Chapter Disclaimer: I do not own the song, "Listen to Your Heart."
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Chapter 12: A Darkness that Evil Fears
About a week had gone by since Peter recieved a challenge from the only fighter who, though cheated with injecting Posiden's Venom into him, gave Peter his lone defeat: the walking dead pirate, Cervantes de Lyon. The destination, that both Peter and Mi-na were strolling to, was the Valentine Mansion, along the northeast coast of the continent. On the night of arriving at the mansion, Peter was fast asleep, while Mi-na was still awake, thinking about the rematch that Peter had ahead. 'Something in my gut tells me that this is a trap,' she thought. 'I respect the fact that he wants to battle for payback, but I don't like the way my aura feels, right now.' When she peered over to Peter, she saw him shaking in fear.
"No, why?" he struggled as he was bobbing his head back and forth. "Why did you...She...She didn't deserve to-" Peter was experiencing a nightmare, as his breathing was laboring and the chill was suffocating his will of free spiriting. Then, the mysterious woman, who hadn't been on his mind latley, caressed his soft lips up to his forehead. The stroking calmed the young Wisconsinite down. "Thank you, again," he whispered. Mi-na, now, knew that this was the woman who had clung by Peter in the shadows ever since he arrived in the era. She got up and walked over to the other two, causing the girl to turn around and reveal her face to the shining moonlight. It was Talim, the same girl who helped Peter when the venom was injected into him. She was the one fasinated by his poetry and cared for him when Mi-na wasn't around. Mi-na motioned Talim over to a far distance so that Peter's hearing can't be reached.
"Why did you have an intrest in Peter in the first place?"
"His heart was what caught my intrest when I first saw the trail of blood, that he was more of a determined warrior that can be willing to last many a battle than anyone who got wind of the cursed blade. When he had those nightmares before, I first didn't want to approach, because of his awareness that I saw during the fight against the ninjas. When I did, it was more relief than I had in mind, because he became calm and relaxed. When I saw the booklet and read what he wrote, I knew that the young man was troubled in his past." Mi-na saw Talim's honest sorrow from her eyes, like she had been with Peter since he was born.
"Is that why you like him?"
"I love him, and would be willing to stay with him for the rest of my life, if nessesary."
"Now, I know someone will be watching him when he returns to the future." The next evening, Peter and Mi-na made it to the front door of a large building that was like a rich man's house after winning a mega lottery. The walls were whiter than an angel's wings, but felt darkly from a radiant odor that Peter could scent.
"He's defenitley in here," he growled from the scent. Mi-na wanted to ask him about the nightmare from last night, but when she did, Peter wanted to sway from the topic, as if mentioning it would bother him during his moment of the rematch with Cervantes. Somehow, his mind was on the nightmare, and going through a deep thought. 'I hope that nightmare wasn't a vision.'
"Peter, be careful inside," she hummed. With a nod, he entered the mansion, which was massive, to say the least. Two minutes after walking in and through the halls, he found himself in front of a staircase, leading up a level, unaware that someone was watching his every move. Then, his senses started to kick in, and looked behind him. Nothing.
'There's someone watching me. A female? Seong's outside while the pirate is in here. Although, I heard that Tampa Bay could use a new image to their helmets.' Then, Cervantes revealed himself on top of the staircase, but he didn't draw out his weapons.
"The 'Right Hand' runt came after all," he sneered. "At least this time around, I'll finish you off."
"You're looking as violet as the time we first met." Cervantes shot a mean look at the blonde, but Peter didn't flinch. "By the way, how's that crew of yours doing, espescally the one that got his groin skewered?"
"2/3 of the crew died from what you did, and I rested the rest in peace. I'm ready to fight you, but let us do it on the roof."
"I think I know why, but give me a reason why the roof?"
"The staircase is cramping, compared to the roof."
"De Lyon, I hate your guts, but I like you idea. I'll see you there."
"Indeed." Cervantes walked off to the back and disappeared. Peter followed the pirate upstiars, but kept looking over his shoulders when that scent kicked up. An hour later, he was on the roof, which was very large in space. Peter smiled at the sight, until Cervantes made his appearence. "Before we fight, I was wanting to ask you why you bother seeking Soul Edge."
"I was sent by the Grimm Reaper to retieve the sword, from the 21st century. His reasons were never mentioned, however."
"The 21st century? That would explain the strange cloth you wear on your body, and the lingo you speak of."
