//------------------------------// // Part 1 - Chapter 21: Taste the Blood // Story: Pony May Cry: Brotherhood is Magic // by Joey JoJo //------------------------------// Vergil was slowly easing his way through the blackened maw of the cave he had so hastily ventured into; having dealt with its less than gracious guardian. Though he was sure there was little left to overcome at this point, the half-demon wasn’t one to take chances at a time like this and had taken the liberty to light up the cave with the use of Beowulf. The light, now shining from the gauntlets on his hooves, had made navigating the large cavern a much simpler task as he had discovered the cave was littered with dozens of stalactites and stalagmites that, had he not any source of light, would more than likely have impeded his progress. As he continued onwards, Vergil found himself comforted by the silence that seemed to resonate within the cave itself. It was almost as if the natural sounds of the cavern served as nothing more than a calming ambience, with the occasional squeaking and flapping of bats that had retreated into the night, flying overhead in a flurry of black wings and beady eyes. After a few minutes, Vergil caught a glimpse of light towards what appeared to be the end of the enormous cavern. It seemed the large “complex labyrinth”, Vergil had initially taken the cave for, had turned out to be nothing short of a tunnel breaching through the mountains. Dismissing his gauntlets from his presence, the grey pony began to trot through the passage way. From what he could make out at his current distance, the light itself appeared to be that of the moon as he began to observe that the tunnel was indeed leading outside. Emerging from the cave, Vergil’s suspicions held true as the cave did in fact lead outside. However, outside didn’t seem to properly describe just where he was. All around him, large, foreboding mountains spiraled upwards and loomed over the spacious area as if it were a crater within the mountain range, cut off entirely from the rest of the world while Luna’s moon drifted into sight, high above the ominous peaks. The ground was rough, rocky and rigid with the occasional few patches of grass scattered about the otherwise lifeless area. And there, at the other end of the forsaken landscape, stood an enormous wall that seemed to rise just as high as the surrounding mountains, adorned with a gigantic gateway at its center. The gates were gilded in enormous, steel spikes across the lower half and framed with pillars, alight with unnatural fire, giving off an azure glow as the blue flames kindled over the gates. It looked as though a little piece of hell was right here in this normally colorful and cheery world. To any normal pony, such a place would spell certain doom and wreak terror upon the minds of all who approached it. To Vergil, it only had one title. The Gates of Tartarus. Silently, Vergil walked over to the gates, anticipation now flowing through his very core as he stood before the entrance to Equestria’s own form of Hell. He then began to inspect the large, white marble doors, noticing a rather faint glow emanating from the gates themselves. Grabbing Yamato at his side, he gently prodded at the doors with the butt of his sheath. Before it could even reach the doors, Vergil’s sheath tapped against an unseen force just a few inches in front of the gates that pushed back against the sheath, causing a golden ripple to resonate forth from the contact point. Figured as much, he thought, continually observing the magical aura that coated the entire gateway. Vergil then gripped Yamato in his left hoof, stepped back onto his hind legs and with his right hoof holding the handle; he rapidly released the blade from its sheath. The horizontal cut instantly stretched across the gates’ width. A white shimmering light began to protrude from the cut, causing it to glow brighter and brighter as the magical barrier itself began to crack and shatter all around the area where Vergil’s blade had made contact. Vergil twirled his sword in one hoof while holding the sheath directly behind his back with the other. He then brought the blade down behind his head without even looking, expertly sheathing Yamato back into its holster. As soon as the hilt of the blade clicked against the sheath, the magical barrier that had encased the Gates of Tartarus burst into hundreds of brilliant golden shards that shot forth into the night, scattering all around Vergil as both the shards and the magic that had formed them began to dissipate into a light yellow mist. The only thing left standing between Vergil and Tartarus now, were two gigantic marble doors; no longer guarded by an accursed three headed beast and no longer sealed by alicorn magic. All that was left to do was to open up the doors and venture forth into the depths of Equestria’s demonic domain. Before he advanced any further though, the half-demon let out an exasperated sigh as the faint sound of hoofsteps could be heard approaching from behind. Without even so much as turning around, Vergil merely spoke aloud to address the intruder. “I don’t recall sending you an invitation.” His sights still focused on the doors directly in front of him. Emerging from the cavern mouth, Dante stepped out into the moonlight, revealing himself to his now disgruntled brother. “You know me, bro. Always gotta be the life of the party.” He said, approaching Vergil. “Besides, I was hoping this little shindig of yours wouldn’t be a total bust like our last get together.” “Well, allow me to apologize for the disappointing turnout, brother.” Vergil sighed as he turned to face Dante, who now stood only a few feet in front of him. “But this happens to be a party of one. And I would very much appreciate you seeing yourself out.” his hoof wrapped around Yamato in anticipation for whatever “response” Dante had in mind. “I’d be more than happy to bail out. However,” Dante started as he stood upright on his backlegs while reaching for Rebellion. “Mind telling me just what it is you’re hoping to accomplish by opening those doors?” he said, now pointing the tip of his sword towards the Gates of Tartarus. “Knowing you, I’m sure you’ve got some sort of twisted scheme in store for this Tartarus place.” A satisfied smirk soon crept its way onto Vergil’s face as he loosened his grip on Yamato. Dante was actually willing to listen; an occurrence that in his past encounters with his brash brother, had rarely ever taken place. “It’s quite simple, actually. I’m merely looking to procure a means of leaving this world.” Vergil’s words only elicited an inquisitive look from the demon hunter, followed by a raised brow as Dante planted his sword into the ground. “I’m listening.” He said, gesturing for his twin to continue. Meanwhile, as Dante’s and Vergil’s conversation was taking place, Rainbow Dash had taken cover behind a large rock that sat atop a ledge next to the cavern’s exit; as per Dante’s instructions before he had made his presence known to Vergil. The ledge in question was just a few feet above the ground as it surrounded nearly half the area around the Gates of Tartarus, almost as if it were an amphitheater. Peeking out from atop the rock, Rainbow Dash soon began to listen in; her curiosity growing by the second as Vergil continued on about his plans concerning Tartarus. “Beyond these gates, Dante, could possibly lie a means for us to return to our own world.” “Hah, ‘could possibly’,” Dante scoffed at his brother's words. “You don’t sound all too confident about that, bro.” "As of now, it’s just a theory,” Vergil went on to explain. “Which is why I traveled all the way out here; to test that theory. I simply wish explore the depths of this so called ‘trecherous realm’ known as Tartarus.” “Well aren’t you the adventurous one?” Dante commented as he leaned against the hilt of his blade, his messy, white tail flicking from left to right behind him. “But just what does this have to do with getting back home?” “After spending hours researching this location, I took quite an interest in Tartarus; a land cut off from the rest of Equestria, almost like another world in itself. It’s said to house countless demons, forbidden magic and cursed artifacts far too dangerous for this land.” “Let me guess,” Dante chimed in. “All the more reason for you to go snooping around some hell hole that’s clearly off limits?” “That is correct, brother.” Answered Vergil. “However, despite your clearly ignorant accusations, I only wish to confirm whether or not Tartarus holds anything of value. I figured that since the gates themselves served as a means of traveling from one realm to another, I could at least procure a means to expedite our departure from this accursed world.” Vergil then lifted Yamato, pointing the blade towards Dante. “You of all people should know how this world is affecting us. Not only have our devil powers regressed temporarily upon our arrival thanks to the change in our anatomy, but it seems as though our amulets, the keys to our father’s power, have embedded themselves into our very bodies. So unless we can both return to our world, Sparda’s power will be forever out of reach.” “Hell of a security measure on the universe’s part.” chuckled Dante. “But that does leave one question, though.” “And what would that be?” “What about the demons?” Dante asked, a somber tone now invading his voice as he locked eyes with Vergil. “Opening those doors will definitely set them free. What do you plan to do once you let loose hundreds of those crazed monsters into Equestria?” “I plan on carrying out my research.” Vergil calmly stated. “What happens to this world as a result of my pursuits is none of my concern.” “But it sure as hell will be your fault if you go through with it!” Dante snapped, growing