//------------------------------// // Part 1 - Chapter 16: A Legend Retold // Story: Pony May Cry: Brotherhood is Magic // by Joey JoJo //------------------------------// It had been a week since the meeting with Celestia and Luna at the library: A week since everypony was informed that it would take the princesses five months to send the demon twins back, and a week since Vergil had challenged their capabilities. Since then, everypony’s daily routines have slowly returned to normal with the exception of Dante’s occasional slip ups with apple bucking. Even Vergil has been helping Fluttershy tend the animals more frequently around the cottage; doing what he can to ease his ever restless mind. Although there was one pony who could not shake off the dread that lingered on after all that had transpired the week before… Twilight had been relatively busy today. From the early influx of ponies seeking books from her library to the constant logging of who borrowed each book and when said book should be returned. It was moments like these that she was thankful to have Spike at her side, always at the ready to assist with whatever task she needed done. Once the afternoon had rolled around, Twilight and Spike were able to take a break from the library due to the dwindling number of ponies in need of books; be it for studying or entertainment purposes. Spike had taken a seat across from Twilight who was slumped down at the small center table at the library, noticing that she seemed flustered by more than just their busy day. “So what’s eating away at you, Twilight?” Spike asked. “You seem a lot less like yourself lately.” Lifting her head up from the table, Twilight quickly tried to dismiss the small dragon’s concerns. “Oh it’s nothing really. I Just didn’t expect today to be so…” “Tiresome?” Spike interrupted. “Yes. I mean no. I mean… ugh,” Twilight groaned, fumbling her words before giving up on her composed act. “It’s not exactly tiresome, Spike. It’s just something else.” “Well what is it?” Spike questioned, hoping to help relieve Twilight of her troubles. “I mean you’ve been like this the past week and it just doesn’t seem like you to go on like this unless there’s really something wrong. Is it because of what happened with Celestia and Luna?” Spike was no stranger to whenever Twilight was distressed and it didn’t take a genius to figure out that the outburst between Vergil and Celestia left her on edge. “It’s that obvious, huh?” Twilight finally admitted with a soft, almost apologetic smile. “As noticeable as the horn on your head,” Spike answered jokingly, pointing a finger to his forehead. “I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight apologized. “I just don’t know what to make of all of this. I know Celestia and Luna said they’d handle it, but I’m worried that-“ “Dante and Vergil are going to do something incredibly stupid and reckless again?” The purple dragon finished almost on cue. “Nice guess, but no,” The lavender unicorn corrected. “It’s not so much Dante as it is Vergil.” “Well, the guy’s got some serious guts to buck up to Celestia and Luna like he did, but I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t go so far as to do something too drastic. After all the princesses are his only way back.” Spike went on to explain. “Besides, both of them have been minding their own business since then and Fluttershy’s told me that Vergil seems to be in a lot better mood after the meeting. Not to mention you’ve seen Vergil every other day this week. The guy just walks in, grabs a few books and goes about his merry way. From the looks of it, Fluttershy seems to be right about him having let go of the whole five months deal.” “I suppose you have a point, Spike, but I can’t shake the feeling that those two aren’t telling us something.” Twilight pondered aloud. Before Spike could give a proper response, a series of loud knocks sounded from the front door to the library. Acting accordingly, the young drake quickly made his way to the door to see who it was. “Probably just another book return.” Twilight yawned as she levitated out her book log in preparation. “I’d say you’re half-right, Ms. Sparkle,” came a chilling voice that immediately drew Twilight’s attention towards the entrance of the library. In the doorway stood Vergil, who was wearing the saddle bag she had loaned him over his dapper, azure coat. Inside the bag appeared to be numerous books that he had been checking in and out of the library for the past week. “How’s it going, Vergil?” greeted Spike, who had already invited him in. No doubt the grey stallion was looking for more study material on Equestria. “Uneventful as usual,” Vergil replied flatly, placing the small stack of books upon the center table where Twilight was seated. Twilight then began to log the books in order while Vergil proceeded to make his way towards the geography and history section of the library, as he usually did during his visits. As Twilight