Hello! Sorry for the long wait! Been super busy, but I hope you enjoy this :) It's a bit shorter than original just because i decided to split what i was working on and i moved some stuff around. Next chapter won't take as long!
-Blink

4 February 12:12am

The moonlight was the only guiding light for Nero, Trish, and Eileen as they walked through the forest. It was past midnight and the trio had been following Eileen on a hunch that Amelia had a portal to rescue Cyra and Vergil. Eileen could feel Cyra's presence in a somewhat parallel world, Eileen could only describe as. That presence is the trail Eileen would try to follow, if only it didn't zap most of her energy. It didn't take long for her to use trees to keep herself upright. Eileen was trying to fight sleep, closing her eyes, and stumbled into Nero.

"Whoa, you okay?" He asked, keeping her upright.

Eileen jolted awake, "Yes!" She quickly said, regaining her composure, "I'm sending Cyra as much help as I can…"

"Help?" Trish asked.

Eileen nodded, "I wish I had time to explain, but Amelia, Cyra, and I are all connected. They could use all the help they can get in there, so I'm sending her my energy."

Trish wasn't going to forget to ask for the long story. That would be a conversation for later.

"Any luck finding them?" Nero asked.

Eileen sighed, "I can feel her presence… but she is not close enough."

"This Amelia… Does she go by another name by any chance?" Trish asked.

"I do not know," Eileen answered.

"You think Amelia is just a front?" Nero asked.

"Someone this powerful isn't just any ordinary sorceress. I haven't heard of Amelia before, is all," Trish said.

"Hasn't she been collecting energy for 25 years?" Nero asked.

"Yes, but it takes a skilled demon keeping it dormant for so long without anyone noticing. Especially from me or Dante," Trish explained.

Nero still didn't understand the full story and wished he had the time to ask, but he wouldn't bother at the moment. Saving Cyra and Vergil first is what mattered. He looked at Eileen, "Are we getting close?"

Eileen stumbled, breathing heavy, "I hope so… I won't be able to stay connected to her once we find an opening at this rate…"

"That's what I'm here for, isn't it? To give you more," Trish asked, crossing her arms.

"Yeah, we got this," Nero encouraged, "You're the brains, Trish is the muscle, and I'm the one who gets to pull those two idiots out of the portal!"

Eileen chuckled lightly, "Never had a team before…"

"Wait, I think I sense something," Trish called out.

"The energy is here, but the portal isn't near-!" Eileen stumbled forward, barely catching herself.

"Do you need a break?" Nero asked.

"No time…" Eileen said.

Trish walked back to Eileen and kneeled down, holding out her hand, "Take my energy now."

"We have to save it for when we find Cyra…" Eileen struggled to say.

"I have plenty to spare," Trish said.

Eileen shook her head, "I just don't know if I'm capable of moving around so much energy at once. I always paced myself when I had to do it for Amelia."

"No offense, but at this rate, we won't have the opportunity to find her. Take my energy and we'll worry about the portal when we find it," Trish said.

"What happens if you drop your connection with Cyra?" Nero asked.

"She gets weaker and it becomes harder to connect with her again," Eileen explained.

Trish and Nero looked amongst each other, "Drop the connection," Trish commanded.

"What?" Eileen was surprised.

"We need you at your best. Cyra and Vergil can handle whatever they throw at them for now. Without your abilities, we'll never be able to get them out, so it's best you stay in top shape," Trish said.

"You don't know how dangerous that portal is…" Eileen said.

Trish stood back up tall, "Don't let Vergil hear you underestimate him like that. He won't let anything happen to Cyra."

At this, Nero glanced over to Trish. It was strange to hear about Vergil being a protector. One day he'll get a direct explanation about Vergil and Cyra, but he wasn't even sure he wanted to.

Eileen sighed, "Yeah… alright… I'm sorry, Cyra…" Eileen muttered to herself and let go of her connection.

4 February ?

Cyra suddenly began to feel dizzy, as if she's been awake for 40 hours. It certainly hasn't been that long. Her vision started to become blurry as Vergil's form looked like it was getting exponentially further away from her, "Ver...gil?" She called out meekly as she fell over, barely using her arms to lessen the impact.

Vergil quickly stopped and went over to her, "What's wrong?" He asked, kneeling down next to her.

"So… tired…" Cyra muttered, forcing herself to sit up, "Need… rest."

"We don't have time to rest. Can you stand?" Vergil asked softly.

Cyra didn't register what he asked because the moment he stopped talking, she lost focus and fully passed out, unaware of what was happening around her.

But her body felt like it was on a spinning platform. Cyra's eyes opened back up immediately, but then Vergil was no one near her. How much time had passed? Everything she was feeling disappeared. The floor wasn't spinning. Her body wasn't tired. She wasn't even cold. Her surroundings weren't different than before. She was still in the memory tree. The looming darkness surrounded her still. It was almost like when she first arrived, but somehow she felt more numb.

