Disclaimer: Don't own (do we still put disclaimers? It's been so long since I've written on FF, but just in case).
Cassandra cringed as her foot squished into the mire surrounding Ostrheinsburg Castle, the end result of months of countless searching. She looked out across the expanse, feeling the dark aura of the place stick to her like a second skin. She swallowed hard, pushing a strand of hair out of her face, steeling her nerves. The mire intimidated her. The shadows of the dead lands could easily be hiding places for Nightmare's spawn. The grassy moss could cover traps and pitfalls for any unsuspecting traveler who dared cross into Nightmare's domain. They also served as holding pens for Soul Edge. Victims would be close enough that it could sate its hunger until it could find more ample souls.
Cassandra shivered. Images of the last village Nightmare had last visited flashed into her mind. She tried as quickly as she could to push the mutilated bodies from her memory. The dead children. The blood. The horror of dismemberment. As hard as she fought, the images saturated her mind for several, agonizing, seconds. She resisted the urge to puke. The aura of the dark castle amplifying the memory a hundred fold.
Cassandra sucked in a deep breath, her hands resting on her knees. She shook for a minute. All the preparation, all the mental barriers, didn't do a thing. They were undone. A single image of Nightmare's devastation nearly broke her, and she hadn't even stepped ten feet into his realm. If his aura had this much power over here, from a single memory, she wondered how much he could unleash How much devastation he could wrought on her emotions and memories, never mind the damage he could do with his zweihander. A blade that no human would be able to swing with such speed or power.
She took another deep breath. She wondered if she should run away. Avoid fighting him altogether, and simply hide away. She could give plenty of excuses: she didn't wield the dark blade's counterpart, Soul Calibur, Nightmare had grown several times stronger since his second binding, and she no longer could use the god's blade, Valkyrie. She would be the only one to defend Pyrrha if Sophitia failed. As well as many others, but she knew, that for whatever reason, she had to fight him this day. Something kept pushing her toward Nightmare, whether because of a spell or because he gut knew something her mind didn't, she knew she had to fight him this day. She knew to turn would have unimaginable consequences. She also knew she had to do this for Sophitia. She couldn't let her sister fight for a god that had long since abandoned them. She couldn't let her sister bear the burden of the cursed sword on her own.
Closing her eyes, Cassandra pushed all the doubt and fear from her mind. Once again she put up the mental barriers in her mind, forcing any memories that could be used against her down into the depths of her soul. She forcibly calmed her nerves and steadied her shaking hands. As she opened her eyes, her mind was crystal clear. She felt no fear, no hesitancy. She could see the world in an unhindered, piercing view. Everything was sharp and pristine. She saw everything in a new way. In an unmistakable way. She looked out across the marsh, courage instead of fear filling her breast, and stepped forward.
Her feet continued to sink into the ground, water occasionally seeping up into the top of her boots. She felt disgust as her woolen socks quickly absorbed the water and she was met with a constant, squishing, footstep. She navigated through the hidden roots and branches, stumbling once or twice as her foot caught the edge of a protruding stump hidden beneath the muck. She grew mildly irritated with every step because it seemed that no matter where she put her foot, there was always something there to grab onto it. She also began to worry. With so many roots and dead trees littering the ground, she found little maneuvering space. She worried that if she were to get jumped now, there'd be no where to fall back to. Anywhere she stepped would be a disaster waiting to happen. She could easily lose her balance with a single misstep and then it would all be over. She would be sitting in the mud, waiting for the weapon that would take her life, defenseless.
The idea nearly drove her mad with anger. She muttered curses beneath her breath; irritated at the realization that standing in this mire, she was virtually defenseless. There were no pitfalls or traps because the mire in itself was the trap. Nowhere to move, to avoid any oncoming attacks, nothing. A massive, natural trap that extended itself all around the Castle. Cassandra realized why Nightmare had chosen such a spot for his shelter. It already had its own natural defense, and wide open fields easy for him to view anything stupid enough to cross onto his land, such as a five two blonde Athenian girl. Cassandra cursed under her breath again.