irritated by Vergil’s cold demeanor. “And for what? Just to figure out whether or not we can leave here on our own? What if the only way out of here really is through the princesses’ magic?” “Then unless you can prove otherwise, I will continue to hold no intention of entrusting my fate to such weakminded, incompetent rulers.” Holding out his foreleg to the doors behind him, Vergil spoke aloud, practically proclaiming to his brother. “This is simply a means to an end, Dante; nothing more.” “Then consider this my means to cutting your little excursion short.” Dante held up Rebellion, pointing the tip of the blade directly at his brother. “I can’t let you open those gates, Vergil. Not if it means putting innocent ponies in danger.” Holding Yamato at his side, Vergil let out a heavy sigh as he looked to Dante with a piercing glare. “So even now, you still wish to stand in my way?” He then gripped the handle of his blade with his other hoof. “If that’s the case, then I’ll have no qualms with dragging your lifeless corpse back with me once I’m done here.” “Going for the full package this time, huh?” Dante retorted as he readied his sword. “Well then, come and get it!” Without the slightest hesitation, the two brothers charged towards one another with their blades at the ready. The first blow was made within seconds as Dante brought down Rebellion with both hooves only for Vergil to deflect the force of the large blade back with a quick swipe of Yamato. Continuously swinging away at each other, the two started to build up momentum as each and every one of their attacks collided and scraped against one another in rapid succession; leaving them locked in a deadly dance of blades. Back and forth their swords clashed, ringing out through the night, only accompanied by their grunts and forceful yells as each brother strove for dominance. Aside from Luna’s brilliant moon, Rainbow Dash was left to bear witness to the ongoing brotherly war that was now taking place before her very eyes. The sight of Dante and Vergil dodging and deflecting every single swipe of their blades was almost too much for the sky blue pegasus to take in; an undeniable feeling of anxiety now beginning to take root. Swallowing the lump in her throat, she continued to watch on from behind the rocky ledge, silently cheering on her friend in hopes her thoughts would get through to him. C’mon, Dante! You’ve got this! We just need to hold out until Twilight gets here. Meanwhile, Twilight, Spike and the rest of the girls were just barely approaching the mountain range leading to Tartarus, running towards the cave mouth with Cerberus following obediently behind Fluttershy. Stopping just outside of the cave entrance, Twilight couldn’t help but notice something was amiss. Rainbow Dash should have easily caught up with Dante long before we even got here, she pondered. “Just where the hay are those two?” AppleJack asked, breaking the silence. “Do you think they could’ve went to catch up to Vergil by themselves?” asked Spike, who had leapt off of Twilight’s back to help look around. “Knowin’ how brash RD can be, ah wouldn’t put it past her.” AppleJack answered as she peered into the cave mouth. “What’d ah tell ya!?” she soon shouted aloud, spotting a few pairs of hoof prints just outside the cave. “Them two knuckleheads done went in there by themselves.” “Oh good heavens, Rainbow Dash.” Rarity huffed in frustration. “I most certainly hope they at least have the decency to talk things out with Vergil.” Before anypony else could utter another word, the defeaning clang of metal began to echo throughout the cave, capturing everypony’s attention immediately. “Yeah… sure sounds like they're talking things out alright.” AppleJack said sarcastically. “Sounds more like they’re having a blast!” Pinkie Pie shouted joyously, leaping up and down in place. “We’ve got to put a stop to this now!” Twilight exclaimed as she began to take the lead into the cavern. “C’mon!” Spike hurriedly climbed onto Twilight’s back as the rest of the girls followed right behind her. Just before taking her leave, Fluttershy then turned back to the three headed guardian, Ceberus. “Now now, Cerberus.” She said as she directed the beast to sit before flying up to address the dog. “You’ll have to wait right here, until we get back. Once we finish up, I’ll be sure to have Twilight fix your collars and I’ll even get you a treat. Ok?” Cerberus’ faces instantly lit up with joy as he eagerly nodded all three of his heads, wagging his tail while doing so. “Good boy.” Fluttershy cooed as she patted his middle head one more time before flying off into the cave after her friends, leaving Cerberus to keep watch over the cave entrance. It didn’t take long for the group to find their way through the cavern. With Twilight and Rarity lighting the way, thanks to their illumination spells that emanated from their horns, the group simply had to follow the ear piercing sounds of clashing metal and grunts that filled the air as they drew closer to the cave’s exit. As they all rushed out from the exit, Twilight was met with the very scene she had hoped to prevent ever since they had left to pursue Vergil. Before the Gates of Tartarus, Dante and Vergil were hacking away at each other. Every swipe of their sword whizzed and whistled through the air at breakneck speeds as the brothers continued to dodge and counter one another. Their swordplay was none like the girls had ever seen. Both brothers displayed the utmost skill as neither of their swords were landing a decisive cut, but instead were either missing their target by mere inches or simply clashing against the others’ blade. The ferocity in their movements, only to be complimented by their skill and dexterity, was a feat surely to be marveled by. Catching some distance between themselves, the two brothers then lunged at each other, swinging full force. The resulting collision of their blades pierced the air in a thunderous clang of metal; their swords now locked in a power struggle. Dante and Vergil were now face to face, pushing against one another as their eyes glimmered in the night with a twisted yet insatiable passion derived from their brotherly war. Twilight couldn’t bear to stand aside any longer. Having fed up with the two, she then stepped forth into the clearing and with a demanding resolve, shouted at the top of her lungs. “Both of you stop this nonsense this instant!” Both Dante and Vergil, quickly turned their attention from each other to see Twilight huffing and puffing from her rather boisterous entrance. However, their focus was immediately drawn back to one another as they both leapt back, their swords scraping one final time before the two were now a considerable distance apart. Vergil’s attention had now broken away from the fight and was fixed specifically on Twilight, surrounded by Spike and the rest of the girls. “Twilight!” cried Rainbow Dash as she swooped down from the ledge just above her friends. “Thank Celestia you’re here. Vergil’s completely lost his mind! He’s got some weird plan to use Tartarus as way to get him and Dante back to their world.” “He what!?” exclaimed the group in bewilderment and shock. “Hey, girls!” waved Dante. “Nice to see you all finally caught up. Took ya long enough!” Turning towards Dante with a disgusted look, Vergil wasted no time berating his brother. “It’s bad enough you followed me here of all places, but you got them involved in this as well?!” his calm, collected tone having now shifted to one of absolute disdain as he pointed his sword to Twilight and her friends. “What can I say? I just can’t keep the ladies off me,” Dante shrugged. “Personally, I blame these rugged good looks and charm.” he finished before proceeding to admire himself in the reflection of his blade. “Personally, ah blame yer thick head!” retorted a frustrated AppleJack. “Vergil, darling,” Rarity spoke up as she joined Twilight’s side. “I know you’re more than anxious to go back home, but to go this far?” “Please, Vergil,” pleaded Fluttershy. “We should all just go back and talk this out. Maybe Celestia and Luna could figure out another way to send you back if we just asked.” Hearing Fluttershy invoke the princesses’ names only boiled Vergil’s blood, forcing him to look away from the gentle mare whilst gritting his teeth. He then let out a heavy sigh as he looked back to the girls, casting a harsh glare upon them. “No. The time for talking is over. Leave now while you still can.” “I can assure you we have no intention of leaving without you!” Twilight boldly stated, slightly off-put by Vergil’s warnings. “So I take it you plan to stand in my way as well?” he asked condescendingly. “Foolish girl. You have no idea what you’re getting into.” Twilight glanced back and forth between the girls as they all nodded silently in approval with the exception of Fluttershy, who could only avert her gaze in regret. Having overcome her hesitation, Twilight then stepped forth, standing valiantly before her friends as she answered Vergil’s call. “Yes. We all do; so long as your selfish desires continue to place Equestria in peril.” Before she could say any more, Dante held out the blade of his sword in front of the group, barring them from advancing further. “Dante!” AppleJack shouted. “Just what in the hay do ya think you’re doin’?” “As much as I hate to agree with him, Vergil’s got a point. There’s nothing left to talk about,” Dante admitted. “Twilight, you and everyone just take cover for now.” He said as he pointed his blade up to the ledge where Rainbow Dash had previously taken refuge. “But, Dante!” started the cyan-blue pegasus. “This isn’t your fight!” he barked before turning back to the girls with a sincere look in his eyes. “Vergil’s my brother and my responsibility. Just give me a few minutes to deal with