Author's note: Nothing new, but thanks for waiting as always! And once again, apologies for taking so long. Plus, I was on vacation!
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Several days later or so...
"Ugh, I'm so hungry..."
Pyrrha groaned as she was almost close to reaching Lasberg. She had been longing for something to eat, besides having to craft some food on her very own.
On a side note, Tira had given her a cloak to don in order to not be noticed by the townspeople. If it worked for her, then would the same happen for me?
Some time later, she saw the town up ahead and grinned. "Maybe I should wait until dark or so...and then, I'll carry out my plan!" she said under her breath.
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Lydia grinned as she recognized one of the herbs and whatnot in the garden, and asked, "Have you heard of lavender?"
Patroklos rubbed the back of his neck as he replied, "I have. I might have saw a couple of people concoct some of it into medicine."
"Well, from Greed and Malice told me, it not only brings a sense of calm, but in some cases, it heightens sexual desire."
"Are you trying to seduce me again?" he asked.
The British girl just grinned, before playfully sitting in his lap, just about to lean in to kiss him. Just as their lips touched however, a voice called out to them.
"Patroklos, I need to have a word with you."
Realizing that the voice belonged to Athena, who was outside the garden, he straightened himself up a bit, before saying to Lydia, "Athena's calling on me, so I'm going to speak with her. But don't worry, I'll be back."
As he took off, she muttered under her breath, "Bloody hell. We got interrupted again by that tart."
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"What's wrong?"
When Patroklos inquired her as he entered the common room, Athena said with a serious frown, "Elizabeth had told me of a strange cloaked person at the tavern while she was having a drink."
He blinked in surprise. "But how?"
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Some time ago...
Elizabeth took a sip of her ale, and smiled as she took in the atmosphere of the tavern. Everyone seemed to have a great time, even the ones that didn't want any alcohol or food.
That is until a figure in a large cloak entered, prompting her to remember the time Patroklos had confront Tira with Lydia and Pyrrha. It was the same cloak that the devoted servant of Nightmare had on!
"Uh, do you serve any drinks that are, you know, age-appropriate?" the cloaked woman asked.
"Age-appropriate?"
The bartender blinked as he was boggled by her question, before he said, "Uh...I do have some non-alcoholic beverages like ginger ale."
Elizabeth briefly listened to them, before she had decided to go and tell the others, but not before paying for her drink in gold.
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Once back at the base, Elizabeth was able to catch Freyja in the training room. She was about to finish up a sparring match with Athena when they heard her call out, "Sorry to interrupt, but I have some grave news to tell you."
The two women stopped so that they notice her, and Freyja asked, "Is there something you need to bring up?"
"Yes; I was out drinking when a cloaked figure entered the tavern. Even when she had concealed herself, I could clearly recognize her voice." Elizabeth replied.
"Then whose voice was it?" Athena inquired.
"I know the girl under that cloak is Pyrrha. Please, if you can, relay this information to Patroklos and the others, stat!"
"We're on it, both of us." Freyja said with a nod.
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Back in the present...
"My sister?!" Patroklos asked, his eyes widening in shock.
Athena nodded. "Chances are, she'll probably consider finding and taking us down. So I suggest we prepare ourselves if we ever come face to face with her." she told him.
His hands briefly clenching into fists, he nodded, before taking his leave.
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Lydia was sitting on one of the benches, hoping Patroklos would come back. When he actually did, she asked, "What took you so long?"
"Elizabeth told Athena of the cloaked woman at the tavern, so Athena relayed it to me. It's possible Marie and the others know as well. In fact, you're probably not gonna like what I'm going to say next." he told her.
She could only nod, before he continued. "That woman...she's Pyrrha."
It wasn't long for Lydia's eyes to widen like saucers, before managing to ask, "She...what?! How could she betray us like that?!"
"Listen, I know you're just as mind-blown as I am. But we're in this together; all of us." Patroklos said, taking her hands in his.
Taking a deep breath, she asked, "Are you sure?"
"Yes, I am most definitely sure."
Lydia looked down at first, before her eyes went up to him as she nodded in agreement. "So be it." she simply said.
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Some time later, Patroklos and the Mad Hearts Neo had their weapons prepared, and Athena and Freyja were told to watch over them as always. As they entered the forest, Isuzu frowned.
"I get the feeling she's not here..." she told Elizabeth.
"I know she's here; we just need to keep searching. Isn't that right?" the American woman responded, before turning to Patroklos.
He nodded, and they would continue to investigate. It didn't take long for a humming voice to ring through the area, quickly getting the group's attention.
"I recognize that voice!" he exclaimed.
Heading towards the direction of the humming, he noticed Marie following his lead. She looked over at the other members, and said, "You know what that means."
The women nodded, before they began catching up to him.
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Eventually, both Patroklos and Marie reached an area that appeared to be a campsite. There was a rather strange woman lying on a blanket, quietly humming a song.
It wasn't long before she turned her head to take notice of them, and smiled almost wickedly. At the same time, both the Fated Heroes were stunned as they immediately recognized her appearance.
