#VergilxRoxy

[zenithlux]

Day 14 of Quarantine

Vergil: *Finds Y/N in bed* “Have you eaten yet today?

Y/N: I think so.

Vergil: But you just woke up.

Y/N: ... Maybe not then.

Vergil: *sighs* I’ll go make dinner.

Y/N: Dinner!? But I thought... What day is it?!

[zenithlux]

Cadence 34

Catch up on the story here!

Sorry it took so long! This chapter needed some time to stew. Hope you enjoy ^^

I become one with my demon My dark side keeps me alive Become one with my demon Let the beast outside of my mind There are two sides to everyone I have become one With my demon

Stitched Up Heart - My Demon 

 Raijin was fighting harder than Vergil expected him to. Every strike seemed aimed to kill, though they were slow enough that Roxy could dodge far enough away to avoid them. Vergil soaked what he could as he fought Raijin himself. The dragon clearly didn’t expect him to fight, and certainly not as a cat of all things. But fight Vergil did, using every trick in the book to keep Raijin away from Roxy. 

When Roxy did fire back, however, nothing fazed the dragon. He ripped arrows out like they were nothing, even ones that embedded into what should have been his heart. Vergil knocked him down, but he kept getting back up. Roxy threw whatever ice she could, but Raijin brushed those off too. 

How can someone like him be nearly invincible? It didn’t make any sense. Had Mundus imbued him with some kind of power? Even as Nelo Angelo, Vergil hadn’t been impenetrable, and he’d been in a suit of armor. Raijin had a few scales and electricity. A strike to the heart should have killed him. 

“Maybe that’s the secret,” Roxy said. “He doesn’t have a heart.”

Vergil thought she was being metaphorical - and he wouldn’t disagree - but he quickly realized she was serious. A heart is the center of a demon’s power. Had Mundus taken it? If that were the case, then how was he still moving? As far as Vergil knew, even Mundus didn’t have the power to raise the dead. 

“My heart is inconsequential,” Raijin said. “Another demon is strong enough to fuel me.”

“Mundus did to you what my father did to me,” Roxy said. 

“My brother was a fool,” Raijin said. But his gaze softened as if a part of him didn’t believe it. “He gave up everything for a human… for you. His pseudo-immortality, his life, gone in an instant. The form he took was a simple shadow of his old self, bound to your body.”

“That isn’t true,” Roxy said. 

“And how would you know?” Raijin said. “You don’t remember a thing.”

“I remember enough,” Roxy said. “Kuro was still himself, all the way to the end.” 

“He was nothing."

“You don’t believe that.”

“How would you know what I believe?” Raijin said. “How could you possibly understand?”

“My sister died in the same crash that should’ve - that did kill me,” Roxy snapped. “She didn’t get a second chance. She didn’t get a demon’s heart. She’s the one that lost everything, not Kuro.”

“A fragile human life is unimportant,”

“Then why haven’t you killed me?” Roxy pressed her hand to her heart. “This is why right? Because I’m all that’s left of him.” 

“Enough.”

“He still lives,” She said. “He’s still with me, even though…”

“I said enough!” Raijin shouted. 

“And you see it too!”

Raijin lunged. Lightning crackled off his form. Vergil leaped as high as he could go, brandishing his claws.  

Mere seconds before they collided, a wall of ice shot up between them. Vergil pushed off from it, landing beside Roxy as if that had been the plan all along. Raijin slammed straight into it, hitting the ground with a sickening thud. Roxy grunted as she stumbled. Her hand grabbed her arm as ice seeped up her skin from her fingers. The wall shattered as Raijin pushed himself to his feet. “His power is wasted on you,” He said. “Your fear holds you back.” 

But Vergil could feel something else. Some deep, rumble of power that radiated through him. He shuddered, looking up at her. She grimaced, staring at Raijin as the ice crawled further up her skin.  “Vergil,” She said. “I can’t…” She glanced behind her, then back at Raijin. “I can’t…”

“Of course not,” Raijin said. “My brother’s power will eat you alive.”

Why was he provoking her? Raijin had done this before but Vergil still didn’t know why. Mundus wanted her dead, and Vergil was positive he could hold on to her if she did transform. So what was Raijin’s goal? Did he want her to embrace it? That couldn’t be. Mundus would know if Raijin was trying to get around his commands. Did he want her to kill him? That was a very real possibility. He fought because he had to, but if he found a way to end his life without doing it himself…

“Just give up,” Raijin said. “You’re too weak.”

Her eyes flickered a pale blue. “Kuro believed in…”

“And his belief was clearly misguided,” Raijin said. “He left everything to you. And here you are. Dying a slow and painful death.” 

She cried out, dropping to her knees. Ice seeped up her cheeks. Alarmed, Vergil shifted to his human form and reached for her. “Hold on,” He said. 

“Better let him go,” Raijin said. “Or he’ll die with you.”

Vergil reached through their link, trying to push back the ice, but to no avail. It was spreading quickly now, with jagged lines closing in on her eyes as they shifted to Kuro’s own. Her breathing was heavy. Vergil could feel her fighting back, but it was a losing battle. “You have to accept it,” He said. “You have to transform.”

“But...”

In the blink of an eye, Raijin was there, hand around Vergil’s throat. He reached for it, wrapping his hand around Raijin’s wrist as he tried to transform and slip away. But it failed when a pulse of electricity wracked his body. “Stop!” He heard Roxy yell through his haze. Another strike nearly knocked him out cold. Air struggled to reach his lungs. Darkness filled the edges of his vision. 

His human form was powerless, just as it had been all those months ago. 

A blast of ice slammed into Raijin’s chest. He skidded backward, not letting go of Vergil’s throat. But Vergil’s own strength swelled inside him. He twisted Raijin’s wrist, and a resounding crack echoed in his ears. Raijin ripped his hand away, swearing before another blast knocked him off his feet. Vergil pulled back, wincing as his vest tightened against his chest. He sucked in a breath and glanced at his hands. They were bigger now, and he knew with a quick swipe through his hair that he was himself again. “Roxy.” He turned as a flurry of ice swirled past him. Ethereal wings emerged from her back. The ice turned to scales. Hands turned to claws. Her eyes narrowed into draconic slits. 

“Don’t be afraid,” Vergil said as he reached for her. “I’m here.” 

The katana dropped at his feet as Roxy darted forward. She slammed into Raijin, nearly tossing him off their makeshift platform. Vergil grabbed the katana as more demons crawled up from the pits. He sliced through two, surprised when they actually vanished. He glanced at the sword - it is imbued with her power - and leaped into the fray. The demons fell without much fanfare, and it might have been a disappointment if he didn’t feel Roxy still tugging on his mind. As he stabbed another demon, she glanced back at her. Raijin had his own wings out now but hadn’t fully transformed. Ice protruded from various body parts, including one in his chest, but still, he fought on. 

But Roxy… Vergil felt another tug as she threw more ice Raijin’s way. She was trying to tell him something, but Vergil didn’t know what. Her thoughts were sporadic, mixing between kill and stop with a million things in between. Her claws wrapped around Raijin’s neck, slamming him to the ground. 

Another tug. 

Stop. 

Her second set of claws dug straight into his stomach. Raijin howled as he struggled to escape. Blood pooled around him. 

Another tug. 

Help. 

Vergil darted forward, stabbing the blade through Raijin’s chest with enough force to pin him to the cement. Then, he turned on Roxy as she pulled her hand away. Her pupils were gone, replaced by a light blue glow. She didn’t move, but Vergil could feel that a part of her wanted to. Kill. Kill. Kill. But the rest of her was holding back, fighting her new demonic self. “It’s alright,” He said reaching for her. She pulled away, and Vergil could feel her shame. 

I can’t…

“Yes you can,” Vergil said. “Kuro entrusted this power to you. Do you think he would have done that if he didn’t believe in you?”

She stared blankly at him but didn’t move when he reached for her cheek. “It’s alright,” He repeated. “You’re safe now.” He paused, and then, “I will keep you safe.” 

The ice dispersed. He wrapped his arms around her to keep her from a hard landing. Her eyes cleared. Her hair returned to normal. Her breathing was heavy, but her heart maintained its expected pace. She buried her face into his chest with a quiet sob. Vergil wasn’t sure if it was out of fear or sorrow. He supposed it didn’t matter. 

“You have to stop him.”

She looked up as Vergil glanced back. Raijin was staring at the sky, docile and complacent. He hadn’t even tried to remove the sword, even though he would be more than capable. “Mundus,” He continued. “He made the portal, but his demonic body won’t last long out here. He needs a body… and he wants you.” 

“Vergil!” 

Nero ran out from the buildings, hopping the gap with ease. He didn’t even spare Raijin a glance. “I… I messed up.”

“What?” Vergil said as Roxy dropped to her feet. 

“That bastard…” He took a deep breath to steady himself. “A demon kept saying Kyrie’s name, so I thought they had her.” Guilt crossed his face. “I fought as many as I could but… well…” He sighed in frustration. “There were just too many.”

“But you’re here now.”

“Dante saved me,” Nero said. “I assumed it would be child’s play for him but…”

“But?”

“He’s gone, V,” Nero said. “Him and all the demons he was fighting just… vanished.”

“Did you see a portal?” Roxy said. “Maybe Mundus…”

“But Dante can fight that asshole, right?”

Vergil frowned. He should be able to. Vergil knew from experience that Dante’s energy was limitless, possibly even more so than himself. And his demonic form was possibly more powerful than even their father’s had been. But if he’d been caught off guard… if one thing had gone wrong…

“You need to go,” Roxy said. 

“He’ll…”

“No,” She said. “You don’t know that for certain.” She turned to face him and pressed her hand against his chest. “He needs you. The full you. Not this… shadow of you.”

“Roxy…”

She shook her head. “I’ll be fine. Stopping Mundus is more important than my…” She trailed off, but the word didn’t need to be said. “Promise me you’ll end this.”

“If you let him go now, then how do you know Mundus won’t just call him back?” Nero said. 

“He can’t,” Raijin said. “Her contract broke his own. But it won’t stop him from trying.” He turned his head to stare at Vergil. “Can you resist his onslaught long enough to kill him.”

“I’ll have to,” Vergil said. “But I can’t abandon you.”

“Dante needs you,” She said with a small, sad smile. “Go.” She pressed a bit harder against his chest. “I release you, Vergil.”

A sharp snap echoed in his ears as a moment of pain slammed into his chest. Roxy’s legs gave out, and he barely caught her before she crumbled completely. “You foolish woman!” He snapped as her heart began to slow. “You won’t survive without...” Me. 

But she just smiled, brushing his cheek with the back of her hand. “Go,” She whispered as her eyes closed. “Please… don’t let Kuro’s death be… in vain.” 

Vergil pressed her hand back to his chest. “Call me back.”

Oh, Nelo… 

He flinched. “Roxy.”

Her eyes glazed over as her heart slowed.  A deep chuckle echoed in his head. You can’t even save her… the woman you love. How unfortunate.

“Go,” Raijin said as he ripped the sword from his chest. As he forced himself upright, he tossed it at Vergil’s feet. “My brother’s power is still harbored in that sword. It will be more than enough for you.”

“And I’m coming with you,” Nero said. “No one gets the better of me.”

The pain in his chest was almost too much to bear. She was dying before his eyes, and there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn’t take her to Mundus, and who knew how long she could hold his real form? No… this was the only way. And Roxy knew that. Roxy…

Come to me, Nelo, and we’ll finish this nonsense. 

Vergil reached for her sword. Then, he pressed his lips to her forehead. “I won’t let you down,” He whispered as he lay her on the ground. “I promise.” In a flash of light, his demonic form returned. All his emotions slipped away, replaced by pure, undeniable fury. 

He would win. No matter the cost. 

Her death would not be in vain. 

[zenithlux]

Cadence Update - 26

In which everything goes awry.

Catch up on the full story here!

See the world through a tear, keep on breathing Salt has dried, you’re not here Just a heartbeat away, the demons walk in Now I know its too late

In Vain - Within Temptation

 --------

Vergil woke up in a field of roses. Except these flowers were all impossible shades of all different colors. Purples, blues, yellows, oranges, all mixed together in extraordinary ways. And once he’d blinked the spots from his eyes, he forced himself upright, only to see the blood seeping into every flower around him. And when his eyes followed it to the source, he saw Kuro, slumped over and bleeding from the hole in his chest. As Vergil moved closer, the dragon looked older. Exhausted. His scales were slipping from his body like petals from the roses that surrounded them both.

And there, weeping at the dragon’s side, was Roxy. 

He pulled us into her mindscape. 

It was the only solution Vergil could think of. It would delay her death, if only by a few real-world seconds. He could transfer his power fully to Vergil. Maybe even show him exactly how to keep her heart beating before it was too late. 

“Stop!”

Her voice surprised him. It quite literally boomed around him as if she was yelling from everywhere at once. She sounded terrified through her tears and Vergil wanted to rush to her side before it was too late. But he found himself frozen. 

“Roxy,” He said. 

“Leave,” She sobbed. “Please. Quickly. Before it’s too late.”

“If I leave you’re dead,” Vergil said. 

“But I promised you!” She said. “I promised… I…”

“Enough,” Kuro said, his voice quiet and breathy. He was minutes from death. Maybe seconds. Vergil wasn’t certain, but it didn’t matter. If they lost Kuro before he could take his place, it was all over. “You’re acting like a child.”

“A child?” She said. “I am not…”

“I am dying, Roxy,” Kuro said. “You need his help.”

“You lied to me,” She whispered. “Kuro. You…”

“I knew you were not ready for the truth.” 

“And you think I am now?”

“You have to be,”  Kuro said. “And… I’m sorry.” The dragon’s eyes closed as Vergil reached them. Roxy froze as tears streamed down her cheeks.

“Kuro…. Kuro wait. Please....” Her head dropped against his neck. “Don’t go. Don’t leave me!”

“Roxy…” Vergil said as he reached for her. 

“I said go!” She shouted, her eyes snapping up to him. “Please Vergil I…”

Anger surged through him. “Is the idea of making a pact with me so miserable you’d rather die than accept it?”

She stared at him. “No that’s not…” A sob broke her words up before she could finish that sentence. “I promised you your freedom,” She choked out. “I can’t…”

“I’m here, am I not?” Vergil snapped. “I made the choice to come find you. I made the choice to take his place until we could fix this.” He reached for her, resting his hand on her shoulder as he glanced at Kuro. The dragon was still holding on. Still listening. Could Vergil do this? He wasn’t certain, and he hated it. He hated not knowing if this would work. He hated not knowing if this would all be for nothing. But he had to try. He had to do something. He couldn’t lose her. Not now. Not ever.  

This was her only chance. Their only chance. 

“My creator,” Kuro mumbled. How long it had been since Vergil had heard that name. And there was something in his voice- some powerful emotion Vergil couldn’t quite pick out- that reverberated in those two words alone. “You have shown me many wonderful things in this world. You gave me a reason to live. A reason to keep going. A reason to…” He trailed off as he took a deep and painful breath. “You must live, Roxanna. You must… You can’t let him win. Please…”

Roxy’s hand fell to the dragon’s snout before her head followed. Her tears slowed, but Vergil wasn’t certain if they’d ever truly cease. “There’s so much you haven’t told me.”

“I know you’ll figure it out,” Kuro said. “He’ll help you.” His eyes closed again. “Trust him… Roxy…”  He tried to force them open again, but his body wouldn’t let him. When his head rolled to the side again, his body began to vanish. Roxy choked back another sob. “Take care of her… Vergil.” 

Roxy’s hands hit the ground as he vanished completely. The second she gasped for air, Vergil was by herself side and took her hand. “Whatever you need to do,” He said as he gently pulled her toward him. She stared at him, her eyes glazed over in shock. “Roxy!” He yelled. “You have to…” 

He gasped as her hand touched his chest. Electricity snapped through him. He felt his own power pulse around them, sweeping through the roses. Each one turned various shades of blue. The blood seeped into the ground, vanishing as if it never existed. Insurmountable grief flooded into him, knocking the air from his lungs. Suddenly, all he could hear was Roxy; her tears seemed to coat his own cheeks. When he tried to wipe them away, nothing happened. 

Your biggest concern will be her. 

That was a gross understatement. Vergil felt everything. The erratic beating of her heart as it tried to regain some semblance of control. The burning of her eyes as she cried where Kuro had once been. The weariness in her legs. The pain in her back. His own whirlwind of emotions nearly overwhelmed him as he tried to catch his breath. Instead, Vergil forced himself forward, collapsing at her side. Without a word, he pulled her close, resting his chin on her head. She buried her face into his chest, sobbing. “He can’t…” She whispered between breaths. “He can’t be gone… he…”

“Roxanna!”

When Vergil blinked, he was back in the real world, flat on his back beside Kuro. Roxy gasped for air beside him, crumbling as if all the bones in her body had vanished. The clanging of swords echoed around him, followed by Nero swearing in at least four different ways. Vergil forced himself upright, reaching for Roxy. But he nearly fell again as his hand went right through. Instead, tendrils of something clung to his fingers, linking himself to her. Four curled around to her back. One went straight to her heart. Was this how Kuro healed heder? No wonder the dragon had focused so much on transferring power; this was the only thing keeping her alive. 

But as Vergil shifted a bit of his own strength to her heart, he frowned when he was unable to do the same to the other tendrils. Why? The energy needed for her heart had been minuscule compared to the rest of what he had. Why couldn’t he channel some of the rest? Surely he was capable of more than this?

“You need a few more days,” A chirpy voice echoed in Vergil’s head. “You’ll never be able to reach her like this.” 

Aki?

“Yep!”

“I can’t see you yet,” Roxy mumbled. “Our connection isn’t very strong. But…” She pushed on her chest again. “It’s… beating…” Flashes of her memory flooded into him; agonizing pain as her heart simply stopped. Vergil winced, trying to reach for her again. His fingers slipped through her, but she shivered, reaching for the arm that he’d gone through. Her eyes closed as she let out a shaky breath. “You’re there… You can hear me.”

“He is!” A chirpy voice echoed in Vergil’s head. “I can see him.” 

“Good,” Roxy murmured. She tried to push herself upright but failed miserably. 

“Insufferable child!” The archdemon shouted behind them. Vergil’s gaze jerked to the fight, relieved to see Yamato in his son’s hand; at least he’d had the sense to grab that. “It doesn’t matter what you do.  Your father is gone. Accept it.”

“What, you think my pops is gonna just go down like that?” Nero rolled his shoulders, Blue Rose pointed at the man’s face. “Then you don’t know him as well as you think you do.” He glanced back at Roxy. “Please tell me you have good news.”

She clutched her chest and winced. “Dia.”

The woman was by her side in an instant. “We have to go, Nero.”

“A little busy,” Nero said as he parried the dragon again. “This fucker doesn’t even have Yamato anymore.”

“I never needed it,” The man hissed. But as Nero swung for what could have been a deadly strike, the demon blinked away, landing back up in the tree. “I’m done wasting my time with you.” A dragon claw took the place of his hand, and he slashed at the air behind him. A portal opened as Nero lunged forward, and the demon vanished through it before he reached him. Nero tumbled past the tree but rolled to his feet as if nothing had happened.

“Dammit,” He said as he reluctantly clipped Red Queen to his back. “Damn it all.”

“Nero,” Vergil said. But his son didn’t react. He didn’t even look at him. “He can’t,” Vergil thought. “Not yet.” But the logic didn’t stop the sting in his heart. It didn’t help when Nero had to pick Roxy up, his eyes full of concern. “Please tell me it worked,” Nero said. She nodded but didn’t say anything as her eyes drifted to Kuro’s corpse. 

Kuro. Her voice echoed in Vergil’s head. Come back… Kuro…

He’s gone, Roxy, Vergil thought. It’s just… 

Us. 

Aki cooed sadly as Nero loaded Roxy into the van. Vergi glanced back at the dragon as guilt nearly tore him apart. 

“It isn’t your fault.”

Vergil flinched as Dia stepped up beside him.  “I’m assuming you’re there, anyway,” she said. Her voice caught before she cleared it and spoke again. “We should have been paying more attention… we should have assumed that someone would come here… but I wanted so desperately to believe that it was anyone but him.”

“Who is he?” Vergil thought. 

There was silence for a moment. Vergil felt a tug on the tendrils prickling his skin. “She’s falling asleep,” Aki said. “We’ll both fall asleep with her.” 

“Go,” Dia said. “I will deal with this.”

“Who is he?”

Dia’s eyes closed, and Vergil still wasn’t certain if she could hear him or not. “Give yourself time,” She said. “Things will get better.”