"Listen, I love to chat, but there's that little thing that you have, that I deserve."
"The fragments."
"Why else?" Both combatants drew their weapons, and were ready to fight, when something snagged Peter's scythe. When he tried to move forward, he couldn't. That's when he looked and saw a sword-like whip, wrapped around the scythe. The long whip belonged to a large-breasted woman, with short white hair, in a white leotard-like outfit with an armor gauntlet on one arm. "As if Xianghua and Seong's pillows were something, her's might lead to Bloodfalls." (As in endless nosebleeding)
"You will not lay a hand on that man, unless you want to fight me for it," she bellowed.
"Identify yourself!"
"Stepdaughter, have you come to see me vanquish the 'Right Hand of Death?'" Cervantes sneered.
"Stepdaughter? What are you getting at?"
"My name is Ivy Valentine," she announced. "That man is responsible for the deaths of my family, and I'm here for revenge." She wriggled her whip free from Peter's scythe, and when it came back, the whip took form of a short sword. "That was an example of my snake sword, Valentine. Now, you have a choice. Step aside, or die by my hand."
"Not when I'm around!" another voice sounded, causing Peter to look behind Ivy and see...
"Seong, awsome timing!" Peter cheered. Mi-na ran up to, and stood back-to-back with the blonde, with Scarlet Thunder drawn out. "You knew I was in trouble?"
"Yeah. Good thing, too. So, that's Cervantes?"
"Yeah. He's mine."
"I have bimbo girl. Ready?" With a nod, both charged their opponents. All four were going all out: Ivy battling Mi-na and Peter fighting Cervanes. 20 minutes passed in either fight, when Ivy whipped her sword at Mi-na, but the asian's naginata swing ripped the Valentine into pieces. Mi-na completed a full 360-spin, and stuck her weapon at Ivy's neck. Ivy was without a weapon, an idea, and decided to surrender. The other fight was as leveled as a weight scale.
"Still the same youngster who had me cornered when your girlfriend saved you," Cervantes said.
"Yeah, thanks for leaving your important stuff out," Peter smirkly joked.
"Well, try and beat me, if you can, this time." Peter charged with the scythe in his hands, ready to swing at the pirate, but Cervantes blocked a rising strike with his foot, and blocked a downward with his big sword. Left open, Cervantes swung and struck Peter in the face, splitting his left cheek and eyelid open. The attack made the Wisconsinite crumble a little, covering his face in attempt to control the bleeding. Even still, Peter connected a roundhouse kick to Cervantes's sternum, knocking him to the pavement. "It seems in pain, you don't back down." Peter rose to his feet, blood seeping down his ghostly-white skinned face. "You may be able to change the battle, but even you cannot change fate. Not yours..." The undead man looked over to Mi-na and Ivy. "...And not hers." The blonde raced and attacked Cervantes. 15 seconds later, the pirate pushed Peter down again, but the dancer slammed his hand down, followed by a foot, spun, and connected a heel kick, just as Cervantes was swinging with the dagger. The heel kick jarred the dagger from Cervantes's hand, but started to fly somewhere. Peter didn't feel something right.
'What did he mean "you may be able to change the battle, but even you cannot change fate?"' Then, he spotted the dagger heading towards an unsuspecting Mi-na. "Seong!" Mi-na turned to see the blade, as it struck her in the heart. "NO! SEONG!" She fell backwards to the ground, with the dagger, still pierced in her. Peter got up and ran over to Mi-na, who was still concious, but barely.
"Peter, I'm sorry for not helping you more than I should," she weakly moaned as a puddle of her blood formed. "However, I know who and where that girl is. Defeat the pirate, and head to the Lost Cathedral. Talim will be waiting for you."
"Why now? Why tell me when you're dying?" Though weak, Mi-na chuckled.
"Yun-Seong, and Sophitia shall know of my-" Mi-na stopped when the dagger was removed by a magical force, and back to Cervantes. That's when Seong Mi-na closed her eyes...forever as her body was still. Unlike Peter, who recovered from the venom, Mi-na was dead.
"Her time had come," Cervantes gloated. "She was a nussaince that had accepted you to find the sword, for nothing." His evil laugh was the final straw, when Peter started to emit a dark aura. Ivy saw the aura, and began showing fear.