him and I’ll have his sorry ass gift wrapped and ready for us to take back, alright?” Witnessing Dante, the otherwise laid-back maverick, take up such a weighty resolve, the group was left to simply comply with his request, trusting in both his judgement and skill. Spike and Twilight then led the girls back to the upper ledge just adjacent to the entrance to the clearing. Moving behind the rock, the girls could only look on in curiosity and dread at the scene unfolding before them. “Twi, what happened to keeping those two from goin’ at each other’s throats?” asked a confused AppleJack. “Yeah,” joined in Spike, the young drake now looking up towards the unicorn mare. “Wasn’t the whole point of us coming here to stop Vergil and keep him from fighting Dante?” “It was,” Twilight admitted sorrowfully. “Then again, I probably should have expected this from the start. There’s no reasoning with either of those two. However, that doesn’t mean I plan on letting this escalate anymore than it has.” “So what’s the plan?” Rarity asked. “For the time being, we’ll just have to leave this up to Dante. If he can subdue Vergil, then we won’t have to worry about the gates opening up.” “But what if Dante doesn’t necessarily win, Twi?” AppleJack asked worriedly. “Vergil doesn’t seem like much of a slouch when it comes to this sorta stuff. After all, ya seen the trail he’s left behind this whole way.” “I know, AppleJack. That’s why we’ll be standing by for now. If Dante doesn’t hold up, then we’ll have to pick our moment and swoop in to overtake Vergil; a surprise attack of sorts.” “OOH! I love surprises!” Pinkie exclaimed joyfully, bouncing up and down behind the rocky ledge. “Please,” Rainbow Dash scoffed at the slightest insinuation of failure. “I know for a fact that Dante can handle that stuck up, snob without any help!” Her confidence in her new found friend practically radiated off of her as she hovered above the ledge to cheer him on. “C’mon Dante! You can do it! Kick his flank!” “Nice to see somepony thinks highly of him.” AppleJack mumbled while she and the rest of the group continued to look on. “Will do, Dash!” Dante confidently waved back at Rainbow Dash with a smirk on his face before returning his attention towards his brother. “Well, now that they’re outta harm’s way, how about we finish up here?” “How noble of you,” Vergil mocked. “So I take it there will be no more interruptions?” “Yep.” answered Dante as he lifted Rebellion over his shoulder at the ready. “Only thing left standing between you and those gates is little old me.” “Well if that’s the case,” he smirked as he raised his free hoof at eye level, summoning a multitude of blue, luminescent swords all around his body before aiming them directly at Dante. “Then vanish!” With just a wave of his hoof, the swords began to fire off one by one in rapid succession. Snapping into action, Dante summoned Artemis to his left hoof as he swung Rebellion across his body with the other; shattering and deflecting the first few swords to make their way across the battlefield. He then rushed forward to attack Vergil, who at this point was confidently standing his ground, firing off summoned swords with the greatest of ease without so much as moving a muscle. The oncoming swords continued their assault as Dante began to slash, dodge and shoot his way through the relentless firing of projectiles. Having finally come within range, Dante found an opening amidst the chaos and swung Rebellion with one hoof, aiming right for his brother’s neck. Without so much as a second glance, Vergil quickly lifted Yamato upwards, which allowed him to parry the attack and bat away Dante’s sword in one swift movement; leaving Dante wide open thanks to the force of the recoil. Vergil took this opportunity to plant his backhooves as he leaned forward, sheathing Yamato back into its scabbard. The next second, he dashed towards Dante with blinding speed as a flurry of slices from Yamato followed in his path. Thinking quickly, Dante dove to the side, narrowly dodging both Vergil and the series of cuts and slices that tore through the air and across the rigid ground behind him. Stopping just short of the far end of the battlefield, Vergil snapped around to see Dante picking himself up back onto his hind legs. Without wasting a single second, he then waved his hoof once more across his body. Dante quickly caught onto his movements as he prepared himself for another onslaught of swords to appear. However, his suspicions proved erroneous as he noticed there was not a single summoned sword to be found surrounding Vergil’s body. Instead, much to Dante’s surprise, a large ring of swords was now encircling his body, each and every one of them locked ready to skewer the half-demon. With a smirk, Vergil signaled for the swords to fire all at once. With little time to act, Dante hurriedly holstered Rebellion before summoning Cerberus to his hoof just as the swords began to close in. Before the swords could even make contact, Dante started spinning the whole set of ice-chucks all around him as if they were a satellite orbiting his body; crying out his signature yell as he executed the technique. “Waaaaaaaaaaaa!” In a matter of seconds, each and every summoned sword began to shatter one by one as they collided with the icy hooks encircling Dante’s body; the speed of his weapon proving too much for Vergil’s projectiles. “Quite a ham when it comes to theatrics, wouldn’t you agree?” commented Rarity. “Ah just don’t get how he can take this so lightly,” AppleJack grumbled. “The boy’s practically messin’ around down there.” “I’m sure he has his reasons.” Rainbow Dash said defensively. “Besides, he’s doin’ pretty good so far.” As the last of the summoned swords continued to fire away at Dante’s defensive maneuvering, Vergil quickly stepped back, planted his back legs, and readied into his stance as he gripped the hilt of Yamato while holding the sheath of the blade with the other. Noticing Vergil’s stance, Dante hastily reeled back Cerberus just as Vergil had begun his next attack. Aiming the butt of his blade’s hilt towards Dante, Vergil repeatedly removed and sheathed Yamato in the blink of an eye as the sound of the hilt clicking against the scabbard sounded off in rapid succession. Before the girls could notice, a small tear in the space surrounding Dante began to form, a vague indication as to where Vergil had cut from across the moonlit arena. Catching a brief glimpse of the spacial distortion, Dante forcefully slammed Cerberus into the ground beneath him, causing walls of ice to form all around him, eventually morphing into a massive glacier that now fully encased the demon hunter; a technique known to Dante as Million Karats. Just as the ice had completed its formation, a series of slashes emerged from the spacial rift and began to effortlessly slice through the thick, icy walls. A result of the numerous Judgement cuts Vergil had unleashed upon his brother. Dante however, continued to focus all his effort into reforming the ice barrier just as fast as it was being cut down over and over as he repeatedly slammed Cerberus into the ground, trying to wait out the last of Vergil’s attack. Unfortunately, the slashes from the judgement cuts were closing in too fast and Dante’s pace was drastically dropping, leaving him at the mercy of Vergil’s blade. In a last ditch effort, Dante slammed the nunchucks into the ground one last time with all his might, shattering the weapon in the process, his cutie mark now alight as Cerberus was soon dismissed from his presence. His actions were not in vain however, as a blast of chilling wind began to swirl around him in a violent hailstorm, carrying enormous masses of ice that collided with each and every judgement cut. With the last of Cerberus’ defences now wearing thin, Dante reached behind him as he grabbed the hilt of Rebellion and lobbed the sword from his back like a spear. His blade pierced straight through the blizzard like winds, rocketing straight towards Vergil at immeasurable speeds. But like his blade, Vergil’s reflexes were just as sharp and with a dismissive slash of Yamato, he had deflected Dante’s sword, sending it flying upwards into the sky, spinning high above the clearing. With Vergil now briefly left wide open, Dante leapt out from his frosty barrier, Artemis still equipped to his forehoof, and rapidly started firing shot after shot at the grey pelted pony. Catching onto Dante’s strategy, Vergil sliced Yamato downwards to cut through the first shot fired at him, then started twirling his blade to deflect the rest of the oncoming fire as each shot was met with the rapidly spinning edge of Yamato. While Vergil continued to defend himself, Dante took off running towards his brother, still firing away, hoping to not only close the distance between them, but to also chip away at his ridiculously accurate defense. Unfortunately, even after the rate of fire from Artemis increased the closer Dante got, Vergil still managed to hold strong as he gradually increased his swords speed, deflecting every shot fire at him. Dante was not about to give up though, as he noticed that Vergil had to keep himself planted in one spot if he wanted to hold up his defense. After firing two more shots, he then leapt at Vergil, preparing to deliver a flying spin kick at the stationary pony. Reading Dante’s movements, Vergil instantly stopped his blade and then stepped to the side to avoid the last two blasts from Artemis, moving himself right into Dante’s trajectory. Just before Dante’s back leg could collide with the side of his head, Vergil calmly ducked as he twirled the hilt of Yamato, shifting his grip of the blade into a backhoofed style. Right as Dante’s leg passed over head, Vergil sliced directly at his brother’s backside only to miss as Dante