Chapter 13 – Return
Silence overtook Cassandra. She waited to die, to finally be at peace. She waited for the final blow.
(Goodbye...)
Cassandra's thoughts filled her mind with memories of her and Leonsritt together. From the first day they met to the last day she saw his face. His face was the last thing she wanted to see when she died. She remembered the promise he gave to her, along with his red bangle. The memory flashed in her mind.
"Okay... I know this'll sound depressing, but if there would be a time when I will go, and never come back... what will you do...?"
"..."
"Tell me, what will you do?"
"I... I don't know..."
"Look, if that were to happen..."
Leonsritt held her hand. Cassandra looked at him with her eyes shining bright with the moonlight. Leonsritt had noticed her eyes and he placed his hand on her face, caressing her cheek. She closed her eyes. He looked at his hand, at the bangle. He removed it, grabbed Cassandra's left arm and placed it on her wrist.
"If that ever happens, don't cry. I will always be there..."
Those five words echoed through her mind...
"I will always be there..."
Cassandra waited for the final blow, but it never came. She opened her eyes and she saw someone standing in front of her. The creatures had backed away. He prepared himself as he jumped in the air, raising his sword and slam it down on a couple of the creatures. Cassandra noticed another person with this young man. This person had an odd-looking weapon. Cassandra had began to close her eyes, ready to fall asleep. As these people defeated every one of the creatures surrounding them, she lost consciousness. Everything went black. Cassandra wanted to open her eyes, but she only heard muffled voices. All of a sudden, everything went silent.
Cassandra's body felt weak, but she still managed to get up. She looked around and noticed she was in a room. She looked at everything around her. So many items were unknown to her but in a corner, she noticed someone sitting in the dark.
"Are you feeling well?"
"... Yeah, weak, but a little better..."
The person stood up and grabbed what seemed to be a blade, placing it on his back. He walked slowly.
"Well, I guess you should rest some more..."
Cassandra slowly realized who she was talking to...
"Wait... is... is that you, Leonsritt...?"
The person stopped. He scratched the back of his head.
"Yeah, it's me..."
Glowing red eyes appeared from the figure...
"WHAT'S LEFT OF ME ANYWAY!"
The figure grabbed the blade with agility and slammed it down, about to hit Cassandra. She moved out of the way. Leonsritt swung the steel paddle violently. He laughed sinisterly, with the murderous intent in his eyes. Cassandra quivered in fear of him. She dodged his attacks until he managed to grab her by the neck. She wanted to escape, but his grip was too strong.
"You little bitch... This was all YOUR doing..."
"I'm sorry, Leo. I'm sorry!"
"It's too late for forgiveness..."
Cassandra looked into Leonsritt's hollow eyes...
"Now..."
"Let me... go... please..."
She couldn't breathe as his grip kept tightening on her neck...
"..."
Leonsritt raised his sword and pointed the tip at her chest...
"DIE!"
Cassandra woke up in a violent manner, as if she was defending herself. Hilde had held her down.
"Cassandra, calm down. It's okay."
Cassandra blinked twice. She saw Hilde and relaxed.
"Thank God it's you, Hilde."
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah, it's just that..."
"Well?"
"My dream. Leo wanted to kill me..."
Cassandra looked around and saw that she was in a room in an abandoned house.
"But you know that Leonsritt would never kill you... He always put himself in harm's way... to protect you."
"I know, but it was just too much for me."
"But he never would..."
There was a brief second of silence.
"I know he wouldn't hurt me at all..."
"Because I promised you, I will always be there... didn't I?"
Cassandra turned to see who had said that, but no one else was found.
"What's wrong?"
"I... nothing..."
"But I do wonder how we ended up here..."
"So you're awake now, aren't you...?"
Both Cassandra and Hilde turned to look. Tira was standing a few feet away from them. Cassandra got up quickly and grabbed her sword and shield.
"What do YOU want?"
Tira smirked and placed her ring blade down.
"Wow, we save you and that's how you thank us? Geez..."
Cassandra stopped and looked in confusion...
"'US'?"
Someone walked in the room, and Cassandra and Hilde look to see in the doorway. Both were shocked to see who the person was.
Night Terror had left a trail of soulless people in his tracks. He grabbed more people as they were weak to escape. Night Terror absorbed the souls.
"Never did I think this would be so simple..."
He looked at what seemed to be a wasteland.
"This world shall be mine..."
Night Terror flew to the center of the city.
"All souls shall belong to me..."
A pillar of dark energy surrounded him...
"AND NO ONE WILL STOP ME!"
Hilde looked in shock.
"No... that's impossible..."
Cassandra's eyes were lost at the sight of the person...
"N-no way..."
Cassandra walked slowly as she approached the figure. The figure grabbed his blade and pierced the ground with it. She stretched her hand out to the person's face. She touched it softly, and caressed his face.
"It's you..."
Her eyes began to fill with tears. She smiled as she caressed his face.
"Leo... it's really you..."
Tira was about to walk towards Leonsritt and Cassandra to split them up, but Hilde put her blade in the way. Hilde looked at Tira and nodded a no. Tira stopped and looked at the two. Cassandra had placed herself on Leonsritt's chest.
"It's really you..."
"I told you didn't I? I will always be there..."
Leonsritt lifted his right hand and placed it on her cheek, wiping off her tears with his thumb. She cried as he held her in a tight embrace. Cassandra looked at his eyes. He looked at hers.
