The 'Meandering Soul' Dante had picked up before Virgil had arrived was already starting to lose its power, and under Alastor's instructions, the trio sought the door the orb opened with alacrity. A shadow beast tried to stop them, but the previous one had been undone by Dante and Applejack's two pronged attack. With Virgil making it a three pronged attack, it stood no chance. A quick jump to the bottom of the stairwell chamber revealed the door the Soul opened, granting them passage further into the castle.
Entering the waterways, Virgil glanced around. "This place is rather large," he pointed out. "Perhaps we should split up to explore it faster."
Dante smirked. "Already trying to head off on your own?"
"I like the idea," Applejack spoke up, causing Dante to blink in surprise. "Ah'm goin' with Uncle!"
"What?" both brothers asked in shock.
"That way Uncle and I can get ta know each other!" Applejack insisted. She wrapped her tail around Virgil's wrist. "We'll go this way! See ya soon, Pa!" She then proceeded to drag a rather stupefied Virgil after her.
Dante stared after them for a time, then shrugged and went in a different direction, chuckling all the way.
As Virgil followed along behind Applejack, he searched his mind for some way to make conversation so they didn't stay in awkward silence. Admittedly, Applejack didn't seem to feel the silence was awkward, but she did say she wanted them to get to know each other. "So..." he finally spoke up. "How are your grades?"
Applejack looked up at him in confusion. "Grades?"
"In school," he clarified.
"...school?"
Virgil's eyes narrowed. "Dante hasn't enrolled you in school?"
"What's school?"
Virgil groaned. "School is where responsible youngsters go to learn and study and grow up to be responsible adults." He shook his head. "I should have known better, considering Dante dropped out of high school. But I'm not letting any niece of mine grow up as just a silly pony!"
"But...but ah like being Pa's silly pony!" Applejack pouted. "Pa even wrote a silly song for it that he used ta teach me how to play Nevan!"
"I'm certain he did," Virgil growled. "But that shouldn't be the sum total of your ambitions. If you want to be successful, you need to be able to do more than kill demons."
"Ah'm a good cook, too!" Applejack countered. "Good at cleanin, too."
"And with those skills, you will make someone an excellent maid or housewife someday," Virgil drolled sarcastically. "But I'm not sitting idly by and letting my niece be satisfied with the lowest possible achievements. When we're finished with Mundus, I'm enrolling you in school whether Dante likes it or not."
"But-"
"And whether you like it or not," Virgil added. "I won't see your potential squandered just because Dante's taught you to be lazy."
Without warning, Applejack jumped up to Virgil's shoulders and hugged him around his neck. "Ah love ya too, Uncle!" she said happily.
"Off now," Virgil instructed firmly.
Applejack smirked at him before hopping back to the ground and leading the way further in. Virgil did his best to maintain a firm expression, but Nevan, Cerberus, and Beowulf's laughter didn't help much there.
Before long, the trio reunited to explore deeper into the waterways. A goat skulled wraith wielding a giant pair of scissors attacked them, but proved only a momentary distraction as they attacked it from all three sides. During the fight, Virgil decided to bring up his issue with Dante. "Why isn't Applejack in school?"
"And how exactly am I supposed to enroll a part-demon talking pony in a public school populated entirely by humans?" Dante asked. "I doubt that will go over well."
"Not all demons are raging monsters," Virgil pointed out. "There are quite a few demons and other supernatural creatures that live alongside humans peacefully, just in hiding. Our father was a classic example of that, after all."
"So what? You're saying there's a school somewhere that specifically teaches non-humans?" Dante joked.
"It's called Yokai Academy, and is based in Japan," Virgil explained.
"And how am I supposed to get Applejack all the way to Japan and back every day?" Dante demanded. "I'm not sending her off to a boarding school!"
"By based in Japan, I mean that the school has a Japan based environment and follows Japanese customs," Virgil explained. "It's actually in a pocket dimension. If you enroll her as a non-boarding student, they'll provide you with a warp key so she can get back and forth every day."
Dante stared at Virgil in confusion. "How do you know so much?"
"I was in the process of enrolling my son when the events surrounding Temen-ni-gru happened," Virgil explained.
"You have a son?" Dante asked in shock.
"I have a cousin?" Applejack asked, surprised and pleased.
"His name's Nero," Virigl explained. "However, he and his mother were taken captive. I don't know who by. I was trying to gain access to Father's old library in hell by opening Temen-ni-gru so I could track him down using some of Father's artifacts."
"And you didn't mention this before...why?" Dante demanded.
"You didn't ask," Virgil replied dryly.
Dante groaned, shaking his head. "So what? Now whoever has him has had him for over a decade, doing who knows what to him?"
"He's fine," Virgil replied. "He's within range of Yamato, and part of my demonic essence still clings to the blade. While I can't track the sword down that way, I can feel Nero's demonic aura with relation to it, and he's well."
