//------------------------------// // The Storm // Story: To Live Another Day // by Redgrave //------------------------------// Chapter 8-The Storm One Day Later “So Celestia didn’t come back with you? That is so unfair.” Patty said as she pouted. “Yup she is going to be gone for a whole year, so now would you leave me alone, I’m pretty sure one of your shows is starting no? Now get lost.” Dante said as he tried to fall asleep. “Dante you jerk! Aren’t you even worried about her!?” Dante just stood quiet with his eyes closed. “Figures, you find the one person who shows interest and relies on you and here you are, not one bit worried of what is going to happen to her!” She looked at Dante again, but yet again he gave no response. “Unbelievable.” With that Patty went to the couch and turned on the television. Dante opened his eyes. He turned to Patty and saw her paying attention to the television. He then heard the door open. “Well what a surprise, here to run me dry yet again Lady?” Dante had mocked. “Dante I am in no mood at the moment!” She had screamed at him. “Good that makes two of us, I haven’t gotten my food yet, the pizza guy is late as usual, the brat over there won’t stop bothering me, and now I have you screaming at me, I could say that it’s been a pretty swell day don’t ya think?” He sarcastically responded to Lady. She just ignored his comment and walked up to Patty. She reached in her pocket and took out some bills. “Patty here, it’s enough for you and a friend to go to the movies, go crazy, me and Dante need to talk in private, so can you give us some time?” Patty stood quiet while looking at lady. She hesitated but at the end she grabbed the money. She was about to go out the door but took one more glance at Dante. As usual he was leaning back in his seat. With that final thought she left the office. “Hey if you are going to be giving money away like that then give me some money for food, pizza guy is taking his sweet time.” Dante told her. She ignored him. Lady took a deep breath before walking up to his desk. “So you wanted to talk in private, out with it then.” Dante told her. . . . “We are going to be using this room for your training.” Rodin told Celestia. She entered the room and was confused at what she saw. “There is nothing here, just a plain white room.” She told Rodin. “As you can see this room only has one door beyond that no walls and boundaries, here we will go all out.” He told her. She glanced all around her. Rodin walked up to her and with his right arm he presented her with some garments. “You will wear this for the moment until I acquire something better, with this though you will move without any trouble, you need to be able to be quick on your feet.” He told her. Celestia took the clothes. She looked at it. It was a simple red tank top, black shorts that reached her knees and some regular slip-ons. “I will give you five minutes to change until my return.” With that he exited the room. She took the time to quickly undress herself from the clothes she had onto the ones she was given. It was a tight fit. The red tank top left her stomach open; the shorts were tight but were flexible enough for her to move. She finished putting on her slip-ons and sat down cross-legged waiting for Rodin. “A whole year to prepare myself, a whole year not to be able to return home and unacquainted for, a whole year until I see Dante again.” Celestia thoughts were cut short when she heard the door behind her open. “So I see that you are all set, now are you ready to begin?” Rodin asked her. She got up and with a look of determination she nodded. “Ok then from this point forward I will train you in mind, body, and soul.” With a snap of his fingers some type of force made Celestia fall to the ground. “What I have done to you is sealed away your powers, you will attain them back little by little, so basically you are starting fresh.” He told her. She struggled to get up. “The clothes I gave you act like a weight system, you will get used to them.” Rodin saw as Celestia took her time to get up. With her power sealed she felt weak and the divine aura she had which gave her hair color faded turning her hair back to its natural pink color. “Never thought your hair would be pink.” Rodin admired Celestia’s determination. With struggle she was back on her two feet again. “I have one year to master this and prepare myself, one year to prove my worth to everyone.” Celestia thought as she was panting as she started to sweat for the major weight that was put on her. . . . “That is the news at the moment your highness.” A small pixie like demon spoke. “Hmm, that puts a pause on our plans for the moment but no matter, thank you Leo I shall call if anything else is needed.” The voice told the small demon. “As you wish Kasdeya.” And with that it disappeared. Kasdeya sighed, after the defeat of Beelzebub both she and Vergil took refuge on an abandoned house like structure. It never crossed her mind how Hell