Its Morwen again with great news:

Arow is back in the writing field so we should be updating the rest of the series pretty soon.

But until then here's a prequel to the Brothers in Arms series I started a while ago, although Arow did most of the writing for it.

Here we go

Summary: The prequel to the BIA series, set after DMC1 Dante is fighting the consuming guilt of his brother's death and visits an old…not quite sane friend to help him to go back and change the past.

Disclaimer: Morwen owns Vergil, Arow owns Dante, Capcom owns us all…well apart from Druce…he is Arow's…I just play around with him at times

Chapter 1: Grief, insanity and shattered reflections

No, not again…please not again…I want to run…hide from what I know is coming…no there is nowhere to run…no escape from the void I am in…yes, I am in the middle of nothingness…a black void…I am alone, but not for long…he is coming…I can feel it…I have never wanted to run from anything but I have never feared anything like I do him and the truth of his words.

He is standing opposite me a smug smirk on his otherwise indifferent face…a face so similar yet so different to my own…he knows what he does to me…I hate and fear it…he loves it.

"Vergil," I say before I have a chance to think…it is how it always starts, nothing can change that…I want to say something else, perhaps if I started differently the conversation would be different…no it cannot change, I know what will happen, yet I hate it.

"How dare you speak my name, you have no right," the acid in his voice burns me, it is always the same, it has been since I…since I got back from Mallet a month ago…I know I can't take much more of it.

"Please brother…" please don't let this be repeated.

"Brother? My brother was dead to me the second his blade hit…you are my murderer," I have heard these words so many times yet they always have the same effect…I know they are true but I cannot accept this truth, "You killed me."

"No," I try to deny pointlessly, "You…you gave me no choice…" it is futile to argue but I try all the same…it cannot change…it will never change.

"We were brothers, you murdered me," I cannot bear the loathing in his voice…it is too much.

"I could have helped you…you never let me…" I see it again…I run to grab him but draw back as Yamato slices my hand…I watch him fall…I let him fall, "I tried," I whisper, wanting to convince myself more than anything.

"You should have tried harder, you could have tried harder," I cannot block his words…no comeback that can justify my actions, I'm not even going to try, I never try.

"I was foolish, selfish, prideful," I want to change the next words but I cannot and I dread the words that follow, "Forgive me," I know I don't deserve forgiveness…I murdered my twin…he will never forgive me.

"Forgive you?" his roaring laughter cute me deep and he knows it, "Forgive you, brother? No I would prefer to watch the guilt consume you," too late, guilt has already taken me, I can only stare as the fatal wounds appear, blood dripping down his body, my tears join the crimson liquid pooling at our feet, "I am going to enjoy watching you die from grief and I will laugh as you go insane with the knowledge that you murdered me, your own blood, your own twin. I will never forgive you."

"No," I call as he fades, "I can change it…I can go back…"

I am back, in my own little room in my own little world…I killed him, the guilt is becoming too much, something no amount of drink or demon fighting can help to lessen the pain…

I killed my twin, when I close my eyes I can still see his face as my sword hit him…I killed him…I killed part of me too…things could have been different, i am going mad thinking of all the 'what ifs'…visualising all the ways I could have helped him…saved him…I have even written a list…a long list that I add to every day…I am going mad…I know I am…I don't care…there is nothing for me to care about now…my vengeance has been dealt…I have nothing now…perhaps my insanity will bring a swift death…or a padded cell…I just want the guilt and pain to end…spend the rest of eternity in nothingness.

My family has gone, I am the only one left…I am alone…loneliness is a strong feature in everyone's life…everyone will die…or get killed…like I killed…I go to the bathroom to try and wash away the nightmare, but it still haunts me…he haunts me…in the mirror I do not see my own reflection…I haven't since…for a month…I am in no photo I possess, it is just him. His eyes accuse me…follow me wherever I turn…no matter where I look he has taken my image, he is right to do so, why should a murderer like me be able to see myself after killing someone who was once so close to me…I killed him…we shared the same blood, the same soul…my soul is dead…my blood spilt…he is everywhere I turn, rightfully accusing me of his death…I killed him…he is dead because of me…I can't do anything about it…I can find a way…I can go back…I will change it…I have to.

