A bit of a shorter chapter this time, sorry about that, the next one (Which I'm actually mostly done already) will make up for it. Also, I've decided I'm going to give each of the chapters names, including the ones I've already written. A meaningless thing for the most part but I feel like just having a generic Chapter X naming scheme is a little too generic.
Vergil sat in front of a roaring fireplace, on the lap of his mother. She had called him into the room, and said she had something important to discuss with him. She started by handing him a necklace, with a red stone in it. Vergil looked at her.
"What's this?"
"It's an amulet. A very special one. It's going to be your job to keep it safe. But this is only half of the amulet. Your brother has the other half of it. And through it, you two will always be connected."
"Dante?" Vergil scoffed, crossing his arms. "He'll probably lose it."
"I think you should have more faith in your brother."
"Why should I? He's lazy, he makes everything around him dirty, he's always goofing off..."
"I don't think that's a bad thing. I love your father, and you remind me very much of him. But if everyone was as serious as him and you, the world would be a very boring place."
"He's immature." Vergil said, clearly grumpy and not convinced. His mother gave him a moment to sulk, then put her hand on his shoulder.
"You still love him, don't you?"
"Well...I guess..." Vergil said, clearly begrudgingly.
"You're the older brother. That means it's your job to keep him safe."
Vergil looked up at her, confused. "But...what about you? And father?"
"Of course, we will too, but there may come a day when we're no longer around to do that. When that day comes, that task will fall to you."
He looked at his mother, annoyed. "I'm not going to be his babysitter!"
She chuckled. "That's not what I'm saying. I'm just asking you to be there for him. Sometimes, all someone needs is to know that someone's at their side, someone they can trust not to abandon them."
"But...what if demons come? Wouldn't I have to do more? Wouldn't I have to fight?"
A sad look overtook her face. "You may, yes. But don't worry. You and your brother, you're special. You're Sons of Sparda. You already have the strength you need, even if you don't know it yet."
"But what if I need more? Father has a lot of enemies, right? And a lot of them are strong. What if I'm not strong enough to face them? What if I need more power, what if-"
She put a hand on his shoulder to stop him. "Can I tell you a secret, Vergil? Once you can never repeat to anyone?" He nodded. "Your father struggled with those same temptations. He wasn't always as strong as he is now. To protect what he cared about, he had to seek out power. And he too, had to struggle against his inner urges. The urge to seek out power for no other reason than to gain more, the urge to misuse it. And he was a full blooded demon, so he had to resist urges that were coming from his very being."
"Then...how did he resist it?"
"He never told me directly, but...if I had to guess, I would say that he tempered his urges by focusing on why he wanted it. He kept reminding himself of why he wanted the power, of who he wanted to protect. For you, that is your brother. And in time, you may find other things you wish to protect."
"Power, in itself, is not evil. It's only when you lose sight of yourself that power corrupts you. And what point is there to power, if all you do is scare away those who you wish to protect? So, what I would say to you, Vergil, if you ever find yourself in doubt, is this..."
She leaned in so that she was looking directly at him. "Remember who you are. Don't let your emotions control you..."
Down on the ground, Dante was picking himself up after the long fall off of the tower. As he did so, he could sense someone behind him, and took a wild guess. Not that it was hard, there was a grand total of 3 other people in the tower, one would have already been shooting, and one would have continued to lecture him, so that left one person.
"Where you been, Scarface?"
"Making preparations." Arkham said as he stepped forward.
"Uh huh. Sounds real interesting." He said as he looked back up at the top of the tower.
"You could go back up there. But I have another idea. Something you may be interested in."
"Pass."
"It involves your father." This earned Arkham a sudden look. "Or rather, his legacy. I've done my research. And I know for a fact, you hate your heritage. You hate that Sparda's name hangs over you."
"Maybe. What's your point?"
"I have told you what this tower is. What I have not told you is what lies on the other side. His power. Sparda's power. Power he sealed away, long ago, when he split the two worlds. All that would have to be done to get to it, is to open the gate, and walk through."
"Problem is, I don't give a shit about his power. I don't want it."
"I am not saying you have to take it up yourself. No, quite the opposite. I require your help, to open the gate. And in return, I will offer you the chance to reach his power...and destroy it."
Dante crossed his arms, looking up. "Think about it" Arkham said, stepping forward another step. "What greater insult would there be to your father's legacy, then to undo everything he has done, and then destroy the power that made it possible in the first place?"
He mulled this over. "How much of a pain is it going to be?"
"The effort on your part will be minimal. All you need do is follow me to the basement."
He took one last moment to glance back up. "He will be sure to follow." Arkham said. "Most likely, you will get your rematch, one way or another."
"Alright then." He waved in front of him. "Lead on."
Slowly, Vergil came to, the rain having already stopped, and slowly picked himself up off the ground. Instantly, he could tell something had...changed. He felt stronger. Stronger than he ever had before. He stepped forward, grabbing his sword off the ground, and placed it into his sheath.
Slowly, memories of the last few moments of the fight returned to him, and he understood. He walked over to a statue, and applied a hard punch to it. The thing cracked, and then shattered into pieces, a feat he was rather sure he could not do before.
So...I've awakened to my demonic half, and had to almost die to do it. Is this why Dante's been stronger, since that day?
Naturally, information about half demons like he and his brother in the texts Vergil had poured over was minimal to non-existent. And Dante was naturally not forthcoming with whatever had happened that day. He closed his eyes, considering this.
Now I have the power to face him as an equal. Next time will be different. But...this power. I've never felt this powerful, not in all of my life. And...
He dug deep, and found a new source of demonic power deep within that had not been there before.
I can call on that form. And my power will likely only grow when I do. But I have to be careful. Such a rapid growth of power...if I rely too much on it, it will become a crutch, at best, and an obsession at worst.
In that moment, he suddenly realized something else. A feeling on his neck that had become almost second nature, one that was not there now. He reached into his coat, and noticed his amulet was missing.
Dante must have taken it. Why, I don't know. But another reason to go after him.
He stepped to the edge of the tower, looking down.
He would have returned by now, had he been coming back. That must mean he is going down. To the control room.
He considered the best method to get down rapidly for a moment. Then he decided on the quickest method, and swan dived off of the tower.