She sprinted across the mire, barely keeping her footing as she almost constantly banged her feet and legs against roots and branches.
Suddenly, Cassandra felt very anxious…very disturbed. Something in the air felt wrong. She stopped mid-step and glanced around, her ears twitching at the slightest sound. She watched the ground beneath her, waiting for one of Nightmare's spawn to come up from the ground and assault her. Her hands twitched near her Digamma and Nemea shield. However, nothing attacked her. She still watched everything around her with wary. She pulled out Digamma and Nemea from off her back.
As she stood there for several seconds she felt the air grown increasingly sickening. The hair across her arms and neck stood on end, and her heart thumped against her chest. Her sword and shield suddenly felt heavier, and she found it difficult to breathe. Whatever the aura was, she found it increasingly taxing on her body. With every second everything grew heavier, while she grew weaker. Nothing serious for the moment, but she knew the longer she stayed out there, the less energy she would have to tangle with Nightmare. Something caught her attention. She looked up across the mire, but saw nothing. Her eyes scowered the field, even tracing the castle, and it was then when she saw it. Or rather, him. Up in one of the towers she felt Nightmare's presence upon her. Directly upon her, he watched her. He watched her with intensity far more powerful than the aura she'd felt moments before. No, this time, everything was focused on her. She swallowed. She had to move now.
So much for surprise.She thought.
Cassandra took off in a spring again, her feet flying across the mire, kicking up the loose mud and debris. She continued to stumble occasionally, but her body was learning where to step and how to step. Over the course of ten meters she's practically stopped stumbling and nearly reached her top speed of sixteen miles-per-hour. However, she noticed how sluggish her feet suddenly felt. Nightmare's presence made her feel heavy. Her muscles strained to keep up her constant speed, and she also found the aura had another unrelated effect. She felt depressed. She felt…disheartened. She almost felt hopeless. The thoughts of failure invaded her mind, and she imagined herself dying at his hands, her soul slowly rising out of her stomach, and snaking its way up into his sword. She imagined Sophitia, Rothion, everyone one she knew dying at his hands in the most gruesome manner. Her thoughts further ventured into the entire world falling into hellfire.
Cassandra's anger flared and pushed Nightmare from her thoughts. She would not fail. She would not let anyone else die because of him. She would NOT let anyone else suffer. Today it would end one way, or another.
She pushed herself harder.
After a few hundred more meters, Cassandra's shoes clacked against the stone slabs of the bridge. She glanced across the castle, and thought she saw his silhouette in the tower. She smirked at him. "You better get a good look because this little girl, is gonna kick your face in! I'm going to kill you for what you did for Sophitia you heartless monster!" Cassandra ran toward the castle, her blade and shield at her sides. Luckily for her, the gate had long since been destroyed, so it was a straight shot into the castle. There was nothing standing between her and the demon. She reveled in the thought.
A movement caught the corner of her green eyes. As she turned to look, the glint of steel flashed in her eyes. Cassandra barely had enough time to avoid the Revenant's blade. She skipped backwards, bashing her shield against the Revenant's sword, knocking it to the ground with a clank. The Revenant didn't stop. It attacked with its bare bones, slamming its jagged knuckles into her side. Cassandra gasped in pain as she felt the flesh across her lower ribcage tear apart. She threw the hilt of her blade into the revenant's face, shattering its left cheek bone and knocking it to the floor. Cassandra quickly bashed its skull and ribcage in with her Nemea shield.
Cassandra didn't have a moment to blink as another Revenant jumped her. She knelt low, pushing her weight into her shield, holding the skeleton long enough for her to leverage it over her shoulder. She thrust her blade into its skull, rendering the dark magic useless.
Her ears twitched behind her, the sound of bony footsteps creeping up on her. Cassandra angel stepped around, back-handing the revenant into the ground. It sat unmoving. As she rounded around, she saw ten revenants standing in front of her.
She smirked, "If you really want to kill me Nightmare, you're going to have to try a lot harder than that." She said, her hand clenching around her sword. "Come on you monsters!" She sprinted toward them.
