Whoa! Update! Sorry this took so long. I hope you guys enjoy this^_^ This is my first time writing such intense sorrow, so it may be a little....iffy. Oh well. Writing is a learning experience...we learn as we go^_^ Well, read and enjoy! Review if you feel inclined to do so. I'll try to have the next chapter up soon. I ended up getting dropped from one of my classes.....=(. Even though I'm not too happy about it, that does give me a little more free time for writing.

WARNING: Character Death

I turned on my heels, uncaring of what Credo was doing at that moment. That was Dante screaming. My dearest Dante was screaming bloody murder. I had Red Queen ready for anything. No one makes him scream like that. No one.

But I wasn't prepared for what I saw.

There was only one possibility for who the goliath of a demon was. It was him: Ipos.

And Ipos' claws, long and sharp and emitting some kind of dark material, were pierced through Dante's entire torso, the longest ripping right through his heart.

My mouth fell open in horror and my eyes went wide. Blood dripped from Dante's wounds as the cruel laughter of Ipos resonated throughout the entire room. Amazingly, and thankfully, Dante was still holding on. He looked at me and smiled weakly.

"No!" I screamed as loud as I could. "Dante!" I wanted to do something, anything, but I couldn't. My legs planted me to the ground. How could he just be beaten like that? All the other times he'd nearly been killed and he chose now to actually get beaten? No...He was gonna make it. He was gonna give that bastard a word or two, then jump up and kick his ass.

But, at that moment, his smile vanished as his body went limp and drooped on Ipos' claws.

My arm grew brighter and my heart sped to an alarming rate. I was repulsed by the purplish black beast in front of me, disgusted by what I had allowed to happen, ashamed to have fallen for their traps, and an overwhelming sorrow was building inside me. It burned like a fire that would surely consume me. Dante…my dearest Dante. My Dante is dead. No, no, no. How could this have happened? Was there anything I could do? No. It pained me, but there was nothing I could do. I couldn't turn back time. Actions, after they've been done, cannot be taken back. This is what fate chose. This is the way fate played. Despite how much I hated it and how much sorrow I felt, it was the way things turned. I had expressed my concern to Dante before and, as it turns out, my concerns came to life; fate royally fucked me over.

"Are you not in anguish, putrid half-breed," Ipos' fanged mouth spoke the words to me. "He is dead. I killed him."

I couldn't look away from Dante's lifeless form. Why wasn't I crying? Shouldn't I have been sobbing at that point? Why wasn't I dropping to my knees?

"Now, with the blood of Sparda freely flowing, I can open Hell and rule this world. Humans will be slaves, half-breeds will be thrown into the fire. Feast your eyes upon the new ruler, vile being!" To my utter shock, Ipos threw Dante aside like he was yesterday's trash. His body landed in front of the huge alter that stood at the back of the room. "Prepare yourself for death."

I was horrified at the action, but no tears came. I wanted to erase everything and pretend it wasn't happening. I should've been torn in two at that moment. I should have been fucking weeping. Instead, I laughed. I stood there, in front of the huge demon, and I laughed. The tears stayed away and I fucking laughed.

"I said nothing funny, half-breed," the purplish-black monster boomed. "Cease your laughter, or your death will be more painful than you could ever imagine!"

Gunshots rang behind me and I knew Trish was fighting with Credo and his demonic helpers, but I didn't care. She could handle it. As a matter of fact, nothing else mattered except that huge fucker in front of me. I gazed up at the fabled Prince, wondering why he didn't seem like a threat anymore. He just looked like a giant, demonic, purplish-black reptile with a stuffed lions head. When I first saw him, just moments ago, I saw something menacing. Now? He was nothing. He was a joke.

Energy ran throughout the room and I noticed the huge, monolithic gate that rose from the ground behind the Prince. That must be what he wanted. However, he wasn't going to get it.

I wasn't going to let him.

"Stand and laugh all you want, vile creature," he turned, "I have what I need. With Leo's sword, virgin sacrifice, and the blood of a Sparda, I will get what I desire. I will get what should be mine."

As he advanced toward the structure, a clawed hand outstretched to smear it with my lover's blood, my arm shot out and pulled the bastards arm back and, more easily than I had anticipated, snapped it. His scream delighted me. "You won't get what you want," I said while barring my teeth at him. "You took from me, I'm taking from you. I don't give a shit who you're fabled to be. To me, you're nothing but a murderous piece of shit. Today, you'll fucking die." No sooner had the words left my lips, the energy that Leo had given to me rushed throughout my enire being. It engulfed me from head to toe, giving me strength I had never known before. I Triggered and let his power, along with my own, drive me. The spikes sprouted from my bringer and fire erupted from my fingertips. There was no way Ipos was going to live, or accomplish his 'precious plans'. He would die.

