When was the last time Nightmare had something to drink?
Incased in his armor, feeling shackled, some of Nightmare's inner humanity had somehow bubbled back up to the surface, under Soul Edge's ever watchful gaze. They were in the forest surrounding Ostrheinsburg Castle, another failed attack by Wolfkrone surrounded his feet, bloodied and broken, and while Soul Edge quietly feasted on the fresh new batch of souls, Nightmare spotted the riverbank that circled the castle.
Water was nothing new to anyone.
But Nightmare felt an urge to lick his lips, a quiet howl was heard beneath his mind.
It was Siegfried, he showed up like this once in a while, usually with ungodly claims to stop all the bloodshed, screaming and chroaking and suffering in there. He rarely was coherent, so Nightmare rarely payed it mind, but he was always fighting, clawing his way back to the center of his brain, part of Nightmare sympathiesed with his cause, the other reminded him who killed his father, and he'd shove him back down. All while Soul Edge laughed his gleefulness at such despair.
But this was different, he wasn't screaming, wasn't even really fighting, he was crying.
Siegfried almost never cried, Nightmare heard a chroke even now and again, but sobs? Not Siegfried, he couldn't show weakness. So his clear immense sadness was a surprise, he could feel Soul Edge smile behind his mind.
"Maybe he's finally beginning to understand his place? Foolish boy! You never stood a chance!"
Nightmares grip on Soul Edge grew vice tight, his stomach hot with anger. Why? He didn't want to think, but he'd be lying if he said Siegfried's despair didn't reach his mind.
He is him, after all.
A normal sword's hilt would've smashed between his fingers by now, he imagined it would feel like how it was when he got a good grip of a Knights arm, the knights were always his favorite, he could feel the bones turn to dust beneath the bending steel as they cried and begged and died slowly, died pridelessly.
Siegfried's sad howl grew louder at the thought, their shared a mind, he knew everything he thought, he rarely liked what he learned about himself.
That when he was young, all that pride and gloating really was just trying to hide a monster of violent self hatred.
It was why Nightmare felt so conflicted in moments like this, the few moments where Siegfried reached him, he knew what he signed up for, he had already killed so many, turning back was not an option, yet Siegfried's despair always reached him, as he tore himself apart over what he has become.
So inhuman.
A weapon's plaything.
Was he really nothing but a tool?
Forever to be used for a worthless quest of bloodshed?
...No
He could feel the red glow from his eye fade a moment.
Siegfried spoke up, sensing a change within himself.
"The riverbank, go to it." His voice still cracked from his earlier tears, yet his own voice soothed him, like a brother to his sibling.
He wanted to follow his command, but he was not alone.
At least, not alone within.
Nightmare felt around in his mind for Soul Edge, waiting for him to deny Siegfried his hope, to remind him how powerless he was.
...
...
Nothing.
Not a sound.
Odd.
Perhaps he was busy with the souls?
Nightmare took his moment.
He slowly stepped towards the riverbank, the weight of Soul Edge slowing his movement, his ears filled with the grind it made against the stone and dirt.
He spotted the waters gleam in the azure moonlight, shining at him.
His pace faulted.
His gut grew heavy with bile.
It never faulted. He was Nightmare, he doesn't hesitate.
He couldn't hesitate.
The shine of the water, it struck him with an unnatural fear.
Why is he afraid of the water?
What memories had he forgotten? Yet his subconscious remembered?
"Don't give up now! Don't you understand? A part of our past! It lies with the experiences we had! Keep going!" Siegfried's voice was strong, pushing him forward in hope.
Nightmare knew he was right, he had to push on, to find what he had lost.
Even if he felt so foolish.
As he approached, the water licked the toe of his Azure steel foot armor. He stared at the flow of the water, trying to remember what it was like, before Father's death, before Nightmare.
It had been a long while.
He didn't understand it's natural flow at first.
He found himself comparing it to the flow of a victim's bloodspill, it made more sense then, it was a windy night, the water was rough for a riverside, blood also tended to flow quicker with the wind, like all things.
His gut churned at the realisation, he needed the violence he'd made to understand what he was seeing.
Did he process everything like that?
