Finding himself wandering around a foreign area, Dante wasn't so sure what was going on- his dreams usually had a few more...gritty and 'unsavory' aspects that most people wouldn't necessarily care for. Drinking a few cold beers, eating pizza and all the ice-cream he could possibly handle, without the annoyance of being judged by his fellow comrades in arms about how he'd 'ruin his body'. Sometimes they were him reliving previous battles, dealing with demons he'd completely dreamt up and never actually met on the battlefield, exciting things that got his blood flowing and actually left him pretty pumped when he woke up. Hell, they also had bits of debauchery here and there from time to time, because he was - despite what many may believe a Son of Sparda to be - human, after all. But to his knowledge, the dreams that he had never had a setting of something like...this. Glancing around in all directions, he saw nothing but absolute darkness. Wisps or tendrils of darkness snaked around the area, though they didn't appear to be threatening Dante still kept his guard up. Just because something seemed harmless enough didn't mean it was all sunshine and rainbows. There wasn't the slightest hint of light in any place he could see, and in any case, he could barely even make out his boots from beneath him, let alone try to make it anywhere, not that there was any goal for him to reach, anyway. After a few moments, he decided that aimlessly walking through the abyss seemed like his best bet. That is, until he either finally woke up or his mind kicked into gear and finally formulated something worthwhile for him to dream about.
Son of Sparda.
Hearing a voice, but not seeing a person it could have possibly come from, Dante tried to pinpoint the origin. Glancing around in all directions, he saw absolutely no sign of the individual. It had definitely sounded female, but he had no luck in finding its owner. Was he dealing with a demon? Had Dante somehow ended up in some sort of trap and thought he was dreaming? Or, better yet- was he actually piss drunk and doing more stupid things he'd come to regret tomorrow? Well, if it was a delusion and he'd end up paying for it tomorrow, then why not indulge? It would be a problem for future Dante to deal with, anyway. "Hello? Mysterious stranger, you out there?" Cupping both hands over the sides of his mouth, Dante began calling out to who or whatever wanted to talk, and decided to wait and see what happened.
Rest assured, you are in fact dreaming. That is how we are allowed to speak, without consequence. But I am not of that which you believe me to be.
"Forgive my skepticism here, but I don't think anything good's gonna really come from dealing with some dream lady." Dante continued to search around but it seemed to be all in vain. The voice seemed to come from everywhere and nowhere all at the same time. Would she ever bother trying to show herself, or would this be a situation where she could see/hear him just fine, and he'd be left high and dry on the woman who was speaking? He'd have to admit that this was a whole new experience for him. "What kinda consequences are we talkin' about, anyway?" His curiosity had been piqued a bit by her speech and the fact that she seemed to know something he didn't.
In times of great peril, there was one who sought a way of salvation for the beings she had come to know and love. Birthed of her blood were we, powerless to do nothing but watch, she averted cataclysm to be, and paid a price too high for all who should be saved.
Dante frowned a bit. Not that he was particularly 'slow', but she seemed to be talking a bit too 'fast' for him to understand exactly what it was she'd been trying to say. Just what was she talking about? Birthed of whose blood? Who averted a 'cataclysm to be'? Forced to watch what? What price did they pay? He was filled with nothing but questions, and hoped there would eventually be answers. "Sorry to say, but I'm not following you."
Her blessings still to this day rain down upon her beloved children, blessed are we, all who call ourselves 'mankind' to have a mother who would sacrifice all that she could give, so that we may flourish.
"Alright. So I guess you're just gonna keep on speaking in riddles, huh?" Dante heaved a sigh, "How about showing yourself, so I get something to talk to, as opposed to yelling out into the distance and looking like some kinda lunatic?" Everything that she said only seemed to raise further questions for him- this was the very first that Dante had ever heard of a 'mother' who seemingly gave up her very own existence to save mankind. And just when he'd thought to have heard all of the strange and more 'out there' cultist nonsense about those with deific status and their roles to play in the salvation of humans. His thoughts were interrupted once Dante looked upon a vague outline of a female figure, as if she were made of the very stuff he was walking around in. A slight haze of fog seemed to blur the air surrounding her, and he thought he could see a vale on her face. She seemed to be a fairly young girl, and he assumed her to be in her early to late teens.
"There is much to speak about, champion of man." Folding her hands neatly, the young girl expectantly stared up at the taller male. She didn't seem to take any offense to Dante's remarks about her not speaking clear enough for him to understand. There was even something 'serene' about her. Was this just a demon hiding behind the image of a young, innocent looking girl just so he'd feel more inclined to help her out with whatever mess she'd been tangled up in? It wasn't that far of a stretch, and if his hunch proved to be true, then Dante would have to give the demon props for using such a smart tactic- not that he'd ever let it get away with using him.
"Yeah. Like how do I know you're not just some figment of my imagination?" 'Champion of Man'? 'Son of Sparda'? If she turned out to be an actual person, then she honestly had him at quite the disadvantage. Her fancy titles not withstanding, he honestly wanted to find out how much she actually knew or if she was just going on about information that wouldn't be too hard for just about anyone out there to get their hands on. Thinking it over, he honestly wasn't sure about the young woman standing opposite of himself. Of course, there was also the initial doubt that his mind could make up something this interesting/strange, Dante still had a feeling that the young girl standing before him could jut be a figment of his overactive imagination. She could literally just be something he dreamt up, even if she seemed otherworldly and wise beyond her years.