Within a second she closed on them, slicing her blade cleanly through the ribcage through the nearest revenant. She jumped back as the slashed retaliating blows. She smashed the closest one with her shield before jumping back again, barely avoiding another sword.
Metal sparked and blades whistled as she scrambled to deflect them all. She spun, parried, kicked, blocked, everything she could to avoid them. She ran away from the castle, giving herself some breathing room while at the same time trying to think of a strategy to take them out one by one or two-by-two if necessary. She looked up to see the swamp. She smirked. Sprinting for the swamp, she hoped that the debris and fallen trees would trip their clumsy bodies.
Her feet barely squished into the mud when she felt something strike her in the back. She gasped in pain, nearly stumbling face first into the ground. She managed to catch herself and keep running, but winced in pain with every motion. She glanced back to see an arrow protruding from her right shoulder. She pulled out the arrow, surprised that at such close range it had failed to pierce her lamellar cuirass, but as she looked at its tip, she found that time had long since dulled its edge. She glanced back behind her again, and saw a Revenant notch another arrow. She ducked behind a tree. She felt the arrow hit it then bounce off. She peered around and barely managed to move out of the way as an undead skeleton slashed where her head had been.
Cassandra thrust her blade through its skull. "Seven more to go," She thought.
She sprinted from the tree, rolling to avoid another arrow and managed to catch another Revenant by its foot as it over shot her. She forced her shield into its skull. She had to move over its corpse as two more came at her with battles axes so huge, that when they struck the ground it left a gapping whole in their wake. She rolled across the ground again and again as they kept swinging almost effortlessly. However, she was rapidly running out of time as each strike steadily got closer, she forced herself to roll backward and onto her feet. She staggered as an arrow struck near her left foot. Cassandra had to duck to avoid yet another axe swing. She flipped backwards, managing to gain a little room. As it swung again, she ducked, and with a quick angel step, fired her arm like a piston, her shield breaking the skeleton's torso from its legs.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw the remainder bunch together near a nearby tree. They watched her with what she thought as wary. She turned to them, her sword and shield raised in front of her. She watched them for several, long, seconds trying to read their expressionless faces.
She kept her ears keen on her surroundings, listening for the pullback of a bow.
Then, they suddenly dropped their weapons and ran away, almost as if they were afraid of her. She watched them in wonder. Revenants couldn't possibly feel emotion, let alone fear. They were simply autonomous corpses, raised up using either dark magic or temporary possession by Soul Edge. She looked behind her to make sure it wasn't simply a distraction, but she saw nothing except the dead trees and foliage.
Warily, she jogged back toward the castle, keeping herself aware of everything around her. She couldn't shake the feeling that despite the revenants had run away, something was amiss. She knew they didn't simply abandon their quarry. Something had drawn them away. But what? Nightmare wouldn't have drawn them away, not if he could've had her soul without fighting her. So what did? Cassandra shook her head. Something was toying with her. She didn't know what, but whatever it was, it was ticking her off.
**********
"Aughhh!!!" Siegfried yelled, cleaving the revenant in half with Soul Calibur. He swung the massive blade in a sweep, slicing cleanly through the five revenants that stood in front of him. As he slid into a chief stance, he threw the handle of the blade into an oncoming revenant's chest, shattering it. He deflected a blade before slashing down on the revenants body, slicing in two.
He spun around, bashing another revenant with the width of his blade, sending it flying across the ground. Siegfried growled in frustration. In front of him stood at least a hundred revenants, all licking their chops (figuratively speaking). He didn't have time for this. The blonde Athenian responsible for hundreds of deaths had entered the castle only minutes before him. He couldn't let her feed Nightmare with the hundreds of souls buried in her blade. If she did, Siegfried didn't know if he or Soul Calibur would have the power to defeat him. Being so close to death, any larger expenditure of energy may kill him prematurely, before he had even struck down Nightmare. He no longer cared for his life, but to die before completing his mission would mean the entire world would fall into despair. He couldn't let that happen. He had to reach the Athenian girl and strike her down. As much as it pained him to kill yet another human, he couldn't allow a servant of Nightmare to survive, not when they willingly bathed themselves in blood. For the world to find peace, all would have to die. He didn't have time for these slaves. "Get out of my way!" He screamed. He thrust his blade into the ground, and focused Soul Calibur's energy. In a flash he released it. It lashed out across the ground and froze everything in its wake in a massive wave. As the revenants were rooted to the ground, Siegfried could see the strands of Nightmare's control flee from them as his control was severed.
