Chapter 26

Chapter 26

The Brother, the Sister, and the Mother

Dante faced the man in black, Rebellion in one hand, Ebony in the other. He had some how managed to fight him, and ignore his pain as the venom as it pulsed through him with every beat of his heart.

Vergil and Aaron had left when Dante appeared and began to fight along with the stranger. But now they where facing each other as well.

"Who are you?" the man asked.

"Why's that any of your business?" Dante huffed.

The man said nothing, "Do you know Eden?"

"Eden?" Dante gritted his teeth, his hand tightening on the gun, "What do you want with her?"

"…so you do know her…" the man seemed to relax, a small relieved smile crossing his face, "…then she is alive..." he bowed his head, "Thank God."

"Who are you?!" Dante demanded, "How do you know Eden?"

The man looked up, then at the gun and sword in his hands. He threw them to the ground where they slid across the floor to Dante's feet, "I'm not your enemy," he said, "…I just…want to see Eden."

Dante blinked, "What?"

The man raised both of his hands, "I'm at your mercy. I just want to see my sister," he looked almost pleading, "Can you take me to her?"

"Your sister?" Dante lowered Ebony, "…You're her brother?"

He nodded, "My name is Seth Hector. I'm the true heir to the Hector family."

"Lady!" Eden fired two more shots at the Sloth demons that were appearing out of no where as Lady fell to her knees, clutching her shoulder as blood oozed out of it. She hurried over to her and looked at her arm.

"I'm fine!" Lady pushed her away, "Keep firing! They're coming!"

Eden stood and fired at the demons as they came closer. "They're to many! I-I can't fight them all!"

Suddenly, gunshots filled the air. The demons all fell into piles of sand, and behind them, stood Dante.

"Dante!" Lady and Eden cried at once. Eden stood and ran to him, flinging her arms around his neck and hugging him.

"I was so worried about you!" she cried, holding him tight, "I thought…when I saw the warehouse…I thought you were…"

"I'm fine, Eden" Dante said, holding her tightly to him, "I'm okay. But we should get out of here. Vergil and Aaron are still here somewhere."

"Dante," Lady was still holding her arm as she came up, "What happened to your jacket?"

"I lost it," Dante said as he took Eden's hand in his, lacing their fingers together, "It ripped while I was fighting against Aaron. So I left it."

"Dante," Eden looked up at him, "Did…you see anyone else here? A man with one eye?"

Dante looked at her, surprised, "No, why?"

"He's my brother," Eden said, "Seth, remember? I told you about him."

Dante thought for a moment, then nodded, "Right, I remember now. The one you said died."

"Right, only Enzo says he's still alive," Lady said, "Eden thinks that he might be here somewhere, looking for her."

"I haven't seen anyone else," Dante shook his head, "Only Aaron and Vergil. We should leave, though. I don't know how much longer the ruins will stand—"

"Wait," Eden pulled away from Dante and stepped back, "…I never said…that Seth died…" she glared at Dante, "I only said he disappeared…"

Dante blinked, "I'm sorry, Eden," he smiled, "I guess it just slipped." He held out his hand to touch her's but she jerked it away, stepping back again, "Eden? What's the matter?"

"…where's Rebellion?" she asked. Lady too looked at Dante and noticed that he didn't have his sword, and the gun he was using wasn't one she had ever seen Dante use before.

Dante glared at Eden, "Eden, what are you talking about? I didn't bring Rebellion with me."

"Where's Ebony and Ivory?" she asked.

"Eden, you're being silly," Dante sighed, "I didn't think I'd need any of thoughs for this job, but it was a trick. This was the only gun I could find," he held up his gun.

Lady looked at Eden, "Eden? What's wrong with you?"

Eden glared harder, her hands tightening. Lady didn't see it? Something wasn't right…something was different. He looked like Dante, talked like Dante, even smelled like Dante. But…this wasn't Dante.

"…the necklace I gave you…" Eden said, her eyes swirling and becoming darker, "…what was it?"

"What?" Dante's eyes narrowed.

"What was the pendant I gave you? What did it look like? Where did I get it? Why did I give it to you!?" Eden demanded.

Dante snarled, "You're being unreasonable, Eden. Let's just get out of here before someone finds us."

"No!" Eden shouted, "You're not Dante!" she pointed her finger at him, "You're not Dante!" her eyes kept swirling, reflecting the strange feelings inside her, and her body became surrounded by a crimson light.

Dante was flung back and collided with the wall. The moment he did, something flickered across his chest. Strips of blue magic became visible, and lady watched as Dante changed, his skin becoming lighter and his aura darker.

"Vergil!" Lady gasped.

Vergil growled and stood up, "Damn you, wench…" he snarled, looking at Eden.