passed each book off to Spike for returning to the shelves, she couldn’t help but wonder why Vergil’s book selection had always seemed to cover the history and geography of Equestria and even more curiously, information pertaining to the subject of Tartarus; including its location, origins and tales of what lied beyond its gates. To say that she had grown concerned by Vergil’s research would be an intense understatement. Still, Twilight was more curious than she was shaken by Vergil’s presence and stood up from her seat to approach the stallion. “I couldn’t help but notice how much you’ve been reading up on Tartarus,” Twilight said, strolling up to the grey pelted pony who was still focused on his search through the book shelf. “I guess something about that place really piqued your interest, huh Vergil?” “Yes. You can say that,” Vergil replied. “I always found Tartarus to be quite a special place myself. There’s such rich history behind its origins. There’s Celestia’s and Starswirl’s ventures to isolate it from the rest of Equestria and even the many attempts to fight back the dark forces that emerged from its depths. But that’s just me. What about you?” Twilight asked sincerely. Furrowing his brow, Vergil turned from the book shelf, having grown tired of Twilight’s feeble attempts at conversation. He knew she had grown suspicious of his actions ever since he had arrived, but now was the time to sate her curiosity, lest she press further on. “If you must know,” Vergil began. “The reason I’ve grown so intrigued by this Tartarus of yours is because it reminds me of an old legend from my world.” “Oh, does it now?” Twilight asked. Her curiosity growing more by the second as she moved in closer to Vergil, her caution of the cold stallion having resided almost completely. “I don’t suppose you would mind sharing that legend with me would you?” Vergil looked back to the bookshelf where he had previously been searching before letting out a long sigh. “I see no harm in doing so. Though perhaps we should take a seat.” Vergil suggested as he gestured towards the library table. “Sure thing. Just let me get a quill and some parchment.” “For what exactly?” Vergil asked as they took their seats. “Well, I’d like to chronicle this story of yours, Vergil. I’m sure it’d make for a great read.” Twilight said excitedly while levitating an ink vial with her horn towards the table next to a few blank sheets of paper in front of her. “If you insist. Then again, it’s quite encouraging to see someone take such an interest in The Legend of Sparda.” “Please do go on,” Twilight insisted sincerely, jotting down the title. “By the way, would you spell Sparda with a ‘D’ or a ‘T’?” “A ‘D’. And do you plan on keeping up these interruptions?” “Hold up one second!” exclaimed Spike as he rushed to the table, having finished cataloging the books Vergil returned. “Alright then, so what’s this whole legend about?” “Any more outbursts?” Vergil asked, his brow cocked and his patience wearing thin. “Sorry! Please continue.” Twilight gestured apologetically as she and Spike were now seated to their liking. “Very well then,” Vergil began. “In the world where I’m from, there exist three realms: Earth, Heaven and Hell. Heaven is known as the paradise of angels and God alike; Hell serves as a home to demons and fallen angels, while also acting as both a prison and eternal punishment for corrupt humans. Finally, there exists a mortal plane between Heaven and Hell known as Earth; the realm my brother and I are from. Earth serves as a home to the mortals of our world known as humans. They are bipedal creatures that are capable of the utmost kindness or the most malicious, vile and repulsive acts. Thus brings us to the necessity for the two realms: Heaven and Hell. Should a human follow the road of temptation and revere evil then Hell awaits them after death. But should the human live a righteous life, they will be rewarded with paradise in Heaven. These three realms throughout history have intertwined with one another and have established the very foundation of the world from which Dante and I hail.” “Fascinating.” Twilight commented, engrossed in Vergil’s words while simultaneously jotting down notes as he continued on. “While these realms have existed apart from one another, there is one tale that has inadvertently connected Hell and Earth throughout time: the legend of a demon known as The Dark Knight Sparda. It all began two millennia ago when Mundus, the most powerful of all demons, rose up alongside his most trusted general, Sparda. Throughout their exploits, they had incorporated a number of powerful demons under Mundus’ rule to the point of conquering all of Hell itself.” Vergil’s voice then shifted slightly into a much more foreboding tone. “However, Mundus was not satisfied with the progress he had made. Whilst he had conquered the world of the damned, his hunger was far from sated. That is until he cast his sights on