The trio continued through the portal pathway. visiting areas they'd already been to as they sought out what keys they were being guided towards. This path involved a lot of swimming through locations that didn't used to be underwater. However, underwater combat proved far simpler than above ground combat against monsters they had fought before. The water proved a hindrance to the monsters more than to the trio.
After a time climbing upward, they collected a Philosopher's Egg.
"So...we supposed to use this as a key?" Applejack asked.
"What else would we do with it?" Dante asked. "Hatch it?"
"We'll figure out what to do with it later," Virgil pointed out. "For now, we should keep following the path."
Through a door in the path, they found a basket warmed by flames engraved with an inscription.
Those who seek the truth shall put the egg in the basket and shall warm it slowly with care.
It will become a blue stone and the landmark to the rough roads.
"So...we are gonna hatch it?" Applejack asked, surprised. Virgil buried his face in his hand, groaning.
Chuckling, Dante placed the egg in the basket. As it warmed, another Nightmare arose to do battle with them. They dealt with it in much the same way they did the last one. Despite several new combat techniques on the part of the Nightmare, being able to unleash Nevan, Agni, and Rudra to fight physically drastically accelerated the battle.
Once the Nightmare was beaten, the egg had hatched. A voice echoed in their heads from it.
I am the first key to opening the gate of the Underworld. The second key resides in the mirror dimension.
Reaching into the basket, Dante retrieved the Elixer.
"So now we gotta get into the mirrors for the second key?" Applejack asked.
"Yup," Dante agreed as the Devil Arms resumed weapon form.
"You know, considering how Applejack works with her Devil Arms for the most part, there's another school that might be better suited for her, if things don't work out at Youkai Academy," Virgil pointed out.
"Why wouldn't it work out?" Dante demanded. "You were the one talking about how you were going to send your own son there."
"Students are required to assume a human form," Virgil pointed out.
"Maybe they can teach me?" Applejack offered as they continued onward.
"Perhaps," Virgil admitted.
"And if Youkai Academy doesn't work out, what's this other school?" Dante asked.
"It's called DWMA," Virgil replied. "I...don't know if they actually teach standard academics, though. The curriculum is rather heavy on monster hunting."
"Sounds like my kinda school," Dante joked. "I'll look into it."
Returning once more to the Trial of the Lion, the Elixir responded strongly to the other portal. Through the portal, the Elixir caused a resonance in a mirror. Passing through the mirror led to a distorted reflection of the castle they'd been in.
"I'm guessing this is the Mirror Universe," Dante theorized.
"What was your first clue?" Virgil replied snidely.
"So where's this key we need?" Dante asked.
"I think it's that glowy thing down there!" Applejack suggested, pointing.
Leaping down, all three approached it. Dante reached out and collected the Philosopher's Stone. "That was too easy," he muttered.
At that moment, several demons shaped like a Picasso painting of a human dropped down to surround them.
"You were saying?" Virgil asked.
The trio each took one of them on. At first, it seemed easy enough, but after they took enough damage the monsters donned masks, expanded, and started fighting upright. While at first frightening, they went down easily enough after that, and with each hunter focusing on one, no one got double teamed or flanked.
After defeating the creatures, they took the now open path back into the regular universe, and from there back to the main castle.
Once back in the room where they'd first fought the Nightmare, the primary puddle turned into a portal when it reacted to the Elixir. Dropping through into a large chamber in the mirror universe, they found the gate to the Underworld.
"So..." Applejack began. "Now we're gonna open the gate for Mundus so we can fight him? ...even though we could probably just backtrack and seal the whole thing back up?"
"Magic doesn't work that way," Nevan explained. "Mundus has already gained enough power to break free."
"And fighting this guy is going to be fun!" Dante added.
"Besides," Virgil pointed out, "he's the one who killed me and stuck my soul in a golem. I want a bit of payback."
"Fair enough," Applejack replied, sticking the Philosopher's Stone in the gate.
The gate opened and the trio leapt in.
After passing through the Underworld for a time, they saw Trish. "Dante!" she called out.
As they rushed towards her, they found themselves sealed in by the Nightmare. However, it proved no more difficult in battle than before...especially as being in the Underworld allowed all the Devil Arms - save Beowulf, who wasn't fully trusted - to fully manifest. However, the Nightmare was proportionately stronger to compensate.
However, after they dealt enough damage to the Nightmare, lightning burst forth from outside the barrier...and struck the Nightmare, causing it to explode.
As the shield lowered, Applejack smiled at Trish. "I see ya made yer choice!" she said with a wide grin.
