Inner Rogue Unleashed

Donny's POV…

It was late at night and visiting hours were over. The doctor came in to check on me and saw me in bed asleep. He turned off the lights then left the room so I could rest in peace. When I heard the door close I sat up in bed and quietly called out to Maggie and Laura hiding in the corner.

Donny~ They won't come back tonight. You two can come out now.

Maggie and her sister come out of hiding and appear from the corner they were hiding in.

Laura~ Finally! I thought we were gonna sit there all night.

Maggie~ At least we can finally move our bones.

Donny~ When did Laura learn how to camouflage herself and others?

Maggie~ I actually don't know. This is new to me as well.

Laura~ It was long ago. I don't even remember when it was. I just know it was long ago.

Maggie~ Anyway let's get back to healing your arms.

Maggie lightly places her hands onto Donny's arms and continues the healing process.

Laura~ Can you tell us how your arms feel right now?

Donny~ They kinda feel the same. At least I can somewhat move them now.

Maggie~ That's good. That means I'm getting better at this and the process is working. This could lead you to be fully healed sooner than expected.

Donny~ I sure hope so. I don't want to be here longer than I have to be. Also, looking at my wounds always reminds me of that night.

Laura~ The night you were brought here?

Donny~ Yeah… that night.

Maggie~ I know it might be tough but can you tell us what happened?

Donny~ *sigh* Rarity's little sister kept a secret from us. She kept a knife hidden from everyone and it wasn't just an average knife. This knife was a large Bowie knife that was as sharp as a sharpened, out of box, razor blade. It was given to her by Dante himself and he told her to keep it safe.

Maggie~ Wait, you mean Dante was around here?

Laura~ How do you know where he was?

Maggie~ I know Rarity's little sister.

Donny~ Well, yeah he was and not just that, he was there to kill her as well, but he refused. She was really stubborn and wouldn't give the knife to us. When we all found out Dante used it to kill Flash, I had enough with everything and took it from her on the spot then walked away and out of the house. Sweetie Belle wasn't gonna give up, she was determined but she was a bit too determined. She ran after me and tried to take the knife back from behind and… this happened to me. She knew the knife was dangerous but didn't want to give up until it was too late. After the knife was slashed across my arms, I collapsed and I nearly blacked out at that moment in time. Sweetie Belle tried to get me help and cried out for her sister, begging her to call 911. All I remember after that was Sweetie Belle holding me in her arms, trying to keep me awake and repeatedly kept telling me that she's sorry and that she didn't mean for any of this to happen. After that I was rushed here in an ambulance and I passed out before I made it. That was it, after all of that my memory is about as blank as a night sky blocked by large clouds… The sad thing is she knew how dangerous it was to keep the knife. She knew what could happen but her determination to keep her promise clouded her critical thinking.

Laura~ Don't make excuses for her! She knows she shouldn't be in possession of such a weapon. You said it yourself, she knew the danger it could have brought but she still decided to be stubborn and hard-headed about it.

Maggie~ I'm sure she didn't mean for any of this to happen.

Laura~ That's like saying you're sure Rip didn't mean to get out of bed this morning! He knew what would or could happen if he got out of bed and he still did it. Sweetie Belle knew what could or would happen if she decided to not give up the knife and be a total fool but yet she still did it. Think about what could have happened. Donny could have died that night and left us all in a dark state. Not only that if he had died that night then we would have lost another person who's important to all of us. It wouldn't have just been Dante that's gone.

I tried to keep my emotions together but I couldn't hold back the tears that were drizzling down my face. Laura noticed the tears on my face and wiped them off using a towel she saw next to my bed. She then reluctantly but slowly gave me a soft hug.

Donny~ Laura…?

Laura~ I'm sorry… I didn't mean to scare or trigger something in you…

Donny~ But you still did, remember?

Laura pulls away from the hug remembering everything she had just said. She sat in total silence feeling completely stupid about what just happened while her sister continued to slowly heal Donny. Maggie notices Laura's silent and regretful behavior then begins to speak to her.