Earth. The way Mundus saw it, humans were just a race of weaklings that needed conquering, and the spoils that would come as a result of taking over earth were more than enough motivation to say the least. So Mundus set out to claim his prize… That is until Sparda stood in his way.” “Why would his general of all things stand against him?” Spike asked, genuinely curious. “For some reason,” Vergil continued his story. “Sparda had ‘awoken to justice’ as the legend states and developed a sort of…attachment towards the humans. Not sure exactly what it was that drove Sparda to take such a stance...,” he briefly paused to ponder the thought himself, aimlessly wondering exactly what Sparda could have been thinking; trying to make sense of his actions. Noticing that Twilight and Spike were throwing curious glances at him, Vergil quickly snapped back to the story, avoiding any more distractions. “Whatever the reason may be, Sparda rebelled against Mundus and his own demon brethren. The battle that ensued, as they say, was more than hellish. However, Sparda stood triumphant in the end after single-handedly defeating Mundus and his entire demon army. It was said that Sparda then sealed away Mundus so as to prevent an uprising in Hell of that magnitude from ever occurring again. After what was left of Mundus’ army retreated back into Hell, Sparda turned his sights towards the Temen-Ni-Gru, a massive tower built by sacrilegious and blasphemous humans, which reached to the heavens and acted as a gateway between Hell and Earth. Needless to say, Sparda took immediate action so as to ensure that the gateway to Hell would be closed off. Being the powerful demon that he was, he was able to put a stop to it all with the help of a few artifacts that he possessed.” Vergil quietly looked down at his sword that was still sheathed within its scabbard, gently running a hoof over the hilt of Yamato. “In order to seal the gateway, Sparda used both his blood and the blood of a pure human priestess in conjunction with one of his swords, Yamato, the blade that would be responsible for cutting off the passage to Hell through the human realm; and a mystical amulet that would serve as the key to the Temen-Ni-Gru. To ensure the strength of this seal, Sparda was willing to pour his own demonic energy into his most beloved sword, Force Edge, so as to completely shut the door between the realms. However, this method would rob him of most of his own demonic strength and power and in turn, would limit him to a now mortal vessel.” “And the Tower? The Temen-Ni-Gru? What happened to it afterwards?” Twilight asked, her quill having come to a complete stop. “Quite the observant one I see.” Vergil commented. “Well I do find that details are of the utmost importance, especially when it deals with a legend filled with such a rich history.” Twilight beamed. “Commendable mindset.” Vergil responded before standing up from his seat. Taking the time to stretch his legs, he had begun pacing on all fours in front of the table as he resumed his story. “You see, Twilight, Sparda was exceptionally thorough in his methods to say the least. And Temen-Ni-Gru’s sealing was no exception. Before he locked his devil powers away into the demon world, Sparda had taken extreme precautions to ensure that no human would dare venture into that forbidden tower, and within it he locked away six elder demons who had once served under Mundus as its gatekeepers. If this was not enough, Sparda had also accomplished the extraordinary task of defeating the fallen angels who embodied the seven deadly sins, and nailed them down into the tower so as to keep it underground and hidden completely away from the mortal world. Only then was his task finished, and only then, did he make the sacrifice he saw fit to keep the world safe by locking away his own strength within Hell. After all that had transpired, Sparda’s act of heroism was revered ever so highly among humankind and would be remembered fondly for over two thousand years. He was practically praised as a God or to a lesser extent, a savior of humanity.” “Woah, talk about a selfless hero.” Spike said in genuine amazement. Before Twilight could also speak up, Vergil had cut her off in a raised yet well mannered tone. “However, that, is not where the legend ends.” “There’s more?” Twilight asked excitedly while simultaneously dabbing her quill into the ink vial, ready to continue on with her notes. “Plenty.” Vergil took a moment to clear his throat before continuing on. “After two thousand years of fending off what few demons that still roamed earth, Sparda would then choose to step down as humanity’s savior and settle down to a much more simpler life. The choices he would then make while on earth would forever be remembered as the vilest acts among demon kind and in turn would create an even greater resentment for the Dark Knight among his demon brethren. “What exactly did he do?” Twilight muttered just enough for Vergil