The night had not been kind to him during his attempt at sleep. Visions of a dark figure had penetrated his rest, as well as a persistent voice repeating a single phrase to him:
I love you.
Was it merely a strange dream, or had some entity placed a strange spell on him? Either way, the man was through with the being's relentless declarations of passion. He struggled to break free from his slumber, before he felt himself coming back into consciousness.
After what had felt like an eternity, daylight fell onto his eyelids. He held his hand up to his face as he slowly adjusted to the brightness of the sun. As his eyes gained focus, the man realized he was standing. He knew for certain he'd been lying down the previous night. He hadn't taken up sleepwalking, had he?
But the man's attempt at humoring himself was soon forgotten as he took in his surroundings: a large town square paved with cobblestone, with much of the architecture resembling a medieval European style; bustling humans, of course, but other people resembling animals were walking about, all of them in dress that made the gathering look like a renaissance fair; but most surprising of all, were the carriages being pulled by what almost looked like small dinosaurs.
"Certainly not Fortuna." He mumbled. The sound of his own voice caused his breath to hitch. No, it couldn't be. The man dashed towards a nearby fountain and gazed into the pool's reflection. There, he was met with the sight of a young countenance, shaggy, black hair, and a thin build covered by dark clothing. He had once again become V.
It didn't make sense. How was he in this form? Sure, being in this unknown place wasn't exactly normal, either, but taking on this appearance again? Did this mean… had he been split apart again? Was Urizen free? No, calm down. Just… focus.
The young man placed his hand on his chest and breathed slowly. He concentrated on himself, feeling out the essence of his being. After a few minutes of inner searching, relief washed over him as he felt the familiar presence within. His demonic half was still there. Faint, but not gone. He walked to a bench next to the fountain and sat as he breathed a ragged sigh.
Well, at least this meant Urizen wasn't on the loose. Small miracles, he thought. In fact, upon further introspection, it was now obvious to him how… different he was from the last time he'd been in this form. He felt stable, for once, without the looming fear of literally falling apart. No doubt a benefit of "being whole." It was nice.
However, something else was also apparent: despite his arms and torso being covered in contract tattoos, he couldn't feel the presence of his familiars. It seemed that whatever force had brought him to this place was unable to reunite him with them. Now, the markings merely reminded him of the companions he no longer had at his side. He was completely alone.
"I really should have thanked them more." V thought aloud, a sad grin plastering his face. The man stared at his arms a bit more before sighing, realizing that wallowing in self-pity would do him no good. It was time he gathered information.
"OH NO, THAT BOY!" V's attention was caught by a sudden scream before noticing the reason: a child lay prone in the road as a dinosaur lead carriage came barreling towards him. Poor child. Certainly nothing he could do.
"...damn it!" He shouted as he sprinted for the boy anyways. To his surprise, he managed to reach him just in time to scoop him up and pull him out of the oncoming traffic, causing V to slam against the wall of a nearby building. He found himself trying to catch his breath. "Are you unharmed?" He asked the boy who could only nod in stunned silence.
"Holy crap, did you see that?"
"He came out of nowhere!"
"He's a hero!"
A small crowd started to form as V let the boy down. He could feel feel his body straining after that bit of athleticism. This form definitely wasn't used to exercising, that much was for certain. While the people started praising his actions, a firm voice rang out from outside the gathering.
"Alright, everyone, please calm yourselves! Let me through, thank you!" A man covered from head to toe in armor passed through the gathering of people, trying to reach V. "I saw your courageous act, sir! I'll be sure you recive a proper… reward?" The knight was surprised when he found only the boy was still present at the crowd's center.
"Way too close." V murmured to himself. He was never one for the limelight, and considering he was a foreigner without any sort of paperwork, it was probably best he stay out of sight. It wasn't all bad, though: he learned he was capable of powering himself up when needed, though it was fairly taxing on him and probably fairly limited. Well, whatever, at least the boy was safe.
As he snuck away from the crowd, his stomach made quite the growling noise. Right, he was human now. Best to find some nourishment. He walked down a bustling market before stopping in front of a fruit stand. As he inspected the wares, it dawned on him that he couldn't read the signs near the displays. Another issue to add to the pile.
"Hey buddy. You interested in the appas there? Only a copper per piece! Pretty fair, right?" The green-haired vendor pitched. Appas? Odd, they looked like apples to him. Oh, well, when in Rome. V dug through his pockets, discovering he had a few items on him as he felt around: some pieces of candy, an old cellphone he'd been given by Nero and some American pocket money. Well, no local money on him, but perhaps bartering could work.
"I don't suppose you'd be willing to trade?" V asked as he held out some pieces of candy. The vendor raised an eyebrow.
