Disclaimer: The following is a work of fiction using elements not belonging to the author. These element belong to their respective owners. Any similarities with other stories by other authors, either living or dead, are purely coincidental.

Thoughts and memories raced inside Sophitia's head. Memories of a past she had thought she had long forgotten, as wall as thoughts of uncertainty for a future that has become more complicated. All because of his arrival.

'What is he doing here? After all this time, why has he returned now?'

~~***~~

After the initial shock of seeing the knight, Sophitia led the group to her home. Her family was ecstatic at the return of their long lost Cassandra. That night they had a feast to celebrate the arrival of the group.

The next morning, after their parents have left for their occupations, Cassandra told Sophitia her reasons for her departure.

"So, Soul Edge is still alive."

"Yes." Cassandra said, "I just couldn't let you go out and fight again, not now that you have a family who depends on you."

The older Alexandra sister smiled. "Thank you for your concern, my dear Cassandra. But now we have a bigger problem. Soul Edge has once again found a new host."

"It's far worse than you think, Sophitia." Taki said. "The sword had not only has a new host. The bearer is once again Cervantes de Leon."

"That's impossible! You and I destroyed him, didn't we, Taki?"

"You did." Siegfried said. "But somehow, the demon sword brought him back to life."

"How, then, do you plan to defeat him?" Sophitia asked.

Talim explained their plan. It involved using the weapons used to defeat Soul Edge in the past to defeat Cervantes. Sophitia listened intently to them. It did not take a general to know that their plan had merit, yet something still bothered her.

"Do you have the weapons you need?" she asked.

"More or less." Xianghua confessed. "Two needs serious repair…"

"And you need my help."

They turned and saw Rothion standing by the door.

"Husband, I didn't know you were there." Sophitia said, standing up.

"It's alright, beloved. I was just passing by." He then looked back at the others. "You need my help, don't you?"

Kilik stood up. "Yes we do."

Rothion asked for the weapons. He examined it thoroughly, as a doctor examines a patient. "The methods in which these weapons were forged are unknown to me, and this sash is made of mirrors, something I do not usually work with."

For a moment the group fell into near despair, until Rothion spoke again. "But I shall consider it a challenge repairing these weapons. I will pour all my skill and knowledge into the task. You shall have your weapons restored."

~~***~~

He knew it would be a difficult challenge, but he didn't know it was this close to impossible. For what seemed to be the thousandth time that day Rothion threw away a slab of scrap metal. He was trying to repair the Soul Calibur using the finest metal he had, but his supply of ore has already been cut in half and he was no where close to repairing even a single crack on the blade.

"It's difficult, isn't it?"

Rothion turned and saw Siegfried watching him.

"It's harder than I previously imagined." The smith said with a smile.

Siegfried saw the half empty pile of ore beside his companion. He frowned at this.

"You need not exhaust your source of livelihood for our request. If you it proves too much to ask, we will find other means to defeat our foe."

Rothion shook his, the smile still in his lips.

"There is no need worry, sir knight, I will do it."

He turned back to his work.

"When our gods decreed that my beloved Sophitia should once again hunt the Soul Edge, I pleaded that they send me in her place. They refused; instead they commissioned me to craft the weapons she will use. With sadness and love I crafted those weapons. I could not fight by wife's side then, but it was enough for me to know that the sword and shield I forged was keeping her safe. I am content in knowing that the implements I forge are helping destroy the demon blade, that in some way, I'm fighting as well."

Siegfried just stared at Rothion.

"You love her very much, don't you?"

"Yes. Probably as much as you did, Siegfried."

To that the knight gave a surprised look. The smith turned to him.

"She told me about you. I know what happened between the two of you."

Silence.

"I hold no grudge against you, Siegfried, nor do I find a conspiracy in your arrival, but I must ask. Why did you leave?"

The knight only stared at the ground.

"Even I don't know, Rothion. I have absolutely no idea what madness possessed me to leave her and the happiness that I may have had. I just woke up one night and saw Sophitia in my arms, and then something in me told me to leave. That I was not worthy of her."

Rothion listened in silence

"The gods work in ways different we cannot understand. We can only live our lives to the fullest and see what happens."

Siegfried looked at him.

"You know, a friend of mine told me the same thing just yesterday."

The two men laughed, and the atmosphere around them lightened.

"That felt nice." The smith said. His companion nodded in agreement.

"Well then, time to get back to work. There should be at least one of these stupid rocks that would do the job."

Siegfried then remembered something.

"Rothion, may I ask you about this?"

He showed him a piece of rock from the sack he was given yesterday. Rothion looked at it and realized what it was. He quickly took it from his companion's hand.

"Where did you get this?"

"A friend gave it to me. Why? What is it?"

"It's the same ore I used to forge Sophitia's weapons. But that's impossible. It was Hephaestus who gave me the ore."

He then looked at Soul Calibur.

"I wonder?"

Rothion began to work on the rock, smelting and refining it. Siegfried only looked on. The smith then began work on repairing the broken sword. A drop of molten metal then fell onto the blade. To the amazement of the two men, the dropped moved and filled in one of the cracks. Rothion examined the spot closely. It was completely restored.

"Now I understand."

"Rothion, what is it?"

The smith turned to the knight.

"The two weapons are made of the same metal. That is the only explanation for what we've seen."

