#[ rebellion. ] i always wondered; why did my father give me the rebellion? if the yamato can separate man from devil…

[iniziare]

Tag drop: Dante of Sparda (Part 1/2). The last muse that I was inspired and motivated to make as many tags for as possible was Dorian, so here we go. Some of these are subject to change as I am absolutely partial to TaS and will rewatch it soon (semi-selectively), but for now...

[hohuios]

Tag drop: 2/2

[prolestariwrites]

The Wish [8]

Fandom: Devil May Cry Characters: Dante, Vergil, Nero, V, Lady, Eva, Sparda, OC Rating: General Tags: Family, Humor, Fluff, Angst, Typical demon hunting violence

Summary: A demon gives Dante the chance to have his greatest desires made real. When he finds himself in a seemingly idyllic life, all seems well until it starts to unravel. Will he sacrifice himself to save the family he lost, or will he choose to give them up for the truth?

Now Posted: Chapter 8, in which Dante has to face the most intimidating creature of all... his wife.

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Chapter 8: Dante Sparda, Legendary Demon Hunter

Dante pulls up outside of Vergil’s house and turns off the car. They sit in silence for a long moment before he says, “Thanks again for what you did back there.”

“You’re welcome.”

His brother’s voice shakes a bit, but it seems like he’s holding onto control, even if it’s barely. Which is something at least. “It’s funny,” Dante jokes, “you’ve used Summoned Swords on me half a dozen times at least, and this might be the first time you used it to save me.”

“Summoned Swords,” Vergil murmurs. “Is that what that’s called?”

“It’s what you called it in my world. Although it’s a bit different there.”

Vergil nods, and silence settles again. Dante scratches his chin as he searches for what to say. “You know, Nero can do it too. Surprised the hell out of me the first time I saw it.”

“Nero.” Vergil turns his face to the window. “I should get inside.”

“Yeah. But, Verge…” Dante sighs as Vergil looks back at him. It is obvious his brother needs him now: he needs comfort, reassurance, something to help him process everything and come to terms with the truth. He needs wisdom. He needs tact and compassion.

Damn it all. “I’ll pick you up in the morning,” Dante says. “Then we’ll look for dad.”

“Yeah.”

Vergil reaches for the car door and Dante blurts out, “Don’t worry about anything. We’ll find him. And if any demons show up, you can use Yamato. You’re a better fighter than I am, so you’ll be fine.”

“I’m not a swordsman, Dante,” he grumbles. “I haven’t fought with anyone since we were children.”

“But you can. And Mary can too. She’s a way more successful demon hunter than I am.” Vergil frowns at him, but Dante continues, encouraged, “She kicked both our asses. She’s always got some demon on the run, knows how to use dozens of weapons and make her own even. And Nero? He’s got all kinds of crazy power. He was demon hunting before he even knew how.”

“Nero’s just a child.”

“Yeah, here he is, but in my time, he’s older, and I’ve seen him in action. Took down a whole evil god robot once.” Vergil huffs and shakes his head as Dante leans his elbow on the steering wheel. “I’m just saying, you don’t have to worry. You didn’t think you could fight but then you skewered that guy. So trust that they can handle themselves. And your V, Vitale? He’s not… I don’t know him, he’s not from where I’m from, but if he’s anything like you, then he’s got this too.”

Vergil glances at him briefly before nodding. Then he opens the car door and climbs out, and Dante watches as he hurries up the driveway to his front door, still clutching the sword.

Dante heaves a long sigh before starting the car again. On the drive to home, he wonders what he’s going to do about Lir. He’s still not entirely sure she’s not a demon too, so if he comes clean with her, there’s no telling she won’t attack him just like the bar waitress.

His questions are answered when he walks in the front door. “Dante? Dante!” Lir practically runs to greet him from the kitchen. “There you are! What happened? Are you okay?”

Before he can answer she pulls him into a hug, forcing him to bend over so she can press her cheek to his. “Dante,” she murmurs, and he feels a pang of guilt as he returns the hug. “I was so worried.”

“I’m okay.” He eases up and pushes her hair back from her face. “Why were you worried?”

“Your mom called all frantic. She said your father ran off and broke a window and in his study… there was…” Lir’s voice trails away as she examines his front, and Dante glances down. There are splatters of blood on his jacket and shirt, and he steps back as she gapes. “She said there was blood on the floor. What happened?”

Her eyes are wide with alarm as they rise to meet his. “Let me get cleaned up and I’ll explain.”

Dante eases past her and heads to the kitchen. Lir follows, hanging back in the doorway as he moves to the sink. He uses the minute to think as he runs his hands under the hot water, taking a few pumps of dish soap to clean the blood away. He shuts off the faucet and grabs a dish towel, drying them as he turns to face her.

He leans against the kitchen counter and swallows thickly. “Mom was upset, huh?”

“Very.” Lir takes a step closer before hesitating. “What happened?”

“We… fought. It’s fine,” he says hurriedly, holding up a palm as she opens her mouth. “My dad’s been keeping secrets and I confronted him. It didn’t go well.”

“Secrets?” she asks. “What kind of secrets?”

Dante folds his arms with a sigh. “He’s not who he says he is. He’s… something else.”

“Something else? What does that mean?”

“It means he’s not human.”

He waits for a long moment to let the news absorb. Lir stares at him with wide eyes, and he notices how her fingers tremble as she reaches out to brace against one of the chairs at the little breakfast table. “He’s not human,” she murmurs.

Dante nods and she tilts her head towards him. “And the blood?”

He glances down at his soiled shirt. “That was my mistake. Dad was lying and I wanted him to tell Vergil the truth. So I stabbed him with a sword.”

“You stabbed him?”

“Yeah. He was fine though. Got right up.” Dante chuckles. “Shoulda seen the look on his face. Serves the old man right. He kept refusing to come clean, and I—”

“Dante.” His mouth snaps shut as she sinks into the chair, looking pale. “I don’t understand any of this.”

“If it makes you feel any better, this isn’t all his blood.” Lir looks up sharply as he spreads his arms. “Vergil and I got a drink afterwards and got attacked by a couple of demons in the bar. Had to kill a waitress and all I had was a chair leg, if you can believe it. Luckily Vergil came through. Wasn’t that bad, he killed the bartender.”

“You killed a waitress?”

Dante winces. “Okay, it sounds really bad when you say it like that. But they were demons, I swear.” He starts to walk towards her, and Lir scrambles up, pressing back against the wall. The fear on her face makes him freeze, and he watches as her eyes start to tear up. “Hey, relax. Really. It’s gonna be fine.”

He takes another step and Lir launches herself across the kitchen, diving for the knife block. She pulls a long bread knife from its slot and spins, holding it out like a magic wand as if to ward him off. “Don’t come any closer!” she shrieks.

“Okay. Obviously I’m telling this story wrong.” Dante holds up his palms. “I’m not gonna hurt you. See?”

“You’re crazy!” she cries. “Demons? Killing?” He rolls his eyes and she shakes her head furiously. “Stay away from me!”

She steps to the side, keeping pressed against the counter, as she fishes her cell phone from her pocket. Dante frowns as she swipes it on. “What are you doing?”

“I’m calling the police.”

Her voice has an edge now, and Dante can see she’s a dangerous mixture of frightened and furious. “I’ll just go,” he suggests.

Lir shoots him a look to kill as she raises the phone to her ear. “Hello? Yes? Yes, I need the police, my husband—”

As she speaks, something catches Dante’s attention, like a pinprick on his neck. His head turns just as the ceiling explodes in a shower of drywall, the window shattering as something breaks through. Lir screams and he sees her drop the phone in the corner of his eye, and Dante steps between her and the two demons that now stand towering in their kitchen.

He looks up at the hole in the ceiling and grits his teeth when he sees the sky. “We have a fucking door you know,” he growls.

“Dante!”

Lir’s voice is wild with panic, and he holds out a hand. He curses silently, knowing her being here is going to just make this harder. It’s bad enough to fight a demon when a human is around, but now his instinct to protect her is screaming loud enough in his head to drown out any reason. He’s got to get her safe, and then he can deal with them.

“Lir, I want you to run.”

“What?”

“Get to the front door and run. Now!”

He doesn’t know if she obeys because at that moment they advance. Once again he tries to summon Rebellion, and again he realizes he’s left it in the damn car. Two sets of teeth and four sets of claws come for him with a screech, and then Dante is dodging, throwing one punch after another as he tries to make a plan. One of the demons picks up the toaster and throws it at him, making him duck. It sails over his head and implants into the wall behind him. “What the hell!”

One of the demons grabs his leg, pulling him to the ground. Dante lurches to the counter as he falls and grabs a drawer, yanking it free with one pull. He prays it has something he can use, but inside are dish towels. “Damn it,” he mutters, but he swings the drawer, which breaks with a spray of splinters as it hits one demon full on the face. It falls back and lets his leg go, and Dante scrambles to his feet, pulling open another cabinet.

