Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Calibur or the Legend of Zelda.

A/N: heh, 'bout time, eh? Well, here is my five-shot Taki/Link romance. Enjoy!

The Hero and Demon Huntress

In a vast deep forest in the outskirts of Japan, a Man garbed in a green tunic, white tights, brown leather boots at knee-high length, dark brown gloves and leather arm guards without finger tips and elbow-length, Blond unruly golden hair, deep sapphire blue eyes as gentle as feathers yet as fierce as hurricanes, a majestic blue hilted double-edged long sword on his back left shoulder and an intricately designed shield over it, a long green cape draped over his shoulders and brushing against the dirt of the road, long pointy ears and a long tail-like hat on his head marched through the forest.

The man was sent to this place from another realm called, Hyrule, to destroy an evil soul consuming blade. Soul Edge had eluded him for a good month and a half, the wielder of the demon sword, the dreaded Azure Nightmare, was last rumored seen in Japan, on the Far East side. The young elf-like warrior was hunting Nightmare and so far was having no luck, his efforts seemed to be in vain, he had heard no more rumors from the locals of the country and had been unable to sense the sword's aura.

'This can't be a good sign, if I can no longer sense it, it either has blocked my sight, left Japan, or has become much more stronger.' The young Elvin warrior thought to himself, he was beginning to worry. The Warrior quickened his pace, according to his map, he was not too far from a village, and he could stop there, re-supply and get back to tracking Soul Edge.

'I'll be damned if I let that bastard annihilate another town…Come on Link, focus.' Link thought. He had failed to save hundreds from the previous village Nightmare had slaughtered for souls, when he arrived, the bodies were half decayed and the stench was almost as bad as the Kakariko Village Well. That place was infested to its core with death. The mayhem Link had found days before was at least a week old. He was gaining on the azure knight.

As Link came up to the edge of the forest trail, he spotted something that he had hoped to avoid, another Massacre. The village was in ruin, the buildings that still stood were in flames. Bodies missing limbs, some missing hole-halves were everywhere. As Link walked into the village, he checked for survivors, doubting his chances but still he checked to be sure.

30 minutes, no one alive in the streets. 'Of bloody course there won't be survivors on the street!' He scolded himself. He went into the buildings to see if anyone was alive, so far, no one. Within the hour, he had confirmed that there were no survivors. Link dropped to his knees and let out his rage in a frustrated roar.

"DAMN YOU NIIIIIIGHTMAAAAARRRRE!" he shouted at the top of his lungs. After saying silent prayers for the deceased, he left the carnage behind. He found Nightmare's tracks and ran as fast as his legs would carry him towards the east.

*A mile away*

A woman with raven black hair, brown-eyes, red skin-tight suit, two short katanas on her waist and shoulder, armor on her chest, legs, and arms, her hair was done in a pony-tail with a few bangs hovering over her eyes. She had a purple design on the legs of the suit. She was panting hard, fighting the Knight who was responsible for the recent massacres all throughout Japan. She had been beaten up badly, three ribs broken, her right arm dislocated, and a gash on her lower stomach. She was on one knee, and her eyes were almost shut from exhaustion.

Nightmare stood on the other side of their supposed arena and watched the Fu-Ma ninja with amusement. The pain she emitted was delicious; he began walking slowly, deliberately over to her broken form, savoring the kill to come, when he was suddenly knocked to the right. His eyes widened in surprise as he felt a familiar presence, he looked up and there, standing where he was seconds ago, was that conceited wretched elf with his holy evil-repelling sword in his left hand, and strange shield in his right. The same green tunic, same un-kept hair, eyes, cape, and hat. He'd recognized that hat anywhere.

Nightmare growled as he stood, Soul Edge glared at the warrior. Taki gasped at the sight of the handsome elf. But before she can do anything, she passed out from exhaustion and loss of blood. Nightmare chuckled darkly as his gaze returned to Link.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the young elf, Link was it?" He asked with sarcastic politeness. Link growled darkly.

"Well, well, well, if it isn't the mindless puppet of Soul Edge, Nightmare." He spat icily. Nightmare growled. "Fool!" the demonic knight shouted than charged forward, swinging Soul Edge vertically. Link raised his Master Sword and deflected the powerful blow which put him off-balance. Link quickly shoved the knight off and swiped at his legs, Nightmare blocked and threw a punch to Link's face, "guh!" it connected and sent Link flying backwards. Link hit the ground hard several times "Gawh, ugh, deh, huh, ignh, oof, dihuh" before skidding to a stop on his back.

Link's arms came up and pushed himself up, his nose was bleeding, as he stood up, he heard armored feet rushing towards him, he spun around and swung horizontally as he sidestepped and the blow caught Nightmare off-guard, he lost balance and fell face first to the spot Link had been lying at. He growled and jumped to his feet and swung Soul Edge, landing a gash on Link's back.

