A few nights ago a plot bunny decided that this story idea was a good one, and wouldn't leave me along until I wrote it... So... Here ya go!
Versa Graia Vermiculus means Grey turned Crimson in Latin, at least I think it does... Google Translate, so I don't know for certain, hehe...
But anyways, I hope you guys like it..!
*Edited 11/14/2013
I don't own -Man or Final Fantasy VII.
"Tell me why we have to be out here again?" Lavi whined for the umpteenth time that day, hugging his coat closer to him.
"Because Akuma and a Noah have been spotted in the area, now shut up before I gut you with Mugen, you stupid annoying rabbit." Kanda hissed, the half-frozen samurai shot the red-haired teen a dark look.
Lavi flinched before pouting. "Moyashi… Yuu-chan's being mean." Lavi whined.
"It's Allen." Was the usual snap from the white-haired younger teen that was walking ahead of them, climbing up the steep parts of the trail on the mountain with ease. His hood pulled down, his white hair swaying with the wind as a small snowstorm whirled around them.
"H-How are you n-not affected b-by the cold?" Lavi whined again, pouting at Allen, who shrugged.
"I've never really been affected by the cold…" Allen frowned slightly. "I've never thought about it, actually…" He trailed off.
They walked in near silence for a while. The only sounds made were of their footsteps in the snow and the howling winds around them.
"Isn't that the place?" Lavi finally called, squinting, looking ahead through the snow.
A town rested, nestled between two mountains in a small valley, wooden houses, that were two to three stories tall.
"What's the name of the town again?" Allen asked curiously.
"Ningues or something, c'mon, let's go an' get a room at the Inn before we head up to the mansion where the Akuma and Noah've been spotted." Lavi said cheerfully, his thoughts being invaded by a warm, roaring fire.
When they entered the Inn they were greeted by a dark-haired cheery man, who eagerly gave them two rooms.
"We don't get many visitors around this part." The man told them as he handed them cups of hot chocolate, or tea in Kanda's case.
"I wonder why." Kanda grumbled sarcastically after the man left, sipping his tea silently as Lavi and Allen chatted quietly. Afterwards they dropped their luggage off into their room before they headed back out into the street.
The storm had blown away, but snow was still falling, gently, softly, silently.
A half-hour of struggling up the mountain, the Exorcists found themselves standing in front of a mansion.
Lavi took the lead, pushing open the black iron gates, Kanda following him. Only Allen paused, a frown on his pale face as he looked around.
Why… Did this place seem familiar..?
Different faces flashed in his mind. A man with a terrifying grin, glasses and long brown hair, a surge of hatred filled him at the thought of the man. A woman with a kind smile and long brown hair, love filled him this time.
Silver hair, green, cat-like eyes and a smirk, a pang of pity filled him along with remorse and hatred at himself. A young man with blonde hair, glowing blue eyes, love filled him once again, along with sadness and longing.
A young teen, a cheerful grin on her face and short black hair, annoyance but humor filled him at the thought of the girl. Two men, one with blonde hair and a cigarette, amusement filled him this time, the other dark skinned and with a metal arm, he could hear the sounds of drunken singing and an image of the man wearing a sailor suit filled his mind for a moment before another wave of faces came.
A man wearing blue and a cat-looking robot next to him, gratefulness filled him, and a suspicious feeling. A girl, wearing a pink bow and a soft smile, sadness filled him once more, but understanding and gratefulness as well.
A strange looking lion-like animal with red hair and a tattoo..? Pity and a feeling of friendship filled the teen this time. A woman with rather large breasts and black gloves, dark hair hanging to her waist, jealousy and anger, but a feeling of friendship filled him, confusing him.
Then, a girl with short brown-red hair and glowing blue eyes, a blank face looking up at him, murmuring something he couldn't hear, the feeling that filled him this time was one that reminded the white-haired teen of family.
"Hey! Allen! C'mon!" Allen blinked, the faces gone as the voice calling out to him snapped him back to the present. "You okay Allen?" Lavi called out, concern on the red-haired teen's face.
Allen pulled up a poker-face smile. "Just fine." He called back, moving to join a scowling dark blue-haired and energetic 'rabbit'.
Just who were those people..? Why did they seem familiar to him..?
Walking into the mansion, they looked around the foyer, this place, a haunting sense filled him, anger, but love, and a feeling of being home for the first time in years.
"We should probably split up…" Lavi said, frowning slightly. "This place is huge."
"I'll take upstairs." Allen suddenly blurted out, for reasons he didn't even know.
Kanda and Lavi looked at him strangely, but Kanda merely 'Che'd' and Lavi nodded.
Allen walked quickly up the stairs, like something was pulling him towards, he looked left, meaning to start on that side of the mansion, but frowned and shook his head, heading right instead.
He looked through the rooms, but shook his head until he found one room.
The room felt off though. Frowning, Allen walked inside, looking around, slowly, curiously.
Something… Something told him, in the back of his mind, to move a bookcase away from the wall.
Not understanding why he was doing it, but he did it, finding a hidden door concealed behind it.