This one has plates at least, so he grabs the stack and throws them one by one at the other demon. They explode in its face, the porcelain shattering loudly as it falls in pieces to the floor, but they disorient it enough that Dante can deliver a kick that sends it sailing across the kitchen. Before the two demons can recover, he lunges at the knife block, and with a steak knife in each hand, he quickly dispatches them both, slitting their heads open, both collapsing in a pool of dark blood.

Dante catches his breath and drops the two knives in the sink. When he turns, he finds Lir on the ground, her knees drawn up as she gapes at him.

“Lir…” he murmurs with a wince. They stare at each other for a long moment, and he takes in the pieces of drywall stuck in her hair, the way her shoulders shake, the bright flush on her face. But she’s alive, that’s all that matters. The rest of this shit he can explain, and fix, and make up to her.

Just then, there is the sound of someone talking, and they both look down at the phone on the ground. It looks like it takes a half minute for her to remember what it is, but then she jerks it up to her ear. “Hello? Hello, yes I’m here. No, no, everything’s fine.” Her eyes are wide as they take in the mess now that it’s settled, but her voice is steady. “I thought my husband was hurt, but he’s fine. A cabinet fell over in the kitchen, that was all the commotion. I’m so sorry.” She listens for a moment and then says, “Really, it’s not necessary. We’re fine.”

Dante takes a deep breath as she finishes the call, looking out the hole in the wall where the window used to be. He scans the darkness for any more demons, but his senses don’t pick anything else up. Lir says goodbye, and he glances over as she presses a finger to the screen before slowly setting the phone on the ground.

Their gazes connect, and he feels a twist in his chest as he sees tears swimming in her eyes. But then Lir scrambles towards him, and he catches her in a tight hug, her face pressed to his neck. Dante gives a small smile as he holds her closely, rubbing a soothing hand on her back as her breath shakes against his skin.

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“So that’s everything.” Dante looks over at the passenger side, where Lir stares straight ahead. “Sorry I didn’t tell you earlier.”

Her eyes fall to where her hands sit in her lap. “So you’re not Dante? My husband?”

“I guess not,” he replies. “I mean, I’m Dante, but I don’t know if I’m him or if he’s me or if…” He rubs his face and glances at the clock on the dashboard which shows it’s nearly midnight. The gas station they had pulled into is deserted, and the light from the shelters over the pumps gives enough light that he can see the pained expression on her face. “Sorry. I keep saying the wrong thing. And uh, I guess I should apologize… for the other night—”

“No, it’s…” She glances over, almost shyly, and Dante’s heart skips a beat. “You’re still him, just not him him. I think.”

“Right.” He chuckles humorlessly with a half smile. “You hungry?”

Lir shakes her head. “Not really. I’m exhausted.”

“Let’s get some rest then.” He starts the car and pulls out of the parking lot, heading down the nearly empty street. After a few turns he finds a little motel, and Lir luckily doesn’t argue when he parks. She stops to grab the bag she had packed in haste before they fled the house as he heads into the office, emerging a minute later with a room key. “Funny, the guy didn’t blink twice even though I’m a mess,” he jokes.

Dante grabs Rebellion from the trunk, remembering this time, before he leads her to room six.  But he hesitates when he slides the key into the lock. “I guess I should have gotten two rooms?” he murmurs.

“No. I don’t want to be alone.” She presses her hand on his back lightly. “It’s fine.”

He nods as they enter, flicking on the lights as Lir follows inside. There is a Queen-sized bed in the middle, a television, a chair and table, and Lir shrugs off her jacket before opening the bag. She pulls out a pair of jeans and a t-shirt, holding them out to him. “Do you want to get cleaned up?”

“Yeah.” Lir doesn’t look up at him as he takes the clothes, and not knowing what else to say, he heads into the bathroom.

His reflection is a mess, his hair sticky strands covered in blood and dirt. His face and neck aren’t much better, and as he strips off his clothes, he thinks about what he must have looked like arriving home like that. “This is why I never got married,” he mutters to himself as he turns on the faucet. “Too much trouble.”

His dialogue continues as he starts the shower and unwraps the little bar of free soap, listing the reasons why a relationship and marriage don’t mix with demon hunting: too much blood. Too much laundry. Too many questions. Weapons. Blood. Death.

He leans his forearm on the tile, watching as red swirls around the drain until the water goes clear. Stupid fucking wish, he thinks. This life he had always wanted? It’s not possible, and he needs to accept that and move on. He had no idea what he was asking for, Dante realizes.

It makes sense, really, he tells himself as he towels off. After all, Lady didn’t have anybody. Neither did Trish. Whoever Nero’s mother was, it couldn’t have lasted long before Vergil was gone, if his brother even knew he had a kid in the first place. Too much liability when you have someone in your life. He remembers Lir’s scream as the demons crashed into their home, the way the fear hit in a way he hadn’t experienced in a long, long time. But Nero has managed it, hasn’t he? He has Kyrie, and goes home to her every night, blood and guts and all. Dante frowns, wondering if it’s not meant to last. It would kill the kid to lose her.

Sparda, Vergil, him, now Nero… their whole family, one after another, losing someone close before disappearing too. Like some big cosmic joke.

Lir is curled up on the pillows, the lights off and the television on. She pulls back the covers when he climbs up to join her, and Dante smiles a bit when she repositions herself with her head on his chest and her arms tightly wrapped around him. “This okay?” she asks.

“Yeah,” he whispers.

“I’m sorry I didn’t believe you.”

Dante snorts. “Nah. It’s a crazy story, I know.”

“I pulled a knife on you.”

“Not the first time someone’s done that.”

Lir stiffens a bit before lifting her head. She looks at him sadly, but he grins. “Don’t worry about it.”

“You didn’t tell me who I am,” she says.

Dante glances away with a shrug. “I don’t know you in my time. We never met.”

“Oh.” She lays her head back down against his shoulder, and Dante settles his hand on her hip. “I’m glad we got to meet here.”

“Yeah, me too.”

Dante listens as Lir’s breathing goes steady, her body sinking against him as she falls asleep. He stays awake, watching the light behind the curtain grow darker before slowly turning gray. By the time the sun comes up, his decision is made.

[itachi-uchiha-deserved-better]

There were seven of them gathered in the tent that was serving as the temporary council chamber while the leaf village was being rebuilt. Kakashi sat at the head of the circular table, looking uncomfortable in the position of authority that had been thrust upon him in Tsunade’s absence. Next to Kakashi on his left was Shikaku Nara, with Shikamaru seated next to his father. On Kakashi’s right side sat Gai, Yamato, Naruto and then finally there was Sakura, sitting opposite Kakashi, wondering when in the hell she had become important enough to warrant an explicit invitation to a council meeting.

The elders, Sakura noted, were not in attendance. Kakashi had placed both of them under guard since Danzo’s treachery at the five Kage summit came to light. It didn’t really come as much of a surprise to Sakura that the Jonin of the village were hesitant to trust them with matters of importance.

Kakashi fiddled with his pen, as he seemed to search for the best way to approach whatever it was that was important enough for him to call a council meeting in the first place. He kept shooting Yamato glances, which Yamato always answered with a quirked eyebrow or a shake of the head, like there was a silent discussion going on between them. Sakura watched the exchange with fascination as she doodled on the note pad in front of her.

“Fine.” Kakashi growled, ending whatever argument he and Yamato were apparently having, “I guess we ought to just get on with it.” He took a breath, put the pen down very carefully, so that it was sitting perfectly straight in front of him. He swept his gaze around the room, locking eyes with each person who sat at the table in turn.

“You know I’m not the type to do things as officially as they should be done. Were it not for the delicate nature of this matter, I’d have left it for Tsunade to deal with when she recovers. Unfortunately, this is a matter that won’t wait until our Hokage is back on her feet.”

The air in the room seemed to grow still and heavy with tension. Everyone seemed to pick up on the carefully chosen words Kakashi used. Our Hokage. Not him. He had no desire to lead them. When Tsunade wakes up. Because none of them wanted to consider the other outcome.

“As you know, Yamato and I were present for the majority of the 5 Kage summit. I believe everyone here has read our reports regarding the proceedings of the summit and Danzo’s attempt at treason. That is not what we are here to discuss. This meeting is in regards to what happened before our arrival at the summit location. About information intentionally withheld from the official reports.”

Sakura observed the room. A large part of her medical training had focused on sharpening her observational skills. Teaching her to pick up on subtle changes around her, so that she can make decisions with the most information possible. So her keen gaze immediately picks up on the way that Shikaku straightened up in his chair as Kakashi admits to withholding information from the official documentation of their mission. She notes how Shikamaru’s gaze snaps to Naruto’s face, then to hers, trying to read the situation the same way that she was. She can almost visualize tangible waves of tension rolling off of Yamato and the worried look that Gai is giving her Sensei. It seemed that he had at least some inkling of what was going on.

“Honestly, I wasn’t sure that this information should be shared with anyone. The source is questionable, but Yamato and I agree that given the potential ramifications for the village if the information we’ve been given is accurate, that at least the people in this room need to be aware of it.”

More glances shot around the table. Naruto at Sakura. Sakura at Yamato. Yamato and Gai at Kakashi. Shikaku and Shikamaru at all of them. The silence in the room swelled until Shikaku quietly prompted Kakashi, “please continue.”

