No one belongs to me. You guys all know that. The only one that does is Arson and Rayne. The name Ara doesn't belong to me either. I took the name from a very close friend of mine, who said it would be okay to use her OCs name for this purpose.

            Chapter 19

            Chapter 19

            Trish and Lucia were both sitting in the kitchen, mugs of hot coffee resting in their hands. They had both just stopped training. Dante had stayed awake all night, doing what they did not dare to ask. Dante's eyes were bloodshot from lack of sleep, making his eyes look even more dangerous then what they already were. The ice blue eyes, normally lacking of emotion were now tinged slightly red, giving him a look of insanity.

            Lucia sighed as she sat in the homely kitchen. Trish was looking around, wondering, not for the first time how they had managed to keep it tidy. Back in America, the office kitchen was a tip. Full of cockroaches and other insects. Over here, everything was clean. Sparkling. It didn't make any sense. Trish frowned slightly. Why the hell was she thinking about a kitchen?

            Xyphos soon made her way downstairs. She looked tired as well. Lucia frowned.

            'Didn't have a good sleep?' Xy laughed scornfully.

            'No time for sleep. I was training. With Dante.' Lucia shrugged and then looked away, thinking. Trish said nothing either, thinking that it was a good thing that Xy had got a little training. God knows, she looked as though she needed it. But then again, looks were deceiving weren't they?

            Xy had a strange determined gleam in her eyes, but then it vanished quite suddenly as she dashed out of the kitchen and into the room where Arson was staying, while they spent time at Dante's place. He was fast asleep, his body curled up around his pillow, his head resting on the other. Xy gently touched his hair and found to her relief that it was completely dry. She went on to touch his forehead. He felt slightly warmer than her hand, but Xy knew that this was only normal because of his abilities. 

            The doorbell suddenly rang. Xyphos mistaken brought her hand down hard on Arson's cheek, startled by the sudden unexpected sound. Arson blinked and woke up, blinking up at Xy owlishly.

            'Sorry!'

            'What was that for?'

            'Seriously, I didn't mean to!' Arson yawned and stretched out. He was about to get out of the bed when he quirked his eyebrows at Xy.

            'A little privacy here?' Xy looked at him witheringly but then moved out of the bedroom. Dante was at the door. Xy blinked as she saw him take a deep breath and let then it out. Dante repeated this several more times before he put his hand on the door. Xy could have sworn that he was shaking a little. No, she must have been imagining it. Dante was never scared.

            Dante slowly opened the door. Xy's eyebrows raised and her eyes widened as she saw the person who stood at the entrance. His eyes were a cold, pale green, the exact same shape of Dante's eyes. His hair was slightly longer than Dante's, flopping into his eyes. He flicked his hair back with a natural arrogance but the hair just fell back into place. His mostly silver hair was streaked with black. The clothes he wore were similar to Dante's style. The coat he wore reached down to his knees, a deep royal blue in colour, his trousers black, the tank top he wore black too. Across his back, a long spear was fastened.

            The man smiled lazily.

            'Well hello, Dad.' Dante nodded stiffly. They had met once before, but the two had always been distant. Each had gone their own separate way after that brief meeting. 'So…what's the problem? You didn't call me all the way here for nothing.'

            'I figured you were lazing about in Australia. You'd be of better use helping us against Acedeca.' Kryder yawned.

            'If this guy is such a big threat, then how come I haven't heard of him before?'

            'For the same reason as I. Acedeca is a demon from more then four millennia ago.  Before my time. He fought against Sparda…and apparently he's back and wanting revenge. What better revenge to kill of the members of the Sparda bloodline? When your grandfather fought against Acedeca, I don't think he thought that there was a chance Acedeca might come back. Perhaps why he never warned me.' Kryder raised his eyebrows, the pale green eyes slightly challenging.

            'If Sparda-'

            'Your grandfather.'

            'Okay, if my grandfather defeated this guy, why should we be so worried? If he could do it then there's no reason why we can't.'        Dante looked grim faced and shook his head silently. Trish and Lucia had emerged from the kitchen. Trish had stopped short, looking shocked. Lucia looked confused. Trish gave her a warning glare. Whatever questions Lucia had in her mind were soon subdued. Dante was now glaring at his son.