"What you believe is of your choosing. I have plenty to say, the choice to listen is yours alone. Like the other, you have the choice to take up the mantle of responsibility, or cast it aside." Waiting patiently for him to respond, she didn't press any further.
"Other?" Dante asked, but it didn't appear he was going to get an answer on that one. Alright. Deciding on a better question, he wanted her to elaborate a bit further on what she meant about her earlier queries. "Who's this 'mother' you spoke of?"
"Before there were humans, before there was a world on which to stand on, or creatures of which life had been breathed into, Gods walked the known realms. First, came the mother of God himself, who ruled the realm of the living with a kind and just heart. All of that was to change, one she gave birth to God, for he had other plans and goals for which his mother was not needed. God killed his own mother, in his quest to take over her kingdom. Once that had been achieved, only then did God relish in his victory, and let his love and light upon all in his dominion. However, his happiness was not to last- life was not eternal and his conquered world was always subject to change. God did not want this change to come about. He wanted what he believed to be nothing but perfection to exist, forever. Believing his mother to have brought this scourge upon his lands, he fashioned new Gods, his 'children' of which to do his bidding. First, came Pulse, a loyal and manipulative son to God himself. Second came Etro, Goddess of nothing, for God had unwittingly fashioned her in the likeness of his deceased mother, and feared that she may have returned in this vessel he had made. Replacing Etro, he made Lindzei whose cunning would come to be known to mankind. Giving them a focus, God wished for them to find his mother, and put a stop to what he believed to be her doing- a 'curse' which stated all living things must inevitably die. God did not understand that nothing would last forever, for even Gods had their rightful times of passing. But even so, he eternally wished for a world that would never end, a reality where he was almighty and all-knowing. It would be then that he went into his slumber, and once their focus had been achieved, would he awaken. But Lindzei and Pulse would never once step foot into the ether beyond the living and dead worlds, for the Unseen Realm of Valhalla was sacred to the Goddesses of Death and Chaos who sought out life and balance. In her anguish at being left powerless, Etro tore her own body to shreds and found herself within the realm of Valhalla. It was here that she met her 'grandmother', Mwynn, who explained that the Chaos needed to be kept at bay, and she no longer could handle that responsibility. With her dying wish, the Goddess asked that Etro protect the cycle of life. If the dams that the Goddess herself had made were broken, and her ward enough were not fortified to keep it hidden, then the known world would be destroyed. For Chaos may provide life, but it also causes it to recede. Fading into oblivion, she left this last task to Etro. Taking it upon herself to control the Chaos, Etro would protect the balance of life and death. It was then, that Lindzei created humanity through her blood. The first of these humans, was reborn in the image of Etro herself, in mortal form. Some speculated this to be more than mere 'coincidence' and thought she may be the new incarnation of Etro, herself. But this was not the case, for Etro remained in Valhalla, and, through the Chaos, did Etro gift us our souls." Yeul decided to begin her explanation from the very beginning of things, that way she could more than satisfy Dante's query on who Etro was. And even if it that alone was not enough to satiate his desire to learn more, she could no longer oblige the subject. There wasn't enough time for her to explain all of the miracles and graces that the Goddess had given, but she hoped that this would be enough. Deciding it best to omit a few things about Lightning, Yeul would elaborate further upon the Savior once the time was right. Dante needed to hear only what was meant for him, and needn't concern himself with the grand scheme of things- even if Yeul had longed for the chance to recount every last detail and show them specifically what needed to be done for this long journey of theirs, it was forbidden.
Listening carefully to her ramblings, Dante was a bit surprised at her explanation of how the world had began. He'd never heard of Valhalla, nor Etro, Lindzei, Pulse, Mywynn, or God and what the son of a bitch had done. Killing his mother, just because he wanted her kingdom? It didn't sound like anything 'God' was supposed to be. That is, if you followed the ramblings most humans went off about when preaching to others about how they somehow earned tickets to hell just because of acting a way. It was kind of callous, really, to say that you spoke for your God. It was actually interesting for him to note the fact that Gods did in fact exist. But where did they stand in the spectrum of power struggle in divine entities? Were demons on par with, or even stronger than Gods themselves, or did Gods actually trump demons in the area? Another important question he should be asking was, were Gods 'good'? Obviously not the first few she had mentioned, as they all seemed to be self-serving assholes, but these 'Etro' and 'Mywynn' characters seemed to be on the up and up about humanity, and that earned a big thumbs up from Dante. "You said that there were things she was forced to watch, that she interfered with- did that cost the Goddess her life, saving humanity?" The young girl made it seem like the Goddess of Death had died, and if that were so, then did that mean there would be no more life? If she protected the balance, then would nothing be born again?