"He'll be better once we get him back," Applejack growled.
"You will be focused on your school work after this mission," Virgil chided. "Dante and I will handle any investigation into Nero's whereabouts."
"You're damn right we will," Dante growled, only to get smacked in the head by Virgil. "What?"
"Don't curse in front of your daughter," Virgil scolded, causing Applejack and her Devil Arms to laugh.
At the end of the waterway, they encountered a key called 'the Guiding Light'. Inscriptions warned that it drained the vitality of the bearer. However, being a demonic construct powered purely by demon magic, Virgil didn't actually have vital energy, so he carried it back to where it needed to go. On the way there, they encountered Phantom - the magma spider - again, but his assault proved ineffective. Despite the narrow corridor limiting assault options, his obvious weak point inside his mouth was easy enough to exploit. Applejack ducked under his head, pulling his lower jaw down. Virgil leapt onto his back, pulling his upper jaw upwards. Dante then wailed away at the inside of the beast's mouth until he dissolved.
Returning to the bedroom where Dante had found the Meandering Soul, Virgil used the Guiding Light to open a new path for them all.
Was that a reference to Rosario + Vampire I see? I remember there being something called Yokai Academy in that manga series...
5887327
Exactly.
Uncle Virgil, the fuzzy parent?
...
I'm honestly not quite sure if that's utter sacrilege against the character, or freaking brilliant.
Either way, highly amuzing. Guess a certain mare just brings out the best in him, yeah?
5887348
He's more the tsundere parent, but yes.
5887326
5887327
And yes, Youkai Academy is the name of the school Rosaria + Vampire takes place at.
Nice nod to Rosario + Vampire. I'm both excited and terrified for what's coming up. Were you planning on doing an arc where Applejack actually goes to Yokai Academy (With or without Nero?) Or were you planning on just sticking to the Devil May Cry games?
5887405
I was planning to stick to the games, with only interlude reference chapters to Applejack's time at the Academy.
However, if enough people actually want me to, I suppose I could write a chapter or two covering Applejack's perspective of the Academy.
However, by DMC4, Nero is 19, too old to attend.
Let me guess:
Rosario X Vampire is coming!
That line...Too cute.
I kinda like the idea of Vergil being Nero's father. Then his connection with Yamato makes even more sense.
5887327 Mizore-chan She was my favorite.
5887415 Please please please do the Yokai chapters!
5887451
Virgil being Nero's father is actually canon.
5887500 Huh...Well I'll be damned
And this is coming from a guy who's owned and beaten DMC4
So... I kind of want a chapter or three (or an entire story) about Applejack attending Yokai Academy. I didn't know I wanted it so bad until you mentioned it, and now I must have it.
5887540
...all things considered, maybe I should make it a side story...call it "Apple Far From the Tree"...
5887613
You'd already have 1 reader.
...It's me.
...And maybe Dirty Bit.
5887500 5887508 Actually, the whole "Virgil is Nero's father" thing was never confirmed as true, but it was never confirmed as false either. It's a rumor that most fans consider canon.
5887613
A demon hunter going to a school full of demons? But AJ cannot take human form, and having one is a requirement there.
5887649 me too as well
5887613 One more reader here. Volunteering for new story reading duty.
I love your take on Vergil by the way. Gives him some extra depth.
5887725
They could always bend the rules a little with "must be able to conceal demon power and function in human society" as enough for her, considering her Grandfather - Sparda - may well have been one of the school's founders in this mixed continuity.
5887613 Heck, I'd definitely read that! Never saw Rosario Vampire, but I'll read that anyway
5887613
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And I'm all caught up!
So, the snappy combacks from Applejack are awesome, plus the friendly brother banter between Dante and Vergil.
Now guys! Come and meet the girl who looks just like your mother!
5887898
But that would make all the other Youkai envy her, so she would get into fights.
5888238
Yes...pick fights with the demon hunter who has already dealt with one of the Demon Kings (since this will be post the events of the current game) because you're jealous about her getting special treatment over being of the bloodline capable of reshaping the balance between the human and demon worlds at whim. Very smart.
...then again, they're teenage demons, and teenagers aren't known for being smart...
If anything, the jealousy will be on the part of the male students, because the female students will find her too adorable to be jealous of.
5888286
Cerberus is from Devil May Cry 3, actually. And...I took some rather large liberties with his character...
5887966
Reminds me of blue exorcist....
5888477
not a fan of blue exorcist myself, but I can see how it might remind someone of it.
5887500 That means that Virgil did the one thing Dante couldn't do: Get into a stable relationship with a woman.
5888284
Since AJ was a baby back then, all they might know that she was just there. Is kind of hard to believe that it was her and not Dante and Virgil who defeated the demon lord. Also, since it was basically a human turned demon, and not a "pureblood" who AJ's family defeated...
