It has been three years

The time is near

For the world to face a new Nightmare

A fate a wind priestess must bear

Raphael rested his chin on his clasped hands, looking up at the silvery moonlight that pierced through the bars of his cell. He closed his eyes and continued to pray, hoping that wherever she and his daughter was, they were safe. A gentle breeze seeked its way to him, gently rustling his hair and he murmured, "I miss you, Talim. Where are you, ma petite?" Wherever she was, he could only pray that her wind would be kind enough to carry these words to her and let her know that. Three longs years... he couldn't keep track of time anymore. The only thing that kept him going was the hope that he would find her and Amy again. Without them, he lived in true darkness.

In the field of white lilies, underneath a white sky, Talim laid there amongst the flowers. Time had no meaning here. Time or night, it was always the same. There were no seasons. There was nothing. She turned on her side, curling her body inwards. It was peaceful here and she couldn't quite recall why she was even here. Sometimes, images of places and people she's met flashed across her mind, but they faded away as quickly as they came.

Gently tracing a budding white lily, she smiled. She did remember though, that someone who loved her deeply had made her a bed of lilies, with his very own hands. Who was it though? She was never sure. Sometimes she caught a glimpse of golden hair and cardinal red eyes. Other times she remembered a sharp rapier and a commanding deep voice, which at times held a teasing or loving tone towards her. It was this voice, that made her feel again, if only briefly.

I miss you, Talim.

In a field of quiet white lilies, Talim looked to the skies as a warm wind passed her. It was the voice again! Raising her head up, she said quietly, "Where..." Standing up, she turned around, trying to find the source. She ran forward, trying to find something that stood out from this empty world of quiet white lilies. The wind pulled at her hair and clothes, but this wind wasn't something that was conjured up by Soul Calibur. It was real and it held the truth and love that was carried from oceans and miles of lands away.

Where are you, ma petite?

Touching her sun and moon medallion, her eyes widened as she heard his voice. "Raphael?" She spun on her heels and looked around as she stopped running. How could she have stayed her for so long and not noticed that this was all an illusion, designed to imprison her mind and soul? A chill passed through her and she whispered, "I remember... Soul Calibur shot me." She winced, putting a hand to her right breast as the scar throbbed.

From the air, an exact replica of her appeared and landed down heavily onto the ground. The copy was exactly like her but the skin was translucent, the hair was white and the eyes were a crystalline blue. "Why leave? This is a world of true order and peace, priestess."

Talim held out her hands. "Purity." Calling on the word that defined the very core of her soul, a pair of white elbow blades dropped into her hands. "The only order that comes from this place is death." With those words, the white lilies darkened and turned black just as the blue skies turned purple and grey. Talim's eyes glowed green and her voice dropped down a notch as she said, "You're the same as Soul Edge. Out of my sight."

The replica snarled as Soul Calibur, in the form of elbow blades dropped into its hands. "I am order and justice."

Before she knew it, her clone had jumped forward and it striked out at her with a swift punch to her stomach. The blow made her doubled over and next, the clone smashed the right elbow blade against her chest and sent her flying. Rolling over many of the lilies, Talim coughed and held a hand to the bruise blossoming on her stomach.

The clone then launched herself at Talim and aimed for her throat. Gasping, Talim dug her heels into the ground and hurriedly blocked the move. Gritting her teeth, Talim shoved the clone back and flipped backward. Her eyes darkened as she said, "Wind."

The howling wind surrounded her and next, she grasped the weapons she held shifted into two dark red elbow blades shaped like moons in her hands.

The clone snickered. "Priestess... you would dirty your hands with the power of darkness to defeat me? You hypocrite."

Talim said solemnly, "Light and darkness... chaos and order... moon and sun. There must be balance. The wind can carry both energies and I will master that balance so that I can fight against you and Soul Edge."

"Even if you can, you will never be able to defeat the Holy Sword of centuries!" cried the clone as it launched itself at her once more.

