So sorry about the late update! Work has been sapping my creative moods and taking up my writing time.

XI

"I didn't start it! You did!"

"I did not!"

"You threw books at me!"

"You were mocking me!"

The fight started up instantly and with increased vigor. Vergil threw his head back to hit Dante's forehead. He lost his headlock as he felt the bridge of his nose crack. His brother spun and kicked him into the wall. A vase smashed beside him before he was forced through the wall.

He felt a chair break under his back and heard some rattling somewhere before he punched out. Even though they were in the middle of an argument, he was grinning wildly and loving the familier feel of fighting with Vergil.

A table and five other chairs were destroyed before claws grabbed onto the twins' collars. The talon-like fingers were large enough to encompass their throats without choking them too much.

The fighting ceased instantly as the half-devils caught sight of the look in Sparda's glowing eyes. His voice rumbled deeply, "Gentlemen. I do not care who started it, but, if it continues any longer, I am going to finish it. Understood?"

Both flinched with a glance at each other.

"Yes, dad."

"Understood, father."

He nodded and put them down, morphing his form back into a human appearance at the same time, "Now. Some questions need to be answered. Let us sit down before you destroy any more of the house."

A loud crash came from beyond the hallway, accompanied by the floor vibrating. When the Spardas looked out, they saw the bathtub, and the floor underneath it, had fallen down into the library. It appeared the brothers' tussel had compromised the floor's strength at just the right spot to create a crack all the way around the heavy fixture.

Eva and Sparda stood, shocked, as the water dripped from the broken pipes and flooded the lower floor. Dante looked up at the hole, seeing his life replaying and grinned. A laugh erupted from him.

Vergil glared at him, hissing, "You are not laughing at this!"

He bit his tongue, remembering something like this would have gotten them shot with Luce in the past. It wasn't too difficult to imagine what they would get while being more developed devils. However, he couldn't hold it in and started laughing.

"Just what is so funny, young man?" Eva's stern voice rang over his laughter.

He shook his head, laughing too much to answer properly.

"Answer your mother, Dante," Sparda ordered.

He forced himself to calm down, grinning, "It's just, I expected twenty questions and some kinda ritual put on me. Instead, all I had to do was destroy the house to show you I'm really Dante!" He started howling again, finding the whole situation hilarious, "It's like I never left!"

Over his laughter, he heard some chuckles coming from beside him and felt the spark of amusement from his father. He wrapped his arms around his stomach in order to keep his sides from splitting.

After a moment, he calmed down and grinned at his parents, "Sorry I broke the tub."

Eva sighed and came to hug him, "It's fine dear. Your father's spells will heal the house, but don't do it again. Vergil spends a lot of time in here."

"Pfft. Bookworm."

"Uncontrollable brat," the blue twn retorted.

"Gentlemen," Sparda warned.

They clamped their mouths shut, grinning at each other.

"Well then," Eva said brightly, looking more amused then she probably should have been with her bathtub relocated to the library, "I think this calls for a special, late-night dinner. Something, perhaps, with cheese and pepperoni?"

Dante's eyes lit up and he grabbed her in a hug, lifting her a little off the floor, "I loooovvvee my mommy!"


Morning...

Eva walked down the hallway in the early light. The house had already fixed itself with a little help from Sparda where the bathtub was concerned. Golden light flittered in through the curtains as she made her way to her sons' rooms.

Because the guest room had been completely destroyed and the second one was being used as storage for some of Sparda's war trophies, Dante was given a room they had been developing. It was across the hall from his brother's. She opened the door a little and peaked in.

The sight was enough to make her laugh quietly. There was no bedframe in the room but Dante had said he was fine with just a mattress. They put one in there that hadn't been destroyed and he slept all the night through - even with his body moving all night.

She smiled as she felt the presence of hands on her waist, "He always did have an excessive amount of energy."

A chuckle. After nearly two decades of marriage, she was used to Sparda's ability to seemingly appear out of thin air. Devils were light on their feet when they wanted to be.

He adjusted his monocle, "I must say, that position of his does not look entirely comfortable."

She grinned, observing what he meant. Dante was more than just a mover in his sleep. He had managed to maneouver half of his body off the mattress and onto the floor, making a straight 90 degree angle with the bed. He had taken his shirt off and she could see the waistband of his jeans above the edge of the blanket that had tangled his legs completely. His arms were bent around his head to make him look like he had been thrown onto the floor. He had a light snore and his hair was touselled enough to be more on the carpet than his head.

"I understand some humans can sleep at the oddest angles but his back will be terribly sore. After all, that is a box spring mattress."

"It's no worse than some of the positions you enter when you're asleep," she whispered, "You could be very popular in yoga."

