Author's Notes: I've rewritten this chapter. I'm much more satisfied with this one.

Chapter 24

Siegfried's blood ran cold. The terror that surged through him as he looked at the large hunk of what used to be his torso was immeasurable. Seeing his severed feet lying on the stairs above him did not help either. He lay in his own pool of warm blood, and as he looked up at his butcher the only thing that ran through his mind was his own trepidation and his death. Nothing else. He shook violently. His face became wry, like that of the woman's, and he began sobbing as he begged, "P…please…N…no…don't."

This was pure terror. Fear in its truest form. Such fear could reach out and affect all those nearby, but not these two. These two butchers, these monsters, delighted in this feeling they had.

"Slaughter, slaughter, slaughter!!" The butcher raised his cleaver, and in instant Siegfried became angry. Fear together with anger creates the ugliest beast, but Siegfried didn't care at that moment. He wanted to kill these two. Badly.

I want to kill them! I want to slaughter! I will butcher! I want to cause them pain! Their flesh torn by my hands! Such pleasure I could have! I want it again!! I want to be Nightmare again!!

Those were his final thoughts as the butcher swung his cleaver, and all Siegfried saw and felt were a flash of gray and the feeling like a large stone striking him hard in the head…

XOOOOOX

Cassandra instinctively wrapped her hand around the cross on her neck as she shivered from the cold chill that suddenly swept across the field. It whistled past her ears and strangely resembled the sound of human moaning. Robin was just in front of her urging his horse to speed up.

Night had fallen and all had fallen silent. Not even the crickets chirped. Only the sound of thumping hooves penetrated the dark silence.

Cassandra broke the silence, "Robin, what will we do once we're there? You never made that clear."

Robin never looked back. He spoke loudly and clearly so that she could hear him, "We'll be entering their world once we get there. You must keep a sound mind and steady concentration to keep from falling victim to them. Just remember that even though you are in their territory, you also still stand on the earth's ground, in our world. Never forget that.

"If Siegfried is there, then he has already fallen victim to them. We must save him before they completely take him."

Cassandra didn't know what to expect from this town, but she knew that her sword would not be her strongest weapon in this place.

XOOOOOX

Siegfried shivered. It was so cold. Was this what death felt like? No. this all felt so familiar to him.

I've felt this before…it isn't death. This is far worse.

He suddenly opened his eyes and what he saw was like something he had seen dozens of times. Before him was a scene of terrible carnage. Through a hazy red vision he looked upon slain bodies laid all across the ground. Blood covered everything—the homes, the ground he walked, and even his body. He couldn't tell if the blood dripping from his body was his own or the blood of the dead. He took his fingers and wiped his face. Looking at the tips of fingers, he was mortified to see them coated in blood. But even so, he couldn't stop himself from wiping it across his chest, wearing it as if it was a badge of honor.

This was what happened every sleepless night, and every time Siegfried was forced to watch as his body acted on its own accord, slaying every living being that crossed his path.

One single man approached Siegfried. He boldly held his sword out, like a man leading an army. This was only one man, yet he carried himself as if he was a one man army.

Siegfried would have none of this insolence. He swung his zweihander…Soul Edge…

XOOOOOX

The entire town was abandoned. Not a soul remained. Windows flapped in the breeze and leaves skittered across the road. Cassandra walked that road, eyes fixated ahead of her, fearful of looking into the dark, empty windows that she swore housed unseen eyes. She walked unblinking, focusing all her concentration on where she was and what she was here for.

There was a strange smell in the air, like burning candles and honey. Every time the breeze brushed past her ears, she heard the chatter of people. She began swaying, and sidestepped, nearly losing her balance. She shut her eyes for only a second, but in that second she nearly fell asleep. She forced her eyes open and jumped at the brief sight of lights and what she assumed were people. But in an uncountable second it all disappeared.

"Aggh! Damn it!" She shook and pounded her head. She immediately reached up for the cross on her neck and squeezed it tight.

"Stay awake Cassandra. Focus."

Robin was behind her. He was faring better than she was, but he also struggled to maintain his composure.

"There is a lot of force here. The focus of it must be near. Hang on tight, lady Cassandra. This is where our psyches will be at most risk." Robin staggered toward a building and had to stop himself with his hand before he collided with the wall.

Cassandra looked back and playfully mocked him, "Ha! What a lose…" In an instant the sights came back again, and Cassandra was horrified to see four people carrying emotionless faces inside the window, two staring at Robin just by the same window, and the other two staring at her with dead, penetrating eyes.