Trish rushed forward. "Don't celebrate just yet. Mundus will rise soon, and the only thing that can deliver the finishing blow to him is Sparda's sword, unleashed in its full power."
Dante pulled out Force Edge. "You mean this one isn't?" he asked, shocked.
"No," Trish replied. "The Perfect Amulet must be applied to the sword to unleash its true form."
"I'm not giving Dante my amulet!" Virgil snapped.
"Well, I'm not about to give you mine!" Dante snapped back.
"Well, someone with the blood of Sparda needs to wield his sword for this battle!" Trish pointed out.
"Then it's a good thing there's one here we both like," Virgil pointed out, taking off his Amulet half pendant and holding it out to Applejack.
"Wait, what?" Applejack asks in shock.
"Not a bad idea," Dante replied, pulling off his own amulet half. "And Applejack has already wielded Sparda's power inside her much stronger than either of us. It's how her Devil Trigger was unleashed, after all." He held out his amulet half and Force Edge.
Trish glanced back and forth between them. "...you're going to trust the fate of the world to this silly pony?" she demanded, surprised.
"Yes," Virgil replied.
"Wouldn't trust anyone else," Dante agreed.
"As long as I don't fight alone," Applejack muttered.
Awesomeness.
Ha! The DWMA! Now there's a crossover/sequel I'd pay to read!
Unfortunately, Applejack's already probably too OP for anything short of a full on kishin or witch coven.
Still, could make for some hilarious character interactions.
I can only imagine Mundus's reaction to seeing THREE descendants of Sparda, plus Trish, standing against him.
Also, noticed a typo:
Unless Vergil has DID, this should be someone else.
"It's called DWMA," Virgil replied. "I...don't know if they actually teach standard academics, though. The curriculum is rather heavy on monster hunting."
Please don't drop the Yukai academy. I was looking forward to it.
Ah'm not a silly pony.
Definitely think you should try doing ti both ways. One where she goes to DWMA and one where she goes to Yokai Academy. Or perhaps have her go to DWMA as a sort of summer camp and Yokai for her actual academics?
files.gamebanana.com/img/ico/sprays/504003c72f7ff.png
5944537 Yes. You. Are.
Alright, if mentioning those two different schools was a not-so-subtle attempt to ask what the comments prefer, I vote Yokai all the way, Soul Eater is cool, and I would watch it for plain awesomeness, but I like the comedic and...
Naw, actually the idea of crazy Maka is a cool idea to use somewhere, I'd like that to be used a little more...
But naw, Rosaire + Vampire please, there are more on school incidents will lots of monsters, and Inner Moka would be an awesome partner for Applejack to hang with.
I uhh... Can't quite fully understand how this sentence is constructed... I get the meaning but it feels disjointed... Or that could just be me.
5944461 not if she meets Death the Kid
Mundus is going to strut out, see what he would have to get past to get to Earth, and go running home as quickly as possible.
Mundus: *running away* "That's just not fair!"
Applejack: *smirk on her face* "I'm sorry, we do give a f---."
*Multiple Devil Arms to Mundus' backside.*
Well, the DWMA huh?
Now there I now see a conundrum-
1. She enters Youkai Academy
Give her a human form (AppleJack's Equestria Girls adventure possibility unlocked)
Totally screw up the canon of R+V by turning Tsukune into another descendant of Sparda instead of a Vampire (and something else...)
Be so OP, that her OPness would be on par if not greater than Moka due to her similarly great lineage
And ultimately face the Fairy Tale arch
Or
2. Enters DWMA
Gets human form
Become widely renowned as the "Prodigy of many weapons", creating a slew of interested parties attentions
May in fact be more OP than almost the whole cast if in devil trigger mode, that the entire course of the story line gets thrown out the window
Might be targeted as an even greater threat than Asura
Oh the possibilities are so tempting, I can't choose
Youkai or DWMA? Decisions indeed
5944956
How so? Last I checked she was pretty much symmetrical.
5945343 it's death the kid. Pretty much symmetrical sends him into fits of anxiety. And applejack wears her hair in a pony tail. Slung over one side or the other. Gosh forbid she have an uneven freckle.
5944528
Wasn't planning on dropping it. I have, bare minimum, two time segments during which Applejack can attend schooling, and three possible schools with demons to work with...but I can always use all three if I'm careful.
5944555
Why not have her attend both schools one after another?
5944675
Wasn't planning on changing anything major in either story's timeline.
5945056
5945072
Or both.
