Pleas in the Dark

Vergil leaned over Jeremy's sleeping body and touched his forehead. Jeremy slowly opened his eyes. He inhaled a cold breeze that blew through the nonexistant ceiling. Jeremy found himself staring at a starry sky.

"I'm glad you survived," was all Vergil said before turning away.

"Survived what?" Jeremy sat up and shivered. He realized it was freezing cold. He was sitting on an elevated slab of marble. "Where am I?"

"Don't worry," Jeremy said. He walked towards a large stone statue. Its head peered easily over the walls towards whatever lay beyond. "It won't be cold for long. You won't notice when we return you to your true self."

"Okay." Jeremy folded his arms. "You've lost me."

"I know you don't remember. How old are you?"

"What?"

"How old are you?" Vergil repeated.

"Why are you asking such a stupid question?"

"Your father says it will help you remember who you are."

"My father? What the hell is going on? Who are you?"

"Sensible questions." Vergil seized Jeremy's arm and pulled him towards the statue. "You've obviously been spending too much time on Earth with humans. You actually believe you are one."

Jeremy snatched his arm free. "What the hell is going on!"

Vergil shook his head in iritation. "My name is Vergil. I am the son of Dante, son of Sparda, and Deanna Min Ná, former empress of Shangri- La."

"You're Lilith's brother?"

"Yes."

"Why haven't I heard of you before?"

"That doesn't matter."

Jeremy grabbed Vergil's arm to maintain his attention. "What are Sparda and Shangri-La?"

"Have you heard of them before?"

"No, but I've heard stranger things. Lilith actually told me that her grandfather was a demon. Isn't that crazy?"

"Sparda. That would be my grandfather."

Jeremy nodded. "Yeah." He waited to receive an explanation.

"He was the one who rebelled against his master in Hell."

Jeremy's jaw dropped. "What did you say?"

"Over two millinia ago, he rebelled against his master in Hell. He defended the Earth against the legions of hell, and now his son and granddaughter wish to continue that legacy. I'm a bit of a disappointment to them."

Jeremy remained silent. Vergil looked at him. "Let me guess. You don't believe me. Maybe if you heard it from someone else, you won't be so stubborn."

"Lilith told me something like that earlier. I didn't believe her either."

"Then maybe you'll believe your father."

(X)

Lilith leaned over the pool table and lined up her shot. The eight ball blocked the one shot she needed. "I don't think you can make it," Dante chided.

"I've made this shot a million times."

"But you're not focused. You won't make it."

Lilith pulled her cue back as she prepared to make the shot. A knock at the door was distraction enough. Instead of making the ball bounce over the eight ball as she intended, it hit the eight ball and careened to the side. Dante fought the urge to said, "Told you."

"Whoever it is," he called, "we're open!"

Jeremy let himself into the office. Dante and Lilith stared at him as if he'd tried to kill them. Then Lilith responded, "What the hell are you doing here?"

Before Jeremy could answer, Dante moved to place his cue onto the table. "I should probably go for a walk."

"Don't," Lilith said casually. "You might want to here this. I have nothing to hide."

Dante shrugged. At the same time he prepared to make a shot, Jeremy said, "I saw Vergil."

Dante hit the ball the wrong way. It flew over the side of the table, bounced, and rolled until it hit the wall.

Dante straightened. "What did you say?"

Jeremy looked at Dante. "I saw your son."

"I have no son."

This time it was Lilith who looked at her father. Jeremy almost smiled. "You do have a son. He came to me. He really wants to see you."

"Why should I see him?"

"Don't you want your father's sword back?"

"Do I have to take it from him, or will he give it back nicely?"

"That depends on you."

"Jeremy," Lilith called. "Why would he go to you? Why didn't he come back to us instead? What do you have to do with this?"

"He told me about your family." Jeremy smiled at Lilith. "He confirmed everything you said about your father and grandfather."

"What about my grandfather's sword?"

"He'll give it to you on one condition." He looked at Dante again. "He will give it to Lilith, and only Lilith. He refuses to give it to you."

Dante narrowed his eyes. "You can't honestly believe she would go anywhere near him alone."

"Of course not. He expects you to follow."

"In other words," Lilith added, "it's a trap."

"I have nothing to do with that."

"Do you honestly expect us to believe what you just told us? Why would we go with you anywhere?"

"Do you want the sword or not?"

"I want that sword," Dante said through clenched teeth.

