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Title: a father and his child (3/6)
Fandom: Soulcalibur
Characters: Raphael, Siegfried
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Raphael, Siegfried, and six meetings: five times they crossed blades, and the one time they did not.
iii. one of the darkened dead
The third meeting comes by chance: Raphael finds Nightmare's empty vessel in the bowels of the Grand Labyrinth.
Raphael does not plan to attack Siegfried here - he merely wants to observe him, to better understand the nature of the swords the man carries. But when he sees the man who defeated him, rage erupts in his veins and behind his eyes, staining the world crimson.
Not all the anger is his own. Soul Edge had not devoured him that brilliant summer day in Ostrheinsburg, but its roots had sunk into his bones and blood, flowering like a weed in his heart. Before he can stop himself Raphael draws his sword and attacks, wanting nothing more than to tear Siegfried apart.
The ferocity of Raphael's assault takes Siegfried by surprise - he barely has enough time to draw his own weapon in defense, and the dark labyrinth is temporarily lit with a shower of sparks as their swords cross. Siegfried tries to edge away from the vicious stabs, but Raphael - fueled by the malfection igniting in his blood - is too fast, forcing Siegfried to set his feet and brace for the assault, his body buckling under the impact of each strike.
Still - Raphael is not able to break through Siegfried's guard. The blossoming hatred gives him power but crowds out reason, the malfection twisting around his hands and feet and mind and strangling them. The elegant, precise movements Raphael spent his life perfecting turn rough and clumsy, and Flambert clashes against unyielding armor instead of piercing flesh.
By contrast his opponent stands firm amid the flurry of blows, calm and collected as he watches intently for an opening. He deflects some blows with his sword, adjusts his feet subtly to absorb the ones he cannot, and with each thwarted strike Raphael's anger intensifies. Flambert - which for so long has acted as an extension of the cool focus he once possessed - now feels more and more like a foreign object in his grasp; his hands itch to throw it aside, to rip Siegfried apart bare-handed.
"Who are you?" Siegfried manages to gasp; not expecting the question, Raphael falters.
Siegfried does not remember him.
The realization hits like a slap in the face, a final, unbearable insult. Every event that holds meaning in Raphael's life - the rain of Evil Seed that eventually cast him out of Rouen, his search for Soul Edge, the battle that ended in his hideous metamorphosis - has been shaped by Siegfried's hands; but for Siegfried, he is merely another unfortunate victim, one soul among hundreds wronged, little more than a commoner -
"Who - who am I? Who am I?" Hatred wells in Raphael's throat, bubbling out as laughter, the sound too loud and too long in the silent labyrinth. "Don't you recognize the one who freed you?" Raphael hurls Flambert to the ground; when he kills Siegfried he wants to feel the other man's life fading under his hands. "You will know who I am - it will be the last thing you ever know!"
Raphael dives at Siegfried with hands outstretched, reaching for the other man's throat. There is no elegance or finesse in his movements now, only a burning black anger that urges him forward and closes his hands around Siegfried's neck. Siegfried claws frantically at Raphael's hands, gasping for air; in answer Raphael tightens his grip, metal gauntlets digging into soft flesh. A low, hungry hiss escapes him as blood spurts under his fingers, and the thirst that is constantly at the back of his mind flares to life at the smell; suddenly Raphael is overwhelmed by a desperate need to taste the warm coppery liquid in his mouth, to feel Siegfried's last breath as it dies in his throat. Fangs bared, Raphael leans in to taste death on his tongue -
Siegfried manages to grab Raphael's arms, tearing away the hands strangling him and throwing the other man to the ground. Raphael twists to look at his would-be victim, only to come face-to-face with the end of Siegfried's sword. He sees his reflection in the gleaming blade - mouth and hands stained red with blood, the wicked glint of sharpened fangs, eyes blooming with coarse crimson hate - and the part of his mind that is still human recoils at the sight. Raphael lifts his blood-stained gaze, expecting only disgust - or worse, pity - at his current condition, but all he sees when he meets the green eyes above him is shame.
"Raphael..." Siegfried says, voice low and shaking, "...I am sorry, for-" He pauses and lowers his head, his eyes hidden in shadow. " -for everything. If my life were my own to give, I would accept whatever punishment you judge to be fit, but there are tasks I must do that I cannot leave to anyone else." Siegfried glances behind him, to the silent Soul Edge strapped to his back. "I won't let anyone else suffer like - like..." Siegfried trails off, cheeks flushing with shame.
Suffer like you. Raphael does not need to hear the words to know what the man is thinking. The rage that possessed him earlier creeps up his throat, still thirsting for destruction, but he thinks of the inhuman reflection in Siegfried's blade and closes his eyes against the rising tide of hate inside him. He may no longer be human, but he is no base animal, either; and he will fight Siegfried on his own terms, not at the behest of the gluttonous sword that has poisoned him.
"Leave," Raphael says harshly, turning his gaze to the floor. He does not look at Siegfried as the man leaves - if Raphael sees the mix of shame and despair in Siegfried's eyes much longer he knows he will rip them out.
Raphael waits for the sound of Siegfried's footsteps to fade into the darkness before stirring. Faintly, he hears the sounds of other beings, evil creatures, moving through the labyrinth, but he pays them no heed; they will not harm one of their own.
The thought brings little comfort.
