Disclaimer: I don't own DMC.
Note: Thanks for the reviews. As I said before, I'll wait until I have at least 5 requests before I start on the sequel. Then it'll be after this is finished. So, Sanctuary of Darkness and magusanubis, hope that more people ask for a sequel. I'll give the title of the sequel after the end of the last chapter. That way you'll know the story when it's up.
magusanubis: You just mentioned the idea I had for a sequel. I was thinking of Rona going into Devil May Cry. And I haven't really decided on a name for Rona's demon side. I was thinking either Pyra, Bran, or Ild. (Bran and Ild being Norwegian). Go ahead and say which one you like best. I'll even accept suggestions.
Sanctuary of Darkness: At least I'm hearing from you now. I hope you get better soon. And yes, Rona does have to decide between saving her brother and sending Dante and Virgil back or keeping the twins in her world and losing her brother. She kind of decides in this chapter but still isn't sure.
Well, so that I don't keep you from reading the chapter I will stop now. Enjoy.
"She hasn't said anything to you about her nightmare, has she?" Virgil looked to his brother. His eyes and voice had a somber element that Dante had never expected from him.
They had been forced to leave Rona's room after Dante had comforted her. She had told them she just needed to think about what she was going to do. And she especially didn't need their help. Of course this was something they didn't believe. She refused help when she needed it most, saying that she could handle anything. But would she be able to handle this on her own? Could she carry the burden of such a decision?
"No." Dante answered. "She hasn't even come out of her room. Should we go in and check on her?"
Virgil shook his head. "You know how she is about being helped. That was why she sent us out in the first place. We wouldn't even be able to ask her if she was okay, now. We'll have to wait until she decides to ask us for help."
"That could be never." Dante was nearly losing his temper over Virgil's worried and yet calm exterior. He wondered how he could let Rona work on her own when she obviously was in pain over it. How could he say that it was up to her to ask for help? She wouldn't do it. They both knew that. But she did need help and he wasn't ready to stand by and watch her destroy herself, mentally, over whatever she was thinking of.
"We don't have a choice, Dante." Virgil stepped towards to his brother who was sitting on the couch, looking down at the floor. "She'll refuse any help we give her because she wants to be strong. Especially after seeing her at her weakest state this morning. She won't be letting us anywhere near her until she's ready."
Rona stepped out of her room, being careful not to let them know she was listening. She heard Virgil's words and remembered what the demon had wanted her to listen to. He had told her dying body that he loved her. She knew this wasn't something that was normal for Virgil. She had expected it more from Dante but didn't realize it had been both.
"Virgil?" She spoke, watching both of them look to her with a bit of hope that she'd be asking for help. "Can I talk to you? Alone?"
Virgil nodded and followed her into her room.
She sat down on the edge of her bed and motioned for Virgil to do the same.
"I wanted to tell you that I heard what you said when I was dying." She whispered, not entirely sure if this was the right way to bring up the subject. But she knew that she had to understand everything in order to make her decision. She couldn't just sacrifice one in order to have the other. "Was it true?" She asked, her voice becoming hollow and yet filled with fear of whether it was or wasn't true.
Virgil stood from the bed. How could he tell her? He wasn't even supposed to feel anything like this. He had always been the cold one, the heartless one. Now, he was… what? So many things he couldn't decide on and yet so little time that he could have to decide. Should he tell her the truth? That he did mean it? Or should he tell her that it was just a way of saying goodbye to her, just a sending off of her soul?
"Rona." Dante called, as he got closer to the door. "Marian and Luna are here. Do you want to talk to them?"
Rona hesitated, watching Virgil as he paced the floor. "I'll be right out." She answered. "Keep them in the front room… And Dante. Be careful around them. They might be human but they are also fairly good at getting what they want. And keep them away from all weapons. They won't kill each other but they'll try to sneak out with whatever looks valuable."
"Any more instructions?" Dante sarcastically asked.
"Yeah. Have fun watching them. They're a lot like little kids. They never stay in one place."
"Thanks." Dante muttered before turning to go to the front door. He soon found that Marian and Luna had let themselves in and were now looking around.
Rona looked back to Virgil. He was still thinking, making her believe that he either didn't want to answer because it was a ridiculous question or that he didn't know how to answer. Either way, Rona didn't have time to convince him to answer. Marian and Luna would be wanting to know why they hadn't seen her or her brother at the park, so she had to think of an excuse fast.