"Yes." Nodding her head, she was pleased at the fact that he understood what she was speaking about. "For it was the will of balance that all life recede and fade into the shores of nothingness, that time itself collapse and, perhaps even start anew, beyond the legends of Gods, humanity and the mysticism of the old world-" Taking on an even more 'serious' look and demeanor, Yeul paused for a moment, letting her words sink in to the man of which she spoke. "-but the Goddess took matters into her own hands. By aiding mortals, she created an injustice and caused ripples that weren't meant to be. Since she was life incarnate, balance demanded a sacrifice equal to that of what was given, for there is always a price to be paid by those who dare to look into the future and change what fate has ordained. Many fought against what was an inevitable loss, as they had no idea that all of their trials and suffering would not allow the Goddess to survive- their convictions of 'hope' and dreams of a better tomorrow played right into the hands of her death, and our ultimate despair. Once the Goddess fell, only then did the world truly crumble from beneath us. In the absence of death, did all truly learn the meaning of life. That is why I am coming to you, son of Sparda, you are a champion of this world whom I can place my trust into. I have seen the many great feats you have achieved, and I know that your unmatched strength is absolutely essential to the salvation of this New World." Yeul had foreseen all that would occur, and enlisting his help was absolutely necessary. The son of Sparda and Savior would need to join forces if this world was to stand a chance. But, as all mortals had the power to choose their own fates, all Yeul could do was give them a gentle nudge in the right direction and hope that they did the correct thing. Dante still had the ability to veto her offer and outright say 'no'.
"Why would you need to place your trust in me? What's going to happen?" Dante was perplexed by what she had to say. She seemed to know an awful lot about the world and how things were going to turn out. Did she have some sort of divination? It would actually make sense, considering the fact that she already seemed otherworldly to himself, and he'd barely met her for anytime at all.
"There are many paths of fate, and I cannot share with you all that I know, for that would cause an atrocity that I would not be allowed to fix. My sins in defying the laws of the Farseers have no further room to grow, forgive me, for if this seems 'cold', but this is the extent of my abilities at the moment. But do not despair, as I will not abandon you in your righteous quest. When the time is right, I shall guide you along your journey." Yeul paused for a moment, giving him the most sincere, pleading look that she could manage. "We do not have much time left. You must look for the one the demons call 'Savior'. She will be the deciding factor between 'good' and 'evil'." It was a shame that she wasn't allowed to explain further, but knowing the future would leave those involved with notions that they could change things and make them 'better'. 'No. The Goddess must not die. Turn back.' Shutting her eyes, she remembered her words to the much younger Noel Kreiss and Serah Farron, righteous 'heroes' who sought out a new path of salvation for mankind, by attempting to protect the Goddess of Death in the land of the living, while Lightning Farron would stake her life to prevent Caius' quest of damnation for all. Creating contradictions and ripple effects through the timeline wasn't something Yeul would ever wish for. If his preordained meeting with Lightning did not happen, then the world was going to suffer for it. Dante needed to seek her out.
The young girl certainly did speak 'differently' from most, but he guessed that it was because she was, for a lack of better word- different. Judging from all of the things she spoke of, she seemed to be able to see into the future. Deciding to gamble on him to save the world. Well, not only him, there was this 'Savior' individual he'd had to find. That wouldn't be too hard, would it? Dante also assumed that the 'Savior' had been the 'Other' champion the young girl had spoke about when their conversation had began. Despite all of his previous doubts on whether or not she had been telling him the truth about things, Dante honestly couldn't contest that fact any longer. She was absolutely genuine and as far as he could tell, there was something big about to happen to the Earth, or 'New World' as she put it, and though she may have troubles in finding help, damned if she didn't try. But if she knew his feats, then she should honestly know that he'd never turn down a proposal such as this. Demons weren't going to just threaten the entire world and get away with it."Don't worry about it. I've had worse conversations." Dante shrugged, wondering if that would put her a bit more at ease. "So. Are you saying that she can be swayed to either side? Is this 'Savior' person a loose cannon? How do I find her? What does she look like?" He didn't like the idea that the fate of the world could be changed just because of the actions by one individual.
"No." Yeul shook her head. "The Savior has already made her choice. Do not mistake that of which I speak, son of Sparda- she is not on the side of 'evil' nor does she intend to join it. But demons do wish for her power, and they do not need her consent to take it. Should the Savior fall at the hands of any demon, then all will be lost. Had she not chosen the side of 'good' and mankind, then I would not be able to speak to you." Pausing for a moment, Yeul shook her head to his query. That was another taboo she wouldn't be allowed to convey. "You must seek her out, I cannot foretell what is to be. I can only say what needs to be said. When and where you find the Savior is dependent on you and your actions. Search for a woman with rose colored hair, you will know this woman, the moment that you find her, for she will not be hard to spot. She is a warrior, just like you."
"A woman with pink hair?" Dante frowned a bit. When had he ever come across one of those? Thinking back, he couldn't remember such an occasion. At least that narrowed down things quite a bit more, even if it also increased the difficulty. But when did these 'end of the world' things ever end up being easy? What kind of person was the 'Savior' that she'd be the trump card for good or evil? Was she even a human, at all?
Yeul nodded to him. "Yes. Her name, is Lightning. Do not judge by appearances." Even if she could be 'cold' to individuals from the beginning of things, once the Savior decided that you were a figure of importance to herself, did she finally warm up and go to great lengths just to keep you by her side. It would be ever so interesting to see all of the things that would occur between she and Dante. Perhaps Sparda himself would have marveled at the fact that a Goddess of all things would fall for his hybrid son.
Dante frowned a bit at the mention of the Savior's name. Lightning? What kind of name was that? "You're being serious, right? You're not just...pulling my leg, trying to make me look like some kinda idiot when I track her down? Cause I don't wanna get some sorta blame on myself just because I got the name wrong." More often than not did he end up the 'punching bag' for these kinds of situations. Most likely because people usually thought he was just 'being an ass' when he was actually trying to be serious.
