Slaves to Destiny
Chapter 4
Ebony sighed heavily, brushing her fingers though her bangs as she climbed upstairs to check on her sister. She still wondered what about her sister's vision had shaken the girl so badly. As far as Ebony was concerned, Ivory was a strong individual and it would take something truly frightening to brake Ivory's tough façade.
After quietly opening the door, Ebony wasn't all-together surprised to find her twin had vanished. Their connection told her Ivory was safe, just somewhere else near by. A heavy thud from the roof of Devil May Cry proved further that the older twin was close. In an attempt to find her sister, Ebony turned back to the hall and the stairs called, tempting her to explore. Shrugging playfully after making sure no one was watching, Ebony went up the steps and after a few twist in the dim lighting, found herself on the roof of Devil May Cry.
Ivory was sitting in a classic meditation pose on a blanket, her hands comfortably in her lap and her eyes closed. Amusingly enough, the red devil was crouching in front of her, his head tilted to the side. Ebony tried to fight back a laugh but a giggle escaped her lips, causing Dante to glance up at her.
"How long has she been at this?" Ebony asked as she timidly ventured out into the sunlight, reaching a hand out of the shadows first, then slowly stepping fully into the light. If Dante noticed her peculiar behavior he didn't mention anything.
"Don't know," he answered with a shrug as he easily moved to stand. "I just got home and she was doing this."
"Normally," Ebony said slowly, as though explaining things to a child, "these mediations last awhile, especially if she has something she needs to figure out, which she does. Mediation helps her to clear her head but I don't think you'd understand that, would you?" Ebony smiled mischievously as she clasped her hands behind her back and strolled to the edge of the roof and glanced down at the street below.
"What's that supposed to mean?" Dante demanded, placing his hands on his hips and smirking at her.
"Nothing," Ebony claimed sweetly, "only that you've got nothing in your head that needs to be cleared. It's empty to begin with."
"Is that so?" Dante asked, suddenly appearing behind Ebony and tilting her backwards so she was leaning off the roof. He was rewarded with a panicked squeal from the young girl as she clawed at him an attempt to right herself.
"No killing me!" she ordered as he pulled her forward if for no other reason than to alleviate the pressure of her nails as they dug into his back. "Death doesn't sound like it would be much fun so no killing me."
"If the two of you would shut up I'd be able to actually meditate," Ivory groaned tiredly as she stood and folded the blanket. "But since silence isn't possible for either of you, I'll just go back inside." With that, she turned on her heel and walked into the building, slamming the door behind her.
"What did you do to her?" Ebony accused as she removed her claws from Dante's back and smacked his shoulder lightly. Her little mouth puckered into an angry pout as she glared at him and she crossed her arms over her chest.
"Me?" Dante demanded in shock. How could this little slave even think of blaming him? "I didn't do anything to her."
"Sure you didn't," Ebony mocked as she rolled her eyes and walked around him. In truth, she wanted to get far away from the ledge before he decided to push her back over it. She didn't like losing her composure in front of anyone other than her sister.
"It was you're fault more than mine," Dante pointed out as he sauntered after her. "If you hadn't panicked, she wouldn't have had to leave."
"Ger!" Ebony growled as she threw open the door, hoping to hit him but he caught it easily and smirked at her. Raising her chin, she disappeared down the stairs, the sound of his heavy boots ringing down the hallway after her.
"Tell me your name," Dante said, still following her closely.
"What?" Ebony demanded as she suddenly stopped and turned to see if he was serious. "You really think that I'm going to tell you my name just so you can order me around?" She blinked a few times at the thought. She had learned to hate when people knew her name. "No."
"Fine," Dante said with a shrug." Then I'll just name you. How does 'Thorn' sound?"
"Ger!" Ebony cried as she stomped her foot, then a moment later she had a much better idea. She swallowed her pride and reasoned that this was the only way to beat him at this game he wanted to play. (It didn't matter that she had started it, it was still his fault). Taking a deep breath, Ebony forced a smile onto her face and laughed. "Like the thorn in your side? I like it." His look of shock allowed a real giggle to escape her lips as she turned and bounced down the remaining stairs.
