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Title: a father and his child (2/6)
Fandom: Soulcalibur
Characters: Raphael, Nightmare
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Raphael, Siegfried, and six meetings: five times they crossed blades, and the one time they did not.
ii. les yeux bleus vont aux cieux
(blue eyes to heaven rise)
The second time Raphael encounters Nightmare it is by his own choosing. They do not meet in the night of forest but in the Azure Knight's stronghold, amid the shattered stones of a chapel baking in the summer sun.
He wonders if he has taken Nightmare by surprise, as the man is not wearing his helm. Raphael is struck by how young the man is - and how much younger he would have been the first time they met. It is a humbling, frustrating thought. But then, he had been a different man, too - a foolish one, barely removed from the mind-dulling futility of life in Rouen's noble class. Now he has a purpose; he has been challenged, and come out stronger for it.
Raphael looks into the eyes of Soul Edge's wielder. They are not red this time, but green and gold; he can see the madness lapping just beneath the surface, and he realizes -
"You're too weak for that, aren't you?" he says, drawing his rapier.
Nightmare raises his gaze, the green-gold eyes flaring red, mouth twisting into a derisive grin. "You conceited, wretched human," he growls, raising Soul Edge, the massive sword slicing through the air as smoothly and easily as Flambert.
Raphael gives the knight a mocking bow, then lunges forward, aiming for the small slit of unprotected flesh near the man's elbow. Snarling, Nightmare pulls back, drawing Soul Edge with him, the blade slicing through the fabric of Raphael's clothing as he neatly spins to the side, out of danger.
The two circle each other warily, neither one wanting to open himself to attack. Raphael knows all he needs is an opening - he can see the small gaps in the armor where Nightmare is vulnerable, and one clean stroke in the right place will sever tendons or pierce vital organs; then the Azure Knight will fall at his feet. But getting through the knight's guard...for all of the weight Nightmare carries, he moves quickly, and that combined with Soul Edge's wide reach makes coming in close a difficult task. One mistake could easily be fatal - even now Raphael remembers Soul Edge smashing into him, the way his bones had cracked under the impact. He cannot risk such an injury again.
Nightmare waits, feet solidly set. There is no need for him to attack, not when he already holds what Raphael so desperately wants. Raphael narrows his eyes, considering his next move. The knight may be fast, but even he cannot recover from his powerful strikes in time to protect himself if he misses. If he could be lured out into striking first...
Raphael lowers his blade and dives toward Nightmare, keeping his eyes on his sword arm. The knight sweeps Soul Edge in a wide arc, closer to the ground than Raphael expects - but not close enough; at the last second Raphael drops to the floor, rolling underneath the blade. He comes up to his knees, and drives Flambert into the slim gap between breastplate and fauld, the sharp tip piercing chain mail and leather to sink into soft flesh.
A hideous cry rises from Nightmare's throat, sounding more like the cry of an animal than a human voice. Raphael digs his sword in deeper, angling upwards to pierce the knight's heart -
The knight's huge, clawed hand rakes across Raphael's unprotected back, the sharp ends ripping his flesh and drawing blood. Raphael bites back his cry of pain - he only needs a few more seconds, he is so close - and then the claws sink deep into his back, dangerously close to his spine and neck, and he is hurled away like a rag doll, Flambert slipping slick with blood and gore out of Nightmare's stomach.
Raphael scrambles to his feet, but Nightmare is already upon him and all he sees is the glint of steel before Soul Edge bites deep, splitting him from rib to hip.
Strangely, at first, he feels nothing - if Raphael did not see the wound, or the blood gushing from it, he would not have realized he'd been struck. Even when the pain finally hits there is something unreal about it, as if the pain exploding in his body is happening to someone else. His legs give out under him, and Raphael finds himself staring at the sky through the broken roof of Ostrheinsburg's chapel. There is heat everywhere - from the sun, from the stones beneath him, from the blood spilling from his wounds - but he is cold and growing colder. He tries to move, but the cold seeps into his limbs and weighs him down.
The Azure Knight approaches, footsteps loud as church bells in the ruined chapel. A shadow falls over Raphael, and he watches the sun disappear behind the knight's massive form. He meets the red-eyed gaze, brighter than the summer sun. Sudden anger and shame rise within Raphael's soul, and he wills it to burn away the cold and propel his broken body into action - but it is not enough. He cannot hope for his own rage to stand against the immense hate and anger that dwells within the cursed sword and its wielder, and Flambert clatters to the ground from his limp fingers.
Raphael wonders if anyone will discover his end here, on the sun-warmed stones of an abandoned castle. He did not tell anyone the purpose of his journey - no one but Amy. He thinks of her, of the look in her eyes when he left; he thinks of her alone, surrounded by people who care for her but do not love her. He thinks of her waiting, unaware that he is gone and the Nightmare they both experienced so many years ago alive and hungry, searching for her; and something that feels like anger - but warmer, softer, stronger - wells up inside him and melts away the ice forming in his veins.
His stiff hands close around Flambert's hilt. The Azure Knight stands above him, Soul Edge shaking in his hands. Raphael lunges forward, his body screaming in protest as he shoves Flambert deep into Soul Edge's unblinking eye. He feels the sharp blade pierce the soft flesh, and a small, triumphant smile crosses his lips before the world erupts in fire and darkness. His last thought is of Amy. She may be alone in this world again, but he has kept her safe from the monsters in the night.
(It is the last day he sees the sun.)
