Beauty and the Beast

DilaZirK, all right, I'll try to branch out more from the movie in terms of dialogue and stuff like that.

To everyone else, thank you for reviewing my story, and here's the next chapter!

Disclaimer: I own nothing, and neither do I make any profit from this.

Chapter 4

It had been almost a week since she had been made a prisoner in the castle. She now spent most of her time in her room, doing nothing in particular.

Whenever it was mealtime, Talim would come up and knock softly on the door. She would then follow her dark haired friend to the dining room and eat a simple, if delicious, meal. It had become a routine naturally.

And over the past six days, she had only caught sight of her captor once. When she had walked out from her room, he had been standing off to the side, conferring quietly with the red-haired youth called Yunsung. Upon catching sight of her, he had watched her with a neutral expression on his face for several seconds, before turning and vanishing back into the halls of the fortress.

Which suited her just fine. The less she saw of him and his mutated arm, the better.

Meanwhile, she had slowly, by accident or otherwise, come to meet the other denizens of the castle.

There was Necrid, a strange mutated… thing that seemed incapable of speaking any language other than gibberish.

There was Voldo, a man for whom the word 'freak' had been custom made for. After she had woken up in the middle of the night to find him clinging to her ceiling and staring down at her (or not, as he was apparently blind), she requested Talim to find her good deadbolt locks for the door and windows of her room. After kicking him in his privates, that is. Hard.

She still missed Sophitia terribly, but with the close (and sometimes freaky) companionship of her friends in the castle, she was beginning to think that maybe, just maybe, she could cope.

Then it all came to a end that very night.

Dinner had been as standards, Talim whipping up a three-course meal for her in a matter of minutes. She had smiled and thanked her, as usual.

As she stood to leave, Talim had surprised her with a question. "Would you like a tour of the castle?"

Cassandra paused, surprised. Up till now, other than her brief run through the castle on her first night, her entire knowledge of the great bastion was the path that led from the dining room to her own. And if truth be told, she wished to keep it that way for a reasonable amount of time.

But if one were to be practical, it was obvious that sooner or later, she'd have to venture out of her room. If only to prevent herself from going stark raving mad with boredom.

"All right." She managed a tiny smile. "I wouldn't mind getting to know my new home better."

Two hours later…

Cassandra whistled as she rounded the corner into yet another massive chamber. "Just how big is this place?" She wondered out loud.

"When it was originally built approximately seventy years ago, Stefan Schutaffen the first intended it to be a great sign of his wealth and power. A strange decision, really, considering that the only real civilization close by were several tiny villages that cared little for lords." Talim chuckled slightly and shook her head. "Consequently, it was much larger than any tiny family of a man and wife could live comfortably in. Their son, Stefan Schutaffen the second, certainly thought so. He never ventured into more than a quarter of the rooms on the house throughout his lifetime. He said that they were too empty and silent." Talim's voice became hooded. "Around the time of his death, I was hired to be part of the castle's servants."

She paused for a while to let the words sink in, staring silently at the great sweeping arches and the curving dome of the ballroom. "His only son, our current master, was but a child at that time. He grew up without parents, when his mother fell to a strange disease as well. Some say it was a broken heart." She shrugged helplessly. "He was raised in an environment without love. I did my best to care for him, all the servants did, but still, he grew up cold and aloof. I suppose he's a victim of circumstance, in the end."

Cassandra halted in midstep, looking around. It was true, she supposed. Every inch of the castle, though made to look grand and majestic, lacked any warmth or life in them. "So this is a place that has never known love…" She whispered to the dead air.

"Milady Cassandra?" Talim called from the doorway. "Come this way, please."

Meanwhile…

"Ah, master Vercci." Raphael said pleasantly. "Thank you for agreeing to see me."

The head noble of the land nodded, his face expressionless. "Normally, I don't agree to leave the manor to partake in such personal visits, but you assured me that you were going to make it worth my while." He smoothed his coat. "I hope you know that I am a rich man, and that my prices are quite high."

"Money is of no object." Raphael said smoothly. Then, pausing slightly, he continued. "It's like this. I like Cassandra, the village baker. However, she needs… shall we say, a little persuasion before she returns me her affection."

