Chapter 1

Darkened buildings and lights passed by him in a blur of colors. He was weakened, his head throbbed and his muscles ached but none of that slowed him down. He blinked constantly, attempting to keep the water from his vision. The storm was relentless and lightning flashed fiercely in the midnight sky as he ran through the wet streets. He noted the looks he got from the people he had been passing by but he couldn't have cared less about their ridiculous expressions. He needed to get home.

He clenched his jaw as he glanced down at the woman in his arms, choking back the wave of emotions that threatened to break him down at that moment. She was bleeding profusely from her abdomen and her breathing was alarmingly shallow. She had been attacked, an ambush, by a group of scumbags who really wanted to get their hands on him but chose to target her instead. Vergil's scowl deepened and he picked up his speed. This was far too familiar to him and the hatred he felt for it was indescribable.

The circumstances, the enemies, and the reason behind their act... All were an eerie and painful reminder of a dark moment in his life that he would have much rather thrown into the abyss of forgotten memories, but he refused to allow history to repeat itself. Not this time; the end of this story would be different. It needed to be. Not just for her survival, but for his own sanity as well. He didn't know what he would do if she...Vergil could feel the rage clawing from within himself so ferociously, he was trembling.

He killed them. Every one of them. But not before the damage had been done. How dare those monsters think they had the right to put their damnable hands on her... How dare they think they could bring an innocent into a vendetta they had against him. How absolutely cowardly for them to attack the weaker just because they felt they could; How dare they... He enjoyed the feeling of ripping their spines out. He enjoyed the feeling of slashing their throats and watching them bleed. He enjoyed the feeling of shattering their skulls under his fists. And he enjoyed it all the more as their leader watched his comrades fall one by one at his hands.

But he was an onlooker for only a short time before he too got his dues. None escaped with their life and Vergil made sure he sent that message loud and clear to the ones they came from. He was sure when they saw the corpse of this so-called clan leader hanging from his own intestines, there would be no questions of survival.

It seemed that in his absence for all those years, they had foolishly forgotten who he was and he needed to remind them that the Dark Slayer was not one to be toyed with, nor those connected to him. And any who were idiotic enough test him would bow to Yamato in a pool of their own blood just as these fools did. They would be the ones to live in a constant state of fear, and rightfully so, especially after this. He would make them rue the day they came into their miserable existence.

"Please hold on." His voice was just above a whisper as he panted, and he felt his body being pushed far beyond its limits but he couldn't stop. Not until she was in the safety of their home.

Rounding a street corner, Vergil could see the Devil May Cry across the way. He soon reached the doorstep, lifting his leg and driving his foot into the door, effectively removing it from his path.

Dante bolted up from his position in his chair, awakened by the sudden entrance, and Ebony and Ivory were aimed immediately at the ready. But just as quickly, his defensive stance melted into one of grave concern when he saw Ari in Vergil's arms.

"What happened?!" Dante stood and walked around to the front of his desk but stopped short when Vergil brushed passed him without a word.

He was trying to process what he was seeing, but worry was overtaking his mind and he couldn't think clearly; The scene before him did not look good. He saw that Ari's body was limp and her torn shirt was completely soaked with blood. And as for Vergil, he could tell that he was in a frantic state of mind even though it was obvious he was struggling to keep his composure. If that wasn't enough to alarm him then the fact that his eyes were dilated and had a greenish tint to them, confirmed the graveness of the situation beyond all doubts. He was not used to seeing his twin like this and a heavy sense of dread washed over him as he began to fear the worst.

Dante rushed over as Vergil laid Ari on the couch and cursed under his breath when he caught a glimpse of the wound, "Were gonna need to get that stitched up fast. Trish!" he quickly began making his way to the kitchen.

v-v-v

Vergil threw off his coat and swiftly removed his shirt, ripping it in one violent tug. He began to clean the blood away from Ari's exposed stomach, biting his lip in an attempt to hold himself together at the sight of the wound. He glanced at her face fighting back the urge to scream out in anger; This was not how his darling was supposed to be and he started to feel overwhelmed. Her beautiful little lips were parted and dull, a smeared crimson mask tarnished her beautiful light brown skin, and her eyes...her big beautiful brown eyes, were hidden from his view behind pale eyelids. She didn't deserve this.

"Please hold on my love..." His voice was a whisper as he began to shift her body so he could tend to the wound directly.

"Ver...gil" his eyes shot up to lock with lidded ones. She had opened them, but their usual bright sparkle was dim.

