"Let's go, Annalise," Siegfried finally said the next dawn, slinging on his bihander, which he spent most of his time shining, besides talking to you. He stood and watched as you groggily got out of bed. You rubbed your eyes with your forearm, yawning loudly. He smiled smally and pulled you out, though you were still half asleep. You looked up at him bitterly, grumbling as you headed to the bath house, taking a few minutes to shower and put on your traveling clothes.
"Goodbye, you two," Lynette waved, "And be careful!" You waved back in return, though Siegfried continued without a second glance back.
You two followed a long, winding road down, until Siegfried suddenly turned towards the forest. You enjoyed walking through it, though it was a bit breezy. But oh well!
Alas, as you exited the forest, you gave a broad smile at the sunlight and azure sky. You ran ahead of Siegfried, feeling a lot more jovial now that you weren't cooped up in camp. Father down the hill top there lurked an ominous mansion. You halted, feeling it was awfully familiar. "What is it?" Siegfried asked, striding next to you. You looked at him, then back at the palazzo.
"That's Valentine Mansion, isn't it?" You asked.
He nodded, "It's also where we'll be going." He walked ahead, nearly making you run after him.
Siegfried knocked at the mansion's large and extravagant doors. Nobody answered. He tried again, but before he landed another knock, the door slowly swung open itself. You both looked at each other in wonder, then entered as quietly and cautiously as possible.
The interior was absolutely wondrous and beautiful. The walls were lined with art of different medias, the people in the paintings looking solemn but rich and noble. A long purple carpet trailed down to a wide marble staircase, which went very high, maybe to a hundred steps. The landing of that staircase led to two other divisions of staircases-one leading to the left and one towards the right. You continued forward, gazing all around. Siegfried stayed put, though kept his guard up.
His eyes suddenly shot wide open. "ANNALISE!" He lunged forward and pushed you to the side, a segmented sword shooting out of the ground from where you just stood. Siegfried made sure that you landed on him rather than he land on you, though swiftly moved again as the sword swerved towards the both of you. There was a familiar evil laugh that filled the halls, making Siegfried freeze from nervousness.
But you, however, felt differently. "Ivy!" You yelled excitedly, another attack of the sickle coming towards you. It stopped just an inch before your face, pausing and then retreating. There was the sound of boots against the marble floor, and you immediately looked up the staircase to see the same old Ivy, looking seductive and younger than her age.
She was a friend of your mother, and you had visited her a few times when you were younger. Strangely, she adored you, attempting to teach you many things that was way beyond your level back then. Maybe nowadays you'll understand better.
Ivy gracefully walked down the stairs, her smile growing wider as she recognized your petite form. "Is that you, Annalise?" She called, stepping in front of you. She bent forward slightly to be sure, then ruffled your hair and gave you a big bear hug. "Annalise, my sweetie!" She exclaimed, spinning you around. Siegfried arched his brow, standing and staring at the two of you conversing. "I thought you would have been...Well..."
"Dead?" You finished sadly for her. You smiled again. "Ah, well, It doesn't matter!" She smiled in return, then looked up at Siegfried, acting as though he had only appeared a second ago to just destroy something precious of hers.
"And what do you want?" She snarled, letting you go to glare at Siegfried. With a sigh, he began the story of Nightmare, Soul Edge, and Soul Calibur.
At the end of the story, Ivy merely chuckled at Siegfried. She slowly drew her sword, pointing it at his face. Siegfried understood, drawing his own bihander. You gaped at them, especially at Ivy. You were about to speak, but Ivy had cut you off. "Darling, I do hope you remember where the guest room is. Wait for me there. We shall enjoy tea time together later." You looked back at Siegfried. He nodded once.
"It's all right, Annalise," he muttered, giving a soft smile. You pursed your lips. You didn't want to interfere and get in the way, so you obediently made your way to Ivy's guest room. The fight took much longer than expected. In the end, though, Ivy returned in a bloody mess. Siegfried was close behind, not as bloody, but just as tired. By the looks of their faces, they seemed to be arguing.
"If you won't tell me anything," Siegfried concluded, "Then at least let Annalise stay with you." Ivy stood silent for a long while, turning to face him. You immediately stood on your feet.
"You can't do that, Siegfried!" You exclaimed, though Ivy had held her hand up for silence.
"Yes, I will let her stay. But you, Siegfried, will leave immediately." You opened your mouth to object, but Ivy continued, "It is for your own good, Annalise...This is something Siegfried must handle alone." You looked at Siegfried, who looked back at you. He held a look of sorrow, though immediately turned his gaze to the side once you realized his pain. He was just as reluctant for you to stray away from him, but he couldn't forget about your safety. Ivy sighed, leaving the room for you and Siegfried to have a few moments together.
"Annalise," Siegfried called after a long moment of silence, walking up to you. You kept your gaze to the floor, clenching your fists. He frowned, raising his arms to hold you, but replacing them at his sides. "I'm sorry...I just...I don't want to hurt you. Or let anyone else harm you." He paused, for you had stepped into his arms, embracing him tightly. He smiled slightly, embracing you in return. "But I will promise you that I'll come back for you...And when I do, I swear I'll be a better man." You smiled and held down your churning emotions, closing your eyes as he kissed your forehead. "I'll miss you." He muttered, letting go abruptly and walking off. You stayed put and continued to look at the floor, Ivy soon walking in and clutching your shoulder. She hugged you tightly in an attempt to comfort you. You began to tear, crying on her shoulder.
"He won't die because of this Nightmare, will he?" You asked shakily. Ivy frowned deeply, not daring to answer with the truth.