Maggie~ Laura… I understand where you were coming from. I get it, what's done is done, regardless of what that person understands or doesn't understand. But you have to realize just because it was done doesn't mean it was done on purpose. Some people have really complicated reasons as to why they commit to things and others have really simple reasons. In Sweetie Belle's case, not many would understand why she was so "stubborn" to give up on the knife, but I do. She knows how important Dante is to all of us and she wanted to make him proud by keeping the promise she made with him. It's hard to understand for most people… And that's understandable but in reality, we have to take the time to realize that… She cares and was willing to do whatever it took to keep that promise.

Laura~ I… I'm…

Donny~ No need to apologise.

I began to lay back as Maggie removed her hands from my arms.

Maggie~ Alright, we're done for the night. You could probably move your arms at least a little now. After tomorrow I can assure you that you'll have the ability to freely move your arms without any pain being inflicted onto you. Just one more thing to do before we leave.

Maggie channeled into her energy and emitted it onto my arms creating some sort of bandage to keep the wounds closed.

Maggie~ This is something that I've been working on for some time now.

Donny~ What is it?

Maggie~ It's a flexible cast made from my own energy. The doctors may question it but just tell them you got bored and decided to test out the pain tolerance in your arms. They know you have power and energy of your own because of your medical record.

Donny~ But how is that gonna explain this?

Maggie~ Because all you have to tell them after that is that you wanted to test your arms and use only some of your power. Even though it's not actually yours. Trust me it happens all the time. They won't suspect a thing.

Donny~ Wow, that's amazing! Honestly I don't know what to say.

Maggie~ Believe me, it's my pleasure to help.

Donny~ How do you plan on getting back home? If you get caught up here you two can get in a lot of trouble.

Maggie~ Laura has that covered, right?

Laura seems completely spaced out but soon snaps back into reality when Maggie places a hand on one of her shoulders.

Maggie~ Ummm, Earth to Laura?

Laura~ Huh!? What?

Maggie~ You can get you and I out of here without getting caught right?

Laura~ Oh… Ummm, yes I can. Just hold onto my hand as we walk out of the room. I can keep us hidden in plain sight in case someone passes by us.

Donny~ All the doctors are either chilling in the break rooms or at home. I'm pretty sure you two won't run into anyone. Stay safe out there you two. You never know what could be lurking around, waiting to get you.

Laura~ We'll be fine. Oh and one more thing before we go. Maggie and I want to let you know that… When you get out, we want you to come back home with us.

Maggie~ Yeah, it's not the same without you. It would be really nice if the three of us could be together again.

Donny~ I'll think about it. Right now I think you two should be focusing on getting home safely.

Laura~ Yeah, we'll see you tomorrow. Come on sis, let's get out of here.

Both the two girls held hands and disappeared right in front of my eyes. After they left I grew a bit tired and thought it was time to catch a few Z's so I laid back down in bed and fell asleep minutes later. I had a dream about Dante and I chilling at the park while showing off what we learned. Nothing was bad about it, in fact it felt so real I thought I was lucid dreaming. We were happy… Laughing together, looking at the clouds together, eating ice cream together, I didn't want it to end but unfortunately that's not possible. Anyway that's it for my POV imma let anyone else take over.

Back at the forest with Rose…

It's been hours since Dante's Rogue Awakening. Rose knew he would have needed some guidance when he woke up from his long slumber knowing the side effects that could have come with it. Headaches, lightheadedness, loss of balance and those were just the ones she knew off the top of her head. Rose has been waiting for Dante to wake up for quite a long time and she knew how long it had been but she wanted to make sure Dante got the rest he really needed. Rose picked up a large blanket she found in her room and laid it on top of her sleeping son then placed a pillow under his head, while trying not to wake him up. Rose soon decided to take the time to clean up her home while she waited. The house was old but it definitely wasn't that dirty. Thanks to the restoration of the forest that energy was enough to restore the homes as well. Although she still had to pick up and rearrange a few things. Over an hour and thirty minutes passed and Rose hears a voice coming from her son's location. She puts down everything to go check out what was going on and she finds Dante sitting up in bed looking at himself in a handheld mirror gazing at his own eyes. Dante soon notices his mother standing at the door to the room and then places the mirror back in its original spot. Rose slowly walks over to him while speaking in a slow and soft voice.

