Disclaimer: You know what? I DO own W.I.T.C.H and the new series is due out next year. And if you believe that, I know this little get rich quick scheme…

"Good day sir. May I take your order?" the waitress asked in a pseudo-cheery voice and Zasalamel looked up from his notepad. He curtly nodded.

"Yes. I would have a cup of Earl Grey tea if you please," he said and the woman jotted down his order.

"Would you like anything else?" she asked, a fake smile plastering her face and Zasalamel shook his head.

"No that will be all," he said as he pulled out a copy of the local newspaper and scanned the front page. Nightmare's antics were covered in full detail of course. He was never really one for the subtle approach by any means. Reports of a man in armour who had left the scene of the crime were also there. Siegfried no doubt, rushing in for a confrontation. This was far too fast, too soon. This was meant to happen when both sides were at their peak, not now! He would have to do something about this idealistic fool, something to put him off.

"Your tea sir," the waitress said, breaking his concentration.

"Thank you," he said as he took the cup from her and took a sip, letting the boiling liquid burn through his mouth. A reassuring feeling to remind him that he was indeed still alive and not just pretending. Placing the cup down, he turned his attention to the paper once more. There were reports of people who had been hurt in Nightmare's attacks of course, insignificant insects in the grand scheme of things. The shop owner who was dead of course, despite no clear cause and a few police officers who had been hurt.

One of the casualties caught his attention in particular. One who had recovered from a mysterious coma no less! (The coma was obviously the work of Nightmare. Zasalamel would recognise the signs anywhere.) The fact that the man had recovered however…he had thought he had left that kind of magic behind. It had been, two, maybe three lifetimes ago since he had last seen something like that. Clearly there were other forces in play here than those he knew about. A Priestess of the Winds perhaps? But their religion had been dwindling, last he saw of them. A mere handful at best still believed when he had last visited the islands well over a century ago as slowly believers had drifted away. Then there was the Greek gods, but he had his doubts. They were even rarer than the Priestesses.

Then there were other various stories that at first glance seemed unconnected to Nightmare's attacks, but almost certainly were. A break in at the hospital through the ventilation pipes, most likely the work of a Fu-Ma ninja sent to kill the afflicted man. Whoever they were, they were unlikely to remain much of a threat. Still, it was worth keeping an eye on the situation. Perhaps he needed to distract them with some kind of dark spirit or the like. An oni perhaps or some sort of demon. That might be worth releasing.

He paused and sipped his tea some more. There were some other details that were reason for concern. A ship that had sailed into harbour with it's crew dead could only be that fool Cervantes. He was sure that Cervantes was supposed to be dead. The rate at which he had began to decompose…he must have found a way to absorb more soul energy, found a revived shard of Soul Edge or something. And where Cervantes was, his blasted daughter was sure to be close behind. That woman was far too dangerous to his plans. He would have to destroy them both. Or at least, trick someone else into destroying them, it mattered not.

And finally, there was the walking lizard. Apparently he had been seen, a pitiful excuse of a being. Another being that should have been dead and buried. His continued survival puzzled Zasalamel. Lizardman was hardly subtle, nor did he blend in with the crowd. It was a mystery for sure. Such a pathetic creature did not deserve to search for the cursed sword. It barely registered as worthy of life at all. He would have to deal with it as soon as possible.

He raised an eyebrow as he looked over at a young Asian girl running on her way to school. (At least he assumed she was running to school. She was the right age after all.) There was something special about that girl, a hint of a type of magic he had not encountered in lifetimes. Five reincarnations ago in fact, in the hands of a pretty young thing who had a crush on him. Or rather his teenage self, he was pretty sure of that. It had been in…French Indo-China if his memory served correctly.

The Guardians were unlikely to be a factor. They had their own duties to attend to after all and their magic of no use to Soul Calibur or Soul Edge. Most interesting indeed. Although…perhaps it would be a good idea to create a distraction or two to keep them busy.

Leaning back in his chair, he sipped his tea once more. No doubt, for every one threat that he was aware of, there were several that he didn't. Alas, there was no changing that, but he had no doubt that he would find them, or others would.

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"Mistress Valentine?" a nervous young man asked from the doorway of her study and she looked up. "Mistress Valentine, the books you requested are here."

"Thank you James. You may leave them on the desk," Ivy said with a wave of her hand. "I will require my training facilities available this afternoon. Please ensure that they are so."

"Yes Ma'am," James replied, licking his lips nervously and Ivy resisted the urge to roll her eyes. She was hardly a legendary monster was she? She was pretty sure that she did not have a reputation for being cruel or having a harsh temper. Perhaps when she was finished, she could set his mind at ease.

Of course, that would depend on her actually finishing this alive, but those details were best left for another time. Reaching for a book, she flipped it open to the relevant pages. References to the Cursed Sword and it's counterpart Soul Calibur peppered liberally across the pages as the chapter described a single encounter between the two from a survivor.