"Oh god, no! NO!" Cassandra immediately shut her eyes and ears and ran off, shaking her head and screaming.

"Siegfried! SIEGFRIED!"

XOOOOOX

"SIEGFRIED! NO!"

Siegfried paid no heed. He let his sword do the talking on the battlefield. With one slice, the man's head fell off his shoulders. His body dropped to the ground, lifeless save for a few involuntary movements. The head fell to the ground and rolled a few feet before stopping face down.

Siegfried pompously strolled to claim his trophy. He picked it up by the hair, then tossed it up in the air before catching it in his palm. He raised it high in the air and called out victoriously, "Here! Here is the head of their leader! Now it is my trophy!"

The homes that once surrounded him were now gone, and in their place were hills and a band of faceless followers.

"Schwarzwind!!" They all hollered in unison.

"The Schwarzwind!" Siegfried answered proudly. He looked up at his trophy, expecting to be filled with a sense of pride, but he was only flooded with horror.

The head peered down at him, eyes wide in dread, face pale and rotting. Its lips began moving.

"Siegfried…"

XOOOOOX

"NOOOOO!!"

Cassandra stumbled and tripped over her own feet. She landed hard, and if she hadn't stopped her head from hitting the ground, she would have surely lost consciousness from the impact.

The scream echoed through the streets of the town. Cassandra had never heard such a dreadful scream in her life. But what really frightened her was that she knew that voice. It was Siegfried's, and anything could be happening to him. It felt as if her heart was about to explode from the fear rushing through her. She knew she had to get to him, before it was too late.

But what she didn't realize was that as she got back to her feet, the darkness hiding in the empty windows began creeping, and as she ran off, they crawled from their nests. The dark beings clung to the walls and followed the girl towards the scream.

XOOOOOX

"No! No, no, no!" Siegfried tossed and turned violently, rustling his bed sheets and blanket.

"Siegfried! Wake up!"

He felt a forceful shaking. There was a strong grip on his shoulders.

"Siegfried, dear, wake up. It's only a dream."

Finally he opened his eyes. His eyes had to adjust to the sunlight, but when it finally cleared, he saw the most beautiful woman he had ever seen.

"Mother?" He sat up, never taking his eyes off her.

His mother smiled kindly. It was a beautiful smile, and it always calmed him whenever he felt distressed.

She stroked her son's hair and playfully ruffled it, "Look at my little boy. Still drooling in your sleep? Must you always make the laundry so hard to clean?"

Siegfried, now bashful, lowered his head, "Sorry, Mother."

Margaret simply chuckled and patted him on the head, "It's okay, Sieggy. Now get dressed and eat breakfast. Your father's already waiting for you."

Siegfried dashed down his stairs as fast as he could. Siegfried knew where his father was. He was outside, practicing his swordplay after a hardy breakfast made by Mother.

"Father!"

Frederick turned towards his boy. "Siegfried, come. I have something to teach you."

Frederick handed Siegfried his old sword Faust. Siegfried lifted it easily, and assumed his stance. In an instant a flash of sparks illuminated the father's and son's faces as their swords clashed.

"Again!"

The blades sliced through the air again and hit with the sound of screeching metal.

"Perfect, Siegfried!"

Siegfried felt his pride swell up inside him. This was all he ever wanted. He only wanted his mother, his father, and their pride in him. But there was something in the back of his mind that he couldn't shake away. There was a voice that kept on calling to him.

"…Siegfried…Siegfried…Siegfried…"

Siegfried turned and looked to the east. Highlighted by the bright light of the new morning, a figure approached, clad in black armor.

"Siegfried!!"

The knight came closer and lifted his enormous blade, threatening to cut down the boy. Siegfried feared this knight, and he couldn't move. Just as he managed to stutter a meek 'help me', Frederick stepped in for his son and took a swing at the knight.

The knight reeled back with a pained groan. With blood dripping down his sliced abdomen, the knight struck back, but was stopped by Frederick's impenetrable guard. Frederick took the advantage and attacked again. A game of back and forth ensued, and Frederick had the upper hand for the majority of the battle.

Siegfried stared at the knight's face. Green eyes peered from under the helm, and his blonde hair draped down upon his forehead. What he found odd was that whenever the knight attacked, instead of the grunt anyone else would have uttered, the knight shouted out Siegfried's name.