---
chapter 4: i cannot turn
Fandom: Soulcalibur
Characters: Raphael, Siegfried
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Raphael, Siegfried, and six meetings: five times they crossed blades, and the one time they did not.
iii. one of the darkened dead
The third meeting comes by chance: Raphael finds Nightmare's empty vessel in the bowels of the Grand Labyrinth.
Raphael does not plan to attack Siegfried here - he merely wants to observe him, to better understand the nature of the swords the man carries. But when he sees the man who defeated him, rage erupts in his veins and behind his eyes, staining the world crimson.
Not all the anger is his own. Soul Edge had not devoured him that brilliant summer day in Ostrheinsburg, but its roots had sunk into his bones and blood, flowering like a weed in his heart. Before he can stop himself Raphael draws his sword and attacks, wanting nothing more than to tear Siegfried apart.
The ferocity of Raphael's assault takes Siegfried by surprise - he barely has enough time to draw his own weapon in defense, and the dark labyrinth is temporarily lit with a shower of sparks as their swords cross. Siegfried tries to edge away from the vicious stabs, but Raphael - fueled by the malfection igniting in his blood - is too fast, forcing Siegfried to set his feet and brace for the assault, his body buckling under the impact of each strike.
Still - Raphael is not able to break through Siegfried's guard. The blossoming hatred gives him power but crowds out reason, the malfection twisting around his hands and feet and mind and strangling them. The elegant, precise movements Raphael spent his life perfecting turn rough and clumsy, and Flambert clashes against unyielding armor instead of piercing flesh.
By contrast his opponent stands firm amid the flurry of blows, calm and collected as he watches intently for an opening. He deflects some blows with his sword, adjusts his feet subtly to absorb the ones he cannot, and with each thwarted strike Raphael's anger intensifies. Flambert - which for so long has acted as an extension of the cool focus he once possessed - now feels more and more like a foreign object in his grasp; his hands itch to throw it aside, to rip Siegfried apart bare-handed.
"Who are you?" Siegfried manages to gasp; not expecting the question, Raphael falters.
Siegfried does not remember him.
The realization hits like a slap in the face, a final, unbearable insult. Every event that holds meaning in Raphael's life - the rain of Evil Seed that eventually cast him out of Rouen, his search for Soul Edge, the battle that ended in his hideous metamorphosis - has been shaped by Siegfried's hands; but for Siegfried, he is merely another unfortunate victim, one soul among hundreds wronged, little more than a commoner -
"Who - who am I? Who am I?" Hatred wells in Raphael's throat, bubbling out as laughter, the sound too loud and too long in the silent labyrinth. "Don't you recognize the one who freed you?" Raphael hurls Flambert to the ground; when he kills Siegfried he wants to feel the other man's life fading under his hands. "You will know who I am - it will be the last thing you ever know!"
Raphael dives at Siegfried with hands outstretched, reaching for the other man's throat. There is no elegance or finesse in his movements now, only a burning black anger that urges him forward and closes his hands around Siegfried's neck. Siegfried claws frantically at Raphael's hands, gasping for air; in answer Raphael tightens his grip, metal gauntlets digging into soft flesh. A low, hungry hiss escapes him as blood spurts under his fingers, and the thirst that is constantly at the back of his mind flares to life at the smell; suddenly Raphael is overwhelmed by a desperate need to taste the warm coppery liquid in his mouth, to feel Siegfried's last breath as it dies in his throat. Fangs bared, Raphael leans in to taste death on his tongue -
Siegfried manages to grab Raphael's arms, tearing away the hands strangling him and throwing the other man to the ground. Raphael twists to look at his would-be victim, only to come face-to-face with the end of Siegfried's sword. He sees his reflection in the gleaming blade - mouth and hands stained red with blood, the wicked glint of sharpened fangs, eyes blooming with coarse crimson hate - and the part of his mind that is still human recoils at the sight. Raphael lifts his blood-stained gaze, expecting only disgust - or worse, pity - at his current condition, but all he sees when he meets the green eyes above him is shame.
"Raphael..." Siegfried says, voice low and shaking, "...I am sorry, for-" He pauses and lowers his head, his eyes hidden in shadow. " -for everything. If my life were my own to give, I would accept whatever punishment you judge to be fit, but there are tasks I must do that I cannot leave to anyone else." Siegfried glances behind him, to the silent Soul Edge strapped to his back. "I won't let anyone else suffer like - like..." Siegfried trails off, cheeks flushing with shame.
Suffer like you. Raphael does not need to hear the words to know what the man is thinking. The rage that possessed him earlier creeps up his throat, still thirsting for destruction, but he thinks of the inhuman reflection in Siegfried's blade and closes his eyes against the rising tide of hate inside him. He may no longer be human, but he is no base animal, either; and he will fight Siegfried on his own terms, not at the behest of the gluttonous sword that has poisoned him.
"Leave," Raphael says harshly, turning his gaze to the floor. He does not look at Siegfried as the man leaves - if Raphael sees the mix of shame and despair in Siegfried's eyes much longer he knows he will rip them out.
Raphael waits for the sound of Siegfried's footsteps to fade into the darkness before stirring. Faintly, he hears the sounds of other beings, evil creatures, moving through the labyrinth, but he pays them no heed; they will not harm one of their own.
The thought brings little comfort.
---
chapter 4: i cannot turn
