A/N: I know that I said I'd upload my Xianghua and Kilik one shot, but this was an idea that I came up with just now. Throughout the SC series I've always been a fan of Sophitia and in a way I prefer her a bit more than her younger sister, Cassandra. Having said this I think story-wise Sophitia has came a long way especially in SC4. Before SC4 came out like any other true fan I couldn't wait to play it and believe it or not I started to make certain predictions for some of the characters. I predicted that something will happen to her children – either that one of them will be kidnapped by Tira or both of their bodies will become possessed by Soul Edge, making them hosts to the sword. Needless to say I was damn pleased that my prediction came true, but I also felt deep sympathy for Sophitia and her ordeal. Basically this short one shot reflects on the eldest Alexandra and her decision to protect her child despite the sins she is committing.

Relentless Love

By AngelEyes87

"Patroklos, Pyrrha, remember that you are a symbol of the love between your father and I. Nothing is far more greater on this earth than the loving guidance of a parent. You have nothing to fear as long as we're around as we promise to take care of you."

Every night Sophitia would whisper those tender words to her children, stroking their hair as they slowly drifted into a dreamless sleep. She would often repeat them in her mind so it became like a mantra for her, something in which she could take comfort in whenever she faced times of great peril. Undoubtedly the mother of two was convinced that nothing would ever bring harm to her son and daughter.

Unfortunately the day when her precious daughter, Pyrrha, was cruelly taken away from her had shattered Sophitia's entire world. The final undoing was when she discovered that Pyrrha had been kidnapped by none other than Tira, a sensual yet loyal servant to the infamous Azure Knight. Now that she was held hostage, her life was at stake for she would die if Soul Edge didn't sustain its energy and power. As a result an unwilling Sophitia was forced to make the hardest decision of her life, a choice that went against everything she fought for and believed in. She took a solemn oath to become one of Nightmare's minions – her mission was to protect the cursed sword at all costs.

From that moment on, Sophitia became a fallen angel, tainted by her own fears for her beloved child. What fate had bestowed upon her was extremely callous, a mere misfortune as some people would call it. However Sophitia could never break free of her alliance to the demonic blade due to the fact she was entangled in a deadly dance, an inescapable torture that no parent would ever want to engage in. At least for their own sanity of course.

It had been a gruelling week in which Sophitia had pledged upmost loyalty to Nightmare, residing at the once impregnable fortress. Ostrheinsburg Castle – a name which stroke fear in the hearts of the most bravest of warriors. To say the least it was a place which no man or woman would ever dare set foot in, that is if they have a death wish. It was Sophitia's duty to ward off those who where foolish enough to intrude Nightmare's stronghold, to battle opposing fighters who seek Soul Edge for numerous reasons. It mattered not that whether the fighters wanted to possess the sword for themselves or if they wanted to destroy the vile enchantment. All that Sophitia was required to do was to kill her unsuspecting victims in order to offer rich souls to feed to the sword. The more evil energy the sword obtained, the more life it breathed into Nightmare therefore he became stronger as a result of it. The problem was no matter how many souls were hungrily devoured, it appeared that Nightmare's thirst was endless, not easily satisfied at times. Because of this, Sophitia wasn't certain on how long she was able to hold up her end of the bargain...

Countless of times she tried to block the pangs of guilt she would often experience when she fiercely battled strangers, ignoring the sharp cries tearing from their throats as her short sword pierced through their flesh, penetrating vital organs. After seeing the light fade from their eyes as they succumbed to death, a teary eyed Sophitia could only whisper a single heartfelt apology deep within her heart. She knew that she didn't mean to bring so much suffering and misery to innocent people – it wasn't in her nature to do so. Albeit with her daughter's life hanging on the edge there was nothing more that the woman could do other than to obey her every one of her commands. Gods, I beg of you, please lend me your bountiful guidance as I am in desperate need of a miracle. A day didn't go by that she didn't fall to her knees and with tears falling down her cheeks, she prayed to the Gods, begging them to somehow release her from the shackles that condemned her. To Sophitia's dismay, her pleas had been unanswered. Why had the mighty Olympian Gods forsaken her in her most troubled time? Was it simply a punishment as she chose not to worship them any longer and instead she was serving Nightmare not out of her own free will?

It was but a matter of time that she came to the horrific realisation that her wavering faith in the Gods was gradually starting to deteriorate. All her life she was a true follower of the Gods, religiously visiting their temples to give thanks to the twelve main deities. One day seven years ago she was deemed as the chosen one to rid the world of Soul Edge as she received an oracle from Hephaestus, the Greek God of fire and forge. Hephaestus had promised her that as long as she welcomed the Gods into her soul and heart they will continue to watch over her during her travels across foreign lands. Not once have they had let her down as they constantly aided her in her quests – this was up until now. It pained her to believe that her Gods had clearly abandoned her, coming to the unsettling conclusion that Hephaestus had used her as a pawn in his plans, manipulating her to the point in which she didn't realise the difference between right and wrong. Maybe it was best that she should no longer rely on the Gods if they were false idols of hope and wisdom.