"Siegfried! SIEGFRIED!"

With every hit Frederick delivered the knight's armor became weaker and weaker.

Siegfried watched in awe. Father is incredible!

Suddenly the knight had Frederick to his knees. He had slammed down his sword with such force that it threatened to shatter Frederick's sword.

Frederick trembled as he held his sword above his head, using all his might to keep himself in one piece. "Siegfried, help…me…!"

Siegfried hesitated. How could he possibly stand against this black knight? He saw how the two warriors were trembling, how they were using all their might to conquer the other.

Then unexpectedly, the knight's dark armor began to fall apart. Piece by piece it crumbled and fell to the ground. In the end, after all the plating had fallen off, Siegfried saw a young woman standing above his father. From her gritted teeth she muttered his name again.

"Sieg…fried…"

"Quickly Siegfried! You must kill her! She is evil!" Frederick ordered.

"But Father…I cannot. She is not the knight."

"Of course she is! Her armor no longer protects her! That's all! She is the knight under the armor! Kill her!"

"No! She is not the knight!"

"…Siegfried…"

"Siegfried! You either kill her, or you let me die! The choice is obvious!"

"…Siegfried!"

As he listened to her call his name again, Siegfried realized who this woman was. Together they worked to achieve a goal, but what goal, Siegfried could not remember. And so now he had two paths in front of him.

One was a path he had always wanted to stay on: the path of family. It was the path where his mother and father waited for him with open arms, but in exchange he would never remember what he needed to achieve.

The other was a path of responsibility and hardship. A path where his father would have to die and his family broken, but in the end he would fulfill his duty.

Siegfried chose to return to reality and not to dream. He lifted Faust, and took off his father's head…

XOOOOOX

Cassandra ran as fast as her legs would allow her. She knew something was following her, but she didn't want to see what. Her flight led her to the town square where she found Siegfried standing like a statue, head turned to the night sky.

"Siegfried!" Feeling a small sense of relief, she darted to him, hoping he would turn and embrace her in his warmth. Instead he stood still as stone. His eyes were rolled up into his head, and his skin was ice cold.

With a sense of panic rapidly building up inside of her, Cassandra shook him violently. "Wake up! Wake up! Siegfried!"

Wake up…I can't let this world take me…

"Aggghhh!" Siegfried let out a frightening cry. His body quivered and rocked until he fell to the ground in a trembling mess.

He stopped convulsing and shut his eyes tight and shook his head. He opened his eyes again. Everything was warped. There were people who surrounded him that in no way were still alive. These spirits loomed over him. Warped and demented, words couldn't describe what they looked like. There were orbs of lights filling the sky. They seemed to dance and sing with a strange ringing of bells. Amidst all the disturbing oddities, Cassandra's face provided relief to his anxiety.

"Siegfried! Thank the gods." Cassandra pulled him into her arms.

"Ugh!" Siegfried felt as if his mind had taken a blow. Everything began spinning. Everything became fuzzy, and he began feeling sick and dizzy. He turned to his side and vomited.

Cassandra went to his side and held him reassuringly, "Wake up Siegfried. It's not real. I can get you out of here. We'll be fine…"

But watching her from the shadows were the dark beings, reluctant to attack now that the dream spirits had lost their hold on their prey. They began to bide their time.

XOOOOOX

Cassandra no longer had to try so hard to focus her mind. The spirits were dispersing now, and they no longer attempted to pull them into their world. Her mind was stable now.

Siegfried, however, was still reeling from the shock of escaping the spirits' dream world. He opened his eyes, and Cassandra saw that they were clouded. He rocked his head back and forth as he gazed at the sky. Cassandra fearfully shook him.

"Siegfried! Stop it! Please! You're scaring me!" In an effort to wake him from his trance, she embraced him tightly, holding him steady and telling him she was there.

Eventually Siegfried stopped. His eyes cleared and he settled down. He shoved Cassandra aside and vomited one last time. He then spit and sat up, saliva trailing down his mouth. Cassandra could still tell he was tired. He crawled away from her and found a spot to lie down on his side. Cassandra crawled to his side and placed her hand on his chest.

"C'mon Siegfried, let's get out of here," she gingerly urged him.

Siegfried shut his eyes and clasped her hand. He shook his head, "No, not yet please. I just want to rest." He took one last look at the stars and shut his eyes, curling into a fetal position and getting some much needed sleep.