"Is it worth it?" Lilith blurted. "No mere sword is worth this."

Dante turned his glare to her. "It's not a mere sword. It is the only thing my father left me."

"No, it's not. Even if it were, is it still worth it?"

Jeremy repeated, "Do you want the sword or not?"

Lilith answered, "No!"

At the same time, Dante answered, "Yes!" Before Lilith could say anything, Dante repeated,

"Yes!"

"All right!" Lilith conceded. "We have to settle things with Vergil anyway. He has a lot of explaining to do."

"Will you try to kill him?"

"That depends on him."

Lilith took a last look at Dante before walking out. Jeremy returned Dante's glare. "I will take where she needs to go. You can follow tomorrow morning. If you catch us too soon, he'll kill her."

"I'm not worried."

(X)

Lilith inhaled deeply. The frigid air drove away the fatigue that began to feed on her. She kneeled alone in the snow as if in prayer, but her eyes were open. It was dusk, but she couldn't see what was left of the sunlight. She was surrounded by a giant circle of stone in an arena with no spectators. She waited here for nearly an hour.

"Lilith?" She stood and saw Jeremy standing before her. Vergil stood in the distance. She could see the red glint of Sparda, but it seemed to have no life. It didn't appear to have its normal flaming red essence. "Are you ready?"

"What's to be ready for?"

"You never know."

"You can't kill me. You know that." Lilith walked past him towards Vergil. She didn't stop until she stood a foot away from him. "You have something that belongs to me."

"It belongs to our family," Vergil responded.

Lilith almost winced. She still was not used to Vergil as her brother. "Give me the sword. Now."

Vergil stuck the tip of the sword into the snow and the ground underneath. It remained upright. "Let's talk first."

"We have nothing to talk about."

"Of course we do. We are family."

"You know nothing of what's going on. You're supposed to be an infant."

"No. This is the real me. Being conceived between Dante and Deanna was merely to provide a vessel for something greater."

"Now the truth comes out."

"You have no idea." Vergil removed the sword from the ground. He pointed it to the sky. "My Lord, come forth."

Lilith felt an ominous lump in her stomach. She backed away from Vergil until she heard crackling above her. She looked up and saw bright red orbs descending into the circle. They circled around Vergil. Moments later, a red flame emitted from the tip of the sword. Lilith was frozen in awe and horror as Vergil pointed it at her. When she finally decided to move, Jeremy seized her from behind. Both of them were covered in a blast of red light.

(X)

It was the first time Dante handled the sword in several months. He carefully unwrapped it and held it next to the window. The moonlight glinted off the cold metal. He skillfully swung it around to get a feel for it.

"What are you doing?" Deanna asked behind him.

"I'm preparing."

"You'll try to kill him, won't you."

"Yes. If Lilith isn't all right, then I'll kill him anyway."

"Are you so sure he would betray you?"
Dante spun to face her. Deanna felt herself shrink away at the sight of the sword. "How can you be so certain he would not? He is not a normal child."

"Were you?"

"That's different. I lived out my childhood normally. He reached adulthood in a few hours. Then you say his birth was attended to by a demon. Why shouldn't I be worried?"

"I didn't say you shouldn't."

"He has my father's sword. I have to get that back. He doesn't deserve it."

"It's his grandfather's."

"He's not worthy!" They were both frightened by the power of his voice. "I know what you're thinking."

"If he were still a baby, would you still hate him?"

"I don't hate him, but I don't trust him, especially considering the circumstances of his birth."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you about it."

There was some silence. "If he were still a baby," Dante said, "we wouldn't be in this situation, but I would still try to discover who was with you, and why."

"You think he was corrupted."

"I know he was."

"It's mostly about the sword, though. Isn't it?"

"What if it is? It's the only thing I have to remind me of my father. It's the only thing he left me."

"What about that sword in your hand? I've never seen it before."

"It's Lilith's. He left it for her. The red sword is mine."

"Where did it come from?"

"We don't know. It just showed up one night during one of her possessions."

"What's it called?" Dante didn't answer. "You're not leaving without me."

Dante stopped swinging the sword. "You're insane."

"They're my children, too. I want to be there. I won't get in the way, but I need to be there."

"No way. No how."

"You can't leave me here."

"I can and I will."

Deanna wanted to make a scene, but she decided it wasn't wise. "When did he say to leave?"

"In the morning."

"So when are you leaving?"

