"No..." Alice bit down hard on her lips as she saw the lizard run over to the window. That damn priestess can't die. Tira needs her. Her heart thumped with fear as she thought about what Tira would do to her if she failed in her mission.. From her place on the black marble floor, she weakly raised her head up from the black marble floor and gasped out, "Watcher!"

The black raven lifted off from a candle holder on the wall and flapped its way to her. Landing in front of her, its beady red eyes flashed as it looked down at her and cawed. Alice's blue eyes moved over to the window ledge as she saw Nightmare's hand slipped. Grabbing an Soul Edge shard she had hidden in her sleeve, she stabbed it into the bird's back and screamed, "Get them!"

A dark shower of night-black feathers... and all of a sudden, the bird turned into a giant demonic monster. It screeched and launched itself out the window, breaking part of the wall as its huge size couldn't fit through. At the same time, Aeon jumped out and followed the falling pair.

Talim held onto him tightly as they fell. But when she heard the loud caw, she raised her head and her mouth opened in horror. A watcher... then... Tira was involved in this.

The large bird let out a loud sound as it raked its talons across Nightmare's back, making him cried out in pain. It plucked him out of the air and harshly threw him down before rushing down to catch her. Its large talons snatched her easily out of the air and it spread its wings, ready to head back to Alice and get the two out of there. But then, Aeon flew through the cold rain and unleashed a blast of fire at it. The watcher had to hurriedly duck the dangerous element before it snapped its sharp beak and flew towards the flying lizard at a deadly velocity, while clutching the priestess.

The rain was freezing cold and the thunder was loud. Nightmare cried out in anger as he dug his claws into the roof of a lower tower to keep himself from slipping to his death. Looking up, he saw the two monsters fight over Talim as lightning flashed across the dark, grey sky. He strained both arms as he slowly crawled up to reach her. The dark tiles around him was soaked and one single mistake meant a drop to death. His breathing was ragged and he could feel the wounds on his back sting from the rain. His eyes narrowed in on a close-by rooftop and he pushed himself off to leap over to it.

Drenched in rainwater and pained beyond belief, he felt his body protest as he landed with a loud thump and began to slide down. "Argh!" Nightmare groaned as he dug his claws into the tiles and stop himself from sliding off.Taking a big breath, he steeled himself, resolute in getting Talim back. He would rather die, than lose her again. He had already lost her once, he was not going to lose her again.

"Sing..." Ivy held up her Valentine and ran a hand down the length of the beautiful blade. "For these sinners." She drew it out into a long, sharp whip and shouted, "I'll destroy all of you!" Flame licked across the metal as she prepared her strongest attack.

"You degenerate!" Raphael quickly slid under the burning, powerful move and he felt the heat of the attack when the flames soared over his head as she swung the whip. "Not over yet!" He kicked her straight in the stomach and drew his rapier back for a powerful thrust. "This ends it!" But then darkness swam across his vision and he stumbled backwards.

Ivy quickly grabbed onto the opening as she lashed her whip around his neck, "It's over for you."

Before Ivy could seize the opportunity to kill him, Voldo stopped her. With one hand, he slashed her hand, making her drop her sword and with the other, he deftly somersaulted over her and cut her down the back. With the back of his hand, he swiftly knocked her out, knowing that his master would want to interrogate her later. Swiftly running over to the dropped Soul Edge, he then proceeded to jump out of the window. With his acrobatics, he nimbly landed on a rooftop that was alittle ways below the tower window, knowing that he needed to be as quick as possible for his master.

"Voldo! My sword!"

Voldo hissed obediently in reply and hurried across the slippery rooftop to return the sword to his master. Despite being blind, he was never helpless. Like a graceful cat, he leaped and jumped while carrying the evil blade to his master.

Raphael held a hand to his throat. Blood leaked through his fingers since the sharp edges of Ivy's whip had cut him slightly. His eyes burned as he met Alice's deathly pale look. "Blood..." He stumbled towards the fallen girl and his fangs gleamed. "I need... blood." With the wound she suffered, she feebly tried to crawl away but he snarled as he grabbed her blonde curls and raised up her neck. His fangs pierced her neck and he hastily drank in the sweet liquid. His thirst was great... and he drank without holding himself back as he listened to her screams. When he finished, he tossed her aside. She was still alive but barely.