"That is the Savior's name. I assure you that I offer no deceptions that would hinder your path of fate." Yeul honestly couldn't blame him for believing that she could be anything other than what she portrayed herself to be. He had no idea who she was, what she could do, and he had to choose for himself whether or not she was actually trustworthy and offered any real information to what was happening in his world.
"Alright. I'll take your word for it. Oh. And do me a favor, will ya? Drop the whole 'champion of man', 'son of Sparda' titles- just call me Dante. I don't need some fancy, lengthy credentials to feel 'special' or anything." He wondered if she'd give up her name in exchange for him allowing her to address him by his. Not that he really had a way of contacting her, as she said this was basically a one way street, and at times of his need would she reveal herself and let him know what was to be done.
"Of course. I apologize...Dante." Yeul smiled softly and curtly bowed to the red clad man before her. "I leave the fate of the world in your capable hands."
"Doesn't sound like ya got much of a choice, but, I'll do my best." Dante nodded to the young woman, even as she seemingly began to fade away. Did that just mean she stopped invading his dream, or was it actually coming to an end? In either case, he supposed that in a moment or two he'd have his answer. He made a mental note of the things she'd been speaking to him about, hoping it wouldn't be one of 'those' dreams where you forgot everything upon waking up. There was a 'Savior' to find, demons to kill, and more than likely- one hell of a payday. Not to mention the fact that he'd be 'saving the world'. But that would just be a byproduct of what was to come.
"As one who gazes into the far reaches of time, beyond the ideations of 'past', 'present', and future I am used to the constraints of being without choice." Yeul glanced beyond Dante at first, then stared directly into his eyes. "Make no mistake of this, Dante, you and she are the only ones I have visited and shall come to in regards to this matter at hand. There are no others and you are the only hope for this world to survive."
"You seemed to know a lot about everything, so I did wonder if you could see things. What are you, anyway? Angel? Defected Demon? A human who got a unique gift?" Dante really wanted to know, especially before this dream came to its end.
Yeul shook her head at his guesses. "I am first of the ones given life by the Chaos. My creation was nothing short of a double edged sword. Born in the image of Etro, and by proxy Mwynn herself, I was born with a 'unique' soul. One that cannot be reincarnated through natural means, and I have never known what it is to live a new life. Knowing this, Etro took pity on myself, as she didn't want me to be alone in the Unseen Realm of Valhalla, and created a way for me to be born again...at a price. With each passing death and rebirth, I remember everything of the past, and I was gifted the 'Eyes of Etro'. Through the Goddess, I could see everything that was to come. Each vision cost me a sliver of my life, and my Guardian would eternally bring me to the stagnant shores of Valhalla to reincarnate once my physical body was entirely exhausted. As long as the Goddess existed, this was to be my life."
"It sounds like some kinda hell. She decided that you had to pay this price? Did she even bother asking what you wanted, or did she just do as she pleased?" Dante frowned a bit at her tale. "I don't think your 'Guardian' friend must'a liked this, either." The thought had occurred to him- who'd want to see someone they cared about eternally die and have a finite amount of life? Maybe Etro wasn't quite the Goddess she'd been cracked up to be.
"Divine 'gifts' always come at a price. Even with the best of intentions, the worst of affectations can come about." Blinking at his question, Yeul thought it over, as no one had ever asked such a thing before. They were always just concerned that their Seeress be reborn and divine for them future threats and atrocities. Not even Caius nor Noel had asked such a question. "I did wish to be born again, Dante. There was someone special to me, who I was eager to meet time and again in my unending life, and though I may have endured a lot by being at his side, I was content to do so." Smiling softly, Yeul never cared about the pains of her visions or the fact that she'd have a short amount of time with Caius, as it was always guaranteed she'd return to him. Thinking about his statement on Caius, her smile faded. "He is the one who destroyed our previous world, in order to save myself. My Guardian believed that I no longer wished to be born time and again, that I hated the pain of living and being used as a tool- but he was wrong. And now, here we stand, at the eve of a new threat."
"Destroying a whole world over one person...you must be a really special girl." That much was obvious, as Dante had heard her tale about being the very first human to have been created from divine blood. But for one man to destroy the world because of an individual, to kill a Goddess just because he wanted to free her of an unjust fate- he'd never heard of something like that. Save for the feats his father his accomplished to be with his mother, Eva, but that was different- Sparda didn't destroy the demon world or all of the demons, he just wanted to coexist with humans and be allowed to live the life he chose. Despite what demons may have believed with their many creeds and idealistic nonsense about how things were 'meant to be', they could choose other paths. No matter how hard it was to break free of their constraints, it spoke volumes how Sparda and Trish had overcome those obstacles.
Yeul's mouth opened, and she spoke a few words that Dante didn't catch. He supposed this was him waking up, as he saw Yeul smile serenely at him and not say another word for the remainder of their time together.