"Gaaawhh" Link roared in pain, he turned and drop-kicked Nightmare in the visor of his helm. Nightmare had took the full force and was knocked back, he looked up then rolled to the side as the Master Sword cut through the air he was in moments ago. Nightmare shoved Link back then took off into the woods. Link roared in anger then bolted after him, but with his injuries, and the blow to his face having made him dizzy, he soon lost sight of the Demon. He shouted in frustration before remembering the ninja from before. His eyes widened and he stumbled back to where she was unconscious. She was still there, bleeding madly from her rather large wounds. Link stumbled up next to her and checked her over, noting the ribs and her dislocated shoulder. He picked her up as gently as he could, his vision swimming slightly, and held her, bridal style. Link was not about to leave another to death like the demolished towns of before, not if he could help it.

Link, with the mysterious woman in his arms walked off into the woods, his eyes closed, using his senses to see where he was going, his head bowed, his tunic covered in the ninja's blood and his own. He walked for hours, until he found a cave. Good thing too, because as soon as he reached the back of the large, empty cave, his strength was spent. He placed the woman on her back and began to tend to her wounds. She stirred in her sleep and but remained motionless. He reached into his pouch and pulled out some gauze and a red potion. He pulled off the cork in the bottle and spat it hard to the stone floor, he tipped her head up and poured half the bottle's contents into her mouth, helping her drink it. She sighed when he finished. He removed her armor, weapons, and suit, which forced him to blush madly when she wasn't wearing anything beneath it; he began to rearrange her ribs and dislocated shoulder. Finishing this, and earning a couple of groans from the Ninja during the rearranging, Link then wrapped the gauze around her ribs, then her shoulder.

After wrapping her in gauze, Link put it away, seeing as he had no broken bones, just a throbbing nose; he drank the other half of the potion. As his wound closed, heard the beautiful woman shiver, it was getting cold, nearing winter time. It was currently the end of Fall; so in a few days, snow would fall. Link groaned as he knew he would have to spend his days with a person he didn't know, much less trust. He saved her, but she, being a ninja, could very well kill him in his sleep. Despite his fears, Link pulled off his large emerald green cape and draped it over the ninja's exposed body. She stopped shivering and pulled the cape tighter around herself.

'She looks peaceful and content at least.' Link thought to himself. He didn't mind the fact that she was warm, and he was cold. Without his tunic on, Link walked out of the cave with his bloodied tunic and the ninja woman's suit to a nearby river to wash them. As he approached the river, he decided it was best to was her suit first, so she won't wake up nude with just his cape covering her, so he started scrubbing the woman's suit. It took 5 minutes because of its color, he couldn't tell if there was blood on it or not. When he decided it was clean enough, he put it into his pouch, and then started on his tunic.

*15 minutes later*

"Ugh, lady ninja, you owe me big time." Link groaned to himself as he walked back into the cave. He took out her suit and laid it next to a rock by the center of the cave where he was starting a fire to provide extra warmth for him and his unconscious companion. When he looked towards her, she was still asleep, Link sighed in relief. He wasn't sure how she would react if she woke up with only a cape to cover her form. 'Might do something drastic.' He mused in his head. As he watched the fire, he felt like he was being watched, he turned around towards the entrance. Nothing. He narrowed his eyes, he knew something was nearby, 'Bah, probably just an animal…' he reasoned mentally. He glanced at the spot where the woman was supposed to be, to find it empty. His eyes widened, and he glanced around, searching, she was nowhere in sight. 'What the…? She's gone!' He thought. It was then he was aware that there was a presence behind him. Before he could move, an arm came under his right arm and grasped his left shoulder tightly, he winced, he was wounded there, and her grasp caused it to reopen. But that was the least of his worries, as soon as the feminine hand grabbed his shoulder, a blade was pressed against his neck, and a body was pressed against his back, a feminine body.

"Who are you?" the voice that snarled was just as feminine as the body pressed against his back. Her voice was like music to his ears.

"I'm the one who saved you from Nightmare, and the one who tended to your wounds." Link answered. His voice had the same effect on her. Only his was gentle and quiet.

"What else did you do to me?" She demanded. Link remained silent for a moment until he got what she was referring to. He blushed slightly at the thought but mentally shook it off and slapped himself.

"I cleaned your suit and patched the tears in it while you were resting, now, would you kindly tell me your name, Lady Ninja?" Link replied in a gentle, soothing, and quiet voice.

