Bittersweet Day

*Rip's POV*

I was at home relaxing after finishing up with all my chores. I saw that it was getting late but not too late. The night was still a little young and I decided to try and call Twilight for a bit. I dialed her number but she never picked up. I tried once more and once again, she never answered. It was at that moment, out of nowhere, her mother appeared right in front of me. I sat there utterly confused as to what was going on. She looked me in the eye and said…

Velvet~ Rip… I came to deliver something to you.

Velvet casually walked up to me then grabbed one of my hands. The second she did so, I felt the biggest energy rush I had ever felt in my entire life. I saw my life flash before my eyes as I obtained whatever it was I was given. Seconds later she let go of my hand and vanished out of my house. I tried to talk to her before she left, but my body was completely worn out. Whatever she did, my body could barely handle it at first. I ended up passing out for the rest of the night up until morning. I woke up feeling completely different. I felt a lot faster, lighter, smarter, and I could sense things I couldn't sense before. I got out of bed without any hesitation, got dressed and made my way towards Twilight's house. In no time at all, I was able to get there and when I did, I knocked on the door like I was being chased. The door opened and I took the opportunity to barge in and rush over to Twilight's room. When I got there, I saw what was possibly the worst I've seen Twilight in a while. She was covered in blankets with her head laying on a really large and soft pillow. To make matters even more sad… I could hear her light sobbing from where I was standing. I walked up to her then sat down next to her.

Rip~ Uhhh… hey Twilight? Is something wrong?

Twilight~ You fucking idiot! Of course something is wrong! I'm literally at my lowest right now…

Rip~ What happened?

Twilight~ He… He gave up on me.

Rip~ Who?

Twilight~ I'm talking about Dante… he found another… behind my back.

Rip~ Wait! How do you know this for an absolute fact?

Twilight~ Rick came to my house last night. He told me that Dante isn't who he used to be. He isn't the Dante I know and love anymore.

Rip~ But that can't be true.

Twilight~ But it is true… and the proof was right in front of me. Before he left, he showed pictures of him with some other girl. He told me that Dante was with someone who was actually as strong as him. Even though I know he was just trying to get in my head, I still sat here and thought to myself that everything he said was probably true. And then… I gave up, after he gave up on me. I felt shattered, heartbroken, and most of all… I felt betrayed. My mom came to check on me and I told her to take his power from me. She was a bit reluctant but I let her know that I was serious about this. After she took Dante's power from me I told her to give it all to you.

Rip~ So that's what Velvet delivered to me. I rushed over here the second I woke up from my sleep hours after she left my house. She didn't explain to me what was going on at all. That's why I was worried. I didn't understand what happened at the moment. Now I understand completely. Twilight… I know you're hurting right now, and you most likely can't deny what you saw. But I'm willing to put everything and everyone I love on the line and say there's a reason why this has happened. What I'm trying to say is… I don't believe he gave up on his own free will.

Twilight~ It's already too late. Dante probably doesn't want to see any of us.

Rip~ Well like it or not, I'm still gonna do everything in my power to save him. I'll even do it myself if you won't. Like I said, there's gotta be a reason for what you saw.

Twilight~ Why are you gonna go out of your way to save someone who most likely doesn't care about us all? He gave up on me and chances are he gave up on us all.

Rip~ Because Dante is my best friend. He's always been there when I needed him and I was there when he needed me. Not only that, you two always had love strong enough to crush mountains. You were there for him when he was at his worst and he was there for you. I told you already, we're gonna save him and bring him back home one day. That's a promise I made and that's I promise I'm going to keep. So whether you help or not, I'm going to bring him back. And I want you to mark my words when I say that because nothing's gonna stop me from keeping that promise.

I night traveled back to my house leaving Twilight alone to herself at her home. I sat down and began to think to myself about everything that's happened so far. From Dante being taken all the way to Twilight giving up his power. Just the thought about it all began to stress me out. I knew at some point I would sit down one day and think about what's going on and I knew it would stress me out. But I never knew how to handle that stress. In fact, stress wasn't even a problem to me at the time. Now it's practically my worst enemy. I tried not to stress over it too much so I left my house and decided to take a walk. I didn't have a destination in mind but to be quite honest, I didn't need one. I walked for at least an hour until I found myself at Sunset's house. I haven't had an actual conversation with her for a while and I wanted to see how she was doing after last night. I don't know what happened between her and Donny, but I do know she was pretty bummed out when we took Donny back to the hospital. Anyway, I walked up to her front door then knocked, waiting for someone to come and answer. It took a few minutes before I saw the door swing open. Sunset was standing right in front of me with the most tired look I've ever seen anyone have. She let me inside the house and we began to have a small conversation.