“Itachi Uchiha.”

The name sent a shockwave through the room. White hot anger flared in Sakura. Itachi. Sasuke’s older brother. The shinobi who had murdered his entire clan in cold blood, who had tried to kidnap Naruto, who was directly involved with the organization that had killed Gaara, that had destroyed Konoha and caused so much pain to the person that she loved. Even if he didn’t love her back, Sakura could never forgive Itachi for the pain he inflicted on Sasuke.

Naruto was shrinking in his seat, like the name was a heavy weight descending on his shoulders. Shikaku and Shikamaru were both now sitting straight backed in their seats, giving Kakashi their undivided attention. Only Yamato and Gai remained impassive.

“What about the Uchiha?” Shikaku asked as the impact of the name started to settle.

“It seems that there is much more to Itachi’s actions than the village was initially lead to believe. Our information indicates that Itachi held no grudge against his clan. That his crimes, while heinous, were carried out under direct order from village leaders.”

Shikamaru laughed, the sound breaking through the tension like a paper bomb exploding in Sakura’s ears, “You must be joking. You can’t honestly believe that Lord Third would have allowed-“

Shikaku grabbed Shikamaru’s arm, and shooting him a sharp look to silence him.

Kakashi sighed, “I understand your skepticism. Like I said, Yamato and I don’t trust the source of our information, but given Danzo’s treachery and how long that was allowed to go on unnoticed, I don’t think we can dismiss anything outright. By the same token, none of this is to leave this tent. Until we are able to verify or disprove the claim, I want to keep this thing quiet.”

Shikamaru huffed, but Shikaku nodded thoughtfully, “Kakashi, you were his Anbu captain at one point. You probably know the most about Itachi of anyone present. Do you believe it’s possible that he was manipulated into massacring his clansmen?”

Sakura expected Kakashi to answer immediately. The entire thought of the village ordering a man to kill his entire clan was ludicrous.

Wasn’t it?

But Kakashi didn’t answer. One minute passed in silence and still Kakashi was sitting there, glaring down at his pen, unable to answer Shikaku’s question. It was Yamato who eventually spoke up.

“I served alongside Itachi on team Ro. Speaking frankly, I could never wrap my head around it. The Itachi I knew wasn’t capable of harboring that much hatred. Even with the proof right in front of our eyes, I couldn’t make sense of it.”

Sakura breathed in a sharp breath of surprise. Neither Kakashi or Yamato ever really spoke about their Anbu days, so she had been completely ignorant of the fact that they’d both been on a team with Itachi, much less been friends with him.

Did Sasuke know?

Kakashi nodded his head, “I agree with Yamato, Itachi Uchiha’s actions never made sense to me. I accepted that I must have missed the signs back then and once everything was said and done, I tried my best not to think about it. About him. He was my teammate, and I had failed him. But if this is true, then I failed him even worse than I ever could have believed.” Kakashi hung his head and Sakura could see how much this pained him. She could only imagine what he felt, having this ghost of his past being dragged back up to the surface, especially after so much recent pain and loss.

“Regardless of my and Yamato’s personal feelings about the man, there are other factors which lead us to believe that at least parts of the information we were given are true. Danzo did possess a number of Sharingan, including an eye that we can confirm belonged to Shisui Uchiha, who supposedly committed suicide by the Naka. Itachi was, at the time, suspected of murdering his cousin.”

Another pause, as Kakashi allowed the information to sink in. Shikaku was nodding his head in recognition of the name. Shikamaru was studying his father closely. Sakura could hear Naruto grinding his teeth in frustration.

“Alright,” Shikaku tapped his finger on the table, “Lets have it then. The whole story.”

Kakashi obliged, and slowly the story came out, with Yamato jumping in when it seemed that Kakashi was struggling to find the right words. About the plan for a coup d'etat that had been brewing within the Uchiha clan. The orders to spy on the Uchiha, to monitor them for signs of rebellion. Itachi’s assignment to team Ro, and his early promotion to captain under Danzo. About the death of a man named Shisui, who according to this had thrown himself off a cliff only after Danzo had stolen one of his eyes. The coup coming to a head, and Hiruzen asking Itachi to buy time to find a better solution than annihilation, and Itachi being approached later by Danzo, with a promise- that Itachi could ensure his little brother’s survival if he singlehandedly stopped the coup. The implication that if Itachi refused, Danzo would ensure the clan’s destruction, Sasuke and Itachi included.

The clan’s lives for Sasuke’s life. That was the deal that was put forth. And Itachi had accepted.

But it was the final bit of the story that chilled Sakura to her core.

“Hiruzen was aware of Itachi’s orders. While he may not have issued them himself, if our source is to be believed, he also made no effort to intervene. Its true that the Uchiha massacre solved the problem of the coup d'etat once and for all. But the only way it ended without anyone losing faith in Hiruzen was for Itachi to shoulder the blame. If he’d remained in the leaf village, Hiruzen would have been forced to punish him for the massacre. So instead, Hiruzen let Itachi leave the village, left the barrier jutsu formula intact so that Itachi could come and go as long as he remained hidden, and Itachi decided to join the Akatsuki. Not as a missing-nin, but as Konoha’s spy.”

Shikaku hummed, nodding his head, “I never was able to come up with a good reason why Hiruzen left the barrier jutsu formula alone. I assumed he believed that Itachi must not have any more reason to target the leaf, but even then when word came that Itachi had joined the Akatsuki, he ought to have changed it.”

“Right,” Kakashi was rubbing at his temple, probably fighting off a headache. He’d had a number of those since his brush with death at the hands of Pein.

“There are piece that add up. The barrier formula. The fact that the leaf village always had more intelligence on the Akatsuki and their movements than the other villages did. Danzo’s possession of the Uchiha eyes, Shisui’s eye especially. But there are also pieces I cant explain. Like why that bastard locked me in a seventy two hour genjutsu that almost killed me. And the only person who could confirm any of this, as far as I know, has been dead for three years.”

Gai said something in response to that, but Sakura had stopped listening, their voices fading to the background as something started to click in her head.

Konoha’s spy.

Had to stay hidden.

Could come and go as he pleased.

Her mind was spinning. Recalling strange orders issued by Tsunade. Treating a shinobi outside the hospital. Not allowed to use her healing chakra at all, only basic medical skills. The threat of being stripped of her rank as a shinobi if she disobeyed. A strange Anbu who never spoke. Who suppressed his chakra at all times. Who had eerily familiar eyes that always seemed to be filled with something she could never hope to understand.

“Sakura? Sakura are you alright?” Naruto’s hand was on her shoulder, shaking her gently. Tenzo and Kakashi were both watching her with concern, “You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”

The name. Recognition like a bolt of lightning struck her and Sakura stood up so quickly that she sent her chair flying back with a crash.

She felt like she was going to explode. Every eye in the tent was on her, waiting for some kind of explanation for her sudden reaction. How on earth could she not have put it together earlier? Then again, she’d never been given any reason to suspect that Ghost, the strange anbu operative in the blank mask was Sasuke’s older brother.

Tsunade. Tsunade must have known. Her orders were to protect Ghost’s identity, because if Sakura had felt his chakra, even for an instant, she would have recognized the similarities to Sasuke’s, and there was only one other Uchiha left in the world. So many thoughts were crashing around inside Sakura’s mind. Anger. Anger at Ghost…Itachi…for lying to her, even if he had no other choice. It wasn’t like she would have ever helped him before if she knew who he was. She’d have been the first person to turn him in, no matter how much kindness he’d shown her. Anger at Tsunade, for allowing the farce to continue, despite knowing that Itachi had made the only choice he could have. Anger that Hiruzen, for failing to intervene and stop all the pain that the massacre caused. For Sasuke, and for Itachi.

Her eyes met Kakashi’s steady gaze. Her sensei, always so adept at reading what troubled her, waited patiently for her mouth to catch up to her mind.

“You knew?”

“No.” Not a lie. She hadn’t known, “But I’m pretty sure this is the truth. I…” gods above how did she even begin to explain it all? To explain about Ghost, his strange behavior, the bizarre connection they shared.

Tenzo was her saving grace. He seemed to have put some of the pieces together himself.

“The Anbu? The one you told me about?”

Sakura nodded and sank back down into her chair, hugging her arms into herself. The eyes of the group moved off of Sakura, looking to Tenzo for more information.

“Earlier this year, Sakura confided in me about a patient of hers. She wanted to know if I was aware of an Anbu agent whose mask was blank, no markings at all. She told me that Tsunade had asked her to treat him and that the arrangement came with some unusual orders which had her uncomfortable.”

Kakashi raised an eyebrow, “Are you referring to-“ Kakashi cut off, but Tenzo nodded, clearly understanding the question. Shikamaru grumbled.

“Care to explain for those of us who can’t read your mind?”