"The hell are those?" He asked in an unimpressed tone.
"Hard candies. Quite tasty, I'd say." The young man replied as he unwrapped one before offering it to the vendor. Hesitant at first, the green-haired man took the red orb before looking it over. He then popped it into his mouth.
"Hey, this is pretty good!" The vendor exclaimed. V smirked.
"Glad to hear it. Then, about my offer…" The young man motioned to the fruit on the stand as held the other pieces of candy out on his palm. The vendor shifted his eyes between V and his wares.
"Yeah, fine." He grabbed an appa and tossed it to the young man before waving his outstretched hand. After presenting the candy to the vendor, V took a bite out of of the red fruit. His eyes widened at the juicy flavor as he greedily chomped away at the rest of the appa. "Jeez, slow down. Don't go choking on me." The young man finished the fruit with a contented sigh.
"Apologies for the display." V replied, pocketing the core into his vest. "Seems your own wares are also quite delicious." The vendor grinned.
"Of course! My fruits are the finest here in the royal capital!" He boasted.
"So it would seem. In any case, I'm afraid our business is concluded. That was the only worthwhile thing I had, unless you take American money." V said as he brought out a twenty dollar bill and some change.
"The hell kind of money is that? Definitely not any currency I ever heard of." The vendor replied. "Well whatever, it's fine. I got something decent out of this trade at least. Come back if you find anything else worth trading; or better yet, some actual money!" The vendor waved V off as he pocketed his cash and left. The young man's thoughts soon turned to his current predicament.
At this point, it didn't seem like whatever power that had brought him here was sending him back, at least, anytime soon. If he was stuck here, he'd have to find a means of providing for himself, and that meant earning some coin. But where would he even start looking? The young man promptly turned around and headed back to the stand.
"That was quick! What, did you remember something else you had on you?" The vendor asked.
"Actually, I came back to see if you know of any work available around here? If my money's no good, then I'll need to earn some I can use." V replied.
"Are you serious? How'd you even make it this far without a job?" V simply shrugged with a grin at the vendor's question, prompting the man to sigh. "Dear Od, what a piece of work. Alright, I know of some places that usually need help. You at least got a sense for directions?"
"I think I can manage." He replied. The vendor gave a hesitant look before listing off various stores and vendors who might hire the young man. The two finished their talk before V finally departed.
"Good luck, kid! Make some money so you can become a 'real' customer of mine!" The vendor shouted. V made his way down the street and turned the corner to a tavern nearby. Unfortunately, it turned out the clientele and staff were demi-human only, leading to him being chased off.
"No luck there." The raven-haired man mumbled before he wandered around town, asking bystanders for any paying work he could find. After about an hour of fruitless inquiries, it dawned on him how ill fitting his dark clothes were for the sunny weather as sweat poured down his face.
Best find some shade, V thought, turning into an alley soon after. He stopped at a stoop nearby and sat down, fanning himself as he did. The summer heat was just as brutal here in this city as it was at home. At least, he assumed it was summer, or whatever the equivalent was here. He used the time in the alley's shade to mull over the bits of information he'd gleaned from his job search.
The city he was in was apparently known as the Royal Capital and served as the heart of the country of Lugunica. It was one of the four major countries of this continent with a few smaller ones strewn about. When he'd asked about the United States or any other country he knew of, no one had ever heard of them. With all these facts put together, V' suspicions only become more thoroughly confirmed:
"This really isn't my world at all, is it?" He mumbled. It was certainly possible, considering he- Vergil and Dante had been trapped in the demon world at one point. He reached into his pocket and took out his cell phone. The one Nero had given to him- that is, to Vergil. He flipped it open to check on it. Plenty of power, but no signal. The time on the phone definitely seemed off compared to the sun's position. Very strange. He stared at the screen, a picture of his original self and his son in awkward poses together, before placing it into his vest as his thoughts turned toward home.
The orphanage his- Vergil's son, Nero, was in charge of had been his abode for some time after he and his brother had finally sealed away the demon realm and made their way home. It had been difficult to get used to at first, especially with all the noise and aggravation associated with children.
Even so, it was almost like a sanctuary for him. Helping his son and Kyrie, Nero's beloved, with the orphans seemed to help soothe his soul. Vergil had grown fond of his new found family, and, most importantly, had finally found a purpose for his ill-gotten power. Yet now, here we was, stranded in the middle of-
"Well, lookee here, boys. A fresh target for us."
V's thoughts were interrupted as some people approached him. Three men blocked his path forward, each of them a different size. The small, squatty one had dark helmet hair and bugged eyes, the large, bulky one had tanned skin with violet hair, and the middle, lanky one was stark white and had gray blue hair.