to hear. He then looked up at Twilight with an almost menacing glare as he answered. “He fell in love with a human woman.” Both Twilight and Spike sat in silence sharing a confused look upon Vergil’s explanation. “You see, such a union between both a human and demon was practically unheard of as it was of the highest taboo, but sure enough, Sparda was smitten with a woman who went by the name… Eva.” Vergil was beginning to struggle with recalling his mother’s name, but not so much that either Twilight or Spike would notice. He quickly snapped back to the story before either of them would notice his hesitance. “This woman had become the center of Sparda’s affection and within time the two of them had become lovers; both of them sharing a deep passion for one another. A love said to transcend the boundaries of Hell and Earth itself.” “How romantic.” Twilight smiled gleefully, having grown more and more entranced by the Legend to which she was so determined to chronicle. Vergil merely sneered at her comment as he turned away, continuing on where Twilight had interrupted. “Over time, Sparda and Eva’s love would grow and eventually she would bear him two sons. Twins to be exact. Two children born to a demon father and a human mother. These two sons of Sparda would share both their father and mother’s bloodlines, essentially making them half-demons. Their mother loved them both equally and Sparda himself would do all he could to pass on his legacy to his sons. Unfortunately, like all things, time eventually took its toll on Sparda. Having sealed most of his demonic strength within Hell for over two thousand years, Sparda had grown both considerably weaker and more susceptible to the passage of time, not unlike a mortal. In the end, not even one as powerful as Sparda was immune to death.” Vergil had taken a moment of silence to allow Twilight to catch up, as it appeared that she had begun to slow her pace; making sure to get every last detail down. Spike noticed Vergil’s delay and quickly took a look over onto Twilight’s page. Seeing that she was nearly caught up he turned back to Vergil and gave a silent thumbs up for him to continue. “Although, before Sparda’s life had come to an end,” Vergil started. “He would leave behind his most treasured blades to his two twin sons. To one son he left the blade, Yamato: The very sword that he used to seal off the demon world. It was a blade so sharp that it could cut through anything; even through dimensions and barriers as it was forged in the fires of Hell itself." "To his slightly younger son, he left his other sword known as Rebellion. It was a large double-edged broadsword which held an untapped demonic power that could one day allow its user to awaken their demonic strength." "And to his human wife, Sparda left her the perfect amulet: the very same key that he had used in his ritual to seal off the demon realm from the rest of the world. A priceless keepsake he would entrust to his dearly beloved. On their birthday following Sparda’s passing, Eva split the amulet in two and gave each half to her twin sons; each with their names engraved on the back. To the two sons, these amulets were perhaps a gift to be treasured for eternity, signifying their father’s sacrifice.” “Such an amazing story,” Twilight said in bewilderment. “It’s so tragic, yet hopeful.” “If only that were where the legend ended.” Vergil commented grimly. Twilight immediately reached for her quill as Vergil spoke. “Not too long after Sparda’s death, the seal had weakened a considerable amount over the two millennia it was established, and slowly but surely, demons had begun to cross over into the human world. Without Sparda to hunt them down, demons would run amok in the human world.” “But I thought Sparda cut off the passage way from Hell to the Human world.” Twilight said. “It’s true while he may have eliminated the bridge connecting the worlds, it didn’t necessarily stop the few stragglers that survived. Nor would it entirely stop demons from finding their own methods of crossing over from Hell. You see while he might have eliminated the gateway from Earth, he couldn’t completely cut off the many small but few pathways to Earth within Hell. And as fate would have it, Sparda’s family would fall victim to vengeful demons who still remembered his betrayal. It was only a matter of time before the demons found their target: Sparda’s wife…” Twilight looked up with a frown, knowing full well the implications of Vergil’s words. “She would not survive their relentless pursuit.” He said as he turned away from Twilight and Spike; his words growing more somber. “What exactly happened to Sparda’s sons?” Spike asked, snapping Vergil back to the story. “To answer your question, the two sons had managed to escape such a gruesome fate as they hid away from the demons; each finding their own escape. However, they would drastically grow apart after the loss of their mother and each would pursue