It is hard to say when the screaming stopped. To the left and right of me, hell itself seemed to be unleashed on Earth as ###

Ivy sighed as the writing became illegible for at least half a sentence. All her attempts at filling in the missing spaces had only resulted in giving her a headache. It was something important, she had no doubt about that. However, she had neither the time, nor the patience to try deciphering it again this time. With a brief muttered complaint about other people badly storing their books (This one had been found in a damp barn by pure chance) she began to read once more.

The tall dark armoured knight was unlike any knight that I have ever seen before. He is, I am sure, the very Devil incarnate. The Antichrist will come upon us soon and all that will remain on God's green Earth shall be the ghouls and demons left behind in the wake of this monster. Already, lizard men walk the land and this confrontation was merely the latest in a long line of such disasters.

The monster knight walked into our town, darkness eminating from his evil form. Even the gamblers and the cursed could feel his darkness and stepped away as he made his way to the town square in the middle of the market. I regret to say that even my courage failed, that I, a man of God, dared not to stand up to this vile demon.

He swung his monstrous sword left and right, slaughtering the people in the square and devouring their souls, his power growing with every victim he cut down. People panicked and attempted to flee, but their numbers proved too great and they were cut down like wheat in a field, their screams echoing through the town.

Men drew their weapons and tools and tried to fight the creature. None succeeded and with each death, his aura grew ever more powerful. The roof above me collapsed and I was hidden from his view. What caused it, I know not, but I believe that it was so that I could record and pass on this account.

A man came to face the creature, a tall and virtuous knight carrying a great white blade. His sword seemed to glow with a heavenly light and he challenged the evil creature to a duel.

The two began their fight and as ####

Ivy sighed as she looked over the rest of the water damaged text. It told her nothing new. Reading it again had given her no new insights, no knowledge that she had not already known. The town had been largely destroyed in the confrontation, but how remained tantalisingly out of reach. The clash of the two swords may have unleashed vast energies, but then again, there were buildings that had survived hosting such encounters. (Although the buildings had left some very unsettling feelings within her. Feelings most likely the result of residual dark power.) It was puzzling to say the least.

She reached for another book, this time written in Chinese and began to read. This time, it was about one of the many failed expeditions to actually find Soul Edge launched by the Ming Empire.

One detail that is consistent in the stories about the Hero Sword is the devastating power the sword imbues onto it's user. Any person who gains the blade MUST be of trustworthy character and unquestionably loyal to the Emperor and his family. The Chai family, for example, would make ideal candidates to wield the Hero Sword against the enemies of the Empire.

Ivy let out a snort of amusement. Hero Sword, one of the many names of Soul Edge and by and far the most ironic. Monster Sword would be far better. She had yet to encounter a single wielder of Soul Edge that would be regarded as 'heroic' in any sense of the word. She suspected that the term was the result of agents of the cursed blade spreading false rumours. It would certainly fit their behaviour. She continued with her reading.

Encounters with fragments of the Hero Sword have proven to be disappointing. Several individuals from good families have succumbed to temptation and madness after exposure. The full blade may prove to be uncontrollable or will require the blade to be won in battle. This may prove potentially problematic when faced with future dealings with the Hero Sword. Measures will be needed to prevent the weapon falling into the wrong hands.

Ivy sighed once more. This was leading her nowhere and only repeated details she already knew. Worse still, it was wasting time. Standing up, she made her way to the training hall down the corridor. She was sure to face her father again and it would not do to be out of practise.

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"I ran into Kilik and Xianghua last night," Setsuka said as the two girls dressed. Taki raised an eyebrow.

"No surprise there. What did they want?" she asked and Setsuka scowled.

"They think that it's not my fight. That I shouldn't be involved. As if Xianghua's little tagging along is really any better. If her boyfriend wasn't busy chasing salvation, I don't think she'd even be involved."

"They are right. This is not your fight. But that is not for them to decide," Taki said as she pulled on her socks, her foot against the motel wall. "Besides, you are not the only one who is here without good cause. Talim is here as well, and I suspect that you will have the same lecture from her."

"The same could be said for you," Setsuka pointed out, a slight frown on her face. "Your clan needs you to rebuild it after the havoc a fragment of Soul Edge wreaked upon your order. You trained for years to hunt down demons and the like. The destruction of that sword is of secondary import. They may well try to stop you as they did me."

"They tried to stop you?" Taki asked, keeping the sudden rush of anger and protectiveness from her voice. Setsuka however, clearly knew her better than that. Especially if that smirk was anything to go by.

"Yes. They told me to go back. They were all ready for a fight, I could see that much."

"Were you hurt?" Taki asked and Setsuka chuckled.