"Thank you, for everything, Seong," he muttered. He rose to his feet, and opened his eyes. Ivy saw his eyes were pure white before he turned to face Cervantes. The pirate saw those same eyes, and wasn't feeling the same comfort he had before.
"You've had enough time stalling. Let's finish this." Peter teleported to Cervantes's face with a vicious right cross, sending the enemy back. Peter walked towards the pirate, when Cervantes lunged at him, and swung with the big sword, but was stopped when the blonde teleported to a facial kick. Cervantes was down again, but rose back up and swung the sword. It made contact, but the sword, suddenly, broke apart without breaking the skin. Cervantes tried with the dagger. That connected as well, but the dagger became busted, too. Peter didn't feel a thing, when he went postal on Cervantes, striking him over and over for 30 seconds. "This wasn't what I had in mind when I wanted this fight."
"I'm not here to fight you," Peter growled in a dark and fearing voice. "I'm here to kill you." Peter picked up the scythe, with the Grimm's blade glowing brightly. "I will see you in Hell, you son of a bitch!" He swung the glowing scythe aross Cervantes's throat, severing his head from his body. Cervantes de Lyon fell limp and became motionless. He was dead. Peter, then, turned to Ivy and started to approach her, when. 'Stop!' an inner voice cried out, stopping Peter. 'No more. Please, no more.' The dark aura disappeared as Peter fell to his knees, dazed and confused about what just happened, as his blue eyes returned to normal. He started to fall face first to the ground, when he placed his arms in front, stopping his decent.That's when tears started to show, as he broke down, after realizing what had happened. The tears, some of them mixing with the blood still dripping from the cuts, were nocited by Ivy. She walked cautiously to Peter, and found out he was back to normal. He sobbed and was breathing laborly as Ivy placed his head onto her bosom. This would start nosebleeds, but this time, he didn't seem to care, as he knew that Seong was gone and that he killed Cervantes, out of vengance.
"It's okay, now,"
she muttered in a soothing voice. "It's over." After a
while, Peter was in an infirmary, being treated for the gashes that
her stepfather had produced. "Poor child. He's lost so much, and
now he had let it all out." Peter was sleeping, but now he
couldn't think clearly, because of the death of a great
friend.
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I know there's something in the wake of your smile.
I get a notion from the look in your eyes.
You built a love, but that love falls apart.
A little piece of heaven, turns you down.
Listen to your heart, when he's calling for you.
Listen to your heart. There's nothing else you can do.
I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why,
But listen to your heart, before you tell him goodbye.
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The next day, Ivy and Peter placed Mi-na on a pile of wood and set it on fire, cremating the dead asian. The memories of her and him were flooding his head. "She was actually my first true friend, and now she's gone."
"If I did fight you, I would have joined her in death. However, the way you battle him was frightening."
"Could you believe me if I told you I was scared as well?"
"I would. That form
you took...Not even the darkness that threatens human life could
stand up to you in that form."
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Sometimes you wonder if this fight is worth while.
The precious moments are all lost in the tide.
they're swept away, and nothing is what it seems.
The feeling of belonging, to your dreams.
Listen to your heart, when he's calling for you.
Listen to your heart. There's nothing else you can do.
I don't know where you're going, and I don't know why,
But listen to your heart, before you tell him goodbye.
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"Before she became quiet, she told me something about a lost cathedral."
"The Lost Cathedral is where a knight called Nightmare resides." Ivy brought out a map of the continent to look at. "Let's see..."
"Just give me the direction. I'll find it."
"You sure?"
"I am."
"East Southeast, two weeks off."
"Thank you." He was about to walk off, when...
"Peter." He stopped and turned to her. "I'm sorry for what happened to you, even that scar."
"This wasn't your fault. I witnessed 9/11, when planes were hijacked, and then they collided into buildings, taking hundreds of lives, and leaving a scar across my home country back in my time. That wasn't my fault either...but I take it as a burden." Then, he picked up Scarlet Thunder, where Mi-na was killed, and strapped it to his back.
"That's your friend's weapon."
"A
momento, of my first friend." With that, he exited Ivy's mansion
and headed to a destination, with the heavy scars on his cheek,
eye...and heart. The lost cathedral, where a former assasin was
proceeding to, as well.
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The moment will come in the next chapter, as Peter and Azukai will face each other in combat at the lost cathedral. Can the blonde battle the warrior who everyone proclaims is like his brother, and can he be ready for more danger?
