Read first chapter for disclaimer.

Damnation Unwinding

In the end there can only be…

Chaos

-Kratos-

Vincent P.O.V.

I let out a silent whisper as that bastard scraped at the tissue on my chest, all the while with that grotesque smirk that lingered on his face. I felt something stir deep within me when he finally pulled the scalpel from my flesh. A heavy pounding could be heard beating mercilessly deep within my eardrums.

"Hmm this is peculiar…." he said digging deeper with the scalpel.

I had to bite my upper lip to keep from yelling out in pain. The chains binding me to the wall ripped at my wrists and ankles. Yet there was nothing keeping me from the immense amount of pain I was feeling.

"What? Where is it?" he shouted increasing the stabs.

A searing pain, one greater than I had been feeling, entered my mind and started ripping around the very fabric of what was left of my sanity. I then felt the beating within my eardrum grow in its intensity. It felt as if I were hearing the beating of my heart calling to me.

Tear into him and rip out his beating heart.

'What?"

Its been too long since we've walked on any terra.

"Why am I hearing these voices?"

Do unto him what he has done to you.

With that said my sanity was once tested again as visions soon assaulted my consciousness.

"Are our sins ever forgiven?"

"I've never tried."

"You mean… never tried…?"

"What am I?"

"Soul wrought of terra corrupt."

"Oblivion perhaps. My darkness… it can absorb as well as extract almost anything. However, some things remain… things as black as the heart of a demon.

"Once more," slurs a voice.

"What have I done?"

"All I did was watch."

"I didn't even try to stop her."

"That was my sin."

"And this…"

"This… was my punishment."

A figure in black with silver hair stands amidst the flames and bodies he's mutilated. A broken woman begs for her son from the man who created a nightmare. Friends mourn the loss of the flower girl. A young woman ascends into oblivion promising a reunion. The faint trace of a kiss still dancing on the corner of my mouth.

End Vincent's P.O.V.

The chained man began to convulse violently as the scientist withdrew his scalpel once again.

"Where is the protomateria?" shouted the scientist as he grabbed the man by his throat.

As soon as his flesh touched Vincent's throat his convulsing stopped. With that, crimson eyes met nervous uncaring ones. Looking down, the scientist saw his wrist being grasped by Vincent's now unchained hand.

"Wha…how?" uttered the scientist as he stared into Vincent's eyes.

"Ahhhh," screamed the scientist as he heard the cracking of bone and tendon.

"Hojo, you will pay for your transgressions." said Vincent ripping himself from the wall causing the scientist to fall on the floor.

"Your memories…" blubbered the scientist.

"…have returned." finished Vincent.

"Well not exactly, he's still sleeping. It's my turn to repay the favor."

"Chaos?!" shouted Hojo.

"You've guessed correctly," smirked Chaos.

Hojo's breathing quickened as he saw the monster descend onto him. Talons sunk into flesh without remorse and the squishy sound of canines sinking deep into muscle. No one would hear his screams echo through the abandoned facility. No one would see blood splatter the walls or would witness a skull being smashed. There was also no one to hear the sickening crack one would hear from a spine being crushed and pulled from its flesh.

And with Chaos' awakening, the ties that had been so long forgotten were now giving way to the unraveling of ties that bonded him to the others.

This gave rise to their true pasts.

"Aerith, where's Cloud?" asked Yuffie in Merlin's house.

"He's searching…" replied Aerith after taking a bite out of her sea salt ice cream.

Looking away the woman walked around the house pondering on the right word.

"Searching?"

"He's searching for…"

Aerith suddenly stopped walking as a heavy pain hit her stomach causing her to fall to the floor. Yuffie immediately rushed to her side hoisting her off the floor. The woman in pink strives to get up, but falters under the spinning lights of the dimly lit house.

Her eyes glaze over as she looks up to see Sephiroth descend onto her body. She then looks down to see the protruding blade coming out of her stomach. She then screams Cloud's name as she falls to the floor. Cloud wears a blank stare as he is deaf to her pleas.

"Aerith, are you ok?" questions Yuffie, struggling to get Aerith to the nearest bed.

Upon opening her mouth Aerith let out a spray of blood that sullied her dress and her companion.

"Aerith?!" shouted Yuffie.

"Vincent?" whispered Aerith as she drifted to unconsciousness.

Hearing the knob on the door squeak she suddenly hears the frightened voices of a familiar trio. She then wipes away the tears that had accumulated on her face.

"Wait… I'm not crying." turning to Merlin's mirror she sees rivulets of blood coming from both of her ears.

"Just wanted to say thank you,"

"For what," smirks the blurred gunman with a smirk apparent on his face.

This was how their bickering first turned into something akin to flirtation.

Tears and a sad smile grace her features as she is witness to the pair's unexpected kiss. The only thing she feels now is the soft furry sensation of something running against her leg. A reassurance from a friend?

She hears her name being called from three familiar voices before she succumbs to the darkness that awaits her.

"Hang on Vincent," uttered Cloud as he gunned his ship Fenrir.

He finally remembered the crimson gunslinger. His help along with the help of the others had helped him in realizing what he was fighting for. Just as his ship took on a yellow hue he whispered something.

"My friends, my family."

A forlorn looking Tifa sits on top of Merlin's house gazing at the stars. She cringes as a bitter memory resurfaces. The day most of her friends disappeared and the crying Marlene that begged her to bring back her 'Papa'. Biting back a sob she looked towards the full moon. Her heart ached as she wondered if the others made it out alright. She only knew that Cloud, Cid, Yuffie, and apparently Aeries successfully escaped the planet seemingly unscathed. Yet, she felt bitter at the thought of her jealousy towards Aeries. She would not stand in their way, she would let him have his happiness, even if it meant it would be with her.

A weird sensation begins to fill the pit of her stomach as she ponders of another. She remembers back to the time before the 'invasion' when she heard him laugh for the very first time. Thinking of his raven hair, she was graced with a blush adorning her face.

She remembered how he always looked sad at their celebrations. Yet after Omega she remembered how he looked after he returned. It was as if he found that peace he was looking for. She let a sad smile appear on her face as she remembered how his peace turned into something now defiled. Something so tainted that it called out and devoured anything it touched. Sadly if that wasn't enough, she unconsciously added something to his guilt.

'Temptation'

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