"A dream… within a nightmare," She muttered to herself trying to convince herself so she could wake up, "I'm in a dream. Just a dream. I have to wake up," She tightened her fist.

There was shuffling behind her, startling her to turn around. A figure was walking from the shadow and she instantly knew it was Gabriel. But not her Gabriel… The one she saw only hours ago that almost attacked her. His corpse… "A dream a dream a dream a dream. You're not real…" Cyra kept telling herself as he walked closer.

"I have to wake up!" Cyra shut her eyes tight and held her breath, willing herself to snap out of it. When she opened her eyes back up, she realized it failed. Gabriel was standing in front of her.

Only he wasn't attacking her. It felt surreal to see him up close again. Three years? If it truly was his corpse, Amelia must have done quite the restoration to make him look alive again. His skin looked clean. There was color in his face. No...this was a trick. It was only his body, not his mind. This still wasn't Gabriel.

"I'm so sorry she did this to you…" Cyra said to him, eyes beginning to water.

Surprising Cyra, Gabriel brought up his fully gloved hand to rest along the side of her cheek, "...Kill...me…" He gasped.

Cyra's breath hitched in her throat. He spoke! "Wh...wha… but you…" Cyra couldn't speak. Gabriel was already dead, what did he mean!?

Before she could realize what happened, Gabriel pulled her face up to his, touching her forehead with his. A flash hit her similar to when she experienced past memories of Vergil and Amelia.

This time it was Gabriel. He was sitting in a chair, aware, but unable to speak. Amelia was standing above him, giving him orders, "You are not to defy me. You are not to oppose me. You are simply here to be my weapon. You will kill that foolish girl. She will die by your hands which will cause that stupid demon to fall right in my trap. You will help me put an end to that Sparda spawn…"

And that was all Cyra heard. The memory flashed out just as quickly and she was left standing alone, Gabriel no longer in front of her. Cyra was shaking. He was aware… Gabriel was revived just enough to be aware, but not enough to be in full control of his body. Oh god, Gabriel…

Cyra covered her mouth with her hand and fell to her knees, sobbing in a world she still couldn't figure out was a dream or not.

It must have been a dream in the end, because the next thing she knew, she felt light as if suspended in hair, and her body was swaying. Was she being carried? She slowly opened her eyes, confirming that she was being carried - by Vergil. Recollecting her thoughts proved to be difficult as she made no attempt to let him know she was awake. She remembered she passed out due to exhaustion or something more sinister, only to have nightmares. They were hopefully just nightmares… An unknowing sigh slipped through her lips.

"Are you feeling better?" Vergil asked.

How did he know she was awake? Cyra peered up a bit. Her head was already resting on his chest, but she moved her head up a bit more to nuzzle up to his neck a bit more, feeling desperate for any sort of physical affection, "You carried me this whole time?"

"You expected me to just leave you there?" Vergil asked lightly.

Cyra let out a chuckle, "Would be easier, wouldn't it?"

"I've come this far. I'm not about to abandon you," Vergil said.

"It's bad enough you had to jump in and rescue me. Carrying me makes me feel like a damsel in distress," Cyra sighed.

"I don't mind," Vergil said, "I won't tell the others about this if you're worried about your reputation."

Cyra let a grin spread across her face at his lighter tone, "That's it? No bribing?"

"If you're accepting offers, I'd prefer you leave out any meltdowns I may experience here," Vergil said.

"So basically anything that happens here, stays here?" Cyra asked.

"Sounds good to me," Vergil said.

"Deal. You know… carrying like this makes you my knight in shining armor," Cyra poked.

Vergil groaned thinking about his time working for Mundus, "Anything but that. I've worn enough armor to last me the rest of my life," He was surprisingly not bitter about it, even if it was true.

"Well you didn't like being called a hero… How does Prince sound?" Cyra added.

Vergil quickly removed the arm that was holding her legs up, dropping her feet to the ground. His other arm was still wrapped around her torso making sure she didn't actually fall.

Cyra feigned offense, "You dropped me!?" She asked and playfully tried to push him.

Vergil grinned, "It sounded like you were feeling well enough to walk," He said.

Cyra laughed softly. It felt nice to banter with him, "How long was I out anyway?"

Vergil looked down at her, concerned. She acted like nothing happened, but he could tell she was experiencing nightmares. She couldn't stop muttering "Gabriel" in her dreams, "Not long. Were you having nightmares?"

Cyra nodded, "Yeah… I don't remember it now, though. I just… feel sad. That's weird."

Vergil wasn't about to remind her, then, "Probably for the best."

"Yeah... probably," Cyra said, but she wasn't convinced. It wasn't just a nightmare. It wasn't just sadness. She felt tormented, even if it wasn't about her. Almost like a looming dread of being tortured. Her first guess is Amelia must have shared a memory with her in her subconscious. Cyra fought the urge to wrap her arms around herself. It became a reaction due to her surroundings, but she wanted to prove she was strong enough to handle it. She shoved her hands down to her sides, but hit a hard object sitting in her pocket. ...The watch!.