And it might be selfish, but I didn't care about the fate of the world. I was going to kill him because he took Dante away from me. He was going to fucking die by my hands. I looked over at Dante once more, biting my lip and returning my gaze to the demon in front of me. Ipos was going down.

"It is futile, half-breed," he pulled back his wounded arm. "You may be able to break my bones, but you will never kill me."

"Oh yes, I will." I smiled, my Trigger seeming to gain strength by my conviction.

He let loose a growl and rushed toward me. With speed I hadn't used before, I dodged him and grabbed the locks of the mane that trailed behind me. I drove Red Queen into the soft part of his neck, earning a howl that shook the chamber. With great force, I was thrown from his back and landed against the hard ground.

"Imbecile!" Ipos raised his spiny tail, lashing it out at me. The very tip grazed my face, but I felt nothing except the overwhelming hate for him and what he'd done. I used the spikes that sprouted from my bringer to render the appendage useless. He growled at me once more, grabbing me and throwing me into a nearby stone pillar. My breathing hitched and I gasped for air, but I was already on my feet and ready to counter in no time.

"Nero!" Trish yelled. She was fighting off Credo's skilled swordplay. "Yamato!"

Right. I retrieved Yamato from my bringer. It was time to end this. I was done with this. I was done with what fate had given me.

"The odds are not in your favor." Ipos grinned. "No fancy sword will help you. Prepare to die." As he said it, a mass of the same dark energy from before, formed around his claws. He raised his arms toward me. "Foolish half-breed! Die!"

It was like the next few moments went in slow motion. As soon as his arms were raised in the air, the flames and spikes from my bringer, along with Leo's gifted energy, pulsated throughout my bringer and into Yamato. The jewel that Leo had given me was now at the surface of my armored skin and glowed a brilliant shade of ruby red. I sprang from my place, keeping the need for revenge at the forefront, and jumped as high as my legs would let me. Before Ipos could perceive what was happening, I brought Yamoto, now engulfed in every ounce of energy and strength I could muster, down on his head. To my relief, and delight, it cut through him like a knife through butter. When I landed, the huge beast turned to face me. The look on the lion-like face was that of sheer shock and disbelief.

"Defeated?" The cut started to bleed and open up. "I've…been defeated….by a…half-breed? So easily?" Then, as the last words were spoken, he fell into two pieces.

"I wasn't lying," I whispered, and detriggered as the corpse burst into flames and disintegrated before my eyes. The gate behind him crumbled and, from behind me, I could hear the sound of Trish finishing her fight with Credo and his demonic companions. Trish had been victorious, of course; Credo's body lay unmoving.

I didn't even look at Trish, or give anything but a passing glance to Credo. I walked past them, not caring if I was bleeding, or injured, or if Trish was injured. The rest of the world could vanish. My eyes settled on Dante. I walked to the place in front of the altar, bending over and pulling his abused body close to me. I held his head to my chest, burying my face into his snowy hair.

And I sobbed.

"Dante," I wept. "Why did you have to fucking die?" My chest heaved harder than I ever thought possible. It felt like my heart had already exploded and died. Where the anger was, I now felt all the sorrow that I should have felt. Words couldn't even describe how much pain swept over me. It was like I was dying, too. And, as I thought about it, maybe it would be best. Without Dante, I couldn't see how I could go on. He was everything to me.

"Nero." Trish knelt beside me. She was holding back the tears, but I knew she was hurting like I was. I shook my head, gripping Dante even tighter.

"He can't be dead," I choked out. "He's my Dante. Mine. He can't be dead." I knew I didn't make any sense and saying that was fucking pointless, but everyone says things like that, don't they? I felt the same way when Kyrie died. I didn't want to believe she was gone. This, however, was so much harder to bear. Dante was the only one who truly understood me. He loved me like no one else ever had.
"I love you, Dante." I kissed the top of his head, bringing my human hand up to stroke his cold face. I was getting blood all over me, but I couldn't even have cared less.

Trish's hand rubbed little circles on my back and I heard her sniff. I felt sorry for her, too. I know she was going to have a hard time, but I just couldn't turn to give her comfort. It hurt too much.

She pulled away and her footsteps marched over to Credo. "I'll take care of this," she said quietly. "I'll leave you alone for a minute. We'll deal with everything else after a while." I heard her finally begin to cry as she dragged Credo's body off somewhere. I didn't see where and didn't want to know.

All that mattered was that Dante was dead. He couldn't see me, couldn't talk to me, couldn't love me. He was gone.

"Fuck." I sighed and wept at the same time, "You're everything to me, Dante. I don't want you to be dead. You have to live. I don't care if it's selfish, I want you back. I love you, Dante. I need you."

I held his body still closer. This hurt. This hurt so much…

His body was colder and didn't move, but I felt a familiar presence near me. I was confused...Dante? No, this was his presence I felt. Fuck. What's happening?

Though I didn't want to, I looked up, and I gasped.