dove forwand upon landing; now reeling back both his back legs to unleash a powerful buck. Not one to fall for the same cheap trick twice, Vergil jumped back before Dante could land the kick. Feeling no impact, Dante hurriedly twirled himself around on his front two hooves with his back legs still in the air, almost as if he were break dancing. As he leapt onto his hind legs, he was met with the sight of Vergil closing in on him. With a cheesy grin, he dodged the initial cut before holding out his free hoof to the side. As if on cue, from out of the sky, Rebellion had finally finished its descent only to land back into Dante’s hoof. Quickly regaining their footing, the two brothers returned to viciously slashing away at one another, their swords ringing out like a symphony of blades as the sparks from each clash flew out like the embers of a raging inferno. The swordplay between the brothers eventually came to a screeching halt as they simultaneously pulled back their blades, both hooves gripping their weapon as they lunged forward. With such tremendous force, the two brothers brought their swords crashing down on one another; only to miss by mere inches as both Yamato and Rebellion grazed the side of Dante and Vergil’s face, shaving off a few strands of hair from each other’s mane. Failing to hit their target, the brother’s swords plunged straight into the ground rather than into each other. The resulting force from Rebellion tore through the battlefield behind Vergil, leaving a trail of destruction across the stone laden surface before smashing through part of the mountainous wall that had enclosed the vicinity. Likewise the shockwave from Yamato left an astonishingly clean slice through both the ground and wall directly behind Dante. The resulting cut left the girl’s in awe as they witnessed the rocky formation from across the way slide off effortlessly from the rest of the encircling wall; its smooth surface revealed as the segmented rock plummeted to the ground below. “This is all too unreal.” Twilight muttered to herself. The events unfolding before her made no logical sense whatsoever. How could two earth ponies be capable of such feats? Their weapons, their strength and even their abilities showed no incorporation of magic from what the unicorn observed. Still, there was much left to observe as the fight below continued to rage on. I’ll probably be able to make sense of just what these two are once Dante finishes up down there. She thought, her focus now directed back towards the fight. I just hope he knows what he’s doing. With a swipe of their swords, the brothers leapt back. Their blades barely scraping as the two hastily distanced themselves apart. After the simultaneous backpedal, Dante cocked Artemis on his left forehoof before charging the demonic blaster. Soon, a brilliant, rosey glow radiated from the jeweled attachements. Again with that insipid firearm? Vergil grimaced at the glowing weapon. Dante then held out Artemis and fired off four enormous orbs of energy directly at his brother. Vergil’s speed and agility certainly did not fail him as he teleported from side to side in a blue blur, sidestepping the first two shots, ducking under the third, and finally deflecting the last shot with his scabbard before bursting forward, his sword ready to take Dante’s head. Before he could unsheathe Yamato, Dante held out Artemis once more, causing Vergil to falter momentarily as he readied to dodge. Instead, all that resulted was Dante simply uttering a single word. “Bang.” With nothing emerging from the blaster, Vergil’s irritation only grew, feeling as though his brother was now mocking him at this point. His only response was to charge straight for the foolhardy pony. However, unbeknownst to Vergil, the orbs he so effortlessly deflected and dodged had actually stopped and continued to hover behind him after he passed them by. After Dante spoke aloud the triggering word, the four orbs then shot forth and without the slightest suspicion, blasted Vergil right in the back. The burst of energy singed through his coat and into his back, causing the grey pony to stumble forward as an excrutiating pain seered through his spine. Catching himself with the scabbard of Yamato, he managed to hold himself up on one knee, an aggonized groan escaping his throat. “Like it?” Dante taunted with a smarmy grin. “I call that my Sex Pistol. Never misses, penetrates from every angle, and always hits the sweet spot.” He then threw a toothy smile up at the girls on the ledge behind him. Rarity simply huffed at the demon hunter’s risqué remark, “How lewd!” she cried as her cheeks flushed with embarrassment. “I thought it was pretty smooth.” Rainbow Dash defended. “Of course ya would,” AppleJack rolled her eyes. “Ya fan filly.” Fluttershy though, was less than amused at Dante’s feats. Her gaze was focused on Vergil, who was currently lifting himself up onto his back legs, pushing against the now waning burn that previously engulfed his backside. Thank goodness he’s alright. She thought as her look of concern slightly lifted. “Underhanded tactics as usual.” Vergil sneered as he tethered Yamato to his side before shifting his stance. The amulet on his cutie mark then began to glow as light surrounded both his backlegs and forehooves, forming into the gauntlets and greaves known as Beowulf. “Looks like I’ll have to beat those old habits out of you.” “Changing things up, are we?” Dante then dismissed Artemis from his hoof. “Well two can play that game!” He then extended both forelegs out to his side, his cutie mark now lighting up underneath his long, red coat. Soon, two scimitars began to take shape in Dante’s outstretched hooves: an orange, serrated blade engulfed by fire in one hoof, and a blue blade with the same design and similar golden hilt, but was instead encircled by ethereal gales. These blades were respectively known as Agni and Rudra. Upon materializing into his hooves, Dante began to twirl the blades with expert precision. It was almost as if the blades themselves were dancing, trailing ribbons of wind and fire all across Dante in brilliant formation. As his sword dance came to a close, Dante, with a gleam in his eye, forcefully plunged both blades into the ground. The resulting impact rolled out a massive carpet of flames that were pushed forward by gale force winds with Vergil as the primary target, standing in the wake of Dante’s attack. Vergil, without so much as faltering from his position, reeled back a single forehoof, and before the flames could reach him, pounded his gauntlet encased hoof into the ground, creating a shimmering tower of light all around him. The light energy emanating from his volcanic attack flawlessly deflected the oncoming torrent of fire as the crawling flames simply split around Vergil, leaving him without without so much as a singe. “Tch.” Dante pulled his swords from the ground in disappointment, readying to move in on Vergil before a voice echoed aloud from seemingly nowhere. “Master! It is good to see you again!” This brought forth a mixture of confused and inquisitive looks from both Vergil and even the girls and Spike. “Yes! Truly it is good to be of use to you in the heat of battle once more!” exclaimed another similar yet slightly higher pitched voice. With an irritated groan, Dante hesitatingly turned the swords upside down so that the faces that adorned the butt of the handles were now facing upwards at him. “Of all the times for you two to open your big mouths, why now?! I’m kinda in the middle of something here.” “Well,” replied the orange head known as Agni, his mouth moving as it spoke. “It’s been a few days since you've last summoned us out in that field of which there was no threat to vanquish. All you did was just swing us around out in the open.” “Indeed!” chimed in the blue head called Rudra. “You’ve also yet to explain to us why you’ve taken the form of a small equine. Truly these circumstances are very confusing for us.” The two then joined in unison as they shouted pleadingly to Dante. “Please explain, Master!” Meanwhile, while Dante continued to bicker with his blades, the girls were looking on in absolute confusion at just how what they were witnessing was even remotely possible. “Am I seeing things?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking to the rest of the group as if to confirm they were watching the same thing. “Or is Dante talking to his swords?” “That’s not all that weird, sugarcube.” AppleJack answered. The girls then turned their attention to the farm pony with shocked expressions. “The fact that his swords are talkin’ back at him is the strange part!” “Oooooohhh.” The girls said, now understanding AppleJack’s statement. “Seriously though,” Spike butted in. “How do those things even work?” “Easy!