Cyra gasped. Gabriel.

A sting in Cyra's head forced her to wince and yelp in pain. Oh god… she remembered her nightmare, "Wait! Gabriel!" She whispered out and covered her mouth, stopping her sobs.

"Gabriel?" Vergil asked. Was this about her nightmares?

"He needs help!" Cyra ran up to Vergil and grabbed him by the lapels of his coat, "We need to help him!"

"Cyra..." Vergil sighed.

"No!" She said, pushing him slightly, only to move herself backwards, "I know what you're going to say! He came to me in my dream! He showed me! Amelia is controlling his corpse, but she revived him enough to make him aware! He asked me to kill him!"

"That's… not possible," Vergil said.

"You don't believe me!?" Cyra asked.

"I believe that's what your nightmare was, but there's no question about his lack of awareness," Vergil explained, "I think that sorceress forced that nightmare on you to make you believe that."

"No. Iin the memory, Amelia said her plan! She wants to USE him to kill me as a trap so she can kill you! Right? Am I right? How else would I know that?" Cyra yelled. Vergil didn't respond, "And that's exactly why I'm here," She turned away to try to subside her tears, "It was like a memory. I felt it. I felt his pain. It was real."

Vergil wasn't convinced, but he'd go along with it. Amelia was just scaring her. He walked up to Cyra and put a hand on her shoulder, caressing her with his thumb, "If it comes down to you or Gabriel, you have to focus on yourself."

Cyra turned around, "What do you mean?"

"Just get yourself to safety and I will fight him. You're right about her plans to use him to hurt you. You don't need to be anywhere near him. Understood?" Vergil said.

"Oh… yeah," Cyra said, but there was a part of her that believed Gabriel would actually be able to stop himself from attacking her. The nightmare was a message, she knew it.

"I mean it. Promise me…" Vergil said.

Cyra was trying to mouth words to agree with his requests, but she shook her head, "I really feel like he'd listen to me."

Vergil knew he had to convince her. She was hard to break after she already made up her mind, and of course that nightmare had swayed her too far. He was too tired to be angry. In fact, he was struck with fear first, "Do you really want to take that chance? You know where we are. This is a world entirely manifested by that sorceress. She could have easily forced that nightmare on you to manipulate you."

Cyra let her eyes fall to the floor, thinking about his words, "Yeah.. You're right… You're right! You're always right."

Vergil wasn't actually sure what to say in this situation. Was she angry? There was a rumbling in the distance. It was almost too faint to notice, but he was always aware of his senses. He turned away to hone in on the rumbling. Cyra misconstrued his turning away as annoyance, "I'm sorry, I-" She began, but Vergil extended his arm to her to silence her.

The rumbling became louder until they began to feel it beneath their shoes. Vergil stood his ground and readied his blade, "Stay close to me," He said.

"Amelia… she's near," Cyra muttered. The rumbling quieted down quickly until it phased out entirely. Vergil's attention stayed on Cyra.

"How do you know?" Vergil asked. Cyra looked like she was in a trance and wouldn't respond. He shook her arm lightly, "Cyra?"

Cyra's eyes regained life and looked back to Vergil, "What?"

"You zoned out," Vergil said.

"I did? Oh… How long?" Cyra said.

"Just for a second. Did you feel the ground shaking?" Vergil said.

Cyra shook her head, "No? Was it bad?"

Vergil winced a bit, worrying he'd scare her if he kept talking, "Nevermind. Let's go," He said.

The floor began to shake again as a giant red wooden door erupted from the roots below. Vergil extended his arm for Cyra to hold onto for support, which she obliged. The shaking was so bad, she wondered how Vergil was hardly affected by it. Who knew being half demon would give someone such balance. Or maybe it was just from experience. Has he ever gone through something like this before? She could only wonder based on how stoic he was about everything. Maybe this was the norm in the demon world? She suddenly felt weak.

Once the door fully emerged from the ground, the quaking stopped. It towered over them, double their size.

"This wouldn't happen to be the exit, would it?" Cyra hoped, hesitantly releasing his sleeve now that the shaking stopped.

"We would be so lucky…" Vergil said. He placed his hand on the door ready to push it open, but an uneasy feeling momentarily stopped him. Swallowing any further apprehension, he pushed the door open to be greeted with… a hotel. It was covered in the Qlipoth's roots, blocking off the doors that were off to the side of the room. The front desk off to the right was still intact. The stairs leading up to the next floor were front and center, unblocked. Vergil knew this hotel. He's been here. At least, part of him - not even a year ago. The painful sting of the memory made him wince and bring up a hand to his head to settle the pain.

"Do you know this place?" Cyra asked after noticing his pain.

Vergil recovered quickly, and removed his hand, but not without scowling at the hotel lobby before him, "Part of me did," He admitted.

"Oh. Should we be worried?" Cyra asked.