"Where's Dante!?" Eden demanded, "Where is he?!"

There was a huff, "Your lover is dead," they all looked down the hall as Aaron stalked in, "By now the venom has run it's course, and Dante's body has given out. He's gone."

Eden's eyes widened, "No…" she fell to her knees, clutching her head, "NO!!"

It was like a shock wave coming off Eden, sending Lady, Vergil, and Aaron flying back. Eden's body was wrapped in a blinding white light, and when it faded, she was no longer Eden. She rose slowly to her feet, her eyes closed, and stood tall as if she was some form of great ruler. Her face was emotionless, and when she opened her eyes, they were a dark crimson.

Her eyes fell on to the three of them as they all faced her from different directions. "Well…which one of you will die first?" her voice was older, but defently a woman's. They were all in shock. "Come at me then."

Seth let Dante lean on him as he told him what had really happened, "When Eden was just born, my mother knew that she was different…" he said, "She even felt it when Eden was in her womb. So she went to Jonathan, who's family has served the Hector family for generations, and he told her the truth…"

"The truth?" Dante looked at him.

Seth grinned, "It would seem that…the Hector that we all thought was a demon…wasn't after all," Seth stopped and let Dante rest against the wall, catching his own breath, "Hector was a mortal man."

Dante looked at him, "How? He fought along side Sparda…"

Seth shook his head, "Not him…it was his lover," he sat down next to Dante as he slid down the wall, "Hector was only a mortal man…who fell in love with a demoness, the real twin to Halor."

"I don't get it…" Dante sighed, "It had to be Hector!"

"That's what my family wanted everyone to think," Seth went on, "It was how it was suppose to be, to protect the real truth." Seth pulled his gun, looking at the handle where the name Helena was scratched into it, "Halor's twin sister, the powerful and yet vengeful Helena, fought with Sparda to save the human race that she had come to love. She then sealed away her own powers to live her life a mortal woman, to grow old with her human husband, and to die with him. But…there was a catch…"

"Isn't there always?" Dante huffed.

Seth smirked, "Yes, it would seem so…" he sighed, "Helena had to seal her powers into the body of her first unborn child, a son. She could only insure that is would remain sealed until a daughter was born to her line. So, for almost two thousand years, the Hector family, for some reason," he chuckled, "Only had sons."

"…until Eden was born…" Dante sighed, resting his head against the wall.

"By that time, my family had forgotten Helena's prophecy…" Seth clutched the gun's handle, hiding her name, "That her power would be reborn in the first daughter born to her line…mature in her…" he closed his eye, bowing his head, "…and then die with her…"

Dante's eyes snapped open, "Die? What do you mean?"

"…that's the prophecy…" Seth looked at Dante, "Helena will awaken in Eden, and then she will die."

"Eden…" Dante gulped, "Eden will die!?"

"Well?" Eden grinned, "No takers? Who wants to be the first to feel my wrath?"

"E-Eden?" Lady blinked.

"Eden?" Eden looked at Lady, "Oh…yes," Eden looked at her hands and body, "That must be this child's name, hmm?" she smiled, "Well, sorry to disappoint, sweetheart," Eden glanced at Lady, "But, Eden's not here right now. Only little o' me."

"And who are you?" Aaron demanded.

"I am the twin sister to the one whose power you seek to control, half-breed," Eden grinned evily, "I am Helena."

"Helena?" Aaron blinked, "Impossible! That no good butler could not have spoke the truth!"

"What are you talking about?" Vergil pulled Aaron over by his collar, "Who is she?"

Aaron pulled himself free, "…the butler, Jonathan, spoke of Helena, not Hector, as the real demon who aided Sparda…but…" he looked at Eden, who was smirking at him, "It…can't be true…a woman…?"

"Oh, don't sound so surprised," Helena huffed, waving her hand, "I just wanted to be sure that any future grand-daughter I may have was not killed before I could be reborn."

"Where's Eden?!" Lady demanded, "What did you do to her?"

"Peace," Helena raised her hand to silence Lady, "Eden is fine…for now at the least." She glared at Vergil and Aaron, "So…which one of you is responsible for my poor little grand-daughter's heartache, hmm? Come now, speak up, I don't want to kill the wrong person by mistake."

"So…" Aaron gritted his teeth, "It is really you I have to take the power from?"

Helena huffed, "Take power? Poor, misguided boy…" she shook her head, "Whoever told you that one could take the power of a demon such as I? No," she gracefully tucked her hair back, "It is not possible for a demon's power to be gained and controlled, it will be gained and take control, as it has of you, Aaron." Helena outstretched her hand, palm up, and slowly brought her fingers in towards her.

Aaron collapsed in pain as he felt Halor's power rip and roar inside of him.