"Then why didn't it react to Cassandra's weapons?" Siegfried asked

"Perhaps it is the way they were made. I refined the ore and made it straight into weapons. Whoever made your friend's sword may have done something else before making them into weapons, to allow it to change its shape."

"Then, if they're made of the same metal, you can use this metal ore to repair the Soul Calibur?"

"Yes and perhaps more."

~~***~~

In no time the Krita-yuga and Dvapara-yuga was repair. The mirrors in the sash restored itself once the others items were repaired. The seekers were grateful that the weapons were finally mended. Now their mission would be much easier to complete.

"Thank you, Rothion. Your work is truly remarkable."

"It's nothing, Cassandra. I'm a blacksmith remember."

Rothion, Sophitia and Cassandra looked on as Xianghua did some of her moves.

"I could hear once again the song of my mother's sword. Thank you very much Rothion."

The smith only smiled. Then he saw Siegfried go out the house.

"Ah, Siegfried. Can you help me with something here?"

The knight was more than willing to help. He went with the smith to the latter's shop.

What he saw in there caught him of guard.

There stood a suit of armor shining as sunlight struck it. It was made so that every inch of the wearer was well protected. Beside it was a huge sword with a blade almost the size of the armor itself.

"I made it out of the sacred ore that was left over. I also asked your companion's help so I can make an accurate fit."

"Why would you do this for me?" Siegfried asked.

"Do you actually think we will let you fight unarmed and unprotected." Mitsurugi said from behind him.

"You are one of us now." Raphael followed. "Together, we will find Cervantes and destroy him and the Soul Edge."

He then felt a hand over his. It was Cassandra's

"Together Siegfried, I know we can win,"

~~***~~

Siegfried couldn't sleep. Tomorrow they would resume their journey, yet that was not what troubled him.

'They say I am one of them. I haven't been part of anything for a long time. I should be happy. Then why do I feel troubled, like something really bad is going to happen?'

He stood up and decided to go for a walk. He walked down the path from the Alexandra home until he saw a lit structure not far away. It was a temple of one of the Greek's goddesses, Athena if he was correct.

He peered into the structure. He saw that slowly crumbling, but the main alter was still well preserved. It was well lit and very beautiful. In the middle of the room was woman kneeling in front of the image of the goddess.

'Sophitia?'

The eldest Alexandra sister was praying intently to the goddess.

"Please, Pallas Athena, keep my sister and her companions safe in their journey."

The knight could hear her prayers. She was praying for their safe journey. He knew they would need it badly.

He was about to leave when his steps dislodged a stray stone. Sophitia turned her head and saw Siegfried.

"Good evening, Siege."

"Good evening, Sophie."

These were the nickname they made for each other. It was been more than eight years when they last used it.

"Did I disturb you?" he asked.

"I had just finished when I noticed you." she answered.

Sophitia gestured Siegfried to stand beside her.

"Do you remember that fist time we met?" she asked.

He nodded

"It was like this moment. You entered, bloodied and fatigued, just as I were praying. I took you home, nursed you back to health, and then we spent two blissful months together."

Sophitia was smiling as she reminisced. Siegfried could still remember everything, even what came after.

"It was also here that it all ended. We stood here and confessed our love for each other. Then, that night, I left you here alone."

He turned away from her.

"Forgive me, Sophitia, though I probably don't deserve it."

"You don't have to apologize for anything. I understand why you left."

"No you don't." he spoke almost angrily. "I left because of madness. I left for a doomed journey. I…"

"You sought the murderer of you father when it was you who did it."

He stared at her wide eyed. She was looking directly at him, tears, threatening to fall.

"How did you know that?"

"After you left, I spent the whole day here weeping. Then, Athena appeared to me in a vision. She showed me images of what you are, what you were, and what you would become."

"So you know who I will become."

She nodded.

He felt sick. He corrupted and evil, and here he stood in a sacred place with someone pure and untainted beside him. He did not belong there. He began to walk away when he heard her voice.

"You are unique, Siegfried. Of all the victims of Soul Edge you are the only one who still had some small measure of control. You kept your soul when others before you lost theirs. The demon blade created Nightmare because it could not fully control Siegfried Schtauffen."

She walked in front of him and took his right hand.

"This hand that once held Soul Edge will be the same hand which would destroy it."

She then she touched his face.

"And do not think you've betrayed me when you left that night. We have been destined to meet, but not stay together. We each had roles in each other's lives, just as others do. Just as you and Rothion gave me strength through my battles, so must I give you peace and disclosure from your past, I and my sister."

All this time Siegfried was silent. Now it was his time to speak.

"Cassandra?" he said surprised.

Sophitia giggled like a little girl.

"Do not try to deny your feelings for my sister. I can see in your eyes when you look at her the same look you use to give me when we were still together."

With that she gave him a kiss on the cheek and a short, friendly hug.

"Please take care of my sister."

And then she left.

Siegfried stood there contemplating her words and reflecting on his emotions. He looked up and saw the majestic multitude of the stars.

'Not my will, but yours be done.'

~~***~~

"Cervantes is in Spain." Talim said. She had been reading the winds and was now sharing her finds with her comrades.

A man with long, blonde hair and emerald, green eyes, clad in full plate armor and holding a sword the same size as he stood up and addressed the others.

"Then to Spain we must go."

Siegfried Schtauffen said with iron resolve. Now, he was ready. Now, the final battle begins.

"This ends now."