One of Talim's eye turned red and she said, "Soul Edge fights for death and chaos. You fight for control and order." Raising her weapons into a cross, a whirling mixture of red and green wind surrounded her as she said, "I fight for peace and love. I cannot lose." The wind shot towards the clone with the speed and force of a hurricane, ripping lilies out of the ground and soon, lightning surged through the cyclone as it hit Soul Calibur's copycat straight on. With a dying scream it disappeared into the wind. Turning on her heels, Talim dropped her weapons and murmured, "I will destroy you both... and save Raphael."

The sound of dry rasping woke Lidi up as she sat beside her daughter's small bed. She watched with amazement as her daughter woke up. "Talim!" She quickly cradled her daughter in her arms and sobbed. "My daughter... my daughter..."

"Mom?" Their identical brown eyes looked at each other and Talim's eyes welled up with tears. "I'm sorry for worrying you so, mom."

"My little girl," Lidi sobbed as she just continued to hug her daughter. "You were asleep for so long. I was so afraid."

"How... long?"

"Three years," her mother answered, her eyes weary.

Hearing that, Talim grasped her mother's arms and said fearfully, "What's happening outside our village? Out there in the world?" Her eyes widened. "My friends... Raphael... Mom, I have to go-"

"You're not going anywhere, child."

Talim and her mom looked over to see Talim's grandmother pushing aside the embroidered flap of cloth that served as the door. The elderly woman said quietly, "You will stay here in this village with all of us and stay safe, Talim. No one... is allowed to leave, especially you."

Up high on a cliff, an emerald hair woman sat beneath the shade of a tree. Dressed in a traditional outfit of a priestess, the white and green attire moved slightly in the cool breeze. The pants were voluminous while the white top wrapped around her chest, covered by a trimmed gold and green vest. A neat white hair sat upon her head and she wore a gold medallion depicting the sun and moon.

Talim looked out towards the sea longingly. Her chocolate brown eyes were vacant. For the past two months since waking up, she had been trapped here. She was told she would stay here for the rest of her life and her grandmother had assigned guards at every exit to prevent her from leaving.

Talim held a hand to her heart and pressed her lips together in sorrow. Never again would she step outside the village and see the wonders of the world. She would never get to taste the sweets and baked goods of Europe nor see the imperial palace of China again. She would never get to feel the cold flakes of snow come down on her skin or see the strange and delightful animals out there. The friends and acquaintances she made, would eventually forget her and she would never be able to fight alongside them or talk to them again. And she would... never... see Raphael again.

Once again, tears trailed down Talim's cheek. In her lap, her pet bird Alun chirped sadly and nestled against her, trying its best to comfort her. Talim pat it softly on the head as she tried to stop her tears. Despite his flaws, she knew that deep in her heart, his love was pure. He truly cared and gave it his all when it came to her and Amy. That was what she loved about him and she knew that no matter how far they were from each other, they can never truly be separated from each other. In her heart, he was always with her.

She wanted her freedom and she wanted to be with him, but most importantly, she thought it was selfish to hide here in her village when there were so many out there that needed her help. She could feel it. There are many who are malfested. With each passing day, their disease becomes harder to cure and with each passing day her unhappy wedding also drew closer. Talim thoughts wandered back to the talk she had two weeks with her grandmother.

Two weeks ago...

Kneeling in front of the wind's stone altar, Talim opened her eyes as her grandmother approached her. "Grandma?"

"You've been praying quite frequently these days Talim," observed her keen grandmother as her long white hair swung from side to side when she walked towards her beloved granddaughter. Holding out a hand, she helped Talim stand up and noted the double crescent blades, apparently a gift that 'Raphael' had given her. As usual, she shot the weapons a look of disdain before gesturing to her.

