The corridors passed him by in a blur, as he was forcefully dragged out of his cell and deeper into the dungeon, where no light reached. The two malfested that were carrying him gave him no explanation, only rushing to get him to some destination. Drugged out of his mind, Raphael could only concentrate on his pounding head. He had no semblance of what was going on, he could only guess that it couldn't be anything possibly good. Down the stairs they went, and the chill bit into his flesh. His breath came out in mists and his red eyes tried to gleam for clues from the burgeoning darkness, anything that could give him a hint of what was to come.
Red light suddenly caught his attention, as he came upon an empty room with only a stone altar and candles before it. Red torches burned brightly on the wall and Tira came into view with a sinister smile. "Welcome, Raphy. So glad you could make it on time."
Bindings came down on his eyes and be fore he knew it, they laid him down on something cold and hard and chained his hands and legs. He could hear the click clack of Tira's heels, as she approached him. "What is the meaning of this," he slurred as she felt him trace his cheek.
"Soon... soon everything will be well again," Tira's voice rang out cheerfully. "It took a long time to prepare, but at long last, everything is ready." She said to her two underlings, "Get out. I want to do this alone and be the first one he sees when he returns."
Raphael cried out as she stabbed something into his right arm.
Tira immediately shushed him. "What's the matter? A big boy doesn't act like this. Be more manly!" Shoving the piece of sharp metal in his arm, she made sure it went in deep. "Okey dokey, now the next one."
Biting down on teeth, he stiffled the sound as she punctured his left arm with another piece of sharp metal. Both of his arms burned and he hissed as he realized the source of the sudden flow of dark energy that was pouring into him. "That's Soul Edge's shard. What are you doing?"
Tira giggled. "You don't need to know. You just need to keep quiet and stay still for me."
The power from the shards surged into his body and he could feel his strength returning to him, at least for the moment. His head pounded and he felt sick to his stomach, but he also felt that there was power in this pain. "Tira..." he gnashed out. "You underestimated me."
Tira whirled around in surprise, as Raphael teleported in a flash of red mists and grabbed her from behind. She elbowed him in the stomach but he quickly slapped her hand aside and his hands reached and tightened around her throat. "Now you die!" Fire flashed through his eyes and his fangs protruded from a vicious snarl on his face as he unleashed all of the fury he's been holding back. Shoving her against the wall, he squeezed her throat tightly and let out an inhuman laugh as he strangled the life out of her. "How does it feel? Painful? Good! Very good! I'll make sure to enjoy every second as I watch the life fade from your eyes."
Choking for breath, Tira struggled to pry his hands off her throat. "Master... help... me."
The nightmare, will devour your soul.
Raphael quickly pulled away from her and clutched at his right arm as it burned. "What's happening?"
You are the new vessel, of which I will make my return in.
Everything turned black. What he saw next made him froze. An evil red eye glowed in the dark skies and spirals of evil energy flowed around the place. Fragments of rocks floated in the dead space and small stars glowed in the distance while wisps floated around him. He recognized the place. It was the realm of Chaos. Shadows materialized from the ground and Raphael held out his left hand, remembering what Talim had taught him years ago. "Domination." A rapier of shining red with a hilt decorated gold veins materialized in his hand as he readied his battle stance. "You want my soul? You pay a heavy price for it."
From the group of shadows, a skeleton of burning flames appeared. The haunting skull clacked its mouth together.
Inferno, stands before you. You have no chance of victory.
A white aura began to glow around him and Raphael smirked. "With my prowess and the piece of Talim's soul of purity that I devoured a long time ago, I will test your statement. Now, en garde!"
But for every one he cut down, two more shadows materialized. They were people of inky darkness. He'd cut but they spilt no blood, they only stumbled back. It took direct critical hits, such as the slashing of their throats or stabbing his rapier through their eye sockets, for them to fade away.
As he felt himself being overwhelmed, a white mist leaked out from his right hand. Slowly, it gained a distinct physical form of a young girl wielding sharp elbow blades. Her entire outfit was white and her emotionless eyes gauged the distance between her enemies before she held out a hand. "Wind." Gusts of sharp wind cut them all to pieces and she quickly placed herself defensively on his side.