“Ghost,” Tenzo shot back, “It’s a…well for lack of better terms, it’s a ghost story that exists among the Anbu. A few years back a few genin claimed they were saved by an Anbu agent in a blank white mask, who slaughtered the enemy shinobi who were attacking them and then disappeared without a trace. No one believed them, but since then all kinds of stories about the faceless mask have popped up. Most of them are incredibly far fetched, but there are elements that remain consistent throughout. Black hair. Always alone. Never leaves any survivors except for leaf shinobi. Only fights with Kunai and a tanto, never jutsu. At least, none that anyone ever sees. I didn’t think anything of it, but when Sakura mentioned her patient to me, I did some digging. There is a file for an Anbu agent, codename Ghost, but there’s no serial number on the file, and everything in it was encoded.”

Kakashi sighed, “It’s not proof, but that seems pretty damning.” Apparently Kakashi didn’t have any better explanation that Sakura did.

“In that case, there are a few things to address. First and foremost, it is very likely that Sasuke has also been made aware of the fact that his brother acted under orders. I don’t think he knows about Itachi’s identity as an Anbu operative, but we need to be prepared because I’m not sure what kind of effect this information will have on him. The last I knew, Sasuke’s sole focus was on killing his brother for revenge. It’s quite possible that his desire for revenge will shift to target the village, or at least those he feels most responsible for Itachi’s actions.”

Everyone in the tent nodded their agreement.

“The second question is one of what to do about Itachi himself.”

This time no one nodded. It was a momentous question.

“Are you sure we need to do anything at all?” Shikaku asked, trying to be as gentle with the question as possible. Tenzo slammed his hand down on the table and looked like he wanted to throw himself at Shikaku.

“Of course we have to do something! He’s a leaf shinobi! He’s put his life in danger for the past nine years, alone, hated by everyone in order to protect the village. He deserves to know that he isn’t being held responsible for being forced to make an impossible choice when he was thirteen fucking years old!”

“Easy, Tenzo,” Kakashi seemed to be doing his best to keep his tone level, trying not to let his emotions get the better of him while they sorted things out, “You know that I want to see him again as much as you do, as a friend. But we need to consider what’s best for the village. At the least, I don’t think we need to come to a decision right now. Our first priority is to rebuild the village itself. When Tsunade wakes up, I’m sure she’ll have something to say on the matter.”

Sakura clenched her fist and felt her chakra start flowing into them out of instinct. You better believe that she’ll have something to say. I’ll make sure of it.

She pushed herself up from the table. She needed to hit something. Needed to break something. And if she didn’t leave now, she couldn’t be sure what exactly it was she was going to break. Better safe than sorry.

“Sakura? Going somewhere?”

“For a walk,” She hissed, daring anyone to try and stop her as she stormed out of the tent.

[zenithlux]

Alpha and Omega - 6

I finally did a thing. Four months later You can find it on AO3 Here!

Nero had been incredibly hopeful that this version of his father would be much less stubborn. 

How naive that thought had been. 

“We’re trying to help you,” Angelica said for what felt like the millionth time in the last fifteen minutes they’d been walking. 

“You’re lucky I’m letting you walk with me at all,” Vergil hissed, still holding Yamato like an oddly shaped teddy bear. It might have been cute if their entire future, lives, and whatever else was going on didn’t depend on Nero using it himself.

“Oh for fuck’s…”

“Language.” Nero barked without thinking.

If looks could kill he’d be dead in the ground. “Look,” Angelica tried again. “We know something special about that sword that you don’t.”

“And I told you to feel free to tell me.” Vergil snapped. 

“We have to show you.”

“And I told you no.”

“This is pointless,” Kaiden muttered. “Why don’t you just take it from him?”

Nero had considered that, but he still wasn’t certain what such a thing would do. Did Vergil have a little demon form? Would he attack them? Would he have to fight his own, pint-sized father? Would Vergil remember all of this? If he did, Nero was more than ready to give him a piece of his mind. “Look,” Nero said, stepping in front of them. “I know you’re confused and scared.”

“I am not…”

“But there’s someone that we need you to meet,” Nero interrupted. “A friend of your father’s.”

Vergil’s scowl quivered slightly. “What do you know about my father?”

“If you let me borrow that,” Nero said, pointing to Yamato, “then the guy we’re going to take you to can tell you everything you need to know.” At least, he hoped that was the case. Nero had a feeling that Pythagoras was just as likely to slam the door in their faces than speak to them, but he had to give him a shot. 

“Where is this man?”

“He’s a demon name Pythagoras,” Nero said. “I don’t think he has a door in Redgrave, but he does have one in Fortuna.”

“And how do you expect us to get to Fortuna?”

Angelica looked ready to slap him. Though, to be fair to her, she hadn’t yet. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you!” She said. “We can use Yamato to get there.”

After a long, tense moment in which Vergil’s eyes darted between all three of them - and Nero thought he was about to have to chase him through the city - he finally, finally, held Yamato out. “If you don’t give it back…” His voice quivered, and Nero knew he didn’t have anything to back that sentence up with. He gave him points for trying though. 

“I will,” Nero promised. As he unsheathed it. The blade looked a bit different than he remembered. An old wrap or handle? Maybe. Who knows what happened to it before Vergil put himself back together. But it was just as sharp as always, and Nero could feel the gentle thrum of power from its core. Slowly, he envisioned Fortuna, hoping that his memories of his childhood would be enough to get them there in Vergil’s. When he sliced through the air, a clumsy portal appeared. He heard Vergil gasp as Nero resheathed the blade, satisfied as he handed it back. “You first,” Nero said, praying he wasn’t about to get them all killed. 

Vergil stepped through, followed by the kids. “Damn, Dad,” Angelica said from the other side. “You’ve gotten pretty good at this.” 

Nero rolled his eyes and followed after them, appearing right in front of the blank wall that should have been Pythagoras’ doorway. He hesitated, uncertain whether the demons would even be here. 

“Father,” Kaiden said. “Look.”

Nero glanced behind him, surprised to see that the people in the streets were frozen, just like the members of the castle. “What the hell is going on?” Nero muttered. 

“Language,” Angelica snarked. 

“Oh shut up.”

“About time you showed up.”

All four of them jumped, spinning around as Pythagoras glared at them. “You’ve caused enough problems as it is.”

“You know what’s going on?”

Pythagoras sighed, rubbing his temples. “I sure wish I didn’t.”

--------------

Vergil realized very quickly that he was abysmal at running away from things. It went against every fiber of his being, and his demon half was simultaneously furious that they were running and annoyed over what they were running from. 

His human half… well… he tried not to think about that too much. 

At least he was still aware of his surroundings, as he never could have torn that library apart as precisely as he was. He didn’t know what he was looking for, but he hoped he’d know when he saw it. Unfortunately, it was hard to focus on the task at hand when the powered up remnant of a past (current?) life was hunting him. They were doing a great job of evading Nelo at least, and more than one time had been throw as a distraction. Vergil could just imagine Pythagoras’s death glare at the destruction of his library if they ever saw him again. But now wasn’t the time to think about that. 

“Verge!” Dante yelled from across the way, throwing his arm up in triumph. “I found one!” But before Vergil could see what it was, a sword slashed through the closest bookshelf. Dante jumped to dodge it, then kicked the shelf over. It dropped on Nelo, but the brothers took off before he could recover.

“Where did you find it?”

“In a book.” Dante tossed a small, gray block to Vergil before the two split up again. It was pie-shaped and fit in Vergil’s palm. On the top was a black symbol to match the others on the picture. A book… That did explain why the library was trashed before they’d gotten to it. But what did Nelo or Mundus hope to gain by finding these pieces? What was hidden behind that symbol? “Two more,” Vergil said as they split up again, tearing through books. He found the second one hiding in a corner-  black - and touched it away. One more , he thought, but they were running out of books. Had they missed it? Now that they actually knew what they were looking for, it shouldn’t be too hard to…

Suddenly, Dante leaped across the aisle and threw up the Devil Sword. Yamato collided with it as the bookshelf fell to pieces. Vergil summoned a barrage of summoned swords, but Nelo’s armor was strong enough to withstand it. Dante knocked Yamato away, only for Nelo to swing with Rebellion. As Dante blocked that one and ducked under Yamato, Vergil saw it; a white feather block embedded into Rebellion’s hilt. The last piece of the puzzle attached to an enemy they weren’t sure they could defeat.

Wonderful. 

“Dante,” Vergil said.

“Yep,” Dante grunted. “I see it,” He triggered, tossing Nelo away before chasing after him. But when Vergil moved to do the same, pain shot through his skull. He flinched, stumbling backward as he grabbed for his head. What now?

Find the sword. A voice whispered.

The sword. A second, more feminine voice sang.

The sword. A third, deeper voice said. 

His vision blurred. “Get out of my head.”

We can’t do that, The voices said. Were they the same voices from before? He hadn’t noticed the multiple layers, but the third was certainly familiar. “You are the convergence; our only hope.” 

“Enough!” Vergil snapped. “Just tell me…”

“The sword,” They whispered again. “Find the sword.” 

“Which one!”

