Bittersweet Emotions

Woot woot! Chapter 7! It would be mighty nice if some one would review and tell me what they think. All I need is like 1 to fuel my writing urge. Don't care if it is a flame or not. Atleast it lets me know someone actually reads this.

Anyway. Bad stuff happens and I only own the Devil May Cry characters in my dreams.


When Kain awoke he was in an unfamiliar house and on an unfamiliar and quite lumpy couch. As he sat up he expected to feel like he had been ran over by a semi truck...repeatedly, but there was only stiffness. Aria... Rolling his head around he heard his neck pop several times. Also as he did this he saw Dante in another room asleep. He had propped his feet up on a wooden desk and tipped back in the chair. Kain entered and looked down at a beat up spiral notebook half buried by Dante's huge boots. On the uncovered side was a list of names and addresses and at the top was 'Devil May Cry' surrounded with doodles of every sort.

Hmm... so this is Devil May Cry...Looks kinda like a massive dump to me. It did indeed look like a dump with a healthy scattering of beer and pop bottles amongst the mountains of empty, moldy pizza boxes. Eww...mold creatures... A noise startle Kain and he whirled around to find the tip of Rebellion under his chin.

Kain waited and Dante's eyes finished unglazing as he completely woke up. A smirk came to his lips upon recognizing Kain. "Oh. It's you." Kain simply gave him a dirty look and slapped the flat of the blade forcing it away from his throat.

"Where is Aria? I swear if you-"

"Shut up. She is upstairs sleeping with Cherokee keeping watch. After she finished healing us she went upstairs and passed out." He looked at a digital clock on the desk, "that was about five or six hours ago."

Kain nodded, "Then she should wake up in an hour or so."

"This has happened before?" Dante's tone was merely curious.

Kain's eyes seemed to glaze over as he became lost in a memory.

"Yes but only once. It was when we first met. Leona and I were on a job trying to stop to gangs of the wilder werewolves from erupting into an all out war that would have alerted the wrong humans. The blood shed seemed to attract some unholy and horrifying things. Aria did something and they were all banished but I was about to die and Leona wasn't much better. Aria took us back to our place. No idea how. And healed us, then she passed out into her own healing sleep which later on she told us on average lasts from 6 to 7 hours."

Dante was slightly startled when Kain walked with a purpose to garb his staff leaning against the wall by the door. Dante simply watched in silence as Kain walked out fo the room but when he heard him begin walking up the stairs he got up and looked around the corner to ask Kain what he was doing.

Kain paused at the top step and looked back at Dante with a slight glow in his eyes.

"In her healing state Aria is extremely vulnerable. That she trusts you enough to go into this state here says that she trusts you..." and I don't. The words remained unsaid but both knew they were there.

Kain continued on his way and Dante returned to his chair to return to vital things..like napping.

Aria awoke in the cleanest room in the building, Dante's bedroom. Sitting next to her Cherokee looked down at her with a grin on his face when he realized she had awoken. She yawned and sat up, wrapping an arm around his shoulders.

"Morning 'kee." When he blinked at her repeatedly she looked out the window across the room.

"Oh. Evening 'kee." He nodded and hugged her before scampering off to find sustenance. Keeping watch for 7 hours can leave a small person very hungry. Aria followed him out the door barefoot but still in Leona's fairly clean black baggy pants and white sweater. She paused when she saw Kain standing like a sentinel outside the door. His face softened when he saw her and he smiled.

"Thanks..." she whispered the word and his face darkened.

"They weren't after us you know." She nodded.

"Yes, I do." She left it at that and the two raced down the stairs when they heard a crash and Dante's yell. When the reached the room both had been prepared for a demon attack so thus the were surprised and relieved at what they saw. Kain collapsed against a wall laughing and Aria couldn't help but chuckle.

Dante, meanwhile, was attempting to get out of the avalanche of pizza boxes that had fallen on him. The avalanche's cause sat perched on top of a book shelf that had few books and much junk. Cherokee had a smug grin on his face as he watched from his perch. Kain's and Cherokee's amusement ended when Aria walked over to the struggling Dante and kicked off a couple of pizza boxes, allowing him to go free.

Dante, once on his feet, brushed himself off and tried to regain some of his lost dignity only to have Kain start chuckling. So he just settled on sticking his tongue out at him. Aria shook her head and wander off to get a drink from the kitchen.

Gathered in the living room Aria sat at one end of the couch with Cherokee half asleep in her lap and Kain sat at the other end of the couch. Dante was sitting on an old folding chair dug up from somewhere. They sat in silence until Dante spoke.

"Okay so I have to know if I am crazy or not because either I was hallucinating last night or Cherokee was a silver bobcat." Kain quirked and eyebrow barely managing to keep a biting comment back. Aria looked down at the now asleep Cherokee in her lap and ran a hand through his hair.

"You were not hallucinating. Cherokee Is a werecat. His family had all been killed when I found him and I did not know he was a werecat until he changed for the first time a couple of years later." When Aria stopped talking Dante sighed with relief that he hadn't completely lost his mind yet.