The giggles ceased a moment later. Ebony felt a sharp pain tear through her head, the force of the psychic energy causing her to stumble into the wall. "Ivory?" she murmured weakly as she lifted her hand to her head and glanced around the hallway. She tried to move her other arm but it refused to move. She glanced down to see a hand on her arm and confused, she tried to shake it off.
"I'll let go when you can stand up straight," Dante told the little twin. He looked oddly serious, and Ebony suspected he was serious.
"I'm fine," she told him, keeping her free hand on the wall and pushing herself upright. She still needed the support, but she was going to find her sister without anyone's help, especially not the help of her sister's master. "Let me go."
"I thought I was the master," he pointed out, almost echoing her thoughts. "A slave shouldn't give orders."
"I'm not yours though," Ebony said with a proud smile as she began edging down the hallway. He was still attached to her arm and she didn't want to admit that she probably needed the extra support. Another wave of energy would have knocked her to her knees if he hadn't been holding on to her.
"What's wrong?" Dante demanded as he wrapped an arm around her back so he could hold her up better.
"Ivory," was all Ebony was willing to tell him. Her sister's emotions ran though her veins like a blood transfusion, each twin finding comfort in the connection. Usually, they were both skilled at hiding things and keeping their feelings relatively calm, but Ivory was experiencing something traumatic. Ebony reflexively did her best to take on the bulk of her sister's fears and pain, but it was only delaying her from helping her sister physically. "Sorry," she whispered allowed as she cut the link, regaining her strength almost instantly and running to the main room of Devil May Cry, Dante following closely.
The main room housed a particular sword that had demanded Ebony's attention when they had arrived. It was throbbing with power, and though she was the power hungry twin, Ivory would admire its beauty. Sure enough, Ivory was standing rigidly by the sword, her fingers were grazing the hilt, barely making contact but that was all it took to send either of them into a vision. The older twin was shaking badly and her eyes were wide with fear or pain, probably both.
Ebony knew she wouldn't be able to do much but she had to break her sister's contact with the blade. The only problem was the possibility that if she touched her sister, she would be pulled into the vision as well. Before she could come up with a plan, Dante strolled by, grabbed Ivory and lifted her into his arms. The moment her fingers left the sword, Ivory's body relaxed and her eyes shut. She was not asleep, but the vision had exhausted her.
Dante laid Ivory on the couch and Vergil strolled in through the door. One look at the incapacitated girl and he was glaring at Dante. "What did you do to her?" he demanded as he smacked Dante's shoulder.
"Your slave suits you," Dante grumbled with a roll of his eyes as he sat in his chair behind the desk and leaned back, putting his feet on top of the desk. "She likes to blame me for things I didn't do too."
"Everything is your fault," Ebony said as she climbed onto the back of the sofa and gently placed a hand on Ivory's forehead, lending her sister some strength. She felt guilty for breaking their connection, but if she hadn't Ivory may have been worse off. "You all right?" she asked softly as she brushed some hair out of her sister's face.
"No," Ivory admitted honestly, still not opening her eyes.
Ebony slid off the back of the couch and snuggled next to her sister. "Show me so I can help."
"No," Ivory said again. She opened her eyes then and gave her sister a haunted look. "Too much blood."
The Sparda twins shot each other worried looks but Ebony was unfazed. Blood was something she and her sister were used to seeing. The idea of death hardy bothered Ebony.
"Tell me then," Ebony whispered. "Please. I will make sense of it for you and if you share it, you will be better. Tell me what your visions were."
"The first one started off with a man holding the sword I touched," Ivory whimpered and Ebony nodded. "The sky was swirling with the blood of devils. It was dark and there was pain. A devil betraying devils."
"What else?" Ebony prodded. She and her sister had both seen the Dark Knight Sparda many times. It was nothing worth screaming about.
"Then it was cold. Three dogs were tied to a mountain of ice and they were trying to attack me, but they could not. I was fighting them, but I was not me."
Ebony nodded. Cerberus was a fierce vision they had seen since they were children. Though she didn't know why they saw it, she presumed it was more of Sparda's saga. "Will you please tell me more?"
