All changes, even the most longed for, have their melancholy; for what we leave behind us is a part of ourselves; we must die to one life before we can enter another.

~ Anatole France

WinDei Sea Village I

A dark, cloudless sky influenced Nightmare and Tira to camp out on a remote beach.

"We rest here." The knight set his place on the soft sand. His armor shoved the sand towards the water while he positioned himself to rest on his side.

Tira looked at the knight that faced himself away from her. "Master."

"What?" He asked very dully.

"Do you ever take your armor off when you sleep?"

"No." He wasn't very amused at the question she asked him. If she wanted to bother him then she should talk about something worth his time.

"Well..." She paused. "You don't look too comfy, let me just-" She tried to remove his arm plate.

"Let go you peasant!" He rose up and grabbed the girl by her collar and lifted her high into the night's sky. "You will not see my horrid body 'til after Soul Edge's resurrection." His face was less than two millimeters away from hers.

"Well I just thought since we're alone then we could."

Nightmare squinted his eyes in confusion at the girl. "Do what? What do you mean?"

He let go of her. Tira took off of his leg armor. "Let me show you."

That night, the two of them made an evil love under the bright moon.

The next day

Nightmare woke up not remembering what happened last night. The Demon Sword reminded him that it'd soon be time to eat.

He looked to his left then his right. Tira wasn't to be found anywhere.

"She betrayed me." He whispered.

A wave of water crashed into the sand. A figure rose out of the waves, wiping the salt water off of her face. Her breast were firm and shook a little every step she took.

"Hey Nighty!"

He stared at the girl. "Get dressed."

A few minutes later, she dried and dressed herself. The two were heading back into the forest when they saw a boat drifting toward the beach.

"Hide." He jumped into a bush and she squirmed behind a tree.

"LAAAAAAAND! HOOOOOOO!" A pirate with a dark red hat and coat jumped off of the boat.

Nightmare recognized the boat that he stolen the same day he murdered Sophitia.

Six men jumped off of the boat and started searching the beach. One deckie walked up to the captain with a map.

"Uhhh... cap'n."

"What?"

"Look at this map, it say's we have to cross this evil looking forest to reach the Showng Dujoowuh. I don't know cap'n, it doesn't look so safe."

The "cap'n" glared at the sea man. "First of all, it's Seong Dojo you idiot and second of all, you're not going after last time you let our boat get stolen!"

*Sigh* "Fine..." The "cap'n" along with the other five sea men headed towards the forest entrance where "Nighty" and Tira hid.

Nightmare looked at her and she nodded. Both of them froze up and watched the men walk past them.

After the men disappeared into the forest, Tira went for the ship.

"Hey!" She screamed at the "idiot" sea man. "Let the anchor up so I can take your boat!"

"No!" He screamed back at her. "I'm not getting in trouble with cap'n like I did the last time!"

Nightmare popped out from the bush and looked at the man.

"Alright!" The sea man assisted. "Let's get that anchor up shall we?" He scrambled onto the boat to let the anchor up, the ship freely started to sail away.

"Jump the plank!" Tira demanded the sea man.

"Are you cra-"

"Do it!" Nightmare forced.

"Ahhhh!" The man cannon balled off of the plank.

Out of sight, the captain along with the other sea men rushed out of the forest screaming at Nightmare and Tira.

The sea mens' pleades of them telling the two to come back were heard from the men as the two departed.

"BUH-BYE!" Tira waved as the ship sailed into the deep sea.

Hours Later

Nightmare rested below deck to not catch any attention to him, while Tira stayed up and steered the boat.

"AHHH!" Nightmare woke up from a nightmare that he had.

In his nightmare, Soul Edge got so hungry, he devoured Nightmare along with itself.

"No more abuse! I'm so hungry, I can't take it. I'm getting weaker and weaker every hour."

He poked his head to the top deck. "Is land appearing anywhere!" He screamed at the girl.

"Yep, we're almost at land right now Nighty!" She started to sing and moving her head around rapidly in circles.

Minutes later the two were at land. It was a beach that washed up rocks was ahead of Nightmare walking up the hill that was presumed to lead to a more promising land. The sunset beamed it supply of orange to the path.

Tira rose to the top of the hill and suddenly stopped.

*Gasp!* She was stunned, completely shocked at the view that lied after her eyes.

"What?" Nightmare asked while he just reached the girl.

"Woooow." She whispered.

An oversized village with streaks of white hazed air stood before the two. Hills after hills of oriental styled homes and buildings that stood strong against the wind. Each home and building was surrounded by dark blue sea moats. Windmill's were seperated all over the village, blowing the freshest air could possibly be. Paths were made out of stone and dirt and the grass looked healthy and green.