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed, much to everyone’s astonishment at the idea she could explain such a thing. “Besides being a super talented demon hunter, Dante’s obviously a ventriloquist as well. He’s using his secret techniques in comedy to lure Vergil into a state of confusion and even false sense of security.” She then leaned over the rocky ledge to point out how Vergil was irritatingly watching on as Dante continued to exchange words with Agni and Rudra. “See? Strategy.” “Oooor,” Rainbow Dash suggested. “Maybe his swords can just talk on their own? Ya know, without him making them?” “Don’t be so naive, Dashie!” giggled the bubbly mare. “We all know swords can’t talk. That’d be silly. I mean could you imagine an inanimate object actually talking? That’d make no sense whatsoever.” “Are you kidding me?” asked the exasperated cyan-blue pegasus. “Out of all that’s happened so far, you mean to tell me that a pair of talking swords is just too much to believe?” “Of course it is! Honestly, who would believe such a preposterous idea?” Pinkie explained. “No. I’m sure Dante must be using some super secret technique that only advanced ventriloquists could possibly know. I must figure out his secret.” She said with a look of determination as she returned her attention to the fight, watching on with the utmost focus and discipline. Rainbow Dash only placed her face in her hoof and sighed at her friend’s strained logic. Then again, this was Pinkie Pie. Knowing her, she probably had even more hair brained ideas to explain how this was all happening. Down below, Dante had finally heard enough of his weapons’ incessant chattering. “Will you two can it already!?” he shouted furiously. “But Master!” the blades began only for Dante to clank the handles of both swords together as if he were headbutting the two. His actions finally elicited a moment of silence from them. “Don’t give me any that ‘but Master’ crap! I summoned you two here to help me fight, not spend the night yapping away about our personal lives! Got it!?” A bout of laughter suddenly broke the tension as Dante discovered that the condescending chuckles had come from none other than Vergil. “Well isn’t this a pleasant surprise? It appears as though you’re finally wielding a set of swords most befitting to someone of your character: Dull, impractical and absolutely obnoxious.” “Brother!” exclaimed Agni. “Did you hear that?” “Indeed I did.” Confirmed Rudra. “The blue coated one actually takes us for a joke!” The two swords then joined in unison. “Master! Let us show this arrogant horse the full extent of our abili-“ *CLINK* The two handles rang out once again as Dante clacked them together, immediately silencing the pair of swords. “How about you two shut the hell up and let me handle it from here!?” Dante then twirled the two scimitars before charging towards Vergil, both blades held out at his sides. Vergil only taunted by giving Dante a “come hither” gesture with one of his forehooves, mockingly inviting his brother to take a swing at him. As he closed in on Vergil, Dante began to wildly swing both scimitars in front of him, creating a jetstream of wind and fire ready to slash through all that stood in his way. However, Vergil’s expert timing allowed him to parry one of the blades with nothing more than a simple upwards swipe of one of his gauntlets. The resulting clash slightly distanced the brothers, leaving Dante staggering but a single step backwards; his initial assault now stopped entirely. Not one to be deterred, Dante hastily recovered from his brother’s defensive maneuvers and started swinging both blades back and forth in a maniacal fashion; like that of a ravenous beast desperately wishing to dig into its prey with every ounce of strength it could muster. Vergil though, was not one to give into intimidation, nor haphazard tactics, and with a level head, charged onwards into Dante’s frenzy. As the two met, Vergil began to punch away at his brother, matching each swipe of his swords with every well timed jab and hook he delivered with Beowulf. Back and forth their weapons furiously scraped and clanged against each other, their speed only increasing with every blow as their force grew in magnitude. Eventually their clash appeared as nothing more than a barrage of shining metal rapidly hammering against millions of firey, torrential slashes, neither side letting up as the frenzy of punches and sword swipes blurred in speed. The two brothers soon found themselves lost in flurry of destruction as the very ground began to crack and crumble beneath them, the intensity of their attacks never diminishing once. It was then that both Agni and Rudra started losing themselves to the bliss of battle, and with every swing they roared and laughed in morbid ecstasy; their cries of combat now resonating all throughout the clearing. Growing irritated by his weapons’ overzealous joy, Dante finally broke flow as he swung both Agni and Rudra over his right shoulder, throwing Vergil off for just the briefest moment. With all of his might, Dante swung both blades downwards onto Vergil as he angrily commanded Agni and Rudra to obey his orders. “SILENCE!” Thinking quickly, Vergil rapidly took one step forward while leaning his shoulder inwards towards Dante, the blades narrowly missing him by a mere centimeter. Now capitalizing on Dante’s folly, Vergil reeled back his forehoof before taking one more step forward into his brother, and delivered a forceful uppercut right into Dante’s gut. The resulting blow left the yellow stallion gasping for air as Vergil continued to drive his gauntlet encased hoof upwards into his sternum. The attack sent Dante stumbling backwards, holding tightly onto Agni and Rudra despite the sudden pain surging through his torso. Keeping within close range of Dante, Vergil quickly rushed forward once more to deal another heavy blow. Dante hurriedly raised both blades overhead and interlocked the handles, forming the dual blades into one. Before his brother could move in any closer, he began to spin the newly formed weapon at incredible speeds, creating a vortex of flames spiraling upwards all around him like a towering inferno; driving Vergil back away from the tempest of fire. It was then that the combined voices of Agni and Rudra echoed forth from the pillar of fire. “Ashes to Ashes! And Dust to Dust!” The swirling tower of flames then gradually expanded before stopping just short of doubling its size, leaving Vergil little choice but to fall back and distance his self from the firey cyclone. Soon, a light burst through the fire and the flames. Dante then emerged from the dying torrential fires, now holding a rather curious device in his hooves. The girls had difficulty identifying the bizarre new element due to its unorthodox design, but Rainbow Dash swore it looked familiar. Before she could think about it, Dante wildly strummed the bulk of the device with expert reflexes, releasing a reverberating shockwave throughout the surrounding area as violet streams of lightning charged around the Devil Hunter like a gale of sound and destruction. After a few seconds of awe struck realization, Rainbow Dash quickly figured out what it was. Years of listening to bands like Ramstone, Manticores, Pink Snake, and Daywish let her recognize an electric guitar if she ever saw one. Even then, she had to admit, it was a strange, if rather cool looking type of guitar. A deep turquoise fret bar of thorns and claws, lining violet phantom electrical strings to play, leading to a base that looked like a purple shell, also tipped with intimidating spines. The guitar was known as Nevan and its design clearly showed its use was for more than just playing music. To prove it, Dante strummed the electrical strings reapeatedly, unleashing a torrent of musical death towards his brother, performed as though it were tune-up for his instrument. Vergil merely batted away the burst of electricity, his gauntlets proving more than a formidable source of defense. The next instant, he had disappeared in a blue bur, flash stepping directly in front of Dante, ready to deliver another body crushing blow. Unfortunately for Vergil, he had rushed within range of Dante’s next attack. Before he could even lift his forehoof, his brother strummed Nevan with such a passionate force that a reverberating shockwave of both sound and electricity burst forth from the instrument. The reverb shock stopped Vergil dead in his tracks, causing him to hunch over in agony, the mixture of soundwaves and electricity violating his senses to no end. Taking the initiative, Dante swung Nevan back in an arc, causing the base of the guitar to unfold into a large violet sickle before slashing away at Vergil in one mighty swing. The spines from the scythe tore a series of gashes into Vergil’s left shoulder, ripping through his coat as he was batted away by the forceful blow, sending him sliding onto his back across the rocky ground. Vergil hastily recovered then picked himself back up onto his backhooves, his foreleg gripping his shoulder where Nevan had made contact. It looks as though I’ve made a small oversight. Trying to get close while he has that wretched instrument at the ready will be my only mistake from here on out. Vergil’s thoughts raced for a quick solution to counter Dante’s rather unorthodox strategy. Or as he saw it; the sloppy, improvised tactics Dante liked to consider as “strategy”. Vergil then let go of his shoulder, the steady trickle of blood now coming to a complete halt, before beckoning numerous summoned swords to his side with just the wave of his forehoof. He figured close combat against Nevan would be too risky without a proper plan to counter it. Dante immediately caught sight of the luminescent swords beginning to form around Vergil and without wasting another second, brought Nevan back into its guitar mode. As the number of swords increased around Vergil, Dante began picking the electrical chords with blinding speed, shredding out a metallic melody as he summoned dozens of electrically charged, blood thirsty bats all around him. Momentarily losing himself to the rhythm of his own music, Dante let out shrill and passionate growl as he readied his attack. The next moment, Vergil fired off every single summoned sword at once, but Dante was quick to act. His left hoof danced upon the frets of Nevan as his right hoof, rhythmic like a jackhammer, crossed the ghostly strings with speed and precision. He then let out one more rock induced yell as he sent off swarm after swarm of electric bats to blast their way through the oncoming projectiles. “DISTORTION!” The night was soon alight with the clashing of violet bursts of electricity and wild bats shattering the bright, ethereal swords Vergil threw at them one by one. In no time, Vergil soon