Technically, yes, but he knew she was asking particularly from a memory involving the hotel. No, there weren't any real nightmares that spawned from this place. He's been there to gather intelligence but also passed through it to meet with Nero. It was all in the past. He still managed to chuckle lightly, "If I had any real trouble here as my human self, I do not think I'd have made it out. It should be fine," he assured her before moving into the hotel.

"Wait, we're in Red Grave?" Cyra asked, finally looking at the details of the hotel splattered with Red Grave namesake.

"You didn't recognize it?" Vergil asked, already heading towards the stairs.

"Never been to the hotel. We lived a little further out of downtown," Cyra said.

Further out… Maybe that meant the Qliphoth roots wouldn't have reached her former home. Even if it didn't matter anymore, he still worried about the possibility of hurting her. Yet, he still wasn't convinced. He opened his mouth to speak, but was apprehensive about asking. He couldn't even look at her as he was about to ask, "Did the Qliphoth roots reach your old home?"

Cyra peered her attention to him and tried to read him. His question was that of pain, and she could read it on his face despite not making it obvious, "I don't know," She quietly said.

Vergil looked back at her, a look of pain turned into annoyance, "You needn't lie to protect me. Remember what I said about dealing with consequences?"

"What good will it do? It was a long time ago and I didn't even live there when Urizen destroyed Red Grave," Cyra said.

"You mean when I destroyed Red Grave," Vergil said.

"I meant what I said," Cyra said.

"Hm," Vergil dismissed, "Suppose it doesn't matter. You inadvertently answered my question, anyway."

"It doesn't matter because I wasn't even living there!" Cyra said.

"It matters to me," Vergil said and turned his attention back to the familiar scenery. The hotel was exactly how he remembered it. The layout was the same as were the paths previously blocked. Thankfully he didn't have to worry about the Nidhogg eggs to open his path back then. That was all Nero's doing. He could still see some of the aftermaths of Nidhogg bile smeared along the walls. The Nidhogg only brought him agony… He wondered when it first began to infect him. Was it when he was a human? It seemed most likely, but it wouldn't make sense if he fused back to his true form. It was supposed to heal any anomaly he'd have experienced as a human.

Cyra chose to remain silent as Vergil guided them throughout the hotel. It was obvious he still remembered the way to go, even if it seemed their routes were limited. There must be a way to convince him destroying her old home didn't matter. She couldn't think of why he was so upset about an outcome that couldn't have happened. She wasn't even living there and never would have! Even if Gabriel was alive, they'd have probably moved due to his job. The guilt he harbored must have been so strong...

Vergil led them to a hall with the floor missing, knowing they'd have to cross it. He was careful to lead both of them carefully around the hole, which he thought he did, but then Cyra gasped. Vergil quickly turned behind him to see her perfectly fine. She just had her hand covering her mouth. Vergil raised an eyebrow in confusion and Cyra pointed towards them.

"A bed! Hotel beds are the BEST!" She exclaimed, running over to it and ready to flop onto it. Only problem was… the bed vanished into mist the moment she touched it. Nothing but the wall could stop her from falling forward as she stumbled over, eliciting a chuckle out of Vergil. Cyra would be angry if the sound of his laugh didn't give her butterflies.

"Were you really expecting that witch to allow us any moment of comfort?" Vergil humored.

Cyra sighed dramatically and laid down on the floor instead, stretching her limbs out.

Vergil walked over to her, looking down at her sprawled out form resting on what looked like a dusty floor. In actuality, it was still just the tree root floor of a nightmare they were trapped in. When she didn't get back up, he crossed his arms, "What are you doing?" He asked, humor in his voice.

"Well if there's no bed, I can at least pretend there is one," Cyra said.

"Is this really the time?" He asked.

"Listen, I've been mind controlled, teleported around, passed out twice, and FELL 100 feet. My back is killing me," Cyra groaned, stretching.

"I helped break that fall," Vergil said almost defensively.

Cyra peered an eye open, "Okay, so you fell 100 feet, too. You're welcome to join me," Cyra said, retracting an arm to make room for him, should he want it.

"Need I remind you we don't have time to rest?" Vergil asked.

"Mmmm maybe I need to get a new bed when we get out. That'll be my treat to myself," Cyra muttered.

"Are you even listening to me?" Vergil crossed his arms.

"I'm always listening to you," Cyra muttered, enjoying the feeling of stretching her back.

"Is that right? Then what'd I say about needing to rush?" Vergil asked.

"Look, let me just pretend nothing is wrong for a few seconds. This place… isn't fun," Cyra said.

"I understand that, but…" Vergil stopped when Cyra turned to lay on her side. She wasn't going to listen to reason. Part of him couldn't blame her, but he was feeling anxious about their whereabouts. It was only a matter of time before he'd be too tired to continue, or before he'd see another memory he didn't want to relive.

"Are you still going to the demon world after all this?" Cyra muttered into her arm she was resting her head on.

"Yes," Vergil answered.

"Maybe before you leave... You and I vacation somewhere?" Cyra offered, feeling oddly brave with her voice muffling half her words.

Vacation? Vergil isn't someone who just vacations, "Where?" He found himself humoring the idea.