Dia!

“Let me bury my son,” She said. “Then I will help you.”

Vergil was yanked back into the darkness before he had a chance to process what she said. 

[zenithlux]

Update - Cadence 35

Catch up on the story here!

As you stand upon the edge Woven by a single thread And fate may fall down upon you While the devil is knocking Right at your door

Awaken - League of Legends (2019)

-----------

Vergil wasn’t surprised when Nero led him to the former location of the Qliphoth Tree. It was the weakest barrier between worlds, something Vergil and Dante had used to escape themselves. But he thought the seal they’d placed on it would have held longer than a year. He was, however, surprised that Mundus had managed to find it. They’d been pretty thorough in cutting all remnants of the tree down in the Underworld, and Vergil was certain they hadn’t left any remnants of themselves behind. 

“Where’s Dante,” Vergil snarled, trying to keep his demon self calm. The last thing he needed was to lose his control at such a critical moment. But memories of Roxy kept flashing through his mind. Her smile. Her laugh. The time they spent together. Their first and only kiss…

He shook his head. Not now. He could remember her later.

He flinched at that, unable to fully bury the thoughts from his mind.

Roxy...

“Dad,”

Vergil paused, whirling back on Nero who threw his hands up. “I know you’re angry,” Nero said. “But you can’t let Mundus get to you.”

“I won’t.”

“Are you sure?”

Vergil’s eyes narrowed. “After all she gave up… I won’t fail.”

Nero nodded. “Dante disappeared somewhere around…” He froze, eyes wide as a pulse of demonic power erupted behind Vergil. He spun around in time to knock away Dante’s Devil Sword. The half-demon appeared where the sword landed and slashed again, eyes a deep red. “Dante!” Vergil yelled, blocking every strike. But his brother was just a bit stronger, knocking him away with a perfect strike to his chest. Vergil landed on his feet, growling as he launched at his brother. Dante transformed and dove at him. 

Nero dropped between them, one demonic hand on Vergil’s chest as the other punched Dante straight in the mouth. Vergil teleported backward as Dante rolled to his feet, wings extended. “Getting a real sense of deja vu!” Nero shouted as Dante pulled his sword back. “Snap out of it!”

Vergil leaped in front of his son, blocking the strike. “I don’t think he can,” He shoved back and summoned Kuro’s sword. Ice covered the blade, sweeping out in a wide arc when Vergil did the same. The blast smacked into Dante’s chest, but he brushed it off as if it were nothing. “Nero,” Vergil said. “Give me Yamato.”

“Are you sure?” Nero yelled back. “Wasn’t Mundus like… calling to you or something?”

Vergil hesitated, nearly taking a sword to the face. He dodged backward, swinging more arcs of ice. Each one slicked across Dante’s body, but his demon melted anything that lingered on his skin. Raijin had said he was safe… right? Was Mundus still a threat? Or was he already here? Lingering within Dante? 

And if that was the case… Did that mean Dante had lost?

Impossible. 

“I need it,” And, as much as he hated to admit it, Vergil said, “This sword won’t be enough.” 

Nero grimaced but held Yamato out. The second Vergil grabbed it, the world started spinning. He grunted, barely dodging another strike by Dante. You’re a fool, Nelo, Mundus’ voice whispered. Did you really think you could get away that easily?

No. He had to be hearing things. Roxy’s connection had broken Mundus’ hold. It had to have. Her life… her hope for a brighter future… it couldn’t have been for nothing. 

But lucky for you, The voice continued. I don’t need you. Not anymore. I’ve found something even better. 

Vergil threw both swords up, blocking another strike by Dante. But his brother just laughed, eyes blazing. “How unfortunate,” A distorted voice echoed back. Mundus. Vergil grit his teeth and shoved his brother away. But he landed and charged within a second, stabbing the Devil Sword straight at Vergil’s chest. He tossed Roxy’s sword, embedding it into Dante’s shoulder and knocking him slightly off course before stabbing  Yamato into his gut. But Dante - Mundus - just looked up at him with a feral grin. “You couldn’t even kill Raijin,” He said as he pushed himself off of Vergil’s sword. “What makes you think you can kill your own brother?”

I can’t, Vergil thought before he could stop it. 

Dante’s grin widened. “A pity.” 

When he swung again, it was Nero who appeared back between them, clapping his demonic hands on either side of Dante’s sword. He grabbed Roxy’s sword and tossed it to Vergil. “Go,” he said. “I’ll hold him here.”

“What?” Vergil said. “Go…?” He glanced behind him. The Underworld. Wherever Mundus was doing his experiments had to be nearby. Maybe if he found it… he could save Dante. 

“Go!” Nero said. 

“I can’t just…”

“I can handle myself, old man!” Nero snapped as he punched his uncle straight in the chest. Dante’s body went flying, and even Mundus seemed surprised. 

“You’re his son,” He said. 

“Damn right,” Nero said as he rolled his neck and flexed his wings. “And I’ve fought much worse than you.”

Mundus snorted. “We’ll see, child.”

“Hold on,” Vergil paused, glancing at Yamato. Whatever connection Mundus had was through the sword. And if he could read his mind…

“Take this back,” Vergil said. “I’ll be back soon.” 

Nero caught it with a flourish, blocking Dante from going after Vergil.. “Counting on it.” And as his son tossed his Uncle away for the second time that fight - Mundus clearly didn’t have much practice controlling a body like Dante’s - Vergil leapt back into the Underworld, hoping the portal didn’t simply snap closed behind him. He glanced up as he landed, glad to see that it didn’t, but knew he didn’t have much time. If Mundus got a hold of Yamato…

Vergil shook his head. Nero could hold his own. He had to trust him. 

So, Vergil took off, searching for any sign of Mundus’ domain. The former demon king hadn’t been anywhere near Vergil and Dante during their time here, of that Vergil was certain. They would have found him then, either in one of their rounds or by pure luck. But it had to be close, right? How could Mundus both hide from them and remain near the Qliphoth Tree all at the same time?

Underground.

Of course. Neither of them had thought to check underground for anything, much less Mundus. So he flew low, searching for any kind of entrance. Demons cowered beneath him. He slashed through every tree. Shattered every rock. He practically tore the earth itself apart, searching for something. 

Then, he found it, a false tree leading to a hole in the ground. It was too small for his demon form, so he swapped back, dropping inside with a quiet thump. The tunnel was dark and empty, but his superior vision could see a flickering light toward the end. He walked toward it, hand on Roxy’s sword. He could feel the ice on his fingers, waiting to be used. It made his heart twist, even as he tried to ignore it. He couldn’t have brought her with him. Mundus would have killed her too easily, and humans didn’t do well in the Underworld. But he wished he could have done something. Anything to ensure her survival. Now, all he could think about was her silent heart. The light dying in her eyes. Her smile slipping away. 

He shook his head, trying again to dispel whatever he could. He had to focus. Mundus himself could be waiting, and Vergil had to be prepared. Failure meant death. Failure meant losing his brother, his son, and everyone else to Mundus’ schemes. 

Failure meant the end of everything.

Once he reached the light, it took his eyes a moment to adjust. He was inside what looked like a human science lab with bright white walls, wooden tables filled with documents, and panes of glass separating him from a variety of unconscious demons. But as he walked further, the demon prisoners turned to human subjects, each one dead. Vergil wondered if Raijin had helped with that, or if there was some other place in the Underworld where Mundus could have found human subjects. Maybe, he thought with a flicker of regret, they were all victims of the Qliphoth tree. 

When he reached the end, he sliced through the glass. It shattered, spilling in all directions. Vergil stepped through, brushing the few shards that had managed to cling to him as he looked up at the person inside. A human male. Well built. Tall. Dressed in workout attire. He floated in a test tube with a sewn scar on his chest. Vergil moved down the line, checking each and every one. All of them were similar. Tall men with scars on their chests. Vergil frowned. Had Mundus been practicing transplants? Why? It wouldn’t do him any good to put a demon heart into a human body. Surely he knew from Raijin’s limited knowledge the downsides of replacing a heart. “So what was his…”

A low chuckle caught his attention. He whirled around, katana in hand, wishing he’d been able to bring Yamato. The laughter turned to wheezing and Vergil followed it, reaching the end of another hallway with a door. When he cut it down, his eyes widened in shock. For there, sitting on a throne of metal, as the Mundus from his nightmares. Except this one was slumped over in his seat with a hole in his chest. Demonic tendrils grew from the wound, stretching to a table to the demon’s right. There, Vergil saw a steadily beating heart. Except what should have been a large and imposing thing was shriveled and dying; a heart even smaller than his own. 

“I knew you’d find me,” Mundus said. “But it doesn’t matter now. I’ve gotten what I wanted.”

“You look pathetic,” Vergil said as he lifted Roxy’s blade. “I’ll cut you down right here and now.”

“Go ahead,” Mundus said. “This body is nothing to me.”

Vergil frowned as he glanced again at the heart. How was such a small thing fueling him? How had it ended up so… shriveled? But when he looked closer, he realized it had been cut. Dozens of sealed incisions lined the heart in various shapes and sizes. The heart had shrunk naturally. Mundus had taken pieces from it. 

That was it, then. It wasn’t that these people had all lost their hearts. Mundus had attached a piece of his to theirs instead. That’s why Raijin had survived so many attacks but stopped fighting once Vergil pierced a different part of his chest. Roxy froze because she had all of Kuro’s heart, not just a piece. Mundus wouldn’t want a failed body. He would want control. And that must have been what happened to Dante. One useless injury could have implanted one without Dante even realizing it. 

Now, Vergil knew how to save him. 

But first… he had to ensure Mundus wouldn’t survive it. 

“Your son’s close to death,” Mundus said. “Better hurry.”

“Enough,” Vergil said, though it was difficult to keep the worry from his voice. Mundus in Dante’s head was a terrifying prospect. His brother wouldn’t be able to hold back. Wouldn’t be able to stop himself from killing Nero. He had to get back. Kill Mundus now and…

With a hefty sigh, the demon rose from his seat and reached for his heart. The tendrils wrapped around it, pulling it back into his chest. He towered over Vergil, just like he had all those years ago. “It still haunts you, doesn’t it Nelo.”

“It’s Vergil,” He growled. “And I suggest you remember it.”

“The blades through your heart,” Mundus continued as he moved forward. “The voices in your head. The vines that pulled your muscles tight. The glass that nearly shattered you.” He chuckled. “I remember it all quite clearly.”

“Enough,” Vergil said.

“You might kill me,” Mundus said. “But you’ll never save your brother. And then he’ll bring your son right back here, where you once were. I wonder if he’ll survive as long as you did.”

Vergil darted forward, jamming the sword into Mundus’ chest. But the demon just laughed it off, raising his hand to bat Vergil away. He yanked the sword away, jumping back in time to dodge it. Mundus was slow, but his movements were precise. He swung his hand the other way, striking Vergil. He flew into the wall, but triggered before it did any damage. He shot back at Mundus, slicing in as many directions as he could. Mundus cackled at the pain, holding his arms wide. “Do what you want, spawn of Sparda,” He said. “You won’t win.” 

Vergil stabbed him in the chest again, shoving the sword deep within the wound he already had. Mundus’ breath stopped, but his smile never faded. His body dissipated, but Vergil wasn’t done. He cut through everything he could. Breaking glass. Putting the test demons out of their misery, ensuring that the bodies left behind were both dead and without a heart for Mundus to draw off of. And with every strike, the voice in his head slipped away. With everything he tore through, the few tendrils Mundus had left on him dissipated.  A sense of freedom nearly overwhelmed him, but he used it as fuel, burning everything in his path as he triggered and darted back to the surface.

Vergil emerged from the Underworld, slipping between Dante and Nero. The second his son tossed Vergil Yamato, it plunged into Dante’s chest, but Vergil yanked it away. It didn’t work, as he could still see Mundus’ eyes in his brother’s own. 

There was only one solution.

He’d have to cut Dante’s heart.

The idea of it was revolting, but Vergil didn’t know what else to do. He couldn’t kill something he couldn’t see. And Dante would survive it… right? He could heal anything… couldn’t he? Even a temporary transplant? The other option was to keep swinging in the dark until he struck the piece Mundus had left, but Vergil didn’t know how long that would take. And Nero looked tired, a sign that Vergil couldn’t ignore. He didn’t have time to question himself. He had to move and fast. 

“I’m sorry,” He whispered as he lifted both swords. Ice burst from Roxy’s sword, covering the blade. Blue energy pulsed off of Yamato. Vergil charged at his brother, shifting forms as Dante did. One slice of Yamato cut through his demon’s armor. Another with Roxy’s sword reached deeper. It burst, sending shards of ice everywhere. Everything it touched froze, and the ice spread quickly. Still, Vergil knew he didn’t have a lot of time. And as the body heat of Dante’s trigger began to melt his fragile prison, Vergil drove Yamato through the only gray piece of his brother’s heart he could find. 

Dante gasped as the piece of Mundus’ heart froze and shattered. His trigger vanished as the wound closed.  Dante hit the ground dry-heaving, throwing his hand out in a thumbs up. “I’m good,” He said through coughs and sputters. Nearby, a body rose and stumbled from the pit. Vergil could feel the remnants of Mundus inside, struggling to hold on. Nero snorted as he finally wandered up to Vergil. “Is that our guy? Trying to run in a body like that?”

Brandishing Yamato, Vergil said, “This should be the last body he can go to.”

“Can we save the human?”

“No,” Vergil said. “The body is already dead.”

Nero looked sad, but nodded. “Then do the honors.”

But as Vergil started to move, electricity pulsed around them. Surprised, his gaze rose to the horizon as a half-dragon slammed down in front of Mundus. Ice and electricity exploded in all directions, forcing the Devil Hunters to take a long step back. Mundus howled in agony and, when Vergil could look up again, this new dragon had his human form by the throat. 

“Roxy,” Vergil whispered. 

She didn’t look at him. “You know why I’m here?” She said, her voice distorted. Vergil’s heart sank. Had Raijin really taken her body? He wouldn’t… couldn’t…

“Because of his last wish,” She whispered. “To watch your end.”

With another pulse of electricity, she slammed Mundus to the ground before smiling up at Vergil. Relief flooded through him, and he knew what she was asking before she had to say it. Roxy hopped to her feet as Vergil buried Yamato in Mundus’ chest. A silent scream wracked his features, but the life in his eyes faded in an instant. Vergil pulled Yamato from the body, flicking it to the side to throw off any blood before sheathing it and turning to his love. “Roxy…” He said. 

She watched him for a moment, giving him time to take everything in. Her body was split, half Kuro’s wing and scales, half Raijin’s. Magic swirled around her hands, down that same divide. Even her eyes were split, one light blue, and one purple. She lowered herself to the ground, bringing her wings in and she stared up at him. How little she still was, even in this form. He wondered if that was a conscious decision. “Vergil,” She said, her voice shifting between a demonic growl and her own voice.

“What happened?”

“Raijin…” She said. “He’s… gone.” She placed her hand against her chest. “He gave everything to make this beat again. The least I could do was fulfill his last wish.” With a slow breath, everything vanished. Her skin returned to normal. The wings dissipated. Only her draconic eyes remained, both teeming with untapped potential. It must have been overwhelming existing in such a state. “He warned me that I would have some trouble adapting.”

“It’s alright,” Vergil said as he stepped up to her. “You’ll have help.”

Then, after a moment of simply staring at each other, he swept her into his arms and held her tight. She laughed as she hugged him back. “Miss me?”

More than you know.

[zenithlux]

Cadence - 30

Catch up on the story here!

Lost all my precious Rage ate me up Endless forlornness has made me numb I’d rather rise from here Or should I hold on to my past?

Ashes - Hiroyuki Sawano

------------------

When Vergil woke up in a field of flowers, he knew he was back in their mindscape. 

He sat up slowly, wincing as his bones seemed to pop back into place. He felt her tugging on his mind, but it didn’t feel like she was trying to wake him up. Instead, it felt like a gentle, almost mindless tug. It was as if she wasn’t intending to pull at him at all. And when he found her on the edge of their mental garden, he knew she was lost. She stared at the broken statue of Kuro that still towered over her. Her arms were wrapped around her legs. Her head was tilted back. Vergil could feel the solemn sadness that had plagued her heart for the last few weeks. But there was something different this time. Some emotion that Vergil couldn’t quite describe. Longing? Possibly, though that didn’t feel quite right. Acceptance? No, not quite. “Roxy,” He said as he approached her, disheartened to see that her skin was a pale blue. “You’re frozen.”

To his surprise, she nodded. “This is where I used to rest during my stasis.”

Vergil sat down beside her, glancing up at Kuro’s half-broken face. “I didn’t think you would still freeze with me.”

“My father used to say that one’s heart is the source of their power,” She said as she pressed her hand to her chest. “And if I have his heart… then…” She sighed. “There’s a lot I don’t understand.” 

“Something is on your mind.”

“How could Kuro have possibly survived losing his heart?”

“Familiars are different,” Vergil said. “They may have a preferred form, but they survive things we would deem impossible. Most would go into their own stasis…” He paused as the realization dawned on him. “You’ve been going into stasis in his place.”

“What?”

“That’s the only explanation,” Vergil said. “When the power sustaining him started to wane, the power holding onto your heart did too. He must have purposefully slowed it to make sure it didn’t stop.”

“But this is all conjecture.” She said miserably.

“There must be a way to find out.”

“If my father was still alive…” She paused. “My father must have done the procedure.”

“Why?” Vergil said. “Why would he risk your life like that?”

For a long moment, she said nothing, but memories flooded Vergil’s mind. Flashes of metal. The screeching of tires. Her sister’s scream as two cars collided. The pain of a pole shooting through her body, pinning her to the seat. Sirens ringing in her ears. Her last breath…

Her eyes widened. “He wasn’t risking my life.” She murmured. “He was saving it.” Her lips parted. Her mind raced in a whirlwind of thoughts and feelings that Vergil couldn’t hope to pull apart. “I… I died. He… he saved me…” Her eyes glistened with tears. “Why did he save me? Why didn’t he save her?”

“Dia would know,” Vergil said. 

“But my sister…”

“Your father made his choice,” Vergil said. A choice I couldn’t imagine making. If it was Nero’s life on the line, Vergil knew now that he would do anything to save him. But if he had a second child, and he could only save one… How could anyone make that choice?

“Dia knows,” Roxy muttered. “She must know.”

“Did you know she and Kuro were related?”

“No,” Roxy said. “But I have a feeling I might have before.” She stood up slowly, eyes locked on Kuro. “Why did you lie to me?” 

But the lifeless stone didn’t answer, and Vergil found himself falling as Roxy turned away. 

-------------------

Vergil jerked awake in a panic, his chest heaving. He coughed, and the pain-wracked his body. He reached for his heart, smacking a hand on the way there. “Hold on, Verge,” Dante said, his voice echoing over the ringing in Vergil’s ears. “Here.” A cup of water appeared in front of him, and Vergil snatched it away, forcing himself to take a deep breath before taking a drink. He nearly choked, but managed to swallow before the coughing began again. A hand smacked his back and he nearly fell out of bed. “Whoops,” Dante said. “Forgot how… uhh…” 

“Fragile I am?” Vergil said, his voice hoarse. 

“Your words not mine.”

Vergil glared at him. “Where’s Roxy?”

“She’s fine,” Dante said. “Worry about yourself.”

“Where is she?”

“I told you she’s fine,” Dante huffed, crossing his arms with an indignant glare. “Would I ever lie to you?”

“Yes,” Vergil forced himself to his feet but stumbled the second they touched the ground. Dante reached for him, and it took everything Vergil had to not try pushing him away. His brother was nearly twice his size like this. He’d be lucky if he didn’t knock himself over in the process. “Curse this body,” He muttered, but he didn’t quite mean it.

“At least you’re not a cat.”

The cat’s marginally more useful, Vergil thought as he stood up. He was dressed in pajamas and one of his coats, but he was practically swimming in it. He’d forgotten how thin this form was. How fragile. One snap in the right place and he’d be nothing but a pile of bones. But it was something. A sign of power that he wouldn’t take for granted. And he could still feel his other forms hovering at the back of his mind. This was something new. A step in the right direction. “Is she frozen?” He asked. 

“She was earlier,” Dante admitted. “But her skin is all warm now. She’ll probably wake up soon.”

“How did you find us?”

“I was in the area,” Dante shrugged. “The ice pyramid helped. How’d ya manage that?”

