don't turn around
cause you're gonna see my heart breaking
don't turn around
i don't want you seeing me cry
just walk away
it's tearing me apart
that you're leaving
i'm letting you go
but i won't let you know
i wish i could scream out loud
that i love you
i wish i could say to you
don't go
as he walks away he feels the pain getting strong
people in your life they don't know what's going on
too proud to turn around he's gone
don't turn around
~Don't Turn Around, Ace of Base




Luce ed Ombra
Chapter Seventeen

Melancholy Light
[By Ultema and Guo]


The silence after the door's opening was slowly replaced by the pattering of rain, with an occasional roll of thunder. Before Dante, Isabella, and Moofie lay a corridor; thin and narrow, comprised of dark stone and devoid of any foul smell or mark of disturbance. The cold mist crept out in visible, bubbling sheets of whiteish blue, disappearing as it licked the floor just in front of their boots. The end was not visible from here, save for the occasional bolt of lightning that illuminated the tight, small space with brief flashes of light.

A fine layer of dust was spread over the walls and warped, wooden windowsills. Candles long since burnt to the end of their wicks, melted and solidified as dripping wax down their holders were the only decoration on the walls. A carpet, dulled red not from wear, but age lead down the darkened corridor, and seemed to vanish out of sight, some ways down.

Dante had decided to keep to himself for the moments since Isabella's comment -- not much made sense at the moment. Left in the dark throughout the entire journey, he debated whether it was best to be left that way for good; maybe not actually knowing anything about her was for the best. He glanced around the long hallway ahead, and continued forwards, ahead of the other two for the time being. Though he tried to think, to reason things out, nothing came to mind other than the thought that he had to know who she was -- what was her significance and relationship with Mundus, the one responsible for his father's death. Normally this wouldn't matter, in the past, if he met someone that was too mysterious, or had connections with the wrong entities, he'd just kill them, and forget about it, perhaps milk them for information if they groveled. But why was she was different? Why did he trust her, in spite of all that just occurred, and why did he want to know the truth about her? Not because it would bring him closer to finding the one responsible for his mother and brother's death, no, but because he actually had feelings for her, in some form or another.

His boots were muffled by the rug below, though his footsteps could obviously be heard to be slowing. He had the whole walk to ask her questions. Soon along side of her, his head was turned towards hers. Quite the serious look on his face, quite different from the usual haphazard sarcastic grin he had usually kept on around her.

"Tell me..".. His head turned forwards again and after just a second or two of silence, "Do I actually have to ask you?"

"It depends on what it is exactly, you want to know...." The tone of voice Isabella used was synonymous with that of when they first met; deadpan, emotionless, cold. Their steps inaudible within the claps of thunder overhead, and yet still the green hues of her eyes that refused to reflect light flickered impassively at the seemingly endless corridor ahead. She didn't make an attempt to further the conversation, nor to look the way of Dante, instead keeping a steady, slow pace down the hall.

"Everything is complicated beyond reason if it includes me, and I'm not a mind reader." Her good hand lifted and resting on the shoulder of the one that was injured, still leaking blackness across the markless red rug; a trail of tar-like drips leading in the same direction they were heading. At the moment, she didn't care about it, with good reason. There was no point in caring about the injury, for many reasons.

Moofie trailed behind noiselessly, occasionally shifting his attention from left to right on either of the human figures before him. It was obvious by the tension the shadow kitten could smell in the air, that something was wrong with the two of them.

Dante's eyes shifted to the side, towards Isabella, though his body remained at the same distance for the time being, " ... 'I won't have to worry about that much longer' ... Just who the hell are you? You claim you can't die.. Or do you just not care anymore, I can't tell... I'm used to death threats, but somehow I don't buy it all."

His eyes glanced downwards towards her arm, it was really the first time she looked permanently injured. Slowly, his path brought him closer to her, reluctant to say much more, as he was too enwrapped looking into her eyes, from the side of course. So distinct, something he just couldn't place. Dante shook his head as he returned his gaze in front of him.

