One reviewer! One! Pathetic! Oh well…

(Throws a party for DilaZirk) Not only are you the only reviewer but you are the fiftieth reviewer! 50 reviews! Yay! Oh and about taking new directions that's because whenever I begin a new chapter there are always so many directions to take and explore, I have never started a story and finished it without changing the storyline drastically in my head…it's more fun to be flexible! x

A/N – I would like to apologise for this chapter, I am not one for full blown fighting scenes (well this is a romance after all) x

Chapter 11 – Call me Siegfried

"Raphael!" Lyra screamed, weaving in and out of the trees behind her companion. Raphael was sprinting through the forest, following the obvious path Nightmare had taken. Lyra had long been left behind as she struggled to keep up with the blond. Her ordeal within the pirate's cave had obviously taken it's toll, she wasn't as fast as she thought she could be.

Raphael ignored her cries and continued to push through the forest, his hand securely on his rapier, ready to draw it at a moment's notice. He showed no signs of slowing, they needed to catch up with Nightmare before he reached the town and more importantly before he reached Amy.

"Raphael!" Lyra called again, far more urgently this time. She had lost sight of him. She could hear him, crashing through the trees and she could follow the path where Nightmare's blood was leading them. She was beginning to get concerned, the blood which had begun as flacks along the path had now become puddles almost. Given the amount of blood he had already lost in the pirate's cavern, Lyra was finding hard to imagine how much blood he had actually lost in total. He should be unconscious by now.

She was almost right.

She emerged in a clearing and had to use a tree to stop her going any further. Raphael had found Nightmare. He was on the floor, kneeling, the blood pouring from his wounds, as he rested on the Soul Edge for support. Raphael hadn't gone any closer, he stood at a distance holding his rapier out to the warrior.

"Give me the sword," demanded Raphael, thrusting the rapier as far forward as he could without actually taking a step toward Nightmare. Nightmare raised his head to look up at him, his face was pale and sunken and his eyes looked cold and without emotion.

"You think you are strong enough to wield it?" he rasped. His voice sounded distant and far away, Lyra trembled as she held onto the tree, not daring to step forward, the man before her was not Nightmare.

"I don't mean to wield it," Raphael said, calmly. Almost too calmly and Lyra could see he was ready to lunge forward, "I mean to destroy it," he threw himself at the warrior, who to his surprise had been ready for the move and Nightmare lifted the sword to deflect the blow.

"Take it if you can," Nightmare snarled, knocking Raphael back.

Lyra closed her eyes and looked away, not able to watch the ensuing fight between the two. Nightmare was at a considerable disadvantage, he had suffered serious injury before the Soul Edge had possessed him. His body racked with wounds could barely stand up let alone fight off Raphael who was unharmed and bursting with energy, if not a little tired from his run through the woods.

She kept her eyes closed and only opened them when she heard Raphael cry out. Her eyes snapped open and she looked over at the two. Somehow Nightmare had fought back. Despite all the weakness and exhaustion, he had knocked Raphael to the floor and disarmed him, holding the Soul Edge to his throat. Raphael had yelled when the blade had cut into his skin, drawing the smallest tint of blood from his throat.

"Please don't," Lyra managed to choke out, but neither of them heard her, "Please," she called, louder, but her voice was muffled by her sobs. Nightmare raised the Soul Edge and was about to bring it down on Raphael when Lyra managed to scream, "Please don't!"

The shrill voice echoed through the silent forest and around the two fighters. Both of them looked over at her, her scream had pierced their ears and had reached a pitch no one would have though possible.

Nightmare had stopped at least, he lowered the sword, keeping his eyes on Lyra. He glanced back down and gave Raphael an evil smirk. Raphael realised what it meant and tried to reach for his sword. He was unsuccessful and Nightmare slammed his fist into the side of Raphael's head, knocking him across the ground as the possessed warrior stood and walked over to Lyra.

Lyra couldn't bring herself to move, despite Raphael's urges to do so. "Run," she heard Raphael cry as he nursed his head, unable to do anything else while he was in so much pain.

Nightmare reached Lyra and pinned her against the tree she had been using for protection. Her face was wet with tears now and she could hardly speak for crying.

"Please," she begged, "You didn't come here for this. You came to destroy the Soul Edge, none of this was supposed to happen."

Raphael reached over to the rapier, his head still pounding. He could hear Lyra pleading with Nightmare, but he knew it wouldn't work. The Soul Edge was immune to sympathy.

"Please Nightmare," she sobbed, "Just destroy it and we can go home."

Raphael got to his feet, he held his rapier ready but he had hesitated. Nightmare seemed to be shaking. Her words were having an effect, Nightmare was trying to fight off the spirit of the sword.

"Please," Lyra repeated again and again. Nightmare's grip around her neck loosened and she stumbled against the tree. He hadn't moved, he was still holding the Soul Edge as if debating whether he should kill her or not, but there was something different about him. In his eyes Lyra could see the old Nightmare and not the spirit.

Taking a chance, Lyra threw herself at the warrior and wrapped her arms around him, now crying into his chest, "I just want to go home with you," she whispered.

There was a loud clang and Lyra felt Nightmare move against her. She closed her eyes and expected either to be thrown aside or to feel the heavy blade of the Soul Edge cut into her skin.

But nothing came. Instead she felt Nightmare's arms wrap around her as he returned her embrace. She heard Raphael move quickly to their side to pick up the Soul Edge and drag it away from them, it seemed he feared the influence of the sword would return and Nightmare might well kill Lyra.

Lyra drew back, she still had the tears running down her face but she was smiling. Nightmare was smiling back at her, despite all his injuries. "Nightmare," she whispered, lifting one hand to linger on his cheek. His smile grew wider and he lifted one hand to brush away the hair that had got tangled to her face, stuck by the dampness of the tears she had cried. She felt the hand touch her and then she realised that this was the hand that had previously been somewhat deformed, it had returned to normal without the influence of the blade.

"Please," he whispered, "Call me Siegfried."

TBC