting from scratch, but ultimately decided that if I were to do another then it would be a direct sequel.
To all of you that figured it out yes this is rated R so it gives me a little more liberty to do something I've been thinking about for a few months now.
Now to those of you that thought you would just get some smut from this story and did not read the original I suggest you go back and read the first. I don't want someone flaming me for being original like I have been in the past.
Annyeonghi kaseyo GX