He strapped his blade to his back and ran toward Osthreinsburg.
***
The darkness swirled visibly all around her. Cassandra felt it slide and slither across her skin, moving through the sleeves of her shirt and up her legs. She shivered and shook violently, trying to shake it off of her. She patted her legs with her hands and debated on tying her skirt to her knees. For the first time ever, she felt vulnerable in her Atlanta skirt. The darkness kept crawling across her skin, at times feeling like it was applying pressure to her body, searching for a gap that would give way to her soul. She shivered again, pushing her skirt against her legs.
If the darkness wasn't unnerving enough, every time she passed a torch or furnace it would light up through some mysterious force. Often, she found whenever she stepped foot in a hallway or spacious room, everything would light simultaneously. However, the light would very nearly be choked by the darkness that currently caressed her skin. It flickered back and forth, like it would do if a child were to place a box over a flame and remove it before it consumed all the oxygen. It would strangle it, and then release it right before it died. Cassandra thought she even saw shadowy figures placing their dark hands around the flame, encapsulating it between their hands until death.
The light cast an ominous glow about the place, clashing with the dark. Everything was grey, dreary. Evil. The walls seething death, the ceiling oozing shadow. For the first time, Cassandra could see the darkness, not simply feel it. She could see how it sloshed through the air, literally, and crawled on the floor in the pathway of where she walked, and then springing up as if to striker her foot, like a snake. She slid away from it, watching as it followed her movements and snaked its way towards her. In a rush, Cassandra thrust her blade into it. For a moment, she thought she heard it scream before it dissipated into the air. She stared at where it once lay, confused, and somewhat disturbed. The scream had sounded human. Did that mean it could've been what remains after Nightmare eats his victims? The parts of the soul Nightmare rejects because the pieces were not strong enough or too pure? Or was it simply the manifestation of the remains of those already inhabiting his "stomach"?
She shook her head. She'd have to worry about it later. Nightmare came first. Besides, if they were connected to him, they'd disappear along with him, once she destroyed him.
Cassandra continued to walk through the halls, ignoring the darkness and shadow figures that seemed to stalk her. She refused to allow Nightmare the satisfaction that these spirits, or whatever they were, unnerved her. She would not show the monster weakness or fear, even if she stood t his feet with his blade hanging over her head. Even if she couldn't move, she would make sure he saw the defiance in her eyes, and when he tried to consume her, she would fight him in every last inch of air. Cassandra Alexandra would not be easy prey. No, she'd be the one that killed him or his most difficult meal ever. She'd make sure she'd purify part of him if she went down.
The spirits around her seem to respond to her resolve. The darkness that once clung to her let go and flew into the air. All the slime that stood in her path quickly scrambled away, almost in fear. She smirked, "That's right, you'd better run," She thought. As the darkness around her cleared, she took a deep breath. She took a deep breath. Although the air still tasted stale, it no longer choked her. She felt refreshed.
Cassandra stiffened, the sound of soft footsteps reaching her ears. She turned around slowly, her hands tightly wrapping around her blade until her knuckles turned white. A soft growl echoed through the halls. Cassandra's eyes widened.
"It can't be."
"Hello, Cassandra. Nice to see you sister." Sophitia walked from the shadows of the hallway. A broad, sinister, smile plastered across her face. Her crimson eyes flashing devilishly at her.
Cassandra took a step back, realizing instantly what was wrong with her sister. Realizing why her milky skin had turned sickly pale. Why her green eyes now bore a shining crimson hue, and why her blonde hair now contained streaks of blood red highlights."NO! What have you done!?" She screamed, grasping Digamma so tightly her fingernails cut into her skin. "Sophitia what have you done?! Why? WHY?" Tears streaked down Cassandra's face as she stared at her sister, feeling her heart die with the passing seconds.