I am essentially a good person. I kill the monsters that would do harm to people…

I am a monster…

I try to follow in my father's footsteps, to spare humanity of the horrors in the Underworld…

Horrors my brother faced alone…I watched him fall over the edge into darkness…

Everything was fine at first; I had stopped Mundus, just like my father had. I had killed something…a…a shadow of what my brother once was…at least that's what I had tried to convince myself of.

Trish and I had got away, I even changed the name of my shop, I was happy, we worked on the calls we got…I was proud of myself.

I didn't know where it went wrong, the nightmare disturbed me at first, I didn't tell Trish, it was stupid, but then it wouldn't stop, every night it haunted me, I stopped sleeping, it affected me…then Trish got hurt because I was too exhausted to help her, let alone help myself.

She was okay, but she gave me a lecture, I blew her off though, not sure where I went, I didn't even remember falling to sleep until I woke up in an alley somewhere, even in exhausted sleep the dream got to me.

I didn't understand it, I still never told Trish, I just kept pushing her away until one time she left and didn't come back, I saw her leave, I don't know what I said to her, it wasn't until the door closed that I realised I had a smoking Ebony in my hand. That shook me up even worse.

I didn't leave the shop after that, I couldn't bring myself to kill any more demons…I remember the day Trish came back…I barely took any notice…

/Flashback/

He sat on the floor, head resting back on the wall, it was light out but he struggled to stay awake. Ebony was held loosely in his hands, Ivory was on the desk, he didn't feel right holding the white weapon he had designed to represent the light.

Ebony and Ivory, the light and the dark. Eternal balance. He deserved no such balance.

Someone tried the door handle but it was locked, closed for business.

"Dante?" her voice called, he looked up, it took him too long to recognise the voice, he was really loosing his mind. "Dante I know you're in there, let me in," Trish paused, "I could easily break down the door so just let me in, it'll save having to get a new door…again."

Her attempt at humour flew right past him, so she could get in if she wanted, it changed nothing.

"Dante please…Dante…"

The silence stretched, she was still there, he could sense her.

The phone decided to break the tranquil moment, it rung once, so did Ebony, the resounding gunshot silenced the phone, he smirked, strangely satisfied.

He woke up from the dream with a start, he cursed himself for falling asleep again, it as dark out, the door was still there…had he imagined Trish? No the phone was in pieces at the other side of the room…he vaguely wondered how long she had been there before leaving.

/End Flashback/

I needed a way to change it. I went over the dream again, it was always the same, it couldn't be changed.

"I can change it, I can go back"

"Go back?" I mumble tiredly, trying to think about those words.

What if I could? Why would I say that? There has to be a reason…reason…I'm lacking that nowadays.

No, I shake my head, I'm not going off on an insanity hike. I wont. I can try to go back.

Go back where?

"Where else my boy? Back to the beginning."

The beginning of what? Wait…I'm hearing voices now? No, a memory, I've had the conversation before, but when? With who? Why can't I remember?

Frustration welled within me, I punched the mirror and sliced up my hand but it healed in seconds.

I wish I could just kill myself, but I could barely hurt myself…I've tried…I just heal too quick…even when I've forced myself to not heal, it doesn't work…

No I can't think like that…I have to think…I have to remember…

Drud…Drad…Drake…Druce…Druce. Yes, Druce the Tempus Mage, that crack pot I had helped, the man who made all the time god statues…I visited so often…before…

Yes, he believed he could mess with time, that you could go back.

"Everything that has a beginning has an end. Go back and change that beginning is to change the outcome of that end…"

If I could go back, to before I lost Vergil…I could change it…I could have my brother back.

I was filed with a new determined fire, a hope. I had a chance if it could be done…

It could be done, why else would I have said it in the dream? Was I just grasping at straws? No, I could do this. I would do this.

I glance at my shattered reflection and for the first time in a long time, I saw me.

With grim determination I grab my coat and a selection of my obscure arsenal and simply kicked down the door, it didn't matter, if this worked none of this would matter, it would have happened.

'Change the beginning to change the outcome of the end'

I set out east toward the rising sun.