found himself overwhelmed as the onslaught of electrical bats overpowered his defenses and swarmed over him; coursing deadly amounts of electricity all throughout his body. The crippling, electrical surges bore down on Vergil as though a massive weight had begun to drag his body towards the ground. However, his demonic pride would not allow him to falter nor give into the pain that coursed through his entire frame. Instead, with all of his might, he had begun to steadily rise up against the attack; the electrical waves of bats now fading in his wake as he let out a repulsed growl. “You insufferable cur! I will not be made a fool of!” With his right foreleg outstretched, Vergil’s cutie mark started to glow as the blade, Force Edge soon took shape before solidifying in his right hoof. Without uttering a single word, he reeled the sword back with both his hooves now gripping the handle of his Father’s ancient blade. With just a forward twist of his upper body, Vergil violently lobbed the sword towards his brother. Upon its release, Force Edge began spinning rapidly like a razor sharp saucer as it traveled in a perfect path right at Dante; a technique coined by Vergil as Round Trip. As the blade spun closer towards Dante, the brash Devil Hunter played a quick tune on Nevan before leaping over the flying blade, twirling himself into a complete three-sixty degree turn while doing so. “WHOOOO!” He howled almost hysterically, sticking the landing on his acrobatic stunt. His antics were soon cut short as he was immediately met face to face with an enraged Vergil, who had taken the time to close the distance between them both while Dante was preoccupied with dodging Force Edge. Before Dante could even raise his hoof to strum Nevan, Vergil threw a jaw-breaking right hook, his gauntlet making a solid blow against Dante’s face, causing him to drop his precious electrified guitar. The demon hunter was now at the mercy of his irate brother as Vergil landed punch after punch across his face and body. His unrelenting assault on Dante knew no end as he rapidly jabbed over and over, driving his brother back step by step. His punches were fast and precise, making sure not to allow Dante any openings or time to recover and prepare a defense. With one last punch, Vergil swung back his hoof before landing a crushing blow against Dante’s snout. The impact sent the demon hunter flying backwards, blood gushing out from his nose as he tried to retain his balance on his backlegs. Just as he caught himself, Dante swore he could hear the faint ringing of sharp metal from a high quality blade spinning in the air. Before he could register the source of the sound, Vergil’s blade, Force Edge, had boomeranged back behind him. The whirling blade flew into Dante’s back, carving an enormous, bloody gash into the demon hunter’s side as it spun back into Vergil’s outstretched hoof. A collective gasp could be heard emerging from the entranced onlookers. Spike and the girls nervously watched on as Dante gritted his teeth, pushing through the searing pain from the gaping wound. As Dante hobbled forward, holding his side in agony, Vergil quickly planted Force Edge into the ground before rushing straight towards Dante, his gauntlets still equipped. In less than a second, Vergil was already face to face with his brother once again; driving his forehoof back as he winded up for one more punch. To make matters worse, Dante could barely react, let alone focus on his brother’s actions due to the throbbing in his side, realization now hitting him at such a low point. Vergil was right, the world of Equestria had dimished their devil powers a considerable amount. And unlike him, Vergil had done everything he could to regain his strength whereas Dante had just barely learned to properly adjust to this pony body. His thoughts were soon cut short as Vergil delivered a bone shattering uppercut right beneath Dante’s chin. His teeth clenched and cracked from the force of the blow as Vergil’s attack launched him upwards, high into the sky. It was not over, though. Crouching down, Vergil then leapt straight up into the air, rising just a few feet above his brother. With a single hind leg stretched outward, Vergil began flipping forward, building up speed and force from his Lunar Phase kick. He then arched the light of his gauntlets upon his opponent as the silver gleam of the moonlight casted the two into darkened silhouettes which followed the rising celestial body. With a defeaning blow, Vergil’s iron-clad heel came crashing down onto Dante’s skull, sending his brother rocketing back towards the earth. Dante’s body smashed hard into the ground; forming a crater upon impact. Landing effortlessly onto his hind legs, Vergil triumphantly smirked at the hole where his brother lay. Figuring Dante wouldn’t be getting up any time soon, he then dismissed his gauntlets and greaves from his presence before walking over towards Force Edge. Upon firmly gripping the handle in his hoof, the blade practically evaporated from existence in a burst of light. As Vergil began walking towards the Gates of Tartarus, the sound of crumbling rocks and shifting stones could be heard emerging from the crater. The commotion elicited a half-hearted turn of his head back towards the area in question. Unsurprisingly enough, much to Vergil’s vexation, Dante was now standing outside the hole; his blade, Rebellion, leaning heavily on his shoulder. “Oh my goodness!” exclaimed Rarity in astonishment. “I can’t believe he’s still able to get up from that!” “I can!” Rainbow Dash confidently shouted. “I had no doubt my buddy Dante could pull through for us.” She said as she nervously wiped a few trickles of sweat from her forehead. AppleJack only rolled her eyes in response while Pinkie and Spike proceeded with cheering Dante on. Fluttershy and Twilight on the other hoof, were still silently captivated by the bizarre turn of events taking place down below. “A glutton for punishment, I see.” Vergil commented as he turned to fully face Dante yet again. “Gonna take more than a few flashy moves to keep me down.” Dante boasted. His breathing was still heavy from the fight. Gripping the scabbard of Yamato, Vergil looked to Dante with a deadly resolve. “Then it looks as though I’ll have to put you in the ground permanately.” “Bring it!” Dante yelled as he charged towards his brother, dragging Rebellion’s blade across the ground. “Hyaaaaaaaaaaagggh!” he mightily swung the heavy sword over his shoulders with the sole intent to cut Vergil down as he brought the massive blade down in full force. Vergil swiftly twirled the still sheathed Yamato, and with a powerful swing from his left foreleg, deflected the oncoming blade with just his scabbard. The force of the recoil drove Rebellion back over Dante’s head, his outstretched forelegs still holding onto the hilt of the blade. With Dante now wide open, Vergil quickly repositioned Yamato back to his waist with his right hoof now gripping the handle. In only a fraction of a second, Vergil unsheathed his blade, slicing a crimson streak in a single upward slash across Dante’s torso. Dante’s eyes dilated as the blood began to flow from his wound. He immediately lost his grip on Rebellion as the sword was now falling forward from his empty hooves. Vergil swiftly sheathed Yamato back into its scabbard, and with his free hoof, quickly caught Dante’s falling sword by the handle just as it was nearing the ground. With a simple flick of his wrist from his right hoof, Vergil then drove the enormous blade straight through Dante’s chest. The resulting stab made a sickening squelch while the demon hunter was left wide eyed and gasping for air from the sudden and violent impalement. In one fell swoop, Vergil had mercilessly skewered his own brother. A momentary silence washed over the night as the fight finally came to a close. The sounds of horrified gasps and shrieks soon followed. Twilight, along with the rest of the girls could do nothing more than cry out in shock, powerless to help their new friend who was now at the mercy of his own blade. “Dante!” cried a frantic Rainbow Dash! Acting on impulse, she quickly took to the sky only to be stopped by AppleJack, who hurriedly yanked the Pegasus by the tail with her mouth. “Let me go! I’ve gotta help Dante!” she panicked, trying to free herself. “C’mon! We have to go down there now!” Her cheeks now wet as tears started running down her face. “And then what?!” AppleJack argued through clenched teeth, still holding onto the frantic mare’s tail. “Wind up just like him?! Only thing’s gonna happen is we get ourselves killed!” “But what are we supposed to do!? Just sit here and watch!?” “Rainbow Dash does make a point,” Rarity agreed nervously. “I mean we surely don’t intend to let Dante die out there do we, Twilight?” There was no response from the silent unicorn mare. “Please tell me you have a plan, Twilight.” Begged Fluttershy as Pinkie joined her side in an attempt to calm the quivering pegasus. “Twilight?” Prodded Spike. “Twilight, what should we do?” Unbeknownst to her friends, Twilight was paralyzed with fear. Her eyes dared not look away from the gruesome turn of events unfolding between the two brothers. The group silently moved in closer to Twilight, hoping, pleading for a solution to the catastrophe now taking place. Sadly, their leader had gone silent. The only answer that left her lips was her defeatedly uttering the words, “I… I don’t know. I’m honestly not sure what to do…” The five mares, as well as the little drake, stepped back in a dreaded pang of hopelessness, realizing now just how out of their league they were as they shifted glances back to the two brothers. “Now that I have your attention,” Vergil started as he addressed Dante, firmly gripping the hilt of Rebellion. “Perhaps you’ll