"No… I won't let things end up like this." Raphael let Talim go and a mad gleam sparkled in his eyes. Zasalamel, the man who was adept at all sorts of spells and rituals. Surely he must know of some way to regain Talim's memories. Raphael knew that he could not trust that man, but he was the only hope left for him and Talim to be together again. Raising his head to ceiling, Raphael called out for the man who had defied death and time itself. "Zasalamel! Hear my voice and answer my call! I ask for your help! If you can fulfill my wish, I shall offer everything and anything you want as payment!"

"Raphael Sorel... so you've finally decided to call."

Talim and Raphael turned to look at Zasalamel materializing in front of them. The gold circle glowed beneath his feet and it faded away as its master ended the spell. Taking a small step forward, Zasalamel rested his scythe on the ground and smiled at the two. "My my, how cute. Yet how sad. It seems that you two shall be facing many hardships in the future."

"Another one of your prediction?" Raphael moved in front of Talim protectively. Even though he had called Zasalamel here, that didn't mean that he'll be letting his guard down anytime soon.

Zasalamel shrugged. "The visions I see of the future is never absolute. Think of it as possible paths for water to flow. It's only a possibility."

Shifting alittle to the left, Talim looked at the man standing before them. Power was evident in his voice and body. But what interested her most was his gold eye. It was not normal and there was something about it that called to her own powers. "Who are you?" asked Talim. "Do I know you from the past?"

Zasalamel glanced at the priestess and shook his head. "I'm afraid not. This is my first time meeting you." Observing the curious priestess, he asked, " Tell me, you remember nothing about your past do you?"

"I only have a general idea from what my friend Yun-Seong has told me," Talim answered hesitantly. "But my link with the wind is strong and I know what my future holds."

Zasalamel arched an eyebrow at that and asked, "Really? And what do you have planned for your future?"

Talim raised her head and her eyes reflected deep conviction as she answered. "I will restore all the damage that Soul Edge and Soul Calibur has wrought upon this world. And I will seal away the swords so that they may never inflict such misery and suffering on mankind again."

"A noble thing to do indeed. Does that mean you wish to heal the man standing protectively in front of you?" Zasalamel asked dryly.

Talim looked at Raphael and nodded. "I can feel that powers of Soul Edge running deep in his veins. I must cure him of it."

Zasalamel strolled past them and smirked. Not knowing what to do, Raphael and Talim stood there for a moment before following him. This continued for awhile in silence and Talim couldn't help but shudder at the dark but large hallways she was walking through. Frightening paintings hung on the walls and the purplish red carpet was not only tattered, it seemed crusty with... blood. Snarling gargoyles stared down at her as the three came to a stop in the middle of an empty floor. What she saw made her scream and she closed her eyes in fright.

Raphael immediately pulled her into his arms and covered her sight just as he snarled at Zasalamel. "What is the meaning of this!" The floor was wet with blood and gruesome corpses of dead soldiers laid on the ground in heaps. Their eyes were lifeless and their mouths hung open in silent screams. A few green crystals with frozen demons in them added a hellish touch to the hideous scenery.

Zasalamel explained cooly that the army of Wolfkrone had infiltrated the castle from a different direction other than the entrance they had came from. The fighting had only came up to here before Talim's ritual killed all the monsters but still... alot of lives had been lost. "But... there are still some malfested roaming around the castle," Zasalamel said with a glint in his eyes. "Priestess, don't you fear these... malfested? Look at the unspeakable crimes they've committed. Why do you insist on saving them?"

Talim peeked out from Raphael's arms before saying quietly, "Not... not all of them are evil. I may have no memories of my past life but the wind's teachings remain with me. A person is not evil because of who they are but because of what they do."

The man seemed satisfied with her answer as he nodded. "Reasonable enough. Now, what about you, Raphael?"

"What about me?"

"What is your reason, for going after Soul Calibur?"

Raphael paused for a moment before replying, "To make a new and better world, that I shall rule over." Before Zasalamel could say something, Raphael cut in. "Excuse me, but if you don't mind, can we move somewhere else? Talking in a room full of corpses is not exactly pleasant."

"A reasonable demand." Zasalamel snapped his fingers and they warped to the throne room.