"I'm here darling." Vergil swallowed hard at how weak her voice sounded.

He knew she was losing blood fast and needed to get this wound closed as soon as possible. Time was of the essence but he was determined to make sure things came out in their favor. History would not repeat itself. This time, they would be the ones to lose, not him. Not her... He began to apply pressure to the gash as he glanced to the kitchen, he needed to disinfect it before cauterizing it.

"I...I'm...scared."

"Don't be love, I've got you. We will get through this." There was no other option in his mind.

Trish's footsteps were frantic as she rushed over, setting down various things she and Dante had gathered. Dante followed suit with a large bottle of alcohol and a lighter and silently knelt down next to Vergil.

"Here use this. Let me have that." Trish handed Vergil a fresh towel and traded it for the bloodied shirt. "Stay with us Ari..." She put her hand to her Ari's head, stroking gently.

Ari smiled weakly and her eyes slowly refocused on Vergil. Blinking once, she swallowed and grimaced in pain as Vergil continued his ministrations. He glanced back up at her as she slowly moved her hand over to his.

"Vergil..." her voice was barely a whisper, and it almost sounded like an echo in his head "I...I love you..."

His heart began to race as they locked eyes, "I love you too."

He was seeing something in her eyes that he'd never seen before and it caused him to freeze. He didn't understand why it suddently felt as if time itself had stopped. He couldn't move and suddenly began to feel cold. Furrowing his brows he brought one of his hands to his heart as they stared into each other's eyes. In his mind's eye, he could see precious moments he had spent with her flash before him and warm thoughts flooded in. What was happening to him?

Slowly Ari's eyes began to flutter and close. She let out a small breath and the hand that was over his suddenly went limp.

No.

Vergil leaned forward slightly and clentched his chest as a sharp pain suddenly shot through him, feeling as if his heart had been ripped straight from his chest.

Trish's eyes began to tear up, as she brought a hand to her mouth and looked to Dante. Dante had a look of shock on his face as he looked at Ari and then at Vergil. Bowing his head slightly, he clentched his jaw and put a hand on his brother's shoulder as he slowly stood to his feet.

Vergil trembled as he reached for his wife, moving to hover over her, "Ari...ARI...ARI!" His eyes darted back and forth as he searched her face for a response. Nothing.

He cradled her to himself, "Ari, wake up! WAKE UP!"

Looking down at her, he waited for her eyes to open but they never did. He waited for her to return his embrace, but she never did. He gently lay her back down and saw a shimmer appear on her cheek, leaving a cleansing trail as it slid down the curve of her face. Then it happened again...and again...

Dante walked slowly over to where Trish stood and embraced her as she began to sob. His eyes began to tear up as he watched his twin stare down at Ari with a lost expression marring his features.

Vergil wobbled a bit as he stood from the couch. He turned slightly as he stared blankly at the floor and without warning he dropped to his knees letting out a yell so powerful, the ground shook. Then one after the other, he pound his fists into the ground below him, not caring about the shards of wood that bloodied his knuckles as the floor gave way. Tears flowed from his pale cerulean eyes and sweat dripped from his forehead. The rage within him was building and he could feel the darkness begin to take over him...

"...Vergil...VERGIL!"

Vergil yelled as he gripped his hair. His muscles flexed with the force of his grip and his face was completely flushed. His expression was an intense grimace and his eyes were clentched shut. He wasn't responding, only continuing to scream as if he was in pain.

"VERGIL WAKE UP, YOU'RE DREAMING!" Ari threw the blankets off of herself and climbed on top of him, desperately trying to pry his hands from his hair and shake him simultaneously.

Vergil began to groan and pant while tossing his head from side to side against his pillow. Ari leaned down and slid her arms behind his head, cradling him to her as best as she could and stroking his hair, these moments absolutely terrified her and they had been becoming more frequent lately. The only thing she could do was try to wake him and calm him down so he wouldn't end up tearing the bedroom apart in his sleep. But she admitted that because of his sheer size and strength compared to her, she sometimes felt somewhat helpless.

Ari felt her body rumble as he let out a scream into her chest "Vergil please wake up baby..." The way he cried out had her on the brink of tears but she knew she needed to hold herself together, "Vergil!"

Vergil let out a sharp gasp and sat straight up with Ari clinging to him for dear life. Her eyes went wide as his hands suddenly grabbed her sides and he looked around frantically, panting deeply.

"Vergil it's me! It's me!" Ari announced quickly. She began to brace herself for a fight, just in case he was still dreaming.