            'Sparda and six others were the last to defeat Acedeca. Acedeca never returned. But…they didn't either.' Kryder looked at him blankly. 'Sparda died that day. Their energy backfired and engulfed not only Acedeca, but them too.' Xyphos' eyes had widened. This adventure had just about lost its appeal. She heard a door click open and turned around. Lucia and Trish looked in the direction of the sound. Though normally it would have been a small noise, easily overlooked, in the tense atmosphere it suddenly seemed to be magnified.

            Arson walked out of the room, unaware of what had just been said. He smiled benignly at everyone, his eyes sweeping over each face. Dante, Xyphos, Lucia, Kryder, Trish…Kryder!? Arson looked quickly in his father's direction, his eyes widening with surprise. Kryder's face was impassive but at last he smiled.

            'W-what's going on?' Kryder watched in dismay as Arson recoiled from him and walked straight to Trish.

            'I'm not sure.' Trish looked towards Dante, eyes glaring. Dante sighed.

            'I didn't think we had enough energy to take Acedeca out with just four of us. Not with Arson the way he is. So I called Kryder to help us out.' Arson blinked.

            'You had Dad's number the whole time? And you never told me?' Dante nodded once.

            'Your father had our number as well. And the number to your apartment.' Arson looked towards Kryder in anger.

            'And you never even bothered to call? I haven't heard from you in three years, Dad!' Kryder shrugged.

            'Just like how I haven't heard anything from Dante.' Arson and Kryder both glanced at Dante. Dante muttered something under his breath, turned and left the room. Trish blinked, looking puzzled and went after him. Lucia looked falsely cheerful, as though she didn't know what was going on. Xyphos looked at Arson quietly.

            'Uh…' Arson could see how awkward she felt from the corner of his eye. Kryder smiled at Xyphos in an attempt to dispel her nervousness.

            'Don't think we've met.'

            'I'm Xyphos…Arson's friend.'

            'Ah…' Xyphos blinked as she saw the serious look on Arson's face. She fairly ran from the room.

            'So…'

            'It's not my fault I didn't phone you.' Arson sighed and closed his eyes.

            'I know.'

            'I was busy…hunting.'

            'Yeah…but I'm confused. Why didn't Dante let me have your number so I could call?' Kryder shrugged.

            'I don't know. But we'll think about that later. Right now we've got something else to worry about. Are you sure you want to fight?'

            'I have no choice. Kind of runs in my blood doesn't it?' Kryder said nothing but silently noted the grim expression on his face.

            'You really don't want to do this, do you?'

            'No.'

            'But you're right…you really don't have much of a choice.' Arson felt angry at that point. He knew he didn't have a choice; he didn't have to be told. Right now he just wanted Kryder to shut up and go away, so then he could go and find Dante and confront him. Kryder stood about, neither coming nor going. Arson realized with a sudden flash of intuition that he was feeling just as awkward as he was. He didn't know anyone here; not really. He was by himself. Arson sighed.

            'Sit down.' Kryder shrugged and stood about even so.

            'Where are you going?'

            'To find Grandfather.' Kryder nodded once. 'If you want, Xyphos will show you around.'

            'I'm fine.'

            'Dad?' Kryder smiled at hearing Arson say this.

            'What's up?'

            'Don't be stubborn.' The smile vanished and instead a look of confusion pasted itself on his face. Arson sighed and stopped, turning back to him. 'Alright, follow me.' Arson headed out of the door, outside, shoulders slouched, hands in his pockets. Kryder blinked, sighed, and then followed.

            Trish caught up easily with Dante, who had gone to the weaponry, selecting the weapons he was going to take with him.

            'Dante?'

            'What.'

            'Why didn't you give Arson Kryder's number?'

            'You won't understand.'

            'Only if you don't say.' Dante smiled. Trust Trish to take a page out of Xy's book.

            'You've been subjected to Arson and Xy's arguments too much.' Trish smiled also.

            'Maybe, but still, she did have a point. So tell me, what's wrong? Why didn't you let Arson know?' Dante shrugged.

