Thank you for all the support. You guys truly make my day. Now, it's been a while since I've written out my individual messages to my reviewers. In fact, I don't think I've done it since the days of HiTH, which makes me sad. So here I go again, I've missed this, telling everyone individually what you guys mean to me. (laughs)
Bear with me, the notes may take up to a page long or so!
Kikoken: Much thanks for the kind words. I know you've been very very busy lately so to know that you took the time out to read my stuff fills me with a great sense of happiness.
I'm me, who are you: Nice name.P I'm glad you liked the ending. I just hope you like this ending just as much.
Kireiko: Prepare for some more potential OOCness. It was actually meant to start off in character but then things gradually spiralled out of my control. It's odd, when I write, I'm merely writing what happens. It's like I don't make it happen, the characters do themselves. For me, that's what being a writer is all abut. Infusing a character with so much personality that it actually thinks for itself instead of you having to. I guess that makes very little sense, so now you're probably scared and probably thinking I'm a psycho. (frowns slightly) Ah well!
Veronica: I hope you like this chapter just as much as you enjoyed the last one. I'm new to this though, remember? Well, relatively new to romance anyway.
Mental-Chick246: (winces) Eeek! I'm sorry for making you cry! I just get so carried away when I write angst. I dunno, when I get depressed, I start to write about things I feel and think about and voila.
Laylah: Hello! It was SUCH an honour to be reviewed by you! After all, you write Vergil so wonderfully, so to be able to have received a review from you was seriously one of the happinest moments of my life! And now I've probably scared you away by admitting to that. Heh, whoops!
Mor: You have only yourself to thank that I didn't scrap this. Thanks so much for all theencouragement. I couldn't have done it if you hadn't told me to keep going.
VergilSparda666: No, thank YOU for giving me great fics to read in my spare time when I've been too lazy to type! Well, because of you, this is no longer a one-shot, I just hope you don't kill me for what happens.
Vampy Sparda: Hey YOU! (tackles and hugs) well, here you go, another chapter. (laughs) I know what you're thinking "Oh crap! That means I have to review! I'm running out of things to SAY!" I think we all go through that point at some stage or the other. I know what the feeling is like. Anyway, prepare to see more little known sides to Vergil. And much OOCness. (gags)
Kalina Ann: Yes, I certainly DO know who! Thanks for reviewing! I hope you didn't feel you had to wait too long for this.
BloodyDemonEmpress: Thank you! (happy face) You know me, I can't get enough of tragicness and angstiness when it comes to writing. I just hope that it doesn't turn stale anytime soon. great, now I sound like a cookery show.
PrincessChaos: I have the sudden terrible feeling that all my fics are depressing because nearly all of them have nearly reduced you to tears. I'm sorry!
And last but certainly not least:-
Black Shadow Fox: Thank you. I really tried to make it seem as though vergil was lost, so it's a relief to know that I succeeded. I've been sending you E mail messages all the time, don't tell me none of them have gone through? Damn...anyway, I hope you read this message. It seems my E-mail is being crappy. As usual. (scratches head)
Anyway, enough authoress' notes, I think I commented to everyone I could. I hope everyone enjoys the fic!
Chapter 2
My mother watches me and enfolds me lovingly into her arms. I breathe in deeply, close my eyes, basking in this beautiful warm glow of love. I feel as though I am bathing in something pure, something wondrous, as though I am dancing in the sunlight. Which is ironic. I never danced. I never liked the light. But now? Everything seems so precious. I want only to be by my mother's side. But what's this? What's happening? She's pulling away from me, and searching my eyes. And then, before my very eyes, her face starts to fall.
'Vergil?' she whispers softly. I stare at her, unsure of what was going on. She shakes her head as though shocked and the expression on her face changes from shock to grief. 'Vergil…' she said again, her voice like a low moan. 'Why?'
What did she mean "why?" Couldn't she see? I wanted power. I wanted to be near her again. I wanted to bring her back.
Was that really so hard to understand? Was it really so difficult to comprehend my way of thinking? If I gained enough power, then I would have done it. If I had gained enough power, I would have defeated Mundus myself, I would have lived, I would not have been bested by Dante.
I would have brought her back.
I seethe with anger, hurt that my mother fails to understand the way I am, the way I think. But I was an idiot. I had adopted a fairytale world, where my childhood was gorgeous and sweet, where there was no pain, where there was no anger.
In my dreamscape, I was loved and adored. In my world, I was happy, and I never felt hard done by.
In reality, I was always full of anger.
In reality, I knew that my parents loved me, and I knew that I had some sort of affection for them. But there was also the fact that Dante was perfect in every way. He may have been unruly, he may have used coarse language, but he was warm and full of a bubbling vivacity that I never possessed, but wished I did.
I was quiet, I was calm. My every move was based on winning my parents' pride. I would strive hard, study hard and excel in all my subjects all in order to please them. Yet everything I did was overshadowed by my brother, who seemed to do as much effortlessly. He was charming and sweet. I was cold and reserved.
Even today, he can still effortlessly charm the birds out of the trees. And me? What do I have? Nothing. I can't even keep my mother smiling when I die and join her. I bet she wishes secretly that she had Dante with her instead of me.
'Why?' she asks again. I stare at her angrily.
'Because I wanted to bring you back.'
'You'd attack your brother?'
'Of course. That's how much you mean to me, Mother. Or didn't you realize? Haven't you realized yet?' I find myself replying tetchily. She looks slightly taken aback.
'Vergil?' she asks again.
'Why have I never been able to make you smile the way my brother has been able to? Why can't you ever show me half the love that you show my brother? Why can't you accept that I am different from Dante. That I am not him?'
'But you sided with Mundus? The very one who your father sealed! And Temen-Ni-Gru? You sought to break the very seal that your father created, and you succeeded. Is that really the actions of a son who loves us as we loved him?'
I stare at her, confused and angry.
'Where are we anyway?'
'Where do you think?' Mother's voice was hard and wretched, as though I was gutting her while she was alive. I think in many ways that I am, but I am fuelled by rage, furious that she can't understand my thoughts, angry that she's making me out to be some sort of heinous criminal.
I am no criminal.
I did all this for her.
But she's staring at me now. I see another formless shape materialize behind her, and I am immediately struck by fear. I don't have to see the face to know who it is.
He stares at me, and I lower my head, refusing to meet his eyes. They're right, I admit it. They are right.
'You don't belong here…' Father says slowly, softly, his voice filled with a deep regret. It feels as though a knife is being twisted in my chest. 'They won't allow you to stay. But you are my son, and I believe there is some good in you. As one last favour to your father, prove them that I am right.'
I look quickly towards my mother, and she's crying. I feel flushed with shame. I never wanted to hurt any of them. I never wanted my parents to stare down at me with shame.
I feel a sudden flash of pain, and I stagger, bent double. Father holds me close, a loving, warm embrace, despite the horrible acts I committed. I close my eyes, this pain is unreal, like nothing I have ever experienced throughout the duration of my life. I open my eyes, but my father is no longer there, neither is my mother. I'm lying on the floor, gasping with pain.
My heart races, and I can feel it's beating against my chest. I take another deep breath before staring about. I'm lying in a puddle of my own blood, still on the wrecked island that once was Mallet.
I sit up slowly, and the pain has gone. Was that all some kind of a dream or was it reality?
I stand and stagger unsteadily, allowing a soft groan to escape my lips. I felt as though I belonged for once in my life, and it has all been taken away. I gather my weapon to me before limping away, determined to try and find a way off this accursed island.