Vergil's eyes darted around the room taking in the dark surroundings and he began to come to as familiarity sank in. His breathing began to slow and his body relaxed as he slowly pulled back from the woman clutching him to gaze at her in the darkness. Immediately, he laid her on her back and let his hands roam over her body.

"Vergil? What are you doing?" Ari was alarmed but she lay still as he probed her.

She's alright...

Relief washed over him as he let out a deep breath. He leaned down and planted a kiss on her stomach, letting it linger for a few moments before separating from her.

"Vergil?"

Vergil threw the blankets off of himself and set his feet on the floor, leaning over and resting his head in his hands.

Another nightmare...it was just another nightmare...

He slowly stood from the bed, making his way over to the window gazing up at the moon outside as he lifted the pane to let some fresh air pour in. The cool breeze washed over his bare chest, and he felt his body temperature begin to lower. He ran a hand through his platinum hair and closed his eyes.

He was relieved that everything that had just happened was only a dream, but he couldn't deny that it had put him on edge. Lately he had been having nightmares and to top it off, they had been getting increasingly darker over the passed few months. But this one... This had been the worst of them all and it rocked him to his core. Maybe it was time he looked into this... Perhaps this was just an extended effect of what had happened to him during his disappearance that would alleviate on its own in time, but perhaps not. Either way, he knew he needed to seek answers if he wanted to ever get any rest, both physically and mentally. He opened his eyes slightly and glared at nothing in particular. As if the insomnia he suffered from wasn't enough, now he had this to deal with as well. And almost every night...?

There must be more to this...

"Are you awake?"

He was so occupied with his thoughts that he failed to realize how confused Ari must have been by his sudden actions. He was thankful for how tame things turned out this time however. This had become so common, he had gotten used to either waking up with his hands bound or in the middle of a power struggle with Ari. There had even been quite a few times when they had discussed he sleep elsewhere in the shop until this got under control, but that never worked out. Somehow he would always end up back in bed with her before dawn.

"My apologies love. I'm awake." He rubbed at his temples as he walked over to their bed and sat down.

Ari slowly stood up on her knees and began to massage his shoulders, "Are you okay?" Her voice was comforting to him but he could hear that she was still cautious, and understandably so.

Vergil relaxed into her touch and reached behind him to rub her thigh assuringly, thankful for her help in waking him from the disaster that was going on in his head. He knew she had been becoming increasingly concerned about him because of these night terrors and he hated how it all had been affecting her, but how could he remedy something that was intangible? Something that was a direct result of a past he was trying to forget... To describe this as annoyance would be an understatement. But one thing was made up in his mind: He did not want to let this continue to grow into something that would negatively impact his marriage in the long run, especially since they were currently only four months in.

He knew she didn't know the extent of what he was going through and, for her sake, she didn't need to know. At least not now. Perhaps after it has been dealt with, but not now. Of course she had asked many times and tried to understand on multiple occasions but he had given her the same answer every time: Now is not the time to discuss it. He knew she hated that answer but it would have to do for now. Yes, he knew she would be upset about it, but he decided that his doing this was for her good. He was a man of his word. When he took her hand in marriage, he vowed to protect her from any harm.

Even if it is myself...

"I'm fine love. I just need a moment." He turned his head slightly in her direction, "Rest."

"What happened?" Ari's voice dripped with concern but he chose to overlook it and refrain from indulging her curiosity.

"Do not worry."

"Vergil, please talk to me."

"I can't."

"Why?"

"Now is not the time."

Ari let out an irritated huff and sat back on her knees, crossing her arms, "Then, when?"

"When the time is right."

If only she knew how much he wanted to pour his heart out to her, the only person who he ever would...But he couldn't do that to her. Not when his heart and mind still held so many darkened wounds...

Infectious...darkened...wounds...

A deep scowl began to form on his face.

"I want to help."

Vergil closed his eyes, "I know. But this is something I alone must deal with for now."

He felt the bed sheets shuffle behind him for a few moments and suddenly go still before silence filled the air around them. Standing from the bed he walked over to the window for a second time, watching the shadows of trees sway with the twilight breeze on the sidewalk in the distance.

"You don't have to deal with it alone..." her voice was barely above a whisper but his ears still captured every word and the heavy emotions embedded within them.

He knew she wanted to be there for him and he deeply appreciated it. It was one of the things he loved about her: she cared. But he couldn't allow her to be tainted with the darkness that continued to torment him as a prisoner within his own mind. The darkness that would waste no time taking another captive for itself if given the chance...

I know I don't my love. But it's better this way.