Looking down at Talim, Raphael stroked her hair comfortingly, "It's alright ma petite. You can look now." When she was reluctant in moving, he sighed and turned back to the other man. "Knowing my dearest, she'll be having nightmares for weeks. You had better tell me a way to restore her memories before I decide to kill you right now."

"As arrogant as ever." Zasalamel smiled as he said, "For your plans and wishes to come true, you have two obstacles standing in your way. First of all, a man titled the Hero King is returning and he's seeking to control both of the supreme swords to regain his role as king of the world again. His revival cannot be completed if he doesn't have the swords. If you intend to fulfill your goal, you will need to defeat him or else he'll take over the world and rule it for eternity."

In Raphael's arms, Talim grew worried. "What? But... no, he's immortal?" When Zasalamel nodded, her eyes flashed a bright green quickly before fading away. "I can't let that happen. I must stop him."

Zasalamel smiled. She will indeed prove to be a worthy challenge to the Hero King. "Your powers are quite impressive. Now, let me tell you another reason why you must fight him." Zasalamel gestured to Raphael and said, "You want to know of any way to restore her memories? Correct?"

Raphael nodded curtly. "Tell me, how can we restore her memories?"

Zasalamel strolled over to the chasm in the throne room and he looked out of the window calmly. "The hero king is very powerful. He was the one who was mainly responsible for the creation of Soul Calibur. I believe that he may have the powers to bring back her lost memories."

Hearing this, Talim perked up. If her memories can be restored, then she'll finally regain her friends, families and identity again. For now, she was unsure of what kind of person she was or what made her unique and this was a troubling fact that she had kept to herself. But Zasalamel seemed to be holding back something important and she did not fully trust him yet. "You mentioned that there were two obstacles in my path. What's the other obstacle?"

"You said that you wish to heal Raphael, right?"

Talim nodded. "Yes. I want to purify the evil inside him."

Zasalamel turned away from the window and answered her in a quiet voice. "If you remove the powers of Soul Edge inside him, you will kill him."

A stunned expression crossed her face and she stepped a few paces backward. "What do you mean by that?"

"The only reason he's still living right now is because of Soul Edge. You can think of him as an undead almost. He stands on the boundaries that separate life from death. Ripping away the energy of Soul Edge in his body may possibly kill him." Zasalamel explained calmly. "You are no different from him. You may think that you're alive and that the only thing you've lost is you memories but you are sadly mistaken. Your soul inside your body is not stable. I could rip it out right now without any difficulty." Zasalamel quickly called upon his powers and muttered, "Soulis ep reurtal!"

Talim looked down at her feet in horror as they began crystallizing into green crystals. "No… What's happening?"

"Talim!" She was starting to lose consciousness and she looked up at him with glazed eyes. Raphael brandished his rapier and snarled savagely at Zasalamel. "If you don't stop whatever it is you're doing, I shall rip your head off your neck with my bare hands!"

Zasalamel calmly called off the spell. The crystals began cracking and within a few seconds, they shattered into dust. Leaning on Raphael, Talim breathed heavily, as if she had been running for the past hour. Little did they know that the spell Zasalamel cast was merely an illusion that touched on all the senses, and not just sight. That was his main strength. It was a useful ability to use against opponents; especially in cases where he pretends to bring back a dead individual that would most likely shock his enemies and prevent them from fighting.

Raphael shook Talim lightly and he was relieved that the color was starting to come back into her cheeks. "Talim, are you alright?"

She nodded tiredly before trying to push away from him and confront Zasalamel. But she merely collapsed on the floor after two steps. "I don't understand… This cannot possibly be true."

Zasalamel eyed her observantly for a moment before speaking. "You can probably guess what your second obstacle is now. It's the very man standing beside you."

Talim gasped softly. "He's my obstacle?"

"Explain yourself!" Raphael snapped sharply.

"Since you're unable to wield Soul Calibur, the only way you can actually use it is through the priestess. But you can guess that she would never agree to that correct?" Zasalamel continued without an answer from Raphael. "You have the ability to control people whenever you bite them. Therefore, you can control her to wield Soul Calibur for you if you bite her."

Raphael laughed. "It looks like there's a flaw with that theory of yours. Her blood is too pure for me to consume. The first time I tried, it knocked me out for two whole days and greatly weakened my strength. To boot, I will do no such thing to my dearest."

Listening to what Raphael said, Talim felt alittle closer to him. Even though he wanted to use the sword, he wasn't going to force her against her will or hurt her.