"Now then..." Waking towards Talim's fallen double crescent blades, he picked them up in one hand and his other one gripped his rapier tightly. His eyes shone as he ran towards the window and disappeared in a cloud of red mist.

Talim wrestled with the strong talons holding her prisoner while fighting the rain pouring into her eyes. Wiping away the relentless waters, she cried out, "Alun! Buffy! No!" The two pets had flew out and were trying to attack the bird's eyes while it evaded the lizard that was flying after them.

"Cheep!" Alun struck gold as it managed to peck out one of the Watcher's blood-red eye.

In pain, the raven screeched and dropped her. Biting her lips, she somersaulted through the air and grabbed onto the ledge of a balcony. Taking in a deep breath, she pulled herself over and collapsed beside a pot of white lilies. She quickly rolled over and looked up as Raphael's voice reached her.

"Grab this!"

Her shining elbow blades fell down and she caught them as she got back to her feet. "Ra...Raphael!" Wielding his Flambert, she could see him fighting the lizard while riding the raven. How did he get up there? Leaning over the balcony, she held a hand to her eyes and gasped as Nightmare launched himself off a roof and landed on the lizard's back. She held her hands to her mouth as the weight was too much to bear for the lizard, and he spiralled downward and came to a crash on another balcony. Straining her eyes, she realized it was the balcony that led to the ballroom. Strapping her weapons to her belt, she headed back inside to get to them.

In the sky, Raphael held up his rapier and gritted his teeth as he stabbed it downward, into the bird's skull. "Die!"

The blade sank down to its hilt. He felt the bird go limp from the sudden, violent death and it fell downward. Using his last remaining strength, he teleported back into the room and he quickly reached out to the wall to steady himself. Soaked to the bones, he felt the chill bit into him as he panted for breath, exerted from the amount of energy he had used up. Something dug into his wounded hip, and he warily reached into his pocket, his hand touching the broken piece of medallion. Frustrated, confused and exhausted, his thoughts ate at him. He looked out to the dark skies and muttered tiredly, "Damn..." Turning on his heels, his boot crunched up the broken glasses as he head out.

Her heart raced as she ran. The path she took was dotted with dead bodies, from the horrible chaos that had been unleashed tonight. Was there anyone that was still alive? Talim wondered about that sadly and she felt her chest tightened. She may have been held here as a prisoner, but she could see that it was warm. The servants looked up to their lord and they cared for each other. Bonded together by the hate the world has for them, they knew they had to stick together to survive. It was a close kinship and one that reminded her of her own village while she was here. To see them all gone... to see this place so empty... saddened her deeply.

"Arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!"

Talim whipped around around but before she knew it, a malfested that was half snake and half woman tackled her to the floor. Talim saw stars as the woman's hands wrapped around her neck and squeezed.

"My children! I want to see them! Damn you all!"

She couldn't breathe... the woman was heavy, and she felt something wrap around her body, slowly crushing her in its grip. A flash of green caught her eyes before she realized it was the tail of a snake that was crushing her. While struggling to breathe, her hands scrambled frantically for one of her dropped weapon, while the other hand clawed at the grip around her neck. When her fingers brushed against the cold metal, she grabbed it and thought dimly, "I'm sorry..."

The lamia froze as the sharp weapon pierced her chest. Her grip loosened slightly before the priestess underneath her blasted her off with a gust of cold wind. Her mind went blank immediately, as she felt the power slammed her into the wall before she fell to a heap.

"Hold on!" Talim quickly rushed over to her. Brushing back the lamia's hair, she felt her feverish forehead before looking at the blood that was staining the ground around them. The acid green tail twitched feebly and Talim gasped as she noticed the glowing red shard embedded into her tail. Touching the open wound, she asked softly, "Who did this to you?" When the lamia cried out in pain from the touch, Talim said firmly, "Don't worry, I'll take it out for you."

The lamia screamed and shouted, trying to squirm away from the priestess.

