A Little Boy Lost

"𝑷𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒐𝒇 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒊𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒐𝒏𝒈, 𝒔𝒖𝒓𝒆."

————

One of the places Arkham told him to visit was the shrine of the omnipresent god. It was foretold with ample offering, if the god is pleased, they will give those who offer an answer to their question.

Vergil found it foolish, but he did it anyway.

There was nothing in the shrine… only a lady, cleaning the statue. She was short, even with the additional height from her shoes, knight outfit, but no sword.

She hummed. As if she enjoyed tending to the resting stone. She didn't notice him, until he broke a branch with the weight of his foot, to which he finally saw her face. Navy blue hair, moonlike skin, gold eyes, and a soft smile that adorned her face.

"Here to offer something?", she asked.

Vergil said nothing, merely approached the stone with a basket filled with his offering. Then kneeled, and prayed.

"𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙣𝙩 𝙢𝙚 𝙥𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧."

The knight looked away, away from his sights, and smiled.

What a childish request. I'll grant it. Just not in the way he hoped.

The knight said nothing, but neatly folded the rag she used to clean the stone, and placed it into one of her waist compartments.

Just as Vergil was about to open his eyes, he heard the jingle of the lady's equipment, alongside her footsteps, slowly walking away.

Years later, here he was, stuck in hell that he called a party that his younger twin had thrown together in celebration of their return, everyone was there. Morrison, Lady, Trish, Nero, Nico, Dante and…

Her.

He remembers her, the knight from two decades ago. She still looks the same from the chance encounter in the Shrine. He remembered her briefly from when she opposed him as Urizen, blocking the strong blast he had aimed towards Nero, her gold eyes glowing in retaliation to his reign. 𝘏𝘦𝘳 𝘥𝘦𝘵𝘦𝘳𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯 𝘢𝘨𝘢𝘪𝘯𝘴𝘵 𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘮𝘰𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘰𝘯. Then he met her again, in V's memories. The one who offered a shard of herself, trapped within a bubble where time doesn't exist. Just so it can heal him in his slowly crumbling state.

He then saw her for one final time when he stayed behind to leave a few words to his son. She told her to keep it. It became useful to the brothers due to the restorative factors it gave them, it gave them vigor to continue fighting.

He can still feel the warmth of the orb in that exact same breast pocket.

"You're troubled, and displeased."

"I'd appreciate it if you stop assuming such baseless things."

"You didn't say no~!", Vergil huffs as the knight giggled. But he didn't move away from her, the human side of him, V, wanted to talk to her, after being gone for so long. But he wasn't V anymore. What's there to ask? She was elusive as he was closed off, emotionally.

For the majority of the time he saw her, she dawned a smile and a gentle look, similar to that of a mother, yet underneath that smile was bloodshed and wrath, pride and ego, cunning and grace. She also seemed to have that entity beside her but it wasn't here.

"Your summon."

"Oh, you mean B?", she smiled up at Vergil, "I let them rest at home today. We covered a lot of ground, and he did more work than I did.", she then placed her hands on her hips and shook her head comically, "Berserkers, honestly."

"Isn't it a creation that manifested from you?", Vergil raised his brow.

"Please do not remind me..", Vergil made a throaty chuckle, at the knight's dismay.

Silence between them formed once more, but it became a more comfortable one. Then the knight asked him a question.

"So? Did your wish come true?"

"Pardon?", he turned to face her, the innocent smile reached her eyes and it glimmered in delight.

"You sought power, but never made a specific request.", she said.

Vergil stared at her, and slowly brought two and two together, "Power is broad, it can mean anything. To create or to destroy."

"You were the Omnipresent God.", She shook her head.

"We share thoughts, but we are different entities. Coincidentally from the same soul, but the God you sought for was dead. I've been granting wishes in her stead."

Vergil nods in understanding, but he scowled, his hands aching to grabbed her neck and make her spill the whole truth, but he can see eyes on him, warning him about not even attempting to hurt what could be the most kindest of everyone in room, "You have granted me power, you said. Yet I've lost to Dante and the boy."

"The power of companionship.", Vergil scowled further before he did a double take. Was this knight taking him for a fool? He demanded power that finally rivaled his father, being able to defeat his brother, but every fight they partook in, he was the victor. The two only found middle when it was no longer a fight for sides, but a fun spar, like they used to when their parents' were still alive.

"You're overthinking.", he didn't respond.

"All this time, you've been fighting alone, surviving and trying to overcome that, to finally find peace and safety with the power you can use to protect yourself.", she spoke so gently, like a mother compensating for her absence, "Your brother was once that. He would wallow in his grief. His father gone, his mother dead, trying to find her eldest son, his brother dead until they met recently, he tried to don a new name, but his past has come to haunt him, and so he embraces himself again. Not Tony Redgrave, but as Dante, son of Sparda, Demon Hunter from Devil May Cry.", she then smiles as he looks at her, but she turns her attention towards Dante, happily talking with his coworkers – the dysfunctional family he managed to build with his kindness. "I've never seen him so happy before, his smile is genuine."

"Get to the point.", the knight turned her head back to him.

"What I'm saying is.. You finally found a family here. You are the son of Sparda, at the price of your father's betrayal, your bloodline will now have to carry the burden for as long as the demon realm demanded it, or until the Sparda bloodline finally dies off.", Vergil stiffened at that, it was subtle, but she saw, and ignored it. "This whole journey, you found ease in fighting with companions, with Griffon, Shadow and Nightmare, with Nero, with Dante."

Her small hands reached his, and brought it closer to her, her small hands clasping his bigger one, his cold hands felt warm in her grasp, "You are no longer alone, surviving just to live. You're home."

"After everything, you choose to bless this demon."

"I bless those I find are worth it. You had pure intentions, but you were lied to and misguided, desperate to survive. But that's all over, right?", the man's expression was that of thought.

Was it really over? Can he finally find peace? But, she was correct. Here, now, he have his family back. He's not alone anymore.

A few seconds later, he spoke; softly, unsure, "I'm uncertain if it is truly over."

"Then aim for it, with the help of the people around you.", his eyes shifted to hers, the look of kindness was still there, open and never judging him.

"I suppose it is better late than never."

She laughs, "Then enjoy the party, this is also for you after all.", she enjoyed the way the man's brows lifted slightly, before his flew herself up, and embraced the demon, softly, cradling him like a child.

"𝘞𝘦𝘭𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘩𝘰𝘮𝘦, 𝘝𝘦𝘳𝘨𝘪𝘭."

————

"𝑯𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓, 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒑𝒐𝒘𝒆𝒓 𝒃𝒓𝒐𝒖𝒈𝒉𝒕 𝒃𝒚 𝒂 𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒈𝒐𝒂𝒍 𝒊𝒔 𝒃𝒆𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆."