Copyright: I own nothing, moving on.
"Stop damn it!"
"Why are you following me?"
"I'm your mother's sister..." Cassandra answered as she stepped closer to the timid Pyrrha, "We're family, we look out for each other-"
"Family?" Pyrrha grabbed her right arm in pain, prompting Cassandra to run over and check on her, "I don't even know what that is..."
"It's a group of people who care about each other and stay together." Cassandra answered, "You know...like your mother, your father...your uncle, your brother-"
"I didn't have them!" Pyrrha said in fear, "I don't remember anyone...and my brother...Patroklos...he..."
"Patroklos is grown too now..." Cassandra realized just before she saw a stream of tears fall down Pyrrha's tired face, "Hey! Don't cry! I'm here and everything's going to be fine..."
"No it won't..." Pyrrha said in distress, "I don't deserve to be happy..."
"Why would you say something like that?"
"I've done bad things..." Cassandra heard her niece confess, "Unforgivable things...I've killed people who didn't have to die! I've caused misery for everyone that I meet! Everything that is happening is all my fault!"
"Alright..." Cassandra pulled Pyrrha into a closer embrace as she cried, "We all make mistakes, alright Pyrrha? But I don't care about what you've done, we'll stay together from now on."
"Okay..."
"How are you Natsu?"
"I'm fine Senpai..." The disheartened ninja answered while Maxi tightened the bandage on his arm, "Sorry that those freaks got away..."
"We'll see them again." Maxi assured Natsu when he noticed the rest of his charges join him, "What the hell happened to you?"
"I fought a guy who stands on one leg a lot!" Xiba excitedly related as Leixia quietly squatted next to Natsu, "I'm hungry now..."
"Will you shut up about your damned food!" Leixia shouted, "That westerner...he humiliated me..."
"Guess that'll be a lesson for next time, right?" Maxi asked when he noticed a creature walk up to Leixia and allowed the chinese teen to pet his coat, "And whose this little fella?"
"It's a wolf and he's not small at all." Xiba jokingly corrected as Natsu excitedly teased the wolf like it was her personal dog, "You like wolves?"
"I love wolves!" Natsu laughed when the wolf just lied on it's legs and the ninja laid herself on it's back, "They're so strong and noble...I wanna a wolf all to myself...and then I'll be called Natsu Mononoke!"
"My necklace is glowing..." Leixia pointed out as the wolf's eyes lightly glowed, "There is a dark energy surrounding this wolf...but it's not evil."
"Where I have seen those eyes before..." Maxi asked himself when he looked into the blue eyes of the wolf. They were exactly like the eyes of that forest kid who wore greeen... "Ah well...let's get back to Sieg and get out of here."
"Hey Maxi?"
"What?"
"Did you ever meet someone named Raphael?"
"Him? He didn't bite you did he?"
"What do you mean?"
"She's gone sir..." A wounded soldier from Britain answered ZWEI, "A hooded man with a large scythe attacked her and then both disappeared in a flash of sorcery-"
"Don't give me that sorcery shit!" ZWEI grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and lifted him against a ruined wall, "If anything happens to her, it'll be because of your stupid little ass!"
"ZWEI!" At Siegfried's word, the young man dropped the soldier, "Lashing out will solve nothing right now, keep a clear head-"
"Funny words coming from you!" ZWEI shouted at his commander, "I told you that Patroklos was trouble! But you didn't listen to me! You insisted that he was "the chosen one!" What? Did he remind you of your stupid ass before you became the Azure Knight?"
"You're out of line!"
"I dare you to tell that I'm wrong!" Several members stood by as ZWEI didn't budge from the presence of Hilde and pointed at the quiet Seigfried, "Our fearless leader just made a terrible judgement call and because of that call, I almost died; there's a new soul blade in that brat's hands that's probably just as strong as both swords; Viola's missing; and we lost a lot of good people today! After getting a sword through the back, I'm a little more than pissed off right now! So excuse me, Princess!"
"How dare you-"
"Hilde." Seigfried said with a raised hand, "He speaks the truth. Everything that has gone wrong this day...can be linked to my decision...I was the one who gave him Soul Calibur and therefore, Patroklos' actions are also my responsibility."
"Whatever the case," Hilde added with disapproval, "That doesn't justify your disrespect for a man whom you owe your life."
"Least he's not shrinking away from it." ZWEI shrugged his shoulders in acceptance, "So now what, fearless leader?"
"For now, we'll regroup at Hohenzollern Castle in Stuttgart." Seigfried decided, "Tell the rest of the band to assemble there if they wish to continue fighting."
"Wish to continue?"
"Remember Hilde, this is not an army." Seigfried reminded his second-in-command, "We'll soon face an evil that even I cannot not fathom facing...any member who does not return will not be held as a coward."
"Fair words."
"I would've thought that you'd be last person to condone such orders."
"Courage is only useful when you can live long enough to use it." Mitsurugi answered Hilde, "The man who doesn't look where he leaps is a man committing suicide."
Night Terror...
That was a name that many once called the winged creature that soared through the European skies.
But name's were irrelevant and even now, it's will was subject to the master of the source of it's power.
After flying into the castle of a man named Graf Dumas and stalking into the quiet throne-room, the creature shed it's exoskeleton and it's wings vanished in a gust as the young man underneath was revealed. The pieces of the exoskeleton gathered to the boy's side and slowly reformed themselves into a suit of armor.
"How did I do that?"
"It's the power you wield, master..." Tira answered as she walked in front of Patroklos and guided his hand to her chest, "I can feel it through the touch of your hand...it's so much stronger than anything that I have ever felt...that power is yours to shape and command according to your needs."