Rose~ So, how do you feel?

Dante~ I feel… cold, dizzy, dark, sinister… almost as if I want to kill someone.

Rose~ Oh really?

Dante~ Yeah after all it's like you said "it's in my blood" not just that, "it's in my mind". Which is weird because I didn't feel this way before my inner rogue was awakened.

Rose~ So what do you want to do about it?

Dante~ Honestly, I think I want to kill someone.

Rose smiled in happiness after her son admitted to actually wanting to kill someone then hugged him.

Rose~ That's my little Rogue.

Rose pulls away from the hug as her phone starts to ring.

Rose~ Hold on, I have to take this. Stay in bed you're experiencing some side effects right now and I want to make sure nothing bad happens.

Dante~ Alright, I'll be right here.

Rose leaves the room as she answers the phone.

Over the phone…

Rose~ Hello?

Rick~ Hey, it's Rick. Listen, you remember when I told you I would have the knife delivered to you by tomorrow night?

Rose~ I already don't like where this is going.

Rick~ Yeah, you see… I may or may not have gotten potentially caught by the police and now I need help getting out of this cell they got me locked up in.

Rose~ You're an Owl, get out of it yourself!

Rick~ If it was that simple I would. This isn't some ordinary cell. It's jam-packed with all types of technology that cancels out my abilities. I think after they found out about Rogues in the city they prepared themselves in case they caught one. The thing is I'm an Owl, not a Rogue.

Rose~ This can't be possible at all. Not even back then we're we able to cancel out an Owl's or Rogue's power. Where are you right now?

Rick~ I'm in the Central Police Station. I checked all the others and the knife wasn't anywhere in sight. You have to get here quickly or send Dante if you can.

Rose~ I can't make it there and Dante just woke up from his awakening.

Rick~ It's either someone helps me or the knife doesn't get to Dante because I know I can't escape from here even if I tried. I'm lucky I was able to get in touch with you in the first place. If I wasn't then you never would have known.

Rose~ Ummm… Shit! Sit tight and I'll think of something. Just act casual and comply with their orders. But whatever you do, don't confess to anything. If they try to torture you trust me, you can take it. As an Owl your body is ten times more durable than the average human. You should be able to handle anything they throw at you.

Rick~ Got it!

The call ends and Rose rushes back into the room.

Rose~ Ok, you said you wanted to kill someone right?

Dante~ Yeah, what about it?

Rose~ What if I told you there is an entire police station filled with untouched and fully alive bodies keeping one of our allies locked up?

Dante~ Who is this "ally" and where is he or she?

Rose~ His name is Rick and he's locked up in the main Police Station in a really large city. Here's the location, go to this Police Station and break him out. Also, you need to look for something. After you break him out, provide him with protection as he searches for what we need.

Dante~ But what about my power? I just unlocked it, there's no way I can control it.

Rose~ That's the best part about letting your inner rogue take over. It does everything for you. Of course you have to tell it what to do but in order for it to do it, it should all be fine.

Dante~ Understood! I'll be right back.

Dante leaves the forest on a mission to save his ally from possible danger, leaving Rose worried. She knows someone like Dante can adapt really fast but she still had doubts somewhere within her head telling her that Dante won't make it back home. She tried not to think about it but it wasn't as simple as it seemed. All she could do was lay down in her room and wait for him to come back along with Rick and the knife. Rose didn't want Dante to go out there on his own but she knew at some point he was gonna need to learn how to fully understand his new power and couldn't do that being held at home. She was a bit worried but still trusted Dante that he would make it back.