She'd pushed so far, motivated by the very woman that stood in front of her to destroy the cursed sword, to ensure that no one else would ever become a victim of its insatiable hunger. She pushed so far to ensure that her sister would never have to bear the burden of the sword again. She'd pushed so far to have a future for her family; to be with Sophitia, Rothion, Pyrrha, and Patroklos. She went to the edges of the world to have her children play with her sister's, and laugh as they roughed housed with each other. She went so far, virtually unscathed by Nightmare's touch, to this moment when she could strike him down and end the rampage of the greatest murderer in history. And yet, in this moment, everything fell apart. She'd finally felt the sting of Nightmare's blade as it cut its way into her soul, destroying one of the few reasons of her being. He'd struck back, and he'd struck deep.
Sophitia innocently cocked her head to the side, "What's wrong sister? Don't you like the new highlights? I put them in myself, it was quite messy though I must say," She grinned wickedly, "Still well worth it, I mean, I think they fit me. Don't you?"
"Shut up." Cassandra said, letting out another sob. She tried to wipe the tears from her face, but they wouldn't stop, no matter how much she tried to will them.
"Oh Cass don't be like that. Aren't you happy to see your sister after so many months? I expected you to be leaping for joy, hugging me and telling me how excited you were to see me, like back when we were kids. Now come over here and give me a hug. I missed you too you know." Sophitia held out her arms expectedly.
Cassandra felt her heart thump against her chest. For a second, Sophitia looked as she did only a year ago. Her arms stretched out towards her with such care that it reminded her of how Sophitia looked as Cassandra came home from her daily errands, happy to see she'd returned safely, or when she would try to console her after losing a match in her weekly training sessions. She held out her arms so lovingly and invitingly, that Cassandra almost forgot that the person she faced was no longer the woman she remembered.
She let out one last sob. "You're not my sister anymore."
Sophitia shook her head, "Cassandra, why do you say that? It's not nice to lie, and that hurts. Of course I'm your sister. Who else would I be?"
"A monster. That's all you are." Cassandra's nails dug deeper into her palms. "You are no longer Sophitia Alexandra, my sister, you are Nightmare's slave. No, you're Soul Edge's slave. His murderous pet. You're dead to me."
Sophitia feigned hurt, "Cassandra, how could you be so cruel? I thought I had been a better example to you. How could you say such a thing? The gods would be disappointed in you."
She screamed, "Screw the gods Sophitia! There are no gods! If there were gods they wouldn't have let this happen to you! They wouldn't have let you turn into this monstrosity. They wouldn't have let you die."
"That's blasphemy to speak of the gods in such a way! And Cass, I'm not dead, I'm right here, waiting for my little sister to give me a hug." Sophitia grinned again, this time flashing unnaturally sharp teeth that Cassandra had not noticed before. They looked sharp enough to puncture her neck with little effort, and perhaps even tear flesh from bone. Cassandra retched at the thought, but she remembered this wasn't her sister anymore. This woman murdered countless innocents, for lesser reasons than Nightmare. She didn't need to eat souls to survive, he did. She killed because it seemed that's what he told her to do, so it really shouldn't surprise her if she committed other unspeakable atrocities. But it did. Sophitia had been so strong, so pure. Incorruptible. She fought for good and for the lives of those she loved, no matter the cost to her. She would've willing given up her life for a stranger if it meant that he or she would've been able to go home to his/her family and sleep soundly at night. She would've done anything for anybody because that's Sophitia. The one person Cassandra knew she could always count on. The one she wanted to be like, but this person, she was a murder. A monster. Sophitia had died long ago, she realized, and would never shed another tear for her.
No, she would not feel remorse for this woman. Her sister had died a year ago.
