Soul Caliber: No Future

Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Soul Caliber 2, its characters, or any other part that is involved with the Soul Caliber Series created by Namco.

A/N: This story is mainly about Nightmare, Kilik, Cassandra, and Xianghua. Also, in some parts of this frantic, there are scenes containing violence, suggestive themes and coarse language. This frantic is PG-13,

Another A/N: This was based off of an RP I set up on Gaia Online. Special thanks to Gains Diamond Knight and Kati Hylia for the inspiration for this story.

Prologue

In a far away country, a single soul stands a top a great cathedral, holding a great sword with a demonic arm. His blond hair, flowed in the wind, as the gentle but cold breeze blew as it did in the mountains. Then from the howling of wind, a scream of a raven shook the silence, and it flew down over a black sky, covered with grey clouds and thunder rumbling in the distance. It then perched on the man's demonized arm, and dropped a small red shard from its beak, into the hand. He clenched the shard with it, and then he laughed.

"Good work, my pet," said the voice of Siegfried, but better known as Nightmare, "Another shard for Soul Edge," he said, stroking the bird under its neck, "You see Soul Edge? See how many shards and souls I've given you? But you're still hungry? Well then, as soon as we claim more souls, we shall be unstoppable!" He then laughed maniacally.

Standing up, his leg armor rattled, and again the wind blew across his body. Nightmare spotted a small village, "Perfect for more souls. They'll become part of you, and then you'll become stronger." He headed down for the village.

As he reached the gate, an elderly man greeted him, "Oh 'ell! What can I do...," then he looked at his grim reaper, "AHH!! It's the Nightmare! 'Em's 'ere to kill us all!" At that point he stared to run.

Nightmare just shook his head and ran after the man, "Why do you run from you're fate?!?" He slashed the man's back with his demonic sword Soul Edge, and the grievous wound bled profusely. He fell and a scream of pain leapt out, but was cut short, for Nightmare decapitated him moments after he fell to the ground. A small blue aura left the man's body, and merged with the Soul Edge. The man's soul was a part of Soul Edge.

"Excellent!" Nightmare whispered to himself then continued laughing maniacally with a smirk of evil on his face. He looked around, and a glowing torch caught his eye. He grabbed it, and threw it on a straw roof. At first the blaze was small, but the little rain fall created a dry environment for and inferno. The hell continued as hundreds of people were flushed out from their houses and Nightmare picked them off one by one. Soon, a blue hue covered the whole town, as people's souls were taken from their lifeless corpses, and placed in the Hell-Blade Soul Edge and in the distant village in Athens, people could hear his hideous laughter, and the screams of tormented souls.

In Athens, A young woman with blonde hair, and crystal blue eyes shunned and quivered at the sound of the laugher and screams from the distant village. She sipped her tea with a quivering hand, and occasionally spilling some on the table. She got out of her chair to get a cloth, and then rested her hands on the counter and lent over.

"Sophitia, are the gods watching you? Why have you not returned? It's been one and a half weeks now and your children are worried about you," said Cassandra to herself. The only thing keeping her going was Sophitia's two children.

Days passed, days turned into weeks, weeks turned into months. Cassandra, almost always was staring outside from a window, or looking at old pictures of her sister. One day, while sitting at the window, one of her nieces tugged on her skirt.

"Auntie Cassy!" she started, "Where is mommy? We waited a long, long time for her! Where is he Auntie!?"

Cassandra shed a tear and picked up her niece, "I don't know honey. She's out there though."

"Why are you crying?"

"Because, I'm scared."

"But you can't get scared! You are the bravest Auntie I know!" said the little girl with a smile.

"I am scared, that, oh, you wouldn't understand."

Several days later, a letter from a minister arrived saying that Sophitia has been killed in battle. Cassandra knew she was killed by the demon known as Nightmare. As soon as she was finished, as part way done the letter, she started to cry terribly. All the children came in, and after Cassandra explained everything, her nieces and nephews cried as well.

Look what you've done Sophitia! Cassandra thought. You've let your children become orphans! But I must avenge you! Where can I put all your children? I know! I'll put them in our weapons school! They can learn to defend themselves! Sophitia, I'll make you proud. I promise.

And with those last thoughts, she sent her niece and nephew to a warrior's school, and she grabbed her Omega sword and Namean shield, took a deep breath, and took her first steps out of the house and into her destiny.

Close, but far away, two warriors, both enrolled for the army for the Emperor, were sparring. Rod and sword, flashes of blue and red, twirling around and around, in a conflict similar to the battlefield. The warrior with the rod was Kilik trained in the sacred and lost art of the rod. The woman was Xainghua, a Chinese sword specialist, and no other warrior could stand up to her with a sword. After destroying the one called Nightmare (or so they thought) they had naught else to do but hone their skills. Kilik had already become under the influence of Soul Edge once, but this was a long time ago. He had claimed many innocent lives, but did return to normal eventually.

In the beginning, he was banished from the Empire, but with Xainghua's help and the defeating of Nightmare, he was aloud back. Soul Edge now almost completely gone, the two friends are finishing up their sparring session.

"Here I come!" yelled the spunky woman. She did a double aerial kick and final upward slash.

"Not quite!" Kilik answered. He parried and made Xainghua lose her balance. He the used his rod to push himself into the air, and vaulted off the rod so he could smack Xainghua with his rod. She fell and rolled to the side, and as Kilk's rod missed, she stepped on it. Kilik pulling away at the rod and trying not to be hit by Xainghua's attacks, Kilik eventually tripped Xainghua. As she fell, she did a hand-spring back flip. She thrust for Kilik's neck, and so did Kilik. It was a draw.

Not much talking happened after that. Kilik ate and went to bed. In his sleep, he could see a figure, a red orb. Then it came closer, and closer. The closer it got, the hotter Kilik got. Kilik was thrashing in his sleep, as the Eye of Soul Edge came upon him.

"No...Noooo...NO!!!" Kilik awoke with a fright and a cold sweat. Xainghua rushed in wearing a night-gown.

"What's wrong!?! Is he back!!!???"

"Yes Xainghua, he is. I fear that he's coming for us. I saw the Eye again. But this time it burned me. My skin feels warm still. He's back, Nightmare has returned."

"Oh god, this cannot be!" Xainghua spoke. She paced across the room of the dark room, only lit by the moon and stars, "Nightmare... I felt it too, but I always shook it off. We must leave!"

"Yes Xainghua, let's go!"

The warriors packed their bags, and carried their weapons with them. In the pale, cold moonlight, Kilik and Cassandra walk down the great stairs and gate. They reached the gate, and Xainghua looked back then turned away.

These four warriors, drawn together by their own desires and fates, will soon create a conflict that will shake the cosmos. Soon, the evil and the good will return. A tale of Swords and Souls, retold forever.

And so...it begins.

A/N: Sigh. I had to change the name to Siegfried! Why must I be so kind?