---
chapter 3: one of the darkened dead
Fandom: Soulcalibur
Characters: Raphael, Nightmare
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Raphael, Siegfried, and six meetings: five times they crossed blades, and the one time they did not.
ii. les yeux bleus vont aux cieux
(blue eyes to heaven rise)
The second time Raphael encounters Nightmare it is by his own choosing. They do not meet in the night of forest but in the Azure Knight's stronghold, amid the shattered stones of a chapel baking in the summer sun.
He wonders if he has taken Nightmare by surprise, as the man is not wearing his helm. Raphael is struck by how young the man is - and how much younger he would have been the first time they met. It is a humbling, frustrating thought. But then, he had been a different man, too - a foolish one, barely removed from the mind-dulling futility of life in Rouen's noble class. Now he has a purpose; he has been challenged, and come out stronger for it.
Raphael looks into the eyes of Soul Edge's wielder. They are not red this time, but green and gold; he can see the madness lapping just beneath the surface, and he realizes -
"You're too weak for that, aren't you?" he says, drawing his rapier.
Nightmare raises his gaze, the green-gold eyes flaring red, mouth twisting into a derisive grin. "You conceited, wretched human," he growls, raising Soul Edge, the massive sword slicing through the air as smoothly and easily as Flambert.
Raphael gives the knight a mocking bow, then lunges forward, aiming for the small slit of unprotected flesh near the man's elbow. Snarling, Nightmare pulls back, drawing Soul Edge with him, the blade slicing through the fabric of Raphael's clothing as he neatly spins to the side, out of danger.
The two circle each other warily, neither one wanting to open himself to attack. Raphael knows all he needs is an opening - he can see the small gaps in the armor where Nightmare is vulnerable, and one clean stroke in the right place will sever tendons or pierce vital organs; then the Azure Knight will fall at his feet. But getting through the knight's guard...for all of the weight Nightmare carries, he moves quickly, and that combined with Soul Edge's wide reach makes coming in close a difficult task. One mistake could easily be fatal - even now Raphael remembers Soul Edge smashing into him, the way his bones had cracked under the impact. He cannot risk such an injury again.
Nightmare waits, feet solidly set. There is no need for him to attack, not when he already holds what Raphael so desperately wants. Raphael narrows his eyes, considering his next move. The knight may be fast, but even he cannot recover from his powerful strikes in time to protect himself if he misses. If he could be lured out into striking first...
Raphael lowers his blade and dives toward Nightmare, keeping his eyes on his sword arm. The knight sweeps Soul Edge in a wide arc, closer to the ground than Raphael expects - but not close enough; at the last second Raphael drops to the floor, rolling underneath the blade. He comes up to his knees, and drives Flambert into the slim gap between breastplate and fauld, the sharp tip piercing chain mail and leather to sink into soft flesh.
A hideous cry rises from Nightmare's throat, sounding more like the cry of an animal than a human voice. Raphael digs his sword in deeper, angling upwards to pierce the knight's heart -
The knight's huge, clawed hand rakes across Raphael's unprotected back, the sharp ends ripping his flesh and drawing blood. Raphael bites back his cry of pain - he only needs a few more seconds, he is so close - and then the claws sink deep into his back, dangerously close to his spine and neck, and he is hurled away like a rag doll, Flambert slipping slick with blood and gore out of Nightmare's stomach.
Raphael scrambles to his feet, but Nightmare is already upon him and all he sees is the glint of steel before Soul Edge bites deep, splitting him from rib to hip.
Strangely, at first, he feels nothing - if Raphael did not see the wound, or the blood gushing from it, he would not have realized he'd been struck. Even when the pain finally hits there is something unreal about it, as if the pain exploding in his body is happening to someone else. His legs give out under him, and Raphael finds himself staring at the sky through the broken roof of Ostrheinsburg's chapel. There is heat everywhere - from the sun, from the stones beneath him, from the blood spilling from his wounds - but he is cold and growing colder. He tries to move, but the cold seeps into his limbs and weighs him down.
The Azure Knight approaches, footsteps loud as church bells in the ruined chapel. A shadow falls over Raphael, and he watches the sun disappear behind the knight's massive form. He meets the red-eyed gaze, brighter than the summer sun. Sudden anger and shame rise within Raphael's soul, and he wills it to burn away the cold and propel his broken body into action - but it is not enough. He cannot hope for his own rage to stand against the immense hate and anger that dwells within the cursed sword and its wielder, and Flambert clatters to the ground from his limp fingers.
Raphael wonders if anyone will discover his end here, on the sun-warmed stones of an abandoned castle. He did not tell anyone the purpose of his journey - no one but Amy. He thinks of her, of the look in her eyes when he left; he thinks of her alone, surrounded by people who care for her but do not love her. He thinks of her waiting, unaware that he is gone and the Nightmare they both experienced so many years ago alive and hungry, searching for her; and something that feels like anger - but warmer, softer, stronger - wells up inside him and melts away the ice forming in his veins.
His stiff hands close around Flambert's hilt. The Azure Knight stands above him, Soul Edge shaking in his hands. Raphael lunges forward, his body screaming in protest as he shoves Flambert deep into Soul Edge's unblinking eye. He feels the sharp blade pierce the soft flesh, and a small, triumphant smile crosses his lips before the world erupts in fire and darkness. His last thought is of Amy. She may be alone in this world again, but he has kept her safe from the monsters in the night.
(It is the last day he sees the sun.)
---
chapter 3: one of the darkened dead
