Author's Note: Hey folks! Thanks to everyone who reviewed so far. You're great! Another short chap, bit more flashbacks that's important to the story, some boring symbolism and Dante's realized there's something terribly wrong with him…A turning point in the fic, and now, we're slowly getting close to the end…

To Velvet; first, thanks for reading, regarding your question, this fic is by no means a yaoi. There won't be any romance in this story, hope your not disappointed; I'm just focusing on Dante's "psychosis". By the way, I've got nothing against yaoi, but I'll still read it, it's just not my cup of tea, although I totally love "Survivor" by VergilSparda666, which is an awesome yaoi fic, and probly the only one I like so far, considering I prefer het tendencies in fics in general.

Anonymous reviewer: all I have to say is artistic license is sooo undervalued. If this fic doesn't appeal to you, you're by no means under any obligation to read it, although I thank you for taking your time to read and review it anyways. I'm not sure what you mean by "you're after the author" though. –blinks- Last time I checked, I was only after a can of coke…and I didn't even have enough loose change on me –glares at coke vendor- Oh well, –shrugs- Meh, can't please everyone, my job taught me that a long time ago. –le sigh- (Dealing with public isn't one of the most pleasant jobs in the world. Off topic still I'd hate to be stuck in an office…aanyways)

AnonymityX: Thank you for your encouraging words, and thanks for reviewing.

Seeker: Wohoo, good luck to you with the cleaning! –sniffles- I clean the house every bloody day, do the ironing and wash up and I don't get paid a cent. –grins- Sokay but, I'm a neatfreak and you're a champ! –nod- Yup, the voice is Dante's baddie twin, or so he thinks, because it's actually Dante's dark half. Wait, now I'm getting confused too lol. Thing is, Dante doesn't understand the situation he's in. He thinks Vergil could be redeemed by …–blinks- wait…-le sigh- me and my mouth again –grins- Well, not sure if this story's going to have a happy ending... I doubt it. But this chapter is not so sad, in fact by far the cheeriest one I could manage! –hugs and vanishes to get her coke fix-

For Dante, stormy weather and darkness never mixed well, ever. The trees rustled outside and the wind groaned against the windows, stirring the imagination to conjure up all sorts of spooky images for the twelve year old.

Dante clutched the blankets around him; tired eyes wide open as he glanced about the room; desperate for sleep, but unable to immerse himself into the gentle waters of slumber. It was like a nightmare, especially when lightning flashed and woke shadows in the corners.

"Verge…Verge! Wake up!" The white haired boy called below in an urgent whisper.

There was a quiet yawn.

"What's up?" The soft, reassuring voice of the older twin came from the lower bunk.

"Can we turn on the light?"

"No Dante…Look, just go back to sleep, it's gonna be okay."

Dante sighed. "There's something in the room, Verge. What if it's a ghost?" He asked in a fearful murmur, swallowing childish pride. When sun was out and day was bright, Dante was brave to the point of foolhardiness. But when daylight waned and nightfall held the sky in its black grasp, Dante's confidence and courage diminished significantly, while his twin seemed unaffected.

"Where?" Vergil asked quietly from below.

"It's in the shadows…over there, Verge."

"Are you scared?"

"Yeah…"

Vergil was quiet a moment or so, then he closed his eyes and yawned again before he continued.

"Say; "Hide and seek, shadow creep; red and blue, we will find you." Vergil said sleepily, not quite sure what he was saying anymore as long as Dante left him alone as the older twin slowly began to drift back to semi-sleep.

Dante blinked in confusion at the strange rhyme.

"What's that mean? It sounds weird."

"Just say it, Dante. It'll scare the ghosts away. Promise, nothing will harm you Dant."

The rhyme's soothing effect washed over Dante, especially when his twin repeated it.

"Okay…" Dante snuggled under the covers, rolling over to his side and repeated the chant over and over until he was exhausted, at which point he didn't care if there was a menacing black tendril across the wall next to the bed…

Get a grip, Dante!

Dante nodded to himself slowly, ignoring the dark that obliterated his soul.

"Hide and seek…shadow creep…" He called to the darkness around him, feeling his courage returning.

The awful noise from the bedroom ceased.

He took a deep breath, and slipped out of the bathroom slowly, blue irises wide and alert, searching the murky dimness for the body…

It can't be you, Lady. It never was you...

Then why do I feel so disappointed? I should be relieved. But I'm not, my friend.

He couldn't see Mary, or any trace of the corpse at all.

But Dante could sense the presence of another.

Someone…something with not so benevolent intentions.

And of palpable evil.

Dante's shadow gathered in a mass in the centre of the room, with an unholy hiss gained shape and solidity, giving life to that which had been lain dormant for so long since the fall of Temen-ni-Gru.

The Doppelganger, no more under control of a strong devil will, freed by the misery and despair that reigned in Dante's spirit, lashed out wildly with jet tentacles, assuming its true shape.

The tendrils wrapped around Dante, lifting him off the ground and beginning to constrict him. Dante clenched his jaw and struggled against the slimy black substance that was slowly crushing him, draining his life force.

"Hide and Seek…" He whispered.

He wrenched one arm free from the shadow's strong, cold tendril.

"Shadow creep…" Dante twisted in the monster's grip and fumbled for his sword frantically. Feeling the hilt of a blade beneath his fingers, he drew the sword and drove it into the heart of the monster with all the strength he could summon to his taut, weakened muscles.

"Red and Blue, I will find you!" He shouted.

A piercing shriek, then a wail…

Dante felt the demon's hold loosening, releasing him slowly, and he fell to the floor abruptly when the Doppelganger bled back into its silhouette form, willfully merging with Dante to become part of one powerful entity once again.

An entity made of dark and light.

Sweaty face was turned to the sword, lips curling in a smile, -genuine, confident- kissing its blade.

He realized he had been holding the sword's hilt tightly with trembling fingers still.

Then Dante began to laugh.

He didn't know why it felt so good, but he felt his spirit soar with new-found excitement and relief, joining his grief, and his sorrow, even as hot tears pricked his eyes and streamed down his laughing face.

The ancient heirloom sword in his hand was not the Force Edge.

It was the Rebellion.