"Enough. I'm done with this. Sophitia, it's time to put your memory to rest. This thing," She said with disgust, "you've become is destroying your memory, and for the sake of your children, I have to make sure that when I tell them of your death, they remember the woman you used to be." As she said Sophitia's children, she thought she saw her wince. She shrugged it off. "I just have one thing to ask. Why, did you let yourself be consumed by Soul Edge?"
Sophitia's smile fell, and her eyes penetrated into Cassandra. "For the same reason any human does. For power."
Cassandra scoffed, "Not you. I know," She hesitated, "knew you. You'd never sacrifice your soul for something so arbitrary as power. What was the reason Sophitia?"
Sophitia's eyes dropped to the floor, her face remorseful, but it quickly disappeared, "It doesn't matter the reason. I'm servant to Soul Edge now. The reasons for it don't matter anymore. All that matters is now. All that matters is that I have to harvest your soul. I'm sorry Cass, I have no choice." She shifted her body into her battle stance, her blade and shield poised at Cassandra. Cassandra noticed that her Omega sword and Elk shield had little in common with the weapons she had seen a year ago. They had become twisted and organic, only a thin strip of metal in the middle of the blade showed any sign of the weapon once being forged of Hephaestus' holy steel. Cassandra noticed that she couldn't feel the blades holy aura anymore. She could only feel corruption, and death.
"Sophitia…" She said sadly. She took a deep breath and raised Digamma and Nemea.
Cassandra struck first. Angel stepping across the room, she swept her blade across Sophitia's face, before twisting her wrist and slicing downwards. Sophitia parried both and threw her shield into Cassandra's midsection. Twisting away, Cassandra rounded her shield across Sophitia's face. Her sister ducked beneath it, elbowing Cassandra in the gut. Cassandra shrugged it off and jumped back, giving herself enough time to recover. She slid back towards Sophitia, throwing down several directional hacks, each of which were blocked and dispatched. Sophitia spun around the younger Athenian, her blade arcing down across Cassandra's chest. As Cassandra blocked it, she felt Sophitia's hard soled heel smack her in the leg. Sophitia followed with another slash.
Cassandra parried it, and twirled around, Omega sword whistling behind her. She swung at Sophitia, their blades sparking at the impact of each other. Cassandra fought with her for a second, edging her off balance enough to deliver a powerful kick to Sophitia's knee. Sophitia let out a grunt and pushed off Cassandra. She limped away from her to gather herself, but Cassandra didn't give her long.
In a flash, her blade smashed in Sophitia's shield, knocking the Crimson Athenian off balance and onto the floor. She rolled out of the way as Cassandra smashed her shield in where she lay. Using her arms as leverage, Sophitia rolled head over heels and onto her feet. Se whirled around in time to stop Cassandra from punching her in the face with the hilt of Digamma. She grabbed her sister's arm, shoving her into the ground and kicking her in the ribs. Hard. Cassandra gasped in pain as her insides creaked. She rolled away before Sophitia could kick again.
Cassandra clutched her side as the two took a second to gather themselves. She struggled for breath as each expansion of her lungs pushed against her throbbing sides. Sophitia had kicked harder than Cassandra remembered, even though the two had sparred; she'd never kicked that hard before. Cassandra had felt a full on Sophitia kick and it had never hurt so much before. Sophitia was also faster, not by much, but enough to worry her. With speed being the Crimson Athenian's strength, any addition to it made her that much more dangerous.
Cassandra forced herself to stand, wincing in pain doing so. She watched Sophitia erect herself as well. She favored her right knee, and Cassandra knew exactly where to hit. Guilt grabbed her heart at the thought. Sophitia may be a monster now, but the same blood ran through her veins. She was still her only sister, no matter how evil she had become. Crimson met emerald as their eyes linked: one full of desire, passion, love, and courage, the other consumed by intimidation, rage, and death. The compassion Cassandra had seen in her eyes only a year before didn't exist anymore. In Sophitia's eyes, Cassandra saw the transformation from human to monster. From sister to demon and how simple it was. One touch from Soul Edge, and anyone would become corrupted, no matter pure their soul. Even Sophitia.
A single tear rolled down Cassandra's cheek.