"It's ok... I'll help you." She held the woman tightly as one she dug her crescent blade into the tail, all the while whispering word of comfort as she tried to extract the shard. When the lamia screamed, she pressed her close to her body and stroked her hair. "It's ok." When the bloody shard was taken out, Talim held it firmly in her hand for a moment before saying to the malfested, "Just listen to my voice. I... I'll help you." Clutching the lamia's hand, she held on to it tightly and tried to pull the dark energy out of her body, and transferred it out into the wind. But she knew, that this one couldn't be saved. Her mind and soul has fallen too far into the abyss, imprisoned by the last stage. Opening her eyes, she whispered softly, "For the next few minutes, you can think clearly. But... I... I can't save you." Talim leaned her head down and cried. "I'm so sorry."

"Where are my children?" The lamia asked weakly, her eyes glazed and unfocused through the mess of dark hair.

Talim's eyes widened. The words of the vampire that had died, flashed through her mind. "Your... children?"

"I want to see my daughters," the lamia pleaded weakly. But then her eyes teared up. "Are they still alive? They've reached the last stage like me. Please, tell me... are my daughters still alive?"

"They... they're fine," lied Talim, forcing a smile on her face and hiding the truth in her heart. In the dark and broken hallway, she hugged the poor woman as the rain continued to pour down from outside the window. Her voice cracked as she said softly, "Your... your daughters are fine. They are young and strong, and they're recovering from the last stage of the malfestation. I've brought them back with the help of the wind."

"The wind," the lamia repeated softly. "You... you used the wind art on me. Who are you?"

Talim replied hesitantly, "I am... the last wind priestess of the Village of the Wind Deity."

"You!" The malfested gasped and tightened her hold on Talim's hand. "Do you recognize me?"

Talim looked at the woman closely, and soon, she felt her heart break as she noticed the small mark on the right side of her forehead. "Ligaya?" She remembered her well. Back when she was a small girl of seven, she remembered that Ligaya was one of the ones to break free from the village and go out into the world. She didn't want to give up her freedom, and stay in the village for the rest of her life. She had wanted to see what was out there and live her life the way she wanted to live. Her name means happiness... and so, she left the village to go seek out her happiness. That was what she had said as she left. But now... "What happened to you?" Talim said as she looked down at her kinswoman.

Ligaya smiled. "The wind's punishment, for leaving the village." Her eyes grew distant as she said," I should have never left. Time is slow in our village. It is peaceful and life was quiet. I miss it... and I miss the voice of the wind."

Inside, Talim felt alittle homesick as she thought about their home. "Yes, I miss it as well. But... like you, I think it's wrong to stay there, while the outside world is changing. We are a part of this world, and we should do our share, in easing its burden."

"No." Ligaya shook her head and her eyes traveled to the window. "The world out there is not meant for us. We have a home, and we should stay there. We have a duty, to preserve our religion and stay hidden from sight." She looked back at Talim and said, "You are not like me. Though you left, you left out of duty." A bitter smile appeared on Ligaya's face. "That's why... you can still use the wind arts."

"Can't you?" Talim asked softly.

"When I left the village... I found out that my powers waned with each and every passing day." Ligaya's dark eyes welled up with tears. "I betrayed the wind. I had given it up, for freedom. The price for my freedom was to lose my past and the wind. I can no longer hear it." She squeezed Talim's hand. "I missed it so much. The voice of the wind... to reassure me that I'm loved and watched over." Her vision began to grow blurry and she finally said Talim's name. "Talim... please, promise me you'll take care of my daughters."

"I... I will." Talim felt the tears slide down her cheeks as she lied, "I will look after them. Don't worry, Ligaya." Holding onto her tightly, she buried her face into the woman's long dark hair and choked out, "Tell me, who did this to you? Who brought you here and stabbed that shard into you?"

"A powerful man... Matthias captured us and brought us here. But a little girl with a raven was the one that forced us into the last stage," Ligaya said softly, her skin growing paler by the second. After awhile, she said, "Talim, can I ask you something?"

"Of course."

Ligaya asked quietly, "Can you listen to the wind for me? I'm scared... she hates me. But I want to know, how she feels about me."

Talim stilled as she heard the question. "Alright." Talim closed her eyes and stayed quiet. The wind stirred around them slightly, as she read it. When she finished, whispered, "The wind has missed you, very much. She has always been with you."

"Thank you." Ligaya closed her eyes and smiled. "For that comforting lie, Talim." With that, her hand slipped down and fell to her side.