But Zasalamel shook his head, as if Raphael was an ignorant child that couldn't possibly understand. "That was the old priestess you knew. Her body is now perfectly balanced with both pure and negative energy. That's why she appears to be so much stronger than before; it's also the reason why she isn't affected by the evil energy flowing around the castle. If you want your plan to succeed then there's no other option."

Turning to Talim, Zasalamel said, "As for what you'll do in the future, it's up to you. But if you want to fulfill your noble duty, then you'll have to be on your guard around him...or else you'll risk him controlling you against your will."

Zasalamel gripped his scythe and began casting another spell. "I shall depart now, but here's a small gift to the two of you." With a flick of his finger, two balls of energy appeared before him and quickly flew toward Raphael and Talim. Talim gasp and stumbled backward but one ball of energy disappeared into Talim's red jewel on her neck and the other was absorbed by the jewel on Raphael's pendent. "Oh look, it even matches," chuckled Zasalamel with some amusement.

Talim and Raphael touched their jewels and looked at each other. "What does it do?" asked Talim, feeling the strange warmth from it.

"You two will now be able to sense each other nearby and the closer you are, the easier it will be to actually know what the other is thinking as well," explained Zasalamel as he disappeared with a flash of bright light.

"Come back here!" shouted Raphael. "You cannot do this to us!" In frustration, Raphael cursed. To him, this meeting with Zasalamel has only serve to deepen the gap between him and Talim. They were now destined to fight each other. This gift of his only made sure that they have no way of avoiding each other to prevent a confrontation.

Talim walked up to him and gently gave him a few pats on the shoulder. "Please don't lose hope. I... I believe that you won't hurt me. Even if it is a strong possibility... but Raphael, I don't want you to make a new world." She let out a cry of fright when he punched the wall with his fist. The strike was fast and furious and she quickly grabbed his hand. Pulling off the glove, she cried, "You're bleeding!"

Raphael withdrew his hand from her and said thickly, "The wound in my heart hurts much more than this." He turned away from her and choked, "Why did I fall for you? Why did I make myself so vulnerable? I wouldn't be hurting like this if I don't love you."

The anguish in his voice was so raw that she felt her chest tighten and her heart twisted in her chest. Why was she feeling this way... if she had no memories of him? "Do you," she started slowly, "Regret it?"

"I don't regret loving you, even though I know that my life would have been so much easier," he answered stiffly, trying to mask the pain from his face. "I only feel alittle hopeless. We're destined to fight each other if we want to complete our separate goals. There is no other way." Raphael looked at her sadly. "Why do you fight to save such a twisted world? Why can't you let me make you my queen and together, we'll reign over a new world and be happy together?"

Talim said softly, "This is our world Raphael. Whether it twisted or not, we're responsible for it. The reason why it's not perfect is because humans make mistakes. But as humans, we're capable of rectifying those mistakes." Talim touched her necklace and said, "This necklace shows both the moon and the sun because all things in this world need balance. Chaos and order. Light and darkness. Love and hate. Therefore, in my eyes, this world is beautiful and it's worth saving."

That same warmth and beautiful heart that had attracted him to her still shone so brightly even though she's lost her memories. It was the only thing so far, that lightened his mood. He loved her for her personality, and for the fact that she was so kind and trusting, even if he disagreed with her. "You're too naïve sometimes," he admitted, "But that's something I've grown to love about you.

Talim cheeks reddened and she looked down at her feet. "That's very kind of you to say so but… in my current state, I'm afraid I cannot return your love. I don't think I even deserve it."

"There is no one else in this world besides my adopted daughter and you that is worthy of my love. Or are you embarrassed by the differences in our age Talim?" he asked, bracing himself.

Talim looked up sharply at him and shook her head. "I'm not shallow like that. I do not judge people based on age, looks, status or wealth. It is the heart that counts."

Raphael smiled in relief. "Then the only way standing between us is your lost memories. Let us prioritize ourselves of finding this 'Hero King' first before we figure out a way to deal with Soul Edge and Soul Calibur."

Talim nodded. "Where there's a way, there's hope. And I hope that fate will not make us fight each other."

Raphael's tone turned serious. "If it does, then I shall fight fate itself before I fight you."