Like thunder the sisters clashed, their blades piercing the silence. They sliced, hacked and slashed away at each other, the soul of the pure trying to overwhelm the soul of the impure. The eternal struggle of the ideologies resonating in this moment, as sisters of life and death fight for dominance of the world's future. Metal howls and organic steel screeches, the pain of their souls rending the air. Their wills flow and falter as memories of the past invade their minds. Love, happiness, laughter and peace collide with death, fear, slaughter and evil. The darkness surrounding them scatters and breaks, the walls of the castle visibly shaking with each blow. Their holy steel and corrupting metal clashing together at last.
Cassandra grabbed Sophitia's shield and twisted it behind her back, unbuckling it as she did so. She ripped it off her arm before Sophitia wiggled her way free. Sophitia spun around, kicking her leg into Cassandra's side. Cassandra yelped and jumped away from her. Sophitia charged her. She hacked away at Nemea. Sparks flew as Cassandra struggled to defend herself.
Unhindered by her shield or giving little attention to protection, Sophitia unleashed an all out assault. With speed and power Cassandra had never seen, the Crimson Athenian slammed into her. Sophitia's blade cut the air so quickly, Cassandra couldn't even see the organic steel glinting in the flame's light. Blindly, Cassandra tried to avoid her, but could feel her sword nicking and ripping her tunic. She could feel her shield reverberate in protest as she luckily managed to block a strike.
Cassandra's back met the wall. She cursed and ducked, metal screeching above her head as Omega sword sliced through the stone wall. She rolled to the right, but as she rose, Sophitia already stood in front of her. She gasped and jumped back, but Sophitia's foot collided with her head. Cassandra spun around, crashing into the wall behind her. A fractured slab of stone cut the side of her face. It drew a bloody line from her left temple to her cheek.
Cassandra tired to roll away again, but Sophitia caught her across the back. Searing pain shot through her back as Omega sword cut through her flesh. Her skin burned. She could feel the organic blade trying to bind itself to her, several tiny strands of flesh cauterizing her skin. She growled and pulled away from it, feeling her skin tear from it. She twirled around to face her.
Sophitia charged again. Cassandra twisted away from her but Sophitia's leg connected with her side in a round house. Digamma slid away from her as she impacted the floor, yelping in pain when she rolled across her back. Painfully, she kicked her legs behind her, hinging herself into a guard stance. The Crimson Athenian slammed into it causing it to vibrate violently. Pain went up through her arm in shock waves. She felt like her arm had been smashed with a sledge hammer. The bone felt broken, or at least fractured. Her sister swung at her again. Cassandra leaped to the side, but Sophitia still caught her across the face. Omega drew a bloody trail from the edge of her nose to the bottom of her chin.
Sophitia kicked her in the chest.
Cassandra collapsed to the ground, her ribs aching, blood soaking into her back, and her face pounding. Sophitia grinned wickedly, seemingly delighted to see her sister's face etched in pain, and seeing her blood ooze onto the floor. Her crimson iris's pulsated. Cassandra tried to stand, but something held her down. Invisible shackles locked her to the floor around her wrists and ankles. She struggled against them, but they only cut into her skin.
Sophitia let out a twisted laugh, "Poor little Cassandra, can't you move?"
Cassandra glared defiantly at her. Her emerald's shining brightly. "Shut up, shut up. You're nothing but a harlot. Whoring yourself out to Hephaestus first and now Soul Edge. I hope you die."
Sophitia feigned hurt, "Ouch, such hurtful words dear sister. I can't believe you'd say such thing."
"You're not human anymore, you can't feel a thing."
"On the contrary, I am human. I'm just experiencing life in a whole new way. It's so much more…intense." She grinned, her canines glinting in the light. "Now, why don't you join me? You'd be surprised the kind of pleasure you get from killing. It's quite riveting." She twirled Cassandra's hair. "You know, red fits you."
Cassandra spit on her, "Screw you. I'd rather die."
Rage filled Sophitia's face. In a flash, she cut across Cassandra's stomach. Omega easily cut through her lamellar armor and into her soft, milky, skin. Cassandra bit back a scream. "Gonna have to try harder than that." She managed.
