idolpro | Vergil's heart game r3

You feel weak, your body won't move no matter how you try, and you are falling, away from everything you know and love. Away from everything you need to accomplish. If you could just reach out, maybe you could hold on to it, claw your way back. But it's a useless endeavour, you fall unconscious, and your mind goes blank except for poetry and a familiar voice.

O mother Enitharmon, wilt thou bring forth other sons?
To cause my name to vanish, that my place may not be found,
For I am faint with travail,
Like the dark cloud disburden'd in the day of dismal thunder.

My roots are brandish'd in the heavens, my fruits in earth beneath
Surge, foam and labour into life, first born and first consum'd!
Consumed and consuming!
Then why shouldst thou, accursed mother, bring me into life?

You wake on the ground in a cave, cold, wet, and sticky. It smells of rotting flesh. Your objective is clear, but you can't recall a name or face. Nothing else about your memory of him is changed, but for some reason the name "Vergil" just won't come to you, and you couldn't describe how he looks if your life depended on it. But at least your body starts to respond to your will, slowly regaining enough strength to carry on.

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[oh, vergil...]

You won't be.

He reaches out for your sleeve, clinging to it like the scared, lonely child he is. "You could stay here. I can protect you here.</small"

... I can't. I want to, but I can't. I've always let you down... I've always been a shackle unto you. I need to make up for it.

What, no -- he shakes his head adamantly. "You're Raven, you're - my friend, and family, and you were really nice to me. Not just part of me. And maybe I want to keep you safe for both of those reasons!"

[oh. he looks a little touched, like he's not sure how to respond to that at first]

... I...

[lowers his eyes, with a rueful smile]

I want... to keep you safe, too.

Oh. That makes him shy, he looks down, kicking the floor a bit.

"...Thanks."

And that's why I have to keep moving forward. You understand, right?

... I'll stay here a little longer. But I cannot stop just yet.

"...I understand." He hangs his head to pout a bit, but just for a moment before raising it again. "It's okay. I know."

Good.

[takes a seat on the floor]

What are you reading?

"...I'm reading about father."

He sits too, and passes the book over.

The world was born of darkness. Unending darkness, a crucible of chaos. But even to that primordial existence there came a ray of light. The world was eventually separated into two. The darkness became the realm of demons, and the light became the domain of mortals. The two coexisted for what seemed an eternity.

However the lord of the dark world said, "These realms were once united, so let us rule them as one." From that day forward the dark fought to control the light, and the light struggled to escape the dark.

But the nature of man is weak and fragile. They had no hope to oppose the demonic powers of those from the world of darkness. So light was devoured by the depths of darkness. But at the very moment humanity was about to be extinguished, he appeared.

Sparda, though an inhabitant of the demon world he was one with a proud soul. Having no loyalty to his kind, he took up arms on behalf of the world of light. Wielding his sword for the sake of the weak, that sword destroyed even the demon king. Without its king the darkness lost its power.

Sparda feared for the return of darkness and so he sealed that world along with his own despicable dark powers and the wicked humans who sided with the demons. The survivors worshipped him as a hero who saved the human world, and began calling him The Legendary Dark Knight. He quietly reigned over the human world and continued to preserve harmony until he eventually disappeared.

But the nature of man is weak, their memories fleeting as morning mist. The hero who purchased their freedom with his own blood became but a legend and over time, the legend became nothing but a fairytale.

[he takes the book and reads it quietly]

... father... when it comes to him, we barely knew more than the fairytales. Still... his strength is in our veins, in our blood.

"Yeah." There's definitely reverence in his voice. "I'm going to be just like him. -No, even stronger."

[can't help but chuckle]

You have a long way to go before you reach those heights... but you'll make it eventually.

"I'm at least just as strong as him now. The real me."

Is that so? Are you sure?

[clearly in a teasing tone]

He huffs! "I'm sure!! Obviously I am!"

[he laughs softly and winds his arm around the boy's shoulders]

Truth be told... I am, too. I never knew what Sparda was like at the height of his power... but you're the most powerful demon there is, now.

"...You really think so? What about Dante? He always beats me, right, so..."

It's true that Dante is strong. But he lacks the kind of resolve you have.

"Doesn't that just mean that he's naturally stronger, so I have to work harder just to catch up?"

Perhaps. But that just means you have a clear path to victory.

"...Well...I am going to keep working just as hard." And Dante's probably going to sit on his butt and not care unless Vergil does something evil he's got to stop, so...yeah, of course he's better!

Naturally.

[... pats vergil on the shoulder, and gets to his feet]

I should be going.

"Yeah. Don't just spend all your time talking to me or you're going to break that promise without trying at all."

But, after a beat, he grins.

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