The middle one sneered with his tonge wagging as he pulled out two large knives, with the other two snickering while also taking fighting stances. V sighed before standing up and flashing a grin.
"Gentlemen, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but I'm about as poor as poor can get. You'd be better off preying on someone else." He explained. The trio burst into laughter.
"Aw, don't be like that, pal. I'm sure you got something worth taking. Now…" The leader gave a serious look. "Enough with the pleasantries. Fork over all you got, or we'll give you some new breathing holes for your lungs."
Persistent lot. V scanned the area before spotting a piece of wood nearby, figuring it to be about the size of a walking stick. Smirking, the young man casually walked over to it and picked it up, causing the leader to growl.
"Are you listening, shitbag?! Give. Us. Your-"
Before he could finish, a small object whizzed by the leader's head, causing the trio to look back. Seeing an appa core land behind them, the lanky young man turned around, only to find the raven haired young man had suddenly appeared in front of him. With a swing of his makeshift cane, V caught the leader's shirt, flung him into the air and then slammed him into the ground, causing it to slightly crack. The other two thieves stared at their boss's unconscious body as he lay there like a lump.
"Pardon me." The two bandits twitched before turning to V as he slowly patted the stick onto his palm. "If it's all the same to you, I'd rather skip a drawn out brawl. Unless of course…" He pointed towards their leader. "You're eager to join him."
"Gh…f-fuck you!" The big one roared as he rushed V. He let loose a flurry of punches and swipes, only to have them all dodged by the black haired man as he lead him towards the leader's unconscious body. The large brute wound up another punch, only to have his leg tripped by V's foot, tipping the bandit down to the ground. Before he could get up, the back of the thief's head was whacked sharply by his opponent's cane, causing him to join his partner in Dreamland. V panted before turning to the small one.
"Well?" One word was all it took to have the tiny pilferer rush forward screeching in anger. "Of course." He caught the puny assailant's hair in his hand and swung him overhead before slamming him into the street, then punching his stomach. All three bandits were now out like a light. He admired his handiwork while wiping some sweat from his brow. Soon after, the sound of footsteps started echoing near the alley's entrance.
"Coming through!" A voice rang out, catching V's attention. He looked behind him as he caught sight of the voice's owner: a girl in her early teens was rushing through the alley, her blonde hair rustling behind her. She stopped near the aftermath of V's confrontation.
"Damn, what happened to those guys?" She exclaimed as she glanced at the knocked out trio. V simply stood with cane in hand as she briefly looked him over. He gave the girl a smirk, trying to hide his exhaustion.
"Robbery gone wrong, it seems." He answered, causing her to grin back.
"Heh, sucks to be them." She snickered before noticing V's condition. "Uh, you okay pal? You look wiped out."
"Just out of practice. I'll be fine." He assured her. The girl shrugged.
"Hey, if you say so." She cut the conversation short as she leapt up to a nearby wall before bounding off of it, landing on the roof of a building close by. "See you around! Live strong!" V watched as she disappeared.
"Well, that was certainly…something." He muttered to himself, still trying to catch his breath. Not even a day in this new world and he was already running into trouble. At least he seemed capable of defending himself. Now, where should he-
"Hold it right there!" Now what? He was growing tired of all these…distractions.
Long, silver hair that flowed like a river. Large eyes comparable to amethysts. Skin so fair she was practically shining. Was this a goddess he had-
He suddenly slapped his own cheek. What the hell was that? He needed to stay focused. He couldn't afford to lose his train of thought. He cleared his throat before facing her with a grin.
"You know, miss, alleyways aren't exactly the safest of shortcuts. You never know what kind of dangers lurk within them." V said as the young lady approached him.
"Should I take that as a threat, then?" She replied. Realizing his mistake, V coughed once again.
"No, no. More like a friendly warning. I just had a run in with some thieves myself, actually." He explained, pointing behind himself. She spotted the unconscious trio.
"Goodness! What happened to them?" She exclaimed. The silver-haired beauty turned back to the tall stranger. "Did you do this?"
"Indeed. Despite my appearance, I'm tougher than I look." V replied as he still struggled to catch his breath. Her face said she was unconvinced.
"Are you sure?" She asked as he walked past the pile of unconscious thugs.
"Certainly. Just… give me a minute to get my bearings." He replied. He collapsed onto the nearby stoop, then wiped the sweat from his face. Something wasn't right. He knew he wasn't in great shape in this form, but this was just pitiful. Maybe a consequence of being warped here?
Whatever the case, V knew one thing: he'd need to be more careful in choosing his battles from now on. Before long, he managed to calm down. "My apologies. Guess I'm not as hardy as I thought." He chuckled.
"Well, now that you're feeling better, I have something to discuss with you." The girl said. V looked puzzled, but nodded. "First of all, I'd appreciate it if you'd return the insignia you stole from me."
