AN: Yay! So I´m here making my first entrance in the Soul Calibur category and out to commit social suicide! Well... I know that a vast majority of the SC-fans and writers here are completely in love with the idea of Amy being Viola and while I understand that ( I mean, who could deny the fact that its a very creative use of the story), respect it and even can´t see how they could NOT be the same person after everything that´s been established I myself am well... not so in love with the idea since I´m all for the girl-vampire doomed to spend eternity as someone little more than a child (big fan of Claudia from Interview with the vampire if you know her). But before I stop my long rant I´m going to say that I don´t possess any of the artbooks or extra-materials that comes with these series so you have to forgive me if I get some facts of these characters all wrong (all I got is wikipedia and the video-games themselves :P). But just so you know I´m doing my best :3.
First confrontation:
The young, blond man sent his sister a smile as he opened the door.
"The day is beautiful, is it not Pyrrah?" he said softly as he let the fresh air inside their small cabin.
The young girl smiled back at him, slight hesitant before slowly approaching the stairs. It had been several months now since the dramatic yet precious day they returned to their old family-house and Patrokolos guessed somehow neither of them had fully adapted to it yet. For the longest of times they´d both thought they were alone in this world, doomed finding their way best they could with no relatives alive to set them straight. Then everything had suddenly…
"Patrokolos?"
The young man turned around as he felt the hand lightly touching his shoulder.
"Yes sister", Patrokolos faced the young maiden, who warily starred out at the town below them.
Pyrrah drew a deep breath, looked down at her feet before throwing another glance at the miniature crowds moving far below them. Granted their house was situated on top of a high hill the two siblings had what others would call a perfect view although Patrokolos had many times considered the option of trading it for an abode closer to town. Getting to work and the market took its time for sure but granted the fact Pyrrah hardly went out often and getting involved with people seemed to be the last thing she wanted right now he hadn´t yet brought the suggestion up with her.
"Do you think it´s a wise idea to…, would it be wise if we..?"
"If we what?" Patrokkolos gave his sister a careful smile.
"I have for the longest of time wanted to see the market", Pyrrha´s voice was almost a whisper, "but I don´t know considering…"
Patrokkolos placed a soothing hand on her shoulder. Having his mother taken away from him at age 6 and having his father succumb to his illness only 9 years after life had been all but kind to him but nonetheless amazing compared to his sister´s. Being abducted by the malfested Tira at a young age, doomed living a lonesome life where every person she ever got close to was killed first by Tira and the later years of her life herself in order to stay a life Pyrah was far from a people-person. And expecting her to deal with a thousand of them at the same time in a town she had just recently come to know as her home perhaps wasn´t the greatest idea.
"It will be fine", he said, "we don´t have to be out that long and we can return home any time you´d like".
Pyrrah looked hesitantly out at the town again before giving a slight smile.
"I guess it will work out then", she said finally, "but I think I´ll have to switch to something more appropriate before we leave the house", she looked down at her white dress.
"No", Patrokolos assured her, "this will do just fine. If we stay long enough we can always get you something new at the market".
"All well then", Pyrrah gave another smile witch this time reached her eyes.
_._
The short, auburn haired girl made her way through the market. Day-time was not the best for her and above all not this particular time of the day.
Market, hours that she both dreaded and found essential to her way of life!
Dreaded it she did due to the enormous crowds of people surrounding these in general already overpopulated streets and never quite having forgotten her time at a place far more quiet and far more serene than this the loud noises, the vast variety of colors flashing before her already sensitive eyes as well as the many scents both from the humans and their stands were almost at the brink of being unbearable (especially since in all honesty some of them were far from pleasant).
Essential to her way of life it was due to the low prizes the shopkeepers sometimes kept in order to get rid of the overload of fabrics and other trades they had and not having the huge sum of money she´d once possessed low prizes had become Amy´s new best friend.
"Excuse me miss!" a man twice her size bumped into her before continuing to run like a mad man towards the stands.
Amy brushed her dress off muttering "imbecile" before making her way towards one of the fabric stands she´d taken note of earlier today. She was leaving Athens as quickly as possible! Not only was this a place almost unbearably hot for her and her strange abilities but most importantly, she hadn´t yet found what she sought.