Frowning further, Allen opened the door and looked inside.
It was a staircase, wooden stairs wrapping itself around the walls, heading downwards in a spiral.
Hesitating for a second, Allen listened to the pull in the back of his mind, taking a step into the room, he made his way slowly down the steps, worry filling him for a moment when some of the creaked as he made his way downwards.
Allen shivered slightly, not because he was cold, but because of a sudden foreboding feeling he was getting as he entered what seemed to be a basement.
He frowned, his eye wasn't activating but something in the back of his mind was screaming for him to get out of there, that danger was in the area.
Pushing the feeling away he walked through the dark basement, pausing a few minutes later when he found himself in what looked like a prison, he looked into the rooms.
There were a few coffins in one of the rooms, making him freeze as he saw one of them open.
Things flashed before his eyes again, the blonde haired man again, talking to him, saying things he couldn't understand.
Shaking his head in an attempt to clear it, he stumbled back out of the room, heading back down the dark, large room, heading towards the back.
Spotting a door, he opened it, walking into what looked to be a library. Allen blinked in surprise as lights flickered on.
He walked through the library, as he felt… Something… Pull him towards a door towards the back of the library.
Pushing it open Allen walked into what looked to be a scientist's lab.
Terror ran through his veins as his breath sped up.
He couldn't start to understand why his body was acting like this, or why it was walking towards the middle of the room where a table sat.
On the table sat a sphere.
The most… Strangest sphere he had ever seen.
It was transparent, colors swirled inside, even though the sphere itself was still.
Gold, red, black, purple colors swirled inside.
Allen didn't even hesitate as he picked up the sphere, completely absorbed into the sphere he didn't notice someone coming up behind him.
"Thanksss for getting that for usss." A voice hissed in Allen's ear as his eye activated.
Before he could activate his Innocence he was thrown against the wall, yelling out as he hit a giant glass container, causing several cracks in the glass, nearly shattering the container.
His eyes opened to see a large, snake looking Akuma in front of him. "We couldn't pick that up… But it ssseemsss like you can, little Exorcissst!" The snake-akuma launched itself at him as he flung himself to the left, rolling quickly he jumped up.
The snake hit the glass container, the pressure from the new attack causing it to shatter, sending shards of glass everywhere, a sliver hitting Allen's cheek, cutting it.
"Give it to usss!" The snake-akuma hissed angrily, as Allen clutched the sphere to his chest, panic racing through his body.
They couldn't have it, no, never. No one could, no one ever could…
No one but him. The power was to strong for others, nearly too strong for himself…
In a haze of panic, Allen lunged away again as the akuma struck out at him, and doing the only thing he could think of, he placed the sphere in a spot on his chest over his heart.
And pushed.
Letting out a pained yell as the thing absorbed itself into his skin; he heard the Akuma's angry cry and felt pain in his arm as it bit him.
But the pain in his arm was nothing to the pain he was feeling in the rest of his body, it felt like fire was running through his veins, like boiling hot blood, sizzling and burning, tearing him apart bit by bit.
Allen let out a painful gasp, and blacked out.
"Hey… Hey kid… Wake up…" A dark, cold gravely voiced called out to Allen.
"..?" Allen sat straight up, his breath coming in pants. "Where's the sphere?! The akuma?! Where-"
"Calm down kid." The voice said, and Allen looked around, only seeing what seemed to be a bright, white room.
Something, a man it looked like, with black wings that matched his black hair, sitting on a desk, his long legs crossed underneath him, glowing gold eyes eyed him, a smirk on the thing's face.
"Who are you?" Allen demanded, surprising himself that he was unafraid of the person, or thing, in front of him as he slowly sat up, rubbing his arms, a slight look of surprise flashing across his face for a moment as he realized that his body no longer felt like it was burning. "Am I… Dead?"
"So you… Really don't remember me." The thing said, his gravely voice low, dark. "And you're not dead, yet…"
"How could I know you if I've never met you?" Allen frowned, rubbing his arm where he had gotten bit. "And how am I here if I'm not dead?"
"You knew me… From your past life…" The thing said slowly. "And you're not dead because I protected you…"
"Past life..?" Allen asked, eyes widening slightly before he snorted. "You? Just what are you? How could you protect me?"
"Your past life… You spent a few years as a lab rat to a man named Hojo, and then to a woman, someone you deeply cared about, and she put me into you… So you were my container then too… Seems like you'll always be my container." The thing chuckled darkly. "And I'm what was residing in the sphere, as you call it, when it was actually a Summon Materia…"
"Just who are you?" Allen frowned, "And why were you in that sphere?"
"Why I was in that sphere isn't anything important… For now… As for my name… Well… Seeing as you don't remember, I'll tell you my name, and yours… My name is Chaos, and your name was… Is Vincent Valentine." Chaos smirked.
"It's time, you remembered your past life… So you'll know how to 'handle' me… I'll be in touch soon, Vincent."
With that, the thing disappeared, as blackness surrounded him once more.
And that's the chapter!
Hope you guys all liked it!
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~Snow.