looked like a dammed earth, but she never questioned it. “What is the matter?” She heard a voice behind her. Vergil was sitting in the center of the room meditating. “News comes that this vessel that Lucifer wants to acquire is not of this realm, she was traveling at the time with your brother until her trail went cold, but speculations are that she is still indeed alive, but it will take time to figure out her whereabouts.” She had told Vergil. “So I am guessing that this will put a pause to our plans no?” He asked “Not necessarily no, if anything we can use this time to greatly improve yourself and unlock more of your potential, you seriously thought with the power that you have that you stand a chance against Lucifer?” She had told Vergil. His eyes had narrowed to her sarcastic tone. “Hmm, so now you are in doubt, have I not proven strong and agile enough to stand a match against him?” Kasdeya could not help but laugh. “You are not even close to your brother’s level, what makes you think you would even stand a chance?” She smiled. She liked to rile up Vergil. “Tell me Vergil, what is your motivation? For what do you fight for? And in what means would you go to acquire what you desire?” She had asked him in a serious tone. Vergil stood still pondering on the question he was asked. What is his motivation? What is his will to fight? Those questions were running through his mind. “Oh nothing? Ha! Vergil how naïve, come we must move our location and maybe with enough thought you will come up with an answer on your own.” She had told him, but Vergil didn’t respond, he just nodded and stood up. “I will give you one example, your brother gains power by protecting that which he holds dear, Now do a comparison.” She told him. . . . “Hey barkeep another round will ya? Ok so then I shoot the guy then say, I’ll have what she’s having, HA!” A figure that looked around his late twenties wearing a red suit with a black tie, green eyes, and brown hair reaching his neck joked around with two ladies by his side. “Oh Constantine you sure showed that guy didn’t you.” One of the ladies told him. “You see life is fun when things go unexpected, it takes people by surprise all the time and the reaction is priceless, so why don’t we see were this unexpected evening takes us huh girls?” Constantine asked as the girls giggled with a blush on their face. As Constantine was about to get out of his seat, he felt an aura approaching the bar. “Dammit what now?” He uttered to himself. Both doors flew open and a lone figure walked in. Everyone that was in the bar stopped what they were doing and looked at the figure that was walking by. It was a female in a men’s black suit with crimson red hair flowing all the way down her back. Regardless of the choice of clothing she was getting attention from all sorts of people, jealousy from the women and lust from the men. The suit hugged her body giving them a good look at her figure and her “assets.” “Hey Maria, what brings you here?” Constantine questioned as he tried to play off his worry demeanor. Maria stopped in front of him. All had gone silent. She held an icy cold stare at him. Void of any emotion. Then out of the blue she grabbed his face and slammed it on the counter. “What in the hell do you think you are doing?” She had screamed at him. “Do you play me as some kind of fool?” She kept putting pressure on his head while the counter started to crack with the force she was applying. Everyone in the bar stood in shock with their mouth wide open. “Come on don’t be like that, let’s sit down and talk about this over a drink, what do you say?” Constantine told her. “You really think I am joking are you, There were duties given to you and yet you waste your time in this filth? Well no more.” She looked around at everyone that was looking at her. She pointed at a person and yelled. “Sinner!” She pointed at another one, “Sinner.” She went on with this until she screamed out the sins of everyone in the bar. “Every one of you people here present is guilty from an inhumane crime and sin, and for that judgment shall be presented.” She threw Constantine to the ground and grabbed one of the girls that were next to him. “Your name is Sarah, you and your sister have done unforgiveable deeds to get where you are at no?” The girl in question did not speak. What transpired next took everyone but Constantine by surprise. With tears in her eyes she did not know what had happened, but what she did know is that she had and excruciating pain in her chest. She looked down to see an arm that had gone through her chest. Maria’s arm had gone through Sarah’s chest and had grasped her heart. Everyone just stood in quiet, too scared to say anything. “Killed your own parent’s and lured and deceived a bunch of innocent people to their deaths, all for what, money?” Maria told the girl named Sarah. Her sister was motionless just looking at everything that was transpiring. At this time Sarah’s eyes were losing their