Don´t dwell on it! It doesn´t bring him back! The girl thought as she brushed another curl of her forehead. But she could still remember it, the only loving smile she´d seen for years, the only kind words she´d heard for ages. "I will be back Amy and then we will build a world of our own". Despite of the fact she didn´t do so often and especially not these days the girl found herself giving a genuine smile at the memory.
And I will find you again, father, she thought to herself , if it takes me another 17 years..
Yes, 17 years was what it had taken her almost precisely, traveling around what seemed to be at least 20 countries without succeeding in her task. Although the girl was a pessimist by nature she couldn´t bring herself to expect the worst, couldn´t bring herself to believe that the person who had risked everything for her was…. No, she didn´t even want to let the thought reach her mind.
Amy shrugged the thought of as she´d done so many times before, both with and without the company of her adoptive father. After all, this was what she knew he´d want her to do.
A new dress, she thought, and then I will finally be on my way.
_._
"So this is the place where they sell pottery", Patrokolos said as he led his sister passed another stand, "every day during summer, every year! It has stood here as far back as I can remember and will most likely not leave any time soon", the blond man gave a smile.
His sister nodded, giving a pale smile in return as her grip around his arm tightened.
Perhaps we shouldn´t be out for so long, Patrokolos thought as he slowly led her passed another stand. This had been the longest Pyrah had been out since the first day they returned home and Patrokolos was only glad she´d handled it this well thus far. He was a slight bit concerned as the furthest she´d been out the last months had been their garden, perhaps such a big place as the market would turn out to give the girl one to many impressions to handle.
"Patrokolos"
A careful tug of his sleeve, a genuine spark in his sister´s eyes as she pointed towards one stand filled with fabrics of all colors imaginable.
"Patrokolos", Pyrrah said in a low voice, "I´d like to take a closer look".
"Oh of course sister", Patrokolos face split up in a broad grin as he for the first time this day was dragged around by his sister instead of the other way around.
"I know that I never really learnt to sew", Pyrrah looked shyly down at her feet as the two youths stood facing the stand on the opposite side of the road, "but I figure since we don´t have a large sum of money…"
"Think nothing of it Pyrrah!" Patrokolos placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, "my work at the forge will most certainly rewards us soon enough and in due time we will be able to find you a labor of your own".
"You really think so?" Pyrrah sent him an anxious glance.
"Of course I do", he insured her, "you and I´ve been through times most people won´t even have to face during their entire lives and it will take its time recovering from them for sure. But once we do…"
"The red one to the left", a soft but alarmingly cold voice made the siblings turn their glances towards the stand again, "and the black one!"
"How does she..?" Pyrrah whispered into Patrokolos ear.
His sister wouldn´t have needed to end the sentence because Patrokolos knew exactly what she meant. The young girl in front of them, the one with the auburn pig tails who was almost a head shorter than Pyrrah was wearing the most beautiful yet most alien dress they´d ever come across in this area, with its dark colors and ruffing skirts, her skin so light Patrokolos couldn´t believe she´d actually spent a day at this side of the country.
Patrokolos turned to his sister and quickly recognized the expression of wild fear in her widened eyes.
"You don´t think she´s a…?" Pyrrah whispered.
"No dear sister", Patrokolos wrapped his arm tightly around her shoulder, "those times are over now and if she…"
But Patrokolos didn´t get time to finish the sentence for the girl turned towards them, her brown eyes (for Patrokolos had only mistaken them for red hadn´t he?) locked into his for only a brief second. But that brief second told him all about the spite, coldness and even genuine dislike they seemed to direct towards him and his sister before she turned around with a movement so smooth it could have been taken straight from a ballet and gracefully made her way out of the market.
Another one of those rich foreigners born into thinking she´s better than anyone who can´t afford the expensive fabrics of her dress, the voice inside Patrokolos mind was almost as spiteful as the look in the girls eyes, because she couldn´t have heard what we said, could she?
Patrokolos inner conversation was interrupted by the stand keeper´s cheerful voice.
"So what do you two youths want?" he gave a broad smile as he looked at the Alexandria Sibling´s.
"Patrokolos", Pyrrah whispered gently, "I think we´re up now".
"Sure!" Patrokolos forced himself to wake up from his ponderings as he allowed his sister to point out the fabrics she wanted.