XOOOOOX

Robin had rejoined Cassandra as Siegfried slept. He approached with a grave look on his face.

"We must leave. There are eyes watching, Cassandra. Can you see them? In the shadows. I see white eyes."

Cassandra shook her head, "No…no, I don't see anything." Robin knew that she was denying it. She was just as anxious to get out of there as he was. Despite that, they had no choice but to wait for Siegfried to awaken.

Robin uneasily held his cross as he gazed into the shadows. He could barely distinguish the white flickering of eyes, but he knew they were watching. He let out a long, disheartened sigh. During his and Cassandra's panic, they scared off his two horses. He saw them run into the shadows, and that was when the sound of their galloping hooves stopped.

Cassandra had Siegfried's head in her lap, and she lovingly stroked his hair. She had wiped away his saliva with her glove, and she caressed his cheek. She wondered how longer he would sleep.

A chill came over the both of them as the wind howled. Over the time Siegfried was asleep the autumn night breeze had become a more forceful wind. Siegfried's body shivered in the cold.

As if beaten by the wings of an unseen bird, the wind pounded them in pulses. A dark presence flew in with the wind, over the trio's heads.

Out of the night came a raven, cawing as it swooped down at Robin's head. He ducked in time, but the mad bird managed to take off his hat.

Robin was up on his feet, bow and arrow drawn and taut. "That is no normal raven. It wanted my eyes."

The raven perched upon a lamppost and cawed. There was something about the raven's cry that made one shiver from the inside out, and Siegfried felt it too. He began quivering. Cassandra could see that his eyes were rapidly moving underneath his eyelids.

"…my blood…my soul…my delusion…" These words began coming out of Siegfried's mouth.

"…That is what gave him life…"

He had awoken, and he quickly pulled himself out of Cassandra's grip. The sight of the bird brought back a surge of old memories.

"Finally. Finally I see you!"

"Siegfried…who do you see?"

Siegfried remained silent. In the moonless night Cassandra could only see the dark profile of his face and the glistening of his eyes, and she could see that those eyes never left contact with those of the raven.

The raven rustled its feathers and stared back with its red eyes. It gazed at Siegfried, scrutinizing its former owner. Siegfried heard a voice in his head.

And I see you, Evil Seed.

Looking past the raven, Siegfried saw a dark figure rise from the roof of a chapel. At first it was an unidentifiable silhouette, but it began to concentrate, and slowly Siegfried could see the threatening shape of the helm and the grotesque appendage holding nothing else but the ghostly red glowing sword. The eye of the sword radiated a penetrating violet light and it stared blankly into the distance. The demon stood tall and looked to the night sky, as if searching for a power from the dark.

"Nightmare!" Siegfried shouted in feral anger. He would tear Nightmare apart with his bare hands if he had to.

Nightmare quickly turned his head to look down at Siegfried. His sickly orange eyes flickered and he suddenly raised his monstrous arm to the sky, holding the phantom Soul Edge high. The sound of tearing sinew could be heard as the mouths on his person began opening. The darkness inside those gaping maws was darker than the moonless night itself. Nightmare exhaled slowly, and then he vigorously inhaled through the maws, forcing the wind around him to howl. The air began drawing towards him like a vacuum, taking in all kinds of debris.

As the vortex began to strengthen, the three began to be pulled in. Robin let loose an arrow only to have it be torn apart in the wind. Cassandra lost her footing and fell to the ground with a thud. Her head cracked against the ground and instantly she lost consciousness. She began to be pulled in by the vortex, sliding across the ground.

"Cassandra!" Before she slid any further, Siegfried caught her limp body by the arm and hoisted her up and turned his back to the vacuuming winds, sheltering Cassandra's limp body under him.

As he held Cassandra tight, Siegfried's ears began to pick up a noise mixed in with the sound of the howling wind. It was the moaning of souls. He looked up into the windows of the buildings and watched as glowing purple orbs began to form only to be sucked into Nightmare's gaping maws. They whizzed past by the dozens, and as the souls flew past his ears, Siegfried could hear their agonized screams. Soon the skies above the ghostly city were illuminated with the pale lavender glow of hundreds of former human souls. They were all drawn forcefully into Nightmare's being, and he enjoyed it like a feast.

"He's absorbing the restless souls!" Robin exclaimed while clasping onto a window ledge for dear life.

"Souls, darkness, come unto me!!"