Strutting into the Devil May Cry establishment, Trish frowned and put her hands on her hips. Typical Dante- sleeping with a magazine covering his face, arms behind his head and legs up on the desk as if he had no care in the world. Sleeping the day away while there was plenty he could have been doing maintenance wise to make Devil May Cry seem like an actual professional business as opposed to a pigsty that few clients actually wanted to visit. Lucky for Dante, the majority of the people who came his way were already desperate and willing to do nearly anything just to rid themselves of the plague that were demons. Sighing out of annoyance from stepping over the many obstructions in her path, she stood in front of the desk and side-glanced through her sunglasses at the piling up mess around her. His office was positively filthy and her nose crinkled from the amount of pizza boxes/beer cans that lingered about the place. Of all things, why had he been absolutely lazy when it came to day-to-day tasks? "Dante." Calling out his name and waiting for him to respond, or any sign that he was actually awake, Trish frowned when he didn't immediately respond to her. "Dante!" Pushing his legs off the desk and causing him to lose his balance, the magazine fell off his face and the devil hunter narrowly straightened himself out so he didn't face plant. Surprise had been etched onto his face, obviously he hadn't been expecting Trish to come in, let alone cause him to almost fall on his face.
"Any particular reason you decided to wake me?" Dante asked, rubbing his eyes and sitting properly at the desk. He'd had a late night from a previous clients 'request' and planned on catching up on some much needed sleep today. Blinking through the initial haze that waking up had brought to him, he let out a moderate sigh. Every time he opened and shut his eyes, he saw that strange figure, standing opposite him in a black void. Her voice continually rang through his head, and he didn't want to come off as drunk or having a vivid dream that he couldn't assure his companion would be 'real'. Deciding to let her go first and say whatever she had come and decided needed to be said, he shifted his full on attention toward Trish. She wouldn't have woken him (he hoped) without a good reason, so he was more than prepared to hear her out.
"Yeah, there is." Trish sat on the edge of the desk, facing him. "There's trouble. And not the typical kind we cater to, of client and demon we need to snuff out- this is the real deal kinda thing. Borderline apocalyptic, if you ask me." The number of demons were on the rise, and jobs for all devil hunters were increasing as of late- something Dante would obviously be no stranger to. Every time their was an influx of of their kind, it always meant trouble of disastrous proportions. Being absolutely serious while speaking, she wanted to make sure that Dante understood the gravity of the situation. To her relief, Dante now seemed completely alert and wanting to know more.
"What have you found out? Is it the Order?" Dante didn't particularly fancy having to deal with a bunch of demon worshipers who thought Sparda was their saving grace, but he'd still have to bail them out if this were the case. Humans. Sometimes they liked to cause more trouble than even a demon was capable of brewing up.
"It's nothing concrete. I wish I had more to go off of, but I've only heard bits and pieces here and there." Folding her arms, she let out a sigh. If only demons could be more forthcoming about the information they held onto. Some of them liked to spout off their irritating speeches that seemed to be practiced and they were going to say the whole thing regardless of if your spoke up or not. Then there were the other kind who were more 'serious' and preferred to say almost nothing while going for the coupe de grace. "This time, it's not the Order. To my knowledge, there aren't any humans involved. Demons are gathering, Dante, and they want something. They call it 'Savior'." Seeing his lack of reaction to the word, Trish came to the conclusion that he thought of the already destroyed statue. Were that the case, then she too would have likely seemed far more relieved. But judging by the way that the demons spoke of the 'Savior' they didn't make it seem like an object. "Supposedly, it's going to enhance their powers."
"So, they're already after her, huh? Guess we'll have our work cut out for us." Dante hadn't been surprised by the term 'Savior' at all. He was more surprised by the fact that all of the information he'd heard, and from a dream no less, had actually been right on the money with what was coming. Demons loved to ramble, and he guessed it was little more than 'coincidence' he'd heard about the Savior individual right before Trish came inside, looking less than pleased. At least it seemed like humans were going to stay out of this fight and keep their distance.
"Wait-" Trish paused for a moment, dumbfounded that Dante had heard of the 'Savior' and the fact that it was somehow a woman of all things, but he never bothered to relay such information to her? "-how did you know about it? Are you sure that it's a person?" Nearly all of the demons she'd fought made the 'Savior' seem more like an object as opposed to a person. Though demons never really saw people as 'equals' or anything really outside of a possession, so maybe she shouldn't have been so surprised.
"You'll probably think I'm crazy, and I don't really blame you if you do-" Dante paused for a moment or two, deciding to hand over his information. Trish appeared to be giving him her full attention, as it seemed that he was being completely serious in them moment, and since it was a rare thing of Dante, she didn't want to end up jinxing the moment. "-it came to me...in that dream you just woke me up from, actually." Ducking a hit sent his way, he knew that she wouldn't take it well.
"Dante! This is serious!" Trish hissed, already annoyed at the man for wasting her time. Why did he love to play games at the least ideal of times?
"I am being serious." Dante did his best to seem assuring and like he was telling the truth. Swaying Trish shouldn't be too hard of a task, and he'd do his best to do so. "This...girl, she told me about the Savior. Said I had to find her, that there was some sort of big picture that could go either way." Frowning as he tried to remember all of what she'd said to him, it took a moment or two. "Basically, we have two choices here: either we fail to find the Savior, and the demons get one hell of a power boost from defeating her, or we find her and we save the world. Apparently the stakes are a lot different from the usual gloom and doom." Even if it was the usual threat of demons and the like, they were also dealing with a foreign area when it came to things like 'Savior'. Where had she come from? What was she capable of? Who dubbed her the title 'Savior'? There was so many questions, and he honestly wished he'd spent more time asking all of them, so that he could fill in all these blanks he was left with.
