Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur. Even Namco can do better than this.

AN: As you can tell from my disclaimer, I'm not impressed by my work on this story so far, it feels far to rushed and so I've been putting off updating it.

Chapter 4: First contact

It had been three days since their encounter with the Fu-Ma ninjas and both Tira and Talim were getting close to Nightmare. The fragments they had were resonating intensely and it was clear that they were very close indeed. What neither Talim, nor Tira had done, was to discuss what they were going to do with Soul Edge when they had defeated Nightmare. (Neither of them even allowed the possibility of defeat to enter their minds)

Tira had orders to bring it back in one piece. She would reunite the fragments she had, with the incomplete (but still deadly) Soul Edge and bring it back to base.

Talim on the other hand, intended to purify it and destroy Soul Edge for good.

They hadn't talked about it because, in their hearts, they knew precisely what the other wanted to do. Tira found herself idly wondering what it would feel like to kill Talim, her longstanding nemesis and what it would feel like after she had gone.

Talim, on the other hand, was steeling herself for the inevitable clash, both with Nightmare, and with Tira. Despite the fact that Tira had fought her so many times, she still wasn't sure that she was ready for Tira's death at her hands. There were of course no guarantees that they would both survive destroying Nightmare, much less that Talim would beat Tira. Tira was, after all, an excellent fighter.

00000000000000000000000000000

As they approached the bridge where Nightmare was standing, they split up. Tira would approach him from one side, Talim the other. They had figured that their best chance at taking Nightmare down lay in taking him on from two sides.

As Talim approached Nightmare, he turned and glared at her. Talim found herself frozen in fear, as memories of her parents deaths assaulted her.

"Talim, come on!" Tira yelled as Nightmare attacked her. Seeing Talim freeze up, Tira realised she was on her own and was forced to retreat. As she did, she grabbed Talim and dragged her along too.

000000000000000000000000000000

"What the hell just happened back there." Tira screamed. "What part of attacking him TOGETHER didn't you GET!?!?!"

"I'm…. sorry." Talim stuttered out.

"YOU'RE SORRY? FAT LOT OF GOOD THAT'LL DO US NOW!" Tira bellowed at Talim angrily.

"I…" Talim began, but Tira cut her off.

"You know what? Forget it. I'll take him down on my own." And with that statement, Tira stormed off.

Talim didn't move, still kneeling down and staring at the ground in shock. She'd lost the battle with Nightmare and she'd never even raised her blade.

00000000000000000000000000000

Seven hours later

Talim was still kneeling where Tira had left her, undecided as to her next course of action, when a familiar voice pierced her thoughts.

"Talim!" cried out a young red-headed man as he approached her and embraced her tiny body in an all consuming embrace.

"Yun-Seong." She whispered back.