The voices said nothing, but Vergil swore he could hear the command echoing in the back of his mind. Which sword? Yamato? Rebellion? He’d already figured out the last piece was in the latter, so what was the point of telling him this? All it was now was a distraction. How did he get Nelo to drop Rebellion? How did he destroy it to pull out the puzzle piece? Dante was fully triggered and barely making a dent in the armor, and Vergil could feel an oppressive air slowly choking him. Was Nelo strong enough to do something like that? Vergil didn’t have a clue what Mundus could have accomplished without Dante to get in his way. But they had to kill him. Whatever creature this Nelo had become, Vergil didn’t think they could escape with him alive. 

Will Ashira see this one too?

“Vergil!” Dante roared, swiping numerous swords of fire in Nelo’s direction. “Got a plan?”

No, Vergil thought, but he wasn’t about to admit it. But he knew that body once. Knew its weaknesses, even though he would never have admitted it. Were they still the same? Maybe if this Nelo never lost, then Mundus would never have had a reason to change him. Not that he bothered with Vergil. The former (current?) demon king had been more than happy to abandon his little pet to endless torture for losing such a battle. But maybe… just maybe.

“The joints,” Vergil said. “The armor had to be weakened at certain points to actually move.”

“It’s all fused now,” Dante said. “I can hear the armor creaking every time this thing moves.”

Vergil didn’t know why the term ‘this thing’ made him flinch. “But that’s where it’ll be the weakest,” He said. “We might be able to break it.”

“It’ll take some time,” Dante said. “This thing’s the hardest shit I’ve ever tried to carve through.”

“I need Rebellion.”

“That I can probably manage,” Dante parried one attack and swiped at Nelo’s knee caps. The suit of armor dodged back and swung out with both swords. Dante dodged through them, kicked Nelo in the back, and plunged forward. Nelo vanished, appearing behind him, and the dance began again. Dante was strong. Vergil knew he had near limitless stamina, but Nelo didn’t seem any weaker than before. Maybe he’d get through him eventually, but they didn’t have all day to fight. 

The chandelier.

His eyes flickered to the ceiling as an idiotic plan filled his mind. There’s no way this will work, He said, shaking his head as he leaped on top of it. The chandelier swayed, and Vergil silently thanked Pythagoras’ gaudy tastes for making something so impossibly large as the centerpiece of his library. He swiped a summoned sword through the first chain, but it took a few more hits than he would have liked. Demonically reinforced steel. Yamato would have cut through that in a heartbeat. He pulled on his demon form, but not enough to draw any attention. Summoned swords shattered. Chain after chain broke. The chandelier swayed back and forth, and the blue flames that flickered on each garish, multi-point candle seemed to grow brighter and brighter. Finally, once all the outside chains were done, Vergil shot for the middle. “Move, Dante!” He snapped as he tore it apart, blinking away. Dante shoved Nelo back, darting away as the chandelier crashed into the suit.  One of the sharp edges plunged through his right elbow, tearing through the weakened piece of armor. His arm, and the sword in it, fell to the side. Dante shattered Rebellion tossing the puzzle piece to Vergil. Nelo rose from the ruins, unfazed by the injuries. But his armor was broken in numerous places, but his shattered arm reformed. 

“Go!” Dante yelled. “I’ll deal with him.”

Vergil nodded, ducking back toward the puzzle. Only three pieces were missing, yet he didn’t have a clue which was meant to go where. At least the various combinations wouldn’t take that long to try, but he certainly wouldn’t put it past Pythagoras to have some kind of trap laid for whoever was wrong. He needed to get it first try, or risk far worse consequences. 

Something… Blue, Purple, Pink, Orange… Something… Green, Yellow…

He’d seen this pattern before, but his mind struggled to remember when. The memory was there, hovering on the edge of his mind. But he couldn’t quite reach it, as if a thick fog were in teh way. 

Blue… Purple…

Ashira… Kaiden?

The image of the Phoenix statue popped into his mind. Of course. He rushed to place the last three, his mind drifting to the flowers Ashira had mentioned before all of this. What does it all mean? He thought, placing the last, white feather piece into the slot. A light spread through all of them, shifting around in the star shape. As it finished, it flashed and cracked open from the center. Vergil flinched, looking away until the light faded and he could finally see what big, important thing Mundus and his other self were looking for. 

His heart plummeted as his gaze met the dull, bi-chromatic ones on the other side. 

“Vergil,” Ashia whispered, the chains around her body clinking together as she tried to raise her head. “No… its not you… is it. Not my Vergil…” Her eyes closed as her head sagged again. “They told me you’d never be the same again.”

“Who?”

“Moirai,” She whispered. 

Vergil recognized that name. “The Goddesses of Fate?”

“The voices that keep speaking to you.” 

------------

Ashira didn’t know how long they had been walking for, but it was long enough that she had run out of stories to tell. Her mouth had gone dry four tales ago, and her voice had finally given out halfway through her riveting tale of the day Vergil left to wipe out the entire Angelo population. 

But the more she told, the more she knew he believed her, though she wasn’t quite sure how to feel about it. There were still too many questions that she didn’t have any answers to. She’d answered the relatively few he had, but it didn’t get them any closer to understanding what was happening. 

She hoped there would be more answers at her home, but the trip had already taken a ridiculous amount of time. Three days, tops. Though she wasn’t sure she could count the days when time itself seemed to be frozen. Nothing moved anymore, and the demons hadn’t sprung to life again. The demonic moon never fell, though Ashira knew that could take weeks or longer even when things were normal. The leaves only moved if they walked near them, and remained suspended whenever they did. There was no breeze, leaving the air stale that somehow didn’t smell like anything. Even Vergil had theorized that they were in some kind of temporal stasis. Why it didn’t affect them was a theory that baffled him as much as her existence did. “It could have been created before we entered.” He said. 

“But wouldn’t we have noticed walking through it?

He didn’t have an answer to that. If this was her Vergil, they would have fake argued over it for a few minutes, with him denying his lack of knowledge and her teasing him until he gave in. He wouldn’t admit he was wrong, but he might kiss her to shut her up. But this wasn’t him, and it was becoming harder for her to remember that. She wanted her Vergil back. She wanted her world back, but she didn’t know how to get it. 

Finally, they arrived at the familiar empty clearing. She stopped him just shy of smacking straight into the barrier. “I’ve got it,” She said as she slid off his back. She knew now the magic her father had used to make it. But her past self had only figured out how to leave years after Vergil did. But this world might be different. Had she already left? Would they find anything in her home? Was this entire trip pointless?

“Calm,” Vergil said, arms crossed. “You’re shaking.”

Ashira sighed but sucked in a deep breath as she placed her hand against the barrier. It rippled under her touch, and a small pulse of magic opened it. Before them sat a grassy expanse stretching out to her old home on the horizon. In the center, however, was a body sitting upright, with rich black hair and an outfit Ashira had once made herself. “It’s me,” She said as they stepped through. Fear mingled with exhilaration as she stepped forward. “Shira!” She yelled, caution gone to the wind. “I know this is crazy but…”

Vergil yanked her back, startling her. “What?” 

“Blood,” He said simply, not looking at her. But when she paused to question him, she smelt it to; the undeniable stench of fresh blood. “Ashira?” She said quietly, approaching her still form with a new sense of trepidation. Her other self didn’t move, even as Ashira herself reached for her shoulder. “Hey… It’s…”

She stumbled away as the body tumbled backward, its throat slashed. A deep chuckle echoed around her. “Poor, lost soul,” A familiar, female voice whispered. “Another death… another you.”

Then, the world shattered. 

[twinfanfics]

The tale of the three head beast:the marching fishes (9/20)

Second part of the tale of the three head beast series, our extra large Digimon Game of thrones Au, you can read the first part The chosen children Here and here, or look for the tag  3t3hb  on this blog.

And you can read all past chapters of the marching fishes in the links below 

ACT 1. ESCENE 1: THE RAIN

ACT 1. ESCENE 2: THE WILL  

ACT 1. ESCENE 3: THE TRIP

ACT 1. ESCENE 4:THE SON

ACT 2. SCENE 1: THE ARRIVAL

ACT 2. SCENE 2: BROTHERHOOD

ACT 2. SCENE 3: MOTHER | **warning suicide attempt**

ACT 2. SCENE 4: THE BATTLE OF THE IKKAKU ISLAND

ACT 3. SCENE 1: THE INTERROGATION *After the cut 

Resume: Davis is now a prisoner of the crown, and Taichi and Yamato plays bad cop, good cop with him.  

He didn't know what scared him more: the shackles, the silence or the cold blue eyes that watched him since the door.

Davis expect a dungeon or a cell, not a dinner with the King and his hunting dog.

The King smiled at him since the other side of the table, part of him wonder if the food where poisoned, the part of him who wasn´t to busy devouring everything. Once there were no more than empty plates Davis finally speech

“Are you gonna kill me?” Davis wasn't the kind of person who circle around difficult topics

“If we wanted you death, you wouldn´t be here” the voice of the Wolf knight was almost as cold as his eyes

“Yamato please…” Yagami seems casual and relax, but Davis didn't let his guard down “I want to talk to you Davis, you know, since that time we face each others on the chosen children tournament I had always want to talk with you”

“Bullshit”

The Wolf Knight drew his sword but the King stopped him

“It is true, at that moment you remind a lot about myself when I was young” Davis didn't know exactly why, but he believe him

“So what?”