Trish listened to all that Dante had to say, and she honestly believed that he had seen such a person, interacted with them in his dream and gotten some good information. Why, she didn't really know. Maybe because he could be so convincing when he wanted to be. Folding her arms, she leaned against the wall, letting out a small sigh. "So. We have to find a woman, and not just any woman- a 'Savior' of all things, something none of us have ever even heard of until recently...and the kicker is that she's the deciding factor on if the world gets destroyed? Did this dream girl of yours give us anything to go off of, or are we left completely in the dark, except for the fact that the Savior is a 'woman'?" That had been a good start, as Trish had honestly assumed they were searching for some sort of artifact or ancient weapon belonging to the late Sparda. Maybe even a relic of an angel- if such a thing were possible. But finding a woman? Even if a vague start, it was a start and could be doable. The only drawback would be that they had to hunt her down and babysit her until they found out what demon needed to be stopped, and how to stop it.
Glad that Trish had actually believed him, Dante gave a slight nod to her query. "Yeah. She's got pink hair. Not too many of those running around, last I checked."
"That does narrow down the search." Trish couldn't help but to agree, but she still heaved a heavy sigh. "I don't suppose she bothered to leave a calling card, or something along those lines?" When Dante shook his head, Trish resisted the urge to roll her eyes. "Of course not."
"She did say that she'd give us a few tips here and there. So it's not as if we're left completely high and dry." It wasn't much to go off of, but it was something. Even if they had to go an undetermined amount of time without her help, it'd still be much appreciated once they received it.
"Not exactly a reliable source. That is, if your dream girl is actually telling the truth and not manipulating us into doing whatever this 'great evil' wants." The possibility had crossed her mind, and it wasn't exactly 'out there' for a theory. Evil doers loved to make those aligned with good to seem like complete and utter idiots by having them unwittingly doing their bidding. Not that she expected Dante to just get double crossed by whatever was out there and not come back swinging with his sword repaying their deceit ten-fold.
"Damn. Didn't think of that one." Dante sighed this time, feigning like he hadn't already gone through all of these scenarios when he's spoken to Yeul. From the way that she spoke, he just didn't get a single 'evil' vibe from her. "Guess we'll just have to trust her then, won't we?" Standing up out of the chair, he decided it was about time they go and find this 'Savior' character and let her know they weren't going to let this world fall to hell just because a few demons decided it so. Grabbing the Rebellion and Ebony and Ivory, he walked past Trish who seemed keen to follow his lead, wherever they ended up.
"Not like we have much of a choice." Trish shrugged her shoulders, following him outside. She decided to think out loud, that way they could at least rationalize a few things and see where it took them. "Pink hair, huh? Well. At least there aren't too many of those hanging around. Think a little harder, did she say anything else about this woman?"
"N-" About to say 'no' Dante stopped mid word when it finally dawned on him that he actually had the name of the woman in question. Trish wasn't likely to take that kind of thing lightly, but he wasn't going to withhold information in exchange for not being chewed out or a temper tantrum from his companion. "Actually...she did. She gave me her name. Apparently, it's 'Lightning'."
Scoffing, Trish rolled her eyes. "No. Seriously." How could he forget the name of the person they were supposed to track down? It was only the most important part and made things easier for the group to find. There were finite amount of resources, even if they got Nero in on the search, they'd still
Dante shrugged his shoulders, letting her know that he was telling the truth on her name. "Believe me, I thought I was being screwed around with, too. But apparently it's the real deal. Unfortunately, I only got a first name and a hair color to go on." At least, that's all that actually came to mind.
"Well, considering the fact that it's such a rare...name..." Trish had to stop herself from snorting, even taking a few moments before finishing her own sentence. "...we'll have next to no problem hunting such a person down." A pink haired woman with the name of 'Lightning'? That was like putting a bullseye target on yourself. Why would anyone ever think it was a good idea?
About to say something, Dante was cut off by the sudden crash of the front doors being shoved open and a woman hurriedly making her way over to Trish/Dante. "We have a situation." Lady leaned forward, hands on her thighs as she did her best to catch her breath. Trish and Dante shared a look, both of them understood that Lady wouldn't have anything they'd find to be a waste of time, as she sounded completely serious. Not to mention the fact that Lady rarely, if ever just dropped by without some endearing mission they'd all need to work on.
"Well? Lay it on us." Dante was ready for any sort of action. Especially now, since he could earn money, work on a mission he'd been assigned by some dream girl, try avert yet another apocalypse, and call it a day when yet another big bad demon met his end.
"A building not too far from here. There's been a large scale attack of demons on it. I'm not exactly sure why, but the people who came to me were nothing short of utterly freaked out. They said that some woman had saved them and that she's taking them all on right now." Judging by their almost lack of surprise or reaction, Lady decided to elaborate a bit further. "There was also mention of her having some crazy powers- basically, she's pulling crap that I've only ever seen you do before." Shrugging in Dante's direction, Lady was glad the pair actually seemed intrigued.
"She wouldn't happen to have pink hair, would she?" Trish asked, waiting patiently for a reply.
"Yeah...how'd you know that?" Lady seemed to be far more surprised than either or of her companions.
"Just a hunch, really." Trish shrugged her shoulders. "Looks like we've just got our lead." Getting off the wall she'd been leaning on, Trish and Dante both nodded, walking past Lady. Holding the front door open, she waited for Dante to catch up.
"You coming? We don't have time to just sit around, you know?" Dante lightly teased Lady on his way out. From his talk with the dream girl it didn't seem like he'd be meeting the Savior this early on, but he wasn't going to be complaining.
