[Nero's answer takes Vergil by such surprise, he's not even certain that he heard it correctly at first. He takes a deep breath to ground himself, to listen to Nero's fuller answer without losing pieces of it in his own surprise. By its end, Vergil still says nothing right away, allowing the words to hang there in the air undisturbed. He believes Nero's answer to be the truth. It's clear how much Nero wants to forgive Credo, but the unanswered questions raises far too many doubts for that forgiveness to be given so cleanly. No, the reason for his silence is that Vergil is of two minds about the whole thing.]
[On the one hand, what Nero says does nothing to really alleviate Vergil's skepticism. Not to say that Vergil would have backed down entirely from the notion simply because Nero emphasized the man's positive traits, or even if he provided some evidence to Vergil that would dismiss the thought process of a less than honorable mentor whose affection had its limits in the end. But too much of Nero's own doubts mirror Vergil's in a way that can't be ignored. For Nero to so openly and plainly state that he bears his own doubts about what Credo truly thought and felt when Vergil knows him to offer so much more benefit of the doubt to the people he cares about... It's telling. That's the very least Vergil can acknowledge.]
[But on the other hand, Vergil also knows what it is like to struggle with such forgiveness. When he held so tightly to the belief that his mother had been too weak to save him, that she abandoned him in favor of his brother and died with him instead, he still had questions. Even with as angry as he was, as certain he remained about his decision to turn from his humanity as it served no purpose beyond acting as an inherent weakness, as much as he would have denied it had he ever been asked, Vergil still wanted to know why. Why did she not come when he cried for her? He was not keen to forgive her as Nero seems wanting to forgive Credo, and did not want the answers as a means of absolving her, but... He wanted that closure. As much as any child would to someone they believed was meant to protect them, but failed in a catastrophic manner. In a way that felt like a deep betrayal from which there is no healing.]
[He draws another breath, looking away from Nero even as Nero's eyes remain closed.]
I don't know what will bring you peace. [Vergil had the benefit of Dante to know more of the truth, to change his understanding and forgive Eva for not reaching him that day even as his hatred of his mother now settles as a regret, as something he can never seek forgiveness for himself. Nero does not have that luxury. There is no one that would have known enough to know Credo's mind in those final moments to bring him such clarity.] But I hope you are able to find it. Regardless of whether or not he deserves forgiveness, you do not deserve to carry his mistakes forever.
cw: reference to parent death
[On the one hand, what Nero says does nothing to really alleviate Vergil's skepticism. Not to say that Vergil would have backed down entirely from the notion simply because Nero emphasized the man's positive traits, or even if he provided some evidence to Vergil that would dismiss the thought process of a less than honorable mentor whose affection had its limits in the end. But too much of Nero's own doubts mirror Vergil's in a way that can't be ignored. For Nero to so openly and plainly state that he bears his own doubts about what Credo truly thought and felt when Vergil knows him to offer so much more benefit of the doubt to the people he cares about... It's telling. That's the very least Vergil can acknowledge.]
[But on the other hand, Vergil also knows what it is like to struggle with such forgiveness. When he held so tightly to the belief that his mother had been too weak to save him, that she abandoned him in favor of his brother and died with him instead, he still had questions. Even with as angry as he was, as certain he remained about his decision to turn from his humanity as it served no purpose beyond acting as an inherent weakness, as much as he would have denied it had he ever been asked, Vergil still wanted to know why. Why did she not come when he cried for her? He was not keen to forgive her as Nero seems wanting to forgive Credo, and did not want the answers as a means of absolving her, but... He wanted that closure. As much as any child would to someone they believed was meant to protect them, but failed in a catastrophic manner. In a way that felt like a deep betrayal from which there is no healing.]
[He draws another breath, looking away from Nero even as Nero's eyes remain closed.]
I don't know what will bring you peace. [Vergil had the benefit of Dante to know more of the truth, to change his understanding and forgive Eva for not reaching him that day even as his hatred of his mother now settles as a regret, as something he can never seek forgiveness for himself. Nero does not have that luxury. There is no one that would have known enough to know Credo's mind in those final moments to bring him such clarity.] But I hope you are able to find it. Regardless of whether or not he deserves forgiveness, you do not deserve to carry his mistakes forever.