"And what about him?" Patroklos turned to the armor that gleamed to life, "Are you an apparition of this blade?"
"It's inferno...at least what's left of him..." Tira boredly explained, "The spirit of Soul Edge that now dwells within the armor of Dumas. The armor of that false nightmare-"
"I am Nightmare!" The armor boomed with wrath and authority as it summoned Faust to it's hand, save that it's blade was crystalline red, "You are nothing more than a spineless child! I am Soul Edge incarnate-"
"Soul Edge?" Patroklos laughed as power steamed from Nightmare, "Soul Edge is no more...which makes you an obsolete creature. That sword has been purified by my holy might and is now apart of me. The only reason that you exist right now is because I allow it with the whim of my thoughts!"
"Silence child!" Nightmare shouted as it swung it's sword towards Patroklos, but saw the blade snap in half before it came within 5 inches of the boy's face, "Nah...no...my power..."
"Your power?" Tira mockingly asked, "You mean Patroklos' power...the power of his hand, the power of his sword. You never had true claim to the power of Soul Edge, don't you dare claim that which transcends it!"
"I am your master now." Patroklos said as he sat within the throne of Graf Dumas and looked upon the fuming Nightmare, "Bow before your master, bend down your head and lick this bowl of water."
"What?" Nightmare looked down at a bowl of water that sat at Patroklos' feet, "I will do no such thing-" A surge of energy coursed through the Azure Knight, causing the demon to cry in pain and fall to it's knees.
"That's right...know your place." Patroklos smiled as Nightmare crawled forward on all fours. The servants of the house watched with confusion and horror at this humiliation, "I am your master and you are my dog! Now act like it and drink from your bowl, dog!"
"Wretched...human..." Nightmare cursed as it's helmet faded away to reveal the head of Graf Dumas as he drank from the dirty bowl.
"Oh master..." Tira moaned in pleasure as she leaned against Patroklos' throne, "Maybe...I could be of service to you?"
"Why yes you can..." Patroklos said with genuine hesistation that quickly gave way to desire, "Remove your garments."
"As you wish..."
"No..." Patroklos relented just as Tira nearly fully revealed her breasts to him, "Go to my quarters and chain yourself to the head of my bed. I'll rip them off myself."
"Of course master..." Tira said without refastening her clothing, giving Patroklos a plentiful peak as she bowed before him, "I beg of you...not to keep me waiting..."
"I won't be long." Patroklos said as Tira retreated from his presence, "I think that I'll enjoy this new position...this power..."
"Master Dumas-" A courier stared with confusion as to why his master was licking out of a bowl and Patroklos was sitting in his throne, "What is..."
"Dumas will elaborate on this matter later." Patroklos stated, "For now, suffice to say that I act in his stead. What is it?"
"I...very well...my lord..." The courier, "A messenger has come to-"
"I am the messenger of his highness, the Sultan Ahmed The Fortunate! The Emperor amongst Holy Emperors! The Shadow of God upon the Earth!" A man in noble clothing declared as he marched into the court of Dumas, "By that authority, I demand to speak to the master of the castle!"
"You're looking at him." The messenger scoffed at Dumas' actions before seeing the young man in his throne, "Not him, me."
"You? I was expecting the Graf of Hungary to be...older and taller..." The messenger admitted, "Forgive me...I was merely confused..."
"A lot has changed of late." Patroklos waved off the fake apology, "Now speak your summons."
"The Emperor has yet to see the tax from your kingdom." The messenger stated, "He demands a response and explanation concerning the delay. Afterwards, he seeks tenfold the amount you owe to his majesty. Failure to do so, shall cause his wrath to fall upon your realm as birds fly upon the flailing fish!"
"A response?" Patroklos asked in good humor, "Did you come alone?"
"Yes..." The messenger said as he stepped closer to Patroklos, "What is your response to the Emperor-" Faster than he could hear it, the messenger's eyes widened when he felt a blade stab into his heart.
"This." Patroklos smiled as the energies of the Soul Embrace surrounded the Ottoman Messenger and flowed into his body, "Impure soul...now you shall be purified by my power." Patroklos withdrew and sheathed the sword as the messenger fell onto his back while his eyes glowed with a dim lifeless light.
"A flailing fish? We shall see." Patroklos said as he looked at the servants in the hall, "You there! What is your profession?"
"I am...a maid of the castle, my lord..."
"Not any longer..." Patroklos beaconed the girl over to him and pointed his sheathed sword at her shoulder "Accomplish the task that I have for you and this sword will be yours along with a title as my personal escort."
"Ye...Yes my lord!" The girl answered as a sheathed blade appeared upon her lap, "What is your bidding?"
"You shall bring my response to the Emperor."
Author's Notes:
Patroklos gets a little payback for how Graf Dumas treated him just before he takes another step to the dark side.
Meanwhile, Pyrrha gets to know her new-found aunt and I'm sure that they'll help each other out. Cassandra's in a world that's very different from the one that she left and Pyrrha has never had a family member who didn't peel over and die on her or attempt to murder her.
If you can't figure out who the wolf after the hint I just gave...you need to play Soul Calibur 2 on the Gamecube. Then you'll want to shoot yourself for not remembering one of the best guest characters that this series has ever had!
By the way, how come knowledge of Soul Edge and Soul Calibur hasn't become public knowledge even though an entire continental war centering around both swords was waged 17 years ago? Not to mention the Azure Knight who is the catalyst for thousands of murders and was involved in the destruction of a well-known castle? Just a thought.