"Aria we need to find out who is after you and what they want, because for certain they were not after Dante or I." Kain's expression had grown serious and concerned. Dante's own expression had grown hard as he looked at Kain. Aria could see regret of something yet done flashing through his eyes, and then he spoke.

"Not yet Kain, we need to find your sister."

Kain's eyes narrowed as he looked at Dante filled with suspicion. "I haven't said anything because when a fight happens she hides. She can't fight. Leona's probably at the house waiting for us since she doesn't know where we are."

Dante stood up. "Kinda convenient how she disappeared right before the demons showed up."

Kain jumped up and whirled to face Aria with one hand outstretched pointing at Dante. "Tell him that he's wrong Aria! Leona is not like that!" Aria ducked her head and whispered when she spoke. "It is possible Kain. We don't know for certain."

Kain's voice was devastated. "You can't think that...Leona?"

When Aria looked up Kain stood with his head bowed and his hands clenched in fists at his side. He was shaking. Suddenly he whirled around and was gone out the front door.

"Give him a few minutes to calm down before you go get him Dante," Aria's voice was filled with grief as she spoke.

"It was Leona who attacked us with all that power though wasn't it? Why didn't you tell him!" Dante was angry as he stood looking down at her. Throughout the entire thing Aria kept her calm.

"How did you feel when you found out that Vergil had gone bad?" Silence was her answer as she waited.

Devastated...betrayed...depressed...horrible...like my heart had been torn out of my chest and stabbed with thousands of tiny needles...Yea. Bad. I guess I get what you are saying then Aria...

"I don't have a twin Dante, and none of my siblings can ever go bad so I have no idea of the pain Kain is going through and is going to go through."

By now Dante understood why Aria had left it to him. He had gone through the betrayal of a twin and knew what Kain was going through. He nodded mutely and began walking out the door.

"Wait. Take Cherokee with you." Dante stopped and looked back to see Aria gently shake Cherokee awake. The two locked eyes in silence and then without Dante realizing it Cherokee shifted into his cat form and went to wait at the door. Dante looked at Aria once more and she nodded to him.

"Go." With that the silver cat and half demon were gone.


Silence reigned supreme over the Devil May Cry building where Aria sat wrapped in a blanket on a tattered couch, waiting.

I am lucky that a way for me to be alone was presented without my interference...Two pale hands rubbed at temples just as pale. I need to find some aspirin or something. This whole horrid mess is giving me one hell of a head ache...I wish it hadn't been necessary to drop it on Kain like that. He's wondering if his sister is even alive and we go and say that his sister is probably the one who formatted the attack on us in the first place...Man I wish he would show up already... As if her thoughts were summons the sound of bare feet on wooden floors was heard in Dante's office.

"M'hael." Aria stood in the door way between the living room and office with the blanket dragging from her shoulders, a look of love on her face. The nickname unused in so long felt odd on her tongue somewhat like a language learned and left unspoken for years.

A small smile softened the hard features of the ancient male angel. One purple eye and one green eye looked at her with a brother's love filled with remembrance of more pleasant times. She dropped the blanket to the floor and stepped forward into the warm arms of her brother sibling. Both stood in silence simply enjoying what peace they could grab. Emotions from both poured into one another. To Michael the feelings sent were mostly of fear and regret. To Aria come the feelings of comfort and understanding.

"Oh sweet Lil Aria. How it must pain you to see what is happening," Michael pulled back and locked eyes with her. "Where's that little werecat that follows you everywhere, Cherokee?" His voice held a light tone of laughter.

"He didn't go willingly but Dante never would be able to find Kain on his own." At first Aria's voice too was light but the laughter faded as she spoke. Michael nodded.

"Why didn't you tell him it was Leona?" Aria sighed.

"Dante asked that same question. Come this will take a little bit and I could use a soda."


Dante followed Cherokee through the darkening back alleyways at a jog. When they found Kain he was crouched leaning against a grimy brick building with his head in his hands. Dante paused several yards away while Cherokee padded up and thrust his head under one of Kain's arm's to lick his face. Kain lifted his face from his hands to stroke the feline fondly and one could see the tear stains on his cheeks in the half light.

"Now that I look for it I can feel the difference in our twin link... it is tainted..." As Kain snarled out the last word Dante could see the pain flashing in his emerald eyes. Barely contained rage was also visible in his eyes and the shaking of his body. Dante's next words were forced out. He wasn't one to share emotions and be sappy but the moment demanded something from him.

"If it helps any," he twitched and stuffed his hands in his pockets, "I understand what you are going through."

The anger flashed again in Kain's eyes and remained there as did a violent glint. "Understand!" The word was bitten out. "How could you possibly understand? The pain? The feelings of betrayal that are tearing me apart? I have never been alone. Now all I have is Aria and Cherokee who both will leave. Aria to continue with what she is suppose to do and Cherokee will go with her. So how could you understand!"

Dante didn't say a word a first but turned and began walking down the alley and around the corner towards where he knew the park lay. Cherokee walked with him just off to the side. When he had fully collected himself Dante paused at the corner and leaned against it looking back at Kain over his shoulder.