Sunset's POV…

I know, it's weird. You would probably not look at me as an important character to this story and I can understand. But trust me you are going to want to listen to what's going on. It was getting kinda late at night when I was strolling around the city. I was also admiring how beautiful the city looked at night when all of the sudden I got this weird feeling that I wasn't alone somehow. Even when there's so many people walking around the streets, I got this sneaky suspicion that someone was following me. I tried not to think much about it and tried to carry on with my night. Minutes went by and I came across a local video game store. I didn't plan on buying anything but I wanted to browse and see what they had so I entered without thinking twice. That was possibly the worst mistake I ever made because that feeling only grew stronger. I won't lie, I panicked a bit and immediately left the store. Even though I could have kept calm in that situation there's been multiple cases when someone thinks they're being followed and ends up missing. Obviously I'm not going to take that chance, especially after everything that's happened with Dante. A minute after I left the store, I found my way to a courtyard with a few people there and sat down at one of the benches by myself. Among the people who were sitting in the courtyard there was one that sorta stood out from everyone. Even though we all stand out in our own ways something about this person was off. He or she had long black hair and most importantly he or she was covered in black clothing. Black shoes, shirt, jeans, hoodie, cap, everything this person had on was black with little to no design. I stared at this person for a few minutes until he or she looked up at me then quickly looked away. It was dark outside, with barely any lighting in the courtyard and we were pretty far from each other so I wasn't able to see what he or she looked like. I was about to get up and try to get away from whoever he or she was until I finally realized why he or she was really the odd one out. I saw this person disappear into nothing but thin air, right in front of me. I was shocked, this was the last thing I expected to happen tonight and I've seen a lot of weird and crazy things. I ran over to where he or she was sitting hoping to find some sort of trace from whoever this was, but all that was there was just a little folded up piece of paper which seemed to be a letter to someone. I ended up going back home because at that moment there wasn't anything I could do. It was late at night and I couldn't get everyone in one place so I could tell them about what happened. Before I left, I took the letter with me to read over it. When I got back home I decided to send everyone a text in our group chat and tell everyone to meet me in Donny's hospital room around noon the next day. Some of them replied back and asked me why exactly and I told them that something happened but I had a long day and night and I just wanted to rest right now. They agreed and I went on with my night. I was exhausted but I was also curious. There was no way I was going to go to sleep and not read what was written in the letter. I walked into my room and locked the door and without hesitation I read the note out loud.

Sunset~ "A sister to him and a brother to me. Tortured and held against my will… Choking in someone's hand before he could save me. I tried to tell him… I really did. She tried to stop me… She tried to kill me and so she did or at least she could have."

I was confused by what I had read and couldn't put one and two together. That made me think this letter wasn't supposed to go to me. Even though I wanted to know what it meant right at that second, I didn't want any more surprises that night so changed into some loose night clothes, jumped in bed and fell asleep. That's pretty much it for my POV. We're gonna let Rip take over for now.

Rip's POV…

It was getting late and Twilight decided it was time to leave. I knew she was still a bit tired and I didn't want her to drive home knowing she could probably doze off behind the wheel. I offered to drive her home so I can make sure she made it there in one piece and like I expected she accepted it. Before we left, Rainbow kissed me goodbye for the night then she gave me a long but really nice hug. We left the house after that in Twilight's car with me being the driver and Twilight being the passenger like we agreed on. A few minutes into the drive to her house, I noticed that something was bothering Twilight. She stared at the window looking at all the stars in the night sky with a blank face. It was almost as if all the emotions she had just disappeared out of nowhere. I didn't want to bother her even more knowing she's tired and possibly has had a long day mentally but as her friend I wanted to know what was wrong. I'm not one of those people who claims to be a friend and doesn't do anything when they see their friend is going through something.

Rip~ Hey… Twilight? Is something wrong?

Twilight~ What makes you say that?

Rip~ I know you're tired but I can tell when someone is either tired or something is bothering them.