He knew he was far gone, to memory this was the most he had "Thought" since becoming Nightmare.
But this?
Nightmare felt absurd, he was ready to turn his back and to continue what he was here for, if only out of sheer embarrassment.
"No! Wait!"
He halted, he'd indulge his inner self one more time.
"Just trust me, look at the water again."
Nightmare held his place.
"What is the meaning of this, Siegfried?" He growled.
"Please, you'll understand in time."
"...Hmph."
He turned back to the river, stared down at its gleam, its shine making him feel sick again.
"Drink it"
...
"...What?"
Siegfried remained silent, Nightmare felt his fear in his mind, worried he be dismissed as mad.
Lucky for him, Nightmare was always mad.
And he reminded himself.
How long since his last drink?
"Fine."
Awkwardly, Nightmare reached up to under his helmet with his human arm, and began to clumsily unbuckle the straps holding it to his chin, once unclasped, he tried to pull off the thing with one hand, the other glued to Soul Edge, but it was proving most difficult, and he had jabbed his nose into its front more times then he'd like to admit.
He realised he need both arms for this, since when had he struggled to do such basic knightly processes as unarmouring one's self?
He stabbed Soul Edge into the dirt, ready to remove his demonic arm.
Yet, as he went to remove it, a sharp fear entered his heart.
he refused to move it.
He tried to will himself again, the fear remained, Nightmare wasn't surprised, one does not simply let go of the blade that made them all powerful for so long without some hesitation.
But how else could he take off his helmet?
He decided it was simply a quick drink, he wouldn't change right then and there.
His demonic arm began to loosen around the hilt, follow by a slow withdrawal.
His arm was free, he now simply needed to-
"SIEGFRIED!" Soul Edge's distorted voice roared.
Nightmare grew still, very still.
"What are you doing?"
He remained quiet in response.
"Did the boy start filling you head with ideas again?"
...
"Well!?"
"I was simply having a drink." He replied, pragmatically.
...
...
"BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"
Soul Edge... Was laughing at him.
"YOU REALLY ARE A FOOL! DID YOU FORGET? SOULS IS ALL THAT WE NEED! YOU THINK A SIMPLE DRINK WILL MEAN A THING!?"
Nightmare simply remained still, what could he say to that?
Well? Go on! Have your stupid drink!"
"...What?"
"It makes no difference to me! If you wish to play the fool, go ahead!"
"But earlier, you vanishe-"
"I felt the change in you, but it barely matters!"
"I let go of you."
"Its not like you don't throw me around in battle or anything! You'd be half the Nightmare you are if you didn't!"
...He wasn't wrong.
"This is... strange of you."
"Maybe I just like seeing you squirm. You'll always be my puppet Siegfried, I've never had a Nightmare as fine as you. So a little downtime will barely matter."
Nightmare felt his eyes burn, in this rare moment of self awareness, he wanted to crush Soul Edge between his claw for such words, yet he was sure Soul Edge would simply draw him back into his spell should he act upon his desires, so he held back.
"Don't worry about him, remember what you were doing?" Siegfried brought him back to his mission.
The mission of having a drink of water.
He really has lost his mind.
Demonic fingers reached around the underside of the helmet to assist human ones.
With one swift movement, his helmet was removed, and the brisk wind of a cold night met his skin for the first time since his transformation.
It was... Cold, really cold, he was almost tempted to put his helmet back on, but as he soaked in the nature feeling of wind against flesh, and reopened ears took in the sounds of flowing water and forest bound insects, he felt his heart expand a size.
It had certainly been a while.
"I missed this..." Mused Siegfried. "Did you?"
"I think I did, I had simply forgotten."
"Look up, you'll like it."
He looked up the sky, before it was obstructed by his visor, but now the dark beauty of a night to remember was on full display for his senses, the glittering lights reminding him of days gone by, a memory he had long lost.
It was of his mother, Margaret.
"She loved jewelry, didn't she?" A rare sincere question from Nightmare.