"Excuse me? Sorry, I haven't a clue what you're talking about." V replied. The girl huffed at his answer.
"Are you sure? I'm certain I saw the thief come this way, right where I found you." She retorted.
"Yes, but as I said, I was just the victim of an attempted robbery myself." V explained.
"T-that doesn't mean you couldn't have been stealing from people, as well. Thieves can rob other thieves, I'm sure." She insisted.
"I suppose that's true. Regardless, my answer remains the same. I didn't steal this insignia of yours." He said staunchly. Good lord, this girl was pushy. Her eyes narrowed at his answer before filling with worry.
"Oh, no. Was I mistaken? But-but I was so sure they came this way!" She stammered. V mused to himself for a bit. Should he tell her about the girl who came by earlier? It'd probably just lead to more headaches. He stared at the silver-haired girl as her lovely face became etched with more and more worry. He sighed before standing up.
"Actually, there was someone else who passed through here." He started as he turned to the building behind him. "A blonde girl with a red scarf. She was agile enough to hop up the walls and leave from the roof." The silver-haired girl approached him excitedly.
"Yes, of course! The thief I was chasing was also extremely quick! I'll bet it was her!" She exclaimed. Close, she was way too close. V backed up a bit.
"That does make sense. However, I doubt you have much of a chance of catching up to her at this point. Between her speed and your stopping to chat with me, she's probably long gone by now." He explained. The girl's eyes dimmed.
"I…I see." She replied. Oh lord, don't make that face.
"You may still have a chance of finding her." V interjected. "This insignia of yours probably has some monetary value, correct?"
"Hm, true." The girl thought it over. "If she stole it for money, then she'll have to sell it somewhere. I suppose I could start looking for pawn shops around here. Maybe they'll have heard of her, at least." As she mulled her plan over, V noticed something moving.
"Behind you!" He shouted. Before he could do anything, a burst of blue light formed behind her. As soon as it disappeared, a trio of ice sculptures made out of the awakened hoodlums stood at her back. "Oh. Um, good work."
"You, too." A voice chimed in. Suddenly, a green jewel on the front of the girl's collar glowed faintly as a ball of light formed above it. The light changed shape as a small, grey cat-like creature popped into existence. "That could've turned ugly if you hadn't spotted them."
"I suppose so." V stared a bit at the small floating kitty.
"Huh? What's up? Mesmerized by how cute I am?" The cat asked playfully. The young man grinned as he placed his finger under the familiar's chin.
"Indeed. You are quite adorable, aren't you?" He replied as the small kitty purred. The man then noticed the silver-haired girl's shocked expression. "Something the matter?"
"Oh! No, I was just surprised. There aren't a lot of people who can interact with spirits, let alone touch them." She explained.
"Is that right. Perhaps it's because…" V trailed off as his thoughts once again turned to his own former partners in crime. He realized something he'd been ignoring during the short time he'd been here: he was lonely without his familiars by his side. He missed them dearly. But they were gone, defeated by Dante.
Then again, maybe they could be brought back. They were technically made from his consciousness, after all. He still had their memories from their time together, as well. Maybe if he used his own memories with an emotional connection to anchor them, then…
"Because…?" The girl asked. V grinned as he ceased petting the floating feline. Maybe a little headache would be fine, in this case.
"Apologies, my mind must have wandered. In any case, we at least have a possible lead to your insignia now. Hopefully, we can find her before too long." He said.
"Right. I suppose we should… wait, 'we?' I never said anything about you helping me!" The girl shouted. V walked past her and the frozen thugs towards the street, makeshift cane in hand.
"You didn't have to. I'd be happy to volunteer my services." He explained. "After all, I let an opportunity to stop her slip through my fingers, and it isn't like I have anything better to do."
"There's really no need. You couldn't have known she stole from me. Your information was payment enough." She insisted. The small cat floated in front of her face.
"Aw, it'll be fine. He seems like an okay guy. We should take him up on his offer. After all, the more meat shields for you, the better." The cat explained.
"Puck! That's not-!" The girl was interrupted by V's laughter.
"Well, I hate to disillusion you, but this meat shield is mostly skin and bones." He joked as he patted his chest. Puck chuckled.
"That's true! Still, we'd appreciate the added headcount, right?" The cat looked to his companion.
"Mm, I suppose. I really don't have any way to reward you though." She replied. V grinned.
"You really are awful at accepting help, aren't you?" He teased. The silver-haired girl's face turned red.
"And just what is that supposed to mean?!" She shouted as the trio started down the road. V looked at the girl as she walked beside him, a feeling of warmth filling his chest.
Small miracles, indeed, he thought.