"Anywhere. Open a portal to the other side of the world and we roll with it? Hopefully it's on a coast somewhere…I want to see the ocean with my own eyes one day." Cyra said.

Vergil's head was spinning. She wanted to go on a vacation with him? Alone? No meddling brother or associates? The concept of a vacation felt strange to him alone, but partaking on one with her felt welcoming. It was a bit silly to suggest a vacation for someone like him. People like him don't get to have vacations. It wasn't one of the consequences he thought he'd have to pay. Still, he wouldn't deny her a request like that, "Well, if you want that to happen, then we must continue to find the exit. Now. I'm afraid we don't have any more time to waste. Unless you really enjoy laying on a tree floor that much."

Cyra complacently smiled into her arm and pushed herself up, extending her arm out, "Help me up?" She requested and Vergil obliged. He pulled her up, and Cyra pushed herself maybe a little too close to him, at least, that's what he thought. All it took was her presence for him to falter and feel nervous all over again. Having her close to him felt like there was a metaphorical carrot dangling in front of him. Her eyes gleamed up at him in a way that made him feel warm. Important. Noticed.

If the threat of their lives weren't at steak, he'd want to stay that way with her for much longer. It wasn't until she spoke that he realized he was still holding onto her hand.

"Thanks for letting me rest a bit," She smiled.

"Right," Vergil slightly cringed and quickly dropped her hand. The slight pink tink across his face was hard to conceal in such a bright room. He could only hope that she didn't see it as he turned away, continuing through the doorway back into what would be a hallway of the hotel. Cyra did in fact notice and felt another wave of nerves flutter around her heart. How many people could in fact say they saw Vergil blush? The grin that spread across her face could not be stopped as she followed him out the door.

The hallway only got brighter and brighter. This wasn't how it happened before. The hotel didn't lead toward a light. Vergil was afraid of being transported to another memory, although he was surprised nothing horrible happened at the hotel. Perhaps Amelia isn't manipulating these events, and it is just memories in their subconscious. If that were the case, that means Cyra thought about Gabriel… A lot.

"Ugh, do you have memories in the sun or something?" Cyra groaned.

Vergil didn't humor a response due to his own apprehension to where they were being sent. Turns out his apprehension was justified as when the light dimmed, he was brought back to his childhood home. It was intact… He couldn't help but stare at the image in front of him. Last time he could recall being there was when he paraded around as the Demon King, Urizen.

"Do you know this place?" Cyra asked.

Vergil remained silent. Laughter echoed in the space around him. The sound coming from two children's voices. Undoubtedly his and Dante's when they were children. He couldn't bear to re-experience anything that would go down in this home. Good or bad. He only hoped Cyra couldn't hear the laughing and judging from her lack of reaction, he assumed she couldn't. Now to figure out how to escape it.

Cyra could tell the tension on his face meant this place was painful for him in some way. Even though the location itself was peaceful. A large home surrounded by nature and large fields. It couldn't have been a place of pain for him, unless… Cyra quickly considered the facts and figured this was his home. She only watched as he walked ahead, toward the house. As he got closer, the home began to ignite into flames. This wasn't new to him. He knew what was happening and it further confirmed his beliefs that Amelia was in fact manipulating them. Manipulating his fear and insecurities and only furthering instigating the idea by making Cyra relive her own memories and guilt over Gabriel. There were no coincidences here.

This nightmare.. He just wanted it over. Feigning indifference, he moved toward the house, hoping it'd all just go away. Or at least prove to Amelia that she was just wasting his time. The memory hurt a lot less knowing it was just a desperate ploy to affect him.

And yet...

Fear.

Insecurity.

Inadequacy.

Weakness.

Being too weak to protect the ones you love. No one knew just how damaged he felt at times; he was good at hiding it. Dante could tell, though, naturally. Everyone else couldn't. Nero hated him too much. Lady was too busy accusing him of snapping back to his evil ways to focus any attention on his weaknesses. But that was good, wasn't it? Being feared was much better than being pitied in any way.

As if on cue, he was distracted by Cyra walking into his peripherals, heading toward the family painting that was hung up on the wall. The flames around the home suddenly dissipated and what remained was the burned down home - just the way he remembered it. Vergil couldn't tell what Cyra was thinking looking at the family painting. It was bad, probably. Only the worst thoughts were going across her mind, he was certain. It was as if she could see just how afraid and broken he was.

She was going to remember the memory she saw of him severing his humanity. It would remind her that he was a demon with a dark and violent past. It would scare her again and she would avoid him.

This was it, wasn't it?

Cyra turned to look at Vergil and pointed at the portrait, and she… was smiling? Well, sort of. She was clearly trying to hold back a laugh, "You weren't kidding about your family get-togethers. You really don't look like you wanna be near Dante!"

In a flash, Vergil felt all of his tension melt away. It was her words or her demeanor… or both? He could only smile in return, "You know which one was me?" It may have been a lame question, but he had to say something so he didn't turn into a puddle.