Twilight~ ...….

Rip~ What's wrong?

Twilight balls her hand into a fist trying her best to keep her emotions in check.

Rip~ Twilight… it's ok if you don't want to talk about it. I won't force you to do so.

Twilight~ It's just… Seeing you and Rainbow together kinda got to me. I'm not jealous, it's just seeing you two hug and kiss each other reminds me of the times I had with Dante. It's even worse now because I have a piece of him in me. I was given half of his power and so were you… but I feel like I'm not complete if I don't have that missing piece of the puzzle.

Rip~ I'm guessing that piece is Dante.

Twilight~ Yeah… I wish he was here. I wish I could hug and kiss him at least one more time. I wish… I wish he and I became Owls together.

Rip~ Look, mark my words when I say that one day we're gonna get him back. Even if he doesn't want to come back we won't let him go. We have to be determined to bring him back home with his friends, family, and most importantly, here with you. I understand it's hard to go day and night without him for months or maybe years but at the end of the day it'll be worth the wait. Twilight, I promise you, we'll bring him back.

Before we knew it we arrived at Twilight's house. Twilight and I got out of the car and made our way to the front door. Before she opened it she turned to me and gave me a big hug.

Twilight~ Thank you… I don't know what I would do if I didn't have a friend like you.

Rip~ It's no problem. I'm always here to talk when you need me and it's the same for everyone else.

Twilight~ That's awesome. Anyway I should get inside. My mom is probably upset with me because I was gone for so long.

Rip~ When is she never upset?

Twilight~ That's a good question. I'll let you know when I have an answer.

Rip~ Heh, goodnight Twilight.

Twilight~ Goodnight Rip, sleep well.

Rip~ You sleep well too.

Twilight enters her house and I night travel my way back home. With that my POV is pretty much done for now. I'll see y'all in the next chapter.

Back with Dante…

Dante finally made his way to the Police Station with efficient timing. He searched around the station looking for an entrance until he grew tired and quickly bursted through one of the front windows. Alarms started to sound as Dante started fighting off Everyone in the building as they tried to stop and capture him. Dante's strength was too much for everyone to handle and wiped almost everyone out with only one small attack. Dante soon found Rick's cell and used his unbelievable strength to pry the cell bars away from each other, giving Rick what he needed to escape.

Rick~ It took you long enough!

Dante~ I don't even know who you are! Be glad I came here in the first place. Besides, this wouldn't have happened if you didn't get caught.

Rick~ Let's just get what I was looking for and get out of here. Protect me while I look.

Dante~ Protect you from what?

Rick~ What do you mean "from what"?

Dante~ They're all down on the ground either knocked out or in pain.

Rick~ You didn't kill them?

Dante~ They aren't worth wasting energy.

Rick~ Ummm…

Dante~ What are you looking for? I'm sure I know where they could be keeping it.

Rick~ That's confidential for now. Lead the way, it's most likely where they keep all of the evidence.

Dante runs out of the room and Rick follows him. Rick looks at all of the bodies on the ground and can't believe what he sees. Minutes later they make it to where they needed to be and Rick is still amazed by Dante's skills.

Rick~ Hey Dante?

Dante~ What? Start looking before more idiots show up!

Rick~ That can wait. I need to know something. How did you take everyone down so damn quick? Not even Rose is able to do something with such efficiency.

Dante~ Wow, I don't know. I just told my inner rogue to take care of them and it did so.

Rick~ You chose not to kill them though. I thought it was in a Rogue's nature to kill.

Dante~ It's weird because I came here with the soul intent to kill someone. It was so I could get to you a lot faster but I didn't have to kill anyone. I think they just aren't on my level.

Rick~ (I think I might have to let Rose know about this.)

Dante~ What was that?

Rick~ Umm, It's nothing to worry about. just look out for anyone wanting to stop and capture us while I look for what we need.

Rick begins to look for the knife. He was searching high and low for it but wasn't finding anything.