"I threw my umbrella at them and ran. I think that we're safe from falling umbrellas with Kilik around," she replied with a smirk (Taki tried not to think about how that smirk was making her feel weak at the knees.) A grin crossed Taki's face before sobering up swiftly.

"We'll need to face them. Together. Find out what they're going to do about us," she paused for a moment. "Take them out the fight if we have to. I can't have them interfere with my plans."

"I would have thought you'd have gone to face them alone?" Setsuka asked and Taki shrugged.

"I'm not a fool. There are at least two of them involved in any fight. Three of we include Maxi," she paused and looked at Setsuka. "We'll have to separate him from them. Maybe get him to think that he's going to face Astoroth or something."

"Or Kilik and Xianghua will come with him," Setsuka pointed out and Taki groaned.

"Yoshimitsu is also about. I knocked him out, but that stupid idiot is likely to not get the message. We might have to deal with him at some point. But make priority on dealing with Kilik and his friends."

"Is there anything we could do to get them sent home? I would rather not have to end up finishing them," Setsuka asked and Taki shook her head.

"Even if we could, I won't risk them doing something to stay. Run away, hide, something like that," she said and she shook her head. "It's sad really. We're working for the same ends, but they're determined to make sure that it's them."

"Until night falls, we're going to have to go to school with all these clueless Americans who know nothing of Soul Edge or magic and pretend that everything is normal."

Taki gave a bitter laugh.

"I doubt the Americans will remain oblivious for long," she said grimly. "Soul Edge is far from subtle in it's effects."

"Girls! Breakfast is in five minutes. Get yourself ready and downstairs now!" bellowed Mitsurugi as he knocked on the door and Setsuka growled.

"If I can keep up the pretence that I don't hate Professor Mitsurugi, I'm sure pretending that everything is well with the world will be almost child's play," she said and she opened the door. "Come on, let's go downstairs."

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"Good morning Amy," Raphael said as he sat down at the breakfast table.

"Good morning," Amy replied in a dull monotone, her eyes glowing with a purple light.

"Breakfast is ready Master Raphael," a young maid with green hair and deathly pale skin said as she placed bacon and eggs in front of him and Amy.

"It's a beautiful day out there. Why don't you see if you can enjoy the fresh air?" he asked with a wave of his hand. "It s something you should enjoy."

"Day…" Amy said in the same dull monotone. No excitement, no joy, no fear. Nothing at all. He could have been talking about anything and it would have made little difference. Raphael sighed.

"We could visit the coast. The cliffs around here offer some spectacular views. Perhaps you could enjoy seeing the waves as they crash against the shore? Or perhaps I'm just being an old man and you'd like to go clubbing or whatever it is kids these days get up to."

Amy continued to be unresponsive, barely murmuring a handful of incoherent words and her eyes remained lifeless. It was little better than talking to a corpse, but he hoped that somehow, somewhere deep down, he was getting through to his adoptive daughter.

"She shows no sign of improvement master," the maid said and Raphael waved her away with a hint of frustration. "She can only be cured in a world made for her."

"Be that as it may, I will still talk in the hope of getting through. I know my daughter's in there and I'm not letting her go," he replied in a deadly voice. The maid however, did not so much as blink. Her own eyes remained as lifeless as those of Amy. "Tell me, have you any further news of the two swords?"

"The creature known as Nightmare was seen in the town of Heatherfield. He attacked a local jewellery shop. He must have encountered a piece of Soul Edge," the maid informed him listlessly.

"And what of Soul Calibur? Is there news of that?"

"A man matching the description of Seigfried was seen in the area. It is possible that he has Soul Calibur with him and wishes to end the evil sword."

"That will not do. I will have to deal with him in time. Send out our tracker and locate where he is," Raphael said with a wave of his hand. "We must ensure that the two swords survive, by whatever means necessary."

"What shall the tracker do once they locate him master?" the maid asked and Raphael smiled.

"Keep him under observation. I will deal with him personally," he paused and smiled at Amy, taking her hand in his. "Fear not dear Amy, you will be healed and the light in your eyes restored. I promise you, I will do whatever it takes."

"Takes…" Amy echoed. "Takes…"

Finishing his breakfast, he stood up and made smoothed out his suit. Slipping his shoes on his feet, he looked out over the town of Heatherfield and sneered. They had no idea what lay hidden in their town, the power that was to be unleashed. He turned and smiled at Amy, before giving her a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"Stay well daughter. I will return soon," he said and with that he left, comfortable in the knowledge that his malfested servants would care for her.

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"We need to talk about Setsuka," Kilik said as the three of them sat down for breakfast and Maxi smirked.

"Yeah. Can't have you facing more umbrellas," he said and Xianghua sniggered. Kilik however, remained stoically serious.