brightness, dulling little by little. Soon blood started to drip down her mouth. “A life for a life no?” With that Maria tore Sarah’s heart out and threw the girl to the ground. She presented the still beating heart to everyone. With a sadistic smile she crushed it in her hand. “So, who’s next?” She had asked. As she asked this her figure started to get enveloped in a blue aura. “Wait what’s happening?” “She’s a Demon!” “Everyone run!” The bar was engulfed in an explosion, but one lone figure went flying out the building and landed on the ground. Then another came walking out of the flames. Maria stopped at the fallen form of Constantine. “Okay you win, I will continue my search, just relax will you…I was about to get laid and you come and trash the place.” Constantine said as he picked himself up, dusted himself off and coughed. “Do not wander off, you were given orders and you know the consequences, there will always be a rider but you are replaceable.” With that bit she left. “Damn that woman needs to get laid.” Constantine turned to the burning building. “Overkill much no?” . . . Three Months Later “Your stance is weak, change it.” “Faster, think on your toes.” “Good you are learning.” “Be calm, clear the mind of obstacles.” “Now you are showing true potential.” Two figures were currently locked in a fierce combat. One threw a punch the other blocked. One threw a kicked the other dodged. “You are getting better at this.” Rodin told Celestia. It was no joke she was sweating like crazy but she felt energized. They continued their fight, not giving in. “But then again one shouldn’t get cocky.” With that Rodin parried the punch Celestia had thrown. With her guard broken and left wide open Rodin took the opportunity to punish. He threw a punch that connected with her stomach. The force behind the punch took all of her air as she threw up her own spit, but then she was shown no mercy as another fist connected with her face sending her skidding on the ground until she went to a complete stop. She lay motionless on the floor. “If after three months this is all you can show me then consider yourself just a pretty bloodstain next time.” Rodin told her. Celestia turned around to lie on her back. She had a busted lip, a black eye, and she was pretty sure she had a bruised rib here and there. She took a deep breath to get more air into her system. Feeling ready she got up and returned to her fighting stance. She then took off after Rodin. Rodin just smirked already seeing the flaw in her attack. Celestia used her magic to teleport in front of Rodin to deliver a blow to his face. Rodin caught her arm and pulled her forward and delivered a knee to her stomach. Yet again the attack left her breathless. Rodin then went around Celestia and grabbed her by the waist. With pressure applied he delivered a sickening german suplex,¬¬¬ this time Celestia stayed on the ground. “Don’t you think that was too much?” A female voice had asked him. “No pain to gain, she has to learn in the amount of time given to her, or would you rather teach her, Bayo?” Rodin told her. “No it’s alright it already seems like a bore, so keep doing what you are doing I won’t intrude on your private playtime.” Bayonetta told him while looking at the knocked out form of Celestia. Later that night Celestia was in the room that Rodin had presented her. It was one of his many rooms he had in the back of the bar. She had finished taking a shower and was currently in a bath robe. She had mended her injuries with her magic, but she still felt some minor discomfort here and there. She was currently seated in her bed with a small lamp on a stand next to her. The room was pretty simple. It had what a basic room had with a restroom, closet, and bed. The only other door was the door leading down stairs and two windows that showed a stunning sight of the city below her. She had a cup a tea in the nightstand and beside that a book she picked up. Rodin gave it to her to entertain herself. The book was called “For One More Day.” She had already finished the book more than once, but the message it told her was deep that she cried for most part of the book. For One More Day is the story of a mother and a son, and a relationship that covers a lifetime and beyond. It explores the question: What would you do if you could spend one more day with a lost loved one? She had book marked a page were a certain quote impacted her. As she opened it to the certain page she uttered it to herself. “When someone is in your heart, they're never truly gone. They can come back to you, even at unlikely times.” She smiled as she closed the book. Luna She grabbed her small cup of tea and was about to drink from it until she heard a knock from the door. “Come In.” “So how are you keeping up?” Celestia looked up to see Bayonetta leaning on the wall. “Everything is good at the moment, just wished I would get the hang of things on a faster pace, I mean I feel a major growth in power but then again