5945481 Wait, you've mentioned Yokai Academy and DWMA. What's the third school?
5945481
Huh... that's weird, considering all the crazy changes you made to the original story here.
5945481 Let me guess the third choice
True Cross Academy of Ao no Exorcist?
Though it'd be difficult, since even being part demon would warrant death in the eyes of many there but like the MC, it'd be tricky game of trying to suppress her true nature in the presence of powerful and well trained exorcists, as well as developing friendships with people she'd be comfortable of revealing herself or relax around.
5945539 I can definitely imagine Mephisto having his fun with Applejack
Not to mention being shocked at the fact that him and Rin are the sons of Satan.
5945511
5945539
As for the third choice...
Well, a setup similar to Youkai Academy, but based in the human world (which is why she has to learn to assume a human form first), and where most demons have familiars...and where being of House Sparda will put her on everyone's watch list.
After all, even the Satans stepped carefully around Sparda back in the day...
Edit: Also, this one would be for post the events of DMC4, when Applejack is 15-16.
5945650 Well there are quite a few schools of that genre or where she'd be welcomed/watched/wary of
Like High School DxD
Or
The famous Mahora Academy of Negima
5945669
That first one.
...picture Rias Gremory's reaction to a half demon of the House of Sparda showing up shortly after the Boosted Gear came into play.
...now picture Issei's reaction to human Applejack.
5945806
But Applejack could take a potion or pill to make human form if it was Mahora Academy. Also High School DxD has a complete different version of Hell. Unless you make the Underworld be a place of Hell were wild demons were sealed away or something.
Actually, Devil Applejack in Mahora would be funny. The potion would seal her devil powers away, leaving her with just her Earth pony magic, making AJ in human form just as a super athlete.
5945996
...what the heck is Mahora?
And Highschool DxD in third season does have the whole thing about beings from different mythologies. There's even a scene of the Satans meeting up with Odin to negotiate a treaty. Sparda would just be the God-tier Dark Night from a different Hell mythology - since except for the reboot, there are no angels in Devil May Cry - with Applejack being on par with a pure blood demon of the DxD mythology as a half demon half pony.
5945343
5945443
not to mention she wears Artimus on one hip, Nevana in scythe form goes diagonally across her back, Cerberus is a three sectioned nunchuck, and shes not eight years old. yeah, Death the Kid would have such a time with her...
I was honestly hoping the egg would also release an Articuno or Moltres analogue for Dante or Virgil.
Unleash all the devil arms except for Beowulf and Mundus will get a massive beat down.
5944528 Agreed, Soul Eater is just a bit to grim dark.
5944975 I like this plan. The only question is how long the group can keep him alive to make him feel pain.
Youkai Academy!
5945481 Also true. DWMA first and then Yokai as a finishing school
5946044
The Mahora Academy is an academy located in northern Tokyo of Japan. The academy serves as the primary location where the Negima! Magister Neg Magi series occurs.
5947467
Ah.
...never seen it.
5947583
Well, is mostly an harem comedy, only the protagonist is a naive ten year old mage and the girls are at least a few years older so... is not for everyone.
5948037
5947583
Yes, admittedly it is a harem manga but it's more than that, it's the magnum opus to Ken Akumatsu, the father of "Love Hina", as his greatest use of story play and character creation/development, so great and vast the world of Negima was, it must be further explored in its sequel, UQ Holder. If there was anywhere AppleJack would fit in, it's Mahora, a school city as large as Academy city from Toaru Majutsu no Index. The character diversity in terms of race, species, and current state of existence is enough for you to work with. Mages, demons, beastmen, androids, ghosts, vampires a whole slew of beings in a mixing pot, but ultimately, the sheer open ground for making OCs, as you would see if you ever read Negima, a lot of things tap into mythology, science, philosophy and imagination. It'd give you free reign if you wish to insert ApplJack into the main storyline or have her vicariously skirt the events on her own adjacent adventures.
5948506
...it would require too much research.
5948530 Yeah...
But if you're interested in a good read, and go through manga sites, give it a try, it's already completed and well into its sequel
aaaaaand thats the last one... and now i need to get the Devil May Cry HD collection (and 4, of course)
and play them in chronological order, 'cause i'm like that
ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh no more now hurry up on new soon
DWMA? I so wanna see her interact with Soul and Maka.
6365544 Oh dear lord, that's what it is a reference to? Now all I can think of is Apple Jack saying, "Mah scythe is cuter."
This will be interesting!
She has the potential to exceed both of them in power.
Soul Eater? Huh. I'm equally okay with this.