Helena grinned, "You want to kill me, don't you, brother?" she spoke not to Aaron, but to Halor. "You want to feast on my flesh, don't you? You want to send me back to hell where I'll be at the mercy of the Dark Prince…" she stepped down and glided to Aaron, kneeling and raising his face to her, "But you can't…not in that little boy, can you? This little cage holds you back, doesn't he?"

"W-What are you--?" Aaron gasped.

"Silence boy," Helena snapped, "I'm speaking with my brother, not you."

"I don't know what's going on here," Vergil pulled Yamato and placed it to Helena's neck, "But if you don't release Eden…I'll kill you."

"Oh?" Helena smiled, looking up at Vergil, "You must be Sparda's son…yes, the older of the two. I do faintly remember something of Sparda's bride…" Helena rose to her feet, "My, you look so much like him…but…" Helena pushed Yamato aside, her other hand gracing Vergil's cheek just below his left eye, "Those eyes…those are the eyes of Eva. She had the most brilliant blue eyes…"

Vergil gripped her wrist and twisted it behind her, "Keep your hands to yourself, wench."

Helena bent and flipped over so she was facing Vergil again, then brought her leg up and kneed him in the head. As he started to fall back, she pressed both her feet, with Eden's black healed combat boots on them, to his chest and kicked him back.

Vergil fell back, but he flipped back on to his feet, wiping the blood from his chin.

Helena landed in a crouch and smiled at him, "To slow, little devil boy," she cooed, "Much to slow."

Vergil sneered.

"Did you hear that?" Seth said as they walked towards the exit to the ruins.

Dante didn't answer, breathing hard as the venom started to drain what little energy he had left.

"Something's going on in there…"

"DANTE!" Seth looked forward and Dante weakly raised his head to see Enzo hurrying towards them. "Good God! What happened to you!? Where's Eden?"

"Eden?" Seth looked at him, "What are you talking about?"

"She went in after him!" Enzo said, "Y-You didn't see her?"

"She's in there?!" Seth almost threw Dante to Enzo, who fell back under the weight, and turned around and ran back into Temen-Ni-Gru.

"Ack! Hey! W-Wait a minute!" Enzo called after Seth, Dante lying on his stomach.

"E-Enzo…" Dante struggled onto his arms and legs, then reached over and grabbed Enzo by his collar, pulling him close and glaring at him, "When…did Eden go in there?" he asked.

"A-About half an hour ago," Enzo said.

"Shit," Dante tried to stand, but the moment his feet were under him, he collapsed to his side, coughing.

"Dante!" Enzo grabbed Dante's shoulder, pulling on his jacket so he rolled onto his back.

"Help me…you cubby bastard," Dante growled, "Help me get up!"

Enzo nodded and tried to help Dante to his feet, but he couldn't move forward and the moment Enzo would back away, he would fall again.

"Damn this…" Dante cursed, "...Enzo, how'd you get rid of this venom last time?"

"Venom? Is that what it is?" Enzo said.

"Just answer me, you dunce…" Dante coughed.

"I dunno," Enzo scratched his head, "You just…started to get better all of the sudden."

"Damn it…" Dante coughed again and rasped. 'A useless Itailan…no anditdote…' he closed his eyes, 'I'm as good as dead…which means…' a vision of Eden flashed in his mind, '…Eden…'

"Don't you dare give up after everything I've done to get you here!" Dante's eyes snapped open and he turned his head. Standing right by his head, glaring at him, was Trigger. He was growling at him, "Get up! I'd smack you, but I don't have any hands!"

"Holy…the cat talks!!" Enzo gasped.

"Quiet, human!" Trigger glared at Enzo, "Now get outta here, you useless drunkard! You're just in the way!" Enzo didn't need to be told twice. He got up and ran, leaving Dante behind. Trigger turned and glared again at Dante, "Well? Are you going to get up or not?"

Dante glared, "Easy for you to say…"

"Hmph…" Trigger sat down, curling his tail around himself, "So this is what's happened to the great Dante? You're just going to give up and die to something as silly as poison?"

"Like to see you live through it then…"

"I have," Trigger half closed his eyes, "And it looks like I'll have to do it again…" Trigger stood and stepped closer to Dante, then placed his paw on his under arm. He dug his claws into Dante's skin and ripped it down, cutting him deep and making him bleed. Dante flinched, but didn't move. Trigger licked away the blood, the scratches healing as he did. Dante felt his strength returning.

Once the scratches were gone, Dante felt fine. Tired, and a bit groggy, but no worse for ware. He sat up and looked at Trigger, who sat again and curled his tail around himself, watching Dante with his bright gold eyes.

"What are you?" he asked.

Trigger gave the cat version of a smile, "Just a cat…" he answered.