“I don’t know,” Vergil said. “And I don’t think it was me.” He stumbled out to the doorway, stopped, took a deep breath to find his footing, and followed his instincts. Vergil was certain she was awake, but only just. If it was like her last stasis, she would be groggy for at least half an hour before she could communicate with anyone, much less wander around. “How long have I been out?”

“You?” Dante said. “You appeared about thirty minutes ago. She’s been out for a week.”

A week? “And nothing’s happened?”

“A lot’s happened,” Dante said. “But nothing serious. The big man downstairs still hasn’t appeared, and Nero said nobody has made a grab for Yamato, so our dragon man’s been missing.”

“Anything from Dia?”

“She’s been working with Nico on some things,” Dante said. “But I’ve been too busy fighting all the demons.”

“Mundus has to be getting closer,” Vergil said. 

“We still don’t know what he wants,” Dante said. “If it was Yamato, then what was the point of killing Kuro? Surely he knew his little dragon minion or whatever wasn’t going to get it back.”

“If they’re actually working together,” Vergil said as he finally made it to the doorway he was searching for.

“They have to be,” Dante said. “It’s all too convenient. And even Kuro worked for him in the past, didn’t he?”

“Yes,” Vergil admitted. “Conscripted, just like his brother. But he said they both escaped.”

“Clearly he was wrong.” 

Vergil said nothing as he knocked on the door. It snapped open, and he nearly fell over again. “She’s awake,” Dia said. Behind her, Roxy shivered as her head turned to look at him. 

“What does Mundus want?” Vergil said. 

“Vergil,” Roxy whispered. 

“You know, don’t you?” He pressed. 

Dia glared at him, but her gaze softened and she sighed. “Come in,” She stepped back to Roxy’s side, beckoning to the brothers. As Vergil found his spot on the bed, Dante kicked the door closed and leaned against it. Dia flinched before she spoke again. “His name is Raijin,” She began. “Kuro’s brother… My son. I believe that he has fallen back into Mundus’ service.”

“What does he want?” Vergil said. 

“Roxy’s father.”

“My father is dead,” Roxy said weakly.

“Yes, he is,” Dia confirmed.  “But the information he gathered isn’t.”

“Why would Mundus want that?” Vergil said. 

“Control,” Dia said. “If a familiar were bound to him with a physical piece of itself, they could never escape.”

“That can’t be it,” Vergil said. “Mundus is more than capable of controlling those around him.” He felt Dante’s gaze harden on him, but he ignored it. “Unless his power has weakened that much.” 

“Or…” Dante said slowly. “He thinks he can implant himself into someone else.”

Vergil stared at him. “What?”

“Think about it,” Dante said as he tapped his forehead. “What would Mundus need with more men? As far as we know, he’s raised a small army down there, and, as you said, he’s had no issues with controlling people in the past.” Vergil met his gaze for a moment before both broke it. “Clearly he wants to cross over to this side, right? What good is he doing in  hell?”

“A strong enough familiar could take over his host,” Dia said. 

Vergil paused, pondering. He honestly wasn’t certain that was the answer. There was a lot about familiars that he still didn’t know.”But then the familiar is still bound to the body. Mundus would never willingly chain himself to a human. It has to be something else.”

“The brain,” Roxy said softly.

Vergil froze. “What?”

“If you can implant a demon’s heart for their power,” She said. “Then would it be possible to move their brain too?”

“What would that do for him?” Vergil said. “A demon brain in a  human skull is still handicapped by the potential of the host.”

“So find a stronger host.”

“Like what?” 

“Like a half-demon who ate the Qliphoth fruit,” Dante said. 

Vergil’s heart sank. “That’s why he’s trying to get to me.”

“And you were once…” Roxy paused. “In his service… right?”

“Yes.”

“So he knows how your powers work.”

“... Theoretically.”

Roxy sat up slowly, her muscles crackling as she moved. She flinched as some of the ice broke off, leaving behind bright red marks along her neck and arms. Dia moved to help, but Roxy stopped her. “I’m fine,” She said, her voice rough. Dia looked away. “If he is after you,” Roxy said slowly. “Then why kill Kuro?”

“Maybe he didn’t expect Verge to give himself up,” Dante said. 

“Surely he considered it,” Vergil said. 

“Why would he?” Dante countered. “Think about it. He knows who you were, Verge. Not who you are.”

“Remember what Raijin said?” Roxy looked to Vergil. “He said you had a choice; save me or your own power. Is it fair to think that Mundus expected you to abandon me?”

Vergil’s jaw locked as he stared at her.  “He should have known better.”

“But the old you would have,” Dante said quietly. “And if you’d reclaimed Yamato after it killed Kuro…” 

Roxy looked to Dia. “So Raijin knows that I have Kuro’s heart.”

“Of course he does,” She said bitterly. “He was there when Kuro gave it to you.”

A silence fell over the room. Roxy’s eyes widened. Vergil gently took her hand, but she didn’t look back. “He gave it to me?”

Dia sighed before she reached for Roxy’s forehead. “Remember,” She whispered. “Remember everything.” 

The world vanished, replaced by a room Vergil didn’t recognize. It was nearly three times the size of his own and flooded with natural light from the wide-open windows. Boots were scattered in perfect piles in front of two empty bookcases. Beside that was a desk and computer that Vergil recognized from Roxy’s own apartment. The walls were painted bright orange and covered in various pieces of artwork ranging from flowers, animals, and a half-finished painting of a dragon. Kuro. The form was undeniable, and the painting itself was lying on the floor, surrounded by bottles of paint and numerous brushes. 

The door behind him opened. “I told you not to look,” A young Roxy said, pouting in that fake way she did when she was pretending to be annoyed. She looked… different. Her skin was a few shades darker. Her hair was black. Her eyes were green. And as a second half-dragon boy walked in behind her, Vergil realized why. 

“I just can’t help myself,” The human Kuro said, the scales along his neck glistening in the sunlight. The similarities to Raijin were uncanny. Only his hair and scales were different, and even those were fashioned in the same style as his brother.  “I just hope you got my good side.”

Roxy rolled her eyes as she swatted at his shoulder. “I have a good memory.” She carefully navigated her way through the stacks and moved to the painting. “What do you think?”

Kuro paused, staring down at it with a look between shock and admiration. “It’s…”

“Amazing?” Roxy said with a grin. “I sure hope so. I’ve been working on it non-stop.”

“Beautiful,” Kuro murmured, but his eyes hadn’t left her. Roxy didn’t look up, reaching for the blue paint at his feet. 

“You can watch for a bit if you want,” She said. “But don’t distract me.”

Kuro smiled. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

The scene shifted, and Vergil was in a new, much smaller room. This one he recognized as the living room in Dia’s cottage. All of the furniture had been removed, save for a single table in the center. On that was Roxy’s body, eerily still. Her skin was pale. Her eyes were glossy, and Vergil knew without moving that she was dead. Kuro stood beside her, face stained with tears. Dia appeared in the center of the room. “I told you not to get too attached,” She said. “Human lives are too fragile for demons like us.”

“It’s too soon,” Kuro whispered. 

“Tragedies happen,” Dia said. “You’ve been alive long enough to know that.”

“But she… she’s different.”

“What are you getting at?”

“If her father gives her my heart,” Kuro said. “Then she’ll live, right?”

Dia gawked at him, but it was Raijin who spoke, his voice echoing around the room. “You would give your life to a human?”

“She deserves better than this.”

Raijin snorted, stepping up beside Vergil. “Love has made you a fool.”

“Do you have any idea what you’ll be forcing on her?” Dia said. “Her body is broken, Kuro.”

“But I can heal it.”

“And then what?” Dia clicked her tongue. “You cannot come back from this.”

“I’m not expecting to,” Kuro said as his eyes fell back to Roxy. 

“And how will she feel, knowing that her life was spared while her sister was abandoned?”

“I can only save one,” Kuro snapped. “It’s my choice.” 

Dia sighed. “I cared for her as you did, Kuro. But you…”

“No, you didn’t,” Kuro snapped. “You don’t understand.”

“But you have hundreds of other lives to live,” Dia continued. “More humans to meet, and more that will pass by you.”

Kuro’s hand tightened around hers. “She deserves better,” He repeated. “She deserves to live.” 

Silence fell between them as tears streamed down Kuro’s cheeks. Finally, Raijin scoffed. “You’re a fool, brother. Always have been.”

“Jealousy is an ugly thing, brother,” Kuro shot back. 

“I am not jealous of this lifeless body before me.”

“But you are jealous of me,” Kuro said, standing a bit straighter. His eyes darkened, shifting to slits. The scales on his body shifted upward, wrapping around his cheeks and under his eyes. “What you wouldn’t give to have someone you believe in like I do her.”

“Foolish,” Raijin repeated. “All of it.”

“It is Kuro’s choice,” Dia said softly. “But you must consider…”

“Wipe her memory,” Kuro said. “Of all of this. Of me. Of us. Pretend I’m simply a familiar that chose her. I’ll reveal myself as soon as I can.”

“That could take years,” Dia said, rubbing her temples.

“Then so be it.”

But Raijin wasn’t done, and his fury consumed the room. “You escaped Mundus for this?”

Kuro ignored him. “Go find her father,” He said to Dia. “Tell him the truth, and tell him its not his fault.”

After a long moment, Dia nodded. “There is no going back from this.”

Kuro nodded. “I won’t regret it.”

Vergil blinked and his room returned. Roxy stared at the bed, hands shaking as she clutched the blanket tighter than he thought possible. “Verge?” Dante said. “Is everything alright?”

“I…” 

“He loved me?” Roxy said, her voice hollow.

“Of course he did,” Dia said. “Why else would a demon give up so much?”

Vergil could feel her desire to snap back. Why keep that from me? But she silently rose from the bed, grabbed a coat, and left the room. 

“I think that’s your cue,” Dante said. 

Perceptive as always, was what he wanted to say. Instead, he simply nodded and followed after her, his mind lost in what he could possibly say to make all of this right.  

[zenithlux]

Cadence Update - 33

Catch up on AO3 Here!

My wish for you Is that this life becomes all that you want it to Your dreams stay big, your worries stay small You never need to carry more than you can hold And while you’re out there gettin’ where you’re gettin’ to I hope you know somebody loves you And wants the same things too\

My Wish - Rascal Flatts

-----------

A week went by, but nothing happened. Everyone was on edge, but all managed to pretend they were fine. Nero called Kyrie every day to check on the kids, and Vergil could hear the worry in his voice every time they spoke. Dante grew more and more restless, flying back and forth between Redgrave and Fortuna to take on any hint of demons. Nico continued to watch the DVD, but she could only work about half an hour at a time as the video kept freezing up and it took far too long to fix it. 

Vergil went through some of the information with her, but it didn’t provide any insight into Mundus’ plan. It all seemed very straight forward. Demonic kidneys transplanted into demons with human forms. A liver for another. Lots of blood transfusions. Nico had yet to find Roxy’s surgery, and Vergil wasn’t certain Roxy would even want to see it. 

“I’m sorry, Rox,” Nico said. “I wish I could get through it faster.”

Roxy just shook her head. “You’re doing your best. I’m sorry I haven’t been helping.” 

Vergil did, however, manage to convince Roxy to keep working with her powers, if only to overcome her fear. It had taken many attempts to persuade her, as she struggled to get the temporary transformation out of her mind. But eventually, Vergil was able to coerce her into at least trying to learn small facets of her power. They focused on defense. She was summoning small walls for a shield, knocking things out of the sky and surrounding his own body with ice crystals. Anything they could think of to help him fight. Eventually, she started enchanting Aki’s arrows with ice and managed to freeze the enemies she hit. “Kuro used to do that for me,” She told him. “So, it wasn’t too hard to pick up.”

“You should still be proud,” Vergil said.

He’d gotten a ghost of a smile for that, but she hadn’t responded. 

Now they were out wandering Redgrave, searching for any demons they could find. Nico was in the van less than a mile away, finishing up the last of the DVD. They all hoped it would be enough, but Roxy had too much on her mind to wait around. 

“You know Dante got my mail yesterday,” She said as she plopped down on a piece of cement and looked over at him. 

“Yes,” He said, leaning against the building. His human form was easy to maintain now. Almost easier than Shadow. If only V’s form was better in a fight. Vergil was fairly certain he’d break his bones just touching a demon, much less attacking one. She’d tried to summon his actual self but had only managed to change his hair. But Vergil was hopeful. She was getting stronger, little by little. He just didn’t know how much time they had left. 

She reached into the inside of her jacket and pulled out an envelope with a golden seal. “An invitation to the gala,” She said. “He actually sent it.” She turned it in her hand. “It feels like a lifetime since we’ve talked about it.”

“Are you planning on going?”

“I haven’t had any time to paint,” She said. “I don’t even know if I have any creative energy left.”

“I’m sure you do,” Vergil said. “You just need some time.”

“What would I even present?” She said. “Assuming my house hasn’t been ransacked by now, all I was working on were flowers and butterflies.”

“And they were quite beautiful.”

She blushed as she met his gaze. “But I need something new. Something original.” She shook her head. “And with everything that’s happened...”

“Paint Kuro,” Vergil said. “You never did finish the mural.”

Her eyes seemed to glaze over in thought. “No I suppose I didn’t,” She said, her voice quiet as she held her hand out. A small ball of ice appeared, hovering there for a moment before she sent it away with a small, but unreadable smile. “A girl and her dragon.”

They looked up as the squealing of tires echoed in the distance. Nico barrelled around the corner, barely keeping the van on all four wheels as she slammed on the break and skidded to a spot. “Rox!” She said as she leaned her head out the window. “I think you’ll want to see this.” 

Roxy glanced at Vergil as Nico disappeared into the back of the van. “How did she find us?”

“She always does,” Vergil said, helping her up. 

“I’m still not convinced the van isn’t a demon.” 

Vergil chuckled as the side door opened. “Come on!” Nico said, beckoning to them both. Roxy hopped in and Vergil narrowly made it inside before Nico slammed the door back closed. “I was watchin’ that tape,” Nico said as she tried to rewind it, hitting the remote a few times before it worked. “And I found this.” When she stopped, a man appeared on the screen. His resemblance to Roxy was uncanny; similar jaw-line, same hair color, eye color, and general build. This man, however, looked like he’d been run ragged. And considering the empty basement behind him, Vergil assumed he and Dia had just gotten done cleaning it all out. 

“Dad,” Roxy murmured, her hands gripping the edges of her coat with such force that her knuckles had turned white. 

“Roxanna,” Her father said with a small smile. “It’s been a while since I’ve gotten to speak to you, and I’m afraid it might be longer still.” Roxy’s eyes widened, but she didn’t speak. Her father smiled, and Vergil swore he saw a twinkle in the man’s eyes. “If you’re watching this, then you probably already know what I did to save you. I really hope Kuro or Dia told you before you watched this, or that might have been a terrible shock,” He chuckled, but it was strained and quickly followed by a sigh. “I want you to know that I tried to find another way out of this, but I’m afraid this will be my last night on this earth.”

Roxy’s hands wrapped tighter around her as her father continued. “I don’t know where you’ll be when you see this. I hope you’re happy and healthy and living life to the fullest. I hope you’ve found someone to cherish you even more than I have, whether it be Kuro or someone else entirely. I hope you have it in your heart to forgive everyone involved,” He paused and lowered his voice. “A few weeks ago, Raijin informed me that Mundus has taken his heart.”

“His heart?” She echoed. “What does he want?”

“Before he was taken away, Raijin warned me that Mundus has a prisoner whose body he hopes to use to cross fully into our world.” Vergil’s blood rain cold and Roxy shivered without looking at him. “Apparently he doesn’t believe any other body will work, and I know he wants to use my research to accomplish it.” His eyes closed for a moment as he took a long, deep breath. “I’m certain that Raijin has been commanded to take my work and kill me, as Mundus would never work with a human so far below him.” 

He glanced behind him. “But I made sure there’s only a small amount left for him to find… enough to save Raijin’s life… and enough for you.” He shook his head with another, small smile. “He won’t be able to enter this place until you do. Dia’s going to seal everything up once I’m done. And don’t worry if he took the notebook. We already agreed that was what he would return to Mundus with.”

“But why?” She whispered. “What good is it going to do?”

“The notes are incomplete,” Her father continued. “The information is incorrect in some places. Missing in others. Mundus might believe he has everything I’ve ever written, but all he has is a bunch of medical jargon and a mess of scientist notes. Will it stop him? Probably not. Raijin knows enough about my work that he will be forced to interpret it, but I hope it gives you and Dia the time to find someone who can help.” 

Roxy glanced at Vergil for the briefest moment. “It was you,” She muttered. Vergil didn’t reply; his stray thoughts were more than enough. 

“Roxy…” Her father said. “My beautiful, wonderful daughter.” Tears filled the corners of his eyes. “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling right now, but please don’t blame yourself for anything. Not for Kuro’s decision. Not for your sister’s death. Not for your mother’s failing health. Nothing. None of this is your fault. Raijin is fighting, but I know one day Mundus’ influence will be too much. He will come for you, and I pray you find a way to save him.”

“Save him,” Roxy echoed. “After everything…?” 

“But I hope someday, somehow, you’ll see this and know how much I love you.” Her father blinked rapidly, dispelling any tears he could. He wasn’t very successful. “And I hope one day you can forgive me.” He smiled through his sadness.

As the video ended, the world shook. Roxy flinched, reaching instinctively for Vergil. Except that just destabilized him and they both ended on the couch. Nico stumbled past them both, reaching for a chair. Cracks appeared in the asphalt around them. “Shit,” Nico said as she made it to the front seat and threw the car in reverse. They hit a bump on the way, throwing Roxy to the ground as she dragged Vergil with her. He transformed before he landed on top of her, growling in annoyance. Roxy forced herself back to her feet as another shake jarred the van. 

“What’s going on?” She said as she eventually found her way to the passenger seat.

“Hell if I know!” Nico said as she spun the wheel. She slammed on the breaks when more cracks appeared, throwing Vergil into the back of the seat. He heard a groan from Roxy and felt a pulse of pain in his chest. “Sorry,” Nico said.

“It’s fine,” Roxy said. “It’s not like I needed my ribcage.”

That’s when the demons emerged. Small creatures like the empusas scurried from the cracks to their side. Multiple scythes snapped up from the darkness before the ghoulish beings attached to them emerged, moaning and groaning as they wandered toward them. Three furies snapped up in a blur, landing and summoning their blades. Another jolt knocked a few of the weaker ones off their feet, but the others stalked forward. “Vergil,” Roxy said as she scrambled to the backseat and swung the door open, summoning her bow. “Fury's first or I don’t think we’ll last long.”

“You’ve never managed to shoot down a fury.”

“Well, I better figure it out now, huh.” She launched a trio of arrows, but the furies lurched forward. Roxy rolled out of the van, barely dodging a swipe and fired another shot. Vergil knocked the second fury out of the air, impaling it with his tail long enough for her to stab it with Kuro’s sword. The third fury appeared behind her. Roxy pulled back as the blade cut her shirt. When her hand snapped out to catch herself, a spike of ice shot out of the ground, piercing the fury’s chest. The third one slipped, and Vergil managed to catch it with his tail as she shot it. 

“Does that count?” She said as she rolled to her feet. 

“It wasn’t moving.”

“Still shot it.”

Vergil rolled his eyes as they turned on the other demons. Except they were gone, and a certain red-jacketed half-demon was standing in their place. “Good!” Dante said. “You got the other ones.”

The earth rumbled again. In the distance, Vergil could sense more demons all congregating in one area. But where? The underworld itself was breaking through the ground and Vergil didn’t know why. 

“Take a wild guess where they’re coming from, Verge,” Dante said. 

He looked up at Roxy’s blank expression, then back to Dante. He growled, hoping it would convey a silent where? Dante sighed, running his hands through his hair. “That stupid tree,” He said.

“The tree?” Roxy said. “You mean that giant thing that broke through Redgrave?”

“The thing I raised,” Vergil thought bitterly. “It can’t be back. We cut it down.”

When Roxy relayed this, Dante nodded. “It’s not back… but that’s where the hole’s the biggest.”

A gentle thud drew their attention. “He’s coming,” Raijin said as he leaned against the van. Nico scowled in the front seat, but wisely remained where she was. 

Dante reached for his sword. “Bold of you to come straight to us.”

“That is what he demanded,” Raijin said, eyes locked on Roxy. “He’s not very happy that his favorite prisoner actually took my brother’s place.” 

Vergil glared at him, but it was Roxy who took a step forward. “There’s a way out of this,” Roxy said. “A way you can live.”

Raijin scoffed. “What makes you think I want to?”