"I'm sorr-"
He placed a finger on her lips.
"I should be the one apologizing. I didn't tell you who I was..."
"But why...?"
"Because... because I didn't want to hurt you like that..."
Leonsritt let Cassandra go and took a few steps back. He looked down.
"I'm sorry..."
He suddenly felt Cassandra embracing him harder. She couldn't hold herself any longer. She burst out and cried loudly.
"Don't ever leave my side, Leo! NEVER!"
Leonsritt held her tightly.
"I will always be there... you know that..."
He let her go and picked up his blade. Leonsritt looked at Hilde.
"Well, let's get this show on the road. Hilde!"
Hilde looked at Leonsritt. She nodded.
"Tira!"
Tira nodded as well.
"We're close to where Night Terror is. We have to hurry..."
Cassandra picked up her weapons and walked to Leonsritt.
"But what about everyone else...?"
"I met up with Ivy and the others. They agreed to meet us up at the center of the city... It was kind of hard to tell them where the center was. But when they saw a giant pillar of dark energy, they understood."
"But wait. How will we get there? Leo, you and I used your motorcycle."
"We'll have to hot-wire a car."
"Leonsritt, I know we don't have much time but what's a car?"
"You're about to find out, Hilde. Follow me."
Leonsritt headed outside and noticed huts and buildings had now been appearing and the asphalt was combining with grass. He found a truck, and opened it from the driver's side. He grabbed a few cables from beneath the steering wheel. Cassandra was behind him.
"What are you doing?"
"Like I said, hot-wire this car."
The engine had turned on, and Cassandra got in the car as Tira and Hilde got to the back seats. Leonsritt sat quietly.
"I know this is a bad time but I know why I'm still here but my other body is controlled by Soul Edge."
He explained...
Leonsritt had met up with Ivy once more. She had taken care of a few creatures.
"How's all this going for you?"
"Well, this is a lot more difficult that I expected..."
"Explain to me why I'm here, and Night Terror's over there with MY body..."
"I was told you were traveling with Cassandra and Hilde. Am I right?"
"Yeah... but I want to know why I also had a Soul Edge shard."
"Even I thought this was impossible, but apparently during your sleep, your soul found its way to our world..."
Leonsritt was confused.
"But along the way to your arrival, a lost Soul Edge shard found you. It had strength to form a body of flesh and bone. That's how your other body is now taken over by Soul Edge..."
"But how did Night Terror make its way to my world...?"
"You returned to your original body, but Soul Edge's energy followed your soul to your world, and with it, created a portal..."
(Wait... I didn't go back in time... I went to another world...)
"That's what happened and now I have to stop this."
Leonsritt drove fast to the area where Night Terror was located.
"The energy pillar over there is a portal to your world. So we have to get there quickly..."
"Leo, slow down! Aren't you going a little too fast?"
"THIS IS EVEN BETTER THAN THE BIKE!"
"Hilde?"
Hilde was having the time of her life in the car, but Leonsritt had stopped when he noticed the bridge they were driving on had been broken. Across the broken bridge stood the Ostrheinsburg castle ruins.
"Leo, what's wrong?"
He stared intently at the castle ruins.
"Leonsritt, are you alright?"
"Everyone, hang on tightly..."
The girls looked at Leonsritt. He shifted the gears to reverse and accelerated. The girls held on tightly. Leonsritt shifter the gears back to drive. He held the brake as he stepped on the accelerator. Creatures had appeared from behind the truck. Leonsritt let go of the brake as the truck shot forward. The girls screamed as he got closer to the end of the bridge. The creatures swiftly followed the truck. Leonsritt made it to the end of the bridge and flew towards the castle walls. The creatures leapt behind the truck but fell in to the depths of the bridge. The girls screamed louder as they got closer to a stained glass window. They crashed into it and landed on one of the floors. The truck slowed down as Leonsritt stepped on the brakes. It stopped just a few inches from the wall.
"Is everyone alright?"
Leonsritt turned around and saw the girls frozen in fear... except Hilde...
"That was... AWESOME! CAN WE DO IT AGAIN?"
"No..."
Everyone stepped out of the car.
"So where do we go from here?"
Leonsritt looked around as everyone suddenly felt a violent tremor.
"What's going on?"
Something had appeared in front of them.
"So we meet again, foolish human..."
"Night Ter—UGH!"
Night Terror grabbed Leonsritt by the neck. He flew to the top floor, but Cassandra grabbed Night Terror by the tail.
"Cassandra, wait!"
Hilde grabbed Cassandra by the leg, as Tira used her acrobat-like skills to chase the four of them. Night Terror shook off the girls and landed on the top floor. He threw Leonsritt to the floor.
"So you're going to interfere with my plans..."
Night Terror landed, causing another tremor. Leonsritt got up and noticed that they weren't in the real world anymore, but in the void, the link to both the real world and the other world. Cassandra got up and ran to Leonsritt.
"Leo, are you alright?"
He managed to get up, and grasped his sword.
"Yeah, I'm fine... But stay back..."
He locked his eyes at Night Terror...
"NIGHT TERROR!"
"Your end is now..."
The stage for the final battle is set...
Author's Notes: Well this is kind of quick but the last chapter will be long. I can assure you that I will be detailed in the last chapter, so get ready, because this one will be intense. And like always, I don't own SOULCALIBUR... I would be in trouble if I didn't mention that...