Talim felt her breath hitched as she cried, while holding onto the body of a kinswoman. "No... No... NO!" She let out a loud scream that encompassed all of her pain. All of the windows in the hallway shattered as the wind cried with her.

Nightmare grunted in pain as he rolled over the banquet table and fell to the side. Plates of food and cups of wine splashed down beside him and he hurriedly roll out of the way as the lizard slammed both its axes down, carving a deep line into his wooden floor. "Burn!" He hefted up his sword and blocked one of the lizard's attack before swinging it at the beasts's leg.

Aeon seemed to laugh as it flapped its wing and ascended back into the air before opening its jaws, to spray forth flames that quickly ate up the room, only slightly slowed down by the rain that managed to fall into the ballroom through the broken windows.

"Damn you!" shouted Nightmare as he grabbed one of the dented goblet and threw it up at the lizard in anger. "Come down here and fight!"

Suddenly, the ballroom doors burst open and Raphael appeared. He quickly danced backward as Aeon shot a blast of fire at him. "Filthy beast!" he hissed as he came over to Nightmare's side. To The Azure Knight, he asked, "Where's the priestess? She went after you."

"Did you see her while you were on your way?"

Raphael shook his head. "I did not." He raised up his rapier as he returned his attention back to the flying lizard that was circling them from above. "Let's just kill this thing before she arrives or before this room and your entire castle burns to the ground."

Aeon roared in fury as it dove for them. Its reptilian eyes flashed with anger as it saw Raphael's face and it remembered the battle it had lost to him seventeen years ago, at the Phantom Pavilion. When the Frenchman dodged, he swung his tail and sent him flying into a stack of instrument stands where the orchestra had been playing earlier in the evening.

Raphael made a sound of pain as he hit the ground. "Aurgh!"

"Perish." Nightmare held Soul Edge with both hands and focused, letting the dark energy flow into his body as he stood there in the burning room.

Aeon snarled and unveiled his glittering white wings, spreading it out wide. Underneath the angelic wings, the beast gripped its two deadly axes before charging forward in a rush of feathers and speed.

Meeting the attack, Nightmare blocked the blow but the impact forced him to stumble backward. With a sound of frustration, he dug his heels into the ground and stopped. Glaring into the lizard's eyes, he hissed, "I shall devour your soul."

Stepping back from their hold, the two clashed in a fury of sparks and sharpened steel. The sounds rang through the ballroom and the crackling fire added its own piece to the battle music. Soon, Raphael joined the battle as well, and his rapier flashed as he weaved it in to dance. The three fought ferociously and the two sides made to kill. As time dragged on, the room grew burning hot. Soon, it would be a deadly inferno that would consume the entire castle.

"There!" Raphael grabbed onto an opening as he thrust his rapier through the lizard's right leg. "Now!" he shouted to Nightmare. The Azure Knight brought up his sword for the killing blow when all of a sudden...

"Wind." Talim burst through the burning doors and aimed her hand up at the crystal chandelier. Sharp gale of wind cut through the gold chains and it brought it crashing down in a shower of crystals and broken metal. Nightmare and Raphael managed to jump away in time but Aeon, with his injured leg, got caught halfway. Crushed under the heavy weight, he clawed and struggled with all his might to get away while Nightmare lifted his cleaver to run back and finish the battle once and for all.

"Stop!" Talim aimed her hand at his legs and green crystals froze them as a pure wind cirled the wielder of Soul Edge.

"What are you doing?!" Raphael shouted at her.

"You wench! How dare you!" Nightmare shouted before he held his head in pain. "No... Talim. I... aughhh! Soul Edge!" The sword in his hand grew heavier as its yellow eyes glared at the priestess hatefully.

Talim hurried over to the lizard's side and kneeled down. "Shhhh... it's alright." She reached forward but she quickly withdrew it as he snapped his jaws at her. Gasping slightly as she saw the crystals holding Nightmare back began to crack; she turned her attention back to the lizard and shouted, "You have to get out of here! Soul Edge is beginning to take over his mind, I won't be able to stop him from killing you!" Getting up, she began pulling at the heavy chandelier while the lizard continued struggling underneath.