"Euryon..." He mumbled that one under his breath, again, everything seemed vaguely familiar to him, and yet, he was sure he had no right to think that way.. "Mundus....." Again he looked to her wound, "and you... are you alright? Why don't you get your cat to help you out or something, I'm not much of a nurse myself." He had slowed down to a near stop by now, his torso facing hers.

" ... When I asked you to help me," Isabella paused for a moment, thoughtfully as she continued on , barely sparing the white-haired man a sidelong glance. Another bolt of lightning illuminated them for a brief moment, and still the darkness trickled from her fingertips as her arm remained lifeless at her side. " I said you'd inherit everything, didn't I? My sole purpose right now, is to keep you alive long enough to help me finish what I started. I would never go back on my word. I would never try to kill you."

... I didn't when I had the chance ... the orders ... all those years ago ...

Leaving her answer just that undefined, she would let her partner figure out for himself what she was saying. Though the steely, tight knit furrow of her brow had melted into something much less determined.

"There is no place for creatures of the Underworld, or products of it, like me in your world. I have proven that over the years, whether I wanted to or not.."

Moofie caught up at that moment, brushing against Dante's pant leg with a halfhearted, pleading mew. Smarter than anyone would give a feline credit for, he understood the problems at hand, the questions, and the frustration. The sympathetic beast mewed softly again as Isabella continued.

"It just doesn't matter any more, from this point on, what condition I am in.."

"Well I wasn't worried too much about that, " An eye winked for her, and a smirk on his face once again -- it seemed as though it was his way of dealing with misleading information, "and that's all well and good, you know I agree your kind doesn't belong..." He trailed off. It was strange saying that to her, despite it being his true feelings, he obviously wasn't planning on killing her, if he could even do so. Dante had reached an arm down the feline beside him, who promptly slid up to his shoulders, he had grown quite attached to the little bugger.

"And your condition matters to me.. hell, how could I get back out of this place without a guide like you?" Yeah, he had to cover up his feelings, the piss ass. "You're a lot more trouble than I thought, but hell, I kinda like it babe... but you gotta promise to tell me all about ya one day..." He had completely missed the idea behind what she was saying.

So he'd have to wait to learn all about her, that was fine by him, he had his own set of theories on who she was. "Just tell me.. how do you know that slime ball Mundus, eh? .. Just don't tell me you were his former lover, I might have to slap some sense into you." Lightening the mood and killing one was his specialty.

For the first time since they had fought Cerberus together, Isabella cracked something that resembled some sort of emotion - a half smirk. You asshole, she thought musingly before turning her attention towards Dante, continuing to walk. The hallway seemed to be black on both ends now, as if it weren't black five inches in front of their noses.

"I worked for him, some time ago... when I was still in his debt ... for bringing me back to this world..." She'd explained to him before her situation a few centuries back, and hoped that he would still remember. That was the key to her newest lack of information explanation.

"I didn't realize exactly how sour his deal was... or what it would entail... and don't worry. It will all come together..."

"Worry...?" One brow arched slightly as he turned his neck just enough to allow eye contact, "Now why would I do that...?" Sarcasm? Perhaps, but there was always the off chance that he was finally beginning to trust her. After all, there was no way he would have made it this far by himself, nor did he think he'd be able to get any farther if she hadn't been tagging along. Meanwhile, all of this was for her sake, and he still didn't have the slightest clue as to how any of what they had done so far would help her situation.

Dante's footsteps slowed as he came closer and closer to the end of the hallway.

Hesitation with each step, it was actually kinda scary -- though caution was the better word in Dante's mind. Whatever lay ahead depended on Isabella's background, something Dante knew all too little about, and therefore, it was like charging into a battlefield blindly. Luckily that was something he was quite used to.

Isabella on the other hand, seemed to fall fairly silent as the door at the end of the hall became more and more apparent. Through the cracks at the edge of the worn wooden door, flashes of lightning were easily seen. The scent ahead of them no longer stagnant, but fresh of rain and the cold air that settled just beyond. As the last few feet drew nearer, a hand reached out and grasped the icy metal of the ring which would open the portal, and lead outside.