Dante and Vergil were oddly silent. Neither was willing to interrupt the girls, which was far different than any masters they had had in the past. Most men demanded explanations.
"A small boy," Ivory whimpered, squeezing her eyes shut and burring her face in the pillow. "A small boy with white hair was crouching in front of a grave and putting flowers on the ground. I couldn't read the writing on the stone, but the little boy looked so sad. My heart called to him." Ivory shook her head in an attempt to fight off the vivid images of the second vision invoked by the sword. The second had been the more vivid of the two and it was the one that had her shaking like a newborn kitten. The bone deep chill refused to leave, no matter what tricks she tried. The vision actually was so deep that she could feel the emotions that were running through the person she had been. With a silent prayer, she hoped she was not the one the vision was meant for.
"Tell me, Ivory," Ebony ordered as she took her sister's hand in her own. "What is it that had you shaking so badly?"
"If you don't want them to know then tell me through our link," Ebony insisted mentally, using their mental link to speak silently with her sister. It took a lot of energy, but Ebony had enough for both of them.
"Dante is going to die. The boy in the vision was his son and the boy is going to be left all alone."
"I don't understand why that would hurt you so badly," Ebony admitted aloud. "We see that sort of thing frequently enough that you should be numb to it."
"But it is going to be a horrible death," Ivory insisted, squeezing her sister's hand. "A traitor lies too near for comfort."
Ebony glanced up at the young men and a pang of pity swept through her. She could try to be heartless, but she still felt responsible for each death she and her sister foresaw. "Tell me what exactly you saw," she told her sister. "But tell me when we are alone. For now, lets get you to bed so you can rest."
Vergil silently lifted Ivory off the couch, startling Ebony and causing her to eep. He ignored her disgruntled glare and carried Ivory back to her room.
"She likes you, ya know," Ebony murmured softly as she sat up on the couch and stared at her feet. She heard Dante get up from his chair and the heavy steps as he walked to stand behind the couch. "If she didn't, the vision wouldn't bother her so much. We see things like that all the time. It just shouldn't bother her anymore." Ebony sighed sadly as she ran her fingers through her bangs and glance up to gage the red wearing devil's reaction.
He seemed to not care; he was leaning casually against the back of the couch, using his elbows for support. His white hair had fallen into his eyes, shielding them from Ebony's gaze.
"It's true but I doubt you'd care," she said as she stood and started for the stairs. She wanted to disappear for a moment. Like her sister, she liked to clear her mind, but she hadn't had a chance. The sun had set and she wanted to see the few stars that shone past the town's lights.
"I could command her to tell me her vision," Dante threatened, not moving from the couch.
"Would you be so heartless?" Ebony asked him seriously, glancing over her shoulder. "I don't think you would be."
Dante sighed in annoyance. "No," he admitted as he slid past her went to Ivory's room. Vergil had finished making her comfortable and was leaving. The twins nodded silently to one another as they walked past one another.
Ivory was sitting up in the bed, sipping a mug of tea Vergil must have gotten her. Dante didn't even know they owned mugs.
"I won't tell you," Ivory swore.
"I know, but why do you care?" he asked as he sat on the foot of the bed.
"Dante," Ivory began as she set the mug on the nightstand, "I knew you were coming long before you came. It has always been my destiny to be bound to you and my sister's to be bound to your brother. We've known this for most of our lives."
"What exactly is your sister's name?" Dante asked, not wanting a lecture or argument about fate and destiny. He figured a much safer topic would be better.
"Our mother foresaw our enslavement to the half-breed devils," Ivory explained. "She was a seer and knew that we'd be as different as night and day. I suppose she wanted our names to fit."
"That doesn't tell me her name," Dante said dryly.
"Yes, it does you just have to think about it."
Ivory smiled before sliding down into the bed and pulling the blankets up to her chin. This would be an interesting life indeed. Though she'd still worry about what the vision had revealed about Dante when the time came to worry. She still didn't know what the identity of the hidden enemy was. That thought was pushed to the back of her mind as Dante turned out he light and left the room.