Last Impression

By Angelis-Sensei

Challenge set by Plot Bunny's Helper (AKA Blackest Grim)

AN: Final Fantasy Unlimited is one of the greatest anime I've seen! You must see it. (Hence the reason I haven't updated in a while.) If this is a little different than normal, blame it on FFU!

Refer to my profile if you must see a disclaimer.

Key:

"Talking."

Thoughts.

"Parseltongue."

Chapter 7:

The Red Devil

!-!

No wonder mother and father told me never to drink or cast anything that would alter my appearance. What could be the meaning of this? Even my eyes are that colour... he thought, gazing into his own eyes. Is this what I inherited from mother?

!-!

Benjamin's gazed was still fixed upon the mirror when the door was opened by his father. The older man's presence felt cold and harsh to him now.

Is father mad at me because he thought I'd done something? Why would I do something so that I would turn into something like this! Benjamin grimaced as his father took another step toward him.

"Don't think I'm going to hurt you, little one," his father called out to him, smiling slightly, reaching out a hand. "I just want to explain this to you, Benjamin."

"Then explain it now!" Benjamin demanded, his voice was changing as well – it was getting deeper and as it was, it felt very foreign to him.

"When you were born, you were born as any normal child was. You had blue eyes and you were bald." Ayashi chuckled, continuing as he remembered. "You were such a cute child..." he smiled.

"Anyway," he brushed a piece of his hair back. "When you were approaching a few months old, your hair began to turn this red colour and your eyes slowly turned red as well. Your mother and I had absolutely no idea what it meant, as you were our first and only child. There was plenty of children like you born almost every year – children with Vampire and Darkling parents.

"All of the other children, however, were dark haired, different sorts of normal eye colours and taller in height. When you approached a year of age, you began to grow your tail there," the elder Grim gestured to the furry tail that was twitching by Benjamin's leg. "You didn't feel any pain from it or anything, which was quite surprising in itself.

"A few weeks after your first birthday, there was a sudden attack on the castle. I disguised you as a normal child, in fear someone unwanted would find out what you looked like naturally. Sadly, someone sought to steal you away and take you with them. A couple – Lily and James Potter, I believe – had just lost a child that looked like you around your age. The adopted you and cast light illusion spells that would make you look like Harry Potter.

"Unfortunately, as you know the story, they were attacked by the Dark Lord... and killed. You were left with your supposed Aunt and Uncle. At that time, I had lost track of your aura as it had been changed by the Potters. Finally, I found you that day that I sent you the letter.

"When I set my eyes upon you, I couldn't believe you looked so different than what I had expected you to. With the way your Aunt and Uncle treated you, I had presumed your tail and such were grown and full. So, when I took you to the Under World, I assumed that you would be better off with only the Potters' spell taken off. Hence I warned you against the spells and potions that – if taken wrongly – could lead to you being revealed."

Ayashi paused, looking at his son in full. "You're growing horns as well..." he reached out, tapping the top of one.

"What..." Benjamin cowered slightly into a corner, away from his father. He was scared of what was happening to him and his body – this was what he was supposed to look like! "What am I, exactly? Why do I look like this, father?" he asked, his voice cracking painfully at the end.

Chuckling lightly, Benjamin's father pulled his hands away. "That is the easy part, I guess. Because I am such a powerful vampire, the blood representative as well as my position representative was passed down to you quite physically. Due to your mother being a Darkling, some of her genes take well to amplifying some of those traits – take your hair for instance."

Silence stretched before the two for a long while. It was broken by a quiet knock on the door.

be

"Yes?" Lord Grim called. The door opened enough to show a face of Lady Grim.

"Ayashi... I was wondering when we would be getting home. I don't think I can –"

"Dear Augustina, we will be getting home soon," he whispered to her, his pale hand trailing around her cheek. "As soon as I put Benjamin at rest, we will go." She nodded and closed the door after they pulled apart.

Lord Grim turned back to his son, bending down, he embraced the other, holding him close. "I love you so much, son... don't you forget that." Pulling Benjamin's chin up, their eyes met; blood red met royal purple. "I'll see you at Christmas, huh?"

Once his father and mother were very gone, Benjamin got to his feet and looked at himself in the mirror again. His father was right: he was growing horns as well, small, black, crystal-like horns that were forming just inside his hairline, beyond his forehead. He wondered what they were for – perhaps they had a purpose?

Shaking his head, Benjamin became worried about what he would do about his sudden change in appearance. He couldn't just waltz right back into the swing of things! That would practically be suicide.

He only came up with one other doubtful option for his situation Severus Snape. Hopefully the man would open his heart for him just a little so that he could at least reside in the Elder Vampire's room. He prayed to the Gods with all his might that he may be able to live with the potions master just for the sake of his own safety.

!-!

It was the middle of the night, and Benjamin was on his mission to get residence to the potions master's rooms. Knocking on the door as quietly as he could, the redhead hoped that he wouldn't frighten the older man at all.

The door opened to reveal a worn Severus. "Can I help you with anything on this swell night?" he asked sarcastically.

"Salazar!" Benjamin whispered urgently. He could feel something stir in his body that would most likely spell disaster for him if he were to remain outside of the room. Shocked, the named man moved aside, opening the door wider to admit the hooded and cloaked Prince.

"What in Merlin's name...?" he asked as the cloak fell off as Benjamin dropped to the floor.

"Salazar... something's happened to me. Father... he said it was because of who he was and who mother was..." he trailed off, gritting his teeth together, his claws tearing at his clothes on his back, desperate. Suddenly and almost fluidly, large red feathered wings erupted from Benjamin's lithe back.

"By Merlin's beard... you're a right Red Devil, aren't you?" Salazar cursed.

To Be Continued…

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