Rick~ Come on, where is it? It's gotta be in here somewhere. Ugh! I'm not gonna look anywhere else for this damn thing.

Dante~ Will you hurry the hell up! I don't know how long until they send reinforcements.

Rick~ SHUT UP! I'm looking! Wait… I FOUND IT!

Dante~ Great! Now let's get the hell out of here!

Before they could leave the station we heard lots of sirens and saw lots of flashing lights coming from outside the building. When they took a peek at what was outside there were nothing but cops and even a SWAT team out there. They had the entire building surrounded with no possible way to leave. They could fight their way out but even Dante didn't want to take the risk of getting apprehended and thrown in a real prison. It was at that moment Rick looked at the knife then looked at Dante. He thought of what could happen if he gave him the knife and let him do what he wanted with it. Even though the possibilities were drastic he didn't care. All he wanted was to get out of there as soon as possible.

Rick~ Dante, take this. It's yours anyway.

Rick hands the knife to Dante.

Dante~ This is a knife with my name on it… what do I do with it?

Rick~ I don't know, just go crazy with it and get us out of here!

Dante~ Go crazy? Ummm… I don't know. Fighting off everyone when I came in here was no sweat but we're completely surrounded now. I don't know if I'm strong enough to get us out of here. Rose told me that my power would be formidable but I don't feel like it is.

Rick~ *Sigh* Dante just think of it like this. Whatever you did to those cops, do it to them outside but don't hold anything back. Do that whole Inner Rogue thing that Rose talks about sometimes.

Dante~ Don't hold back?

Rick~ Yeah, just don't hold back

Dante~ Don't hold back… don't hold back…

Dante let's his inner rogue take control. The darkness inside him fills his mind with nothing but the urge to kill almost anyone in his sight. Without hesitation Dante rushes out of the building letting his dark side control his every move. In under ten seconds Dante manages to kill a good amount of the cops and some of the SWAT team. Rick was about to run out and try to help until he noticed something odd about Dante. He knew he didn't know much about what was going on but he saw Dante get a little angry. This anger wasn't just any other emotion he would see from anyone. Dante's anger grew larger and larger and the more his anger grew, the more brutal the kills were. It got to the point where Dante was killing non stop and drinking the blood of some of the people he killed without batting an eye. Rick was astounded by what he saw; he witnessed Dante kill everyone that surrounded them in such an amazing time. Dante stood in the center of what looked like a street made from nothing but human blood. Rick at that point was afraid not only of Dante's power but him as a person or Owl or Rogue. The point was he couldn't look at Dante without avoiding eye contact. That was just how scared Rick really was of Dante.

Rick~ Uhhhh… ok… that just… happened.

Dante~ Wow, I'm not even done yet.

Rick~ What more do you have to do!?

Dante~ You'll see.

Dante walked around the area picking up all the bodies and placing them in a certain way that spells out his name. Rick is stunned by Dante's actions and wants to return to Rose immediately so he can tell her what he saw tonight.

Rick~ Alright! That's enough! Let's get going. It's gonna be a long way until we get to the location.

Dante~ You mean The Forest? I can get us there in a flash.

Rick~ No you can't.

Dante places his hand on Rick's shoulder and night travels right in front of the forest. Rick completely freaks out from what Dante has done.

Rick~ Wait! How!? What!?

Dante~ What?

Rick~ You couldn't have done that earlier!?

Dante~ It would have been a waste of energy. Also I just realized that I could do that.

Rick~ Take me to Rose… Right now!

Dante~ Alright, alright! I'll take you. I don't know what your deal is after I just saved you.

Rick~ JUST TAKE ME TO HER!

Dante grabs Rick's shoulder and night travels inside his home. Rose walks in seconds later wondering how they got back so fast.

Rose~ You're back! That's amazing and relieving. I can finally breathe. But how did you two get here so fast?

Rick~ I need to speak to you in private.

Rose~ Why?

Rick~ You'll know when I speak to you in the other room.