Walking through one of the hallways, they entered a quiet room with plenty of plump cushions and transparent red canopies hung from the ceilings in layers. A small table in the centre held a pot of hot tea and a few small cups. Sitting down, Kalana poured them some of the steaming liquid as Talim closed the door. For a few minutes, the two sat in silence and drank until Kalana spoke up slowly. "Talim, I have decided on the man you shall soon be marrying."

Talim froze at the announcement. She had only just woken up! How could she get married so quickly? Lowering the cup, she said, "It is not fair to the man you've chosen for me. My heart lies elsewhere, grandmother."

"This is for the best," her grandmother said gently, placing a withered old hand on her granddaughter's hand. "You must forget about that man, Raphael. You need to start a new life. The sooner you are married, the better."

Talim withdrew her hand and looked away. "Some things, you can never forget."

After a thoughtful silence, Kalana said, "The man you love... he is a malfested. And you said that the warriors of the Ancients tried to slay him when you were at the borders..."

Talim drew slightly inward, wondering what her grandmother was going to say next.

"He is a dangerous man Talim. I have a feeling that he will play a very large role in the destruction of the world if the Ancients were concerned enough to assassinate him." Knowing that Talim may not want to hear this, Kalana hesitated before saying, "The sun and the moon cannot be together Talim. You should let go of this man and move on. He is not even human."

"Don't say that about him," whispered Talim, holding a hand to her neck. The pendent gleamed as Talim touched it and she closed her eyes sorrowfully. "It doesn't matter whether he's a malfested or not." Thinking back on all they've been through, she smiled. "When I was struck by illness, he still loved me." She held out her hands to her grandmother and said, "I was hideous and whenever I looked at myself, I was horrified by my condition. But he accepted it and he tried his best to find a way to save me. How can you ask me to forget about all the things he's done for me?"

Kalana said firmly, "You carry an ancient bloodline in your very blood. Being with a malfested, will destroy that. Nothing good can come out of this relationship, the very heavens frown on it and you'll never find happiness."

"And you think I'm happy now?!" Talim retorted, finally breaking under the loneliness and pressure. "You cage me up in the village and you're forcing me to marry someone I don't even love and that is the best answer you can give me grandma?!" She stood up and turned her back on her grandmother and cried into her hands. What she had done was extremely disrespectful and wrong; she knew her grandma just wanted what was best for her but she was too tired and hurt.

Kalane stayed quiet, letting her granddaughter cry. When she finally quieted down, Kalana said, "You will never be able to have a child if you choose to be with him. His seed will never be able to take root in your womb. Can you accept that?"

Talim's eyes widened at those words. "I... will never have children?"

"You will fulfill the prophecy as the last wind priestess," replied her grandmother. "Our bloodline will die out." As if that wasn't enough, the old elder added, "I have prayed to the wind about this for many days. The ancients have foreseen that he is capable of destroying the world. If you stay with him, who knows what may happen to you." Standing up, she said tiredly, "I love you, Talim, I only want what's best for you. Please, let go and let your heart heal."

Talim bit down and tasted the coppery tang of blood. Every day she wrestled with these thoughts. Go or not to go? She wanted to promise herself that no matter what, she would save him and the world together. She was sure that he had changed, when he decided to fight the swords with her. Was her grandma perhaps wrong in reading her future? Should she leave? To stay here was unbearably selfish when Raphael and the malfested needed her.

All of a sudden, a cold wind brushed past here. The wind was unusual... it contained an ancient power that seemed vaguely familiar. "Zasalamel," Talim whispered as she recognized his wind. She braced herself as the wind raced past her and her heart leaped in her chest. Fear, anticipation and wonderment drove it to a racing speed as she murmured, "The barrier... is down." The barrier that her grandmother had kept around the village was reduced to nothing. Was Zasalamel responsible for that? She leapt to her feet and began racing down the cliff's path, her green hair streaming behind her and her eyes were lit with hope.