            'Just…thought Arson was doing alright without Kryder.' Trish's eyes darkened slightly.

            'That's not right though…he needs a father figure somewhere along the line.'

            'So what am I? Chopped liver?' Trish blinked.

            'Dante?' Dante didn't make an answer. 'Is that what this is all about?'

            'What what is all about?'

            'Why you didn't let Arson have Kryder's number?'

            'No.'

            'But…'

            'Yes.'

            'Yes what?' Trish was now genuinely confused.

            'I thought perhaps if Arson got back in contact the two would get close to each other.'

            'And is that really a bad thing?'

            'Yes.'

            'But why?'

            'C'mon Trish. You've met Kryder before. You know he isn't that great a guy!' Trish frowned at him.

            'Before when he stayed a week with us, you and him got along fine. But now you seem dead set against him.'

            'I've wizened up.'

            'You're hiding something from me.' Dante raised his eyebrows, an amused smirk on his face.

            'You really have been spending too much time with those two.'

            'Dante…' Dante saw the serious expression on Trish's face. He knew somehow that he wouldn't be able to joke his way out of this one. When Trish was fixed on getting to the root of something, she had a grip as strong as a Bulldog's.

            'All right. I'll tell you.' Trish settled back on the chair she had found and watched him expectantly.

            'I didn't want Arson to get close to Kryder because I don't want him to get hurt.' Trish nodded and looked about to get up when Dante continued. 'And I don't want Arson to be taken from me.' Trish's eyes widened.

            'What?!' Dante smiled embarrassedly.

            'Well…he's more like a son to me than anything else…but he isn't…you know what I mean?' Trish nodded, listening. 'I'm afraid that if he gets close to Kryder he'll kind of forget.'

            'Arson isn't that fickle.'

            'Hope not.' Dante was avoiding eye contact with Trish. In fact, he wasn't looking in her direction anymore. He busied himself as though trying to find something. Trish sighed and then found Alastor, his preferred sword, and held it in front of him.

            'You can stop looking. And you can stop feeling embarrassed.' Dante smiled again. Trish had always been able to read him like an open book.

            Arson and Kryder walked the streets in silence, Kryder taking in his surroundings, his eyes alert, his senses strained. Arson had taken his swords with him. It was almost as though the two were expecting to run into some kind of attack. If so, they were ready.

            Arson paused, his muscles tensing suddenly. Kryder stopped.

            'Arson?'

            'Y-yes?'

            'Something's wrong…what is it?' Arson shook his head.

            'Something's coming this way.' Kryder looked up from him and strained his senses. He could feel nothing. Arson suddenly blinked.

            'WATCH OUT!' He pushed him to the side and flung himself to the ground quickly just as a huge purple beam struck the ground where they had been standing a minute before. Arson's head had stopped ringing. He lay there, his eyes blank. Kryder slowly sat up and blinked at the spot where the beam had struck. A huge crater lay there.

            'What the hell was that?'

            'I don't know…' said Arson flatly. Kryder looked towards him sharply.

            'I didn't even sense anything…' Arson made no reply but just lay there, eyes listless. Kryder helped him to his feet but Arson seemed to sag against him.

            'Arson?'

            'Mm…'

            'C'mon…stand up.'

            'I feel real tired all of a sudden..' Arson suddenly gasped and shuddered wildly. Something seemed to speak in his head. 'Something's happened to Acedeca.'

            'What d'you mean? Is he dead?'

            'No…he's changed form…his name's…Craven? What?' Arson's hands went to his head. 'I don't understand.'

            Sparda started to glow red in Trish's hand. Dante and Xyphos looked up as they heard the strange humming. The sword had stopped talking a long time ago, for a reason Dante nor anyone else knew. But now something seemed to provoke it into speaking again.

            'A huge transformation has taken place.'

            'What? On who?'

            'On Arson and our enemy.'

            'Ace-'

            'Craven.'

            'Craven?' Dante frowned. Trish looked nonplussed. Xyphos said nothing but looked up at Dante.

            'Arson? What's happened to him?' But the sword had fallen silent yet again.