"Of course. Look at the hair," Cyra said.

Vergil let out a nervous chuckle, "Right."

Cyra turned back to the painting, "It's pretty burned, but… it's a really nice family portrait. I think it captures both of you really well. Your mom even looks relieved you two are sitting still for a minute."

"Hmm," Vergil couldn't think of what to say. It just felt nice to have someone like her with him. She knew him. She treated him like he wasn't some villain - even if he knew he was.

"You look a lot like your dad…" She muttered, although unsure if it was crossing a line.

Cyra knew this must have been difficult for him to see. It was shortly before his life drastically changed and led him down a path of power and vengeance. Amelia sure knew how to pick 'em. Vergil hasn't said much during this memory. The air had a wave of sadness to it that was just fighting any sort of positivity, "Look, I know you don't like it when I ask if you're okay, but…are you?" She asked.

When he didn't respond, she apprehensively turned around, fully prepared for him to look angry or annoyed but this time he looked complacent. He was even smiling. Smiling for him, at least. It was subtle.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Vergil asked softly.

Cyra was taken off-guard. Why wouldn't he? What a loaded question, "Uh, well, I just know how much this means to you. Your family. I mean, last time you were here, you… uh…" Cyra trailed off. She was totally making it worse.

"Well, this time I have you with me," He said quietly.

Cyra gasped lightly, although it was mostly a reaction from nerves, not surprise. He felt that way? Cyra blushed and she was sure he could hear her heartbeat quicken, "Oh," She smiled.

Vergil's eyes casually lidded over. She had nooo idea, did she? How much she melted the ice around his heart. Only for her. It could only be her. He couldn't tear his attention away from her. Even as the world around them dissolved back into the familiar tree root hallway.

Cyra didn't notice either. She was too distracted by the way Vergil was staring at her. Sad, soft, longing; as if being happy was too complicated. It was familiar, "You're giving me that look again," She quietly said.

"What look?" He barely enunciated.

"That look!" She couldn't even describe it to him, but she recognized it the first time after he teleported them out of the school Cyra investigated, "Like you want to…"

"'Want to' what?" Vergil asked, taking a step forward.

"Like you want to…" Kiss me? She thought, but was too afraid to say it. What if she was wrong?

No… Not here… Vergil had to remind himself. He blinked away his unusual expression and Cyra's face visibly fell out of disappointment. Vergil was about to speak, but Cyra suddenly lurched forward, using the painting's wall to keep herself up.

"Ah!" She yelped. It was an involuntary reaction; only realizing moments later that it was a reaction to the wicked pain in her head. She stumbled to lean against the wall to keep herself upright while her hands were gripping her head tightly.

"What's wrong?" Vergil asked, hands already steadying her.

Cyra forced herself to speak, "My...head! Feels like...Ahhhh!" Cyra couldn't finish her thoughts. Cyra's breathing was labored, but it began to calm down, "Head… spinning… I can't… She's-"

"You're not making sense," Vergil said.

Cyra peeked up after her headache subsided to be more of a constant pain, however just as strong, "I can feel Amelia… crawling her way inside my head…"

Vergil moved his hands from her arms to cup her face, "Focus on me, not her. Fight her."

"What do I do?" Cyra panicked.

"Where do you want to go when we get out?" Vergil asked, "You mentioned the ocean?"

Cyra nodded, "Th-the west coast," It was the first place on her mind, "Ahh!" She yelled as another wave of pain hit her.

"And when we get there? What did you want to do?" Vergil asked quickly, trying to force her to keep looking at him.

Cyra's vision was blurring, but she tried her hardest to focus on his voice, "I-I want to… swim,"

"West coast. We'll go there. You must fight her," Vergil soothed.

Cyra started to relax. All she wanted to do was express how much she loved his comfort, but she didn't have the strength to do it. Amelia was still trying to take over. Cyra stared at Vergil in the eyes, "Can we please hurry and leave?" She asked almost desperately.

This is what he's been trying to rush them for, but he wouldn't tell her that and make her feel bad. He grabbed her hand and guided her forward, without any resistance on her part. She even repositioned her hand so that it was more comfortable. It was difficult to ignore the power that Amelia was trying to get over her, but Cyra focused hard on their intertwined hands. They've never held hands before. The realization just dawned on her and made her blush. Cyra smiled, fond of how well her hand seemed to fit in his. Maybe it was the gloves, but his hands looked so much bigger than she realized. In fact… Her attention peered up to the rest of him, realizing just how much taller and bigger he was compared to her in general. He and Dante were two of the tallest men she'd ever seen in her life. Their height can be attributed to being half demon, surely. It made her feel safe. Cyra pushed herself up against his arm, using her free hand to grip his sleeve tightly, trying to drown herself in his comfort - not caring if it made her look pathetic. Vergil did not protest. He squeezed her hand a bit tighter for a second. A part of him knew that she only clung to him for her own comfort, and he wanted to acknowledge it.