"She did! When I was young, she'd pull me along to go shopping in the local markets with her, I'd always whine initially but come around once I saw how happy she would get. She always had this obsession with the stars, big stargazer she was, but was saddened by her distance to them, so jewelry was her way of grasping onto something she could never truly reach, she tried to buy me jewelry once or twice, but I always turned her down, I felt guilty, I was a bandit back then, but she didn't know."
"Hmm..."
...
Nightmare glanced at the helmet held within his human hand, he joisted it up with both hands to look into its face, his reflection laid bare for his eyes.
His hair had grow absurdly long, as a Knight or even Bandit, it was required you keep it short as to stop it from obstructing your view, but as Nightmare, he was such a powerhouse that it barely mattered. He had a scar over his left eye, something he had earned with his initial "Rite of Passage" with Inferno all those years ago, and his eyes held that steady red glow from his possession, granted, dimmer then usual, but still bright enough that it reflected off the metal.
But what took Nightmare aback about his appearance was... His youth.
So often he thought himself a monster, everything else about him fit the part, and yet his face was still so young, he couldn't be older then twenty, and aside from the scar, his face held no blemishes of battle or age to speak of.
It was frightening how much of Nightmare was still Siegfried, he expected the reflection to be of a true monster, malfested and deformed, and perhaps it was, he just hated how much it looked like him.
How easily someone who once knew him... Could see what he has become.
His mind wondered back to his mother, he wondered how she must be suffering, now that the two men she loved in her life were either dead, or missing.
His only solice was that she had yet to know he was Nightmare.
He hoped.
"You're thinking an alful lot, puppet, how about you have that drink already?"
His mind grew red hot at the taunt, he did this all for his father, to slay the man who dared to steal him from his life, to seek justice and become a son he could be proud of. Yet he's done nothing but kill and kill and kill, to the point of completely forgetting his own reality, becoming a complete slave to the sword, and yet, he knew, if he moved a finger to resist...
This rare moment of freedom would be lost for good.
"And we can't have that, can we?"
Nightmare felt his demonic arm curl into a fist and manifest power in his rage.
He could do nothing.
"Hehehehehe..."
Yet he simmered.
"Take a breath, remember what brought us here."
"...You're right."
His eyes turned down towards the river, and the odd awkward feeling of before flooded back into his body. It had been a very long time since he had to use his hands for anything other than violence.
He wondered how his demonic hand would fare.
He imagined poorly, but if it could crush heads just fine, surely it could give him a drink?
He kneeled down slowly, the whole scenario feeling all kinds of unnatural.
He dipped his hands in cautiously, his gauntlet mostly preventing the chill of the water from reaching his skin, as for his demon arm, it could sense touch, but was so deformed with overgrown muscle that it barely could feel the cold.
He tried cupping his hands together, at first the girth of his demon arm made it difficult to make a proper cup with his hands, as the muscle of his palm lacked an index, and water continued to slip through after multiple attempts.
Nightmare rarely failed, so to fail at something as simple as this had him inwardly seething, and Soul Edge was loving it, chuckling all the way.
He pressed on, it didn't matter how much of a fool he made of himself, this moment is his, and his alone.
Finally managing to get a good cup within his hands, he brought the water up to his lips, he hesitated a moment, it'd been so long, what would he feel?
He felt the coolness touch his lips, and a pleasant plainness fill his mouth.
He felt healthy, clean.
He felt relief, familiarity, comfort.
He felt things he hadn't felt for years, flooding back to him with one simple drink.
He wanted more, he didn't want this calmness to end.
He scooped one more sip, then one more, he felt silly, but he didn't care.
Suddenly, Soul Edge chimed in.
"Doesn't this remind you of something? The very reason you are here now?
He stilled just before another sip, his mind wondered.
"How could you forget? The night your father died?"
Nightmare's mind was sent reeling with fear, as he felt Soul Edge capture his brain, as though a claw had gripped it from within. An image flashed before his mind, a night he wished to forget forever.
It was of a river, just like the one he drank from, except it wasn't Nightmare that stared back at him, it was a 17 year old Siegfried, Short hair cut, foolish smile, and a slight blush from too much alcohol.
"Ah, so young, so full of life!"
"You bastard! Let me have this!" Yelled Siegfried, madden that this moment of respite was lost for good.