“So, I know you are confused and lost Davis “ His smile was warm and his voice calm “I´m give you an opportunity, a last chance to do the right thing: work with us, join our side and….”

“You want me to betray my brothers”

“Don't interrupt at his majesty”

“Brothers? is that how you call them?” The King continues as if he  didn't listen at his knight “You three betrayed the Kingdom first”

“Your Kingdom?”

“Joe´s Kingdom, and let me tell you, I can understand Hida and Ichijouji seek of revenge; but you Davis? you are not  truly a son of the sea, if you ask me you have more a mountain look”

“I'm not gonna betray my brothers”

The sword in the hand of the knight move faster, deadly faster but again the King hold him back.

“Do you know why was posible your capture?” Yagami stand up of the table “Ichijouji shot me an arrow while you were fighting” he smiled “my army respond to his tread, did you honestly agree with that? You? the same man who refuse to kill his enemies? Ichijouji broke the accords of a battle, if you ask me, the men you call brothers doesn´t share your honor or your bravery, I know you are not like them”

“You don't know me, or them,  I trust them with my life”

“And that's why you are here and not them” The King walked around him, his long cape make him look bigger, not just that, he was so different from the Sea King or even Iory, he didn't have to convince anyone about his royalty “Ken Ichijouji has no honor, and Iory Hida is so consuming by his desire of revenge that he kidnap innocents and refuse to surrender in an imposible war”

“It wasn´t Iory”

“Then who?”  Too late he realize his words were inappropriate

“Who?!” the knight repeated when he refused to answer the King

“Our master” Stupid boy, Ken would be so disappointing of him “Our master Ryo kidnaped the Queen and.. he is the one who refuse to surrender”

More terrifying than the King were the steps of his executioner “Where are the Queen and the prince?”

“I rather die to condem my brothers” Ishida approach to him, turn the table and with just his right hand he pick him up

“Where is the Queen?” He repeated only a few inches of his face and Davis spit on him

The cold hard floor and and punch in his face was totally worthy

“Enough Yamato!” The knight stand back; they were dancing around him “You rather die, i understand, you loved them, your brothers” For a moment it's seem like the King where doubting “is it fair to call Ken Ichijouji your brother? or it would be another word more appropriate for your relationship?”

Every insult that he knows he yell at the King until the knight shut him once again

“Did you finish?” One movement of his hand and Yamato stopped “Davis, do you know at the desert Queen?” And odd question, he taste his own blood on his mouth

“We meet her years ago, when she was still a princess” the memory of Jolei warm his hearth, a past time when everything was simpler.

“I'm sure you hear about her parents deaths a few months ago, she herself is a extrange Queen; single, young and  intelligente”

“That's Jolei” Davis didn't understand why he bring her up

“Yea, for what I know, she and her sister didn't get along, Joe was supposed to married her but he chose Mimi; a resentful queen; and she is a friend of you and your brothers right?, here is my question: Why is  she not helping you in your little rebellion?”

it's took a while before Davis understood that the King actually expect an answer.

“I don't know!” dam him “I´m not the one deciding those things, Ken is the strategist and… “ his head hurt so badly “Why you care?”

“Did you know she has a son?”

“What? No I don't” what was the point?

“Are you good at math Davis?”

“Just fucking said what you wanna said”

“Her kid is a little over two years old, he has blue hair and dark eyes, his father is not a desert man that's for sure”

For the first time in all night Davis keep silent

“I would let you think about it, and later we can discuss if you are still so certain about your loyalties”

[seigyokus]

3.1 - A New Project!

Idolish Seven - Part 3, Chapter 3.1 For more Part 3 translations, click here!

Translation below the cut!

Tsukumo Ryou: You are my friend. I don't mind sparing Re:vale, and only Re:vale. But only if you'll strike a deal with me. Momo: ....... Tsukumo Ryou: Yuki can't live in such a tiny, confined world. But in my hands, I'll liquidate every last drop of him into money. Tsukumo Ryou: It's just as you said, Momo. He's a real hottie! You can use every bit of him, down to the bone-- just like high-quality livestock. You can make bags, shoes, soup, and even manure out of him. Tsukumo Ryou: So, what will you do? Momo: ....... Momo: ...You mentioned a deal? Tsukumo Ryou: That big-name will reveal the naked truth of Chiba Salon's existence. Tsukumo Ryou: That in itself is enough, but I want it to be a little more festive. Tsukumo Ryou: I want you to give me the raw voice recording of this confession from Chiba Shizuo's bastard child-- Nikaidou Yamato.

Nanase Riku: We're finally going to announce our first anniversary single during today's concert! Yotsuba Tamaki: I really love this song! I can't wait for everyone to hear it! Rokuya Nagi: Yes! It's a splendid song.... A splendid song that stays with you, in your heart. Izumi Mitsuki: We're finally gonna sing it in front of the fans! ......Oh? Where's Yamato-san?

Nikaidou Yamato: ......Like an artisan, like an artist. Entertainment, literature. Exaggeration, realism. Father, this is all your fault. Nikaidou Yamato: ......Find where you and your role intersect. Bring out the emotions common to both. And to find these emotions, search for similar relationships. Nikaidou Yamato: Never thought the stuff he told me in that house would come in handy........ Father, this is all your fault. Nikaidou Yamato: A perfectionist who was raised under his father's strict discipline, but had wasted away because of it. As for the reason why he killed his lovers and preserved them.... Was it for dominance? Was it out of rebellion? ......No-- it was because he was scared. Nikaidou Yamato: He was scared of parting ways with them. There was no way they'd love him even after finding out what he was really like. He was only able to show his true self and all of his weaknesses before corpses. Nikaidou Yamato: That's right....... There was nobody who'd continue to love him after finding out how ugly and grotesque he was inside. I'm sure they'd hate me too, those guys. Nikaidou Yamato: ....... Nikaidou Yamato: He wants to be loved-- that’s why he's absolutely terrified of losing that love. ......Father, this is all your fault. Nikaidou Yamato: ....... It's all your fault. *click* Rokuya Nagi: Yamato! Hurry up! We're starting soon. Nikaidou Yamato: ...Got it. I'm coming.

Nanase Riku: Good evening! We'll be singing a new song for you all today! Audience: Kyaaaaa..... Nanase Riku: It's a special song, filled with a year's worth of our feelings-- "Sakura Message!" Audience: Kyaaaaa..... Izumi Iori: ......See? Everybody is smiling happily as they listen to Nanase-san sing. Izumi Iori: Nothing about this is sad. You were wrong, old man.

Ogami Banri: "Sakura Message" is selling great so far. Takanashi Tsumugi: It really is! All of the music stores have been putting out lots of CDs for sale. The lyricist contacted me just earlier too. Takanashi Tsumugi: She asked me how things were going post-release, and I told her that the single has been getting great reviews! (1) Ogami Banri: Their solo activities have been going well too, and MEZZO" has stabilized. It'd be nice if they all went on tour after releasing a couple more new songs. Takanashi Tsumugi: Zero Arena's renewal....... Things have been going wonderfully since then, and it's all thanks to that! Ogami Banri: Zero lost a lot of face due to the vandalism uproar, but now that's just another conversation topic. Now, let's keep on advancing forward!

Nanase Riku: "A Lovely Night with IDOLiSH7!" is getting a new project? Show Producer: Yep! Thus far, we've only had you guys help normal people out with challenges, but.... Show Producer: This time we wanna put IDOLiSH7 in the spotlight and have you guys challenge things instead. We've been getting lots of requests to see more of IDOLiSH7, after all. Show Producer: We're thinking about making it a documentary-style, weekly corner where viewers can catch up with you guys and watch your progress. Izumi Mitsuki: So we'll be doing the challenges this time, huh! Since it's gonna be a long-term project, I think we should pick something that can't be done super easily. Osaka Sougo: Re:vale did something similar as well, where they tried their hand at rōkyoku​. It was really interesting watching Yuki-san take on the shamisen. There were lots of tears and lots of laughter. (2) Rokuya Nagi: Hm...... If we want to make the viewers' hearts pound and have them on the edges of their seats, then we ought to venture into uncharted territory and try something we're all weak at. Osaka Sougo: What's something we're all bad at? Yotsuba Tamaki: I'm bad at studying. I hate it too. Izumi Iori: I'm good at it and happen to like it. Nanase Riku: I'm not good at being assertive towards girls.... Rokuya Nagi: I'm very good at that. Osaka Sougo: I don't think I'm very good at getting funny reactions out of people on variety shows. Izumi Mitsuki: I'm pretty used to doing that kind of stuff. You're funny too though, Sougo. Yotsuba Tamaki: ....... Now that I think about it, we kinda fill in the gaps for each other. Nanase Riku: You're right! That's amazing! Yay! Yotsuba Tamaki・Nanase Riku: Yay! Show Producer: Ahaha! See, that's one of the things that's really good about you guys, IDOLiSH7! It's really fun watching you all-- it just cheers me up! Show Producer: Everybody gets along so well, and you're all so lively! That's definitely your selling point, without a doubt. Izumi Mitsuki: We get along well, huh.... Yeah, I guess so. Nikaidou Yamato: ....... Show Producer: You've been awfully quiet today, Yamato-kun. Well, quiet isn't quite right. Kind of intense, I guess? Are you angry......? Nikaidou Yamato: Ah-- Not at all.... Yotsuba Tamaki: It's because you've been reading books on cannibals. That's why you look even scarier than usual. Hurry up and go read a book on nice ramen shop workers already. Nikaidou Yamato: There you go again. You just wanna eat ramen, don't you? Show Producer: Ahaha. Any opinions from you, as the leader? Nikaidou Yamato: How about something that'll make us fight a bit? Everyone likes that sorta stuff, right? Izumi Mitsuki: Hold up, Yamato-san. Couldn't you have phrased that a little better.... Rokuya Nagi: The more trouble we encounter, the more seriously we’ll tackle those problems. A plan like that will allow our friendship to shine through. That's what Yamato's idea was, in other words. Show Producer: I see. So we gotta get the viewers a little nervous in order to pull them in and grab their attention, huh. The harder everybody works, the better. Yotsuba Tamaki: How about instruments? Osaka Sougo: Instruments? Yotsuba Tamaki: Yeah. We usually just sing, but how about instruments? Izumi Mitsuki: Sounds hard, but that could be really interesting! We could do classical music, but also brass band or marching band! Nanase Riku: Making music together with something other than our voices sounds fun! I've always wanted to try playing an instrument! Izumi Iori: We'll be able to show our teamwork, which is a good thing. We could also use it during live performances for IDOLiSH7. Osaka Sougo: I want to try playing with everyone. I've had some experience with an instrument before, so I'll put that knowledge to use. Show Producer: There's tons of people learning how to play instruments right now, so let's go with this idea! We'll be giving it our all, and I look forward to working with you guys! Nanase Riku: Of course! We look forward to working with you too!