Sunset~ Why are you up so early? The sun is barely out.

Rip~ I guess I just couldn't wait to start the day. After all, this morning has been quite the morning.

Sunset~ I'm guessing something else has happened.

Rip~ Unfortunately… yes.

Sunset~ What happened? Was someone harmed in any way possible? Or maybe something even more terrible than harming…

Rip~ No, it's bad but it's not the end of the world. Twilight kinda… gave up on saving Dante.

Sunset~ Rip… if this is a joke, it's not funny.

Rip~ I'm not joking. I wish I was, but I'm not. She legitimately gave up.

Sunset~ Oh my geez, can you tell me why?

Rip~ It's a lot to go over. Honestly, the reason I'm here is because I was thinking really hard about it. So, to clear my mind a bit, I decided to take a walk. I didn't notice I was close to your house but to be fair, I didn't have a set destination in my mind.

Sunset~ Poor Twilight… All she wanted was for him to come back home. Now she probably doesn't want to see him.

Rip~ Whether she wants to see him or not, nothing will stop me or Donny from saving him.

Sunset~ No offense but… are you two enough to get the job done? It's just, Donny is strong, we can all agree on that. But he isn't as strong as he used to be. He's reformed and because of that his old Rogue power is locked away deep inside him. And you… well you only have half of Dante's power right? And you're still learning how you can make it your own.

Rip~ I understand that Donny isn't that powerful anymore but there's one thing that still gives us a chance at succeeding.

Sunset~ What is it?

Rip~ Twilight let me have the other half of Dante's power. So basically I can't doubt that I can become as strong as him. But it will take time… lots and lots of time.

Sunset~ You have all of Dante in you?

Rip~ Yeah, I know it's hard to believe, but it's true. And I finally understand why and how he was so strong. He's a Rouge now so this is probably nothing compared to his current strength. It kinda scares me thinking about it. We're talking about a guy with potentially painful aura/energy.

Sunset~ Yeah I wouldn't be surprised if he's even stronger than his own mother.

Rip~ I don't think that's possible to be honest. Rose may be really strong, but strength isn't all she has. She's also really smart. In fact, I'm sure it's her intelligence that's superior over her strength.

Sunset~ Wow, she sounds like quite the enemy.

Rip~ I'm sure she is.

Out of nowhere, my phone began to ring. I answered the phone and put it on speaker so Sunset can follow along with the call.

Rip~ Hello?

Rainbow~ Rip… we have a problem.

Rip~ What happened?

Rainbow~ Turn your TV on and look at the local news channel.

Without hesitation, Sunset grabbed the remote and turned on her TV.

Reporter~ We sit here today as we give you all the news of a terrible and tragic event that happened a couple of nights ago. At the Central City Police Station, an unknown being was taken into custody as he was found snooping around the station. Cops thought everything was fine until another being (just like the other one and is identified as Dante) came in and fought everyone with little to no effort is what police units say. Investigators were able to confirm that the two were looking for something and they managed to get away with what they wanted. A large Bowie knife or survival knife was taken from the station but not before one of the intruders used the knife to fight off federal authorities and kill them in the process. We have the video of the menace killing everyone trying to fight this monster of a being. Keep in mind that this video you're about to see is really gory and graphic.

Before I knew it… the video played. I couldn't believe what I was seeing. For the first time in what feels like forever, I saw him. I saw Dante unleashing whatever power he had in him. I saw him do the one thing I thought he would never do and that was kill. They were all helpless… I think I even saw some of them try to run away… begging to be spared. He didn't let a single one get away. He killed them all without batting an eye. Sunset turned to me and tried reaching out to me but I fell to my knees. Seeing him like that filled me with nothing but fear. That's when I knew that I was afraid… afraid of having to come face to face with him one day. I could tell that he was even stronger than before. And he was willing to kill anyone in his way. I was totally in shock from witnessing what I witnessed and so was Sunset. I could tell just from looking at her shaking hands.