"How could I possibly know? You're a lucky bastard. Your twin still has a chance, my is already in hell." As Dante continued walking memories flashed through his mind.

Vergil falling with one of the amulet's clutched to his chest.

Vergil in black armor fighting him.

Vergil as a child crying silently having fallen off the monkey bars.

Vergil and him first succeeding at combing their powers to the word 'Jackpot'.

Behind him there was silence from Kain.


Meanwhile Michael was leaning against a wall in Dante's kitchen and Aria was

perched on the counter across from him, sipping a Pepsi.

"So you didn't tell Kain because one: you didn't want him to blame or hate you, don't know how you came to that conclusion, and two: you want him and Dante to get along better. Why?" Michael queried and Aria nodded.

"I'm think that when this is all over Kain is going to be devastated and is going to need a reason for living. I was think of him moving in here and working with Dante. The two would make a good team if they could get along." Michael nodded.

"That makes sense but you know Kain could just work for you." Aria shook her head in a violent no. Michael's voice was soft. "Visions are horrid aren't they?"

"Yes.." Aria's voice was equally soft. A flash of regret raced through golden eyes. "Yes they are. Now what was so important that we had to meet here instead of some place safer?" Sip.

Michael accepted the topic change and reached into one of his khaki pockets to pull out a small ragged black book. He held it out to Aria and she gasped before taking it from him to examine it.

"Gabriel took it off of a wounded and crazed human. He kept muttering about how he had to get it back to his lady before his sister could and claim the prize." Aria gasped again. "That's right it means that there is another one of these in the wrong hands."

"After flipping through a few pages of the ancient script Aria whispered: "It explains a lot though. An angel is needed to combine the worlds and I am the only one Leona knows. I assume you have warned the others?" She looked up and Michael waved a hand in dismissal.

"Of course . It also says you need 'the cold blood of dark night' whatever that means."

Aria dipped her head in acknowledgment as she handed the book back to Michael. "We need to get rid of that."

"Already done..." Michael said in a whisper as the book floated a few inches above the palm of his out stretched hand. Then in a flash of light it erupted into flame and was gone.

"Well I should get going. Got stuff to do. How I helped." Aria nodded and hopped off the counter to hug Michael again. "Of course. Good bye M'hael." He hugged her back with a small smile.

"Good luck Lil A."


At the entrance to the park Dante, Kain, and Cherokee stopped in horror.

The once beautiful park was in shambles and everything was ablaze. The found the creature of the flames laying in the rubble of what once was a colorful playground. It lifted it's head up to gaze out at the intruders with glowing red eyes, classic of a demon. It's scaled body unwinds as it clambers to it's six scaled feet. It's long snake like body is covered in dull gray scales except for the parts where the flesh is missing and all you see is bones.

Dante and Cherokee let out similar sighs of relief when they see no blood on the beast's claws or fangs. The children were not here when it arrived.

Then Kain gasped in horror and Dante looked over at him. His voice was a panicked whisper. "I left my staff at Devil May Cry!"

Dante's eyes widened as well. He had left Rebellion back at Devil May Cry as well and all he had on him was Ebony and Ivory.

"We are so screwed."

"SHIT!" The two wereyell-whispered simultaneously.


You do realize what you are doing to Kain, right?" Aria spoke to the darkness and it answered.

"Yes. He'll survive it though. He always had the stronger will." Leona stepped forward into the light radiated by Aria's out stretched wings. She had changed from her tank top and jeans into a black miniskirt, black boots, and a dark green long sleeved shirt that was closed in the black and front with buckles. An aura of darkness surrounded her like a cloak and any who chose that moment to enter the room would have felt the tension between the dark aura of Leona and the light aura of Aria.

"That's why I am the one shrouded in darkness and not him. Though his power is nothing to rival my own. No matter what anyone thinks."

Aria nodded. She remembered the power out lashes that had knocked both Kain and Dante out. She stood and locked angst filled golden eyes with cruelty filled emerald ones.

"I am not going to ask you to stop for I know you won't but I do ask you to think on what you are doing and the consequences it will have. Not to mention the pain you are inflicting on your twin. When you die...I don't know if I will be able to keep him alive." Two twin white pistols were at her belt and her katana in her hand.

"I will for you but it matters not. Nothing is going to change. You won't have to worry about him since you will no longer be alive in a couple of hours." A dark wooden staff appeared in Leona's hands that was topped with a blood ruby.

Aria's gaze hardened.

"Then our friendship ends now. I will miss you Leona."


Okay I need some feedback PLEASE! This doesn't seem all the great to me but I am super critic to myself so w/e. What's this Leona is BAD? Did I surprise anyone? Did I? Michael makes an appearance and Vergil gets mentioned! Yay! Whats this visions? Can anyone predict what is going to happen? I am running a little low on ideas so if someone would like to suggest something, go right ahead. I LOVE FEEDBACK.

Okay I think I have done enough begging for reviews now. Thankies for reading and all that fluff.

Panthino