"She is seeking out the cursed sword. But she seeks it out for her own objectives and she is too vulnerable to the sword's influence," he continued and Maxi sighed.

"Dude, she's got Taki with her. Not much we can do anyway. How you finding school in the land of Elvis?" Maxi asked and his two friends rolled their eyes.

"Not everything has to be about Elvis," Xianghua replied with a slight smile and Kilik growled.

"That's not important! Soul Edge is here and it will unleash-"

"Untold horrors upon the world and scar all those who meet it. Yeah, yeah, I get it," Maxi said as he leaned back in his chair. I swear man, my calluses have it memorised. No need to tell us again. But we find the sword before anyone else does and we're golden I reckon. Might as well have fun while we wait,"

"I don't like taking that risk," Kilik growled back and Maxi sighed.

"Kilik, Maxi has a point," Xianghua said as she put a hand on his arm. "We can hardly fight anyone now."

"I don't wanna get sent home just because you can't wait," added Maxi. "Might as well take in the scenery and enjoy yourself while you wait. You don't need to be beating yourself up all the time you know."

"Yeah, and maybe we could get away and enjoy a nice romantic stroll by the cliffs?" Xiagnhua said and Kilik gave her a small smile.

"A walk along the cliffs sounds like a good idea. Just the two of us," he said as he smiled at Xianghua. "We haven't had time for that lately. And with everything coming up…the peace and tranquillity will do us good."

"Man, you two are so sappy. Maybe I should pick up an American girlfriend while I'm here," Maxi said as he leaned back in his chair. "I'm sure I could find some Baywatch babe to keep me company."

"You can hardly bring your girlfriend out to fight with us," Kilik pointed out in a serious tone, but his eyes were sparkling with amusement. Maxi simply smirked back.

"Nah, I'll just have a girlfriend so hot, the bad guys will just be burned away. That and my awesomeness," he replied and Xianghua slapped him playfully.

"You're such an idiot!" she said with amusement.

"You spend too much time watching bad American television," Kilik added, a small smile tugging at his lips. "You do know that there's better stuff than old slow-motion intros to watch?"

"You guys have no appreciation for the classics," Maxi countered, his grin beginning to break his face in two. Kilik however, sobered up as Taki and Setsuka entered the room.

"What about Taki? If Setsuka's told her about what happened last night, could she regard us as a serious threat to her?"

"Those two are practically in one another's pockets," Maxi said with a snort of contempt. "Of COURSE they talked."

"Then we need to be ready for the possibility that they may try make sure we're not a threat," Kilik said as he stared at the two girls and Xianghua sighed.

"You don't know that for certain. We outnumber them by one," Xianghua pointed out and Kilik shrugged.

"She's also the leader of the Fu-Ma ninja clan. Even with their recent devastation, she wouldn't be leader if she wasn't capable," Kilik countered. "It might not happen, but it wouldn't surprise me if she's already working out at least one contingency."

"Well all we have to do is make sure we don't get separated," Xianghua pointed out. "If we stick together, it shouldn't be a problem."

"See? THAT'S how you solve a problem like that. Simply and with no extra hassle," Maxi said, waving a hand at Xianghua. "No overthinking it or anything like that. Just simple sense."

"I agree, Xianghua's idea is a good one and perhaps the best one we have at the moment," Kilik said, nodding in agreement. "But I would still prefer to know more."

"Well unless they come over and start bragging about it, I don't think we will until it happens," Maxi replied. "So chill. You'll do yourself no favours wearing yourself out."

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Memories.

Lizardman turned and twisted in his sleep as distant memories of his human self assailed his mind, teasingly sitting just out of reach. His sense of loss, an aching familiarity all played through his mind like a discordant tune. Memories of a family he no longer knew.

A faint sense of revulsion as he looked at his hand slowly morphing into that of a lizard. Looking into a broken mirror and not recognising the creature that looked back at him. Long blond hair that a woman he should have known used to brush aside.

He woke with a howl. His memories, his soul stolen by that sword! The memories that assailed him as he slept, nightmares and half formed things that he felt he should have known.

His pack gathered around him cautiously. Fellow lizard men, like him. Their sleep was peaceful. They were born this way, but he was not. He was human once upon a time and it clawed at him in his sleep, the last vestiges of his humanity.

He roared to the sky once more, his monstrous form reasserting itself as his humanity vanished once more. The sun was shining, warming even their abandoned little corner of Heatherfield.

He sniffed the air cautiously. Soul Edge was nearby, but as his stomach rumbled, he decided that there were other more pressing needs to be met. It was time to hunt. Food was plentiful in this pathetic little human place.

There were human places to eat of course and oh so much waste. It was as though these people had no idea what they left behind. Rats and cats were easily found and all sorts of scavengers.

Shaking the last of his dreams and his humanity away for now, they began their hunt.