Sunset~ This is horrible… Now everyone in the city will think of Dante as a killer. He won't ever be welcome anywhere. Outskirts or in the city itself.

Rip~ I refuse to accept this… That's not our Dante. They saw him as a menace but he's the complete opposite. It's not him… it can't be.

Rainbow~ Rip I'm sorry but if it looks like him and sounds like him then it's gotta be him. What do we do now? Dante is now seen as a monster and not the kind and loving Night Owl we used to know.

Rip~ I don't know, I didn't expect something like this to happen.

Sunset~ If it's something we do know, it's the fact that bringing him home won't be easy at all. You saw what he did in that video… it's only a matter of time until everyone dies. He's even faster than before, as well as stronger.

Rip~ Yeah… I wouldn't be surprised if he killed us trying to save him. Hey Rainbow, I'm gonna get off the phone and pay a visit to Donny. If you want to, you can meet me at his room.

Rainbow~ I'll try to make it there. I am pretty busy today but I'll try to make time. I'll talk to you later.

Rip~ I'll talk to you too. Goodbye.

Rainbow~ Goodbye.

The call ended and I began to night travel over to the hospital until I was stopped by Sunset.

Sunset~ You don't have to do that. I can take you there if you want. I planned on going there today anyway. Even after what happened last night.

Rip~ What happened?

Sunset began to cry a little. Although it wasn't so much so to where it was fully noticeable, you could see the tears dripping down her face.

Rip~ Sunset? It's ok if it's too much. You don't have to answer.

Sunset~ He rejected me… all because of the choice I made. I sent him back to the hospital when he clearly didn't want to go back. The look he gave me said it all. That's when I knew he didn't want to go. But I know we didn't have a choice. I did what I thought was best for him. But… I think he was thinking about what was best for us.

Rip~ I'm guessing you mean you and him when you say "us".

Sunset~ Yeah… but I made a promise. I promised that I'd always be there for him. Even if it costs me my own life.

Rip~ It's nice you choose not to give up on him. But I do want you to realize, you also have to know when it's time to let go. I'm not saying you'll have to do it at some point. I'm just trying to tell you not to get obsessed with him. It could lead to trouble in the future. Anyway I'm just gonna night travel over to the hospital. I have all of Dante's energy now, so it shouldn't take that much to do so. I'll talk to you later.

Sunset~ I'll talk to you as well.

Not wasting any time, I night traveled to the hospital and made my way inside. Before checking in at the desk I saw the doctor that tends to Donny when he's needed standing in front of the desk. I quickly but casually walked up to him and engaged in a conversation with him.

Rip~ Doctor Mike, hey.

Doctor Mike~ Hello there, how are you this morning?

Rip~ Pretty decent, what about you?

Doctor Mike~ Extraordinary. I have news for you and I'm sure you'll love it. It appears Donny's injuries are healing up rather quickly. None of us can understand how it's happening but we can say it's good news. We examined everything about his arms and they're doing better than they were a few days ago.

Rip~ That's amazing too hear doctor. I want to thank you so much for tending to his injuries.

Doctor Mike~ Don't mention it, it's the least I could do. You're welcome to come with me if you want to visit him.

Rip~ That would be great. Let's go.

Doctor Mike~ Follow me.

I followed the doctor all the way to Donny's room. When we got there, we found Donny in bed with his arms exposed. It was amazing to visibly notice him recovering from his injuries.

Rip~ Donny? You're wounds, you can see them closing.

Donny~ Yeah, you really can… can you?

Doctor Mike~ I'm gonna give you two some privacy. I'll be back in a few minutes.

Doctor Mike left the room leaving us alone. I sat down next to Donny completely relieved that everything was getting better for Donny.

Rip~ I guess Maggie has been putting in a lot of work huh?

Donny~ Yeah, she came back after Sunset left last night. It was after I was brought back here. She stayed up all night trying to work on healing up my veins and nerves. After that she went on ahead and tried to close the wounds but it took everything she had and she passed out. I had to call Laura to come and take her home to rest. You can see the wounds still aren't completely patched up and closed.

Rip~ Honestly I wish she was here right now. I'd give her a really big hug to thank her for this.

Donny~ I would too. It's like you said, "she's been putting in a lot of work".