“Let me deal with this, Rox,” Dante said. “I'll make it quick.”

“Where’s Nero?” She said. 

“Fighting demons with some other devil hunters,” He said. “Why?”

“Demons are coming from the center,” She said. “It needs to be closed.”

“We’re not totally sure how to do that,” Dante said. 

“Go figure it out.”

He paused, eyes flickering between her and Raijin. “You want me to leave you alone with him.”

“She’s not alone.” 

“I have Vergil.”

“But…” Dante sighed. “Come on, Nico. Let’s get you to safety.” Vergil was grateful when she didn’t argue, slamming her door closed while Dante summoned his bike. “Good luck,” He said as Nico climbed on. “Don’t make me regret this.” He hopped on his bike and the two were gone faster than Vergil could blink. 

“We won’t,” Roxy said hollowly, her grip tightening on her bow. Vergil could feel her thoughts attempting to seep into his own, but she was either expertly holding it back, or it was, once again, too jumbled for him to make any sense of. “Right, Raijin?”

The man shrugged. “That depends on you, Roxanna. I have my orders.”

“It’s Roxy,” She said simply. 

“I never called you that,” He said. “Drove you crazy, though you never did admit it.”

“We were friends.”

“We were nothing of the sort.”

“Then why haven’t you killed me?”

Vergil tensed, eyes locked on Raijin. He was confident he could defend her, though he wasn’t quite sure what they would do if he transformed. But Raijin made no effort to do so, nor did he move from his spot against the van. “I hated you,” Raijin said. “For stealing my brother away.”

“I’m not the one who killed him.”

“You might as well have,” Raijin said, his voice bitter. “If he were here… if he were with me…”

“He’s not,” Roxy snapped. “You made sure of that.”

“I did what I was told!” Raijin said. “I always…” His hand moved to his head, grunting. “I always…” His scales began to glow, even through his clothing. He stumbled back a few steps, leaning on the van for support. Breaths turned ragged. Eyes turned to slits, glowing a dark purple. Lightning crackled on his hands, and Vergil wondered if they should have let Dante kill him in the first place. 

“There’s a way out of this,” Roxy said. “I can help you.”

“Enough!” When Raijin spoke, lightning slammed down around him. Both Roxy and Vergil jumped back, avoiding a strike. But Vergil didn’t think Raijin was really aiming. Losing it, maybe. But not trying to kill them. Not yet. 

Finally, he looked up, his expression filled with hatred. “You can’t even help yourself.”

[zenithlux]

Cadence Update - CH 25

Catch up on the full story here!

One soul's cry, A passion dwelling within Sacrifice, A final plea to her kin Yet this bond of hope, by treachery was broke Scattering her words to the wind

Dragonsong - Final Fantasy 14

 ---------------

At first, Kuro’s lessons were simple and mundane, yet Vergil found that they weren’t altogether unpleasant. He had always enjoyed learning, even as a child. And, surprisingly, Kuro was very forthcoming. Every question Vergil asked was answered without hesitation or scorn. It was clear that the dragon wanted him to learn. He wanted Vergil to absorb as much information as possible, though Vergil still didn’t quite understand why. 

That, however, was a question for another time.

“Your feelings toward her will change,” Kuro said after a rather lengthy conversation on the logistics of summoning oneself without stealing Roxy’s power. It was actually a simple concept; find a less powerful form that doesn’t tax her, and Vergil would be able to summon himself whenever he wanted. He assumed as long as he didn’t trigger, he’d be fine. 

“How so?”

“A pact binds two souls into one entity,” Kuro said. “You will still be yourself, of course. And you will be able to break the pact once all of this is over. But as long as it is active, your biggest concern will be her.” The dragon sat back as his eyes drifted to the sky. “It’s difficult to explain without experience, but it is vastly different than the feelings humans have towards each other.” 

“My human half may not feel it.”

“You will,” Kuro said. “Every familiar does.”

That did explain why his own familiars had been so willing to throw themselves in harm's way to protect him. Most demons were compelled to protect themselves at any cost. But Shadow in particular had always been there, manifesting in any way she could to ward off other demons. Vergil had assumed it was simply her nature. He hadn’t realized how close their bond actually was.

“Strong familiars have what Roxy and I call a ‘mindscape’”

Vergil blinked as his mind caught up to the change in conversation. “A mindscape?” 

“It’s a place that familiars like us can retreat to. Because our souls are much stronger, we require actual space around our summoner’s soul. Other familiars like Aki simply go to sleep when they disappear. It won’t be that simple for you.”

“So I’ll have my own home within her mind?”

Kuro nodded. “Should you spend an extended time with her, you’ll learn how to bend it to your will without affecting her own consciousness. It’s a delicate balance of power between both souls. The better you control your mindscape, the better you control the flow of energy between you.”

“Why are you telling me this?”

“It will take time to undo the pact no matter what happens,” Kuro said. “Your presence alone will put extreme pressure on her soul, especially if you are sharing the space with myself.”

Vergil paused, carefully considering his next question. “Is there a chance the pact could kill her?”

Kuro was silent for so long that Vergil wondered if he’d even heard the question. But when the dragon did speak, it was the softest Vergil had ever heard him. “Your strength is remarkable, but the power of the Qliphoth fruit was never meant for a human. You tolerate it because of your lineage, but it could overwhelm her the moment your souls connect.”

Vergil’s heart fell as he glanced at the cottage. The thought of losing her… because of his foolish pursuit for power… 

“She is strong, Vergil,” Kuro said. “And you hold no ill-will toward her. As long as you genuinely wish to protect her, your soul will intervene.”  

“Can I heal her?”

Kuro paused again. This time, however, he looked genuinely perplexed, as if the question hadn’t even crossed his mind. Odd. Vergil assumed that would be one of the most important things for him to learn. “It will take time,” The dragon said slowly. “You will have to learn where to channel your energy, but with practice, I believe you can. However,  you shouldn’t have to.” 

“Prepare for the worst, right?”

“Indeed.”  He raised his head. “It’s time.”

Vergil glanced over to see a small, blue portal snap open. His eyes widened as Nero was the one to step out first, followed by a stunned Nico and annoyed Dia. “Roxanna!” The demoness yelled. Roxy appeared at the front door almost immediately, and Vergil wondered how long she’d been listening to their conversation. 

“Did you figure it out?”

Nico beamed as she held out a sheathed sword in Roxy’s direction. While it wouldn’t compare to Yamato (what would, honestly?), Vergil was rather impressed. The sheath was dark blue with swirls of a lighter blue that looked like ice wrapped around the blade. A ribbon hung near the hilt with two snowflakes dangling off the ends. The hilt itself was wrapped identically to Yamato, but with a mix of blues like the sheath itself. When Roxy gently drew the blade, Vergil could tell that the blade was as sharp as a human could make it. “It’s perfect,” Roxy said with a smile.

“I went with the ice theme since I figured you might want to use it after all of this is over.” Nico laughed as she glanced at Vergil. “Assuming V-man’s up to teach ya.”

Roxy blushed, and it only darkened when Vergil nodded. Dia snorted. “You can deal with that another time.”

“Right.” Roxy clicked the blade back into its place and moved to Vergil’s side. “Are you ready?” 

After a deep breath, Vergil stood and reached for the blade. “I am.”

“Are we sure about this?” Nero said. 

“We don’t have any other choice,” Vergil said. “Where’s Dante?”

“He stayed with Kyrie and the others,” Nero rubbed the back of his neck. “We weren’t letting Nico go alone,” he glanced at Dia. “No offense.” The demoness huffed, but didn’t say anything else. “I just… Are you sure about this?”

“Yes,” Vergil said. “I can do this, Nero.”

“I’m not concerned about that.”

“Then what…?”

“What if you have to stay with her?” Nero said. “Are you… okay with that?”

“I was staying with her anyway.”

Nero scowled. “You know what I mean.”

 “Yes, Nero,” Vergil said. “I know what I’m getting into, and I’m ready to accept the possibility.” After a moment of hesitation, he reached out and rested his hand on Nero’s shoulder. The younger devil-hunter froze, eyes wide, but didn’t pull away. “This will work, Nero. I promise.”

Finally, Nero nodded. “Alright. Just be careful.” 

Vergil nodded and moved back to Roxy’s side. Kuro moved toward them, his tail wrapping at Roxy’s feet. She looked up at him with a smile and patted his scales in encouragement. “Everything is going to be fine.”

He looked down at her with a reverence Vergil hadn’t seen before. “I know.” He leaned forward and breathed a soft breath of ice onto the sword. It glowed a bright blue, and the image of snowflakes remained on the blade as the dragon pulled away. “Take good care of it.”

Roxy grinned as she turned back to Vergil and held the sword out toward him. “Every pact begins with a promise,” She said “So, Vergil. What do you ask of me?”

Even though Kuro had prepared him for such a question, Vergil still took his time. If he did have to stay with her for an extended period, then this promise was the most important part. They needed this connection to work for as long as it took to erase Mundus’ hold on him. These promises had to mean something, and Vergil refused to waste it. “Don’t let me fall to him,” he said. “No matter what happens, I entrust my soul to you.”

She intertwined their fingers and nodded. “And what do you promise me?”

After another quiet and purposeful pause, Vergil lowered his voice and said, “I promise to protect you.” He brushed her cheek with his thumb, earning a soft blush as her gaze remained on his. “No matter what dangers we face or what demons we have to fight, I will remain by your side.” Her lips parted in something akin to surprise, but it quickly shifted into a gentle smile. 

“Thank you,” she said as she held Nico’s sword out between them. A flicker of blue light pulsed from the weapon. It slithered up her arm, reappearing as veins of blue along her cheeks. Her eyes turned a deep shade of blue for a brief moment, but it vanished when she blinked. The energy retreated, and Vergil wondered if he would get to see the marks their pact would give her. Would it be something unassuming to signify its temporary nature? Would it be as lavish as the ones his own familiars gave him? Something in between?

“With these promises,” She whispered. “Our pact is sealed.”

Vergil gasped in surprise as energy slammed against his chest. Electricity pulsed through every fiber of his being, seizing his muscles and locking him in place. The veins of blue light returned to Roxy’s skin as she closed her eyes. Vergil heard Nero’s voice somewhere over everything, but between whatever was happening and Dia’s loud ‘hush, child’, Vergil couldn’t guess what his son had said. Instead, his world was entirely focused on Roxy. 

At that moment, he finally understood what Kuro had been trying to tell him. She was his everything. As long as this pact existed, his life didn’t matter. Nothing mattered but her. 

That should have scared him. It would have terrified a much younger him. But Vergil was relieved. This was finally the purpose he had been looking for. Something much stronger than a simple caretaking job. It didn’t matter how long their pact lasted; Vergil would not forget this feeling. 

Then, everything snapped. 

Roxy gasped in shock. Her eyes snapped open, and Vergil was startled at how blue they were. Then, he realized that Kuro was howling; a horrible screech that vibrated the world itself. Beside them, the dragon collapsed on his side, head slamming at Roxy’s feet. Vergil barely caught her before she dropped with a scream. Nero was by their side in an instant, but cursed as a spark of energy shocked him when he reached for Vergil. “What happened?” Vergil said as his gaze moved to Kuro. Roxy crumbled in Vergil’s arms. 

No. 

There, buried deep in Kuro’s chest, was Yamato. 

Laughter erupted around them. Vergil’s eyes jerked to the trees where a man somewhere around his age stood, arms crossed as he stared down at them. Except Vergil knew immediately that this purple haired, dark skinned, and slightly scaled person was not a human at all. Archdemon.  “My master was curious, Son of Sparda,”

“You did this.”

The demon rolled his eyes. “My brother has been a nuisance for far too long. Split him from his host and he has nothing left.” A blast of ice struck the tree, but the demon didn’t move. “Pitiful as usual.”

“Do you have any  idea what you’ve done?” Kuro hissed, his breaths heavy as he struggled and failed to stand. 

“Of course,” He said. “I’ve forced Nelo here to make a choice.” He tilted his head with a wide, predatory grin. “Save the girl, or reclaim his power.”

What? 

“Better hurry…”

Then, Roxy’s heart stopped. 

Panic surged through Vergil as his gaze shot to hers. She wasn’t moving. Wasn’t breathing. Her eyes and mouth were wide open, but there was no life in them. Kuro’s head shifted beside them, but Vergil could see the pain in every move the dragon made. “Vergil,” He said. “Please,” His head flopped back to the side, shaking the ground. “Take my power… save her…” Blood pooled around them. Roxy’s face paled. Her heart was still silent. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted.” When his claw raised, Vergil understood. 

Take his power and the sword, his own demon whispered. Abandon the girl… without her, you’ll be invincible. 

V’s voice scoffed. If you need me to tell you what to do, then you’ve already failed. 

Power is all you’ve ever wanted. 

But now you’ve found something so much more. 

“Her heart,” Vergil whispered. “You’re fueling her heart.”

“Her heart is my own,” Kuro said. “She needs a demon who can keep it beating… we’re running out of time.”

Without a second of hesitation, Vergil said, “Do it,” 

He knew what was coming. 

He knew it would hurt. 

But even he wasn’t prepared for the agony he felt when Kuro’s claw plunged through his chest. 

A terrible burning sensation ripped through his body and nearly overwhelmed him in an instant. After that was the agony from the stabbing itself. He felt his body tear. He felt it rush to try and heal even though there was no room to do so. He couldn't breathe. He could barely think. It felt like his body was disintegrating on the spot as its pieces were torn into another world entirely. 

It was the most excruciating pain he’d ever felt, yet all he could think about was her. 

“Hold on, Roxy,” He reached for her through the agony. “Hold on.”

Then, he plummeted into darkness. 

[zenithlux]

Cadence Update - 28

Catch up on the full story here!

Now and again we try To just stay alive Maybe we’ll turn it all around ‘Cause it’s not too late It’s never too late

Never Too Late - Three Days Grace

---------

Over the next few days, things fell into something akin to a schedule. Nero and Nico would arrive in the morning before Dante had even rolled out of bed. Then, Nero would carry Roxy to the backseat of the van, give her the blade Kuro had blessed, and wait for Vergil to hop in after. It had only taken a day for the devil-hunting duo to lapse back into what Vergil assumed was normality. Nero and Nico fought more with each other than they did demons, but Vergil could sense a certain underneath all the arguing. When they did encounter any demons, Nero would let Vergil out and the two would fight them off together. 

There was just one, glaring problem: Vergil couldn’t kill anything on his own. 

He had been worried something like this might happen. It didn’t matter how strong he was on his own; he was still a familiar. And, for reasons he still hadn’t figured out, familiars couldn’t kill other demons. Every time he tried, he failed miserably. His most vicious attacks would do nothing, leaving Nero to kill them himself. And if that wasn’t bad enough, the demonic energy always shot straight at Nero, no matter how much damage Vergil had done. Nero had apologized, but they hadn’t figured out how to fix it. And the less energy Vergil had, the more pain Roxy was in. Every day put Vergil further from figuring out how to fix her paralysis, and there was nothing he could do about it.  

Nico had tried to solve it. Nero had used their blade instead of Yamato, but it didn’t do anything. Nico had offered to drag Roxy out, but she could barely raise her arms, much less stab a demon. She’d been too weak to summon Aki, much less hand him off to anyone else, so that was out. Vergil tried everything he could think of. He’d dragged a few demonic bodies back to the van, but both had spurred back to life before they reached her. Nero had done the same, even holding her hand to kill them, but the energy still flocked to him. Vergil had even slipped back into his corporeal form to try and direct more energy at her. But nothing happened, and he had a sinking feeling that nothing ever would. 

How had Kuro managed this? Aki mentioned that it had taken the dragon a few years to even manifest himself, much less reveal his existence to her. Another lie that, unfortunately, Roxy hadn’t been aware of. Vergil had learned through her thoughts that Kuro had revealed himself to her as some kind of passing demon with interest. She hadn’t had a clue that he’d already existed within her and had just waited until he could show himself to let her in on it. But no matter how much Vergil cared for her, they didn’t have years. They all knew that Mundus would be back. The former (or current?) Demon King would find his way out in due time. And if Roxy was this week, both her and Vergil would be dead in a heartbeat. 

Or enslaved, the thought of which was much, much worse than a quick death. 

After four days of no luck, Vergil could tell that even Nero was getting upset. “How long do you think this will take?” He said even though his present company had no hope of answering him. “I can’t stay away from Fortuna forever, even with Dante’s constant visits.” He sighed, rubbing his fingers aggressively through his hair. Vergil didn’t blame his son for being so close to a breaking point. Vergil himself felt positively miserable, as his only contribution to the last few days had been almost-demon-kills and long, fitful naps beside his summoner. 

He could feel Roxy’s frustration as strongly as his own, even though she was rarely lucid enough to express it. 

Nero stabbed through another demon, wincing as the energy swarmed him. “Sorry, Pops. I’m not doing it on purpose.” Vergil shrugged, prowling around Nero impatiently, before pouncing on another demon, biting its neck for good measure. It didn’t bleed out - of course not - and Nero shot it without about as much gusto as a snail. “Is she close to standing at least? Surely she’s getting stronger.”

Vergil sighed, but it came out as nothing more than a huff. ‘No’, was the easy answer, as ‘I don’t know’ made him uncomfortable. Luckily, he didn’t have to say anything as Nero plopped himself on the ground, spinning Blue Rose in his hand. Vergil sat beside him, glancing at the van behind them. Nico was missing from the front seat, probably checking on Roxy. She was fine if a bit tired. Vergil could feel her in the back of his mind no matter how far away he got. She was mildly more awake today - thankfully, as she’d been in and out of sleep for a few days now - but her back still hadn’t healed. Vergil could still see the strings connecting them; small, fragile things that still didn’t show any signs of improvement. 

Finally, Vergil sighed and tapped the ground. Nero glanced at him, and he drew a circle in the dirt with a claw, before drawing a line through it. Nero snorted, but Blue Rose stopped spinning. “I can’t stay here much longer.” Vergil drew a question mark and Nero sighed. “Nico will stay behind to help, but Kyrie needs me.” Vergil nodded, even though his heart sunk at the thought. Nico could only do so much. He hoped that Roxy would at least be walking before Nero left, but it wasn’t fair of him to expect that. 

So, he drew a single word in the dirt, “Go.” 

Nero nodded. “Don’t worry, pops. It’ll all work out.”

A rumble pulsed around them. Vergil’s ears flattened on his head as he searched for the source. A quiet dream laugh echoed from beneath him. He slammed his head into Nero’s side. The younger hunter swore as he rolled to his feet and darted to the side, giving Vergil just enough time to leap out of the way. A massive demon burst through the ground, sending chunks of concrete in all directions. Vergil’s gaze jerked to the van, but he was forced to dodge away as a giant fist slammed down where he’d been standing. “Wonderful,” Nero said as he propped Red Queen on his shoulder. “I swore I killed you months ago.”

Vergil had never seen this creature before. It towered over them with lava swirling through its rocky body. Two, massive horns curled off the top of its head, but Vergil’s attention was drawn to the massive, shark-toothed mouth in place of its stomach. “Human!” The creature roared. “You were the one who fought my brother?”

“Guess so,” Nero said. “And he was just as ugly as you.”

Vergil wanted to roll his eyes, but his gaze kept shifting to the van. They needed to pull the beast away before it crushed the helpless women inside. But Nero wasn’t moving, and the last thing Vergil wanted was to draw attention to them. The creature roared again before his stomach snapped open. A ball of fire shot at Nero, but he simply hopped out of the way before Vergil could react. Nero clicked his tongue as he shook his head. “And now I’ll just have to take care of you too.” He slammed Red Queen into the ground, revving it with a wink. That time, Vergil did roll his eyes; Nero was acting far too much like Dante for his liking. 

The creature roared again. Another fireball shot at Nero. Vergil backed away, glancing at the van again. Nico was in the front seat now but had yet to move. But with a building at her back and the demon in front of her, Vergil knew she wouldn’t have a chance. He considered going back to the van himself. There wasn’t exactly much he could do to the monster. 

Unless. 

He closed his eyes as Nero continued to run the Goliath around. Vergil wasn’t sure why he and Dante spent so much time playing with their prey, but it didn’t matter. Instead, Vergil focused on his memories of Shadow. The way her body moved and twisted in whatever way she wanted. She could have fought a creature of this size, and he couldn’t rely on Nero any longer. 