"Answer when you want." She said before walking out. She hadn't noticed that Virgil had decided to come out with her and Marian and Luna had seen it.
"Spending some time alone with one of your 'roommates'?" Marian asked.
Quickly growing tired of her idiotic insinuations, Rona quickly answered, "Not everyone is a whore like you, Marian."
Marian gasped. It had been the first time anyone had ever said anything like that to her. They said it behind her back but never to her face. She quickly looked to Dante for help and only found him snickering against a wall.
"And what about you?" Luna asked. "You're living with two guys and haven't been seen very much. Haven't you heard what the town has been saying about you?"
"They've been saying that I'm preparing for war." Rona answered with a bored tone in her voice. "They've all seen me outside, training. They've also talked about building a better gym and a dojo because of it. Any other questions?"
Luna was puzzled. How could she have known that when she didn't talk to anyone? She hadn't been social enough to even know that her brother was missing, as far as Luna knew.
"Yeah." Marian piped in. "Have you seen your brother lately? Everyone has been asking about him since they haven't seen him driving to work or hanging out at the park. They're all worried that you might have killed him, with the fact that everyone has seen you fighting these guys with swords."
Rona held her head a little higher, as if that would prove she was telling the truth. "He isn't dead, you can tell everyone that for sure. But I can't tell you where he is. He isn't himself, right now."
"What's wrong?" Marians annoying voice nearly took a babyish tone. "Is he sick?"
Sighing out of frustration, Rona tried to explain that her brother wasn't sick but shouldn't be disturbed. Not by humans, at least.
Luna and Marian tried to do their best in listening, though their eyes kept trailing off to Dante's muscles, being even worse since he had chosen not to wear a shirt. The two girls were almost drooling.
"Why don't the two of you leave?" Rona had finally had enough.
"We came to ask if you wanted to hang out." Luna thought quickly to win the chance to keep staring at Dante. None of them had even noticed that Virgil had left the room, at least not until he came back in dressed the same as Dante. At that moment, Luna and Marian wouldn't have left even if the apartment was being attacked by demons and they were the main targets.
"This can't be happening." Rona moaned as she held her head in her hands. She soon felt a hand on each of her shoulders, making her curious enough to look. She found that Dante and Virgil had decided to sit on each side of her. She wasn't sure if this was a strange way of payback or if it was just to embarrass her in front of the two girls she had come to wish she hadn't known because of this.
"Should we carry our princess to her room so she can get some rest?" Dante asked Virgil over Rona.
"You are not going to—"
"She does look tired." Virgil interrupted. "But she needs an escape most of all."
"An escape from what?" Marian made the mistake of asking.
"From you." The brothers answered in unison.
Finally being insulted, as if Rona hadn't insulted them enough anyways, they left the apartment without saying so much as goodbye. All though what they did say was a string of curses that would have choked them if they hadn't been so angry.
"Thanks." Rona said as she rose from the couch and went straight for her coat.
Dante was now worried that they had made the wrong move. Virgil was only worried that Rona was going to make a mistake and set the whole town after them.
"I'm going to a friend's house. I haven't spent any time with Star for a while. She's probably been lonely." Rona opened the door and paused to look at the twins. "You coming?"
They quickly got ready and were soon walking with Rona to a house on the outskirts of Castle Dale.
After arriving, Rona knocked on the door and waited. Her golden eyes scanned to land around them, searching for something the twins couldn't even guess at the moment.
The door opened and an old man came hobbling out. "Rona." He said in greeting. "You've come to exercise Star?"
Rona nodded. "And these two, Dante and Virgil, will be exercising Bandy and Horus."
"Okay." The old man answered as he led them out behind the house. The property was nearly barren except for a few patches of weeds and an occasional tree, here and there. There were several collapsing sheds that had once housed chickens and goats. Some had even housed pigeons and hunting equipment.
"Star has been impatient to see you." The old man exclaimed as he opened a corral gate, its hinges squealing their objection. "She hasn't been sleeping well since the last time you were supposed to come. She's even tried to jump the fence."
"I'll have to spend extra time with her today then." Rona looked in the distance to see the streak of white she had been expecting. "Where's her saddle?"