I have a feeling that it isn’t enough, I just don’t want to let anyone down.” Bayonetta noticed the change of mood. She smirked and walked to her. Celestia noticed this and looked up confused at what she was doing. “It’s hard is it not, to be thrown into a different world and already have trouble brewing because of your presence, and don’t know what to do, or whom to rely on.” Bayonetta stopped in front of Celestia. She bent down so her face could be mere inches away from hers. Celestia could not move. A blush formed on her face with the proximity of both of their faces. “I can tell how tense you are “princess”, don’t let all of those troubles go to your head, learn how to relax and along the way you will be rewarded.” Celestia tensed up when she felt Bayonetta’s finger trace down her jaw line stopping on the tip of her chin. With a smile on Bayonetta’s face she tilted Celestia’s head upwards. Celestia’s breath was caught in her throat. She was basically caught on stupid. “But do not worry; you are in good hands after all.” She looked into Celestia’s eyes. “I have a present for you, but close your eyes and no peeking, you got that princess?” . . . “Nero be careful with those boxes!” “No need to worry Kyrie, see all stacked nicely.” Nero looked a Kyrie with a grin as he dusted himself. It had been a while since not that many problems troubled Fortuna since the appearance of Dante and the corruption within the order. “I just want this festival to go smoothly this time unlike the past few years where a simple mistake ruined everything.” She told Nero. He looked at Kyrie and just sighed. He understood her need to worry. It has been two years since the whole demon gate fiasco and the passing of Credo, Kyrie’s brother. This festival was to commemorate all the souls who sacrificed their lives in the line of duty around that time, the reason why it is more important to her. “Don’t worry, the past two years we just missed some stragglers that happened to appear, but this year we haven’t had not one sighting what so ever, so there is no need to worry.” Nero reassured her. “NERO, SIR!” Nero turned around as his name was being called. It was one of the guards that were stationed with a scouting unit. “Sir, I come with dire news, not that long ago a figure appeared in the outskirts of town.” The guard told Nero. “So what is the problem? Is this person a threat?” He asked with an edge in his voice. “Great just what I need, someone causing trouble already.” Nero thought to himself. “Sir that lone person took down both of our scouting units, now she is moving to the north entrance, so if anything our guards that are stationed there will be dealing with the threat as we speak.” The guard told Nero. “Took out two scouting units!? SHE!?” Nero thought. He looked at Kyrie with a worry glance then back at the soldier. “Come on lets go.” Nero commanded. “Nero! Wait!” Kyrie yelled. He looked back at her with a small smirk, and then took off. “Please be careful.” . . . “What in the world?” Nero uttered as he looked at the fight that was currently happening. He looked as his guards were being taken down one by one by just one person. The guards just kept coming and coming but whatever they did, they just could not even touch the mysterious woman. Nero couldn’t tell her appearance as she was covered head to toe with a cloak and with a hood covering her face. As a guard swung his blade the woman dodged to the right and ducked under another blade that was supposed to pierce her torso. She jumped over another guard but as she was airborne she grabbed his head and with a sickening snap she had twisted his head before she landed behind him. She made it look like child’s play as she dodged every swing and parried every punch. She was about snap a guard’s neck until she dodged a bullet fired at her. She looked at Nero. For a second they both met eyes. Nero was taken back at the blue iris with a dragon shaped pupil. “Hey! I don’t know who you are or why you’re here but taking down my men just made you the top of my list of people I will have the kick the shit out off, right next to Dante of course.” Nero said in a serious but playful attitude. “The captain is here!” “Show her boss!” “Everyone leave, go back and protect the town, I’ll handle this.” Nero yelled at his men. “YES SIR!” He waited until his men were out of sight. After everyone left Nero folded the sleeve on his right arm to show his Devil Arm. “Pretty interesting to take out more than fifty men, without a weapon too.” Nero told her. “Tis of no concern if we have any means to protect ourselves with an armament, what we seek will be shown soon enough.” The woman spoke. “Okay then I have no idea what you said or why you are talking as if there are more than one of you but if you want to dance I must warn you I have to left feet, so I’ll be stepping on some toes.” Nero sarcastically remarked. “Let us partake in this dance then, child.” With that they both rushed at each other.