A strange mist danced across the forest's ground and Zasalamel's gold eye roamed around the clearing cautiously. The leaves on the tall deciduous trees trembled from the cold breeze and everything was unusually quiet. Not a single beast or bird stirred or made a sound as this intruder of the forest resumed walking. His elegant and large scythe made a thump every time it connected with the ground when he walked and his robes, decorated with mystic symbols, moved slightly whenever a chill wind blew past him. Finally, a strong sudden gust of wind hit him and he quickly stopped and raised his weapon up. He was not welcomed here... and the wind carried its message to him quite clearly.

"Leave at once."

Zasalamel turned around and he narrowed his eyes at the man stepping out from behind a tree. Wielding a slender green flute, the man's hard grey eyes met his and the two looked at each other silently. His long black hair was tinged with grey and tied into a short ponytail and his skin was tanned, meaning he was someone who was used to outdoor works. The man's posture was tall and unyielding and the simple white and dark blue outfit he was wearing showed that he was quite fit. Concluding that the stories behind this forest was true, Zasalamel cautiously said, "I seek the Village of the Wind Deity. I myself, hail from the tribe that lies far to the North and there is something I must do here."

"We want nothing to do with the outside world anymore. There is nothing here for you and there is nothing out there for us." He raised up his green flute and brought it near to his lips. "This is your last warning... Go now and I give you my words I will not harm you."

"I wish to speak to Talim, a priestess that hailed from this village." Zasalamel watched as the man's eyes widened momentarily and the sudden sadness that came over his face.

Talim's father replied, "She's done enough for the world out there. Her only duty now, is to stay here and live a quiet and safe life."

"And who has the right, to assign her this fate?" Zasalamel retorted. "She is too important, to rot away, hidden from the world that has so much need for her."

"Zasalamel?" Talim appeared from behind a tree, with her double crescent blades strapped to her pink belt.

The immortal man quickly noted her appearance. Though she had grown taller and matured in body, her face still had the same soft and delicate features though it was currently flushed from her exertion and her haste to get here. What he noticed most clearly though, was the air of sorrow she seemed to carry with her. It was noticeable in the drop of her shoulders and in the dullness of her eyes. "Talim," Zasalamel answered with a nod.

"What are you doing here?" Talim asked softly.

"I've come for you."

The priestess stiffened in surprise before growing curious. "What happened?"

"The world is still unstable. Many people have been malfested. In their early stages, you must help heal them before it's too late." He paused before saying, "I've also found a clue to Raphael's whereabouts and I want you to come back with me to my tribe."

Talim gasped. "Raphael? He's still alive?" Hope soared in her heart at the confirmation.

"She will obey her duties as the wind priestess and stay here."

Everyone turned as Kalana appeared with an entourage of acolytes. The head elders regarded the intruder coldly and said, "You have overstepped your boundary. Leave now, and I will pretend nothing has happened."

"Grandmother," Talim pleaded as she went over to her grandmother's side. "Innocent people will die if I don't go. And... he's alive. I want to-"

Her grandmother shook off her arm. "What will you do when you find that malfested? Be with him?" When Talim grew quiet, Kalana said, "You are the last priestess of the wind. You have your duties here and you are to be engaged to a man I shall pick from the village. There is nothing more to say." Kalana's voice softened as she added, "The sun can not be with the moon, Talim."

Zasalamel stepped forth. "Are you the one marrying or is she? Talim has the right to choose." He pointed a finger at her and said, "You lock her away here to kill her. She is dying before your eyes. I have only seen her for a few minutes and even I can tell, she won't live long in this condition." To Talim, he said, "Will you come with me? Only you, may be able to save him.

Talim bit her soft pink lips hesitantly before turning to her grandmother. "I can't... abandon the man I love. He needs me."

Kalana shook her head and said stiffly. "Leave here, and never call me your grandmother or come back again."