"SILENCE CHILD! LET'S NOT FORGET WHY YOU CHOSE THIS PATH!"
The vision continued, Siegfried simply watched the water flow past, before a hard pat on his back was felt.
"Aye, Captain, over the drink yet?" Spoke the rowdy voice of a fellow Bandit he barely remembered.
"A few moments, I yacked like a horse." He coughed a response.
The bandit responded with a hearty laugh, before continuing.
"You hear the news, Siggy?"
"What news?"
"So some of our army has moved back in, set up camp on the hill outside of town."
"What? Has the war come this far back?"
"Nope."
"Are they on official orders?"
"No again."
"Then what are doing here?"
"Why don't you go ask them yourself?" he finished with a smirk.
Siegfried quickly realised what his friend was implying.
"Deserters" Young Siegfried seethed within his mind. "Bastards with no honor! If they're so afriad, why become a Knight at all?"
"...Bastards."
"The others have already made plans to visit them tonight, wanna join?" The request was laced with malice, he could hear the grim smile on his lips.
Siegfried seethed with righteous rage, every man who didn't have the guts to die in battle has no right of retreat.
"Gladly."
The night was young when they arrived to the camp, the darkness of the night giving them ample advantage for attack, many of the soilders were getting ready for bed by then, caught completely off guard for the attack, even with the Bandit's unrefined skill, some never stood a chance.
The Knight's soon fought back however, once they gathered their bearings, the fight was fierce and ruthless, many Knight's angered by the cowardly attack by their fellow country men, others stunned by the Bandit's youth. It mattered little, they were out numbered, their defeat was inevitable.
Siegfried knew he was greatly beyond the capabilities of his fellow Bandit's, with his Father's training instilled in him, he headed straight for the captain's tent. Part of him wished his Father was here to see it, to see his patriotism. Join him in his quest to bring Justice to those who dare abandon their countries battles, honorless fools.
As he approached, he spotted the fierce silhouette of an armored figure behind the lit tent's fabric, the sounds of the surrounding battle soon faded from his ears, as he focused on his future opponent.
The man emerged from the tent, his armor gleam a glorious sliver, a visor hid his face, a beautiful blue plume topped his fierce helm, and a graceful white scarf lined his chestplate's collar, flowing down his form. He looked righteous, steadfast, a beautiful knight and warrior. Siegfried's envy was palpable, in his cheap, worn down armor. He couldn't even afford a proper helmet, his face covered with a disgrace of a mask. A knight with no grace, "Just a desperate Bandit" he heard the Knight say in his mind, he'll prove him wrong, by god, he will.
But what captured Siegfried the most was the Knight's weapon, a massive Zweihander, much like his own, held against his side, poised to counter if attacked, the stance mirrored the one Siegfried was taught, it only angered him more.
"How could someone presents themselves like a such a hero when they run from war?"
"I don't need to hear such hypocrisy from a Bandit! You dare attack my men in the dead of night!? When they're tired and beaten from battle!?"
His voice held a familiar strict tone, granted his rage made it hard to pin down, it threw Siegfried off for a moment, but he decided to think nothing of it.
"...I see we wield the same weapon." He gestured to his own Zweihander, a garish thing compared to the simple elegance of his opponents.
"Tch, what of it? You think that means we are the same? That you stand a chance?"
"I think you'll find I'm much more then meets the eye, coward." he gave his head a slight tilt at his closing word, his eyes burned quietly with killing intent.
He felt his opponents eyes burn that same intent back at him, he could spot the blue glow of his soul in his visor.
"I'll make you pay for this... Bandit!" The Knight seethed.
"You may try!" Siegfried goaded.
The Knight lunged his sword at him in a vicious roar, Siegfried evaded by twirling to the side and placing his sword at his back, "Chief Hold Stance" a favourite technique shared by father and son. He attempted to counter by bringing the sword down on the Knight, to split him in two, but the Knight threw his body sideward, and countered with a kick to his side, knocking Siegfried off, before launching the hilt of his blade into his nose.