Scoffing, Lady followed the pair outside. "You don't even know where to go- as if you're leaving me behind. Besides, I'm not getting out of this payday."
"Well, you got us there." Dante admitted. "Mind telling us a little more about this woman?"
"I didn't catch a name, but apparently she'd just started working in the office today. Which makes her either the most lucky, prepared intern who has quite the set of survival skills, a demon hunter who knew there'd be an attack, or, and this is my personal favorite- something else altogether." Lady didn't like the off chance that someone could just strut into a building and suddenly everyone's getting murdered. The people she'd spoken to said that she had some sort of weird powers- erecting barriers around an individual to protect them from harm, making a weapon glow and use elemental attacks. Of all the strange things she'd seen over the years that the young huntress had met Dante, this was an entirely new area.
"She's not human. At least, I don't think she is." Noticing Lady's stare through the corner of his eye, Dante decided he should elaborate. "I'll skip the details on how for right now and go to the why: I was told that she'd be someone I needed to find. That she and I are the ones who have to save this world from some new, oncoming threat that won't end pretty if the Savior and Son of Sparda don't cooperate."
"Something even you can't beat?" Lady scoffed right then and there. "I'm probably going to regret saying this, and I don't really know why I should bother, considering you're you and knowing the kind of guy you are this'll bite me in the ass, but- I know for a fact that there's just about nothing out there whose sorry ass you can't kick from Earth to Hell and back a few times over." Just who the hell was spouting off nonsense about 'Saviors' and 'Sons of Sparda'? She had half a mind to put the barrel of the Kalina-Ann in their mouth for prophetic bullshit. More times than she could count Sparda's bloodline had protected the Earth and humanity, so why now would they need some pink haired woman to join the cause?
Dante couldn't help the grin at all of her praise. Lady didn't offer it often, and so this was quite the welcomed surprise. "You're not so bad either, kid." Going to pat her on the head, he stopped when he felt the cold sensation of metal against his cheek.
"You finish that gesture, and I swear to God Dante, I will pull this trigger." Lady narrowed her eyes, trying to make herself come off as absolutely serious. She knew better than to stoke the fire that was his ego, yet she did it anyway.
Not fearing his mortality - or lack thereof - Dante finished the gesture out of spite, even ruffling her hair. He swiftly dodged the bullet aimed at his head, not that he necessarily had to, but he knew his little fireball of a companion would likely be a bit more infuriated at what he'd done. The horseplay ceased when all three individuals heard/saw a battle on the roof of the building. A loud explosion that literally caused a shockwave and even destroyed a few windows along the way, the pink haired woman both Trish and Dante assumed to be Savior was dangling off the side of the building, and laughter belonging to a demon rang through the air.
"Dan-" Lady called out his name, but found the devil hunter was nowhere to be found. "Tri-" Glancing over and finding her to be missing, Lady let out a heavy sigh. "Typical." Those two loved to just run off guns a blazing and to hell with the consequences. Pulling out the Kalina-Ann and stepping back a bit, she aimed at the demoness. Just in case those two didn't scale the building in time she'd blow the head off whomever was fighting the woman on top. Her finger on the trigger, she was just about to pull it when the demon started her retreat and a humongous sphere of fire appeared. "What the hell...?" Putting her weapon down, Lady rubbed her eyes to make sure she was actually seeing this. Once she looked back up, she saw a large weapon produced and an even bigger appendage holding it. Not wanting to miss out on what was happening, she ran at full speed to the top of the building. "Damn...whose idea was it to add so many stairs?" Stepping over corpses in the stairwell, Lady didn't want to mess with the dead by defiling their corpses. The poor bastards had the unfortunate bad luck of being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Eventually making it to the top, she stepped out the door expecting a fight.
"Look who finally made it." Dante lightly teased Lady. With no one else in sight there was no evidence that a pink haired woman and a demon had been fighting up here, at all. Save for the fact that debris was now lying around and some things were partially frozen/on fire not to mention the devil arm waiting for a master to claim its power. Who would just leave a powerful weapon behind?
"Well some of us are actually human and can't just make it up great distances without struggling a bit." Lady didn't appreciate his commentary. "Where the hell did she go? Did you guys see that thing that was with her?"
"The demon? No. We must have come at the end of the struggle, because by the time we reached the top both she and the demon were gone. Obviously the demon lost its fight...but where did our friend go?" Trish just didn't see a way for her to have left the building so fast. One moment it looked like she was about to be defeated, the very next her opponent was down for the count and she vanished into thin air.
"No not the demon!" Lady frowned at Trish's guess. "Whatever it was came out of nowhere and helped that woman fight off the demon."
"Say again? I don't remember seeing some big guy come out of nowhere." Dante honestly had no idea what Lady was going off about.
"That's because you two decided to run off ahead of me while I decided to offer her some cover, not that she needed it. Whatever that thing was, it seemed to be more than enough muscle to turn the tables." Lady wouldn't even know how to begin describing whatever it had been. In truth, she just hoped to see it again at some point in time.
"It could have been another demon. It's not exactly uncommon for two to vie for the same prize, and if this woman is the one that we're searching for, then I believe this to be the case." But if Trish was correct in her assumptions, then what happened to Lightning and the other demon? There was no evidence the other one - if there even was - had been destroyed, let alone Lightning herself being here to tell the tale.