"… And where do I fit into all this?" Vercci said in a bored tone.

"Straight to the point, then." Raphael said without missing a beat. "Everybody knows that her sister, Sophitia is insane. She was in the tavern about a week ago, ranting about some nightmare monster or something like that." He smiled wanly. "As an upstanding citizen, I feel that you should recommend her to be locked up before she becomes a threat to the populace."

"Ah, I see." Vercci replied. "You want me to have her sent to the lunatic's asylum until her sister agrees to marry you." He shook his head. "That's utterly despicable."

Pause.

"I love it!"

Back in the castle…

"Well, that certainly was an informative tour." Cassandra said to herself as she stretched her tired limbs.

And that was the truth too. The tour had taken her through dead-end tunnels, secret passages, opulent display halls housing everything from suits of elaborate armor to more weapons than she cared to count. There were bedrooms, long, twisting halls, balconies and empty rooms, covered in layers of dust.

They had been almost everywhere… except the Chapel. When she had asked Talim about it, the younger woman had simply shook her head.

"Nobody except the master goes there. Nobody."

And now Cassandra was lying on her bed, a hundred different theories of what lay beyond the great set of double doors whirling in her head.

Could it be a vast treasure horde? Or perhaps there lived a hideous beast that answered to her captor? Given what she had seen of this place so far, she wasn't going to rule that out.

Was there some connection between his monstrous appearance, and what lay beyond the doors?

She didn't know how long she lay on the bed, wondering. What she did know was that she found herself slipping into her shoes again, and heading for the door.

Slowly, she pushed it open, wincing slightly as the thing creaked. Secrecy was absolutely essential.

Walking as slowly as she could, she mentally reviewed the steps she needed to take to get to the Chapel. Past the twin dragon statues at the hall…

She rounded a corner- and gave a little cry of surprise.

Charade was there, standing perfectly still, like a suit of armor. At the sound of her voice, the eye swiveled to face her again, but it made no sound.

And of course it wouldn't, Cassandra thought dumbly. It's got no mouth.

"G… good boy." She whispered to the staring eyeball. "Stay, okay?"

It had no ears either for that matter, but it seemed that it understood her anyway, for it made no attempt to follow her as she scurried quickly down the carpeted hall.

Finally, she arrived once again at the elaborately carved oaken doors. Walking over cautiously, she placed a trembling hand on the right door, and pushed.

How often had her sister chided her for not minding her own business? "Your curiosity will be the death of you one day, Cass." She had always said laughingly. "Just you wait."

And now, here she was, on the brink of doing something foolhardy again. For a second, she almost reconsidered. Then she grit her teeth and strengthened her resolve.

A coward dies a thousand deaths, a hero dies but one. She'd read that quote somewhere, in one of the many tomes she'd perused over the years. Adding more force to her push, she managed to open the massive wooden door.

She didn't know what she had expected, but she hadn't expected to find this.

The entire area was a ruin. One of the walls had collapsed, and the stained glass murals on that side were shattered beyond repair. The roof had long since caved in and the stars, shining brightly in the clear night sky, were all too visible.

But the first thing she had noticed was that the entire area was covered in a crimson glow.

Cautiously, she stepped forward. The wind swirled strongly around her and she ventured forth nervously. She realized she was panting and felt like she had just run a marathon, and yet she had only been walking briskly for the past five minutes.

As she continued, she became aware of the source of the hazy red glow. A sword stood at the far end of the Chapel, and from it the hellish light was emanating.

One step. Then another.

Her eyes widened momentarily. The sword's blade had an eye staring out, observing her as she made her progress ever nearer to the blade.

As if drawn by a magnet, she kept moving, until she was just before the sword. Slowly, deliberately, she crouched. The single eye, great and terrible, followed her every movement, watching her closely.

Somehow, she knew this sword was evil. The thick, cloying sensation that permeated the entire area was testament to that. And yet… she wanted to touch the sword. She wanted to feel what it was like.

Slowly, she reached out a trembling hand… closer… closer…

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING HERE?" A voice bellowed.