Nanase Riku: Performing with everyone sounds really fun! I wonder what kind of project it'll be? Nanase Riku: Well, I have time to kill, so I'll go shopping. Ah, the cakes at that shop look really good! Maybe I'll buy one for Manager! Inumaru Touma: ....... Nanase Riku: ......!? That person's crouching down....... Maybe he feels sick? Nanase Riku: Um, are you okay? Inumaru Touma: ....... Nanase Riku: He.... He was crying......? Nanase Riku: Huh...? Wait….... I feel like I've seen this person somewhere before.... 

To be continued....

TL Notes/comments:

I THOUGHT NEXT UPDATE WAS GONNA BE 27TH ISH BUT I THOUGHT WRONG AND NOW I AM A LOT BEHIND SCHEDULE, if they release next installment on the 17th, I’ll do my best to tl everything out so far before then!!! 

THANK YOU KURI FOR CATCHING MY STUPID TYPOS x999, and also for helping me work out a phrase (either in this part or the next one, idr)

(1) used 'she' as pronoun here because all 3 lyricists who have worked with i7/trg/re:v are all female! Or at least that’s my reasoning, idk if the in-story composers are different tho \o/ 

(2) Rōkyoku​ is Japanese narrative singing accompanied by a shamisen. Read more about it here! 

As usual, if you see any mistakes/mistranslations/etc, please message me!

Thank you for reading!!

[prolestariwrites]

The Wish [7]

Fandom: Devil May Cry Characters: Dante, Vergil, Nero, V, Lady, Eva, Sparda, OC Rating: General Tags: Family, Humor, Fluff, Angst, Typical demon hunting violence

Summary: A demon gives Dante the chance to have his greatest desires made real. When he finds himself in a seemingly idyllic life, all seems well until it starts to unravel. Will he sacrifice himself to save the family he lost, or will he choose to give them up for the truth?

Now Posted: Chapter 7, in which Vergil has a moment.

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Chapter 7: Vergil Powers Up

They are on the highway still when Vergil says, “Pull over.”

Dante glances to the left, adjusting his grip on the steering wheel. “No can do, brother. The exit is coming up and—”

“Pull over, I’m going to be sick.”

With a sharp intake of breath, Dante does as he says, pulling into the emergency lane and flipping on the hazard lights. Vergil stumbles out of the car and takes a few steps away, leaning over to press his hands to his knees. Dante can see him with the glow from the overhead light, and he tries not to look, wondering if he should go out there. But he figures Vergil would want some privacy, so he waits patiently until he returns to the car and sinks into the passenger seat, slamming the door behind him.

“Take me home,” Vergil says.

“We need to find Dad,” Dante replies.

There’s surprisingly no argument, so after a moment Dante glances over. “I have an idea or two where to look. I just want to stop at my shop and pick up a couple of things. Okay?”

Vergil rubs his finger on his upper lip before nodding. “Yeah. Yeah, okay.”

“Okay.”

Dante continues driving, grateful the traffic is light. They make it back to the city in no time, but as he heads through downtown Vergil says again, “No. Wait. What am I doing? Stop!”

“We can’t stop,” Dante mutters.

“Let me out of this car, Dante!” Vergil shouts.

The next traffic light turns yellow, and he slows to a stop at the intersection. “What’s the plan, Verge?” he argues. “Gonna just throw up all night and hope he comes back? Dad is out there doing god-knows-what, and I can’t do this by myself.”

Vergil groans and presses his palm to his face. “You stabbed him, Dante, you fucking stabbed him! Why the fuck would you do that? Why—how would you know he would—what the fuck—”

Dante winces as Vergil’s breathing goes heavy, and for a moment he’s scared Vergil is going to lose it. It’s a weird feeling. The last time he saw Vergil in the flesh, he was cold, almost disconnected in the Temen-ni-gru. Even here in this place he seems put together, cool-headed, and thinking back, Dante can’t ever remember a time when Vergil just lost his shit.

“What you need is a drink,” he says.

He turns down a street and pulls up in front of the first bar he finds. Dante climbs out of the car and walks around to the side, opening the passenger door. “Come on,” he says.

“No, no I can’t—I have to—Mary is—”

Dante reaches inside and pulls him out, and luckily Vergil doesn’t fight him. He is clutching the Yamato, but Dante decides against trying to pry it away, instead pushing him towards the tavern and through the entrance. 

Inside it is thankfully empty, just a couple of drunks at the counter and a waitress rolling silverware at a table. They take a booth in the back, and under the light dangling over the table, Dante can see that Vergil is pale. He feels guilty, but there’s nothing to be done about that now, and when the waitress steps up a few seconds later he orders them both a shot of Jack Daniels and a beer.

“Okay,” Dante says once she is out of earshot. “I’ll tell you everything. Okay?”

Vergil looks up to meet his eyes, his face a bit drawn. “Tell me,” he says through gritted teeth.

Suddenly Dante is nervous. They had left the house in a hurry, Dante pushing Vergil in front of him as Eva came hurrying down the steps to see after the commotion. He had told her they argued and that Sparda had taken off and they were going to get him, and then Dante had practically dragged Vergil to the car. If she noticed the weapons they carried she didn’t say anything, just watched them from the door as he had pulled away and tried to scrape together a plan as Vergil sat in shocked silence beside him for most of the ride.

“Okay,” Dante repeats. “So, Dad is a demon. I think you got that much.”

“What the hell does that mean?” Vergil hisses.

“He’s from… I don’t know, the Underworld. Hell.” Vergil scowls, making it clear he doesn’t believe him. “I’m not making this up. You saw the weapons. You saw him get up and heal.”

Vergil gazes at him suspiciously. “Demons aren’t real,” he says.

“Then explain what happened,” Dante challenges.

Vergil just shakes his head, so Dante continues, “He defeated the king of Hell a long time ago. About three thousand years, I think. Dad’s been on Earth since then, I don’t know, doing whatever.”

“Doing whatever?” Vergil deadpans.

Dante throws out his hands. “I don’t know! Dicking around I guess? Until he met Mom.”

Vergil’s jaw works for a moment before he bites out, “Keep going.”

“There are gates all over the world that connect our world to the demon one, and he sealed them up and makes sure they don’t open. Only…” His voice drifts off as he tries to think of a way to explain his own situation. “I don’t know, sometimes they don’t stay closed, and demons come out—”

Dante grimaces a bit when he sees Vergil’s expression. “You expect me to believe this?”

“I expect you to believe your own eyes,” he replies.

The waitress returns with their drinks, and she tilts her head at Vergil. “Keep that thing out of sight, will ya?” she says.

Vergil frowns before looking down, then starts as if he didn’t realize he was holding a sword. “I’m sorry, I didn’t—I forgot.”

She snorts and walks away. Dante sets the a shot in front of them both, nudging him with his foot. “Here. Take this and I’ll keep talking.”

Shakily, Vergil nods, and together they drink the whiskey. Dante wipes his mouth with the back of his hand, sighing as the liquid goes down nice and smooth before he nods to his brother. “That’s Yamato. It’s yours. Supposed to be, anyway.”

“Why?” he asks.

Dante shrugs. “I don’t know. Sparda gave me Rebellion and you Yamato. Where I’m from, we got them as kids. They were his weapons that he used to take care of the demons.” He picks up his beer and takes a sip before pointing at the sword. “Yamato can open and close the seals. It’s quite a power you have there.”