Raphael's eyes widened. "Talim?" She turned her head and looked at him emptily. Slowly, he placed a trembling hand on her cheek. She was older than he remembered. She was taller and her hair was longer. But her eyes were still large and her delicate features remained the same. However, he knew this wasn't truly her. It was the fragment of soul that he had devoured... the fragment of soul that had willingly let him do so to save him. It was a part of her that he had to hold in his arms and watch die, and he would never forget her sacrifice.
"Dearest," he breathed as he touched foreheads with her. Slowly, the shadows began to rematerialize around them and Inferno laughed.
Even with that wind priestess's fragment of soul by your side, you won't win, Raphael Sorel.
Raphael ignored him, only keeping his eyes on her. With a sad smile, he said, "Shall we dance?" She nodded silently and he kissed her briefly on the lips, despite knowing that it was futile. Straightening up, he readied his stance. "Let us dance then."
She charged forward and he followed. Her white ribbons on her belt flowed behind her as she danced with deadly skills and dispatched the incoming shadows with ease while he countered and cut down those coming from the sides.
In a field of many coloured roses and lilies, a young girl laid in the midst of the heavenly populated field with a peaceful expression on her face as she slept on. Her white hair moved ever so slightly as a breeze blew past and the gothic lolita dress she was wearing rustled slightly when a stronger wind came through. A purple orb hovered beside her and the light from the setting sun intermingled with its own strange light to produce a lavender glow around the small area.
A cold wind stripped away some of the rose petals, sending them dancing sorrowfully into the colorful skies and her eyes slowly opened. Sitting up, she lifted her head and her red eyes widened. "Father?"
Under the twinkling stars, Talim stood on a platform of a tall windmill and she held out her hands to the air. Closing her eyes, she concentrated and will herself to sense what was going on. Her powers were still weak after her long period of being comatose, but finally she could detect something. Soul Edge's powers... Opening her eyes, she held a hand to her heart and murmured, "What's going on?" The stars above gave no answer and neither did the wind flowing around her.
The wind pulled at her hair and white traditional dress and she slowly slumped down on the platform of her favorite windmill. Her right arm throbbed and she said tearfully, "He's fighting out there, please be with him in my place." Clasping her hands together, she feverishly began to pray.
Raphael and the fragment of Talim's soul breathed hard, after they had fell the fifth wave of shadows. He knew that they wouldn't be able to last much longer and he pulled her into his arms protectively.
How long will you continue to fight me?
"Until this body no longer moves," spat Raphael.
Haha... You have proven yourself worthy to me. I do have a certain respect for strength. How about this, I shall grant you the power to make the ideal world you have so often dream of. In return, kill everyone you see and give me the souls I need to satiate my thirst."
"I don't need your offer," snapped Raphael. "The only thing I want is to find Amy and Talim and live somewhere quiet for the rest of my life."
Do you really think you can do that? You and your daughter are malfested. You have no chance for a normal life and you know it. You'll be persecuted by those accursed humans wherever you go. You have no future... Unless you have power. With power, you can accomplish anything. You can rule over your new world with your family! You'll be able to keep them safe and no one will dare reject you. If you leave now, what kind of future will you have? I can change your fate and I will grant your wish...
Raphael narrowed his eyes at the offer. "Why should I trust you? And why should I rely on you when I can use Soul Calibur instead?"
That sword hates you... and those who are like you. It ignores your suffering and it will only destroy you. In its eyes, all who are malfested are evil. Just like those wretched humans who rejected you, it is the same. Soul Calibur does not understand your pain and loneliness but I do. You and the malfested are shunned and hated but you can change that with my powers. Create your own world with my abilities... Kill all of those lowly human who despise you and give me their souls... And I will change your fate.