Siegfried was forced to back off, refusing to clutch his nose to focus on the battle, the Knight shifted his sword to the right of his body and lifted the blade skyward, hoping to catch his chest with the strike, however Siegfried threw the blunt end of the sword out in front, catching the Knight's strike and knocking him back, now open, Siegfried thrusted the hilt into his gut, before slamming it in his visor.
The visor smashed with the impact, now exposing the right eye, which glowed with the strength of his soul, Siegfried hesitated upon seeing his eye, a familar look from his stalwart gaze, a look he shared with his father.
But that didn't make sense? This was a deserter! His father was no coward! Why did he look familar? Siegfried hated the conclusion his head was taking him, instead focusing on the fight, however the few precious moments Siegfried spent lost in his head were not lost on the Knight, who came in at full speed.
He threw his shoulder into Siegfried, before following up with a kick, knocking Siegfried to the dirt, it took an immensely strong Knight to be able to perform such a move in full armor, Siegfried had yet to master this technique, this opponent was no joke.
The Knight went to twist and slam down with his sword's weight, Siegfried rolled to the left to avoid the strike, and counter with two quick upwards kicks, stunning the Knight for but a moment, he took the opportunity to grab the Knight and slam his sword's hilt into his face twice, hoping to break the Visor some more, maybe a chuck of steel would get lodged in his eye.
With the Knight recovering from his last attack, Siegfried took the chance he needed, instead of going in, he backed off, and once again took Chief Hold Stance. His Father taught him this long ago, he'd never forget it, and he won many a battle with this move.
The Knight spotted him once again, now recovered, the blue glow from his eyes had faded somewhat, but now he could see both of them, that same blasted look from earlier. It gave Siegfried doubt as to what he was doing, as though he was about to make a serious mistake.
The Knight held his ground for a moment, watching as Siegfried held his stance patiently, before relaxing his guard.
"What?"
"You really think such a cheap trick will fool me?"
"Then come at me... If you're so confident."
The Knight looked at him with a strange, warm amusement.
"...Heh, why don't you take your own advice?"
The Knight slowly raised his sword up, before taking the exact same stance.
"...So you accept me as an equal?"
"It's clear I can't beat you with fundamentals alone, besides, you don't fight like any Bandit I know, those are the moves of a Knight!"
"Heh, so I didn't blind you."
"Tell me, who taught you?"
"Wouldn't you like to know?"
"Yes, I would." His eyes held an odd sincerity, the blue fade almost completely gone, it threw Siegfried off in the worst of ways, the last thing you want is to care about your opponent.
"...Fine."
The Knight raised his eyebrows, and the silence prompted Siegfried to go on.
"I was raised by a brave Knight and a once Lady of the Night, both raised me with love and compassion, my father was the one to teach me my style, clearly it wasn't as unique as I thought, since you seem to know its tricks. But regardless, I wield it with honor, befitting his legacy!"
The Knights eyes grow somber, as though he realised something tragic with the moment.
"...Where is your father now?"
"At war, fighting for his country, his people, for me."
The Knight's once blue glow in his eyes slowly returned, along with his stalwart expression.
"The war that you should be fighting with him!"
His eyes blazed with courage, the blue glow almost blinding Siegfried.
"You have no idea the war we were fighting! If you truly understood your father's legacy, then you'd understand why soldiers like ourselves come home early! The love we have for our people and our families is exactly why we abandoned those battles! The war was political nonsense! Risking my life while my family was fed lies about what we fought for! To know my wife and son waited at home, thinking me some kind of war hero, while I thought the battles of the rich, was the greatest disgrace I could feel as a Knight!"
Siegfried felt tears burn at his eyes, he couldn't be wrong, these men were cowards!
"You take that back...! My father in a incredible Knight, how dare you sully his name!"
"I'm sure you respect him like no one else... But if you truly loved him, you'd let him come home!"
"My father is NO COWARD!"
"Then prove it to me! Right now! Show me your resolve is not just mere words and aimless violence! Face me! To the death! As a knight of your father's Legacy!"
Siegfried felt his very soul flow through his veins as he readied to face the Knight in a final attack, both stared each other down, fearful and ready for the coming assault.
Both held their ground, not a moment between them.
A slow, calm breath.