"Why are you helping that beast?" Raphael demaded as he held a sleeve up to his nostrils, trying not to breath in the smoke that was beginning to overwhelm the room.

Talim shouted back, "I am responsible for what he's become! If I had saved him seventeen years ago, he wouldn't be like this." She pulled even harder, making the chandelier moved slightly off the lizard. "I won't let him die! No more should die tonight!" Talim coughed at the smoke swirling around them as she pulled. "No more... I won't let anymore die..."

A single tear slipped down her cheek and it splashed onto Aeon's head, making him look up at her. Her words and what she was doing, puzzled him.

Raphael swore before coming to her side to help. "Why are you so-" Raphael shook his head and gritted his teeth as he pulled. "Your kindness will kill you one day," he thought to himself darkly.

With a crash, they managed to pull the chandelier off the beast and Talim pointed to the window. "Go! Quickly!"

Aeon made a reluctant sound, confused but touched by what she had done for him. Finally, he made a hissing sound and charged for the window. She and that man owed him for the past, this was just repayment... at least, that's what he tried to convince himself with as he spread his wings and escaped.

The cracking sound of ice made Talim and Raphael turn their attention back to Nightmare who was beginning to break free. Reaching out a hand, she pushed Raphael back slightly with a sorrowful expression. "You're not the Raphael I was looking for."

It was more of a statement than a question and he replied solemnly, "I don't even know anymore."

"Sometimes, even with the truth presented in front of us, we can not see it," Talim said, more to herself than to him, before turning around. "Stay back... I will face this alone." A mix of emotions ate at her heart as the eye of Soul Edge blinked once before Nightmare roared and broke free completely from the ice trapping his legs.

"Detestable priestess, so we finally come face to face," Nightmare said as he rose up and curled his monstrous hand into a fist. He looked down at it briefly before saying, "This body is now mine..."

Talim's eye turned green as the wind picked up around her. Raising both hands into the air, she murmured, "I'd rather kill him than let you take his body, Soul Edge." The two remaining windows shattered as the wind tore through the room, bringing in the rain as well as a high level of pure energy. The fires were put out immediately and instead, green crystals frosted over everything.

"You will not win," Nightmare said flatly, unperturbed by her display of powers.

"I will not go down without making sure you pay a heavy price for my defeat," Talim replied coldly. Outside, the rain had stopped and the clouds had dispersed. Pale moonlight sneaked in and reflected off the pale green crystals, making the room shimmer and shine. Talim swept back a hand and the light sparkled off her moon shaped elbow blade. "The first time, you lied and manipulated Raphael and made him banish me away from his castle. The second time, you mocked his image and stepped on my fears. And now..." She took a step forward slowly. "You transformed him into this. Now I understand why the wind around him is different now. Your taint eats at him every day, dragging him deeper into the abyss. My soul... it can't hold on much longer."

"Haha... hahaha." Nightmare laughed, his head cocked to one side as he regarded her. "I would have allowed him to keep his free will and freedom if he had continued to honour our pact. I would have also allowed him to be with you, if he continued to keep his words." Holding out his hand, he said, "You have no choice, priestess. If you destroy Soul Edge... me... do you think he can escape unscathed?"

Talim shook her head and her eyes hardened. "I already said it. I'd rather kill him than let you use his body. Then, I'll cast my own soul into Soul Edge... you... and you will lose all of your powers for many hundred of years." She took out the Soul Edge shard she had pulled from Ligaya's tail and held it in her palm. "Watch." The shard in her hand began to lose its red color as she purified it with the wind. Finally, it turned grey and crumbled into dust, carried away by the cool breeze. She met Nightmare's eyes and said, "Look into my eyes, and see the truth of my words."

"You dare... threaten me!" Nightmare shouted angrily. Though he wanted to run up and kill her, he kept himself wary of her, since he knew she meant what she had said. Her soul of purity would definitely seal him away for a long time. He curled his lips back in frustration. How could the most powerful being in this world, fear her? Damn it all...