After all she considered herself damned for every sin she has committed whilst serving under Nightmare. If truth be told Sophitia didn't take pleasure in sacrificing souls to keep her newly founded master happy – in fact she had actually loathed the person she became. This is a fine contradiction I have gotten myself into...In the past she made it her sole aim to destroy Soul Edge in order to free her children of their curse. And now here she was, doing the opposite thing – fighting as a slave on behalf of Soul Edge so that her child can remain alive. If she didn't stand down and live up to the role that she has been assigned to then her daughter will be annihilated by Tira. It was simple as that. This was why in order to protect Pyrrha she was about to do the most unthinkable thing – she was going to offer her soul so that Pyrrha's life will be spared.

As Sophitia continued to explore the castle with her head bowed down in shame, not caring if she was being watched, her mind started to wander. Memories of her family come flooding back to her, especially her twenty one year old sister. Cassandra. How was her sister fairing now, having to cope without her presence? Sophitia knew full well that she was one of the many whom were involved with Soul Edge. In seeing the calamity that the sword had brought upon the Alexandra family Cassandra was determined to see things through on bringing about the destruction of the Azure Knight. Only one thing concerned Sophitia was one unfortunate day she might cross paths and swords with her own flesh and blood. Just then for a moment she envisioned herself killing Cassandra with her own hands, a look of disappointment and surprise etched on the younger woman's face as she coughed up her own blood. Squeezing her eyes shut, Sophitia stifled a sob, forcing that haunted thought to the back of her mind. This was not the time to show any weaknesses whatsoever.

Within a few minutes she found herself standing outside a door – it was the chamber where her daughter was kept in. All that mattered to her was she wanted to know if Pyrrha was safe and that she was doing alright. Just knowing that she was alive then that would reassure her. Her offspring was the only light in her darkest of hours – she could not allow her light to be extinguished otherwise her life wouldn't be worth living. With a sigh Sophitia tentatively opened the door, peering inside to see a young girl with shoulder length golden hair huddled in the corner clutching her teddy bear tightly to her chest, staring sadly into the distance. Sophitia's eyes welled up with tears, feeling the pain that her daughter was experiencing. It was clear to see that Pyrrha was fragile even if it was Soul Edge that was keeping her alive.

"Pyrrha."

At the sound of her name being called, the startled child looked to the doorway. When she was realised that it her mother standing there, Pyrrha wore a relieved expression on her face, sending Sophitia a weak smile. Instantly her long, graceful legs broke into a run as she scrambled over to her daughter. Sophitia knelt down beside the young girl, pulling her into her arms for an affectionate cuddle. Thank goodness that no harm has come to my child. Now I can relax for the moment. She pulled back just a little so that she could have a better look of the girl, briefly stroking her hair.

"Don't worry, darling, mummy is here for you," Sophitia whispered as she rained soft kisses over her daughter's face. "You don't have to be afraid anymore."

"Mama, where have you been?"Pyrrha asked with concern in her child-like voice. "I thought you had gone away!"

"Shh. Hush now, little one. You should know by now that I will always be there for you no matter what."

Pyrrha's red eyes burned into Sophitia's green eyes, a glint of innocence sparkled in them. The woman knew that due to being exposed by the corrupt influence of Soul Edge Pyrrha was undergoing a really slow transformation. It was something that she couldn't do to help her daughter other than just to stand by and watch it happen. Already Pyrrha's skin complexion was turning a light purplish colour while her teeth was gradually turning into tiny yet sharp fangs. For a fact Sophitia reluctantly knew that within a few months time, her daughter's human side would completely disappear. If only she could do something to ease her child's suffering...

"When are we going to get out of here?" came the girl's plea. "I hate it here, I want to go home. I miss my daddy and everyone! Will Auntie Cassandra come and rescue us?"

"I honestly don't know, Pyrrha," Sophitia sadly admitted, cupping the side of Pyrrha's face. For Pyrrha's sake she had to be strong even though at times she didn't feel that way. "Hopefully sooner or later we can return home, but until then we just have to wait. I want you to be a brave girl and that means no crying. I love you with all my heart and nothing in the world is ever going to change that."

"I love you too, mama, and I always-"

"Hahaha, how touching! I sure hope you're not gonna take the kid away and try and escape. No, no, no, Master wouldn't like that at all!"Tira interrupted, laughing gleefully as she appeared out of the shadows of the chamber.

Sophitia's eyes widened a considerable amount, causing her to shoot to her feet immediately, not expecting to be caught like that. Her gaze finally met Tira's glance while Tira grinned impishly, her ring blade casually draped around one of her shoulders while she was standing there with a hand on her hip. In Sophitia's eyes this cursed servant of the sword was nothing more than a devilish siren that would often lure people to their death. A trained assassin at the age of seventeen, Tira was, and she took absolute delight in tearing people limb from limb without a trace of remorse in her actions. Sophitia suspected that Tira was more than a close servant to the Azure Knight. Judging by how revealing her outfit is, it wouldn't surprise Sophitia if she was actually a sex slave to Nightmare to fulfil his dark, carnal desires. Then again how was she to know if he was to engage in the pleasures of the flesh?