Virgil suddenly realized what they were going to be doing. "I don't ride horses." He murmured to Rona. "I've never even been around one."
Rona calmly looked back at him. "Don't worry. Bandy is a good horse. She'll be nice to you." She then turned to Dante and said, "You might have to be careful with Horus. He's usually a little grumpy."
"You're talking like a girl now?" Dante asked, knowing she would give some reaction.
She scowled at him and answered, "This is the only time you'll ever see me act like this." A soft velvety nose that wouldn't let her back away too far out of its reach was soon nuzzling her. "Hi Star." She spoke as she nuzzled the white horse's nose back. "I missed you girl. Have you been okay?"
Dante and Virgil glanced at each other, not knowing what to expect from Rona now that she was closer to what she enjoyed most.
A black horse with a white band over its back suddenly came up and sniffed at Dante and Virgil. "That's Bandy. Virgil, you'll have to saddle her. I'll show you how." Then, before anyone could receive a warning, a large Paint came running and stamping his hooves. "This is Horus." Rona said before going up to the beast and gently rubbing his nose. "He doesn't like many people. Dante, do you think you can handle him?"
"I've fought worse." Dante answered, remembering Geryon. "I'll be okay."
Rona grinned and looked to Horus. "Be nice, boy. He's new at this." She went to Star and lightly touched the horse's cheek before walking out with the horse following behind her faithfully.
It didn't take long before Dante and Virgil had wished they hadn't been told to ready the horses. Horus, seeming to enjoy being obstinate, kept sidestepping every time Dante would take a step near him with the saddle. Bandy, on the other hand, kept tossing her head when Virgil would try to get her to accept the bit. The whole time they were chasing and arguing with their horses, Rona had Star saddled and ready and was watching the little comedy taking place while sitting on her horse's back.
"You guys need help?" She asked while trying not to laugh too audibly.
Virgil glared at her while Dante was too busy chasing Horus around to have even noticed what she had said.
Before long, Rona called Horus and held him in one place so the saddle could be placed on his back over the horse blanket. To save some more time, she quickly coaxed the horse into accepting the bit and explained to Dante how to climb in the saddle.
"Put your left foot in the stirrup and swing your other leg over." She told him before giving him a chance to try. Horus had a different idea of how it was going to go. Every time Dante tried to lift himself up, Horus swung his head back and threatened to nip his leg, forcing Dante back on his feet.
Rona had gone to help Virgil with Bandy and didn't notice until Dante was cussing at Horus.
She looked over to see Dante rubbing his thigh and walking towards her.
"I am not riding that thing." Dante exclaimed. "He's worse than a demon horse."
"What did he do?" Rona asked, even though she already knew.
"He bit me." Dante roared. "If I had my sword or guns, I'd kill him."
"You said you could handle him." Virgil said as he gracefully swung himself onto Bandy's back.
Rona giggled a little more before telling Dante to ride star and she would take care of Horus. She watched as Dante walked to the white horse and hesitantly climbed onto her back. After seeing that she wasn't going to be nipping at him, he became relaxed and tried to get her to move.
"Gently kick her with your heels and slacken the reins. She's not going to move if she thinks you want her to stop." Rona patted the side of Horus' neck.
Virgil rode towards her, sliding from side to side in the saddle. "Do you need help?" He asked, seeing how big Horus was he doubted Rona could climb onto the giant.
"Don't worry about me." She said. "But I do suggest you go and keep Star from running off with Dante." She watched as Virgil struggled to coax his horse into a trot to catch up with Star who had a yelling Dante bouncing on her back.
"City guys." Rona whispered to Horus. "They don't belong here, do they?" Horus shook his head.She patted Horus' neck one more time before climbing into the saddle.
It had taken them almost thirty minutes to calm the horses enough to leave the farm property. Rona rode in the lead on the now prancing Horus. Every once in a while she would hear Dante trying to redirect Star with a curse and Virgil growling something under his breath to Bandy.
"You guys are really going to be sore after this." She exclaimed with a silent chuckle. "Especially since you've never ridden horses before."
"I never would have ridden one of these beasts if you had told me what we were doing." Virgil's voice had taken on a deep, threatening tone.