heed my advice for once.” Dante weakly looked up to his brother as if to reply, but hadn’t the strength to speak. Without warning, Vergil shoved the sword deeper into Dante’s chest, eliciting a pained, bloodcurdling gag from his brother before pulling him closer. “STAY DOWN.” He hissed between his teeth. He then let go of the blade, leaving Dante to pitifully stumble back, his own sword still embedded within his chest. The next instant, Vergil beckoned forth Beowulf onto his hooves and hind legs before suddenly taking off towards Dante in a mad sprint. He then leaped into the air, and with a powerful spin, delivered a roundhouse kick to the side of his dazed brother’s head. A stomach churning crunch could be heard as his backleg made contact with Dante’s skull. The sheer force from Vergil’s kick sent Dante skidding across the rough patches of dirt and rock before tumbling lifelessly to an abrupt stop. With his brother now properly disposed of, Vergil silently turned away from the mortified screams of his rather intrusive onlookers. Now that nothing was left standing in his way, he casually strolled back towards the Gates of Tartarus. Spike and the girls hastily rushed down the ledge and made a bee line for Dante. They all gathered around the demon hunter that lay lifelessly before them. Spike kneeled down to Dante’s chest to check for a pulse. Pulling his claw back in shock, the small dragon couldn’t feel a single heartbeat and proceeded to shake Dante in a panic, hoping to wake the demon hunter. “Spike, please stop.” Rarity urged as she rested a hoof on his shoulder, trying to calm the shaken young drake. “I’m afraid it’s a bit late for that.” She looked down, frowning at Dante’s limp body, his sword still buried deep within his own torso. “You dork,” AppleJack mumbled, choking back the tears. “Ah thought you said you could handle this.” Pinkie Pie was sobbing hysterically as she fell to the ground, throwing her face into her hooves. “Dante, No! Please, No!” Rainbow Dash, her eyes still puffy and red from the unending tears, looked up to see Vergil still walking away. In a fit of rage, she cried out to the cold-hearted pony. “You’re a monster! He was you’re only brother and you killed him! How could you!?” Unfazed by their trivial sentimentalism, Vergil didn’t stop once as he drew closer to the marble gates. However, a tender yet heartbroken voice stopped him dead in his tracks. His eyes shot wide as he immediately recognized just who it was calling out to him. “Vergil.” Fluttershy spoke aloud, just short of a few feet behind him. Vergil slowly looked back over his shoulder to see the teary eyed pegasus staring back at him. The look in her teal-blue eyes was nothing short of heartbroken as she asked him a single question in a hushed sob. “Why… Why did you have to do this, Vergil?” The pain in her voice was simply too much for him to bear. He quickly turned away from the mare whose trust he had shattered; the mare who had gone out of her way to help him in his time of need. With his back to her, Vergil let out a heavy sigh before responding to the distraught pegasus. “You shouldn’t have had to have seen that.” He stated solemnly. He then looked to the Gates of Tartarus. “Please leave here now… if not for your own sake, then at least for your friends'.” He then continued walking onward, leaving Fluttershy behind with the rest of the group. Fluttershy had nothing else to say. She only looked down in despair. Vergil’s answer hadn’t brought her any closer to believe that this was the same Vergil she had come to know and and even accept as her friend. As the girls were mourning the loss of their new friend, Twilight merely stood by. The lavender unicorn was more than overwhelmed as she struggled constantly with the guilt of doing nothing to intervene. While Dante and Vergil were clearly more powerful than most other creatures and ponies she and the elements encountered thus far, she still felt as though there was something they could have done. It shouldn’t have come to this. She thought to herself, biting down on her lip. Looking down at Dante, his words echoed in her mind. “This isn’t your fight!” She then lifted her head, her tear filled eyes glowering with righteous conviction as she focused her gaze on Vergil, who now stood directly in front of the Gates of Tartarus. Turning away from both her friends and Dante’s lifeless body, she galloped off to confront the merciless pony. “Twilight! What are you doing!?” shouted Rarity, who was soon joined by the rest of the group as they all cried out to her, pleading that she stop. However, their pleas were met with a dismissive yet confident exclamation from their determined friend. “Don’t worry! I know what just what to do!” The five mares and Spike fidgeted nervously as they fought against every impulse to stop their friend, having accepted both Twilight’s judgement and assurance in her own abilities. “This is my fight now.” Twilight muttered as she sped toward the gates. Vergil silently approached the massive marble doors that towered over the area. Scanning the doors from every angle, he had begun to inspect the structure with precision and curiosity. With Beowulf still equipped to his forehooves, Vergil forcefully wedged his gauntlets in between the two large doors. Slowly, he had begun to pry open the gates as he exerted every ounce of strength his upper body could muster. The stone laden ground soon began to give way to the marble structures as they slowly swung open for the first time in over a thousand years. The ancient structues groaned like the creaking of a hundred rusted iron doors all sounding off in unison. The doors were now opened but a few inches, allowing Vergil to gaze beyond the Gates of Tartarus. Still prying the gates open, he had caught but a glimpse of the absolute blackness that seemed to engulf all that lay behind the doors. Before he could open them any further, a burst of magic blasted against the door, missing the side of Vergil’s face by the skin of his teeth. He then let go of the doors, leaving them slightly ajar as he slowly turned to face an infuriated Twilight Sparkle. “Stop this now, Vergil!” she commanded as her horn lit up, glowing with a brilliant magenta aura. “Otherwise I’ll be the one to put an end to it!” “Is that so? Do you really intend to throw your life away so carelessly?” “If it means keeping ponies like you from doing any more harm… even taking any more lives, then yes! I honestly have no qualms with laying my life on the line.” The aura then began to glow brighter around her horn as she aimed it towards Vergil. “Now I won’t warn you again, Vergil. Stop this madness now!” The grey pony merely let out a condescending chuckle in response. “Such a naïve girl. You say that as if you pose an actual threat, dear Twilight.” He then raised his forehoof, summoning a single luminescent sword. Without hesitation, he then flung the ethereal weapon directly at Twilight. The oncoming blade caused the mare to flinch, raising her foreleg as it shattered against the ground right at her hooves. “Let that serve as your only warning.” Still holding her ground, Twilight repositioned herself before Vergil, her horn still ignited with her magical aura. “I’m not backing down.” Vergil then raised a brow towards the persistant unicorn. His curiousity now piqued. “Does this mean that Celestia’s star pupil actually plans to strike me down?” “If you continue to leave me no choice… then so be it.” She answered solemnly. “Well this will certainly be interesting.” Vergil said with a smug grin as he materialized four more summoned swords, two to each side. “Let’s see just how committed you are to such trivial ideals!” Before he could even cast them off, he soon found the swords engulfed in the same magical aura that emanated from Twilight’s horn as. Much to his surprise, Twilight had trapped his swords in her magic. Then, with just a wince from the unicorn, she shattered the ethereal swords completely as shards of magenta and turquoise dissipated before Vergil’s very eyes. Just as he turned his attention back towards Twilight, a sudden burst of magic shot forth and blasted Vergil right in the chest, sending him flying back into one of the large marble doors. His eyes shot wide as he crashed into the structure with a loud thud, sliding down onto his flank in a genuine stupor. Twilight hurriedly lit her horn up once more, panting heavily as she readied to fire should Vergil try to attack again. “Big mistake.” He growled, picking himself back up onto his hind legs. His temper was now growing after taking such a demoralizing blow to his pride. He then dismissed Beowulf from his hooves and reached for Yamato. Twilight, however, was quicker on the draw, as she immediately encased Vergil in magical aura, leaving him stuck in his current position, unable to move. “Impressive,” He admitted, observing the magic that now lined his entire body. “But tell me. Just how long can you keep that little spell of yours going?” Vergil then, much to Twilight's astonishment, continued to reach for his sword as his forehoof slowly traveled across his body, fighting against Twilight's telekinetic spell. The lavender mare was sweating beads at this point. She was doing all she could to hold back Vergil, who was slowly fighting against her magic; inching for Yamato at his side little by little. His strength was unreal. Even with her most powerful magic, he still managed to somehow move against his bindings. I can’t let him get his hooves on that blade. She thought, a sense of panic beginning to set in. Vergil soon began to regain his cool as he noticed Twilight now struggling to hold him firm. It wouldn’t be long until her strength would give out. For now, Vergil figured it best to ride her spell out as best as he could. Meanwhile, Spike