My tail…

His eyes snapped open. Of course. He’d spent hours working on summoning his demon tail. Surely that could use that now. And as Nero continued fighting, Vergil focused on his tail. After a few moments of nothing, it snaked out around him, sharpening in a form similar to his demon tail. More tendrils seeped off his body in response, and he was satisfied when he found he could recall them at will. Perfect. As Nero slashed across the demon’s chest, Vergil leaped forward, slamming his tail into its leg. The creature howled, surprised as he swung at Vergil. But Vergil sunk into the ground surprised to find that it didn’t hurt as much as he thought it would. He slipped back out on the other side, stabbing his tail into the opposite leg. The demon swung to the side and his stomach-mouth widened. But as the fireball launched, Nero appeared and knocked it back into him. 

“Not bad,” Nero said. “But you need a lot more practice.” Vergil glared at him, but Nero’s wings appeared and the man was gone, launching into the air. Nero kicked the Goliath in the head, leaping off of it with a whoop of delight. The monster stumbled. Tendrils shot from Vergil’s tail, wrapping around the creature’s legs. He yanked back as hard as he could. Goliath went down in a heap. Vergil backed away, snarling as Nero moved to take its head off. “You ugly piece of…”

“Wait!” Nico said. 

Nero froze, Red Queen inches from the beast’s neck. Alarm swept through Vergil as he realized that Roxy was standing, arm over Nico’s shoulder. The frozen blade was in her other hand as they limped toward them. “What are you…?” Nero’s voice trailed off as Roxy shakily extricated herself from Nico’s arms and stumbled slowly forward. Vergil moved to her side, uncertain what he could do if she fell. And while the pain was obvious between them - Vergil could feel it in his own back - her determination was as strong in her eyes as it was in her heart. The strings between them pulsed with energy, though it was far less than Vergil wanted. She unsheathed the blade as she approached the dying demon. Its eyes rolled up toward her. 

“You,” It whispered. “My master wants you.”

“Well,” She said, out of breath as she dropped the sheathe. “He can’t have me.”

Then, with both hands on the hilt, she stabbed the creature straight through the eye. Blood pooled at her feet as it screamed; a shrill, terrible sounding thing. Then everything went ominously silent. His body vanished, leaving behind trails of red orbs and demonic essence. It all cascaded into Roxy, nearly overwhelming her. Vergil moved first, leaping to her as she clumsily dropped to her knees. He propped his body against her back as the sword fell from her hand. She took a deep breath as her head fell back toward the sky. “There,” She said quietly. “I did it.” 

Then she slumped forward, her eyes closed, and she said nothing more. 

[zenithlux]

Cadence - CH 27

I say, I thought you would be home You said you never would be gone But you are. You are

Gone - Daughtry

-----------

When Vergil opened his eyes the second time (or was it the third? Fourth? Everything was blurring together), he was in Devil May Cry. At least he was sitting upright this time, back against the wall with his legs phasing right through Roxy’s body. She was still asleep (so what summoned him? That wasn’t something Kuro had mentioned), and he didn’t miss the way her legs just… flopped in weird ways. He glanced at his fingers but the threads were gone. Vergil frowned. How could he summon them again? How did he see them in the first place? 

Could he heal her?

Roxy… 

“Don’t worry, Mr. Vergil,” Aki’s quiet chirp echoed in his ear. Vergil flinched, glancing around. The owl wasn’t there. “I’m still in here,” his voice said. “I can’t summon myself as you can.”

“I’m not sure this counts as summoning,” Vergil said. 

“You’ll figure it out,” Aki said. “Remember what Kuro said: find a form that doesn’t put pressure on her.”

Vergil still didn’t know what that meant. He thought this ‘form’ would be the easiest. She hadn’t shown much stress when summoning Kuro’s full form. Surely his human form couldn’t be that difficult. But even as he wracked his brain over the numerous possibilities, he was acutely aware that nothing would happen as long as Roxy was asleep. Kuro had been able to summon himself because he’d had years of practice. Vergil doubted he could do the same thing. And maybe that should have frustrated him. The… powerlessness he faced just sitting here, bound to someone he couldn’t even heal. Yet it was his ignorance on the matter that bothered him the most. He couldn’t escape that feeling of failure. Kuro had tried to teach him, but a few hours hadn’t been enough time to take over completely. 

Had the dragon known something might happen? Was that what he was hoping to prepare for?

Suddenly, the door opened, followed by a slow-moving Nico and Kyrie. “Mr. Vergil,” Kyrie said as her eyes scanned the room. They didn’t fall on him, nor did he expect them too. “We’re here to take care of Roxy, okay? That’s all we’re doing.” Vergil didn’t quite understand why she was talking to him (or maybe more towards him) as if he were some kind of wild, unpredictable animal. How long had they been out? It couldn’t have been more than a few days. But the girls picked Roxy up with clearly practiced hands as Kyrie wrapped her arms under her shoulders and Nico picked up her legs. Roxy groaned, but her head simply flopped to the side. 

Vergil followed them out of the room, both curious and uncertain how far he would be able to go attached to her like this. The girls led her into one of Devil May Cry’s bathrooms and slowly turned the dials to the bathtub. Someone must have convinced Dante to pay for the water, as it came out in an instant, crystal clear. Vergil looked away as they undressed her, and he felt a ping of recognition somewhere in the back of his mind. Roxy was awake but quiet. She might still be half asleep for all he knew, but she was aware of her surroundings. He heard a quiet slosh of water and he risked a glance as the girls lowered her into the bathtub. She stared back at them, her… his blue eyes glossy as she sagged in the tub. “Hold on, Roxy,” Nico said as she handed Kyrie the shampoo. We’ll have you out of here before you know it.”

Tears prickled at Vergil’s eyes, but he knew immediately that they were not his own. He hesitated, wondering if he should reach out to her in such a state. Could she even see him? He didn’t know. She wasn’t really looking at anything. More just staring into an empty abyss of her own making. Vergil could feel her sorrow weighing on his own heart. The pain of Kuro’s loss was clearly too much for her to bear. But Vergil didn’t know how to fix that. He couldn’t bring Kuro back. He couldn’t even summon himself. 

Find a form that doesn’t put a strain on her. 

He closed his eyes, pondering the dragon’s words. When had he seen Kuro summon himself? He’d been small, almost like a child with Kuro’s knowledge and memories. What would be the equivalent for Vergil? A part of him wondered if V was the answer, but he doubted summoning his human half was any different than simply summoning himself. No. It had to be something different. Something small and inconsequential, but something that could still help her if he needed to. A summon to bridge the gap until she got her own power back.

As the girls continued their ministrations, Vergil wandered back out into the hallway. He felt a gentle tug on his chest, but he kept it bay by pacing in front of the door. What could he do that wasn’t too taxing? His mind wandered as he walked, considering multiple possibilities. She needed something now. She needed to know he was still here with her. She had to see that Kuro’s death wasn’t for nothing. 

“Mr. Vergil?” Aki said. 

He paused. “Yes?”

“Your form is flexible like this,” Aki said. “At least, that’s what Kuro told me.”

“Summoning myself as a tiny human isn’t going to do us any good.”

“That’s not what I meant,” the owl griffon huffed. “Maybe try something that isn’t human at all.”

Vergil stopped dead in his tracks. Inhuman. He hadn’t even considered it. Was it even possible? A flexible form didn’t necessarily mean he could do something like that. But maybe… just maybe…

He closed his eyes and thought of his own familiars. Griffon had been able to speak, but she needed something more. Nightmare was much too large and had taken far too much of his own power to summon. No, he needed something flexible. Something like Shadow.

Shadow…

Could he really do it?

“It doesn’t hurt to try,” Aki said. 

Or it might hurt a lot. Vergil wasn’t really certain. But what did it matter? This was the best shot they had. So, he closed his eyes and thought of Shadow. How sleek the panther had been. How flexible. All the ways she could transform however he needed. He thought of her claws, her sharp hearing, her demonic fur; anything he could think of he did, rolling it through his mind dozens of times. His limbs started to ache. He heard a crackling sound, and pain shot through every nerve imaginable. Vergil reached for his arm, biting his tongue to keep from crying out. He heard Aki’s voice, but it melted into the background as agony nearly overwhelmed him. But he held on, determined to make things right.

This wasn’t worse than the pain he experienced before.

This wasn’t worse than Mundus.

Roxy. 

When he opened his eyes again, he was lying on the floor. When he groaned, it came out as a purr. Surprised, he snapped his gaze to his hands - paws - and realized it had actually worked. He gently got to his feet, feeling his new, panther muscles moving in an unfamiliar way. His walk was clumsy, and he could feel his tail swinging in an effort to stabilize him. 

Slowly, he moved back to the bathroom and gently pawed at the door. When nothing happened, he tapped it with his head. It shot open as Nico stared down at him in surprise. “Shadow?”

“Not quite,” he thought, but no words came out. Behind her, Kyrie had already drained the tub, and the two had managed to wrap Roxy in the biggest towel Dante owned. Vergil peered past Nico, trying to find Roxy’s eyes. And as her head gently turned to the side, her surprise was obvious. Tears filled her eyes as she whispered the single word that he wanted to hear. 

“Vergil.”

-----------

“So let me get this straight,” Dante said in the most exasperated tone possible. “Roxy is paralyzed from the waist down for reasons we can’t figure out, and Vergil can only manifest himself as a cat.”

“Something like that,” Nico said. “Though that’s all conjecture on our part. He hasn’t said anything.”

“He can’t,” Roxy said quietly. At least now she was sitting upright with her legs propped up on the recliner Dante had gotten a few weeks ago. Vergil was on the couch beside her, tail flicking often in annoyance. It was the only expression he was capable of making, and nobody seemed to notice. 

“And Mundus is still out there somewhere,” Dante said slowly.

“Seems that way,” Nero said. “So what’s the plan? We can’t exactly leave her by herself.” Vergil growled at him, and Nero threw his hands up in mock surrender. “You’re a cat, Dad. There’s not much you can do.”

Vergil didn’t know if he should be offended by the comment, or proud that his son had called him Dad without any sort of hesitation. Maybe it was a little bit of both. Not that he had any way to express it. That would just be too easy. 

“They could stay here,” Dante said. Vergil growled again, and it was his turn to take a step back. “What other plan is there? You can’t exactly stay with Nero and the kids if Mundus is after you.”

“He just needs to learn how to heal my back,” Roxy said, wincing as she sat up. “Then we’ll be fine.”

“He’s still a cat,” Dante argued. 

“I’ll be able to summon him properly once I’m healed,” She snapped back.

“How do you know that for certain?”

“I could summon Kuro.”

“Well no offense to him,” Dante countered. “But he’s a lot different beast than my brother.”

Roxy glared at him. “He was strong in his own right, and I suggest you watch what you say.”

“Look,” Dante said. “I get it. You miss him. A lot. And I don’t blame you in the slightest. But you have to look at the facts, Sunshine. Vergil isn’t just a dragon archdemon. He’s the technical ruler of the Underworld. It would be the equivalent of you summoning…” he trailed off.

“Mundus?” Vergil thought dryly. His tail flicked toward Dante, but he couldn’t will it to spike him. Not yet, anyway. That was something he was determined to figure out first. If his demon could do it, so could this flexible cat form. But Dante seemed to take the hint and kept going. “I’m certain you’ll figure it out. He’s clearly stubborn enough if he’s summoning himself like this,” He gestured in Vergil’s general direction. “To make it work. But we don’t know when that will happen.”

“So what?” Roxy said. “You’re going to sit in here and babysit me until things get better?”

The panic in Dante’s eyes might have been amusing if it were any other situation. “Well… I mean… If I have to.”

“Why doesn’t she just come with me?” Nico said. Vergil’s eyes snapped to hers in surprise, but she kept going. “I mean in the van when Nero and I are out. It’ll give Vergil access to some demon energy to help heal her, and you won’t have to be at home all day.” She shrugged. “Seems like a win-win.”

For a long moment, nobody said anything. Then, Nero sighed in a rather Dante-esque way and hopped off the back of the couch. “If that’s what it takes to fix this, then I have no problem with it.”

“You might draw more demons to you,” Dante warned. 

“That bastard doesn’t have Yamato,” Nero said as he held the sword out to make a point. “That dragon-man couldn’t fight me, and I doubt he’d try again so soon.” He shrugged as he put Yamato on a special strap beside Red Queen. Vergil hadn’t realized he’d been wearing it but was rather proud to see it. He was more surprised Dante hadn’t demanded he take it back. Maybe he still felt guilty for losing it before. 

“And I can help take care of her at night before we leave,” Nico said. “Sound like a deal, V-man?”

It took Vergil far too long to realize that everyone was staring at him. He simply nodded, his attention fixated on Roxy.  She looked pale and exhausted. Maybe he shouldn’t be too surprised, though he hoped it wasn’t because he’d summoned himself. Surely this form had to be weak enough to count. 

He didn’t let himself think about that statement for longer than he had to. 

“You can rest here for tonight, Verge,” Dante said. “Just use your old room.” 

“I’ve got her,” Nero moved to Roxy’s side. “If that’s okay with you.” She simply nodded, and he scooped her up as if she was nothing, hopping up the stairs before Vergil had a chance to leave the couch. Surprised, he did so rather clumsily, glaring at Dante before the latter had a chance to laugh at him. But Dante just shook his head with a small, lopsided smile. “I can’t tease you like that. Ruins all the fun.”

Vergil huffed and followed after his son, stepping into the room as he lay Roxy down on Vergil’s old bed. “We’ll come to get you tomorrow, okay?” Nero said. Roxy nodded again, but Vergil could feel that she had long since checked out of the conversation. Nero hesitated, so Vergil pushed his head against his son’s legs and managed to flick his tail toward the door. “You’ll take care of her then,” Nero said. Vergil nodded and hopped up on the bed with more grace than he’d managed since he’d first transformed. “Well this is weird,” Nero muttered.

“You’re telling me,” Vergil thought. 

“But it’s probably even weirder for you.”

Vergil snorted. It came out as a huff. Nero smiled just a bit, but his expression was wary. Vergil didn’t blame him in the slightest. “You think you’ll be able to fight with me if she stays in the van?” When Vergil nodded again, Nero sighed as he reached for the door. “Sounds like we have a plan then. I’ll see ya then… pops.”

He left at that, and Vergil might have dwelled on his son’s words more if he hadn’t felt a tug between them. He saw the tears in her eyes as she stared helplessly at the ceiling. Her fists clenched at her sides. “He’s gone,” She mumbled. “Kuro’s…. He’s really…”

Vergil nudged her chin and, after a moment of hesitation, licked her cheek in an attempt to get rid of the tear. She sniffled and looked at him. “I’m sorry,” She said. “I’m so…” Vergil head-butted her as gently as possible. Her eyes watered more as she reached up to scratch behind his ears. He purred and lay down beside her, head resting on her stomach. “He’s gone,” She repeated. 

“I know,” He thought.

“What are we going to do?”

Vergil didn’t answer, but he stayed by her side as she eventually cried herself to sleep. 

[zenithlux]

Sneak Peek - Cadence 30

A cup of water appeared in front of him, and Vergil snatched it away, forcing himself to breathe before taking a drink. He nearly choked, but managed to swallow it before the coughing began again. A hand smacked his back and he nearly fell out of bed. “Whoops,” Dante said. “Forgot how… uhh…” 

“Fragile this form is?” Vergil said, his voice hoarse. 

“Your words not mine.”

Vergil glared at him. “Where’s Roxy?”

“She’s fine,” Dante said. “Worry about yourself.”

“Where is she?”

“I told you she’s fine,” Dante huffed, crossing his arms with an indignant glare. “Would I ever lie to you?”

“Yes,” Vergil forced himself to his feet but stumbled the second they touched the ground. Dante reached for him, and it took everything Vergil had to not try pushing him away. His brother was nearly twice his size like this. He’d be lucky if he didn’t knock himself over in the process. “Curse this body,” He muttered, but he didn’t quite mean it.

“At least you’re not a cat.”

[zenithlux]

Cadence Update - 24

Catch up on the story here!

Long lost words whisper slowly to me Still can’t find what keeps me here When all this time I’ve been so hollow inside I know your still there Watching me…

Haunted - Evanescence

-------------

That night, the nightmares returned.

He’d forgotten how miserable each one was; an endless cycle of torture and almost-death that always ended once he’d healed again. He’d tried to forget them. He’d thought he’d moved on. But on this particular night, this particular set of dreams, he knew that he failed. 

Oh Nelo…

Mundus’ face hovered in the sky above him, but Vergil didn’t dare meet its gaze. He couldn’t. Not anymore. Not when that monster was so close to him now. Over and over he chanted: It’s just a dream. It’s just a dream. But that only amused Nightmare Mundus, whose booming laugh reverberated in Vergil’s very bones.

You tried so hard to escape.

Vergil hissed as shards of glass shot through him in so many places his brain couldn’t process them all. He bit his tongue, drawing blood as another one pierced straight through his chest. His lungs collapsed - he’d felt that enough times to know what was happening - and he gasped as air flooded out of him in a panic. 

But this is inevitable, Nelo. 

The shards retreated. His body healed. Air rushed back into his lungs, painfully filling in where the holes had once been. It wouldn’t be long until another series of something impaled him. Glass. Swords. Bones. Yamato. 

Yamato… That is an interesting idea. Mundus whispered. I wonder if I’d be better off discarding your pesky human emotions altogether. 

Vergil wished he could fight back. He prayed for some kind of snide remark that would prove he was still fighting. But nothing came to him but cold, hard dread. He would not survive a second break. His human form would vanish in an instant. His demon half would follow its new master. He would cease to exist. 

Vergil!

Mundus growled. That foolish girl interrupts what she does not understand. 

“Leave her out of this,” Vergil said. 

Vergil! Wake up!

Mundus chuckled. I’m afraid that’s just not possible. But how fun it will be to tear her to pieces in front of you. Maybe I’ll start with the familiars…

“Enough!” Vergil shouted, stretching against the chains that dug further into his skin. “You will not have me.”

We shall see. 

“Wake up!”

Vergil snapped upright in a panic. A yelp of surprise caught him off guard as his hand found flesh. A blast of cold smacked him in the chest. He recoiled as his vision finally cleared. Roxy hit the ground, gasping for air as she reached for her neck. A bruise was already forming, and Vergil realized what he’d done. 

No…

No. No. No.

“Leave!” He yelled.

“No!” She snapped back as she dragged herself to her feet. 

“I said…”

“I’m not leaving you!”

Silence fell. Kuro retreated, his energy slipping back into Roxy. The bruise vanished, leaving Vergil to stare into her furious gaze instead. 

No… not furious. 

Terrified.

“I hurt you.” 

“It was my fault,” She said. “I shouldn’t have tried to shake you awake like that.”

 “You didn’t have a choice.”

“It was Mundus, wasn’t it?” When Vergil said nothing, she sighed and sat down on the edge of the bed. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“You…”

“Dia won’t be back for at least a week. She’s working with Nico as we speak and has Dante and Nero watching out for more unusual portals. Our Yamato thief has not reappeared, but the chances of them finding this place are slim to none.”

“There’s still a chance.”

“That is why we need to figure out what we have to do,” She said. “The moment Dia comes back, we have to make the pact or this will all be for nothing. I’ve located some of my father’s work, but I’ve only found some information on his transplants.” She paused for a moment then, quietly, she said, “Have you always had nightmares?”

“I assumed you were aware of them.”

Roxy blinked. “Why? I sleep pretty soundly when I actually fall asleep.”

“When you actually…?” Vergil trailed off as his gaze hardened. “How many days?”

She looked away. “Since?”

“You’ve slept a full night.”

Still, she didn’t look at him, but her fingers tightened on the blanket. “Three or so.” She mumbled. “I’ve gotten about eight hours total. I think. Maybe less.” She shook her head. “This isn’t about me.”

“If you’ve needed help…”

She snorted. “With what, sleeping? And how are you going to help with that? Sing me a lullaby?”

“You need to rest.” 

“I can’t, Vergil.” There was a hint of anger in her tone, but she clearly didn’t have the energy to express it. “And I don’t appreciate you turning this conversation on me.” When she met his gaze again, it was with a soft, warning glare. “How would I know about your nightmares?”

“Aki,” Vergil said. “He’s always been there when I have one.”

She stared at him, and Vergil was absolutely positive she had no idea what he was talking about. “But why?” She muttered, more to herself than him. “How would that even help?” She went silent for a moment as her eyes closed. Vergil could imagine her reaching deep into her subconscious, searching for Aki’s soul. Maybe she would summon him. Maybe she wouldn’t. It didn’t matter as long as she got answers. When her eyes opened again, they were Kuro’s pale blue. “Aki says he could feel your distress and wanted to comfort you.” She shook her head. “I never considered that my own familiars could help you.” 