Hesitating slightly, Raphael rested his head against Talim's and thought about the situation. The world would certainly hunt him and Amy down like animals due to their conditions. And somehow, he had a feeling that Talim and Kilik would be unable to cure him. His experience with death was still fresh in his mind when Talim tried that... He closed his eyes in frustration and lowered his rapier slowly. Was he doomed to be a monster forever? That questioned chilled him to the bones and he cursed his fate. He had hit a dead end. If he didn't agree to Soul Edge's proposal, his future was over. But if he did, then he would be forced to murder...
I can make all your wishes come true. All you have to do is let me in and return the sword to full powers, Raphael.
Raphael gnashed his teeth in anger. "I don't need you... that's not what me and Talim fought for."
If you won't become my host, I will find another one. When I do, I will make sure she and the world will perish. You can either help her by taking on the role as the Azure Knight, or let someone else take the role and kill her.
He quickly realized the truth of the situation. If wasn't compatible as a host, he would be killed. Then, Tira would merely find another one to take his place and when Nightmare was revived, Talim would have to fight again. If he was Nightmare, he could at least eliminate her biggest threat. As for feeding Soul Edge, why did it matter if he had to kill anyways? Those humans were never a concern of his.
That's right Raphael. Don't you remember the pain of being called a monster and the way they treated you? Why should you care about their lives when they didn't care for yours. Those inferior beings deserve no pity and there's no reason for you to care about them.
Yes... He was a malfested now. The only ones he cared about was Amy and Talim. As for the rest of the malfested, as long as they obey him when he becomes the new Nightmare, then he would protect them as well. Realizing that he had made his decision, Raphael said, "Your powers are mine. I shall be the one wielding you, not the other way around."
The deal is sealed then?
Raphael smirked. "Not yet." Turning to Talim, he held out his left arm and said, "Cut it off."
What do you think you're doing?
"Making sure that you won't go back on your words. Now Talim! Cut it off!" ordered Raphael, closing his eyes and looking away quickly.
Obeying him, she slashed down and Raphael screamed in agony as he held onto the bleeding stump. His left arm fell to the ground and it changed its form into a small ball of dark energy. "Talim! Return to me!" With a nod, she melted into white mist and flowed towards him. Raphael watched his left arm reformed as she became a part of his soul once more. "I knew it..." Standing up carefully, he flexed his fingers and said, "It seems that my soul is still whole thanks to Talim. She helped filled in the missing piece." He strode over to his missing soul and casually picked it up before turning to Soul Edge. "As long as a piece of my soul is free from your influence, it's guaranteed that you'll never be able to control me entirely."
How very clever... By using her, you're able to patch up the missing part with ease." Anger was evident in Soul Edge's voice but it controlled itself as it continued. "But the same can't be said for that piece you hold in your hand. It's only a fragment, its powers are minimal, its memories are missing. It doesn't even have a physical vessel to contain it! What do you think you're going to do with it?
Tilting his head, he regarded Soul Edge's words with a bored gaze. "Have you never heard of materialization?" The small piece of soul hovered in his hand and Raphael explained, " I've incorporated my strongest desire to be reunited with Amy into this piece of my soul as well as my fighting style. With my body still roaming this world, your powers, and along with my main soul being fully intact, this piece just requires alittle more time before it can materialize a body and shape for itself. For now, I shall let it sleep inside my Flambert until it has enough strength to accomplish its duty of finding my beloved Amy."
Oh? What about your dearest priestess then?
With casual grace, Raphael strode forward and smirked at the sarcastic comment. "As long as I am the wielder of Soul Edge, she will find me. And we will be together again... in our new world."
For now, I shall accept you as my wielder. Keep in mind that I do not barter with the weak. If you show any signs of weakness, I shall devour your soul...
White light flashed from Raphael's left arm and he laughed at that threat. "With Talim's powers of purity and my strong will, I'm afraid you'll never have the chance."
Donning on Azure armor and an ocean of darkness
I would willingly turn the world's ocean blood red for the sake of our happiness
Darkwings13: Thanks to Joei for reviewing her first story of this series, 'A Journey of Fate'. And to all of you who are reading this and reviewing, I hope that you're enjoying the story. :D