"It looks so beautiful." She whispered again.

The knight ignored the girl and began walking down a stone path that led into the village.

Inside of the village were people mingling around and wondering at stands.

The two proceeded in and watched in happiness as everyone screamed in terror at Nightmare.

Tira started stealing food and merchandise from the venders stands while Nightmare walked to a fountain that sat at the end of the row. The fountain lied under a hill that led up to a very small plateau looking ground.

"I'm going east to search for stuff. I'll be back!" She skipped off into the east of the village.

Nightmare slowly walked up to the fountain and stared into it. His face was waving with the water, he could feel his pain to a sensible extent.

Nightmare's mind grew oblivious to the fact that he was an intruder to the village. He pictured sitting on a kings throne, ruling the world. He imagined not ever lifting a finger again except to eat pitiful souls that his minions served to him.

"Being..." A soft voice of a girl interrupted his fantasy, he tried his absolute best not to open his eyes. "Being..." Not loud at all, but a little calm, just at a normal tone. "Being..."

He woke up and looked into the fountain.

The waves reflected a young girl's head, gazing into the water.

He looked to the top of the plateau that looked over the water fountain. "Who do you think you are? I will kill you and eat your soul!"

The young girl walked down the steps, stopping before the last two. "Being... please come with me." She turned around and walked up the stone steps.

"Is she trying to trick me? It won't matter... I can slaughter her."

He started up the steps and stopped.

"Come." She calmly told him while she disappeared off of the steps and onto the plateau.

Nightmare reached the top of the stairs. Every person that lived in the village was standing in fear towards him. This gigantic fountain was against the plateau. A plate of jewels that was similar to a rainbow, was lined up on the border of the plate except a green one that was separate from the others.

"Being..." The young girl demanded.

"You do not call me a being... UNDERSTAND!" Nightmare grew angrier at the girls name for him.

The village got intimidated with *gasps* and terror.

"Why do you come to my village?" She asked him calmly while walking toward him.

"TALIM! Do not take any more steps toward that-that thing!" A man in the crowd forced.

She reversed her body to the man.

"It is ok, father." She smiled and returned her attention back to the knight.

"You better listen to your father, girl. You don't want to deal with my monstrous horrors that I can donate." He balt his mutant fist.

"No, you are wrong. You are not a monster. You are a being and that is all that matters." She was less than three feet away from him. "Why do you come to my village? My people have nothing to offer you, not to your satisfaction."

"RAHHH!" Nightmare swung his fist at the girl.

*Freeze* Talim's palm struck out and forced the wind to strap his fist in the air.

"You do not have to be violent with me... I can help you." The villagers started to question with eachother about the girl's insanity.

"RAH! LET GO OF ME YOU IMBICILE!" He struggled dearly to loosen his fist. He was only tearing through his bone from pulling. He pulled and pulled until he became exhausted from pulling, he stopped and kneeled.

She turned around and lifted her hands into the windy sky.

"EVERYONE!" The villagers stared at her. "Immediately evacuate into woods, east of the village."

The villagers did not hesitate for one second and did as she ordered them to do.

The girl and Nightmare stood on the plateau.

Nightmare started glowing black aura around his armor.

She gazed into his piercing red eyes.

"It's not your fault." The young girl sympathized him. "We all live differently and you can change the way you live, what you fight for."

He stood there shaking violently trying to catch hold of his inner feelings.

"Take my hand and we'll fly away into a beautiful land."

The wind unstrapped his fist, he rubbed the pain that terrorized his wrist.

"She trusts me." He thought to himself.

"Here." She put her hand on his wrist. A light blue aura flashed bright and healed the pain he felt.

"She heals too?" He looked at the girl with a shock that she was more powerful than he presumed her to be.

"Take my hand." She gave him a chance to change his life if he chose to.

He placed his normal hand into hers, the two rose into the air and started flying into the sunset. Nightmare felt lighter and lighter, their bodies were being turned into a hazed white wind.

"Who are you?" He calmly asked her.

"I'm Talim." She looked into his eyes. "Trust me and you will become a Dream."

Preview to Chapter V:

"YOU!" *BASH!* "WILL!" *BASH!* "Never" *BASH!* "ORDER ME AGAIN!"

The crown of her head was crushed into her brain. Shattered pieces of skull were tearing through her head. Blood was stained through her clothing, and brains leaked its way through the clouds.

"Nightmare, how could you?" His hand unclenched the girl, she fell through the clouds and out of the night sky.

- WinDei Sea Village II

Coming Soon.