_._
Amy cursed in a low voice to herself as she left the market with quick steps. She couldn´t believe she still allowed insults like these to get inside her skin after all these years. Despite of the fact her body hadn´t aged a day since that horrid night when she got separated from the only person she had left in this world she was technically 31 years old and the people whispering these childish words had been how old, 16-17 years old at best? She knew she could never be like them, she knew she could never relax and just "melt into the world" like they did. But that had never really bothered her because just like her adoptive father had said human beings were vile pathetic creatures who would walk over anyone to insure their own wealth and wellbeing, so why would she want to be a part of that in the first place, a world that long before her transformation had taken place had thrown her into the lowest of trash pits and marked her as "a lost cause"?
Amy snorted to herself and shrugged of the insults as she´d always had. Those two would one day die of old age and then their silly little remarks about her "alienation" would mean nothing. By then if things turned out right her and her father´s new world would already long ago be created and they would by their own standards decide who "could belong" and who "couldn´t". Until then! At least she had gotten herself some suitable fabrics for a new dress.
_._
"Her eyes!" Pyrrah trembled as she repeated what she´d said ever since she and her brother had returned from the market while Patrokolos just like he´d done ever since they´d returned home from the market patiently shook his head.
"It was just our imagination playing tricks with us again", he said, "when one is like us it really isn´t strange. I see red eyes constantly", his voice was serious though comforting, "on the shopkeepers from whom we by our bread, the lady taking her son to school and sometimes even on the kind, old man who greets me on my way to work but almost seconds after I realize that there is no way that could possibly have been what I saw. You and I are constantly prepared for danger because horrible things has happened to us in the past but the sooner we realize that is the entire root of these visions they will go away. She was nothing but a snotty brat I can assure you", the boy gave a kind smile, "and while snotty brats aren´t exactly the nicest people to come across they aren´t exactly dangerous".
Pyrrah looked back at him her eyes wide open as she shook her head.
"But I saw it Patrokolos", she whispered, "her eyes… they looked at us with…"
Patrokolos nodded.
"She didn´t exactly like what she saw", he said calmly, "that was certain. But I wouldn´t be worried about it going any further than to our clothes not being sewed by the finest amounts of silk if I were you", he sent his sister a humorous half smile.
Pyrrah looked at him silently for a moment, the frown on her forehead telling him that she didn´t quite believe this.
"Perhaps you´re right", she said finally, "but I still wish that girl leaves this town soon because something tells me she isn´t up to any good".
"Oh!" Patrokolos gave a short chuckle, "that I wouldn´t worry about either if I were you. That girl was a rich man´s daughter travelling to Athens in hopes of finding something beautiful and extraordinary that her own country can´t provide her with and now that she´ll soon find out she´ll never find it here… well", he shrugged his shoulders, "what can I say?".
"Yes", Pyrrah gave a faint smile, "hopefully that´s exactly how it is. I do believe you´re right though", she looked outside the window, "my mind is playing tricks on me again and I believe I´ve had many more impressions than I had in a long time, perhaps I need to rest my head".
Patrokolos gave a gentle nod.
"Do so sister", he said, "but be sure to be up in time tomorrow so that you can make use of those fabrics you bought".
"Yes", Pyrrah nodded again as she gave her brother a friendly pat on his shoulder before walking upstairs.
Patrokolos smiled as he looked outside the window, the girls red eyes had clearly been his and Pyrrah´s imagination playing tricks on them and since she´d probably be out of this town tomorrow already it wouldn´t really matter. But before the young man fell asleep he once again recalled the almost physical expression of distain in them.
AN: So... hopefully I did an okey start in this fandom and hope I got people somewhat interested in this story. I know that many would disagree with having Amy out in the daylight considering the fact I chose for her to be no different than Raphael but considering the fact that just like I said earlier I don´t own any of the extra-material for these series I have no idea how strong an impact the sun would have on these two. But I´ve noticed that in a few of the Dracula-movies (the Coppola-version for one) Dracula was merely "weakened" or not at his strongest during day-time although he was out wandering, so well... that was pretty much what I did with Amy to. With that said, you are welcome to say what you like as well as what you like less about this story as long as nothing is flat out hate or bashing based on you not liking this story or pairing. Remember, this is my first SC-story so pretty please be nice. Pwease? :3