their own desires, unexpectedly becoming more and more intertwined with demons and their father’s legacy. One would try and pursue a life of hunting demons; trying to establish a sense of normalcy among the humans he defended, while the other would look to regain his father’s power so that no demon may stand up to him. Eventually their paths would cross time and time again, the half-blooded devils clashing with one another over and over; neither one of them able to agree on their father’s will. The two devils would fight with a ferocity that not even full blooded demons could muster. Their encounters would be of the most violent and bloody nature as their swords once wielded by their own father now clashed against one another; each son trying to prove their superiority as though it were of the most macabre of sibling rivalries.” As Vergil went on, Twilight couldn’t help but recall each detail of Sparda’s sons over and over. It was then that it hit her. The two twin sons of Sparda, their distinct nature, their bloody conflict. These characteristics had begun to align almost perfectly with her impression of both Dante and Vergil. Her blood ran cold as she considered that dreadful possibility. Could Vergil and Dante really be the two sons of Sparda? Steeling herself, Twilight spoke aloud, hoping that she could ask the cold, grey stallion that daunting question. “Umm, Vergil… about these twin sons of Sparda. They wouldn’t happen to be-“ “I am not finished yet.” Vergil interrupted casually, his patience beginning to wear thin with Twilight’s outbursts. “Please save what questions you have left for the end.” “Sorry.” Twilight nodded, her eyes still on Vergil as he turned away to finish while she returned to chronicling the story. “Eventually the two son’s blood-soaked rivalry would come to an end as the eldest of the brothers had found a means to gaining the power of their father, Sparda. To do this, he would have to resurface the Temen-Ni-Gru and reconnect Hell and Earth once again, travel to the demon world and reclaim his father’s sword that was still imbued with his ever potent demonic power. However, the young brother who sought to defend humanity would not allow his brother to do so, as opening the gates to Hell would most assuredly allow the demons to pour in through the portal onto the earth. He apparently cared far too much for the humans… which was what truly brought this conflict upon the two devils. But the other brother, who wielded Yamato, would not be stopped by such petty reasoning, and through sheer might alone, crossed over into the demon world. Their fight would take them to the very gates of Hell itself. It was there that the elder brother had regained their father’s lost sword, and all that was left was to claim his younger brother’s amulet for himself in order to become a full fledged demon. The two brothers stood at the very edge of Hell, one’s back facing Earth while the other’s towards the demon realm. Their final fight shook the very foundations of the world itself as the two waged war on one another. Blow for blow and slice for slice. Their swords rang out in a thunderous clang as they fought, neither one letting up until the time had come for the deciding blow. Both brothers charged at one another, but only one would deal the decisive blow and secure victory for himself. At the end of it all, the younger brother had managed to triumph over his older sibling, mortally wounding him to the point of defeat. The older brother had then resigned to his fate as he would take to the edge of the demon world and plummet to his death into the black abyss of Hell, damning himself, hoping to retain what dignity he had remaining as a son of Sparda. In the end, the younger brother would walk away, returning to the human world he wished to defend so adamantly with their father’s sword in hand.” Vergil then let out a long sigh. “And that is the Legend of Sparda.” Both Twilight and Spike were awestruck at the closing of Vergil’s tale. Whatever suspicion Twilight had of Vergil’s and Dante’s role in all of this had begun to fade as nothing more than mere coincidence. Guess he and Dante aren’t the half-demon twins. Kind of a relief to be honest, she thought as she finished writing the last of the story. “Quite a story, Vergil,” Twilight said as she levitated the vial of ink back towards the desk. “Yet it’s such a tragic tale to say the least. The sacrifice Sparda made for the humans, and the love he shared with his wife; all gone to waste at the hands of his own two sons… It’s so… It’s so awful.” “Such is the life of a devil,” Vergil calmly commented as he returned to the history section of the library. “It’s not so much that, but…” Twilight stammered. “Do you think either brother cared for one another? I mean surely even after all that happened, the younger devil must have at least felt some sort of sorrow or even mourned the loss of his older brother. His own family…” Twilight’s