"You will understand, even if you don't now." Yes, she reaffirmed herself, and him as well of this as the frigid steel was grasped within pale, slender fingers. One tug given with her shoulders and the door cracked open -- a fainter light flooding into the dim hallway through the slit it was opened. A cold breeze poured in, carrying with it a fine mist that tumbled in upon itself and to the floor, spilling out across the carpet and lapping at the soles of their boots. There was lightning, but from what one could see out the door, it appeared a brisk, winter morning with rain. The ground itself looked white.

Slipping past Isabella to be in front again, Dante slowly drew his guns, scanning the area. He wasn't really sure whether he was instinctively trying to protect Isabella, but she sure as hell didn't need any help protecting herself. Dante raised a gun to scratch the back of his head in a bit of embarrassment; he realized she could probably be the one guarding him at the moment. A flick of his wrists and the guns twirled flawlessly around his middle fingers and were quickly replaced to their holsters. "Well, it looks all clear to me out here." Obviously. His hands now took the role of guarding him, as well as Isabella, from leaking sky. The garden looked perfectly normal from a glance... however upon closer inspection, which Dante would of course never do (they were lucky he hadn't already broken everything in the garden), there was a figure which resembled a heart, mounted on some sort of pedestal.

Perhaps it…"Is that what we're looking for?" His hand wavered in the way of the artifact. A 'ch-' like sound emerged. He felt a little bit like Dorothy at the moment.

"Yeah, that's it."

Well, that hadn't sounded all that enthusiastic, though Isabella trudged almost reluctantly forward through the falling leaves, rain, snow, glaring sun, thunder, lightning and the blooms of the garden that were flowering, and dying alternately. No weapon in hand, and no tension in her form as she moved on, she reached out and grasped Dante's arm lightly by the material of his coat.

Moofie shifted on Dante's shoulder.

"We should be okay here... I don't think that there's anything to worry about." Isabella tugged lightly on her companion's arm as she made her way towards the small enclosure ahead that held the prize -- brilliant and shining, like something made of crystal. The air grew gradually more frigid as they moved on.

It sounded a bit strange at first, his eyes making a sort of 'what are you, kidding?' look to them. Though he believed her, his guard was lowered... though after the last few instances, he would never let himself become unaware of his surroundings. Who knew what kind of beast could jump out of nowhere looking to avenge something... on him, of course.

Dante followed closely with her due to the tug. An odd feeling that created... it felt like he was needed... wanted... cared for. Something he hadn't felt since... His mind raced through his life. No one really cared for him. He wouldn't let them ever. The only time that came to mind, was a vague memory of his childhood -- before any of the life changing events which occurred to him.

He stared forward, attempting to appraise the value of that crystal. Maybe it was just the engagement ring she'd always wanted. It just seemed out of place. Dante wondered what the significance of this unguarded bit of rock was to Isabella and Mundus. He let out a small grunt to show interest, and perhaps provoke a bit of enlightenment from his companion.

To Isabella, the entire thing seemed as though it were going in slow motion, and all she could do was hold onto the arm of her companion a little tighter. Be it for care of her partner, or something else -- there was a definite feeling of fear flooding over her. Her cold limbs feeling more frigid, made it harder to move forward towards this little trinket that had so much mystery surrounding it. It was either the crystalline item on the pedestal or her own mind numbing fear was starting to take its toll on her body.

"Stay here for a second..." At this time, she shifted her attention towards Dante. Green eyes devoid of reflection turned sharply in their sockets, resting on the cooled teal ones of the white-haired young man she was with. Reluctantly, her fingertips slid from the texture of his coat, down his arm to his hand --trailing over a palm until only their fingertips parted and she turned, heading up a small set of stairs that lead to the item.

"It's all here... everything that I've needed up until now is right here. Your job will be done soon enough, Dante..." Though more to herself than him, she continued to her destination, attention then locked on the prize.

Despite Dante's preoccupation with knowing why they were here, all his cares seemed to disappear when he noticed the grip on his arm tightening. It was easy to tell whatever this was, it was frightening to Isabella. By that fact alone, he had plenty of reasons to be scared himself.... but he wasn't quite like that. His hand held her arm to reassure her that he was there, but as soon as he had shown his concern, she had left his side. His eyes couldn't help but stare into hers.