“How?”

“Kuro’s magic is primarily healing,” She said. “And Aki has likely absorbed plenty over the years…” Her eyes brightened suddenly as if a literal lightbulb had gone off in her head. “I can help too!”

“What?”

“Proximity,” She whispered. “Maybe if I sleep in the same room…”

“Absolutely not. I’m not risking your life to make myself feel better.” Vergil said. 

Her anger flared up again. This time, she had no trouble showing it. “You didn’t hurt me.”

“I’m not an idiot, Roxy.” He said. “I saw the bruise.”

“I bruise very easily,” She said. “And, as you can see,” she waved her hand near her neck. “It’s gone.”

“Roxy,”

“Please, Vergil,” She said. “Let me at least try.” 

“... You’re not going to give this up are you?”

“Nope.”

Vergil sighed. “Fine.” 

--------------

After three days of near-perfect sleep, it was Kuro who woke Vergil up. 

“Come,” The dragon said, his snout incredibly close to Vergil’s face. “Leave her here.” He hopped off the bed and sauntered away, leaving Vergil to stare at the ceiling. Roxy was asleep beside him, as her heartbeat was a gentle thump that had miraculously kept most of the nightmares away. He’d had a couple, but she’d always been there to soothe him back to sleep. In fact, Roxy had barely left his side since her promise, constantly finding ways to distract him when his mind wandered too far. And Vergil didn’t mind the constant companionship, though he was very aware that he was much less her caretaker now than she was his. But, considering how quiet the rest of his family had been (which he hoped was a good sign), she was the glue holding him together. 

Of course, none of this helped him figure out what Kuro could possibly want on a morning like this. The dragon had been rather quiet as of late. After they’d been forced to give Roxy some of Vergil’s blood to keep her functioning without the extra demons to help, Kuro had all but disappeared. Roxy said he was keeping track of her “from within” (though she had sounded a bit skeptical about that). The dragon had claimed he was giving them privacy, but the two had both agreed they weren’t doing anything that necessarily needed it. Sure, the two had been more open about their feelings toward each other, but they still had a lot to figure out before anything… drastic.

Honestly, that was the furthest thing from Vergil’s mind at the moment. They’d have plenty of time to figure things out once Mundus was taken care of. 

Aki appeared on Vergil’s chest and gave a series of chirps as he tilted his head in what Vergil assumed was a “what are you waiting for?”. Then, the bird ran up Vergil’s arm and curled up in the small space beside a sleeping Roxy. Vergil sighed as he absentmindedly ran his thumb along her arm. Dia hadn’t returned yet, though he had no way of knowing how time worked between her world and theirs. He didn’t have the mental energy to stress over that too. 

A low growl is what finally got him out of bed, and he wasn’t surprised to find a very irritated, and rather large Kuro sitting outside. He towered a good few feet over Vergil, tongue flicking in pure frustration.

Vergil was not impressed. 

“Slow as usual,” Kuro said.

“If you’re trying to intimidate me, don’t bother,” Vergil replied.

“You are not ready.”

“For?”

“To be her familiar.”

Vergil’s eyebrow shot up. “It is temporary, is it not?”

“You don’t know how long that might be,” Kuro said. “What if Mundus’ hold on you does not immediately break? What if his mark remains and he comes after her? What if my power is overused in the process and she needs yours to keep her going?” Kuro’s head rose a bit higher. “You are wholly unprepared for the possibilities, and I am going to teach you.”

“I know how familiars work,” Vergil said. 

“Summoning is a lot different than being summoned.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Kuro huffed. “How do you maintain balance between her energy and yours?”

“I…” Vergil trailed off, realizing the ruse was up.

“How do you keep your thoughts from flowing freely into her mind?”

“I’m sure that’s…”

“How do you keep your nightmares from terrorizing her?”

“You’ve made your point.”

“Have I?” Kuro said. “Do you know how to summon yourself in any form she needs you in, regardless of the strain it puts on you? Do you know how to channel your demonic magic where she needs it instead of yourself? Do you even know what it’s like to put someone else’s safety entirely above your own?” The dragon’s muzzle was uncomfortable close now, and his voice only got louder. “This isn’t some game, Vergil. It’s her life. And I will not allow you to undo the sacrifices I have made to maintain it.” 

“It isn’t my intention to hurt her,” Vergil said. “Nor am I so foolish to risk her life.”

“You’re afraid.”

Vergil’s eyes drifted closed. “Not of her.”

“Of what could happen.”

“I don’t have much of a choice.”

“Which is why I ask that you learn what you can while you have the chance,” Kuro said. “If something goes wrong, you need to be the one in control, understand?” 

Finally, Vergil nodded. “I do.”

[zenithlux]

Cadence Update - CH 20

In which Vergil meets Roxy’s mother and makes a promise

Catch up on the story here!

When we are older you’ll understand What I meant when I said “No, I don’t think Life is quite that simple”

Simple and Clean - Hikaru Utada

 -----------

Forever Horizons was an old, lavish hotel turned into an assisted living facility. Vergil knew from the casual conversation that many of the rooms had been converted to large suites and custom made for whoever needed it. And while she never said it outright, Vergil knew Roxy’s father (and maybe Roxy herself) had poured a large amount of money into it. The red-gray stones on the outside were smooth and clean. The windows were all large and covered by various colored curtains. Vergil saw a few younger folks in some of the open windows. A few grouchy workers here. Some smiling visitors. The gentle sound of laughter echoed in the air, but he heard a few sadder sounds; tears, some yelling, slow heart-beats… it all mixed together into one large story he’d never fully understand. 

“We’ll need a chaperone to visit.” Roxy’s voice was incredibly nervous. She was practically jumping out of her seat, yet looked like she was ready to put the car back in drive and leave without going inside. “They’ll go in first, check her chart, and let us know if we can go in.”

“You didn‘t call in advance?”

“It doesn't matter,” She said as she rushed to put her hair up in a pony-tail. “Her mood changes on a whim, so it's impossible to know if she’ll be the same person throughout the day.”

“Roxy.”

“I mean she could be fine one moment…”

“Roxy.”

“And terrible the next. So…”

“Roxy!”

She froze mid sentence, but her breaths came out in a frantic rush. “I can’t do this,” She whispered. “I can’t… I can’t face her again… not so soon.  This was a mistake.. We should…”

Almost without thinking, Vergil held his hand out to her. Her breath caught in surprise. Her eyes fell to his hand. Her expression flickered with confusion. And, in an attempt to hide his own embarrassment at her sudden silence, Vergil asked, “Are you alright?” 

A long moment of silence that just barely balanced the border between “fine” and “awkward” followed. Roxy continued to stare at his hand, as if it held secrets to life, love, and the universe. He kept himself from moving, uncertain what exactly was going on through her head. The last thing he wanted was for the gesture to feel disingenuous. 

Then, Roxy burst into tear-filled laughter.

Vergil stared at her, uncertain what to say. Did he comfort her? Did he try to laugh with her? Did he pull his hand away and accept that this was her response? And before he could actually decide on a course of action, Roxy put her hand in his and squeezed gently. She was still shaking from what Vergil assumed was actually fear, and not her quieting laughter, but her demeanor seemed to soften.

“This is why I didn’t want to go alone.”

“Gas is far too expensive to waste.” Vergil said as unironically as possible.

She laughed again, but it was much more controlled; back to its usual melodic cadence. Then, she took a long, deep breath. She seemed to exhale all of her problems as her fingers almost intertwined with his. “Thank you, Vergil.”

The way his name rolled off of her tongue. 

He wished he could hear it again and again.

“I’ll be with you, no matter what happens,” Vergil said as she pulled her hand away. 

She nodded. “Let’s go.”

Roxy’s mother was on the third floor and as far in the corner as she possibly could be. And, as Roxy warned him, neither of them could enter the room until a third person- a young lady named Charlotte- checked on the woman herself. And while they waited, Roxy’s nerves returned. Twice she tried to walk away, only for Vergil to step in front of her, and halfheartedly threaten to turn her around himself. Then he waited until she took a deep breath, squeezed his hand, and moved back to the door. 

Finally, after what felt like a lifetime, Charlotte returned with a smile. “She’s calm today,” She said. “But I’ll stay with you, just in case.”

Roxy took a deep breath and nodded. As Charlotte walked back into the room, Vergil held his hand out again. “Are you alright?” 

She paused a moment before pushing her fingers against his palm. The touch, despite its gentle nature, shot electricity through him, just as it did every other time she held his hand. Now, however, he was used to it, so the confusion no longer showed in his expression. “Yes,” she said with a determined nod. Vergil returned it in hopes of encouraging her, and her shoulders relaxed again. “I’m alright.”

“Good,” Vergil nodded towards the door. “Let’s go.”

The room was laid out how he expected it to be. Two hotel rooms brought together which made a space that reminded him of Roxy’s studio. In one half was a modest sized television with a red couch full of black and yellow decorative pillows. The large windows let in a generous amount of light, making the room even more inviting than the pale yellow walls and numerous paintings of flowers already did. In the other was a king-sized bed with a very petite woman wrapped up in blankets. Her hair had been cut short, and was a darker shade of red than Roxy’s natural locks. She looked pale, and much older than Vergil thought she was. Granted, he’d never asked Roxy her mother’s age, but considering how poorly other conversations had gone…

“Hey Mom,” Roxy said as she pulled up a chair. Vergil hovered a few feet away. Close enough to watch over her, but far enough away to be respectful. And by the way the woman’s head only slowly turned to meet Roxy’s gaze, and never once wandered towards him, he knew he was in the right place. 

“Roxanna,” her mother murmured with a small smile. “It’s good to see you again.”

“You too… mom.”

Vergil tilted his head, trying to listen for anything that might give away what her mother was sick from. He assumed it was a mental issue from Roxy’s descriptions, but he wondered if maybe there was something else he was missing. A physical problem that had been exasperated by her stress. 

But when he didn’t hear anything abnormal, he let it go and focused on Roxy instead. She was still shaking, but not enough for a normal human to notice. She didn’t reach for her mother’s hand, nor did her mother reach for her’s. They seemed more like awkward strangers than family, and it made Vergil uneasy. 

“I’m sorry I didn’t bring you anything this time,” Roxy said. “And it looks like they’re taking good care of you.”

“Of course they are,” her mother said.

Awkward silence fell after that. Roxy fidgeted, fingers twisting around each other. She was more nervous than Vergil had seen her in a long time, including their time waiting in the car. Once again, she looked ready to bolt. Vergil shifted next to her preemptively. He reached for her shoulder, but paused, uncertain if that crossed whatever line they’d made between them. But Roxy surprised him when she reached for his hand herself, resting it on her shoulder before her hands fell back into her lap. “Mom,” She said. “This is Vergil.”

“Vergil,” her mother repeated, her lips twisting into something between confusion and a frown. “What happened to Brady?”

“We broke up a long time ago.”

Her mother scoffed. “Good. He wasn’t any good for you.”

“But we’re not…”

“Is he taking good care of you?”

Roxy hesitated, glancing at him. Vergil knew they couldn’t avoid a misunderstanding. No matter what either of them said, her mother would think they were together. There was no reason to argue over it. Not when things seemed to be going so well. “Yes,” Vergil said. “I’m keeping her safe.”

Her mother relaxed back into the pillows, eyes closing. “Good,” she murmured. “That’s good.” 

The second time silence fell over the room, Roxy said, “I'm glad to see you again, but we have to head home.”

“How’s your father, dear?”

Roxy froze, eyes wide. Even Charlotte flinched and shifted closer to the bed. “Mom…” Roxy said. Vergil could hear the panic in her voice as she struggled to find the right words. His grip tightened on her shoulder. His senses snapped to perfect alertness when her mother’s eyes snapped open and her gaze turned murderous. 

“You killed him,” she whispered. 

“No,” Roxy said. “Don’t you remember? He passed away in his sleep. Nobody knows…”

“You killed him!” 

Vergil grabbed her mother’s wrist seconds before it reached Roxy’s face. Roxy scrambled backwards, nearly tumbling out of the chair. Charlotte hit a button beside the bed as she grabbed the woman’s hand. “Calm down, Melinda,” Charlotte said. “Everything is okay.”

“Get out!” She shrieked, twisting in Vergil’s grip. He let her go before her wrist broke, and reached for Roxy instead. “It’s all your fault, Roxanna!” A pillow hit Vergil in the back as he helped Roxy to her feet. “Alina… your father… they’re all dead because of you!”

“It’s time to go,” Charlotte said as two male nurses arrived. “I’m sorry, Roxy.”

Roxy stared past them all, eyes wide in shock. “Come on,” Vergil said, his voice as quiet as possible. Behind them, her mother continued to scream insults, her words shifting between things he could understand and nonsense. “Roxy,” he said again. “We have to go.”

She jerked away, tears in her eyes as she turned and ran. 

“Please,”

Vergil glanced back, surprised. Her mother stared at the ceiling in pure remorse, pinned to the bed by the two other nurses as Charlotte reached for a needle “Take care of her.”

For a moment, he imagined his own mother. What would have happened if she’d survived? How old would she be now? Would she have lost her mind as well, consumed by trauma and pain? How would he react if he and Dante hadn’t been enough?

His stomach twisted at the thought. Roxy…

“I will.” He didn’t wait to see her reaction, as there was someone else who needed him by her side.

It didn’t take long to catch up to Roxy. But as she rushed for the car, Vergil blinked in front of her, blocking her way. “You’re not driving like this.”

“You’re not my father.” She snapped.

“I’m still your caretaker,” Vergil said. “And I take my job very seriously.”

She glared at him, but there were tears in her eyes. “I want to go home.”

“We will. But you need to calm down.”

“Calm down?” She said. “I’m trying Vergil. I’m trying to be the perfect daughter. The one that pays for everything she needs. Visit as often as I can only to get screamed at until I’m ushered out. I’m trying to remind myself that she’s my mother. That I’m supposed to love her. Yet I can’t escape this feeling. I can’t stop myself from wishing that I never had to see her again,” She reached to rub at her face, thought better of it, then tried to turn away. “I’m the worst daughter she could possibly have.”

“You can’t blame yourself,” Vergil said as he shifted back in front of her. She didn’t turn away, but she didn’t meet his gaze either. “Not for her health. Not for the loss of your father or your sister. None of this is your fault.”  

Then, once again, he held his hand out. She stared at it before looking back up at him. “No,” She said. “I’m not alright.”

“I’m not asking you to be,” He said. “But that’s not the point of this, right? You always use it to keep me grounded. To remind me that everything will be alright, even if I don’t understand when or how. This allows both of us to know that we’re not…” He paused, took a deep breath, and said, “That we’re not alone.”  

Tears streamed down Roxy’s face when she took his hand. Then, she barreled straight into him. Vergil barely caught her, stumbling back a few steps as his hands ended up on either side of her.  He stared past her into the figurative abyss as she burst into tears against his chest. He couldn’t think. He could barely breathe. She was so close. So vulnerable. She needed him now more than ever and he didn’t know what to do. 

Yes you do, V’s voice whispered in his head. Don’t be afraid of your feelings, Vergil.

Finally, he wrapped his arms around her back and pulled her as close as possible. She melted into him when he did so, pressing her face harder into his chest. “You’re alright,” Vergil said softly. “You’re going to be alright, Roxy. I…” He took a deep breath. “I will never leave you, for as long as you will have me.”

He didn’t know if she heard him, but her tears slowed. After a few minutes, where he held her close and waited in silence, she lifted her head and sniffled. “I’m sorry,” she said. “I just…” 

Vergil shook his head. “You did what you needed to do. Never be ashamed of that.” After a moment of hesitation, he pulled one hand to her cheek. He brushed her last tear away with his thumb. She leaned into him, placing her own hand on top of his. And when they stayed like that, it was as if time itself had stopped. It didn’t feel like an eternity. 

No, it felt like a moment he never wanted to end. 

But, as much as he wanted to stay with her in front of the old hotel forever, he knew people were waiting at home. “Come with me,” Vergil said softly. “Just a short walk. Give yourself some time to breathe, then we can go home.” 

[zenithlux]

Cadence - CH 19

In which Vergil plans to meet Roxy’s mother, but things are not quite that simple.

Catch up on the story here!

Now is the time To step from the dark into the light Cause you can’t change what you’ve done But you can choose who you’ll become

Start Over Again - Addison Road

It took Vergil less than two days to summon his tail.

Kuro was not impressed.

“Is that truly all you can do?” Kuro said as he flicked his own tail in what Vergil assumed was a weird display of dominance. Vergil ignored it, gazing at himself in the mirror. Despite the dragon’s words, Vergil was proud. Not only had he managed to summon the thing - which started between his shoulder blades and curled around his feet- but he’d pulled it off without tearing any clothing or skin. And considering the number of inexpensive t-shirts he’d gone through while practicing, he was satisfied with these results. 

His beloved coat would survive the transformation. 

“You say that as if I am an ancient dragon,” Vergil said. 

Kuro huffed. “You are a Son of Sparda. I expected more.”

“You’re an archdemon,” Vergil countered. “I expect more.”

Vergil swore he heard a chuckle of amusement, but it was difficult to tell through the dragon’s natural voice. “Do you feel it?” Kuro said. “A fifth appendage waiting for your command.”

That was where the problem lay. Beyond the natural weight of the tail itself Vergil didn’t feel anything. There was no sensation of a third arm or leg. Nothing connecting his brain to the thing hanging from his back. Yet it moved on its own, swishing occasionally from side to side, or even thumping the ground when Vergil was irritated. But all of it was instinctual. Vergil himself couldn’t control it. And that perplexed him more than the logistics of summoning the tail itself. 

“If it makes you feel better,” Roxy said. “I think it’s impressive.” She leaned forward from her spot on his bed, eyes wide with happiness. The two were sharing the same space temporarily, with Nico and Nero in Roxy’s place. It had been at Nico’s request as, after hearing about the potential pact, she’d deemed it important that the two ‘get as close as possible’. Nero had nearly yelled at her over that, until all of them realized she had said it completely unironically and hadn’t at all meant it the way they thought she did.  So, Vergil took the bed at Roxy’s request, and she took the couch. The two had continued on with their routine as if everything were normal and they weren’t constantly ten or less feet from each other..

Kuro snorted. “Of course you would.”

She blushed, glaring at him. “He summoned his tail Kuro. In his human form! Is that not fascinating?” She looked almost dreamy in a way, and Vergil cursed the well of pride that he felt at her excitement. 

“It won’t do him any good if he can’t control it.” 

“But if he learned how to summon it that quickly, then he can learn anything.”

Kuro rolled his eyes. “You have too much faith in him.”

“Or you don’t have enough.” 

“He hasn’t shown any promise so far,” Kuro said with a huff. “Move your tail, Sparda-spawn. On purpose.”

Vergil scowled at him. The tail thumped. “Sparda-spawn?”

“It comes off the tongue more easily than Son of Sparda.”

“Sure it does.”

“You can do it though… right?” Roxy said. “I mean maybe not right now, but you can learn.”

Vergil stared at her, trying to ignore the way his heart was thudding in his chest. The idea of failing her… the thought of not making her expectations… He loathed it. 

Now he was certain that he had well and truly lost it.

“Yes,” He said with as much confidence as he could muster. He let the tail go, satisfied when it vanished within a few seconds of him asking it to. He tugged on his gloves to occupy himself, as he was certain he wouldn’t be able to stand still otherwise. “But you want something, yes?”

This time, it was Roxy who stared at him. Vergil wouldn’t admit that it had been a lucky guess. Why else would she have come into his room? Surely it hadn’t been to admire him. 

“Maybe I just wanted to see how you were doing?”

… Or maybe it had.

“You look distressed,” Vergil said. It was another shot in the dark, but he liked to think he knew her well enough to tell between her usual, cheerful demeanor and this tense, I’m pretending to be happy one. “What is bothering you?”

Roxy looked away. “I have to visit my mother,” She  muttered as if the idea deeply pained her. “I haven’t been there in a few… months… so…” She trailed off with a frustrated sigh. “I was hoping you would go with me.”

Kuro snorted. “I do not think it wise to introduce him to your mother.”

“It’s not about introducing him,” Roxy argued. “It’s about me not wanting to be alone.”

“You are never alone.” 

“I can’t exactly show my demon hating mother a demonic dragon, Kuro.”

“But you are willing to go with a half-demon?”

“It’s not like she’s going to know.”

“You need to think with your…”

“I’ll go,” Vergil interrupted. “Nero and Nico will be fine for one day.”

After a moment of silence, Kuro sighed. “Fine. Do what you will.” 