"You know that I wouldn't escape with my child," Sophitia stated, wearily watching Tira as she came closer to them. "After all I have made a commitment to Nightmare and Soul Edge."

"Yep, that's right!" Tira playfully exclaimed, circling around the woman. Sophitia gulped silently, uncomfortable at the way she was eyeing her up and down. "In time you will experience the great rewards in doing your duties. Oh yes, just think of the power you shall gain! Plenty of fools will run in fear from you once they notice you are under the spell of Soul Edge. And when they are begging for mercy that's when the fun begins!"

"I see. But how much longer do I have to continue my ordeal?"

"Hmmm, let's see...Have you forgotten your contract already or do I have to remind you? As long as you keep on feeding souls to Soul Edge then the more of a chance your daughter has of living. You wouldn't want her to see her die due to you having second thoughts now would you?"

"Of course not!" Sophitia firmly answered, shaking her head as Pyrrha cowered in fear, holding onto her mother as Tira bent over to caress the girl's body. "I sense that you have come here to ask me of a favour. Tell me what I have to do this time."

Tira's eyes lit up with excitement as she cackled wildly. "Aww, don't be all miserable! We have a job to do, remember? One of my watchers had just informed me that to the west of the castle an army is coming our way. From the looks of their banners I believe they come from the kingdom of Wolfkrone. Their leader is a woman donned in armour with wolf decorations and she is wielding a spear along with a short sword. Ha, they'll be no match for the likes of us!"

"So I assume that you want me to finish them off?" Sophitia inquired in a quiet voice, fearing for the worst.

"That's it, show me you mean business! Now come on, hurry so we can get this show on the road."

What stunned Tira the most was that Sophitia shook her head, whispering a single word, "No."

"What did you say?" Tira growled viciously, scowling deeply as she took a step forwards so that she was face to face with the Greek woman.

"I said no" she repeated, saying it with more conviction than last time. "I have made my decision and that is not to jeopardise my daughter anymore. Wouldn't it make sense if I took her place and offer my soul to Soul Edge as I am willing to do that?! My child has nothing to do with this; she has no reason to be here as she is innocent in all of this. I would rather risk my life in order for her to live a normal life. Don't you realise that Soul Edge isn't doing her any good? She will die no matter what! If you think that feeding souls to the sword is the only reason for her welfare then all I can say is that you have no heart whatsoever."

"For your own sake I suggest that you shut the hell up," Tira threatened, reaching for her weapon menacingly. "Otherwise I shall have to kill the kid."

"You can never understand!" Sophitia shot back, determined to see this through no matter what. At this moment with Pyrrha by her side she finally had the courage within her to stand up for what she believed in. "You don't know what it means to a mother like I do. From the moment you hold your child for the first time you are responsible for them. It is your duty to love, care for and protect them! And I for one am not going to stand back and watch you put my child's life in danger because as a mother, I must fight by their side regardless of the consequences!"

"YOU BITCH!" Sophitia was rewarded by a harsh slap around the face which echoed around the confines of the room. Tira gritted her teeth angrily and she yanked Pyrrha by the arm as if she was a rag doll. "Come here, you little brat!"

"Mama!" Pyrrha protested in fear as she flailed her arms out in the hopes to reach her mother's grasp. The sound of her daughter's yelp rang in her eyes as Tira violently jerked her small arm behind her in a lock – she had to do something fast.

"Let her go! You will not dare lay a single hand on her!" Sophitia yelled, captured in a frenzied panick. However her words went unheeded. A wicked smile laced Tira's features as she dug the sharp end of her ring blade a few inches into Pyrrha's shoulder blade, drawing blood. When Pyrrha emitted a loud cry of pain, Sophitia couldn't take it any longer as she started to plead helplessly.

"Please don't hurt her. I'll do anything you say, I promise!"

"Fine," Tira spat, pulling the weapon from the child's flesh. "I have told you about your mission so you better comply with the rules. You're just lucky that Master wasn't here to witness this scene otherwise he would cleave your precious child in half without any hesitation. Now go complete the task at hand!"

"I understand," Sophitia gently remarked. "I will do whatever it takes."

Before leaving the chamber Sophitia sent her crying daughter a look of apology, immediately blaming herself to incur the wrath of Tira – even more so she was responsible for Pyrrha to get hurt due to her outburst. Brandishing her trusted sword and shield , she marched outside to meet the awaiting army. My sins are the cross that I must bear, but I have to do this for the sake of my child...

A/N: To be honest, I wouldn't like to suffer Sophitia's predicament as it is so bloody harsh. I think it just goes to show that being a parent is sometimes hard especially if you want to do best for your children in order for them to succeed in life. I really had fun writing this and yes, it took me a whole day to write this ;) Anyway I hope you enjoyed reading this.