The Grey

"Stop him!" Mom screams.

"What did you do?!" Xion looks between me and my parents.

I smirk, in an instance, I'm behind my mother. I easily pin her arms down with one hand, and my other hand grabs her throat. The room stills and I laugh, "Come at me if you dare! I'll kill her the instant you try! Fools! How many of you do I have to kill before you understand what I am?!"

"Vanitas!" Xion's eyes widen, "Let her go! Don't hurt her, she's your Mom!"

I rest my gaze on her, chuckles, "You say that like it means something to me."

My words aren't mine, but I'm saying them. I'm in control of my body, and at the same time, I'm not. The beast and I coexist now, we're not fighting for my body, we're sharing it. My eyes narrow, I can see all their weaknesses, how unbelievably fragile they all actually are. Not as fragile as humans, but barely above them. Show them, Vanitas. Show them all the power of the Pravatus Daemoniacus. Make them fear you!

I tilt my head, "I gave you so many chances to do the right thing. You're all so clouded by your emotions, you just can't do what's right. You should have killed me. Two more days and I'll be immortal. I'm already way above your level. You can't stop me. I will rule the entire world, and you all will die if you don't submit to me."

"You're not.. A fucking god!" Cid growls, standing.

I tighten my grip on my Mom, "Take another step and I'll rip out her heart."

Mom whimpers and I tighten my grip on her throat even more. Dad stands, glaring at me, "Son.. This isn't you. Come back to your senses!"

"You think me insane?" I smile, "I suppose you'd be right."

"Vanitas.." Xion shakes her head, "Stop this. Please.. You're better than this."

She steps towards me and I move the hand on Tifa's throat to her chest. I stab my hand into her chest and wrap my fingers around her heart. She screams and Xion stops moving, eyes wide. I growl, "Anyone makes another move and she's dead!"

I look around at my family, and they all stare back at me. I smirk, "Now let me walk out of here right now. No one has to die, right now, anyway."

Dad glares at me, tears in the corner of his eyes, "Don't take her from me, too, Vanitas.."

"Are you referring to Sora?" I tilt my head, "That's your fault. I told you to kill me before that night. But you always have to find another way, don't you, Cloud? You're such a fool. If you had just killed me the night I transformed, none of this would be happening right now. But you never listen do you? Even now, you planned to try and subdue me until the time passed, but you should have killed me while you had me down. It's too late now. You're all going to die, but you can prolong the inevitable for now if you just let me walk out of here."

"Vanitas." his voice is steady, his words deadly, "Let her go. Now."

"Make me." I laugh, "Of course, if you try, she's dead."

His body shakes, "Stop this. She's your mother! We're your family, Vanitas! It doesn't have to be this way! Fight the prophecy, only you can! You think you know what you are?! You're wrong! The Pravatus Daemoniacus isn't a god! It's a weapon! And once you're used up, you're going to die! Do you hear me, Vanitas?! You're dead! Even now, the further you walk, the deeper you dig your grave, son! Come back from the ledge, let us save you! It doesn't have to be like this! You can still be you, just try! Try to regain the humanity that was stolen by this prophecy!"

His voice softens then, "Let her go, let us help you. You're not alone in this, Vanitas. I know you want to think that, but you're not. Please, listen to me. I don't want to have to kill you, but I will if I must. I won't let you become that thing. You're Vanitas, you're my son. I love you, more than anything, but I won't sit by any longer while you walk off the ledge to your death, inch by inch. Please, don't make it come to that."

I slowly release my hold on Tifa. My eyes narrow my eyes and then I swiftly stab through her back and rip her heart from her body. As her corpse falls to the floor, blood spewing, my hand covered in blood as her heart beats in my palm, I reply calmly, "I already am that thing, Father."

Cloud screams, charging at me. I squash Tifa's heart, dropping it to the floor as Cloud gets to me. He tries to punch me and I dodge him, shoving him across the room. Cid comes at me and I punch him in the face, sending him stumbling back at me. Larxene throws knifes at me and I dodge all of them. In an instant I'm in front of her. I grab her by the neck and lift her off the ground. At my touch I drain the energy from her body. In a few seconds, she's dead. I drop her body and turn as Cloud comes at me again. I kick him in the stomach and he flies across the room, crashing through the wall.

Aerith runs at me, tears rolling down her face. I grab her wrist as she tries to hit me and I snap it, dropping her. I turn and see Xion standing still, watching me, her eyes filled with fear and disbelief. I smirk, "I told you what I was. Do you feel stupid now that you see I was right all along?"

I teleport before I can hear her answer. I find myself in an open field. I look around and there's no sign of civilization in any direction. I look up at the sky, "How cold have I become? I didn't want to be like this. I didn't want to lose you because of what I've done."