Doctor Mike enters the room again.

Doctor Mike~ Ok so, Donny, You're no longer in a critical state. Right now your arms just need regular treatment. By the look of things, I'd say you'll be out by next Monday. It's Wednesday so you don't have much time until that day comes.

Donny~ Thank you so much doctor.

Doctor Mike~ No problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I have some other things to take care of. I'll be back in a few hours to check up on you.

The doctors left the room again.

Donny~ How is everything at home?

Rip~ Honestly, I can only say they can be better. Apparently Twilight gave up on Dante. She did so because she saw he gave up on her supposedly.

Donny~ That's impossible. I know he'd never give up on us. Not unless he had no choice and was forced to.

Rip~ She claims she saw the proof on Rick's phone when he paid her a visit.

Donny~ The wannabe antagonist? I guess he's been working for Rose after Dante was taken. I wouldn't be surprised if she kills him for the fun of it.

Rip~ I wouldn't be surprised as well. Speaking of Rick, have you seen the news this morning?

Donny~ Yeah… and I wish I didn't. It scares me to know this is happening. I almost look like Dante too. People can mistake me for him and make life a lot worse.

Rip~ Yeah, that's something to talk about. But can we talk about how much more sinister Dante has gotten? He literally killed the entire FBI and S.W.A.T team.

Donny~ It's no surprise to me. After all, I went through the same thing when I became a Rogue. My power skyrocketed, my body got heavier, and all I had were dark and sinister thoughts. I know he's experiencing everything I went through. But even seeing him like this, I know we can save him.

Rip~ What makes you so sure about that?

Donny~ Because he was able to save me. You remember long ago, I was in the same predicament as him. I thought I was gonna live the rest of my life alone with the urge to kill him. Until he told me I had a bunch of thinking to do when he visited me in the hospital. I'm sure he can be saved. I'm willing to put everything I have on that.

Rip~ That's pretty bold to make such a claim.

Donny~ Are you surprised?

Rip~ I said I know we can bring him home. I never said we can free him from any sinister malice. But if you think so then I think so too. Even though I don't believe that was actually the Dante we know and love in that video.

Donny~ I thought you would.

Rip~ Yeah, Hey can I ask you a question?

Donny~ Yeah, what is it?

Rip~ Now that I have all of Dante's power, do you know exactly what I could be capable of?

Donny~ Honestly I can't answer that question. It all depends on how you use his strength. It's not like you'd be exactly like him. It's like me with my reformed Rogue energy. I was almost as strong as Rose before but since I changed I'm a lot weaker. I strive to get stronger and stronger so I can achieve having such strength again. I know it's in me somewhere. I just have to find it and make it pure strength and energy.

Rip~ So it's in me but it's not something that's just… there when I need it.

Donny~ Yeah, the things you can already do should now be easier for you as well.

Rip~ Yeah, I figured that out quickly.

Right after I finished my sentence, we heard the door open. We looked at its direction and saw Sunset standing there along with Maggie and her sister.

Maggie~ Hi Rippy!

Rip~ Hey Maggie, Laura and Sunset. I'm guessing Maggie you're here to continue the healing process.

Maggie~ Yup! The best part is, I'm almost done. Just have to make sure everything inside is fixed up and close his wounds. This will take me at least a few days.

Rip~ Glad to hear that. It means he won't be staying here that much longer.

Donny~ That's great news. I'll finally be able to get out of this building of Hell.

Sunset~ Then we can hang out together like we planned to.

Donny~ Yeah… like we planned to…

Donny looked a bit gloomy and didn't look like he really wanted to talk to Sunset that much. Sunset noticed this and tried to comfort him but he slightly pushed her away from him. Sunset looked at me with sad and a bit watery eyes then turned away trying to keep to herself. I understood what was going on but I didn't want to get in the way of things so I left. After leaving I began making my way to Rainbow's house to relax. There wasn't much to do today so I made the decision to spend the rest of my day with the one I love the most.

*Meanwhile over at the forest*

Dante is seen outside on the top of his roof, laying down and gazing at the sky. After his relaxing day at the beach yesterday he felt better than normal but something was on his mind. In fact, he knew it wasn't something… but *someone* was on his mind.