Dante~ I wouldn't speak with him knowing he has an attitude on him. I just saved his skin and all he's done is look at me sideways and yell at me.

Rick~ Rose please, this is important.

Rose~ Fine this better be worth the time. Dante you can go do whatever you want.

Dante leaves the house leaving Rick and Rose alone.

Rose~ So what was so important that made you want to talk in private?

Rick~ That dude is a fucking monster…

Rose~ Who? Dante?

Rick~ Of course Dante he was the only one by my side the whole time we were gone. He isn't human or a rogue at all.

Rose~ He is a rogue, unlike you who is still an Owl. Rogues are supposed to have a large amount of power in us. It's just the way us rogues live.

Rick~ You don't understand. I saw it… I saw it all with my own eyes. At first he didn't kill anyone to break me out of that cell I was locked up in. But then when we found the knife we found out that we were completely surrounded. There wasn't anywhere for us to go except right through their forces (which also had an entire SWAT team with them) We were surrounded and I thought we were done. Even Dante though we were gonna end up in a prison cell tonight. I tried to come up with a plan but I couldn't think of anything… at least until I looked at the knife.

Rose~ What did you do?

Rick~ I gave him the knife… then I told him not to hold anything back. I swear to you when I told him to not hold back, it was like all that fear that was in him disappeared. He turned into a completely different Dante. This Dante had the look of a cold-hearted killer… I saw him slit throats, stab legs and hearts… He even drank some of the blood from some of his kills. He was out of control.

Rose~ Is that all that happened?

Rick~ No… After he killed everyone, he took all of the bodies and placed them in a certain way that would spell out his name. The word "Dante" was all over the entire street for everyone to see. There's no doubt people know about his existence now.

Rose~ If that's how his first time outside the forest went then I'm so glad I raised him well. My son is fulfilling the true life of a Rogue Owl. It sounds so amazing to the point where I can just do nothing but be proud of him.

Rick~ Are… you… KIDDING ME! You didn't raise him well last time I checked and not only that, you created a FUCKING BEAST!

Rose~ I know! Isn't it great!? Dante and I are strong on our own but we're stronger together.

Rick~ But…

Rose~ It doesn't matter how crazy he was. As long as he gets as strong as me one day then I'm happy.

Rick~ THAT'S THE PROBLEM! Seeing what he's capable of, I wouldn't be surprised if he's already surpassed you. How can someone become so strong and powerful in just one night?

Rose~ Dante has always been really special. Even when he was an Owl like you. Dante has always had this thing going on when he can adapt to any environment and learn new things in a small amount of time. I thought he was actually going to escape from me the night I wiped his memories but I managed to capture him. If he can still adapt and learn at a quick rate then this can guarantee his strength greater than mine one day.

Rick~ If that's the case then this is a problem.

Rose~ How is this a problem? With Dante helping us with our empire of rogues, who exactly can take us on?

Rick~ What if he comes across his old friends? What if he remembers who he truly is and uses that same strength that YOU GAVE HIM! And he comes after you? I won't be able to help you and any other Rogue won't be able to as well. Not just that, what if he decides that he's gonna turn on you and his friends? He won't care about who he kills even if he killed you. What if Donny comes after you?

Rose~ None of that is gonna happen. Even if Donny did try to come after me (when it's pretty much impossible) he isn't stronger than me and never will be. Not unless he lets his inner rogue come out and take control of him. If he wants to get to me he'll have to get through Dante first.

Rick~ Still, what will happen if he is stronger than you and decides to kill you?

Rose~ I told you it won't happen but if it does then I'll be ready.

Rick~ Good luck… You're seriously gonna need it. Until we get more rogues here I don't want anything to do with Dante.

Rose~ You know what.

Rose grabs Rick by the throat and slams him to a hard wall.

Rose~ How about I kill you right now? You don't want anything to do with Dante so obviously you don't want anything to do with us rogues in general. You have an option to make. Either you become a rogue and help us build our empire or you can go home without any of your Owl energy. And before you ask, yes I have ways to strip others from their abilities. It's not like you didn't know that in the first place. I did take Jamie's power, remember?