“We have to drive,” Roxy said. “Since, no Yamato and all.”

Vergil twitched. “How long?”

“Might want to bring a book,” Roxy said. “Or ten.”

--------------

Three hours into the drive, Vergil was grateful that he’d listened to Roxy, as he was certain he would have lost his mind an hour ago. 

He couldn’t remember the last time he’d been on such a long trip. He’d spent a few hours here and there with Nico in Fortuna, but that had always been in the city. They’d always made numerous stops to keep Nico (and Vergil) from going insane, and there had always been some demons to fight somewhere. This was just… a road of nothing to nowhere. All he’d seen since they passed through the city was grass. Endless waves of various shades of green and the occasional cow that reminded him that there was other life in the universe. 

You’re being dramatic, He could imagine practically everyone in his life saying. That’s why he kept a majority of his thoughts to himself, glancing through his fourth book as he made a conscious effort to read slower. Roxy had mentioned that they probably wouldn’t make it home until long after the sun went down, so Vergil hoped his demon eye-sight would come in handy. 

For now, however, Vergil decided that simple conversation would suffice.

“What is your relationship like with your mother?” He said. While he already knew the answer - not very good - he was hoping she’d elaborate. 

“Pretty terrible,” She said as bluntly as a baseball bat to the skull. “Things fell apart after the accident. She blamed me for it, fought with my dad over it, and gradually lost her mind. While I was away trying to live this new paraplegic life, my father had to put her into assisted living because neither of us were capable of providing for her.” She paused for a moment, fingers tapping the steering wheel. “I try to visit once and awhile, but the chances of finding her as… herself…” She sighed. “I think just seeing me sets her off.”

“Do you know why?”

She was silent for a few minutes, and Vergil wondered if he’d gone too far. “I haven’t told you about the accident, have I?” 

“You don’t have to.”

She tapped the steering wheel again. “I’d rather you hear it from me than her.”

Vergil glanced out the window. “Take your time.” 

It was another half hour before she pulled into a resting spot and spoke again. “I was twenty-two at the time. My sister, Alina, and I were coming home from a concert she’d been dreaming of for months.” Vergil didn’t miss the small smile as her eyes drifted out the window. “Alina was the golden child of the family. She was finishing her doctorate and on her way to working at the biggest hospital in the city. I was the artist. The child that my father loved for the same creativity that my mother loathed.”

“She wanted you to follow your sister?”

“Not necessarily,” She said as she looked back at him. “She knew I wasn’t cut out to be a surgeon, but she wanted me to do something else. Anything, really. She didn’t approve of the time I spent studying demons with my father or my dreams of opening a studio or… anything really.” She shrugged. “It didn’t matter. I knew she disapproved, but we had a decent relationship anyway. She loved to cook, and I’d join her whenever possible. She taught me how to sew and knit and a dozen other “handy hobbies” that I could still stumble my way through if I tried. But Alina was always her favorite.”

Vergil’s heart fell into his stomach. He had a feeling he knew where this was going. “She didn’t make it.”

“Drunk driver,” Roxy whispered. “He was driving a truck with dozens of metal pipes. When he hit us, they dislodged. And… well…” She looked away as a tear slipped down her cheek. “Alina died on the spot and I… ” She touched her lower stomach with a wince. “They told me the pole went straight through, but I don’t remember anything before I woke up from the surgery.” 

Images of Yamato plunging through his chest made Vergil wince. His fingers twitched as he resisted the urge to reach for the scar that hadn’t gone away. The pain had been… immense. As were most things that plunged through someone’s body. But he couldn’t imagine being human and experiencing it. He couldn’t imagine not knowing if he’d live at the end of it (even if he hadn’t truly known the devil he was unleashing). “You don’t remember the accident then.”

She shook her head. “It hurts sometimes,” She said. “The scars. But Kuro takes good care of me, and I barely feel them anymore.” Vergil swore he saw her entire body relax. It was as if the weight of the world had finally been lifted from her shoulders. He hadn’t even realized how naturally tense she had been. Behind the constant smiles and the laughter and the encouragement… How long had she wanted to tell him this? Had she told anyone? Surely Kuro knew…

“Thank you,” Vergil said. 

She blinked in surprise. “For what?”

“Sharing your story with me,” Vergil met her gaze, fully aware that anything else would be disingenuous. “I know how hard it is to share something so personal, and I hope I do not squander the faith you have put in me.”

She smiled as a second tear fell along her cheek. “We’ve got about an hour left to go,” She said as she pulled back onto the road. “I’m happy to talk if you don’t want to power through the rest of your books so soon. I’ve got much better memories to share than that.” 

Vergil nodded, swallowing the twinge of guilt in his chest. I’m sorry, Roxy. He thought. I wish I was strong enough to share my past with you. 

[zenithlux]

Cadence Update - 29

Catch up on the story here!

I become one with my demon My dark side keeps me alive Become one with my demon Let the beast outside of my mind There are two sides to everyone I have become one With my demon

My Demon - Stitched Up Heart

--------------

It took a few days before Roxy fully recovered, but Vergil couldn’t help but feel proud of himself. He had finally figured it out. He finally located the source of his own energy to provide for her. And she was finally accepting it. She was summoning Aki again. Fighting demons like she was supposed to. She was even laughing from time to time. And while Vergil couldn’t say she had moved on - there was still a lot of sadness behind the smiles she gave him- she was moving forward. Which, considering their circumstances, was the best Vergil could have hoped for.

The next step was to summon his full self, something that neither of them was certain about. They both knew it was a priority. Mundus himself could fall out of the sky at any minute and none of them would be prepared. But the more Roxy tried it, the more frustrated she got. And all Vergil had managed to do was slip into what he was calling his “Griffon Form”. Or, most importantly, the form that could actually speak. He didn’t particularly like it much, but desperate times called for desperate measures, and that was all he could manage. 

At the very least, he could express his discontent with Nico as she tore his jacket to shreds. 

“What’s the point of this?”

“You’ll see.”

His feathers ruffled before he could stop them. “Are you doing something useful at least?”

She clicked her tongue. “Maybe.” 

“Helpful.”

“Hopefully!”

He rolled his eyes, glancing at Roxy. She had resigned herself to the front seat, staring out the window with a slight frown on her face. He knew she was tired. They’d been hunting demons for a few hours now and, unfortunately, it didn’t seem to be getting any better. Vergil knew from his limited contact with Dante that demons were seemingly everywhere, but nobody could find the source. The local hunters guild had been reinstated from the Qliphoth days, but their measly forces weren’t near enough.  Nero had mentioned some demons popping up in Fortuna, but nothing close to the scale of Redgrave. 

A loud rip almost startled him.“I hope you’re paying me back for that,” Vergil muttered. 

“Nope,” Nico said with a shrug. 

“And why not?”

“If you’re going to keep bothering me, maybe you should leave,” Nico shot back, throwing her hands in the air. “You’re almost worse than that stupid bird, V-man.”

Vergil glared at her, but Roxy patted his head with a silent warning. He ruffled his feathers again, looking back to her. “What?”

Roxy sighed as she got out of the van, strapping the blade to her back as Aki landed on her shoulder. “There’s always more demons to kill,” She said. “We’ll be back. Call if you need anything.” She waited for Vergil to slip out the door before she slammed it, flinched, then issued the van a silent apology before walking away. 

After a few quiet minutes, Vergil pushed his thoughts into her head.“I know you’re upset,” Vergil said as he shifted into Shadow’s form. Roxy said nothing as she kept walking. “But you can’t let it cloud your judgment.”

“I’m not,” She said. “We’re fighting demons. There’s no judgment to be clouded.” She crossed her arms, but Vergil noticed the way she held onto them; uncertain, not stubborn. “I’m fine.”

Vergil raised an eyebrow, waiting. But she kept walking in silence. He could hear murmurs of her thoughts on the edge of his mind, but he had yet to figure out how to pick them apart from his own. But he knew her well, and Roxy rarely kept her thoughts from him for long. He was grateful they’d established that kind of trust before everything started or her endless stream of consciousness might have driven him mad. 

Finally, after at least ten minutes of walking, she said, “I’m pathetic, aren’t I?”

The harshness of her words caught him off guard. No, he said without hesitation. She glanced back at him in mild disbelief. Why would you think that?

“Mundus will likely be here soon,” She said. “The guy he wants is trapped somewhere between a bird and a cat because his summoner, who has absorbed more than enough energy, is too busy trying not to cry.” She reached for the sword, staring at it with sadness in her eyes. “I can’t get over him. Kuro’s death. The lies. The memories taken from me. The friend I’ve lost to it all. Her hand tightened around it as her eyes snapped shut. “I’m… a failure.”

No, you’re not, Vergil said as he sat in front of her. She sighed, moving to sit down beside him. He continued once she met his gaze again. You’re protecting ‘that man’ despite the risk to yourself, and you continue to do so despite your grief.

“But…”

But nothing, He said. Your sadness isn’t something you’ll get over quickly, but you need to accept that if you ever want to move on.

She pulled her knees to her chest, looking away as she drew circles on the ground. “How did you move past your mother’s death?”

Vergil paused, uncertain. This was probably a question he should have expected, though a part of him wished she had asked Dante. For once, his brother would be a lot better at explaining something than he was. Vergil was certain Dante had accepted it all at some point. He’d moved on. Made friends. Built a life for himself. Vergil had done none of that. Not before he met her. Even then, his life was a continuous string of failures, most of them stemming from mistakes of the past. “I’m sorry,” She said quietly. “I shouldn’t have…”

Some would argue I haven’t, He said finally. Even now.

She stared at him, lips parted as if she wanted to say something, but couldn’t think of what. But before she figured her thought out, the ground rumbled. She shot to her feet, eyes darting in all directions. The smell of demons rose in the air, so suddenly that it caught even Vergil off guard. “That’s not right,” He said, ears flattening against his head. “They shouldn’t have come on that sudden.”

“A portal?” Roxy said. 

Must be.

She swore under her breath. “We need to get back to Nico. I can’t..” She spun around, then froze, eyes darting up to the sky. On the rooftop of the closest building was a small army of bugs. Not Empusas like Vergil was used to, but much larger, purple praying mantises. Their skin looked like rocks crammed together, and their beady red eyes glowed as they all stared down at them. Vergil growled, moving to intercept them, but Roxy stopped him short. “Look,” She said. His breath caught when he realized that all the roofs were covered in the same bugs; rows and rows of identical creatures surrounding them. And, as much as it pained him to hear it, Vergil wasn’t surprised when Roxy muttered, “We can’t fight them all.”  

But the bugs didn’t move beyond a gentle sway. Their eyes were clearly locked on the pair, though they didn’t make any kind of noise or any effort to do… anything. What are they waiting for? Vergil thought as his heart fell into the pit of his stomach. A commander was his first guess, but who that might be…

A low whistle echoed through the streets. In a split second, both he and Roxy thought the same thing. 

Run. 

He lashed out at the closest set of bugs, swiping his tail across them before they hit the ground. Roxy shot them just as quickly, and the two took off through the only open hole. It was too late when he realized they were running away from the van instead of toward it. “That’s a good thing,” Roxy said. “ What’s Nico going to do with this mess. 

What are we going to do with this mess?

If she had an answer to that, she didn’t say it. The demons spilled through the streets, chasing after them with loud clicks and buzzes. They were far too fast for Vergil’s liking. And while he would have no problem outrunning them, Roxy didn’t stand a chance. And if Roxy got caught, he was as good as dead. For a brief moment, he loathed this useless form. But he felt her sorrow a split second later and shoved it away. There were much bigger things to worry about. So, they kept running, with Vergil doing everything he could to keep her pace. But the bugs seemed to only get faster, and he knew Roxy was running out of breath. Finally, Vergil spun around, skidded a few feet backward, ignored her cries of surprise, and prepared to do… something. 

What happens if I die?

He didn’t have time to ponder that question before the bugs were on him. He fought off what he could, trying to channel everything he could remember about his former familiar. But it wasn’t much use. The demons just kept coming, stumbling over each other as they all tried to get to him. Time seemed to slow down as a particularly large one leaped for him. He tried to smack it down, but it wasn’t any use.

“Vergil!”

Her arms wrapped around him just before the bug collided. Vergil’s eyes widened. The bug raised its bladed arm. 

A wall of ice sprung from the ground, smacking the bug and all of its followers clean out of the sky. Roxy gasped, and Vergil could feel her skin turn clammy against his own. She looked up, shocked as they realized that wall was actually a thin pyramid, surrounding them both with only a small hole looking out toward the sky. The bugs slammed themselves against it, but they didn’t crack it. Soon, they were surrounded again, but nothing broke through. They tried to climb the walls, only to tumble back into the heap beneath them. 

“Kuro,” Roxy whispered. “But… How?”

He probably should have been equally astonished. But all Vergil felt was anger. Are you crazy? He snapped, nearly knocking her over as he lifted his head. What was your plan? 

She gawked at him. “You think this is a time to be arguing?”

You nearly got yourself killed. 

“I was trying to save your life.”

What good was that going to do?

“Maybe if you had kept running!”

You weren’t going to get much further!

Her eyes softened as she sat back. “I… I didn’t have a plan,” she admitted softly. “I just… I couldn’t let you just… I don’t know.” She sighed eyes glistening with tears. “I don’t know how long this ice will hold… or where it even came from. I doubt these creatures are going to give up. And whoever called them is probably coming for us.” She tried to smile, but Vergil could feel her fear as she reached out to pat his head. “Maybe Nico will call your brother.”

But as her hand touched his head, an explosion of pain shot through his body. He bit back a cry and tried to pull away, but she only came with him, her hand stuck against his skin. Let go!

“I’m trying!” She said, desperately tugging on her arm. Light blue light shot from her hand into him, pulsing through his veins with a coldness he didn’t think he could survive. His body twisted, trying to fight it off. He clawed at the ground, searching for any chance to pull away.  Everything went blurry. Finally, her hand pulled away and her crumbled in a heap. A shiver wracked through his body, and he found himself reaching for his knees, desperate to curl up for any sort of heat he could find.

Wait.

His eyes shot open, only to find Roxy staring at him. “Vergil?” She asked as she shed her coat. “Is that…?” She shook her head as she lay the coat on top of him. “It’s okay,” She said as she pulled him closer. The ease at which she moved him was astounding, but his human form had always been agonizingly frail. 

Finally, she hugged him tightly, her warmth gently soothing the cold ache in his body. But he didn’t miss the ice along her neck and wrists. “Your freezing,” He said quietly. She didn’t respond, only held him tighter. He closed his eyes for a moment, trying to push the dizziness away. “It’s progress,” He said as calmly as he could before another shiver nearly knocked him out. She hummed in something close to an agreement but didn’t move. A loud whoop of delight in the distance made Vergil shake his head as his body relaxed with relief. “It’s okay,” He whispered. “Everythings… okay.” He sagged against her as his eyes forced themselves back closed and he drifted off to sleep. 

[zenithlux]

Cadence - CH 17

In which Vergil learns what might be wrong with him, with help from his friends and family.

Catch up on the story here!

Don’t say I’m out of touch With this rampant chaos your reality I know well what lies beyond my slipping refuge The nightmare I built my own world to escape.

Imaginary - Evanescence

It took less than ten minutes for Vergil to have an existential crisis. 

Why did I call Nero?

Why didn’t I call Dante?

What is wrong with me?

Why will you not leave me alone?

And the questions went on and on; a never-ending wave of increasingly dark and impossible to answer things. Vergil tried to stop them. He tried not to think about the possibilities or the mark on his chest. He tried to convince himself that the voice in his head was no more than a nightmare. That the portal he would have opened would have led to nowhere, and he’d just looked like a fool in front of Kuro. 

That sword no longer belongs to you. Kuro had said. 

What does he know?

A knock on the door startled him. “Verge?” Dante’s voice echoed inside. 

Go away, Vergil tried to say, but nothing happened. 

“Nero said you might need some help.”

Vergil held back a swear as he forced himself to his feet. He’d barely started zipping his vest up before he heard. “Oh hey Kuro! Didn’t know you could open the door.” 

“Are you calling me a fool, mortal?”

“... Why do you have Yamato?”

“Your brother almost returned to his master.”

Vergil took a single step and hit the floor before he could stop himself. 

When he opened his eyes again, he saw nothing but pure darkness. He tried to sit up, but a pair of burly hands pushed him back down. Panicked, Vergil fought back. Something cold slipped from his head as he yanked on the arms. They pushed harder, fingernails digging into his skin. Voices echoed in from all directions- a rabble of nothingness. “Let me go!” He snapped. “I will not…”

Nelo. 

“I’m not...”

Come back to me, Nelo.

“I’m not his…”

“Dad!”

He froze as a single word broke through the chaos. Dad? No one had ever called him that. No one should call him that. He wasn’t a father. He was barely a man. Just some pawn in Mundus’ endless game. Vergil thought he could escape. He thought this was over. Was two decades of his life not enough? Would the consequences of his mistakes never end?

“I wouldn’t do that, Sunshine,” another voice said. “He’s not exactly in his right mind.”

“It’s alright,” A woman said. Vergil recognized them both, but couldn’t place their names. Everything was dark. So dark. So cold. He was trapped again. Paralyzed and lost in the suit he’d been shoved into. 

Then a soft hand brushed his cheek. “Vergil,” The woman’s voice whispered again. “You’re alright. We’re all here for you.”

His eyes snapped open as he gasped for air. Dante’s hand tightened on his shoulder, but it was Roxy’s eyes he met first. Behind her was Nero with a look of pure relief as his shoulders sagged forward and he shook his head. Even further away was Nico with Aki in her hand and a smaller Kuro on her shoulder. “Let go,” Vergil said. This time, his voice was calm enough that Dante listened. Yet, Vergil didn’t sit up. Instead, he let his eyes drift back to her. “You’re awake.”

“Thanks to you,” Roxy said with a nod. Her hand had yet to leave his cheek. “Kuro didn’t have to do much this time.”

“How long has it been.”

“A little over a day I’ve been told.”

“A day,” Vergil said, his voice hollow. “I’ve been out for a day?”

“I found you unconscious in the bathroom,” Dante said. “Don’t worry though! I cleaned ya up and the kid only found ya sleeping,” He gave Vergil a lazy grin, but he heard the truth behind his brother’s oddly peppy words, nobody saw the mark but me. Vergil nodded, hoping to convey his gratitude. If Dante understood or not, he didn’t respond.  

“What happened?” Nero said. 

Vergil’s eyes closed for another moment. What did he say to that? The truth seemed more unbelievable than anything else he could say. But he had called Nero here for… something. 

Why had he thought that this was the right call again?

Yamato. 

And, as painful as it was to admit it, Vergil said. “I need one of you to take Yamato.”

Nero, Nico, and Dante all exchanged glances. “Who are you and what have you done to my brother?” Dante said. 

That time, Roxy pulled away as Vergil practically shot upright. “Do you honestly think I’d joke about such a thing?”

Dante threw his hands up between them. “I mean the things practically your security blanket, Verge. I’m shocked you’re not holding it right now.”

He wasn’t wrong necessarily, but Vergil really thought his brother could word that entire sentence differently. Instead, he explained what was happening. Or, at the very least, what he assumed was happening. It was difficult to know for certain what was in his head or not. He’d recognize Mundus’ voice from anywhere, as it had permeated all of his nightmares since even before he’d escaped hell. But whether or not he was actually calling to him…

He stopped short and glared at Kuro. “You knew.”

Kuro snorted. “I used to be one of Mundus’ pets myself a long time ago. I remember you.”

Vergil’s eyes widened. “I don’t…”

“I escaped just after he promoted you,” The dragon said. “As did my brother. But my story isn’t important.”

“Promoted?” Nero said. “So you were, what, working for this… Mundus guy?”

That time, it was Dante and Vergil who exchanged glances. “Listen, kid,” Dante said slowly, looking to Vergil for permission. When Vergil said nothing, Dante continued. “Did you ever wonder why your dad was gone for so long? Why he never sought you out or all that jazz?”

Nero frowned. “I just assumed…” He trailed off.

“That I wanted nothing to do with you?” Vergil said.

A slight red tinged Nero’s cheeks. “Well I know now that you didn’t know about me. But still… figured you were an asshole for just abandoning whoever my mom was too.”

“He abandoned everyone,” Dante muttered. Vergil glared at him, but his brother didn’t meet it. “He was trapped in hell, Nero. Twenty years of his life, gone to this ‘Mundus guy’.” 