Instantly, Cassandra whipped round, her mouth falling open. Her captor stood before her, trembling with barely restrained rage. If she had thought him terrifying before, it was absolutely nothing compared to now. She was struck dumb by his mere countenance, and could do nothing but cower in fright as he lunged.

But he was not rushing at her. Rather, he quickly interspersed himself between her and the sword, and hunched over it, to observe if anything had happened to it. Satisfied, he turned to her once more.

"Do you realize what you could have done?" He roared. His fury had not subsided any and unconsciously, she began to drag herself along the floor, anxious to get away, somewhere, anywhere, away from him.

He reached out his human arm and for a fleeting second, she entertained the thought that he was going to yank the blade out of the ground and run her through with it. But it was only to point towards the double doors, at the far end of the chapel.

"Get out." He said softly, the whisper more final than any scream. "Leave. Now."

Scrambling to her feet, Cassandra turned and ran. She didn't look back.

Alone in the Chapel, Nightmare clenched his demon fist, and stared balefully at her swiftly retreating form.

"Promise or no promise, I can't stay here another minute." Cassandra whispered frantically as she pulled out a cloak from her wardrobe. Donning, it she yanked open the door to the hallway, frantic that she should get away before he came after her.

Talim was outside the doorway at that exact moment, carefully balancing a tray of sandwiches on one arm. "I thought you might like sup- Ah!" As the door flew open, she lost her balance, and was sent crashing to the floor.

"Sorry!" Cassandra called back as she continued at a dead run for the door, heedless of anything else in her path.

"W-wait!" Talim called as she scrambled to her feet. "Milady Cassandra! Please, wait! Come back!"

She heard her voice, even as she run, but blank fear and desperation kept her legs pumping, her heart hammering against the chest.

And then she was out the main doors. Turning, she headed for the stable. "Archimedes!" She called. "Archimedes!"

Her horse heard her plaintive calls and whinnied in reply. Throwing open the stable doors, Cassandra rushed in- and instinctively backed up again.

Voldo, half-crawling, half-kneeling, swiveled his head in her general direction. The master contortionist was currently feeding hay to a pitch-black stallion that snorted and pawed at the ground.

After a long second, Voldo hissed and returned to his work. Rushing over to Archimedes, she set upon the ropes with trembling fingers.

At last, he was free. Swinging unto him, she kicked him with her shins, hard, urging him to run, run for all he was worth. That he did.

Past the stone ponds at the entrance, through the thick mist covering the area, past the main gates, still gaping open from when she had first come, and then they were in the forest.

"We made it." She panted to herself.

High atop the castle walls, a lone figure stood. Nightmare's hair whipped around his eyes, glowing red in the near darkness. He saw the tiny figure of Cassandra on her steed, riding out of the castle grounds as fast as she could.

"You scared her away." Came Talim's accusing voice.

He turned to regard his servant, a stern expression on his face. "Shut up." He snapped.

Then he turned, and headed back into the castle.

"Steady, steady." Cassandra whispered to herself. "Okay, we can get out of here, Archimedes. We just need to keep going straight. Don't worry."

She had been traveling through the thick mists for a long time now, she thought worriedly. And she still had no idea of the route home.

"Was I too rash?" She said to herself as she scratched her head. "I really wasn't supposed to be in the Chapel in the first place… maybe I should try to head back…"

Then, up ahead, she caught sight of a tree, blackened and burned by lightning, and her heart leapt, all doubts vanishing from her mind.

She knew this place! She knew the way home. Riding over to the stump, she glanced around. Yes, a gnarled tree with an 'X' slashed onto the trunk was visible, even in the thick fog. From there on, head straight and she'd be back at the village, and home, in no time.

"Yes!" She cried joyously. "We made it, Archimedes!"

"Arrrrhhhhaarr!" A guttural snarl shocked her out of her jubilation. Twisting, she was just able to see a shape standing in the mist. Glowing eyes, a wedge-shaped head, and the slightly humanoid features proved them to be the unmistakable form of Lizardmen.

"Oh, no…" Cassandra whispered. She'd been a fool. Of course Lizardmen would be out here in the dark.

"Run, Archimedes!" She cried. "Run!" Her horse didn't need to be told twice, or for that matter, once. Everything in his instincts was telling him to get away from the predators, fast as possible. With a loud neigh of terror, he broke into a dead run.

"Faster, Archimedes…" She urged her horse onwards. "Run faster!" Once they reached the edge of the woods, they'd be safe. No Lizardman, however voracious, would ever venture beyond the trees.

They were almost there when it happened. A dark shape lunged at her from the side, throwing her to the ground. She hid the earth hard, rolled once, then glanced up and wished she hadn't.

Seven of them, all glaring down at her and Archimedes, hot drool dripping fro their mouths. Slowly, they pressed in, forming a tight circle from which she and the wounded horse could not escape.

Cassandra kept pulling herself back, until she felt the rough bark of a tree behind her. Her body shook with sobs that she made no attempt to suppress. She was going to die here, all because she had been stupid and hadn't listened to instructions and now she was going to die, and oh, god, please, please, help me, I don't want to die, I don't want to die, I don't want to…

The nearest and largest of the Lizardmen cocked his head to one side, as if curious at her appearance. Then he raised claws, caked with blood, and lunged.

A broadsword flashed, and the Lizardmen was sent sprawling, minus a head.

Nightmare charged in, slashing at another of the Lizardmen, and opening a cut on its belly before it could react. Stumbling backwards, it pressed its hand to the wound, as if trying to hold it shut, before it collapsed, twitching slightly.

The remaining five charged Nightmare, snarling and thirsting for blood. As one, they set upon him, slashing at his torso, opening up wounds, and drawing blood.

Quickly, Nightmare retaliated, punching one of them in the snout with his mutated arm. The Lizardmen was sent knocked off, it's nose broken, and it let out a nasal yelp of pain. Swinging his zweihander again, he slew another of the Lizardmen, dumping its body onto the cold ground.

Then, one of the remaining Lizardman leapt at him, jaws opened wide. Behind Nightmare could react, it bit down hard on human shoulder.

"Aaaaahhhh!" Nightmare staggered back, his sword dropping from his hand, and then seemed to find new resolve. Charging forward, he grabbed the Lizardman that had attacked him with both arms about the neck. Then, as the beast thrashed and flailed madly, he twisted, hard.

Snap.

The creature immediately went limp, and Nightmare dropped it onto the ground like a sack of potatoes. The remaining Lizardmen that still could fled into the night.

Cassandra had watched, mouth open, at this awesome display of brute strength. And now, with it over, her captor slowly turned to face her.

The hellish red glow that had appeared in his eyes at the peak of his fury was gone, and it was now back to his original green colour. Even in the dim light, she could detect no more trace of his berserker rage that had come upon him earlier. Instead, he seemed… tired. Despite his obvious strength, he still appeared worn and frail, beyond his years.

He turned and staggered away a couple yards, obviously intending to leave her be. His demon arm was still clutching a torn and bleeding shoulder.

Barely half a meter away, he staggered once more, and fell.

Cassandra glanced back and forth, still panting for breath. Her heart rate had refused to slow down, and the adrenaline still surging through her veins was affecting her ability to make a rational decision.

He needed her help, that much was obvious. But he was the one who had captured her in the first place, wasn't it? Couldn't this be counted as retribution?

Retribution for what? Her conscience nagged her. For saving your life while you were whimpering like a little child? Don't forget he took those wounds because of you!

But… but she was so close to home, to the village! Turning, she thought briefly of taking him there.

But no, if she and Sophitia had been so repulsed by his appearance, the villagers would more than likely lynch him the instant they saw him.

And so there were only two choices. The village, and freedom. Or… save his life, and return to the castle.

She grit her teeth, and walked over to her horse. "Come, Archimedes. Let's go home."

Nightmare lay on the cold earth, feeling fresh bursts of pain with each gasping breath he took. Closing his eyes, he grit his teeth, and tried once more to pull himself to his feet.

An arm hooked around his mutated one, helping him to stagger up onto his two legs.

"You'll be alright." Cassandra said gently, with a soothing smile on her face. "Let's get you back to the castle."

Props to Master Vercci for having the single most whacked out voice in the history of Soul Edge/Calibur.

Thank you for reading. I don't have a lot of time right now for witty rejoinders, so please review. Thanks.