A confused note entered his voice, "I always wake up straight."

"But you never sleep straight. One of the reasons I'm thankful for the large bed. You devils have a need to be on someone most of the time."

He chuckled and hugged her, "Blame it on small nests. Nestlings tend to fight for space when they are growing."

She smiled and studied Dante a few moments more, "Sparda...is he really Dante? They explained everything last night but..."

She felt him nod in understanding, "The scent is identical to Vergil's but there are small differences. Gunpowder mostly and screet scents...There is a faint hint of the Underworld. It would only be this faint if he had been out of it for many years. If this was a clone of Mundus' creation, the scent would be much stronger."

"So, it really is him?"

He smiled, "I feel it is, milady. It would have been the only way he could pass through my wards and for Vergil to accept him so completely..." He sighed softly and whispered, "There were portals opening all over the house that night...I should have guessed he would have fallen or had been pulled into one."

Tears came into her eyes, "All these years...and he was alive."

He hugged her more, squeezing her slightly, "I believe this is what Vergil has been hiding. With Dante close, he would have felt him through their bond."

"I see. Why would he hide that from us?"

"I do not know. I shall ask him later."

"Be gentle Sparda."

"I will, milady." He raised his head, "There are demons in the area. They must have followed Dante. I shall return shortly." He picked up a sword that hung as a decoration and headed toward the front door.

She watched him go before going to the kitchen and making him his tea. She thought she should be happy. Her lost son was back and just as wild as ever. He was fine and sleeping safely with the heart of his father's domain. However, a voice cautioned her in the back of her mind.

Nothing comes easy.

One of the most truthful sentences in all the world. Being a human devil hunter came with an almost nonexsistant life expectancy; giving birth to half-devil children brought about the most painful birthing ever experienced (even with Sparda's spells); and marrying Sparda and bearing his children came with the most powerful enemies in two worlds.

Something else was going to happen or was already happening. Something that forced Dante to seek them out after so many years. Her instincts screamed this and they were never wrong before.

She looked out the window to see a tree fall down. It looked like her husband had a lot on his mind as well.


His back throbbed a bit and the light shone in his eyes. He groaned and rolled over. The room was plain white and in the process of being decorated. Only the matress his legs were on and Rebellion's case was in the room.

Where am I? he wondered, putting a hand up to block the light. He turned his head to see the door open and remembered with a grin, "That's right."

He kicked off the blanket and got up, smiling. His back was a little sore but the thought of a day with his family pushed that feeling away. He wasn't into sentimental crap but it was one of the things he missed.

Content with that thought, he made his way downstairs. The mansion wasn't huge but a little bigger than the one that burned down. Easy to navigate though. He walked down the stairs, noticing that the rooms he destroyed were fully repaired.

He found his mother in the kitchen, staring intently out a window, "You know, your reflection's not gonna do anything if you just glare at it, mom."

She let out a soft laugh and turned to him, "Good morning to you too, Dante. Did you sleep well?"

"I always sleep well after pizza."

She laughed louder and kissed his cheek, "What do you want for breakfast?"

"Cold pizza."

She rolled her eyes and slapped his cheek lightly, "I swear, your father and I have spent more money on pizza then the cost of the morgage."

He grinned, "Missed you too mom."

"I'll make you some bacon and eggs. Growing boys need their strength."

He sat down and noticed Arkham's books had been put neatly on the kitchen table. He wondered if Sparda had read them yet. Speaking of which, "Where's dad?"

"He sensed some demons and went after them. He thinks they followed you."

"He's probably right. Got some enemies out there and Mundus would be pissed that I got back with you guys." He turned over the books in his hands. The one with the orb in it caught his attention. Were there demon made books? He doubted there was a binding shop in the Underworld.

Vergil came down then, in direct contrast to Dante. He was already dressed neatly in a blue shirt tucked into jeans. Meanwhile, the younger son of Sparda was in the pants he wore the day before and nothing else.

"Good morning Vergil," Eva smiled, "Would you like some tea?"

"Yes please, mother," he replied.

Dante coughed, "Fancy pants."

A kick to his shin was the response.

"Boys," Eva warned.

"Fighting already?" asked a cultured voice as he entered the kitchen, "Nothing ever changes."

Dante grinned, "Just fullfilling our duties as brothers, Pops."

He chuckled and took a tea cup Eva had prepared for him. Hesat beside Dante, "You had some callers this morning."

"Mom told me. What were they? Vanguards?"

"Mere Abyss Demons and a few hellhounds."

"Pfft. That's all? Verge and I beat more than that last night."

Vergil sat across from Sparda, "He's right. An army of Vanguards decided to hunt us last night. It was how we found each other."

"I told you, they were hunting you, Vergil. I was already chasing you when they started appearing."