5888731
I'm talking about her being enrolled post the events of Devil May Cry, where she will play a part in defeating Mundus.
5888947
Number 3 is the first game chronologically. That's when he named the business "Devil May Cry".
In Number 1 - the next one chronologically - he changed the name to "Devil Never Cry" because of Trish.
considering how well rainbow dash's first day of school was in the marvel universe i dont have high hopes for her here
say high to the newspaper club while your there aj!
i didnt know i liked virgil being a good uncle till now
5887898 so the three dark lords become four?
5889170
Haven't watched enough Rosario to know what you're talking about, but sure.
5889177 oh i did a quick google search and the founders of the academy are called the three dark lords and i think they only appeared in the manga
5889189
Looked up a wikipedia article regarding Rosario+Vampire characters and the Dark Lords...and looking over their skills...
It would actually make sense to say, rather than Sparda being a fourth Dark Lord, to say the three Dark Lords were his students.
Specifically this part tipped me off.
Wasn't Yamato - one of Sparda's swords - the sword that cut and sealed dimensions, or am I remembering that wrong?
5889219 wikia says
so yes
i think basically sparda had two swords yamato and rebellion and on one of virgil and dantes birthdays spardas present for them were those swords
5889296
Along with the two halves of the perfect amulet.
Hmm...so in terms of R+V and the Dark Lords of Youkai Academy, Applejack is the granddaughter of their Master/Sensei.
...yeah, I think she gets special exceptions to the rules.
Either that, or they teach her to use her magic to assume a human form.
5889349 actually i think the amulet was spardas gift to their mother eva then later she gave half the amulet to virgil and the other half to dante
5887415 For the love of Darkness and Evil, DO NOT USE THE ANIME VERSION. Having read most of the manga, and sadly watched the anime because the wife thought it would be cute, I beg you, DO NOT USE THE ANIME VERSION. The manga actually has a rather well done story, and gives the characters traits that make them interesting beyond "I want to fuck/eat Tsukune.". It's stripped of the very things that make the manga good. Simply changing the story isn't my complaint. As anyone who has watched the first Fullmetal Alchemist anime and compared it to the manga, you can see they are differing stories. Vastly different by the end. However both are amazing. Rossario + Vampire is a case where they tried to do the same thing... And failed so horribly it should be a crime.
The fact that the anime is pure fan service, bordering on hentai, is also a huge problem. NOT because of the 'not porn', but because all of the good story elements and characterizations were removed so they could have more 'not porn'. I've got enough hentai on my computer to appreciate nicely done porn. But taking away the things that make a great story just to turn the entire thing into a massive cock-tease/ship-tease, is a crime.
Honestly the best way to go about it might be to ignore the canon characters from that series entirely. If you're only familiar with the anime version, then those characters would only make things terrible. If you're only familiar with the manga, then fans of the anime (ie most English speaking/reading people familiar with the series) are going to hate because its not the same as they would expect.
However, that all being said, there is ONE, and only ONE, way to use the anime cast and not make it suck. AJ forcing Tsukune to grow some balls and outright say "I only really want to bang the super sexy vampire. The rest of you need to get a life and move on." Preferable by either beating the balls into him, or threatening to expose him because he is has been lying to the girls all this time.
Finally, for those fans of the anime, GO WATCH TENCHI. You get your harem teasing, and it actually has a storyline that doesn't suck. And while it never has gone outright and said it, its a series by Masaki Kajishima. Those always end with a harem.
5889394
I actually haven't seen the anime or read the manga. And I'd only include canon characters if I was making it the side story.
Yokai Academy.... Pre or post Rosario + Vampire?????
Uncle Virgil is the best! I can totally see him trying to keep AJ from getting into bad habits, but I think at times she should act silly just to make him laugh. I love the family bonding time and hope Aj can meet Nero soon.
5887613 My enthusiasm for this can be summed up as this:
Took me this long to realize what you did:
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5889165 I think Vergil wants to smack Dante for any reason possible, just to make up lost time.
Say, since Aj got Dantes blood mixed into hers and he is half human, will she get a Human form to learn sword fighting with?
5894511
That's a complex point.
At no point in this story will she assume a human form. However, there is a side story being bounced around, "Apple Far From the Tree", where she is attending Youkai Academy, and students there are taught, amongst other things, to assume a human form.
So...maybe? Besides, she doesn't need to be human to use a sword. She'll use the Zoro method.
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5894531 fair enough.
btw Awesome story so far, really got me hooked
5890366 Like I said, for the love of all Evil, please don't. And you're lucky that you haven't seen it. The concept of the school is a great idea. I love it. The anime's execution of it... makes me want to murder the executives that felt this was a good idea. To give an idea how bad it is, the series is DEPLORED in Japan. In a culture that loves panty shots and fan service, they hate the anime.
Can someone link me to this story? I can't find it anywhere.