"I don't think the first would have left this nifty little trinket behind for the other demon. It'd be really 'big' of them to do so." Demons were always self-serving individuals, but if you actually managed to best one in combat and impress it, then you earned a shard of their power remade into a weapon. Knowing this, the other demon would have likely grabbed it, but going by the available clues, Dante had to say that it was more likely their Savior had left it behind because she had no idea what to do with it. Stepping forward, Dante retrieved the weapon - a whip made of flame, apparently called 'Brynhildr' - testing it out, he cracked it and the whip came to life with flame, even sending out a strip of it in the direction he'd aimed. It was quite the useful little trinket that he'd be hanging onto.
"So you don't believe this...'Savior' character stuck around after she beat this demon, because cutting and running seemed better?" Lady was doing her best to understand with the limited facts she'd gotten from Dante. Obviously Trish and he had a far more extensive understanding of the situation, and she'd grill them both later on what information they had.
"Not exactly. I'm just saying she probably doesn't have much experience with demons, since she's nowhere to be found, almost got killed and this was left behind. Sounds reasonable to me that she didn't want to be pinned for this mess." Dante couldn't count the amount of corpses both demon and human he and Trish had passed by on their way up to the top. If Lightning was going on the run, then they'd all have to work harder to track down the woman.
"So let me get this straight: A woman with absolutely no demon hunting experience is somehow supposed to help in saving the world? Looks like you'll have to pick up the slack this time around." Trish spoke and looked directly at Dante. There'd be no room for him to be slacking if the Savior was as naive as they all believed her to be.
"Hey! I do my fair share when it comes to fighting demons." Dante scoffed a bit at her criticism. Glancing around for any clues on where she went, he came up high and dry. "Though this is probably why she told me Lightning wasn't supposed to die at the hands of demons. At that point, we're supposed to lose the fight." Her being a rookie with fighting off the divine would be nothing short of a pain in the ass. He'd be stuck babysitting a woman who had powers that were supposed to be on par with his? Just what was the Savior that she couldn't take care of herself?
The Grail of Valhalla is a sight that few have been able to behold. A vessel of the Goddess' grace, her presence is in the midst of life and death itself. Created to restore the balance governed by those before her, the Savior will bring about the end. Whether or not you succeed in your endeavors relies solely upon your decisions, for I can only watch the path of fate unfold before you.
"Did anyone else hear that?" Lady swore she heard someone speaking but there was no one to be found. Where the hell did that voice come from? Was it on the wind?
"I heard it loud and clear. Is this your dream girl Dante?" Trish looked over and waited for a response from him.
"That's her alright. Always speaking in riddles. And you thought we were holding out on you." Dante semi-joked at Lady. Now she saw what he had to deal with and how he told Trish only the very basics of what had happened.
"Yeah, I'd say you weren't screwing around." Lady agreed.
"Any chance we can get a hint on where Lightning's at?" Dante asked, hopeful she'd be able to help.
Your finding of the Savior is dependent solely on you, Dante. But if you insist on this request, then I will grant it.
"If it's not too much trouble." Dante was glad she decided to speak up, at least this way they'd be able to find her that much faster.
I would not have offered my assistance if I found it to be troublesome. You will find the Savior by the tribute to your father. Time is finite, for there are many more who hunger for the Savior.
"Tribute of your father?" Lady thought about it. What tributes to Sparda did she know of? After the whole Order of the Sword fiasco there weren't too many erected idols of Sparda remaining in the world as people were antsy on the fact that they could just spring to life and start trying to murder people. Not exactly a fear that wasn't grounded.
"The statue." Trish instantly knew what the young girl had spoken of. She remembered seeing it time and again. The best part was it was in the center of town and in a widely open area. So if demons decided to attack the Savior, then all of them were about to have a battle they had no factual chance of winning.
"Let's go catch us a Savior and kill a few demons." Dante returned his drawn sword to his back. There was no point in sticking around when there was so much for them to do. Tracking down Lightning now that they knew where she'd be and what was about to happen, these demons just didn't have a chance.
"Worried about your girlfriend?" Trish asked, teasing Dante.
"No." Dante shrugged his shoulders. "She beat this one when it looked like she was about to lose, so I'll have a little faith that Lightning can hold on before I make it there. Then I'll show her just how demon hunting is supposed to go."
"So, basically you're just going to try and upstage her with some macho nonsense?" Trish rolled her eyes.
"Basically. What better way to win a girl over then to save her from a hoard of creatures that want to kill and use her as a power source? I think it's more of a 'win-win' situation." What could possibly be a downside to any of this?
"Are you two just going to keep talking about this, or are we going to get a move on?" Lady had her own reasons of why she wanted to go find Lightning - beyond that of saving the world, of course - she wanted to see that creature, again. Not bothering to wait for Dante or Trish, she made her way outside.
"Hold your horses. Of course we're coming." Dante and Trish were right behind Lady.
"All in a days work of saving the world." Trish commented dryly.
The trio walked down the stairwell and made their way out of the office building. Knowing exactly where they were headed, all that was left had been a 'friendly' race to their destination. Trish had taken to the rooftops, showing off her devil strength and speed by jumping from one to the next. Lady decided to use her motorcycle and Dante was left to his own devices of walking. The ladies could have their fun, he felt like walking and lagging behind them seemed like the 'right' choice. There was something about to happen, and he felt like those two would be able to find Lightning and keep her busy before he came back.