Devil May Cry

Sparda walked in behind Syn, expression incongruously cheerful in the somber atmosphere. "Hello."

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Dante stood to his feet, and walked forward, his hand out, "Thanks for coming, Dad. He won't wake up."

Syn couldn't help but smile, Dante had called Sparda dad, she knew things would be all right.

She walked over and sat next to Vergil, "You hear that Vergil? You're dad is here and he's going to tell Dante how to help get you back. You'll be just fine."

Dante looked over at Syn, wishing he had her optimism.

"How can I help him?"

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Sparda shook the offered hand, glancing at Vergil. His expression changed briefly as his thoughts went to his own Vergil, then his expression firmed into thoughtfulness. "He suffered trauma, correct? Can either of you tell me what happened? How he reacted before he passed out?"

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Syn looked up from where she was caressing Vergil's face, "Trish showed up again. He spotted her first and was terrified. I got in front of him to protect him and Trish shot a lightening bolt our way. I pushed him out of the way and he scrambled and hid behind the pool table. Trish and I fought and she stabbed me through the heart."

Nevan and Lady gasped, they had seen the last of the fight, knew that Syn had triggered but not how.

"I should have been dead, but it just ya know..I was near death. Trish went over to him, was taunting him and touched him. He screamed and then that's when I triggered. He was out by the time I stood up. He was terrified, cornered and scared and I couldn't help him."

Dante walked over to her, caressing her hair, "It's all right. You did what you had to do, and you tried to protect him. He knows that."

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"Stabbing the heart is the quickest way to test if a half-devil is strong enough to Trigger," Sparda said absently, walking over to Vergil's side. "If one is strong enough to defy death itself to survive." Gently placing a hand on the unconscious young man's forehead, he frowned slightly.

After a moment, he stepped back and looked at Dante. "He tried to fight, so there is a good chance he'll recover fully after this. If you'll bring a chair over here for you to sit in?"

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Dante nodded and grabbed a chair, bringing it over to the bedside and sitting down in it.

Syn backed away slowly, not leaving their side, but moving out of the way.

Nevan and Lady remained where they were, not wanting to interrupt.

"Okay, now what?" Dante asked.

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"Place your hand on his forehead. It will give you a physical link, as well as an anchor. The mind is a dangerous and illogical battlefield, so you will need to be extremely careful. Don't trust in physical strength alone."

"That said, you will need to visualize. Often closing the eyes assists with that. Visualize your link with Vergil as an unbreakable line and follow it. You'll feel a light-headedness. Keep following it until the feeling passes, then open your eyes."

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Dante did as instructed, Syn whispering good luck to him. He placed his hand on Vergil's forehead, closed his eyes and sought deep inside himself for the link. It was blue. He visualized the blue line as unbreakable and followed it. Sparda was right, he did feel light-headed, but he listened to his instructions and continued to follow the line until the feeling passed.

When he opened his eyes, he found himself in what looked like Hell.

"Figures."

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Sparda's voice was barely reaching him now, little more than a whispered echo. "Now you need to find where his 'self' is imprisoned and help him free himself. You will not be able to fight his inner demons for him, you can only encourage him to fight them himself. I can't guide you any further. Good luck."

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Dante nodded even though there was no one there to see. He started on his way, searching for Vergil, "Vergil!"

The name echoed through the landscape, as he continued to look.

He walked along, trying to find him, trying to use his twin link to find his brother.

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There was no answer, nor was there any sign of life. It seemed Dante was completely alone.

Until he came across an open area, filled with grass and sunlight, completely out of place in the Hellscape. But the young boy sitting beside the charred ruins of a wall, gazing up at the sky with a serious expression, was unmistakable.

It was Vergil, even if it wasn't the one he was looking for.

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He walked forward, going to this Vergil's side and knelt down beside him.

"Hey Vergil, whatcha doing?"

He didn't understand what was going on, but if this was the way to find his brother he'd do anything.

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"Thinking. What else?" The child Vergil looked at him, not seeming at all surprised by his appearance.

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He chuckled, "Yea, you're always thinking. What are you thinking about? Anything worth mentioning?"

He looked his brother's younger self over, remembering his past and when his brother was that age. Always so serious when Dante himself was playful and devil may care.

Then came that day, the day that changed his life forever.

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"The past. The future. Where I'm going to go after this." He indicated the charred wall. "It all changed here, you know. We lost our mother, our innocence...but even when I thought you were dead, I never lost hope. I never lost sight of what Mother taught us, or of Father's ideals."

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He nodded, "I thought about you all the time. Missed you something fierce. I used to tell stories to Syn, all about you and all the trouble I dragged you into. I didn't lose sight of what Mother taught us either, but it was lonely."

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"At least you had someone. All I had was Father's journals."

The child fell silent for a moment, looking at the wall. He lightly traced a series of rough scratches on the wall that read 'Dante and Vergil', barely visible through the charcoal and soot.

"...You should keep going. The past is dead, and so is this fragment of me. You can't let yourself fall into the traps here."

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He reached over and hugged the younger version of his brother, "You're not dead, just a little lost. But you're right, I'll keep going. Love you Vergil."

He stood to his feet and continued to walk through Vergil's mindscape.

He didn't know how far he had gone, but he kept looking forward, wanting to find his brother.

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It seemed like hours before Dante came across the next fragment of Vergil. This one was older, closer to the one Dante remembered from before the Tower.

This one's clearing resembled a library, and he was standing in front of a bookshelf, reading a book. He didn't look up at Dante's approach, nor did he speak, waiting for Dante to break the silence first.

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He walked beside him, looking over the books in front of him then turned his attention to Vergil.

"Hey Vergil, what are you reading?"

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"Texts on the demonic world. Rumored to explain what Father's journals never explained. All useless to my quest." He returned the book to the shelf, but didn't turn to face Dante.

"I sought power, but not to destroy the human world. I wanted to be strong enough to protect what I held most dear, the only thing I had left to protect. I wasn't strong enough to protect Mother, and I vowed to never let that happen again."

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He nodded, "I think I get that now. I didn't get it then, and I'm sorry for that. I made a lot of mistakes. I know in your own way you were protecting me."

He sighed, "I miss you Vergil. I really do, I did then too."

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"I missed you as well," he said quietly. "It hurt deeply when you didn't remember me, and that it seemed you replaced our family so easily. I didn't understand then. But it gave Arkham the wedge he needed."

Vergil sighed softly and closed his eyes. "I met him here. In this library. He came to me with promises and riddles, manipulating me just like any other brainless idiot. And I swallowed his lies, hook, line, and sinker."

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He shook his head, "No, they could never replace you. I never forgot you or Mom or Dad. I just tried to be happy with what I had. I never understood why you stood with Arkham, but he was a master at manipulation."

He sighed, "Hell, he worked us over good. But we beat the bald bastard. I only wish you hadn't stayed in Hell. I wish that I could have pulled you out of there."

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