Dante~ *sigh* That girl… She was an amazing person to be around. But… Something about her seems off. I just can't point it out…

Dante took his phone out and began to look over all the pictures they took together.

Dante~ Ashley… that's her name. It's a really beautiful name too. It's just as beautiful as she is. She gave me her number… and all I have to do is call her.

Rose~ Dante!? Where are you!?

Dante~ I'm up here!

Rose~ What are you doing up there!?

Dante~ Just taking some time to think! Hold on, I'm coming down!

Without hesitation he jumped off the house and landed softly right in front of his mother.

Rose~ Nice landing, so what are you thinking about?

Dante~ That girl from yesterday… She's on my mind. And she has been ever since we left the beach.

Rose~ Oh really? What did you two do?

Dante~ We ate dinner together, had fun at a local arcade, and she introduced me to her uncle. After all of that, her and I sat on the beach together and watched the sun set. It was amazing to spend time with her… I want to say I'm in love but we barely know each other outside the fact that she and I love to have fun together.

Rose~ Then why not go on another date?

Dante~ Date?

Rose~ Yeah and besides, all you have to do is call her. A girl like her would love to spend time with a young man like you.

Dante~ You really think so?

Rose~ Trust me, I know so. Take the chance and ask her out on a date. I'm sure she'll accept and I'm sure you two will have fun together.

Dante~ Thanks mom, I needed to hear this.

Rose~ No problem, if you need me I'll be in the house.

Dante~ Wait! One more thing before you go. When are we gonna start killing and Rogue recruitment?

Rose~ In due time we will begin our plan but I think it's best we wait. You have something important to take care of.

Rose looks back at her son with a smile then disappears. Dante went back to thinking to himself and finally got the courage to call Ashley.

Ashley~ Hello?

Dante~ Hey, it's me.

Ashley~ Dante? I thought you weren't gonna call me. I was worried you might not like me.

Dante~ Well, I'm calling you now. I was kinda worried as well but at the same time… I couldn't stop thinking about you. I'm not one to fall instantly in love with someone, but for some reason… you make me want to spend every minute with you.

Ashley~ It's same with you… you make time seem like it's slowing down when I'm with you. I don't know what it is but something about you just reels me in.

Dante~ Maybe it's just who I am.

Ashley~ Maybe.

Dante~ Yeah, so do you want to hang out tonight?

Ashley~ I'd love to hang out. What do you have planned?

Dante~ I was thinking we just relax together. We can lay down and admire the night sky, and get to know each other more.

Ashley~ That sounds awesome. I'll be ready at nine.

Dante~ And I'll be there to pick you up by then.

Ashley~ Great, I'll see you then.

Dante~ I'll see you too.

The call ends right before I enter my house. I saw my mother sitting on her knees on top of a large pillow. I could tell she was meditating but I didn't know why. The thought of my mother meditating worried me so I had to check up on her.

Dante~ Hey, mom?

Rose~ *sigh* What is it Dante? It's been a long morning for me.

Dante~ Just wanted to see if you're ok.

Rose~ I'm fine. I just need time to calm myself.

Dante~ Oh, well I'm glad you're ok.

Rose~ Thank you, anyway, what do you have planned for the rest of the day?

Dante~ I'm gonna go hang out with Ashley tonight. We're taking the opportunity to get to know more about us.

Rose~ That sounds really nice.

Dante~ Yeah, but… I feel like something about her is… off.

Rose~ "Off" you say? What do you mean by "off"?

Dante~ I don't know… but I know it's something important. I guess I'll find out soon huh?

Rose~ Probably, it depends on the current event at that time. But anyway, I'm not gonna keep you here today. You can go out of the forest if you choose.

Dante~ Thanks, I really appreciate it.

Rose~ No problem.

Dante decided to leave his mother alone and get ready for his date that night with Ashley. He thought of everything he needed to do so he could make sure the date went smoothly and he acted quickly.

*Meanwhile at the hospital* (Donny's POV)

After Rip left the room, Maggie, Laura, and Sunset stayed making sure I was recovering and safe. A few hours went by and I noticed Sunset looked a bit tired. That was weird to me because I was sure after yesterday she would have been pretty tired. I know I definitely was. Especially after what happened when she showed up here last night.

Donny~ Hey Sunset? How much sleep did you get last night?

Sunset~ I got enough I think.