"Grandma." Talim looked at her grandmother and said, "The wind has gifted us with powers and it is only right that we use it to help this world. I am not leaving solely to find Raphael. I... I want to help the world. The wind that travels freely in this world, loves the people and places it has seen. I love this world and those who are in it. I can't stand idly by while there are those who need me." Her old spirit seemed to return to her as she said clearly, "I love you, grandmother, and I love the village. But I also love the world. I'm not going to abandon it or the man I've given my heart to."

Kalana stood there, unmoving and stuff. Finally she pointed to Zasalamel and said, "I know that eye and the symbols he wears on his outfit. He comes from our sister tribe of thousands of years ago, the ancient tribe that guarded Soul Calibur." Her voice reached a degree of iciness that was sharp enough to make a grown man flinch. "Their tribe made Soul Calibur! We have left and rejected their path. He owes us no favor and has done nothing for us to warrant leaving this place, especially with our last priestess. Go with him, and you turn your back on us all."

Talim stood there with a stunned expression. Tribe of the north? She recalled helping Marienbard and her group when Raphael attacked them. It all made sense then. Raphael had went there to gather information because he knew how deeply rooted the tribe was with Soul Calibur.

Slowly, Talim said, "I... I'm going. Enemies or not, there's living breathing people who are dying out there. How can I just stay and let that happen?"

"They're not our problem," Talim's father said coldly. "This world rejects our powers, daughter. We do not belong out there."

Talim shook her head. "I'm not... going to stay in the village while the malfested is suffering around the world and the man I love is in danger." She took a step towards Zasalamel. "That is not what the wind has taught us. The world and everyone is connected. If the world dies, we all die with it."

A deathly silence reigned for a few minutes until Talim's grandmother said, "I am not letting you leave." With a wave of her fan, she knocked Talim aside and faced Zasalamel. "You will fall before me."

"Not enough." Zasalamel struck the ground with his scythe and easily dispelled her magic, sending everyone around her to the ground with his own unseen force.

Kalana quickly tore her fan in half held each piece in her hand. "Wind of frost and winds of flames, come!" Winds of icy cold and flames enveloped each part of her broken fan and she threw them at the magician.

Zasalamel swiftly drew a symbol in the air before a barrier enveloped him. When the pieces of fans hit the barrier, it cracked and trembled before the might of the two winds. Finally, it shattered and Zaslamel smirked and said, "I see... it was poorly of me to underestimate the village elder. You aren't bad."

"Stop fighting!" Talim shouted as the two fought. One with a sharp scythe and the other with hands and feet. "Please!" She didn't want to see either of them get hurt, especially her grandmother. "Stop-" Her dad held her back, refusing to let her join. Looking up at him, she pleaded, "Dad! Please, I can't stand by and do nothing-"

"You mean, join in to fight and then leave us," he said, his dark eyes clearly unhappy with her. "You are my daughter, Talim. I will not let you go out there and get hurt again."

Talim bit her lips and turned her head back to fight. "I won't let any more people get hurt because of me. Wind!" She called upon the wind to break free from her dad's grasp. Not turning back, she charged forward.

"This is the end!" Kalana raised up a hand and said in a thunderous voice, "Strike and pulverize, fist of wind!"

"No!" Talim stepped forward, holding out her hands and shielding Zasalamel. The blow of pressurized wind struck her head on, breaking her ribs and legs and she flew into a tree before falling into a heap.

"Talim!"

Gasps and shrieks ripped through the air as their wind priestess coughed up blood. Kalana was instantly by her side and she cried, "Why?"

"Grandma..." Talim looked up at her with glazed eyes. "I don't want to see either of you... hurt." She struggled for breath and Zasalamel quickly kneeled down to heal her with his magic. "No." She grabbed onto his wrist to stop him.

"What are you doing?" Zasalamel snapped.

"Grandma," Talim started, keeping her grip firm. "I love Raphael... I will stop him from walking down the wrong path, if that's what you fear. I don't want to stay in the village and live a life of lies. But you're my grandmother and I can't fight you. All I can do is let you strike me down." She looked over to the black magician. "If I can't leave my life is useless. Don't bother saving me. I can't heal the malfested and I can't save Raphael. My life would have no purpose. This, is at least an end I won't regret."