and the girls were standing by as they watched Twilight do battle with Vergil. Rainbow Dash and AppleJack were more than ready to take action should things start looking bad on Twilight’s end, while Rarity and the rest stood back to watch over Dante. As they all looked on in anxious silence, a ragged voice could be heard weakly calling out a name too incomprehensible to make out. Pinkie and Fluttershy turned around in confusion as the voice sounded off again. This time, a lot more clearly than the first. “Vergil.” It spoke. “Who on earth said that?” asked Fluttershy, turning to Pinkie. The party pony simply shrugged as she looked back to Spike, only to see both him and Rarity staring down at Dante’s body in shock. A ghastly expression had made its way upon their faces as Pinkie and Fluttershy soon witnessed Dante’s supposedly lifeless body starting to move. “V-Vergiiil.” He rasped once more as he weakly picked himself up. His eyes were glazed over almost as if he were in a trance. “Dante?” Rainbow Dash gasped as both she and AppleJack eventually saw what was happening before their very eyes. Stumbling up onto his hind legs, Dante wobbled from side to side as he tried to maintain his balance. The sword in his chest hadn’t made it any easier for him. “Is he actually ok?!” Fluttershy asked as she tried to approach the demon hunter. “That’s impossible!” Spike shouted. “His heart wasn’t beating a few minutes ago! There’s no way he should be alive!” The girls then looked back towards Dante, a sense of dread and fright having now replaced their momentary relief. Coming to a complete stop, Dante then gripped the handle of Rebellion that was buried in his chest and had begun to pull the sword out, much to everyone’s horror. Blood poured forth from his wound as he edged the blade out, eventually removing it entirely in one last spurt. The eyes of the skeletal handle of his blood soaked blade soon lit up in a crimson shimmer while its mouth stretched wide open. The girls started to back away from the still dazed demon hunter, whose enormous, gaping wounds had begun to miraculously close up. “Dante… Hey, Dante! Say something.” Rainbow Dash quietly urged, hoping to get some sort of response from him. “You’re starting to freak us out… a lot.” “Vergil.” he growled this time, his eyes still a milky shade of white. It was at that moment that he had caught sight of his brother, who was still at the mercy of Twilight’s spell. What followed next sent Spike and the girls into a state of shock as they witnessed Dante throwing himself onto all fours and screaming out in anguish. His voice was now warped. Soon his body had begun to shift in shape entirely. His light yellow coat soon turned a dark, charcoal grey and faded into a smooth texture across his body as his long, flowing red jacket began to merge with his body, wrapping tightly around his form almost like it were a scaly, second skin. His hooves then became cloven as two enormous claw-like nails jutted out of each hoof while his fluffy white tail became a bushy, jagged mess. Two black membranous wings, not unlike those of a bat pony, suddenly emerged from his back, making a sickening and audible rip through his skin before folding onto his back. The last thing to change was his head as his mouth began to fill with razor sharp teeth. His hair started to solidify into long, outstretched horns that covered most of his face. Finally, his pale blue eyes were nowhere to be seen as they were replaced with two glowing orange orbs in their stead, his eyes burning like the fires of Hell itself. Upon his transformation, Dante threw his head back and let out a frighteningly powerful roar. His demonic cries could be heard for miles as they echoed through the night. The girls could only cower in fear as their once dead friend stood before them, having now taken the form of what could only be called a monster. He then walked over to his blade, Rebellion, still coated in his blood, and clasped the sword handle in his claw where his forehoof once was. With little effort, the devil then managed to stand himself upright onto his hind legs before lifting the sword completely, now pointing it towards Vergil off in the distance. “UWOOOOOAAARRRRGH!” he roared once more before dashing off towards Vergil in a blind rage. Hearing Dante’s cries, both Vergil and Twilight turned their attention back towards the group who were just as surprised as they were before noticing the manic devil rushing straight for them. “Great. Now he’s awake.” Vergil sighed exasperatedly before turning back to Twilight. “I think it’d be wise of you to let go at this point.” “What is that!?” Twilight cried out in confusion, still keeping her concentration on her binding spell. “I said let go!” he commanded once more as Dante drew closer towards them. With no time, or choice for that matter, left, Twilight quickly distanced herself from Vergil before releasing her spell over him. Now that he was free, Vergil turned and made a quick grab for Yamato just as the demonic Dante lunged right at him, swinging his sword with a single cloven hoof. Thankfully Vergil had time to block with the sheath of Yamato, but was driven back from the force of Rebellion’s blow, no doubt thanks to Dante’s berserk like state. Before Vergil could unsheath his blade, Dante madly scrambled forward, swinging Rebellion wildly at his brother at a ludicrous unmatched speed. Vergil was soon left with no other option but to narrowly dodge his brother’s unrelenting attacks over and over; any hope of countering at this close of a distance completely shattered. With his back now facing away from the Gates of Tatarus, Vergil quickly leaped high into the air, flipping back a considerable distance away from his demonic twin. “Let’s see you handle this, brother!” Vergil bellowed as he stretched out both forelegs. In a matter of seconds, Vergil had materialized dozens upon dozens of summoned swords as they all lined up in a massive wall formation directly behind and around him. He then aimed each and every single one of his swords at the rabid devil, and with the wave of his hoof, unleashed a hellish torrent of swords upon his brother. Seeing the vast number of swords approaching him, Dante quickly plunged Rebellion into the ground right before summoning Agni and Rudra to his cloven hooves. The moments that followed were a magnificent display of swordsmanship as the devil danced and dodged his way through the seemingly endless barrage of swords. His skill with the two scimitars had not diminished in the slightest as he shattered every sword that was sent rocketing towards him; twirling each blade every so efficiently. It was as if the fight between him and Vergil had become a macabre dance of blades. Picking herself up, Twilight was soon accompanied by her friends, who had hurriedly rushed to her side just as Dante had attacked Vergil. “Twilight! Thank Celestia you’re alright!” Spike happily exclaimed as he hugged her neck while the rest of the girls came to join her side. Once they had regrouped, their attention quickly returned back towards the fight as they watched the demon that once resembled Dante, skillfully fend off the last of Vergil’s attack. With the last of the summoned swords destroyed, Dante then threw both Agni and Rudra towards Vergil. The two scimitars spun about in an arched path from both side before finally meeting down the middle; the exact location where Vergil stood. Just before the blades had made contact, Vergil effortlessly leaped high up into the air, allowing Agni and Rudra to collide with one another in a firey explosion beneath him. After landing nimbly onto his backhooves, Vergil gritted his teeth in outright irritation as he cast his gaze toward his brother’s demonic form. “Impressive for a mindless devil whose lost his ability to think.” He chided before readying himself into his stance, gripping Yamato with one hoof and the handle of his blade with the other. Witnessing Vergil’s actions, Dante reached back and pulled Rebellion out of the rocky ground. Letting out another roar, he then swung the blade once before gripping the handle with both hooves, instinctively readying himself into his own fighting stance. Vergil then slowly unsheathed Yamato and held out the blade, pointing it towards the devil known as Dante. “Fine then, let’s see just how long pure primal instinct can last against the skills of a true son of Sparda!” Right as Dante and Vergil readied themselves to strike, Twilight began to recall Vergil’s retelling of the Legend of Sparda. “The two brothers stood at the very edge of Hell, one’s back facing Earth while the other’s towards the demon realm. Their final fight shook the very foundations of the world itself as the two waged war on one another.” Looking back to the brothers, Twilight might as well have been witnessing history repeat itself, as the hellish monster that once was Dante, stood with his back to the partially open Gates of Tartarus. And Vergil now stood with his back towards the only exit leading back to Equestria. It suddenly all began to make perfect sense. Everything up to this point was all pointing back to the legend of which she had so fervently chronicled. The weapons they used, their otherworldly abilities, and even Dante’s metamorphosis into that demon; it was all so horrifyingly clear to her now. “They’re the Sons of Sparda.” Twilight weakly gasped before falling to her haunches. Her friends quickly turned to help the lavender unicorn up, frantically asking what was wrong. Twilight feebly pulled her self up with the help of AppleJack, her dilated eyes still focused on the two brothers, who were ready to charge at a moment’s notice. She then turned back to her friends before answering them in a solemn and almost defeated tone. “The Sons of Sparda… are real.”