Look! Another chapter. The events begin with Vergil's defeat in DMC 1 and a flashback to the boys' childhood. I introducing my OC: Rachel. Hopefully she will grow on you

He was defeated again by his brother.

Dante, thank you.

He saw the anguish on his mirror image's face as he dropped the amulet and disappeared. He landed in hell.

He laid there on his back staring at the scenery. His let his hands grab fistfuls of the grey grass. He turned his head and looked at his surroundings.

"Fuck," Was the first word that came unbidden to his tongue. Much more like his twin. He breathed out a sigh of relief as he felt his wounds from the last battle healing. "Dante." He breathed out his twin's name. He sat up looking around. No, Dante was still on that infernal island. Mallet Island. He wondered if Dante knew he was alive. Probably not, I went lost and went…boom? Again, he could not find the right word, so he used one Dante would appreciate.

Vergil let the grass go and saw it fall to the ground slowly. The air thick and heavy. He ran his hand through his hair, pushing it back. He wondered how he was going to get out of here. He frowned. He took stock of his surroundings and what he possessed.

Armour that was crumbling. A sword that was not to his liking and he felt weak. His body had been through so much and for so long. He wondered how long it had been. It had to been close to a decade with the way Dante aged.

Vergil wondered if she had waited in Fortuna like he had asked. Did she give up on him and leave Fortuna. Maybe she went to see Dante. That was plausible.

"I have to get of here." He now felt an urgency to get out of the demon realm. The time that he had spent there, and Mallet Island had given him enough pain that he wanted to find her and, much to his chagrin, apologize to Dante and assure him that he was not responsible for his death.

"How to get out of here?" He wondered out loud. Of course, those pesky low-level demons always made out into the human realm, so there was a way. If only I had Yamato. A simple portal would easily solve my problems. He huffed out a sigh and hefted the large sword onto his shoulder, much like his twin would have. He took a few steps, now realizing that the armour disintegrated and left him in his clothes. The clothes that he had fallen into the demon realm with. Convenient, better than running around naked.

He headed north, or what he thought was north. He remembered one of his few conversations with his father as a boy. "Always head north. Keep yourself on that steady path Vergil. Hold true." He wondered if that advice was about life or hell. "Only one way to find out." He mused out loud as he picked his path.

"Vergil, look who it is!" Dante clapped his hands. Vergil closed his book. Dante was leaning on the window bench seat and looking outside. A smile was plastered on the younger's face. Vergil looked over his shoulder. Yes, his father had come home. But it wasn't their father that Dante was excited about.

"Rachel." Vergil smiled as well. Their father's ward. She barely visited these days. Too busy with their father on tasks. Vergil pushed Dante down onto the window seat. Dante letting out a "oomph! Vergil!" He whined. Vergil silently laughed as he placed his book down on the seat and ran outside.

"Hello Vergil." His father ran his fingers through his hair. Vergil nodded, "Father." He was more interested in Rachel. She always had a gift for him and Dante.

"Rachel!" Dante yelled and jumped on her. The brunette caught him in her arms smiling and spun him around. "Hello, little one." She cooed and set him down on his feet. "My have you grown." She patted his head. She turned to Vergil and knelt, he approached. "You've chosen to wear all black and push your hair back?" She asked with her head tilted. He nodded and she smiled, "it suits you." She stood up.

"Gifts?!" Dante asked. Rachel and Sparda laughed. Sparda's more of a bark.

"Patience, Dante." Another voice spoke. The twins looked behind them to see their mother smiling. "So good to see you both come home."

"My lady." Sparda approached her and took her hand, kissing her knuckles. Vergil saw her blush slightly.

Vergil then saw Dante look up at Rachel and take her hand and kissed her knuckles, mimicking their father. "Gifts?" Rachel threw her head back and laughed.

"Here you go." She gave Dante a small wrapped gift. He tore it open, not carrying about the mess he was making on the grass.

"Cool!" Dante showed off his compass.

"And for you, Vergil." Rachel handed him a gift, that was obviously a book. She winked at him and he smiled at her softly. She knew Dante liked adventures and Vergil enjoyed books. He carefully undid the wrapping; it was book on etymology. "I saw you started a collection. This way you can know their Latin names." She pinched his cheek, she stood up and went to Eva. Retrieving one last gift that was larger.

"Happy birthday!" Rachel said with glee as Eva took it carefully, as Vergil had done with his gift.

"Thank you, Rachel, it's lovely." Eva wrapped the shawl around her shoulders. Then she looked at the fabric in better detail. "Did you…?"

"Imbue it with magic?! Yes, I did." Rachel said as Dante grabbed at his mother's shawl. His fingers ran along it. Vergil felt curious too about the piece.

"Magic?" Vergil looked at Rachel.

"One day, I can tell you all my secrets." Rachel winked. She then scooped him up. Dante grabbing her leg and hanging on as she dragged them back to the house. Vergil could hear his parents talking in hushed tones. He looked over Rachel's shoulder.

"….when?" His mother looked sad.

"Soon, my love." Sparda cupped her chin. Vergil saw his mother's tears.

He then felt something on his cheek and a noise like that of a fart rumbled against his cheek. He wiped his cheek and looked at Rachel who was grinning and Dante grinned down below. A raspberry. How annoying. He glared at her.

"Are you and father leaving again so soon?" Vergil twirled her hair between his fingers. He hoped not. Rachel sighed and set him down. They were now just outside the door.

"Sit, both of you." Her tone was soft and serious. Dante held Vergil's hand. This tone was Rachel's serious one. She rarely used it. The twins held their breath. "Your father has to leave. Soon. He has some business to attend to. I am not permitted to go with him. I will be staying with you two little devils." The last sentence she dove at them and tickled them both. She was able to elicit laughter from Dante, Vergil slapped her hand away and stood quickly.

"No!" Dante and Rachel looked at the angry boy, his hair falling from its spikes. "I won't allow it. No more leaving Mother in tears!" Dante stood then too beside his twin.

"Yeah, tell Dad he can't leave. You can do it, Rach!" Rachel sat there on her knees before the boys and smiled softly. Vergil could see that she was sad.

"I wish I could go in his place, so he could stay with you both." Vergil understood that as: There is no other way. This is the way things are.

Vergil slapped Rachel across the face. "Vergil!" Eva and Sparda said in unison.

"You both stay. No more leaving!" Vergil yelled at Rachel. He wouldn't cry, but he allowed a sniffle. He threw himself onto Rachel. Dante hopped on each foot before jumping onto his brother. "Yeah!" Was his agreement.

"Let's enjoy your Mother's birthday." Sparda said as he pulled the boys off Rachel and carried them inside.

Vergil looked at his mother and Rachel. He saw his mother look at him and smile, she then looked to Rachel and say, "There is truly no other way?"

"We've explored every option." Eva nodded her head and clutched the shawl a little closer. "They need to know."

Know what? Vergil wondered as he rounded the corner with his father telling him and his twin new stories about monsters that he and Rachel fought.

Something is about to happen.

Thanks for reading. Let me know if you like or hate. Will take criticism as constructive criticism.

Cheers,

MH