Donny~ Are you sure? You don't look like you got enough sleep. Actually, you look like you didn't get any sleep at all.

Sunset~ Trust me I'm fine. *Yawn*

Donny~ *Sigh* I feel like I'm gonna regret doing this. You can rest your head on my shoulder if you want to.

Sunset~ R-really…?

Donny~ Yes really.

Sunset~ O-ok… thank you.

Sunset slowly rests her head on my shoulder and closes her eyes. I looked at her and I noticed how peaceful she looked when she sleeps. I nudged my shoulder a bit to see if I could get her attention but she didn't budge. That was when I knew she completely fell asleep. I was so surprised because it was hard for her to sleep at her own home, in bed, but it was a different story when she rested her head on my shoulder. Also I didn't know what it was but something about her seemed… delicate. Like she was a gem that would break from the slightest, careless touch. I tried to, but I couldn't take my eyes off her. She was so beautiful, so delicate, so… majestic looking. I tried to take my eyes off her again and without a problem but that was only because I was smacked in the face by Maggie who was healing my arms.

Maggie~ Hello! Donny!? Are you there?

Donny~ What the hell? Wait… where's Laura?

Maggie~ Laura had to leave for a bit. She said she'd be right back. What's up with you? You were staring at Sunset for quite some time now.

Donny~ Oh, I'm just making sure she's perfectly comfortable.

Maggie~ Looks like she's fine. She was knocked out the second she rested her head on your shoulder.

Donny~ Well, it's nice to know she's getting the rest she needs.

Maggie~ Yeah, she looks so peaceful when she sleeps. I wonder why it was hard for her to sleep in the first place.

Donny~ Yeah… same here.

Maggie~ Something really bad probably happened.

Donny~ That… could be the case.

Maggie~ Yeah, either way, I hope she's ok.

For the next five hours, Maggie was focused on healing my arms especially since she's practically close to finishing. She was so focused, she didn't even notice Sunset waking up. She opened her eyes firmly grasping my shoulder then sat up yawning and stretching.

Sunset~ *Yawn* Oh, I forgot I was here with you guys.

Donny~ How did you sleep?

Sunset~ Better than normal to be honest. I was out like a light the second I laid my head down.

Donny~ I was surprised by that. I didn't expect you to sleep so well.

Sunset~ Same here. Well, I'm gonna head home. I'll talk to you later.

Donny~ Alright, and try to get some sleep tonight.

Sunset~ I'll try the best I can. Goodbye Donny.

Donny~ Goodbye.

Sunset left for the day leaving Maggie and I alone. She was still focusing on nothing but my arms which is great but it means I don't have anyone to talk to. Not much happened after that. But I did keep wondering how Sunset felt about last night. I just hope she understands.

*Meanwhile, over at the forest*

Dante~ Ok, I got my outfit for tonight. Now I just need to get ready.

Rose walks in the room.

Rose~ Hey Dante! Are you getting ready for your date?

Dante~ Yeah, I'm a little nervous though. I was never one who believed in "love at first sight". but Ashley makes me think and feel different about things.

Rose~ Rogues find it hard to love in general. I can tell she's someone who really brings out your soft side.

Dante~ It's not just that, she's the only girl who actually had the courage to walk up to *me* and ask *me* if I wanted to hang out. Every other girl seemed to like me, but they were only scouting me from afar because of my physical appearance. Unlike them, Ashley actually wants to know who i am… I don't want to scare her away. Even after she finds out about the real me.

Rose~ You'll have to tell her sooner or later. You two are gonna be alone tonight, tell her then.

Dante~ I plan on it… I just don't know how I'm going to tell her. Also, I don't want her to feel afraid.

Rose~ I'm sure she won't be scared of you. You two love each other because of who you are. I'm sure she'll understand if you tell her.

Dante~ You're right, She loves me for me. Even if she knew about me being a Rouge, she wouldn't leave me because of that. I'm gonna get ready for tonight. Thanks mom, for taking the time to talk to me about this.

Rose~ Not a problem. I'll talk to you later.

Rose left the room leaving Dante alone to get ready for his date.

Dante~ I don't know how she's gonna react, but it's either I tell her or I tell her without telling her. There's no point in hiding it from her because she's going to know at some point. I just have to hope she doesn't see me as a threat, or even worse, a monster…