"Pyrrha...how did...?" the Greek youth asked, but was cut off.
Pyrrha got up, picking up both the sword and shield that had laid next to her. "It has been a really long while since we last saw each other, right?" she asked.
"Yes, I can vividly remember the day we tried to eradicate Nightmare, only for him to capture you and turn you into this monstrosity." Marie replied.
"I believe you got a pretty good memory there, Goldilocks."
Pyrrha's snide remark brought a chill down Marie's spine, before she also took out Soul Calibur. However, she looked at Patroklos as she asked, "Is there something wrong?"
He took a deep breath, before replying, "Y-You fight her first; I need to take all of what happened to Pyrrha in."
Marie nodded. Both girls would finally charge, with Pyrrha hoping to get an advantage.
However, it was Marie who blocked what was to be her first attack, deflecting it with her sword. Pyrrha could only grimace, before being given a few more slashes.
Initially, it looked like Marie was off to a good start. Pyrrha had managed to outsmart her, though, by dodging an incoming hit, and struck her with Soul Edge's blade.
Pyrrha continued her momentum, delivering blow after blow to the MHN's leader. She grinned as she asked, "You too scared to fight me? Huh?"
Marie grit her teeth as she turned to face Patroklos, who was just as concerned as she was. "You can't give up just yet! Keep it up!" he exclaimed.
"Okay! I'll keep doing my best!"
She nodded and lunged for Pyrrha giving her a chain of hits of moderate damage. While several came from Soul Calibur, the others happened to kicks.
The chain had come to an end, though, when the Greek girl parried with her shield and taking her by surprise. She let loose several blows to the German girl, almost close to breaking her armor.
The eye simply stared into Marie's as she began to get up, but just as she was ready to strike back, she told Patroklos, "You take over dealing with Pyrrha, okay?!"
"Sure!"
Once he'd taken her place, the Greek youth was both shocked and angry and what Pyrrha had become. Unsheathing his weapon, he was ready to attack.
However, she tore through him with a few moves of her own. Thankfully, Patroklos would counterattack as he deflected an incoming hit.
He would then slash through her several times, so as to bring her down to her last legs. "So you are to be my enemy?" he asked.
"Your enemy? Ha, I've been given orders to get rid of you and all your silly friends. Soon, Nightmare will envelop this world in chaos, and you're in the front row for it!"
Pyrrha's words prompted him to grit his teeth, and was given another hit or two from her. Patroklos could hear Marie calling his name, demanding him to keep things up.
He'd pick himself up, and lunged right for Pyrrha, successfully bringing out a flurry of slashes from Soul Calibur. He would eventually perform his Critical Edge, and with one swift move, she was finally defeated.
She shuddered as she turned her head to see him, with Marie rushing over to him and asking, "Are you allright?!"
Patroklos's eyes looked over at the blonde, and replied, "I think...I think I am. But...Pyrrha's still alive, is she?"
An uncertain frown on her features, Marie went to Pyrrha, and gently ran a hand through her hair. "Pyrrha, are you still breathing?" she asked in a faint whisper.
She suddenly heard whimpering coming from the malfested, and as she curled up into a fetal position, it was clear that she was in tears. "I failed..." she said between sobs.
Patroklos and Marie were bewildered at her words, and realizing that if she was left alone, Nightmare or Tira could possibly kill her. He asked her, "Maybe we should bring her to the castle, so that she can rest up?"
"Sounds good to me." she replied with a nod.
Gently picking her up, both of them were able to escort her out of the forest. And just in time, as the other members of the Mad Hearts Neo had shown up to help them out.
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As they were close to emerging from the forest, Pyrrha raised her head and asked, "Who...Who am I?"
"Pyrrha! Are you okay?!" Patroklos responded upon hearing her speak.
"I'm...I'm just hurt. But at the same time, I-I feel like I have a bullseye on my back for..."
"Patroklos and Marie had told us about the situation you're in. We're gonna try and find a way to get you somewhere safe." Isuzu told her.
Pyrrha nodded. "O-Okay." she managed to say with a small smile.
Her 180-degree change in personality was what really surprised them, as she was no longer behaving as though she was an immature child. Perhaps it was something that they could talk to her about once they reached the castle...
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At Schwarzwind's castle, the group eventually arrived. They brought Pyrrha to a room where several doctors were present, which looked like a medical facility to her.
"Please don't be alarmed by her appearance. I might need your help in tending to her." Elizabeth said to them.
"What has happened to her?" one asked.
"She has been malfested, and I do hope you might aid her in healing from these horrible wounds she's sustained from trying to kill us." Lydia replied.
Pyrrha looked up at them with a rather anxious gaze, before Elizabeth and the rest of the doctors escorted her to one of the empty beds while the MHN exited. There, she would be given proper treatment, and she would also hope that Nightmare or Tira wouldn't track her down here at the castle.
Patroklos was left behind, but he didn't care as he said to her in a hopeful tone, "Please stay safe, Pyrrha. I'll come talk to you once you're patched up." before he left the sick room to catch up with everyone else.
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More of chapter 16, coming soon!
With love for my fans,
Chrissy