"Yun-Seong! Don't you even think about running away again!" Seong-Mina brandished her Scarlet Thunder at him and took on a defiant stance.

But his own determination and stubbornness rivaled that of a great whale and he readied his White Storm as well. "I don't want to fight you Mina. But if that's what it takes for you to see things my way then I guess I have no choice."

She shouted back, "You cannot hope to control such an evil weapon, it'll destroy you and Korea and I'm not going to stand by and let that happen."

"Perhaps there's a way to prevent that," said Zasalamel as he walked out from behind a pillar.

Yun-Seong eyes widened and he motioned frantically for Mina to come over beside him. "Quickly Mina! Get away from him!"

She rushed over and together, they faced Zasalamel. "Who is that guy? You know him?"

"He ambushed me and Tal's friend before." said Yun-Seong warily.

Zasalamel let out a mirthless laugh. "You are smart to tread carefully around me young warriors. But, do you two want an answer to your predicament? Do you want to save your homeland without the fear of being harmed by Soul Edge?"

Mina grip on her weapon loosened alittle and her despite her intention to sound strong and aloof, her voice came out honest and hesitant. "Are you saying you know a way to help us? But why?"

"All I ask is that you give Soul Edge to me when you're done using it to save your homeland. I shall destroy the evil sword afterward." Zasalamel raised a eyebrow as he said, "And yes, I have a solution that'll help you two. If you're willing that is."

A look of confusion crossed Yun-Seong face and he gave Mina a quick look before replying. "What kind of idea do you have in mind?"

Zasalamel smirked. "I can give you the ability to wield Soul Edge without going insane and with it, you and your homeland will be safe."

"I've never heard of something like that," Seong-Mina grouched. "Everyone that has tried to use Soul Edge, met a bloody end."

"I know of magics that you can only dream of," replied the dark magician. "Ask your friend, he was a witness to my powers."

Yun-Seong admitted sheepishly, "It's true... he summoned a fighting skeleton and even managed to disguise it with Talim's face."

"Alright, so let's say you do know of a way to control the sword and use it without going insane," Seong-Mina said reluctantly. "But why can't you use it yourself?"

"The road to obtaining Soul Edge will be a difficult one to walk. You two are capable warriors. I ask that we work together, to have a better chance in reaching our goals. Is that not a rational reason?" answered Zasalamel.

"I still don't trust you," growled Yun-Seong. "How do we know you won't stab us in the back or something later on?"

"Good, you're becoming more intelligent... But think about it, there are two of you and only one of me..." Zasalamel quietly added. "And you two were destined to work together, not fight each other. You," Zasalamel pointed at Seong-Mina. "are the lady of the roaring red thunder. And he is the strong white storm by your side. Together, you two will devastate the enemies more than any natural thunderstorms."

The praise embarrassed the two Koreans and their cheeks redden slightly. They looked at each other and began talking in hushed whispers. Finally Seong-Mina nodded and cleared her throat for Zasalamel's attention. "It's a deal then... We'll work with you. But we have a friend here who-"

Zasalamel interrupted her. "I know about the priestess. You cannot join up with her."

"Why?" asked Yun-Seong. "You can trust her, she's a kind person and-"

Zasalamel held up a hand to interrupt Yun-Seong as well. "That the exact reason why you cannot join up with her. Her goal is to destroy Soul Edge. Do you really think she'll let you use Soul Edge or believe you when you tell her that you'll give me the sword to destroy later on?"

The two thought about it and they had to agree that he was right. "But we can't just leave her here," Yun-Seong protested. "She could get hurt."

"There's no need to worry. Raphael is reunited with her and he won't let anything hurt her. Now come, we're leaving." With a swish of his robe, Zasalamel turned to leave.

"But isn't Soul Edge here?" asked Yun-Seong.

"No… Not anymore…" replied Zasalamel as the two ran to catch up with him. His second part of the plan; complete. If the priestess does present to be a problem for him, he'll use her friends against her. And with that thought in mind, Zasalamel proceeded onto the next phase in his plan.

Darkwings13: It never made sense to me how Raphael was able to use Soul Calibur in his ending in SC4. Ivy had soul edge running through her blood and Soul Calibur nearly crystalized her! Maybe the game producers overlooked something or made a mistake but it just didn't make sense. He definitely needs someone like Talim or Kilik (strong spiritual powers) to be able to use that.