A steady hand held it's grip.
The Knight blinked.
Siegfried took his moment.
Both swords swung wide in lightning fast one armed swings as the two Knights mirriored each others motion, creating a wide circle of death as they closed in. One would think the force and weight of the blades would break the warrior's arms, but both held strong in their attack, as the blades swung closer to each others necks.
A blink in time was all took.
Siegfried felt contact.
Steel flying through chainmail, and then flesh.
He spotted the Knights head as it flew through the air, time seemed to slow, as the red left his now severed neck, his eyes still glowed the same blue of his soul, but that wasn't what broke Siegfried's heart.
It was his face.
Somehow, what was left of the visor had been pushed upward, revealing the Knight's face, and though he got just a glance as it flew, if it was who he thought it was...
No... It can't be... His father was no coward... Why would he be here?
He thought back to the fight, it made too much sense.
The shared style of battle, the familiar voice, the stalwart gaze, the talk of legacy, the love he held for his family.
"His family..." Siegfried's face was laced with pure fear.
Siegfried heard the head land in the dirt, to his left, the face has facing away.
He turned slowly to the direction of the head, stared at it from afar.
He spotted the helmet's gleam in the azure moonlight, shining at him.
His pace faulted.
His gut grew heavy with bile.
It never faulted. He was Siegfried, he doesn't hesitate.
He couldn't hesitate.
The shine of the helmet, it struck him with an unnatural fear.
Why is he afraid of the helmet?
As he approached, the dirt licked the toe of his steel foot armor. He stared at the indent the head left in the dirt, the blood from the Knight's body slowly pooling into view.
He grabbed the blue plume of the helmet from behind, slowly lifting it up into the air, until it was held against the moon.
His hand shook with fear, his eyes threated to spill over with tears.
He slowly turn it around, the face still shielded by the darkness of his helm.
"My father is no coward..." The phrase echoed in his mind.
He finally saw his face, showered but the azure moonlight.
The blue glow had completely faded from his eyes, A look of horror was etched onto his face, as though he had realised what was happening all too late.
A Knight never to fight again.
A Husband never to see his wife again
A Father killed by his own son.
Siegfried forgot how to breath.
He sobbed.
Then screamed.
Some say his scream was so sorrowful, that even the heavens could hear it.
Siegfried wondered if the heavens could hear him now, as he kneeled into the riverback, tears streaking down his face, as he relived the pain of his past, the very thing that turned him into a monster.
Soul Edge couldn't help but laugh.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! Do you now remember what you truly are!?"
"Father...! Forgive me...!" Siegfried was completely lost in his anguish, as his sobs filled the air. He didn't even feel the pull of Soul Edge's grasp on his mind, his sorrow so great, even the Sword couldn't contain it.
"I want to peel my skin off for what I've done! I'm so sorry!" His head fell into his hands, as he cried beyond words.
"Why are you apologizing? You think he can hear you from up there?"
Even in his grief, Siegfried's eyes burned with sudden rage, a blue glow like his father's flowed into his eyes.
"All I wanted was a drink! To finally feel something other than pain! And instead you bring me back to then! Damn you!"
"Your anguish only makes you a better Nightmare! Did you really think I would leave you alone? FOOLISH MAN!"
Siegfried launched himself at the sword.
"I'll rip you to piec-!" Suddenly Siegfried felt his mind constrict, like a vice on his mind. It felt as though a dragon's claw gripped his brain once more, burning it's intent on his mind.
"No... NOOOOOOOO!" He voice slowly took on it's demonic edge once again, as he fell under Soul Edge's spell.
"Your father must be so PROUD!"
The vice around Siegfried's mind tightened.
Then squeezed.
Then crushed.
Nightmare let out an inhuman howl in the sky, as dawn broke out into the horizon. His mind once again in the sway of Soul Edge.
"I'll avenge you Father, I'll restore your legacy, if it's the last thing I do!" He demonic voice screamed out. Soul Edge's laughed away, pleased with the result.
Unbeknownst to the Sword, whether he realised or not, Siegfried's final vow to overcome Soul Edge had been made.
And when was the last time Siegfried had something to lose?