"Just like you two wouldn't even be in this world if it wasn't for me." She answered with a smirk. "Come on. There's a stream to the east. We can let the horses rest there. Besides, it's good to try new things." She knew Dante and Virgil wouldn't believe this was something she did every week. Especially after they climbed off the horses.
They reached the stream after twenty minutes of Dante's threats to Star when he didn't know how to steady himself on the saddle. "These things need seatbelts." He commented after nearly falling off. "You slide everywhere."
"You wouldn't slide if you were used to this." Rona answered, climbing down from Horus' back.
"And how much have you gone horseback riding?" Virgil asked, expecting her to say an amount in years.
"A few months. But I ride almost as if I was born to." She led Horus to the stream and leaned against a near by tree. She listened as Dante and Virgil tried to follow suit but found their legs had become stiff and didn't want to bend.
"And they don't try biting you or throwing you around?" Dante asked.
"I'm good with horses. They've never tried to hurt me." She paused.
"We'll rest for a while so you two can relax your muscles." Calmly tossing a rock into the water, she slid to the ground and watched Horus as he grazed on the wild grass and drank from the stream.
Dante and Virgil secretly complained about the trip with the beasts they never wanted to be around again. It got even worse when they tried to sit next to Rona. Horus gave a warning, first, stamping his hooves and snorting. It later turned into a swift kick in their direction. Barely missing the twins.
Without much of a worried look on her face, Rona went to Horus and took off his saddle. She whispered a few words to him and watched him calmly walk away. She then looked to Dante and Virgil and smiled. She knew they wouldn't be able to unsaddle Star and Bandy. "Sit down. I'll take care of the horses."
Some time later the three of them were sitting on a patch of grass, the horses forgotten by the twins but not by Rona. They watched the sun rise higher into the sky. The brothers soon came to wonder why they had been brought out in the wilderness until Rona began to explain to them what she had been thinking about. She explained everything but the choice she had to make between saving her brother and breaking the spell, or waiting and killing her brother and keeping Dante and Virgil in her world. She saw this as a decision she had to make on her own. She couldn't let them try to convince her of what action to take. She could let them know what she had almost decided.
"We should be going. Don't want the horses to wonder off too far." She said after rising to her feet.
Dante quickly grabbed hold of her hand. "I want to ask you something." He spoke, forcing Rona to sit back down.
When she was settled, Dante calmly asked as if Virgil wasn't around, "Do you love me?"
Rona let her head fall back against the tree. "I can't think of that right now, Dante. I have more important things on my mind. I'll tell you the answer to that later when I don't have to worry about the end of my life." She climbed to her feet again and easily dodged Dante's hand before catching and readying the horses.
The ride back was easier on the twins. They had adjusted fast to the horses and even came to like them. But the enjoyment was short lived. Rona, after unsaddling her horse and removing its reins and bit, had left without them.
She walked home on her own to think of what she should do. She didn't want to lose anyone, but knew she had to. She could hear the demon's voice whispering to her that time was growing short. But her mind still wasn't made up. What would happen to the power if she couldn't save her brother? What happened if she saved her brother and, in the process, sent Dante and Virgil back? Would she be able to see them again? Was the shard that had sunk into her heart enough to bring them back to her? Or would she have to live her life as a half demon without anyone of her own kind? Her own kind, a phrase she never thought she would catch herself using. But it wasn't true. She was still an outcast. Only now it was more than just humans that would see her as something else. Now it was demons too. Could she live that way? Could she live without anyone to talk to about who and what she was?
One of your power, child, will always be alone. It is our curse. The demons voice spoke to her. It is up to you whether you save your brother, who will become human without the crystal. Or you can sacrifice the blood held within his veins and become more than you are now.
Rona looked to the mountains, their blue majesty blending with the sky. She had decided. All she could do now was wait until she was called, and act when the chance came.
That night, as she slept on the floor because of her reluctance to be close to Dante and Virgil, Rona dreamed of the two possible outcomes.
The first was if she chose to save her brother. She saw herself holding him and watching the two men she had grown accustomed to disappear.
In the second, she saw her brother's death and it was her sword that was used. She couldn't see who the wielder of the sword was; they were only a black shadow behind her dying brother. She watched as the crystal that had been in him transferred to his killer, enabling them to control its power.
Both outcomes predicted sadness. Both outcomes scared her beyond measure.