The headache started back up, but Cyra tried her best to push Amelia out. If she were to grab on to Vergil's sleeve any tighter, she would have made some holes. At least that's what it felt like. Focus on Vergil. How warm he was. The way his coat felt. The way he smelled. The way his hand engulfed her own hand. The sound of both of their footsteps walking in tandem to get out of Amelia's horrible illusory world.

Unfortunately, Amelia was too strong. Before she knew it, she heard laughing in her head, clear as day.

"No!" Cyra pushed her hands forward, blasting energy, knocking Vergil far back.

This power… She remembered doing this before. This power; it wasn't her. Amelia was taking over. Cyra looked up at Vergil cautiously standing back up.

"Do what I say," Amelia's voice said in her mind, "Let me in, or I will kill him right now."

"You can't kill him!" Cyra yelled, confusing Vergil. Was she talking about Gabriel? His second guess would be that she was fighting with Amelia in her mind.

If Vergil said anything else to Cyra, she wasn't paying attention. She was focused on Amelia's words, "You're in my world. I can crush both of you, or just him. Now let me in."

Cyra hesitated, but her heart knew there was no point in fighting back. Her eyes settled on Vergil as he started walking towards her. Cyra shut her eyes tight, "I'm sorry!" She called out before finally giving up and succumbing to Amelia's control.

Amelia, now in Cyra's body, turned and raised her arm out, opening a portal similar to Vergil's ability. Before she walked through it, Vergil ran up to her, attempting to grab her arm, but "Cyra" nonchalantly pushed him back with her own energy as she walked through the portal, disappearing along with the portal.

Vergil stood there, catching his own breath. Amelia's shockwave attack certainly knocks the wind out of him. Experiencing it before made expecting it much easier. Cyra must have lost the battle with her, but it seemed willingly. Whatever Amelia said to Cyra, she must have given up in order to protect Vergil. He felt weak and ashamed that Cyra would have to do anything dangerous for his sake. He thought they were both done with that after she cured him.

Another day, another dangerous feat for Cyra, "Damn!" Vergil growled, punching the tree root wall. He was holding back his devil trigger form, knowing Amelia would just zap his energy. He had to calm down. There was only harm in getting angry. He had to stay calm… For Cyra.

She'll be okay. She'll be okay. She'll be okay. Vergil chanted in his head. The sorceress wouldn't hurt her unless it was in front of him, which meant he had time to find her.

"Wow, way to go, bro-" Dante's voice chirped.

Vergil's attention quickly snapped to the sound of his brother's voice to see him looking over the roots blocking the way back. He glared. Of course this wasn't his real brother, it was the sorceress' magic again, "Taking on the form of my little brother now, are we? How low can you go?"

Dante scratched his beard, "Amelia can't take on other forms like this. We're in the memory world, which means I'm your subconscious! But I think you already knew that."

Vergil grimaced, "I don't know what's worse, you or that screeching bird," He said with venom as he turned to press on, away from the roots. No point in wasting more time.

"Aw come on, you know you love me! Can't argue with your own brain! Although you've been doing a lot of that over Cyra," Dante said almost with a laugh.

Ignore him. Ignore him. Ignore him.

"You can't ignore your subconscious!" Dante called out.

Vergil growled as he pulled his blade out to attack the Dante figure next to him… except he vanished.

"You also can't kill your subconscious," Dante appeared behind him.

Christ, was Vergil really going to be subjected to this? Dealing with his own subconscious in the form of his brother? That was decided. This was much worse than Griffon. At least Griffon was always somewhat of an imagination. Dante was his brother. Vergil sheathed his blade and pressed on, doing his best to ignore his new company.

"Aw, that's awfully accepting of you," Dante continued, "I bet you're relieved to get a distraction that isn't about wondering if Cyra is in danger. Man, you're always thinking about her. It's kind of pathetic really."

Vergil stiffened at those words, but chose to ignore them.

"I'm sure she's fine. She's gotta be! After all, Amelia can't have her fun with you if Cyra's dead. Right?" Dante asked.

Why was it so much more annoying hearing his own thoughts being spoken back to him? Oh, right, Dante's voice.

"Man, what a mess. All this because you're obsessed with the first woman that's nice to you in 25 years," Dante said, "Or the only woman."

No, that's not why. Was it? No! He was fond of Cyra for her. Her kindness in general, not just with him. He needed that. She was patient with him - Gave him a chance when no one else would… She saw him the way no one else did. His attachment was real. Not just because she was willing. The number of people he felt he could keep close could be counted on one hand, and his feelings for Cyra were in fact still new to him, but they were real. He knew because it scared him. He never wanted to leave her side and yet, it was for the best. Except for the fact that being away from her made him feel like something was missing.

"Okay so, does she like you for you, or because she's still trying to make up for Gabriel's death? Or is it because you're a murderous psychopath that she feels she can fix?" Dante asked.

Shut up, shut up, shut up, Vergil thought.

"Would she have helped you if Dante didn't vouch for you? The real one, obviously. Not me," Dante said.

Would she?