"Any idea why these Vanguards were hunting you?" Sparda asked, amused, "Mundus would not attack near my wards without a strong force."

"Uh, I'm not sure it's Mundus doing the attacking."

He looked at him, "Then who?"

"Heard of the Red Devil?"

"Yes, that human has been coming up a lot lately."

Vergil drank some of his tea, "Another broadcast about him was on a few days ago. Dante was seen at the crimescene and is the police's top suspect."

"What?"

"It wasn't me!" he whined, flinching at the shocked stare of his father and the plate his mother dropped, "I was at the wrong place! I wouldn't kill a human!"

"Then who is the Red Devil, Dante?"

"I don't know. I remember yelling at one of the victims...and then there was fighting and gunfire." He winced and put a hand on the back of his head, "Then, I was checking the guy for a pulse and my head was pounding."

Sparda put a hand on his arm, "You are sure it was not you? You are still a nestling Dante. If your devil side got the better of you-"

"No! No, I wouldn't kill somebody! I swore I wouldn't when gramps was training me!"

"Gramps? You mean my sire?"

He nodded, "Mundus ordered him to train me when I was in the Underworld."

"I see..."

"Anyway, the Red Devil has been making a lot of sacrifices lately, and the last one I was at let a chunk of the Demon Army out. That was when I called for Rebellion and it came to me."

"I did wonder where that sword disappeared to."

He handed the books to his father, "I found these in a storage unit of a human who tried to become a demon. I think they talk about what's going on. I know it's all about some ancient demon magic called the Old Religion. It's supposed to be something that everybody forgot before you were born, dad."

He opened one of the books and frowned as he read, "This is powerful ritual magic...but highly riskful. Everything must be perfect or the ritual could backlash at the castor."

"Apparently, the Red Devil made a deal with some demon lord and is using a spell to open a portal to the demon world. One that will make the seal you put on Temen-ni-gru useless."

Sparda looked at his son, "Where did you get all this information Dante?"

"From the Oracles."

"The Oracles!"

"Yeah...they told me to tell you they send their regards."

Sparda snarled loudly, eyes flashing red.

"Who are the Oracles father?" Vergil asked, "Whenever they have been brought up, you become quite viscious."

He growled, "The Oracles are creatures seperate from human and demon. They know the events of time before they take place and can see all the possible futures of the worlds. They act as govenors of time and will manipulate events to suit particular futures."

"Uh, makes sense how they knew all that stuff then..." Dante said, still a little on edge from seeing the rage in Sparda's eyes.

"They have been known to toy with human and demon alike for their own amusement as well." He looked in Dante's eyes, "Did any of them touch you at all?"

"No!" He held up his hands, "Honest! One of them even dropped me off here with his bus."

He growled, "Be very careful around them, my sons. Any show of emotion or favouring for a particular outcome will be used against them."

"Okay dad, but they didn't seem that bad. Only Mathius was kinda annoying-"

"Mathius!" His eyes burned crimson, making Dante want to jump out of his chair.

"Y-Yeah. He was the first I met. He hid me from the cops."

"He is the worst of them. A self-proclaimed leader. He has even gone as far as to manipulate Mundus in the past."

"Really? Do these guys ever die?"

"Not naturally. They are not bound to a particular race and do not follow the natural rules of one...You are sure, they did not touch you?"

"Nope. All they did was tell me what was going on." He was disturbed. He had no idea what those people were. He had thought they were human.

Eva put their breakfasts on the table while Sparda started mumbling some demon profanity, "You said a human tried to become a demon, Dante?"

"Uh, yeah. A guy named Arkham. I met him when I was little. He married the descendant of a woman dad sacrificed. He was trying to sacrifice her to get some power. I stopped him but he found out who I was and tried to sacrifice me instead."

"Really?" A flash of anger entered her eyes.

"It's no big deal mom. His daughter shot him for me. We've been close ever since. I was actually wondering if I could bring them here. Arkham escaped from prison and he knows a lot about demons. I put up some wards but I've never been good at that." He shrugged.

"Of course you can, Dante. As long as you don't think they'll be uncomfortable around Sparda."

"Nah. They were fine with me and I told them I was half-devil. Can one of you call them? I think they cops will be watching their phones."

"I'll do it Dante," Vergil said, "Our voices are different enough that it shouldn't be a problem."

"Thanks Verge."

Sparda was still fuming when the other three began to eat. It was a quiet breakfast and, despite the fact that his father was angered, Dante found it a welcome change from the breakfasts he was used to.

Now, all that's left is stopping this big ritual thing and keep Mundus in his place. He turned to look out the window, I just hope Lady and Kalina will be all right until I get back...

Review please!