Vergil lays Yamato on the table, his hands trembling a bit. “I don’t want this power,” he says.

A snort escapes Dante before he can stop it. “What?” Vergil snaps.

“Just funny is all. The you I know only wants power.”

“You keep saying that.” Vergil eyes his suspiciously. “You said, ‘where I’m from’. What is that?”

Dante takes another sip. “Drink and I’ll tell you the rest.”

Vergil looks at him suspiciously, but he picks up the bottle and takes several swallows. Dante nods as he sets it down and says, “Okay. Don’t freak out, Verge. I’m a demon hunter. I’ve been on my own since I was seven, when demons attacked our house.”

“What?”

“We were kids. Dad was gone, I don’t know where. It was just us and Mom for a while. Then one day they attacked. They…” He swallows and rubs his palms on his jeans, looking away so he doesn’t have to watch Vergil’s expression.. “They killed Mom. She hid me in a closet and went to go find you, and I… never saw her again.”

Vergil takes a moment to consider this. “Nothing you’re saying makes sense.”

“I know, but it’s the truth.” He plants his elbow on the table and points at himself. “I don’t fix bikes, I run a business where I kill demons. I was on a job when I met this one and it told me it would grant a wish.”

“A wish?”

“Yeah, like some fucked-up genie,” Dante chuckles. “It sent me here, where all of you were alive. And it’s great, I love seeing you guys again! I love having you back.” He takes a deep breath. “But things have been weird. I don’t think this place is gonna last long. And if there are demons still around, then you need to know the truth. Everyone does. Because if they come back…”

Vergil’s voice is cold as he asks, “What happened to me in your world?”

Dante takes a deep breath. How much should he reveal? It probably wouldn’t help things to tell the whole truth, so he decides to give the basics. “You died. When the demons came to our house and killed Mom, they killed you too. I thought they did, anyway. Turns out you were actually alive. But we didn’t see each other until we were grown up. I lived on the streets, and I guess you did too, getting helped by people along the way. But the demons never stopped coming. See, they hated Sparda, and Mundus—that’s the guy he sealed—wanted out. Some shit went down, and you ended up… well, let’s just say you weren’t the bag of fun you are now.”

Vergil makes a face so Dante quickly continues, “You raised this tower in the middle of Red Grave City and killed all these people and unleashed a shit ton of demons on the world that I had to fight. You tried to open up the gates to hell but some other shit went down with Mary’s father.” Suddenly he brightens. “Mary’s a demon hunter too, you know. She kicked your ass. She’s kicked mine too. We closed the gate but then us two fought and you…” 

Dante realizes he has done the opposite of give the basics, so he clears his throat. “Anyway, you fell off the tower into the closing portal and went to hell. The end.” 

Vergil stares at him for a full minute, and Dante drains his beer, wondering what is happening. His brother is expressionless, and he swears he can almost hear him processing all that. “Uh, Verge?” he finally says. “You good?”

A slow smile breaks out over Vergil’s face and he begins to laugh. “Okay, you got me.” Dante frowns as Vergil shakes his head and chuckles. “I almost believed you. You’re pretty good at this.”

“I’m not lying.”

“And the blood? The sword? That was good.” Vergil laughs again and looks around. “Is Dad going to pop out now? He always liked a good trick but that was something else. Was Mom in on it too?”

“Vergil��”

“This has been fun, Dante, but I’m tired.” He stands up, still holding Yamato, and pulls his jacket closed. “I had a long day and I just want to go home. Are you driving or do I need to call a cab?”

Dante slides out of the booth. “Vergil, it’s true. It’s not a trick. I didn’t make it up.”

Vergil rolls his eyes. “Joke’s over. You can stop all this. It isn’t funny if you don’t give it up.”

“I’m not—It’s not a joke!” Dante grits his teeth as the humor slides from Vergil’s face. “Dad is a demon. We’re half demons. You’re supposed to be dead.”

“I’m not dead, you idiot,” Vergil hisses. 

“Vergil, just listen!” Dante reaches out and grabs his arm, which Vergil yanks away. “We gotta—”

“Don’t touch me. You’ve gone too far.” Vergil looks angry now, and Dante’s shoulders sag in defeat. “I’m not going anywhere with you. I have half a mind to call the police.”

“Vergil—”

“I said don’t touch me!” He gives Dante a shove as he reaches out again, and Dante stumbles back into the table. The glasses rattle as he rights himself, and the two brothers glare at one another. It’s familiar enough that it’s painful, as if  a million other fights just like this in their history have been carefully set on a path to this moment.

“Settle down, boys.” The waitress steps between them, and she jerks her thumb at the bartender, who is scowling at them. “Take it outside.”

“No problem. I’m leaving,” Vergil says. 

“No, you’re not.”

Vergil rolls his eyes. “Can I use your phone to call a cab?”

The girl nods and points to the bar. As Vergil heads in that direction, Dante steps towards him, but the waitress stops him, her hands firmly pushing him back. “I said settle down,” she warns. “Or Pete over there will settle it for you.”

“Pete can go to hell,” Dante snaps.

“Hell? Like where he is?” she asks. Dante jerks backwards as she tilts her head towards Vergil, who sits on a stool as the bartender hands him a phone. “Is that what you want, Dante? You want your brother to go back to hell?”

“Who the fuck are you?” he hisses.

The waitress sighs. “He’s happy. You’re happy. Isn’t that enough?”

Dante’s heartbeat pounds in his ears as he pushes the waitress aside. “Vergil! Get out of here!”

Vergil turns with a scowl, probably to curse him out, but then his expression turns to shock. Before Dante can turn to see what he is staring at, claws grab him and toss him into the air. He flies into the wall and a dartboard falls on his head as chunks of wood rain down on him, and Dante shakes his head to clear it.

The waitress hasn’t gone full demon yet, but her eyes are glowing and her fingers now have long spikes at the end. “Ready to choose, Dante?” she hisses.

He climbs to his feet and puts his hand out, summoning Rebellion. But the sword doesn’t materialize, and with a groan he pictures it in the backseat of the car. It probably still obeys his old man, he figures, so Dante picks up a chair and slams it into the ground. He grabs two of the legs and twirls one in his hand. “Lady, you don’t know who you’re messing with.”

A tiny part of him has a momentary fear as he wonders if he can do this. Rebellion didn’t answer his call, so what if his other demon hunting skills are also gone? But as the demon streaks towards him, he easily dodges a punch and delivers one of his own, sending the waitress into the ground. He feels guilty for a second about hitting a girl which he gets over when she lands a kick on his shin. 

Dante lets go a string of curses as they fight, and as he knocks the demon away again he turns to Vergil and shouts, “Yamato! Now!”

Vergil shakes himself from where he sits, staring in shock, the phone receiver forgotten in his hand. “Vergil!” Dante cries, and his brother looks down at the sword he still carries. There is a moment’s hesitation before he tosses it to Dante, who catches it mid-air and pulls the blade from its sheath in one fluid movement. He spins, pulling the sword in an arc around his shoulder, and with one easy slash he slices through the waitress as she springs towards him again.

The bar goes quiet as the chaos stills. Dante laughs as he catches his breath, happily wiping his forehead with the sleeve of his jacket before glancing over at Vergil. “Now do you believe me?” he says.

Vergil lets go a shaky breath. “Is she… like Dad?”

“Yeah. But this one isn’t coming back.” Dante slides Yamato back into its sheath. “Most demons are sons of bitches, like this one. Only a few are—”

His words are cut off as a thick arm goes around his throat, cutting off his airway. Vergil springs to his feet and shouts his name as Dante tries to buck the demon off. It must be the bartender, he realizes, gripping the forearm pressed to his neck and pulling with all his strength.

But the demon doesn’t budge, and Dante gasps out as his blood pumps furiously. “Vergil, run—” he tries to say, Yamato clanging loudly when he drops it to the floor.

“Dante!” Vergil looks almost panicked, starting forward. The demon growls menacingly and he pauses. “What do I do? What do I do?” “Just go—” The demon cuts him off again, and Dante’s vision swims.

“Stop!” Vergil shouts. “Let him go!”

Suddenly the air seems to move, swirling in a cyclone around them. Vergil looks furious, his chin dropping as he glares at them, and the demon’s grip loosens. Then every knife in the bar, from behind the counter and the waitress’ station and scattered on the floor from when the fight had toppled the table she had been folding silverware all lift into the air together, dozens and dozens pointed straight at them. “Oh shit,” Dante grunts, and he manages to drop to the floor a split second later as they shoot towards them.

The knives hit their target, and the demon bartender keels over with a groan as the blades slash through his body. Dante rolls out of the way, snatching up Yamato as he stands. With a final kick of his boot to make sure that the bartender is really dead, he carefully skirts the mess in the bar to walk over to Vergil.

His brother seems shell-shocked. “Thanks,” Dante says, handing him the sword.

Vergil nods as he takes it back. “Yeah.”

They stare at each other for a long moment, and together they turn back to the bar and slide into stools next to each other as Dante leans over the counter to snag a bottle and two glasses.