"Oh man, now this is going to be nagging in the back of your head!" Dante laughed, "And you won't even ask her! You're going to send yourself to an early grave if you don't talk about these things, you know."

Of course he knew. It was his subconscious, after all. Gods, even he was saying it.

"So why don't you, huh? You scaaaared? I would be. Shit… If Cyra only knew half the things going on in that brain of yours, she'd be running into the closest guy's arms! Maybe her cop friend? She clearly has history with him. We both saw it," Dante said.

It was true. Cyra knew what Vergil had done, but if she could see into his history, his thoughts, his tormented memories, she'd either see him as a project she can try to "fix", or she'd want nothing to do with him. In no way, would they be able to coexist together like she suggested - and he wanted. It would be so much easier for her to settle down comfortably with that… Nathan. Vergil's morale deflated more than he cared to admit. Nathan was normal. He wasn't a target of some witch, and he got along well with her. If Gabriel truly divorced her like he planned, would Nathan have swooped in to mend her broken heart?

"If Nathan got with Cyra, you'd be dead right now. No one else would have healed you from the Qliphoth parasite," Dante said.

And everyone would be better off…

"You know, being your subconscious is pretty depressing most of the time," Dante said.

Great, he's so miserable, his own subconscious is admitting it.

"You can talk about it, you know," Dante said.

Vergil scoffed, "With you?" He couldn't stop himself from saying. Oh no… he is literally talking to himself right now. Has he gone mad? Is this part of Amelia's plan? Eileen mentioned he would likely not make it out, so Vergil couldn't help but wonder if this was the method.

"No, with Cyra!" Dante said, ignoring the other thoughts, "Look, you either lose her because you don't talk with her and then snap at her whenever she shows an ounce of concern…"

Hard to deny that...

"Or you're going to lose her by admitting how fucked up in the head you are," Dante finished.

True. Which was worse?

"At least by telling her, you're letting her make her own decision. And you'll know. If she leaves on her own because you're an asshole, both of you will constantly be wondering what if it went a different way? Right?" Dante asked.

Obviously… Vergil has been thinking about that for days. Ugh, he had to remember who he was listening to. It was himself. This was so strange and irritating...

"I guess a third option of losing her is letting Amelia win, so might want to step on the whole rescuing thing," Dante said.

Vergil gripped his blade tightly and turned over his shoulder to scold Dante - his subconscious… Only, he was gone. Silence. Vergil stopped to look around him for a moment to confirm he was alone. At first, relief set in, but then he felt scared. The third option of losing Cyra… Of course he knew that, but it felt different hearing it from someone else. He would not allow that.

It was true. Cyra was the first and possibly only woman in his current lifetime that would give him the time of day. The last thing he wanted to do was take that chance she gave him for granted. There was a reason she cured him. It was because she saw something in him that no one else did, aside from Dante. He'd prove to her that she didn't waste her time or energy… Or her life that she risked numerous times. She had to know she wasn't wrong about him.

Vergil began to run. He'd find her and finally tell her his feelings, and anything she cared to know. He'd let her make the decision if she wanted him to stay with her or not. And if not, then he'd go back to the demon world for good, like he planned. No harm, no foul. Nothing would be lost. Nothing.

Meanwhile….

Cyra walked through the portal still under the control of Amelia. The moment the portal closed behind her, Cyra regained control of herself, beginning to shake. She frantically looked around, "Amelia!" She shouted, "Where are you!?"

No response.

"You wanted me here, didn't you!?" Cyra called out, "What are you waiting for!?"

Still no response.

"Didn't peg you as such a coward!"

Amelia's laugh echoed while a purple shroud of mist came up from the ground, forming into her young physical form - beautiful and wicked at the same time, "I'm surprised you actually listened. Is that demon's life really all it takes for you to bend to my will?" Amelia scoffed, "What would Gabriel think?"

"Leave Gabriel out of this," Cyra growled.

Amelia peered over to her and smiled wickedly as if she came up with an idea. It left a trail of chills to go up Cyra's spine. Amelia vanished for a moment only to appear directly in front of Cyra, startling her. She would have fallen back if Amelia didn't pull her by the front of her shirt, "Let's play a game, shall we?" Amelia asked almost directly against Cyra's lips

"L-let me go!" Cyra stuttered, uncomfortable at the closeness.

"Who can reach Vergil first?" Amelia asked.

"What?" Cyra asked.

Amelia pulled Cyra to her lips to give her a long, hard kiss before she tossed her back onto the ground. Cyra struggled to push herself back up. That kiss… What did she do to me? Cyra shook, feeling her muscles giving out.

Amelia smirked, "Looks like I have a head start," She walked away, slowly and confidently, seeing the purple mist swarm her once again.

No… This isn't fair… I can barely get up, Cyra thought, forcing herself upright. It took all of her energy to pull herself up and start using the wall to help her walk forward. Only it was too much effort. Whatever Amelia did to her when she kissed her zapped all of energy. Her leg muscles quickly gave out, "I have to get to him…"

Help me Gabriel...