Once upon a time there was a coin. This coin had two different sides. One looked welcoming and warm; the other seemed menacing and dangerous. One day someone decided to create a weapon using this special coin as a base for its power. The coin harnessed the power of balance in order to give the wielder of the weapon ultimate power with equal consequence. But this weapon was too strong, far too strong for one mortal man. The Gods decided to destroy it. The man who created it begged for them to reconsider. He told them that the weapon that had once been made with simple earth bound materials had long since stopped being just an item. It was alive now. To destroy it now would be the equivalent of murdering a child. His child.

The Gods took pity upon the man groveling for the weapon as though it were a newborn babe. Instead of shattering the weapon, they spilt it apart into two swords. One was grotesque and twisted, the negative side of the coin. The other was divine and beautiful, the positive side of the coin. Two brothers as opposite as night and day were presented back to their 'father', who took them joyfully, but at a terrible price. The Gods did not realize at the time what a terrible mistake they had made. By separating such a perfect and pure unity, they had released the dangerous imperfections that hid below the surface. For you see in this world there are two sides. The light and the dark, but who fits into theses categories does not come as easily as the markings of black and white.

There is such a thing as good light and evil darkness, but there is also such a thing as morbid light and just darkness. This coin was the epitome of the purity in each basic life element, and as such so was the weapon it was eventually forged into. In destroying the bond that held them, the Gods also broke the hold they had over the evil within those same elements.

Everywhere the two swords went chaos and false promise followed closely behind. It was not because the swords themselves willed it to be so. It was because their dark shadows craved the power they were separated from. So they followed and continued to bring destruction in the hopes that the swords would see what was happening, and return to the shadows without too much of a fight. Their father saw what had transpired and attempted to shield them from all the torment. He could only do so much.

As time went on the people of the world grew to know about the two powerful swords. Shadows whispered tales to them in the dead of night, and they came to realize just what was hiding amongst them. They gave these two powers names. Soul Edge for the dark and ominous blade, and Soul Calibur for the healing opposite blade. Along with these names came legends. Legends that were semi believable at the time, but were untrue all the same. These stories followed the swords, and as a result so did their dark counterparts. When shadows finally met with their concrete reflections the father who had given birth to swords sacrificed himself for his metal children.

As a final act of love the sword smith used his body to transform the children he had lived for, and would now ultimately die for. He used his own blood to give the two swords bodies. One of dark goodness, other of mischievous light, both of pure intent, and sent them to another world. A world where their reputations would not precede them. He then placed their shadows in the husks they had left behind. And then he died.

In this new world the brothers became separated, and they were ultimately put on opposite sides of the law. One a servant of evil, another was a slave of the common good. When they met again they were enemies. They had been ordered to destroy each other. But when they remembered who the other was they tossed aside their weapons and refused to fight. As a result the world they had lived in until then was wiped out of existence, and they were thrust back into the world they were born in. Once there they were sealed within a large stone, one half inscribed in old dialect, the other written with the same script, only backwards. There they lay in wait, waiting for another pair, another light of shadows, to come and free them form their prison.

"I want a new name." The little brother said to the elder. "I don't want to be called Soul Calibur anymore."

"OK." The other answered. "I'll call you Link instead. How's that?"

"I like it. Can I call you Dusk?"

"Dusk and Link. Kind of has a nice ring to it."

AN: I know I should be finishing my other stories, but this idea would not leave me alone. It stalked me and stood on my doorstep at three in the morning, screaming nonsense at me, until I promised to write it all down.

Before anyone asks there will be two main pairings in this fic, if I decide to continue after this little prologue. SeigfriedXLink, and TiraXDusk. Thank Mistress for giving me the idea.

And if you like this you should really check out 'To Aid A Hero'. Mistress wrote it and it became the inspiration for this story. I personally love it. Anyway, read and review.