The Shattered Blade

Prologue

(BGM: Ninja Gaiden – The Dark Dragon Blade)

Two years. That is how long my power has been scattered, broken. The blade that once held my soul had been shattered. Shattered by its light counterpart. Fourteen pieces of the blade exist, scattered by the winds. For two years my soul had been sleeping, waiting for one worthy to awaken me. The power held within the blade corrupting whomever it touched…few could resist, or even contain such power within them. It was an ingenious move, I must admit. Shatter the blade which houses the soul of the Dark Dragon, and you extremely reduce the possibility of one being corrupted by it. However like all plans, it had its failures as well…

For you see, though the blade was shattered, its power remained. Weakened, yes, but still there. Though the threat of the blade itself was gone…the corruptive essences of my power were scattered across the globe. Of course, none of the previous wielders were worthy in the first place, which is why the power corrupted them. Only those who desired power, not of greed, nor envy, nor hate…those who desired it to become whole, to learn, to protect, to mend…could truly draw upon my power.

Yes, greed, envy, wrath, scorn, lust…they could draw forth the power of the Dark Dragon…but it would corrupt them, defile their soul, and make them its slave. Only one who wished to answer the call of Darkness could wield it without fear of corruption. This one…he holds a shard with him. The shard has not corrupted him, yet he does not heed the call of the Ancients…he wishes revenge against those who have slain his family…his beloved sister whom he cherished above all others…but not in the…normal sense.

Nay, his revenge was to slowly disassemble them. Yes, he'd like nothing more than to spill the blood of those who spilled that of his family…but only them. Those they worked with, those that were NOT apart of it, did not order the deaths of his family…they were not even considered as threats. Yes, he would most likely end up ruining a few lives with his actions, but that was a course he was willing to accept. For he felt a sense of grief, sympathy in his heart for those who were not tied to the deaths of his family, that would suffer from his coming actions.

And I shall aid him. For he has unknowingly already created a tie between our souls. When his blood spilled on the shard his family had come into possession of, the necklace his beloved sister gave to him…it woke me from my forced slumber. Always the believer in the supernatural, something that nobody in his family reciprocated, or understood, but simply ignored, save his sister, he quickly grasped my words, and understood. His wish was to complete his revenge, and then he would answer my call.

For months he trained in the mental, spiritual, and physical arts. He learned, the fought, he practiced…pushing himself beyond the limits of his human body…and we bonded. He became more instinctual, more aware…and I…became more human. I learned from him, as he from me. Finally, after a near half year…he was ready. He had built a reputation in the underground. He was among the whispers of those who hid in the shadows. Rumors, truths, lies, everything was whispered about him. And in turn, he learned. He listened to those who normally went unheard. He would seek the words that went unspoken…and finally, our goal was clear.

The company known as DOATEC, a group known to be the organization behind the Dead or Alive Martial Arts fighting tournaments, had been performing experiments upon their chosen fighters. Not only that…but it would seem that they had created a powerful new weapon, one that could lead to the end of civilization as it was known. My chosen warrior obtained information that the weapon itself was being held in a secure location inside the DOATEC Tri-Tower. What is stranger…is that I myself had been feeling a pull from that location…as if something familiar were calling to me…

I wonder…could the new weapon be related to the shards of my old blade? Still, whether that's the case or not, destroying this weapon was top priority. And if it could not be destroyed…then he must wield it against them. Unknown to us however…the same time that we were to infiltrate their tower…a group of powerful beings were to destroy it…

Perhaps…this was Fate's way…of giving my dear Zero a chance at a second life…