“I’ve heard of him,” Roxy whispered. “But I never imagined…” She closed her eyes and shook her head before meeting his gaze again. “Kuro explained what happened, and we have a theory as to what’s going on. I’ve already called Dia on the matter but…” She trailed off as her eyes flickered away. 

“What?” Vergil asked.

“You’re probably not gonna like it.”

 “Just get on with it,” Vergil snapped. She flinched before he caught himself, but an apology didn’t come. If she expected one, she didn’t show it. “What’s your theory?” Vergil said, his voice much quieter than before. A part of him already knew what she was going to say , but hearing it was much better than assumptions.

“Kuro believes that Mundus forced you to make a pact with him,” Roxy said. “Now that you’re free, he’s trying to call you back.”

The room went dead silent. Even the younger devil hunters, who had learned Mundus’ name all of five minutes ago, went slack-jawed as their eyes snapped to him. Vergil couldn’t read anyone’s expressions. Dante’s lips were pressed together, and his gaze had hardened to the point that even his eyes didn’t give anything away. Nero looked somewhere between horrified, confused, and trying to find the right words to say. Nico looked like she was pondering something beyond Vergil’s comprehension. Only Roxy’s expression was soft as she placed her fingers on the back of his hand. “It’s alright,” She said. “We can fix this.”

“How?” Vergil said. “How can you fix this, Roxy?”

It was Nico who snorted. “Who knows more about pacts than our resident summoner, V-man?”

“Dia, technically,” Roxy said. “But yes, I know a good amount.” She pushed herself to her feet and took a small step back. “Can the rest of you leave for a bit? I need to speak to Vergil.”

“Are you sure about that?” Dante said. “He’s nearly lost it twice.”

“Keep that sword away,” Kuro growled as he crawled onto Roxy’s shoulder. “And she’ll have nothing to fear.”

“No offense,” Nero said. “But I’m with Dante on this one.”

“I’m not a wild animal,” Vergil said. 

“But are you in control?” Dante said.

Vergil glared at his brother. “Yes.”

Dante shrugged. “Alright then,” He beckoned to the other two. “I’ll grab Yamato. You’ll have to take Nico back to the van.” He waved his hand in front of her face to make a point. She didn’t even blink. “She’s far, far away in a galaxy I like to call the Nico-veerse.” He disappeared into the kitchen before returning with Yamato. “We’ll be nearby, sunshine. Holler if you need us,” He glanced at Vergil one last time. But, when Vergil nodded, his brother smiled and left. 

“We hadn’t planned on leaving for a few days,” Nero said. “So…”

“We won’t be long,” Roxy said. “Promise.”

Nero hesitated, but he soon followed after Dante, dragging a very distracted Nico behind him. Aki chirped his goodbye as he hopped off Nico’s shoulder and found his way onto Vergil’s lap where he curled up and promptly fell asleep. And while Vergil thought he should have found this annoying in any other situation, the creature’s soft purrs against his legs was oddly soothing. All he could remember was Shadow sleeping beside him on the few nights his human self got any rest. He recalled how he’d wake up in the morning with the oversized kitten lying right on top of him, only a few pounds shy of crushing him outright. 

He’d found that comforting too.

“Dia’s going to visit tomorrow,” Roxy said. “But I need to know what we’re dealing with.” She hesitated, followed by a sigh. “I know you’re probably not comfortable with the idea, but Dante mentioned a mark?”

“... It appeared yesterday.”

“I don’t doubt it.”

“How could you possibly know any of this?” Vergil said. 

“I know how pact making works,” She countered. “Every demon can be made into a familiar, Vergil. Half-demon or otherwise. My father and Dia studied the effects of half-demon familiars for years before he died. I don’t know everything, but I know enough.” She shook her head. “Humans are able to escape it. Demons can’t. The two halves of your mind are fighting with each other. However…”

“However?”

“Half-demons need a powerful item to bind them to another soul,” Kuro said. “Marks can manifest, yes. But they are not enough. Not when the host wishes to control the other.”

“We think Mundus may have used Yamato,” Roxy said. “If he knew of its portal capabilities, then it’s likely he assumed he could bring you back whenever he wanted, so losing you wasn’t an issue.”

“He likely did not expect you to resist.”

“How can you be certain of any of this?” Vergil asked.

“I’m not,” She said. “With everything I and Dia know, it’s still a shot in the dark. But it’s all we’ve got right now, Vergil.”

“Luckily for you,” Kuro said as he hopped down to the couch. “We may already have a solution.”

“Which is?” Vergil said. 

“Dia thinks that we may be able to break your connection with him by creating a new one with me.”

Vergil didn’t understand why his body clenched at the thought. He didn’t know why he suddenly felt light headed, or why the world was spinning. And he certainly didn’t know why he recoiled at the sheer idea of making a pact with her. But there it was. An uncertain and terrible fear that burned in his veins and pulsed in his head. But, as if noticing his distress (was it really that obvious?) Roxy quickly sat across from him. “I would never force you to do anything you don’t want to do,” She said. “And Dia thinks I can break it the second you are free from Mundus’ control.”

That didn’t make him feel any better. “You’re asking me to risk…” He trailed off, self-conscious. Servitude was the word on his tongue, but was that even fair? He wanted to believe that he trusted Roxy. They had gotten to know each other over the last nine or so months. Almost a year now as friends, and at least three months as close companions.

But did that mean he trusted her with his life?

And if not… Did he trust anyone?

“If it would make you more comfortable,” She said. “Then I can show you my own marks as well.”

“You would do that?” Vergil said. “For me?”

“I’m asking you to give me something very personal,” She said. “It’s only fair that I do the same for you.”

“Besides,” Kuro said with a flick of his tongue. “If making a pact is the only way to protect you, then you’ll have to trust each other, or it will never work.”

Vergil was starting to think that the dragon might be reading his thoughts, but he didn’t dare mention it less he gave himself away. But his heart stilled as Roxy held her hand out. “Are you alright?” She whispered; the silly, special phrase that had quickly become their own. Slowly, Vergil met her fingers with his own and nodded. And in that moment, as she squeezed his hand with a quiet reassurance and returned his gaze with a confident smile, Vergil decided that he would trust her. Her, his brother, his son, Nico… all of them. 

Because if there was one thing Vergil had finally learned over all these years, it was that he couldn’t fight a war on his own. 

“I’ll go first,” She said. “If that’s alright.” She pulled away from him and shed her sweatshirt, revealing a tight fitting tank top beneath. And it was at that moment that Vergil fully realized just  how small the woman before him was. He’d known this already, as her head only came to his chest even in shoes, but she looked even more petite than before. The thought of hurting her… of crushing her with a single hand… 

He squeezed his eyes shut when she wasn’t looking, and pulled his thoughts back to reality. He wouldn’t hurt her. He couldn’t hurt her. Not Roxy. Not the woman he’ d grown to care so deeply for. 

Care deeply for. 

He really was a fool.

And Vergil might have blushed once she removed her shirt, but his eyes drifted to the ice blue swirls on her stomach. Her marks were much lighter than his had been, but Vergil could still see the exquisite details of every small snowflake. The lines continued around her waist, and when she turned, Vergil saw that both sides connected to a dragon-wing. Vergil could feel the demonic magic pulsing from the lines themselves, and he realized that this was the power he'd been feeling. Kuro's power, yes, but mixed with her own humanity. But behind the marks were scars; long, jagged scars that Vergil was certain would never truly fade. Momentos of the accident, he assumed. But they were worse than he thought. But right now, as she shared a piece of herself with him, he didn't dare ask for more. 

He had a feeling he'd know soon enough. 

When she turned back to face him, there was a playfulness to her tone. It was almost as if this was all completely normal and she wasn't sitting before him in a rather lacy and debatably risque blue bra. And it was that thought, of all things, that finally brought the heat to his cheeks. But only a little. No more than was necessary. (He'd have to ponder the strange buzzing energy that pulsed through the rest of him later). "Your turn," She said. And when he did unzip his vest, she waited for a nod before pressing her fingers against his mark. 

Her touch made him shiver. This was wildly intimate. More so than any hand holding. But if she felt any discomfort, she didn't show it. Professional, Vergil thought. And if she could manage that, so could he. 

“The good news,” She said as her fingers traced the lines. “Is that this isn’t a very strong mark, meaning he’s aware that you can fight him off if given enough time.” 

“Why would it appear now?”

“Could be to scare you,” she said. “He might want you to think that you don’t have a choice, or that returning to him is an inevitability. But do you see how faded the lines are?” Vergil nodded before she continued. “His link to you is tenuous at best, and I think Kuro was right about Yamato.”

The dragon huffed. “Of course I was.”

“Regardless,” she said with a soft glare in the familar’s direction. “Dia will be able to tell us more tomorrow.” Her gaze shifted back to his chest and she frowned.

“What is it?”

“This one in the middle,” She said. “ It’s not a mark, persay. It’s more of a scar. But you heal everything… right?" 

Vergil reached for the zipper of his vest. "I guess some wounds never heal… even mine."

Then their eyes met, and it took everything Vergil had to keep his gaze on hers. Roxy was close now. So…. very close. If he turned just right and leaned forward just enough… 

“Are you alright?” She whispered, but there was something else to her tone. Something else Vergil couldn’t quite pick out of the chaos raging in his mind. He found himself reaching for her cheek, and his knuckles gently caressed the skin as he stared into her beautiful emerald eyes. She tilted her head and nuzzled against him, eyes never leaving his own. The hand on his chest drifted to the side as she shifted closer. Her breath was cool on his lips and smelled of mint. He tilted his head and leaned in…

“If you were planning this,” Dia’s voice echoed in disapproval. “Then you probably shouldn’t have called me.”

Roxy jumped at the same time as Vergil. And, in an uncharacteristic show of clumsiness, his forehead knocked straight into hers. The resounding thud made his ears ring. She groaned as she pulled away, rubbing the side of her forehead as she fumbled around for her jacket. “It wasn’t like that,” She muttered. “And you said you were coming tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow. Today. It’s all the same.” She waved her off. “Now lets see if we can fix our little Mundus problem, shall we?”

Ko-fi – Master List – AO3

[zenithlux]

Cadence 23 - Update

In which Vergil and Roxy discuss their options.

Catch up on the story here!

‘Cause I’ve been shaking I’ve been bending backwards till I’m broke Watching all these dreams go up in smoke

Ashes - Céline Dion

 ------------

For a long moment, Vergil was silent. He thought he should be furious. How could Dante lose Yamato at a time like this? Vergil had entrusted it to him because he assumed nothing, not even Mundus, could steal it from him. But when he tried to pull on that expected anger, he found nothing but fear; an all-consuming terror that gnawed at his chest and pulsed through his blood. It threatened to consume him with every breath he took as the world closed in. 

You’re mine, Nelo. 

He didn’t know if that was his paranoia or Mundus himself. 

“Vergil?” Roxy said. 

“How did it happen?” Vergil shook his head as he instinctively caressed her cheek to calm his nerves. He didn’t know why that was his go-to. He’d never tried it before. But it seemed to work, despite the storm that threatened to overtake him. 

The panic in Dante’s voice didn’t help. “I don’t know for sure,” He said. “Nico wanted to look it over. She thought she might be able to use another demon to replicate a portion of its power or something. She was trying to make a new sword for your guy’s temporary pact.”

“Clever,” Vergil said, his voice hollow.

“She had it in this container thing to analyze it when a portal appeared outside. It took me seconds to take the demons out, but by the time I got back, Nico was in a panic saying a portal opened or some shit. A hand broke through the project and grabbed it right from under her.”

Mundus. That was the only name he could think of. Mundus. Mundus Mundus. Who else would go looking for Yamato? Who else would be able to track it so well? Maybe there were other demons that knew about it. And there were probably a few that wanted it. But surely none of them were stupid enough (or maybe clever enouigh) to try stealing it from Dante. 

“I’m sorry, Vergil,” Dante said. “I really… I shouldn’t have let it out of my sight.”

Vergil took a deep, shaky breath. Roxy’s head tilted into his hand as he relayed what Dante had said. “If Mundus has Yamato, then he can call you back,” She said. 

He didn’t think it was possible for his heart to sink any lower. “How easily?”

“I don’t know.”

“The pact,” Dante said. “Can you make it now?”

Roxy grimaced. “Dia was still looking into it, and we don’t have something strong enough to contain his level of power, even for a few seconds.”

“So we’re fucked?”

Vergil didn’t repeat that. “Call Dia,” He murmured. “She’ll know what to do.” It was difficult speaking like this. He felt like he was in a haze of nothingness, going through the expected motions with none of the effort. But what else could he do? He could feel something pulling at him, but was it him thinking of all the ways this could go wrong? Was it Mundus making a move? Was he losing his mind?

“Breathe, Vergil,” Roxy said, reaching for his own cheek. “I need you here, okay? Or none of this will work.”

He nodded, but it was as empty as his words. “Can you get back here, Dante?”

“Do you want me to leave the kid and his family here alone?”

Vergil closed his eyes. Why hadn’t he thought of that? Nero’s safety should be his top priority, yet all he could think about was himself. “No,” he said. “Roxy and I will deal with this. Protect…” His voice broke. “Protect Nero.”

“You’re going to be alright, Verge,” Dante said. “I promise.”

Vergil wanted to believe it. But, as he hung up, he realized just how broken he felt inside. He didn’t hear Roxy speaking. He didn’t realize it when she hung up, and barely felt her tugging on his arm. “We’re going to Dia’s home,” She said. “But we have to hurry.”

Vergil let her drag him away, trying to escape that one, single name… and the voice that accompanied it.

Soon, Nelo.

You’ll be all mine. 

Vergil had no idea how they reached Dia’s home. One minute, they were in Roxy’s apartment, her going through her bookshelves as he watched her from the bed. The next, she had grabbed a book, shouted, “aha” then he blinked and the room was gone. Instead, he was sitting on a stump in the middle of a forest that just happened to be as tall as her bed, and she was staring at an evergreen tree. To their right was a cottage with a thatched roof, cream panelling, wooden beams around the windows, and an old oak door that looked like it was seconds from falling off. The door slammed open before Vergil could react. Dia stormed toward them, yelling,. “More warning would have sufficed!”

“I could have said the same thing about you,” Roxy snapped. 

Dia glared at her. “I know you’re upset, but don’t you dare start taking it out on me.”

“Please tell me you have a plan.” 

“Barely,” Dia said. “But you are safe here.”

“Safe?” Vergil said. “How can you guarantee that?”

“My home exists between worlds,” Dia said, almost offended. As if Vergil was supposed to magically know such a thing. “It is very difficult to find if you’ve never been here before. Even those capable of making portals like our mysterious Yamato thief would need years or significant luck to make it here. ” She hobbled over to Roxy. “Now you mentioned this Nico girl may have an idea.”

“I’m not sure the specifics,” Roxy said. “But it sounds like she was making a false Yamato of sorts. Something we could use to make the temporary pact. But I’m not sure how far she got before it was stolen.”

“That is an interesting solution,” Dia said. “Theoretically if you imbue it with the power of an unrelated demon it could work.”

“Maybe Kuro?”

“Absolutely not.”

“But…”

“He needs to be as strong as possible to keep you alive,” Dia said. “If something were to happen to Kuro’s power, then either you would die, or Vergil would have to take his place.” There was a long pause. “Permanently.” 

Permanently.

Vergil was only vaguely surprised that that word barely bothered him now. Considering the alternative…

Wait. 

“Is it because of her paralysis?” Vergil said. “I can work with her if the stasis becomes more severe.”

The hesitation on Dia’s face gave Vergil pause. Even Roxy looked a bit confused, glancing between them. “He’s… not wrong… right?” She said. “There has to be a way around it.”

“It’s not that simple,” The demoness said. “Both of you stay here. I am going to see if I can get your friend to my world without too much of a fuss.”

“You think she can help?”

“I think she’s on the right track,” Dia said as she sauntered away. “The cottage is all yours for the next few days, but please try not to destroy anything. I only have one.” She paused for a moment, and glanced at Vergil. “You should probably tell her the truth. Sooner rather than later. That fruit is the reason this is such a problem.” 

And as her words hit him like a ton of bricks, Dia vanished into thin air. 

“Truth?” Roxy said. “Vergil?”

Vergil closed his eyes. Which truth did she want? There were so many mistakes. So many failures. Which truth would Dia even know? He was too exhausted to think. Too… 

Broken.

“Vergil,” Roxy whispered as she stepped up beside him. He hated how weary she looked. Hated the way she approached him like some kind of wild animal. Like he would snap at any moment. But could he really blame her? Who knew how close Mundus was to his mind now. And who would stop the demon king if he appeared right now, or pulled Vergil away? Or, even worse, what would she do if Mundus forced Vergil to fight her? 

What would he do if he lost someone else?

“Leave, Roxy,” Vergil said. “You can’t…”

“I’m not going anywhere.”

Rage coursed through him so fast he couldn’t stop it. “Don’t you get it?” He snapped. “I’m nothing but a monster, and that’s all I’m destined to be.” He rose from the log, his mind racing. Words spilled out before he could stop them. “I’m the one who rose the Qliphoth Tree. I’m the monster who wanted power so badly that I destroyed the entire city for the power of the demon king. I tore myself in half, discarded my human form, killed hundreds of thousands of people,” He choked on his words. Something pricked the corner of his eyes; a feeling he hadn’t felt in decades. “So go, Roxy. Leave me to this fate. It’s what I deserve.”

Silence fell. Her eyes were as wide as they could go. And even though she had taken a long step back. Even though she had postured herself to run as far away as possible, Vergil didn’t see fear in her eyes. He didn’t see the hurt or betrayal he expected. And, as she took a long and deep breath, she stood up straight, closed her eyes for a moment, and tightened her lips into a thin line. 

“Mundus did that to you, didn’t he?”

Vergil stared at her. “What?”

“He tortured you,” She said as she took a step toward him. “Did he not?”

“That doesn’t…”

“Kuro told me all the stories,” She whispered. “How the demon king tore demons apart, just so they could put themselves back together again. How he manipulated and murdered whoever he wanted. How he made people forget who they were, took away their names, and enslaved them.” She stopped right in front of him, her eyes steely with determination. “You escaped, and your broken mind did what you thought was right.”

“You don’t understand.”

“Then keep going,” She said. “Tell me everything. Talk until you can’t think anymore. Until everything is off your chest and you can move on.” 

Vergil froze, dumbfounded. How could she talk like she was forgiving him? Did she not hear what he’d said? Did she not understand the pain he’d caused? The destruction he’d wrought because he hadn’t believed in his human self?

Then, her hand touched his chest. “That scar,” she murmured. “The marks… they represent the day you broke yourself in two, don’t they.”

“Yamato separates man from devil,” Vergil said, his voice hollow. 

“You stabbed yourself?”

Slowly, he nodded. “My body was crumbling… every step I took was pure agony. I couldn’t remember anything. All I knew was that I had to fight my brother. I had to win. I had to prove I could… but my demon half did more than I ever expected him too. He was… pure evil incarnate. A creature that ate the Qliphoth fruit because power was more important than life.”

“And your human half?”

That was the moment Vergil realized that her voice was soothing. His anger and fear had all but evaporated. His thoughts had slowed. His mind was clinging to the memories she wanted to hear, desperate to prove that he deserved a second chance. “He regretted everything,” Vergil said. “He realized his mistakes, and fought desperately to fix them. But…” He took a deep breath. “He also wanted to live. He wanted to reunite with that demon… that monster… and keep fighting. He wanted to prove that he was worth something, despite the endless pool of regret and failures.” Despite his deep breath, his next words were spoken in a whisper. “He wanted to be protected... and loved.”

She brushed his cheek. “Maybe that’s why your demon changed.”

“What?”

“You said this demon form of yours is a new one, right?”

Once again, Vergil was baffled. “He changed because I ate the fruit.”

She shook her head. “I think he changed because you did.” Her hand pressed harder against his chest, as if attempting to reach his very soul. “Can you ever atone for what happened? I don’t know. But I believe this you is different from the demon that you unleashed. This you cares about this world. This you has a purpose. A family. A future.” She looked up at him. “A reason to be a better person, and keep fighting for a better world.”

If he were any other person, Vergil would have crumbled right then and there. But as her arms slowly wrapped around him, and as she whispered over and over about how everything would be okay, Vergil found himself humbled by it all. And when she gently pushed him back to sit on the log to meet her gaze, he didn’t stop her. He watched her eyes as she ran her hands up onto his shoulders and kissed his forehead. 

“I don’t know how yet,” Roxy whispered. “But I will protect you, Vergil. As long as I breathe, he will not take you from me.”

In that moment, he believed her.