Heavensblackcat: Whew! What a long week! Anyway, I'm going to update before I hit the weekend blues. In other words, homework. Chicago was great, if I don't mind saying. And this chapter has gone through editing, and rewriting, so it has to be good. At least I hope, at least good enough to get reviews.
Because I love reviews. I even take anonymous (hint, hint). Half of this chapter is dedicated to SirenaLoreley and Dengel1995 for reviewing chapter two! And think you SirenaLorely for reviewing twice! I'm very grateful. Thank you.
Anyway, since I'm ranting. I'll just leave you to skip this part and let you read the chapter.
Tonight's (Today's) chapter is inspired by VersaEmerge's Consider the Sea. Happy reading!
Tides will rise, the time will call
Wish I never saw it fall beneath
Who we are and what we've done
It hasn't shown
Chapter Three: Consider the Sea
Dante picked up the phone on the last ring. "Devil May Cry," he paused. "It's Kyrie, right?"
He nodded thoughtfully. "So the kid's been acting strange," Another longer pause.
"I've got a job right now, but as soon as I'm finished I'll be right down." The slayer had to smile at the thankfulness of her tone.
"It's no problem. Take good care of the kid till then. Bye." He set the antique phone down and leaned against the front of the desk.
"Where were we?" He asked blue eyes hard.
The old man and the teenage girl looked at each other. "Well, Gramps, explain." Her tone was cool. She flipped a bit of blond hair away from her face. "We're waiting."
Gramps cleared his throat, and flipped the photo around in his head. Studying the couple, "The woman is my daughter, and this man, Vergil, is her husband."
Dante scoffed. "I can't imagine my brother as the settling down type."
The man shook his head. "That's what she told people, but in reality it was only a deal. She would give him a son, and he would…"
"Give her companionship." The girl peered at Dante from underneath her bangs. "Basically a boy toy she can show off to all her friends."
The old man shot her a glare. "It wasn't like that-"
"Don't give us any bullcrap. I'm sure; Mr. Dante wouldn't want to hear any lies that puts his dear brother in the wrong light."
Dante shook his head. Deep down, he really wished that his brother had found love. Found a way out of the dark abyss that swallowed him up. But sadly, he will always be his cold, calculating self. Just this time he didn't know what his brother was planning.
"She did give him a son." The girl broke into Dante's thoughts, "But he was taken away from her." She shrugged. "Towards the end she made a deal and got turned into a demon. I guess that was from the madness."
"She wasn't mad!" Gramps growled.
She scoffed, "Yeah, that's why her son was taken away from her, she tried to kill her-" She stopped counting on her middle finger.
"I think I've heard enough." Dante interrupted.
"So you'll take it?" The slayer couldn't deny the hope that seemed to light up the old man's eyes.
"Might as well, I've got nothing better to do." Dante shrugged, and maybe he'll get some insight into his brother's life, hopefully.
"Thank you. I'm sure you and Lea will work very well together."
"What?"
"What!"
Dante and Lea looked at Gramps.
"I'm afraid that I'm going out of town for business, and Lea knows the most next to me. I'm leaving this job in capable hands."
"No, no way, I'm not working with him. Nope, nada, not happening-"
"Lea, shut up. Dante, Lea is a master at finding information. She will be of good use."
Dante sighed. "As long as she doesn't get in my way…"
"The goal of the mission is to find my daughter before she finds her son." Gramps said, switching topics.
"What happens when she finds her son?"
"Well," Lea looked sidelong at Dante. "If she looks anything like your brother," She smiled, a thin twitching of the lips. "She'll kill him."
Kyrie stood in the doorway to her and Nero's room. She didn't tell him that she'd called Dante. She didn't tell him how afraid she was for him. Afraid of losing him to whatever it was that was haunting him.
She could feel the entity on the very edge of her consciousness. Sometimes if she tried hard enough she could even see the outline of it.
"Kyrie?" Nero looked up at her sleepily. He hadn't been able to sleep much lately, two or three hours a night. It was starting to take its toll.
She smiled and crawled into bed next to him. Cuddling closer, "Yes, Nero?" She looked up at him with adoring eyes.
"I'm sorry for worrying you." He spoke slowly drowsily. "I'm…" He broke off.
"Nero!" Kyrie pushed herself up with her arms, panicked.
There was her demonic knight, sleeping silently. No sign of a nightmare on his face. Kyrie breathed a sigh of relief.
Maybe tonight he'd get some sleep.
The corridors were white. The floors were white. Everything thing in this God forsaken place was white.
The only thing that wasn't white was a small trail of blood that led down to the left of the corridor.
Nero took a deep breath and followed the red trail. Right, left, left, then finally right before it led to a large sunroom.
The room was alive with color. Flowers and plants covered the floor, walls and furniture. Inside the room was a sole occupant, a woman with black hair and blue eyes. She looked familiar."Hello Nero." She smiled at him from a vine couch. "Come in, have some tea."
She waved a hand and a teapot poured two cups of tea.
Nero, sensing no threat, went in and sat down. A cup flew over and set itself on his lap. "Who are you? And what's with the blood on the floor?"