"In a few minutes."

(X)

Lilith picked herself off the floor. She was inside a large room, or at least thought she was. Part of the ceiling was gone. In the center of the room was a large statue. It was the image of a man from the waist and up. "Now what?"

"This is where my journey began," Vergil said, "and this is where yours will end."

Lilith felt the urge to wipe her mouth. "Why is that?"

"I'm sure our father is on his way. You wouldn't come alone if you didn't think you had a backup."

"So?"

Vergil swung Sparda over his shoulder. "How did you do it?"

"Do what?"

"Our father. Why does he deny me?"

"You're not real. You're a child in a man's body, and there is always the question of the midwife. Not to mention, you stole his sword. Then there is Lucia."

"Oh, please." Vergil swung Sparda around and turned his back to her. Lilith reached for Tiamat.

"Let's drop the weapons."

Lilith was taken aback. Her hand dropped sligthly. "What do you mean?"

"I know we're going to fight. Let's do it hand to hand. Nothing else."

"Drop the sword."

Vergil smiled as he lowered Sparda to the floor. Lilith's ears caught a sound behind her. She turned on her heel to catch a glimpse of Jeremy running towards her. Her curiosity instantly became terror when she saw the hooked sword he was brandishing. In that moment she understood what she should have suspected when he showed up with a message from Vergil; he was somehow under an influence. She ran towards him. Before he was close enough to swing at her, she ducked and tripped him. He flew over her head. Lilith backed away while waiting for his next move. Jeremy stood to face her.

Lilith gasped when she saw the sword protruding from his chest. She watched him pull it free. There was no blood.

"What has he done to you?"

"He woke me up."

Lilith shook her head with a disturbing realization. She didn't have time to ask questions. Jeremy ran towards her again. Preparing herself, Lilith dodged the sword. She kicked it from his hands. She caught it and threw it at him. A beam of light seared through it and knocked it off course. It bounced off the wall and slid across the floor.

All eyes turned to the source of the beam. The statue released a long deep sigh. "Now, child," it said slowly to Lilith, "I couldn't let you put my son in danger. What kind of father do you take me for?"

"His father?" Lilith looked back at Jeremy. "What are you? All this time?"

Jeremy took one step towards her. "Stay back," Lilith threatened. When he took another step, Lilith transformed. Six leathery wings opened from her back. Curved spikes pushed through the sides of her arms. Flames erupted from her hands.

"You're more beautiful like this," Jeremy said. "The way you were meant to be." Lilith didn't let the comment distract her. With one push of her wings, she flipped and hovered over him.

"Lilith!" Vergil called behind her. She turned in the air and nearly dropped when she saw Vergil in the air in front of her. "You're not the only one." Lilith threw a blast of fire at him. At the same time, he punched her in the chest. They flew away from each other and hit the opposite walls. Simultaneously they recovered and flew towards each other. Jeremy watched as they clashed in the air. One powerful knock pushed Lilith to the floor. The impact knocked her back to human form.

"Had enough?" Jeremy dared to ask. Lilith lifted her head, but not to look at Jeremy. He stared at the streams of blood that ran from her eyes. With a fresh burst of power, Lilith launched herself into the air and hit her devil trigger. A shower of electricity filled the room as Lilith let herself go. Jeremy and the talking statue watched silently.

Lilith felt herself fill with bloodlust and frenzy. She pummelled Vergil with her fists, feet, and elements. In the heat of battle, she flipped higher into the air and slammed into Vergil. Together they plummetted to the floor. The impact left a small crater and cracks along the stone floor.
Jeremy and the statue watched as Vergil and Lilith returned to their human forms. The energy of the impact did not seem to damage the floor at first. Then a small tremor told the true tale. A part of the floor fell away to leave the room split in half.

Lilith breathed heavily as she sat astride Vergil's chest. Vergil struggled to take his next breath, but he was in better shape than Lilith. Lilith looked down to see why breathing was so difficult. A gold dagger handle with red and green gems was protruding from between her ribs. She felt a burning sensation from the wound. She fell over but couldn't get up. Her body felt like lead.
With a smile on his face, Vergil sat astride her chest. He pulled the dagger free. Vergil's laughter blended into her screams. "How does it feel?" Vergil asked.

Lilith tried to respond, but her chest was too heavy. "Do you think you're dying?" Vergil continued. "Well, you are. Now you will share Lucia's fate. No demonic blood can save you from it."