"You always were the stubborn one. " Her fingers slid down across Cassandra's stomach, blood seeping onto her fingers. Sophitia lifted up her hand and admired it in the light. "You're gonna make a fine soul for Soul Edge. Such healthy, rich blood. I'm sure you'll feed him for weeks." She licked her fingers. Then pain suddenly manifested on her face. She screamed as her bloody fingers burned. "Ah you little witch. You're blood is too pure!" She grasped her throat.
Cassandra smirked, "Guess you're master is in trouble huh? Eat me and he'll die. Too bad for you."
The pain vanished from Sophitia's face, and she was grinning again, "Well, I guess the pleasure of killing you is all my own. Finally, all the frustration you caused me by going after Soul Edge when I told you not to can be released. Oh I can't wait."
Cassandra's heart wretched. The tone of Sophitia's voice was filled with such sick delight that it sent shivers down her spine. It held no shame or hesitance, only pleasure; twisted pleasure that could only belong to a person who had clearly lost their humanity. It broke Cassandra while at the same time, filled her with fear. She gazed at Sophitia's face. It was once so beautiful; merely looking upon her would soften a person's heart. Now, her darkened, pale, features struck fear into them.
Tears stung her eyes.
Sophitia straddled Cassandra's stomach, causing her to wince, and raised Omega above her head, the tip hovering over her heart. "Well sister, I guess this is good-bye. I'll see you in hell."
The tears burst from Cassandra's eyes as she choked back a sob, "I love you, Sophitia." She closed her eyes, and released her spirit.
Sophitia's arms thrust forward, and tore into flesh. Hot blood dribbled down Cassandra's chest, and airless heaves filled the air. A body thudded against the floor.
Cassandra's eyes popped open. To the left of her lay Sophitia, Omega buried between her breasts. Their eyes locked, emerald shining against emerald.
"S-Sophitia?" Her voice cracked. "Sophitia no!" Cassandra scrambled to her, the shackles broken, and lifted her onto her lap with her good arm. "Sophitia, no. No, Sophitia. Why?" She stroked her hair, as Sophitia had done to her as a child whenever she was in pain.
Weakly, Sophitia placed her hand on Cassandra's arm, "Please forgive me. I'm so sorry for hurting you. It was breaking my heart, but I couldn't stop. Another part of me was too invigorated by it. I couldn't stop. It was like it wasn't really me." She coughed, blood covering her bottom lip.
Cassandra tore off a piece of her tunic with her teeth and wiped the blood away. "It's ok, I know it wasn't you. I know it wasn't." Tears rolled down her cheek.
"I love you Cassandra. Please take care of Pyrrha, Rothion and Patroklos." She winced. "I did it for them Cassandra. I did it all for them. Please forgive me." She gave a weak smile and then her eyes glazed over, and her body fell limp. A final breath escaped her lips.
"Sophitia no, don't go! Please Sophitia don't go!" She shook Sophitia's body frantically, "No, you can't go! I can't do it without you!" She cried, "I can't do it without you…" Her grip tightened around Sophitia and she sobbed into the crook of her neck; her body shaking in massive heaves. Her mind couldn't understand the woman in her arms, the warmth that still touched her skin or the green eyes that stared up at her. She couldn't understand the dead weight she carried in her arms. Her mind played the scene over her mind until she couldn't deny it anymore. Her sister was dead, and everything she'd fought for was gone.
Tears stained her cheeks, the piercing sound of her anguish rending the air. The castle foundation shook. Her pained cries were so great that even the gods themselves could not but shed a tear. Until at last, her cries fell silent.
So I hope everyone has enjoyed this so far, and I would very much appreciate and CC anyone has to offer. I know this probably wasn't the best place to end, and I'm sure someone is going to flame me for killing off Sophitia, but I needed to stop here otherwise it would've taken away some of the ideas that I had planned for the second and third chapters. So I apologize if it seems abrupt, and that is where CC comes in. I'm still getting back into my writing so anything anyone has would be a great blessing. Ok that's it, until next time!