The woman sighed, amused. "Don't you remember me? Of course you don't. He took good care to erase your memories." She talked fast, and steered away from the blood on the floor.
Nero blinked. "Who's he?"
"Your father, of course! He was a good man. He rescued you from your mother after all."
It took a moment to Nero to control him chaotic emotions. "What are you talking about?"
The woman stood up. "All things come in good time. I promise." She sat her hand on Nero's head and ruffled his soft white hair. "There are some that will lead you astray, Nero dear. Listen to those you trust. Also…" She trailed off in a quiet whisper. Nero had to move his head slightly closer to listen. Pale lips brushed his ear.
She took his hand off his head and walked towards the door.
"Wait! At least give me your name!" Nero called dropping his untouched cup on the floor.
"It's Noel." The words were hard to catch and as soon as they were spoken. Noel was gone.
Lea woke panting the last bits of a nightmare echoing in her head. Throwing the covers off her legs, she walked to the bathroom.
The light burned her eyes when she clicked it on. Moving the bit of white hair out of her face, she studied herself in the cracked mirror.
Everything was black. Cautiously, lifted her hand and fingered the hollow eye socket, then the patchwork of thin unnoticeable scars that crisscrossed the right side of her face, and finally ending at the hairline just above her ear. The fire had destroyed her right eye.
The woman that did this Lea hadn't been seen since the night of the fire. And the teen still remembers when she was taken away screaming.
"Lea! Lea! You can't take her away from me! Don't take my daughter away from me!"
It was so long ago, but the reminders were always there.
Kyrie was amazed with what a full night sleep had done to Nero.
He was almost back to his regular self, almost. There was some underlying darkness that waited, but the morning brought hope to her and swelled her heart with love, and adoration. It was wonderful.
"You're really hungry this morning, Nero." Kyrie stated as he dug into his fifth omelet.
The young man smiled. "I feel amazing this morning Kyrie!" He stated. "I slept so well last night." Bemused, Kyrie smiled at him. His happiness was contagious this morning.
Strangely, Nero only remembered bits and pieces of his dream of Noel. What did they talk about? It was still a mystery to him, but, hell, he felt better than he had in weeks!
"I'm glad!" Kyrie looked at him. Studying him to make sure anything was wrong. It wasn't, thankfully. Maybe she shouldn't have been so quick to call Dante after all.
Nero smiled at Kyrie. He felt better, but for some reason there was a nagging feeling that he'd forgotten something important.
Aria looked up at the rising sun. It's been awhile since she'd been here to the beach. The last time was with Vergil, Noel, and the kids. Before everything went downhill, no, it was the night everything began to go downhill.
She remembered walking along the coast watching Noel chase the kids into the water. They'd looked so happy.
Vergil looked at the scene with distain. Nero should have been learning to fight, not playing. Lea, on the other hand, he didn't really care much about what she did.
Noel went and joined the adults.
"You should go play with the kids, Lord Vergil." She said, smiling. The wind and the water had bitten her checks and had made them red. Lovely, Aria thought, she's always so lovely.
"No thanks." Aria almost thought that he'd turn his nose up at her, but he'd never disrespect Noel, a true lady, in such a way.
"Come on Lord Vergil! They'd really appreciate it." She begged there was some underlying tone in that statement. Aria had scoffed at the time. There was no way that her Vergil would listen to the hired help.
But then he sighed and walked towards the kids. Aria gapped shocked as Nero and Lea smiled at him and tried to get him to join their game.
"Aria," Noel had said. "Are you okay?"
She shook her head. "Of course I am! I just didn't expect my husband to listen to the advice of the help that's all."
The help sighed, "I'm still really sorry."
"When Vergil leaves again, just make sure you keep that child away from Nero. We don't want her to contaminate his mind." Aria growled, lowly.
"Of course, I will try my best."
That very night everything began to fall apart. Noel committed suicide, Vergil left, and Nero disappeared. All that she was left with was a child that wasn't hers. A girl she never wanted. A child that reminded her too much of what she lost.
Aria breathed in the fresh sea air. It was so beautiful out. The night and the ones after, she realized, were going to be so beautiful with everything she had planned.
"I'm sorry, Noel." The words echoed softly on the hill. A lone grave, sat gazing happily down on the ocean. The lone visitor gripped the headstone in a bought of dizziness.
The visitor had traveled a long way just to see her again. Blue eyes closed. Memories, sick whirring memories, danced around his head. Nero, Lea, Aria, Noel, Sanctus, Trish, Mundus, Lady, Arkham, Dante, Sparda, Mother….So many people, so many memories, so many wrongs.
Starting with Noel, what had he done? He remembered her smiling face. The lady like appearance, her fire… She reminded him of Mother.
Mother, who fought for her children, her love, and justice.
Mother, who gave everything up for her children and lover.
Noel was just like her.
And he was so very sorry.
So sorry…
HBC: As always, please review...I mean it. I do. It gives me encouragement, and also tells me what I'm doing right and wrong. So take care, and review please. I'm also always open to suggestions.