Talim's grandmother knew then, that her granddaughter's love for the world and Raphael truly meant everything to her. There was no choice. Fate had deemed it and fighting against it was useless. "So be it," she said sadly, never feeling as helpless as she did right now. "I will let you follow your heart and the wind, for that is all I can do now."

"Yooo hoooo! Raphy! How are you feeling this morning?"

Raphael looked up as Tira waved to him outside his cell with a sick smile on her face. How long had he been imprisoned here? He warranted a guess at about three years. During those years, he had remained imprisoned and tortured. The stench of decay and death clung to him like a second coat and his skin was marked with deep wounds, all thanks to Tira's handiwork. Other prisoners nearby him had it far worse though. Sometimes when he woke up, he could see the blood that crawled out from the other cells and the nightmares this place had given him was enough to rob him of the few hours of sleep he could obtain. His face was gaunt and his hair looked like dry hay. Any more of this and he could feel his sanity slipping away faster than sand in an hourglass.

Tira cocked her head in childlike curiosity, as if she couldn't understand the hateful look he was giving her. "Hey Raphy, what's wrong? Why aren't you answering me?"

His throat hurt from hours of screaming so he did not reply, he merely turned away from her and rolled onto his side on the thin straw mattress.

Pouting, Tira and her violet eyes flashed as she shook his cell bars. "Hey! I asked you a question! The least you can do is answer me."

He croaked with suppressed annoyance, "Go... get a damn hobby and stop bothering me."

Tira immediately shifted into her gloomy mood and she opened his cell door. Walking in, she grabbed him and pulled him off the bed. "Care to repeat that?"

He let out a pained gasp as he landed on the cold stone floor. Breathing hard, he waited for the pain to subside before saying heatedly, "I'll... kill you. Mark my words... I'll skewer you with my sword... and I'll make sure you die a painful death."

"Is that so?" Tira stomped one foot onto his chest and she grounded her boot into his stomach. "Well, it's good to see that you still have that attitude with you even though you've been in here for about three and a half year already. I thought you would start begging for mercy like a dog after the first month."

Pain roared through his body and some of his wounds reopened as Tira cruelly applied pressure onto his chest. "Does it hurt? Tell me it hurts." Her voice was edged with sadistic pleasure as she watched him suffered.

"Get... off!" But he was too weak to stop her and all he could do was feel the blood leaking out from his opened wounds.

"Weak," said Tira, kicking him on his side. "I'm not even sure if your body will be good enough for Soul Edge anymore." She took out a shard of Soul Edge as she turned away from him and grumbled, "If only Pyrrha wasn't such a baby." But then she let out a small giggled and bent down to his level. "But your body is malfested enough for the ritual to succeed. All those people you've murdered... your hands are stained red with blood and your soul has long turned black. It's an adequate vessel for my master."

Raphael turned his head away and gritted his teeth.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you!" Peeved, Tira kicked at his stomach and laughed when he groaned in pain. Turning back to her more jolly side, she said, "It's been three years, Raphy. You'd think with her wind guiding her, she could find you alittle faster. Heh, maybe she found a new man. Someone not as old as you~~~" In a sing song voice, Tira clapped her hands and pointed at him. "Why would a holy priestess want to be with a pathetic malfested like you anyway?" The Angel of Death brushed back a lock of brown hair and smiled. "You've waited long enough for the dawn that will never come and I've waited enough for my master's own return. I think it's time you leave this place." Tira sauntered out of the cell and grinned. "As the new... Nightmare."

Raphael curled his hands into fists as the door slammed shut with a loud clang. How long... would it be, till Talim find him again? Would it be too late? With a sad smile, he murmured, "No matter how it takes, I will wait for you, Talim." Almost as if in answer, a warm breeze came in and comforted him.