Done soon enough? What did this mean? ... Nearing the end of the job didn't exactly contain the same sort of excitement he had once imagined. His right foot continued towards where she had gone, but his other remained planted in the ground below, respecting her wishes. All he could do was watch.

His lips parted as he his eyes remained locked upon her, a quiet "Isa--" was all that could be heard... the rest was only in lip-synch.

Step by step, the heavier Isabella's body felt as she approached the cerulean light surrounding the small, fist-sized item. The air swirled curiously, stinging cold gusts grazed against her face, turning her flesh pink at the cheeks and forcing her to squint. The wind pushed hard, as though attempting to reject the approaching figure as it drew ever nearer -- at the top of the platform. Mist curled around her feet and trailed over the staircase, barely vanishing before entering Dante's vicinity.

The sound of thunder seemed to have been muted, but the lightning flashed in a day lit sky.. and the rain continued to pour.

Upon standing just before the pulsating light that emanated from the crystalline heart, the plaque just below caught Isabella's eye.

Completion and destruction, strength and weakness, it exists in darkness and in light. No boundaries it cannot cross, no soul it cannot fill, and yet as fleeting as a final breath. By this, that moves the sun and other stars turns the broken ring full circle, it oftimes goes unnoticed and leaves the full one empty.

And she smiled. With hands rising from her sides, fingertips extended she reached into the blinding light.

Dante could barely see anything let alone the look on Isabella's face, yet, he knew what she was feeling. He could feel her within himself somehow. He couldn't just stand around and watch whatever she was doing. This wasn't a happy moment, he could tell that blindfolded in a trunk.

As he saw her hands reach inwards, his feet could no longer hold him back to obey his mind's common sense. He ran towards the pedestal. His voice was muted as he attempted to shout her name, even screaming as loudly as he could, it seemed as though the light were preventing the sound waves from traveling at all. Staggering up the stairs as whatever was pushing Isabella back at first sure as hell didn't like him. He neared the top, and extended an arm out towards what he couldn't see, hoping she'd find it if he couldn't find her.

Moofie was forced off of Dante's shoulders by some strange force, landing softly in the snow on his paws as he watched with intense curiosity of the scene unfolding before his eyes. The feline understood everything just as well as the next spectator, who happened to have been running after Isabella.

Isabella's mouth moved slightly, though no sound came out. Her hand, being forced away from the center of the light, was slowly rising, a single finger extended as she concentrated; forced herself to push her hand ever closer. Though it was as soon as she felt a warm gloved hand wrap its fingers around her bicep, that she grasped the eye-rending trinket from its place on the pedestal. In a single instant, the light from the crystalline heart was drawn from its source, entering and filling her form with a force that seemed to jar her where she stood. A pulse-like shockwave of light having seemingly frozen her in place; an expression of utter astonishment locked on her features -- the light of the item continually grew dimmer, as it welled and grew brighter with each pulse traveling from her arm to the furthest outreaches of her person.

The second the pulsations began, Dante's eyes widened, several short gasps followed as he could feel the leftovers of what Isabella was getting fed. He couldn't imagine what she was feeling, but remained latched onto her, observing everything.

It was only seconds when the entire form of Isabella's figure had been glossed and capped in the same blinding brilliance that had been the icen heart. A black, liquidy substance seemed to fill the dulled trinket as the last bit of light glazed over the frozen form of the young woman, and at that instant the light shattered as though a thin shell of illumination had been formed around the time-locked body. Shards fell, and vanished into the cold air.

And she was released from the frozen position, legs promptly folding below the weight of her form even as Dante held onto her arm. A thin breath drawn inwards as she collapsed on herself, body heavy like lead.







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Author's Notes:B-GACK!! Such a long story as to why there have been no updates X-x Between going away for the summer, FFnet outages, Otakon and the like, it wasn't until now I was able to put anything up. Sorry for the disappointing lack of updates. ;_;