"It isn't a threat. It is the truth." The wind pulled at her hair slightly and she paused. Drawing inward, she looked over at the sky sorrowfully. "But I grow weary of fighting. So many lives had been lost and tonight was just another tragedy that has engraved itself into your bloody history." Her head tilted downward as she said, "When I was young and in that coma... I saw many dark things. Some images are blurry, some clear. One thing that I do remember seeing is a great war. Blood shed on the sides of the malfested and humans. It ran in rivers of red, bodies piled up like hills and the cries pierced the heart of heaven itself..." She wiped her eyes with the back of her hand and said bitterly, "If we fight, I will kill my love so that you can't use his body. But then the malfested under his leadership will lose hope and they will turn on the world. Raph... Dumas is their leader, hope and the future. If he dies, they will lose his protection, fall into despair, fight against the world and bring about a great war.

Nightmare walked towards her and chuckled. "So you finally see... it's futile to fight me." He moved to put a hand under her chin. "You've grown. You're much more wise."

Raphael grinded on his teeth as he silently watched from behind her.

"I am not going to fight you. But I am going to bargain with you," Talim replied, her eyes unwavering from his face.

"What do you have to offer?" Nightmare replied, tilting her chin up. "I'm sure you know, that playing with fire might get you burned, priestess. If I don't like your offer, I will kill you."

Talim drew back from his touch. "Then I will fight if I have to." Her eyes turned downward and she slowly blinked. "Dumas is already a king of a country. His followers are many and he holds much power. I want to see... him rule the world. But I want to see him rule it like Algol, The Hero King."

Almost immediately, Nightmare hissed and he stepped backward, raising his cleaver at her threateningly. "I will not be a puppet sword again."

Talim's eyes narrowed as she charged up to him in an instant. Her elbow blades dropped from her hands and she grabbed the handle of Soul Edge with both hands.

"What are you doing?!" he snarled as he made to hit her with his claws.

Talim's eyes flashed green as she looked up at him.

"Arghh!" Nightmare cried out as a pure breeze circled them and he felt the piece of soul inside his body fight back. "Why... can't I move?"

"If Raph... Dumas can't fight you alone, then I'll help him. You will not win against both of us."

"Damn you-"

"Enough," snapped Raphael.

Talim and Nightmare both looked as Raphael grabbed onto the handle as well. "Raph... Raphael?" Talim questioned. His hand tightened around the handle with hers and she said, "Why?"

He met her eyes and replied, "This... is also my body. I'm not going to let Soul Edge take it without fighting back." Inside, he remembered Dumas's words.

"You were created so that Soul Edge would never be able to posses me entirely, and search for Amy while I rise to power to create my ideal world."

Glaring at Nightmare, he said, "You will never... posses me entirely."

Talim said to Nightmare firmly, "Deep inside, I can feel him fight. Our love for each other is strong, we won't let you win." She dug her heels into the ground and concentrated even harder. Her hand began to freeze as crystals snaked around her hand. Beside her, Raphael made a pained sound as the crystal touched him and Nightmare.

He knew he was in trouble. With the priestess, that piece of her soul, the piece of Raphael's missing soul, the real one sleeping inside him was starting to wake and fight for control. He growled, "What do you want?"

"Make a deal with me," Talim replied solemnly. "I swear, I will destroy Soul Calibur once and for all. Your greatest enemy shall be gone forever and for as long as I live, I will never seek to destroy you. In return, you will obey Raph... Dumas's every wish." She could see the disgust he had for her bargain and she added, "I'm not going to live forever. Once I die, the pact is over. If he can't control you, then you can try to take over his body."

Nightmare pondered over her words, staring deep into her eyes and mulling over the choices he had. He was in a dangerous situation right now and he was thin with anger, knowing that all these years of hard work could be wasted if the priestess did fight and seal him away. The risk was too great... but he wasn't going to back down and accept his loss entirely. Slowly, he said, "For now, I will give him back his body. But I shall continue to fight for control, every single waking minute. If you three are strong enough," he glanced at Raphael and her. "Then everything should be fine, should it not?"

Talim knew this was the best she could hope for. Soul Edge will not budge any further and she didn't want to risk a fight. Reluctantly, she agreed. "Very well, I accept the terms."

Slowly, he let go of the handle until it was her and Raphael who held the sword. Glaring at her, he said, "You are strong... and I know Soul Calibur wants you as its wielder. Therefore, I shall accept your terms for now."

