Act 2: Moon River
An afternoon in Fortuna city, warm weather with a pleasant breeze as spring begins to transition to summer. A few clouds roam freely by with birds singing and flying as they please; the children of the city's orphanage run and play merrily under supervision sitting on the benches or playing with the children. In the gazebo sit a familiar young lady and an elderly woman enjoying afternoon tea together.
"The day almost feels perfect, doesn't it Kyrie?"
The elderly woman is the headmistress of the orphanage and has been for close to thirty years and she cannot bring herself to dislike any of the children left in her care. She remembers Kyrie fondly when she was a child, always brought by her parents and brother to help care for the children whenever they can and how Kyrie always had a warm heart that could never truly despise anyone no matter how horrible they treated her; she truly is a pure soul.
"Yes headmistress, it's seems like Fortuna is finally healing from the pain left by the Order."
Kyrie's eyes gazed sadly down at her cup, all the lives lost including her brother Credo. He believed so much in the world the Order promised and was killed when she was used as bait to harm Nero. She missed Credo everyday and wished on some days that he could come back and he, she and Nero could become a family again. But Nero helps ease that pain, he promised that he would protect her at all costs in Credo's stead and that Credo would never forgive him if he didn't.
"Nero has grown into a fine young man, he has the Will of Sparda within him and it will allow him to do so much good in the world."
"Actually headmistress."
Kyrie didn't want to interrupt her but she needed to get answers for Nero while he was away with Dante, Nero would never ask himself and he will defiantly be angry with Kyrie when he finds out; but if it can give him some answers and help Nero in some way, then she'll try.
"I have a question about Nero." Kyrie takes a deep breath and asks her question.
"What do you remember about the day Nero first arrived here?"
"I've already told you many times about that morning." She maybe old but the headmistress is known for her near perfect memory as she has never forgotten the name of any child that was ever under her care.
"I know but, but what about a cut on the right side of his neck?" The headmistress froze and locked eyes with Kyrie, she obviously knows something.
"How did you-"
"Nero's been having nightmares lately; they used to happen every few nights, but now it's every night and it is the exact same dream every time."
'It starts the same way, I open my eyes to a dark room with shadows created by the moon and fight orange glow above my head; I think it's a nightlight. I'm lying on my back in a small wooden crib; I can see a master bed with long wooden posts that make a canopy when I look down. I can't tell what colors they are, it's too dark and in the dream I can't see very far. I see the ceiling when I look up and the wall when I look right.
When I look to my left I see a record player, my head suddenly turns to the record player because I hear music and I start looking around for something and am getting upset when I can't find it; I feel anxiety when I can't see it and I want to know why. The song that plays feels soothing to me, I feel like I have heard that song over and over again. It stars with an acoustic guitar playing and a man with a voice that could be in an opera starts singing.
Moon River, wider than a mile
I'm crossing you in style someday
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way.
As I star at the record player I see a black shadowy figure make its way towards me and I'm not afraid because I think that person is what I'm looking for. I begin to reach out and I feel so happy, I want that person to hold my hand and gently rub it. That's when I notice that I'm reaching out with my right harm and it's completely normal and so small, like a baby's.
Two drifters, off to see the world
There's such a lot of world to see
We're after the same rainbow's end
Waiting round the bend
My huckleberry friend
Moon River
And me.
As the song repeats the first verse as a chorus, I become shocked when the shadow isn't the one I want and I'm confused but this person wraps his hand around mine gently and sticks his index finger out as if he's pointing at me. I can see the person better now; A man in his thirties with medium length black hair and is wearing a dark suit. Looking at his smile, it's empty and fake as he leans his head left to right with the music. The chorus ends and the singer continues.
Oh, dream maker, you heart breaker
Wherever you're going, I'm going your way
Two drifters, off to see the world
I hear something and turn my head to the left and up trying to see and I'm happy because it's the one I want. I hear them talking but all I can hear are mumbles between them, but I can hear the song perfectly as the singer gets louder.
We're after the same rainbow's end
Waiting round the bend
My huckleberry friend
Moon River…
As if on cue from the song as soon as the last verse is sung, the man's nail gets longer and stabs me in the side of my neck.
And me.
It's sudden and I'm both scared and in pain and the moment I hear that last two words I tense up because I know what's gonna happen and I don't want it to but I'm forced to watch it over and over every night when I sleep. When I do wake up I'm haunted by the memory of hearing a baby screaming, which I guess is me. I'm sweating, out of breath and terrified to go back to sleep because I don't want to go through that again, but I have to if I want to rest up enough to fight off demons. I want to know what this is, am I remembering something or does it happen because of Yamato.
This reoccurring dream didn't start until after Yamato and when I awakened my demonic power.'
"I told Nero that he might want to speak to Dante about it because, as the Son of Sparda, he might know how to help Nero better than I can, but if I can get answers from hear maybe that will give Nero a starting point."
Kyrie finished her story and pleaded with the headmistress if there was anything she could tell her about Nero's predicament. The headmistress was silent and sipped from her tea and told Kyrie the only things she knew.
"Nero did have a cut on his neck when I found him on that morning; it was treated with some kind of green herbal medicine and wrapped carefully around."
"Is that all?"
The headmistress poured herself another cup and drank from it then sighed heavily.
"One of the thing I've noticed in my years here, if abandoned children believed that their parents loved then, then they would hope that their parents would return for them and send their time hoping. I've seen many children crushed when reality set in and it sends then down am downward spiral. I decided to keep certain information that I find away from then in the hopes that it will keep them from destroying their future.
Around Nero's wrist was a small chain with a thin plate, the words engraved with the skills of a master. Each letter expertly crafted like the hand writing of a loving mother; I claimed Nero was named for the black blanket he was in, but in reality it was the bracelet with his name engraved."