The dark beings that clung to the shadows were suddenly pulled out and swallowed by Nightmare. Their screeching tore at the men's eardrums. Their wry faces begged for help, but to no avail. With every one of them he consumed, Nightmare grew larger. He began to pour blood from the over sizing.

As more and more souls were absorbed, the vortex became stronger, and Siegfried had to put all he had into staying steady like a stone. But at last the final soul was absorbed by Nightmare, and the vortex calmed. Siegfried carefully laid Cassandra down. He turned to face Nightmare. He was horrified to see such a show of strength, but that didn't quell the hatred and fury burning inside of him.

Nightmare never acknowledged Siegfried. His burning eyes rolled up into his head and his body began to throb. His energy pulsated frighteningly. His body throbbed faster and more violently, and he began to growl like a rabid beast.

At that moment, Nightmare began to go through a terrible transformation. His body cracked and tore. His armor melted. A black haze exuded from his body, eventually cloaking his transformation completely.

Siegfried watched in horror from the ground. All he could see was the glow of fire and heat. He could hear Nightmare's growling and the disfiguring of his body. Siegfried didn't know what this would result in, but he knew that nothing good could come out of it.

"What is this monstrosity? I had no clue…I had no clue an evil like this could come from my body…"

In a final burst of fire the black haze was blown away, revealing the final transformation. Siegfried stared in disbelief. Nightmare walked out from the smoke changed. His body had morphed into a more monstrous form. The azure armor was shaped into a demented, exoskeleton-like form. The helm resembled something like an insect's head, and a single, glowing orange horn protruded from the forehead. A black haze flowed behind the helm, almost like hair. Pure red eyes like the devil's peered from behind the helm. The mutated arm had taken on a more wieldy form.

What Siegfried was most shocked to see was the abdomen. The abdomen had been torn out, and what was in its place were a pair of grotesque jaws, and housed inside the jaws was a glowing red light. A red light of what, Siegfried did not know. Nightmare had changed completely. What ever trace Siegfried had left in him was now gone. He was a real monster now.

Nightmare lifted his new arm and examined it interestedly. He turned his claw back and forth, chuckling at the sight. His self admiration stopped as he suddenly snapped his head to the phantom Soul Edge. The sword had remained the same, and that just wouldn't do. With whatever surplus energy he had left, Nightmare transferred it to the sword. With that energy, the sword began to transform, refining its shape and strength. What was once a cracked and frail blade solidified into one, sleek blade. The sword radiated with newfound energy, as if a long thirst had finally been quenched.

Siegfried had to react now if he was to protect Robin and Cassandra. Death was staring them all in the face.

"I'll find a way to destroy you, even if I have nothing but my bare hands!" He raised his arm to the sky and extended his palm. A blue orb of energy began to form in his palm and crackled with electricity. Siegfried focused even more energy into the orb, increasing its size. His eyes began glowing with a piercing blue glow.

Nightmare began to laugh sadistically. His voice was otherworldly.

"Ha ha ha ha! Your fire waits!"

He held up his claw and instantly a flame ignited. It grew in size to rival Siegfried's giant orb of electricity. He dared Siegfried to attack. "Ha ha! Burn!"

"Nightmare!!" Siegfried let loose his lightning bomb, screaming with pure fury.

"Blitzkrieg!!"

And with that Nightmare hurled his fireball as well. Siegfried's ball shot through the air like a thunderbolt, while Nightmare's fireball burned through the air like a meteor.

The cold night air suddenly became as warm as the hottest day in the Mediterranean. Instantly Siegfried broke out in a sweat.

The two forces of nature clashed and fused into an ungodly bomb. Siegfried and Robin watched wide-eyed as the blinding burst of energy hit them with no mercy.

The calamity and devastation resulting from the combining blasts rocked the city, sending a shockwave of pure energy and flames through every building and structure. The explosion even ravaged the bordering countryside, destroying every tree and scorching the vegetation, leaving not even ashes. In an instant the city fell, burying the heroes.

The rumble and boom of the explosion reverberated through the air, and it wasn't until everything had fallen that the massive blast subsided.

As the smoke and rubble cleared, an empty silence reigned over everything—a stark contrast to the chaos that had just ensued. From the smoke only a monster stood from the destruction. He clasped his sword tight and laughed maniacally, thrusting it into the stone rubble in victory. His strength was unmatched. Nothing could stop him from getting what he wanted. He disappeared in a swift wisp of black haze, dead set on his next objective. Cervantes de Leon's time was coming to an end.