It was quiet... almost peaceful. The darkness wrapped around him like a comforting blanket and he wished to sleep on, thinking about the better days. Those days were so short... but they were so beautiful. Playing with Amy, teaching her how to be a lady and how to fight and watching her grow up, planted feelings he never had inside him. Being a parent was so wonderful, he wished he could always be with her and protect her. And then... there was the short time he was with Talim. How they had shared their past; she comforted and accepted him, no matter how horrible he had been to her sometimes. The days when he was Dumas and they had a short time of peace while he cared for her. "I miss both of you... so much," he thought as he laid there, surrounded by inky darkness.

Suddenly, he felt something hot and wet touch his cheek. It trailed down slowly and soon, another one followed. It touched his lips and he could taste that it was slightly salty. Next, he found something soft and warm hold him, similar to how a mother would hold her child. It was tender and loving and it made him feel safe.

"Uos wecha, ma luvan (Wake up, my love)."

A bright light beckoned to him, pushing back the sea of darkness. Next thing he knew, his eyes slowly opened and he looked up. "Talim..."

A sad look crossed her face as she returned his gaze. Something seemed to bother her, he could tell by looking into her chocolate eyes. He could see her force a small smile on her face for his sake, as she said, "Everything will be alright now."

"What... happened?"

Talim's body seemed to droop as he asked. Finally, she replied, "Look... at your arm."

Dumas winced as she helped him sit up and when he looked down, he gasped. His hand had returned to normal and he felt like something heavy had been completely removed from his shoulders. Talim hesitated for a moment before she slowly pulled off the hood and made to take off his face covering. "I want to see your face," Talim whispered softly. "I miss it..." She slowly pulled off the head covering. When she saw the face she had longed for so long, she hugged him. "I miss you so much, Raphael."

"Talim? What did you do? Soul Edge forced me to turn into Nightmare-" He began to panic when he guessed what she had done. "No! You-"

"The pact must be kept," she whispered quietly. "I have promised Soul Edge that I will destroy Soul Calibur, and that I will never fight against Soul Edge anymore. In return, it must heed your orders and obey you, so long as I keep my end of the bargain."

"Talim..." His face scrunched up in pain as he said, "This is against what you stood for. You are betraying your deity for my sake." A light blue started to color the sky, as it was almost close to dawn. The light illuminated her soft face, with its warm chocolate eyes and beautiful pink lips, that was curving up into a sad smile. Pained, he wrapped his arms around her and placed his hand on her back. "I'm sorry. I know that destroying Soul Edge was your goal."

Nestled against him, she whispered, "If you can give up your hate for the world, then the least I can do is support you."

He hugged her tightly and whispered, "I'm so sorry, Talim."

"Just promise me," Talim said as she buried her face into his neck. "That you will be a good king like Algol. You'll rule the world with Soul Edge and use its powers for good like him. Please promise me."

"I will. I give you my words," he promised as he felt her tears slipped onto his skin. "For everything you've done, I will do as you wish."

Hearing that, Talim pulled away and thanked him. "Thank you, my love." A flash of sunlight caught her eyes and they turned together to look at the sun, peeking up from the horizon. Resting against him, she said, "At last... dawn has arrived."

The beautiful gold rays lit up the sky, as soft splashes of pink, orange and light blue and she nestled herself in his arms. But deep in her heart, she was very fearful. Would her ears grow dim to the words of the wind like Ligaya? All she wanted was a way to save everyone she loved. The world and the man she has given her heart to. She stirred when he tilted her chin up and gazed down at her tenderly. She smiled as she closed her eyes, letting his lips touch hers and giving her the comfort she needed.

Nearby, Raphael watched the two while standing there, hidden by the flapping curtains. Taking out the moon half of her medallion, he stared down at it silently before tucking it back into his pocket. He turned away from them and was about to leave, when he suddenly saw Viola. "You... what are you doing here?"

Viola lifted her head up slightly and said softly, "Father..."

Darkwings13: I've written this chapter like 30000 times! Dx

It took forever to get right. I just couldn't write this one for some reason. So if this chapter still sucks, know that I tried my best :'(

Thank you all for your patience and for reading and for coming so far along with me. And thanks Thalie, for the kind review! :D

This is the third last chapter for this story. Two more chapters and I'll finally be finished Fighting Against Fate 8D