The woman was convinced by his tone of voice, but instead of releasing him, she whirled him around and kept the blade on his neck; he stared at her with eyes that were an angelic blue, filled with innocence. He was young, that much was obvious. She was an inch taller than he was. She stared into his eyes, looking for signs of a lie. Finding none, she slowly released him; she had the cape wrapped around her to cover herself. As soon as she had gave him enough room, Link moved, he grabbed her, whirled her around, and forced her own blade to her neck and made her kneel so as to prevent from getting kicked. Her eyes widened and she cursed in Japanese as he removed her sword from her grasp. She thought furiously for a way to counter, but the position he had forced her into immobilized her.

As she began to comprehend what he would do, Link kept her hands bound as he lifted her up and carried her to the fire, he reached into his pouch and pulled out an animal skin that he planned on using to sleep on. Instead of whatever was running through her head of what her 'captor' had planned for her, his grip softened to a gentle touch as he placed her down on the skins and released her. He then took his cape from her, leaving her bare, she blushed and looked away from him in shame while covering herself with her hands; he ignored her expression and gently placed his cape over her like before without looking to her like some perverted prowler. He was better than that, and often had the pleasure of killing people who had tried to 'attack' young beautiful women. She blinked and looked up at him, surprised.

His face was still emotionless, and his eyes were gentle, she felt herself begin to fall into those endless seas. She feared she would be unable to escape them, so she looked away, even though his gaze was on the fire as he sat with his back to her.

"Taki." She said simply, Link looked at her over his shoulder and tilted his head to the side slightly.

"My name is Taki." She said. Link nodded.

"Link." He replied.

"Get some rest Taki, I could see the pain you were in while you searched my eyes." He commanded softly. She blinked, 'He is different. I've never met a man like him before, except Toki.' She thought then noticed the blood on her hand, she checked herself; it wasn't hers. Her eyes widened as she figured it out, she was confirmed when she seen Link holding his left shoulder, eyes closed, and his hands covered in blood. He moved to lie down on the stone ground, still not facing her, unaware of her moving to his side.

"You're injured." She stated bluntly.

"Urgh, yes I am, but it was fine moments ago." Link answered in a voice with a slight hint of pain. Taki felt guilt rise in her chest, she was the reason he was bleeding again. 'He saved me then I attack him? What is wrong with me? I have been alone for too long…' she scolded herself. Link's eyes were still closed as she overlooked his shoulder then noticed his bandaged side. She scowled, 'Nightmare…' she growled mentally.

She looked for her sack; it was nowhere to be found.

"Link?" She said quietly.

"Yes?" he answered just as quietly.

"Where's my sack? Did you pick it up?" she asked. Link reached into his pouch, Taki's eyes widened as he stuck his bloodied right hand up to his elbow in the hand-sized pouch, when his hand began to leave the pouch, he was holding Taki's sack. He held it up to her without opening his eyes. In truth, he kept his gaze elsewhere because of her lack of clothing. Fearing he would invade her personal space if he saw anything, explicit, for lack of a better word.

Taki gasped but grabbed her sack and checked it; everything was still there, Soul Edge shards, food, and herbs for healing and other things for treating injuries.

"How did…How can…It's just not possible!" she said quietly at a loss of words. Link chuckled.

"My pouch is enchanted, I can carry anything in it, and as many of whatever I want. It's a gift that I had for as long as I can remember, but that is not important. I did not go through your personal belongings, despite the shards you carry. So everything should be there." Link explained quietly.

Taki narrowed her eyes when she saw his ears, and the mention of the shards.

"What are you? And how did you know of the shards?" she asked a little more harshly than she intended.

"I'm Hylian, I am not from this realm, I came to destroy Soul Edge, it threatens my world." He explained quietly, ignoring her tone of voice. Taki's face softened, even though he didn't see it.

"I am sorry for snapping at you, Link. I was just being cautious; I've already had to fight most of those I cross about that damned sword." Taki explained.

"Indeed, rest assure, I do not intend on fighting anyone I don't have to, I won't kill unless absolutely necessary. And I won't attack anyone injured either, especially if I am injured as well." Link explained and Taki nodded as she started to tend to his wounded shoulder. After cleansing it of any infection, she wrapped it up and pulled the Tunic sleeve over the bandage. She then lied down beside him, there was something about the Hylian made her feel safe and secured. He even cared about her, if he didn't she would probably be dead by now. She owed her life to him.

"Thank you." She said quietly.

"What are you apologizing for?" He inquired curiously.

"For saving me." She responded. Link was silent for a moment, and then spoke in an equally hushed voice.

"You're welcome." He replied.

They slowly drifted into sleep, together, huddled close to keep the biting winter air from stealing what little warmth they possessed. As the night waved on, the first snows began to fall.

A/N: Hope you enjoyed this!