Rick~ How can I forget? You gave me her power days after you killed her. Look, I don't want to leave and give up on the empire. I just want you to realize that Dante is t like the other rogues. He literally night traveled all the way over here after he killed everyone who tried to stop us. That's not something you could do from what I remember.

Rose~ It requires a lot of energy to do so because we're so far from the city. I will admit that is something I should think about for a while. If he has that much energy then I should watch him just in case.

Rick~ Oh so now you care?

Rose~ Shut up!

Rick~ The fact that he took us from the Station to right outside the Forest in literally seconds, it says alot about who exactly has the most energy out of the two of you.

Rose~ I've heard enough out of you! Make your choice. Will you become a Rogue or will I have to take away what I gave you?

Rick~ I'll become a Rogue. You don't have to threaten me.

Rose~ Excellent! We'll start the transformation in a week. Right now isn't the best time to get it over with. We have something to do tomorrow so It would be best if you get some rest.

Rick~ Yeah… I should. You should get some rest as well.

Rose~ Right. Anyway, I'll see you tomorrow.

Rick~ You too.

Rose~ Rick! Not a single word about any of this to Dante. You got that?

Rick~ Yeah, I got it.

Rick leaves the house and spots Dante standing in front of the fountain. He approaches him casually and collectively trying to not seem afraid of him.

Rick~ Hey.

Dante~ Hey.

Rick~ What are you doing?

Dante~ Just looking at the fountain. I've got nothing better to do right now.

Rick~ Oh… hey, it's pretty late. You should probably head to bed. After all, we have something to do tomorrow.

Dante~ Nah I'm good, I'm nowhere near tired anyway. Besides, now is a perfect time to explore outside the forest.

Rick~ I don't think Rose would allow that right now. Don't you think if she wanted you to explore then she would allow it?

Dante~ Last time I checked, she said I can do… "Whatever I want". So I'm gonna explore a bit. You wanna tag along with me?

Rick~ No thanks. It's been a few days since I slept. I really need to rest for the night. I know Night Owls can stay up for longer but I'm not fully used to it.

Dante~ *sigh* That's understandable I guess. Isn't that supposed to be a natural thing? I don't think you have to be "used to it" in order for you to stay up a few more days.

Rick~ I think so. I don't know how it works exactly. I can stay up for like a week last time I checked but I can't even stay up for three days.

Dante~ You should ask mom about that.

Rick~ Yeah… Well, I'm gonna head to sleep.

Dante~ Wait! I need to talk to you before you go.

Rick~ About what?

Dante~ That knife… I feel like I've seen it before. I just can't put my finger on it.

Rick~ Honestly, I can't help you with that. Your knife is as new to me as a fresh baked cookie. Hell, when I found your knife was the first time I've ever seen it.

Dante~ Heh, I guess you're the last person I should ask about my knife.

Rick~ Yeah also I really want a knife like that. It looks so cool and deadly.

Dante~ Trust me, it's deadly. I fought an entire SWAT team with this thing. They totally didn't stand a chance.

Rick~ Yeah, anyway I really should be getting to bed. I'll see you in the morning.

Dante~ You too. Goodnight.

Rick leaves the scene and heads to his place within the forest. When he finally got home he cleaned himself up and began to lay in bed. Rick was worried about what could happen in the possible near future knowing what Dante is already capable of. Even though it was just a possibility, he didn't want him to become too powerful as he feared the possibility that he could betray his mother. On the other hand he didn't want him to be easily beaten by anyone with similar abilities as him. Rick didn't fully know what he would want if this was to happen, but he knew he would have to do something to make sure this doesn't become a reality. He wanted to be part of the empire and was willing to become a rogue to do so but he didn't want Dante to get too strong or become too weak. For all he knew, they were just possibilities and he tried not to think too much about it and finally decided to close his eyes and rest for the night.