question prodded Vergil’s mind, bombarding him with the idea that perhaps a devil is capable of mourning. For a few silent moments, those thoughts would linger as Vergil remembered his final moments at the edge of Hell before his fall. The look on Dante’s face was so clouded at that moment in time. He couldn’t remember anything else other than the blackness that soon engulfed him afterwards. The moment quickly passed though, as the memory of his loss did little more than infuriate the stallion, causing Vergil to shake his head at the thought before answering Twilight. “I wouldn’t know. As the legend states, they say that Devil’s never cry.” He then turned away, resuming his search through the many shelves of the library. Twilight looked on for a few minutes in silence while Spike returned to his chores throughout the tree house. Looking back down at the pages of text she had written down to chronicle the Legend of Sparda, she began to reread through the story, trying to visualize just what sort of world Vergil and Dante came from. The details of Sparda’s features along with other demons being so vague left her to fill in the blanks with her own ideas. Thoughts of morbid and grotesque demons plagued her mind each and every time she read over the texts accompanied with a sensation of fear, fascination and sheer excitement. A long sigh however, broke Twilight out of her stupor as she looked up to see Vergil having now turned away from the bookshelf. He grabbed his saddle bag and started making his way towards the door. “Didn’t find what you were looking for?” Twilight asked, moving up from the table towards Vergil. “No I didn’t,” he answered bluntly. “It seems that I’ve read up on all your library has to offer me on Tartarus. Disappointing really, but fascinating to say the least.” “You did? I wish I had more to offer here, but I’m sure the Canterlot library has more than enough material on the subject. If you want we could pay a visit there some time.” “That won’t be necessary.” Vergil replied. “I believe I’ve read up on all I would care to know.” “Oh, I see,” Twilight said dishearteningly. She then moved aside, no longer wanting to hold up her guest. Vergil nodded, and then made his way towards the front door. “By the way,” Twilight spoke up abruptly before he could open it. “Hmm?” “Thanks for sharing your story with Spike and I,” she said cheerfully. “I can’t tell you how fascinating it is to read up on old legends; especially ones that aren’t even from your own world.” “I’m glad you’ve taken a fancy to it,” Vergil replied. “And also,” Twilight continued. “I kinda wanted to say I’m sorry about the whole meeting with Celestia.” “Why is that?” “Well it’s just that after all that’s happened in the past two weeks, I kinda wanted to say that I’m sorry for alienating you so much. I think I can understand your frustration. You’re not from here. Our customs are different, our values are as well. Also our anatomy is nothing like your own, given what you told me about the world where you’re from. All you want to do is get back home and five months surely makes it seems like a long way off.” Vergil merely cocked a brow at the sudden apology from Twilight. “It’s quite alright. I’m over it now. I was simply acting irrationally, given the sudden change of plans. That tends to happen when things don’t always go your way. Wouldn’t you agree?” “Quite,” Twilight giggled. “I can’t even begin to tell you about the freakouts I’ve had thanks to being tardy in my work.” “It’s true,” Spike called from the other side of the library. “She’s pretty scary when even the smallest thing falls outta place or doesn’t work out like it’s supposed to.” “Spike!” Twilight yelled out in frustration and embarrassment. “What? I’m just telling the truth.” “Amusing. Well I thank you for the apology, but I must be on my way.” Vergil proceeded to open the door before he was stopped by Twilight one more time. “Oh, and one more thing, Vergil…” Silently grinding his teeth, he looked over his shoulder to answer her. “What is it?” “I forgot to ask you about the one book you still have checked out,” she said while magically levitating the clipboard over to her side showing the logs of all library activity. “Says here you still have that geography book you borrowed over a week ago when you were here with Fluttershy. You wouldn’t still happen to have it would you?” “Why yes, I do still have that book in my possession.” He answered casually. “However, I am not entirely finished with its contents.” “Oh, well then, be sure to return it when you’re done please.” “Of course.” “I really do hope you find it useful for your studies.” “I can assure you that I most certainly will.” Vergil said with a grin, bidding Twilight a farewell and stepping out the front door into the afternoon sun. “Glad to hear!” Twilight called out as she waved goodbye to the grey pelted stallion as he left the library, trotting his way further towards the edge of Ponyville.