Note: Ok, don't worry. It starts off with an original character, but I swear you will quickly see the Kingdom Hearts cast. You'll have to excuse the fact that Final Fantasy characters don't show up for a while. Most of the Final Fantasy characters will from Final Fantasy VII. Also, I'd like you to know that this is the rewrite of an older story. If you have any questions, please ask and I'll answer them the best I can. Happy reading!

Edit: Ok, so the ending is a little... not the best. Yes, Cari pulled a stupid move. However, that gets touched on later as to why she did that. But were I to explain it here, it would ruin something later-like the 'oh, that's why' moment.

Edit 2: Just fixing punctuation here. None of the content has changed.

Chapter 1: The Almost Perfect Day

Cari stepped outside onto the deck, a wide smile on her face, and her long brown hair pulled back into a tight bun, even though she wasn't even going to have it that way later. Today was absolutely gorgeous, just like everyone predicted. The perfect day to go to the beach with friends. And a certain boy she liked, who was fortunately approved of by her somewhat uptight, and very protective, dad.

Zexion was everything Cari loved. He was smart, polite, always had some sort of book with him, and not to mention that half the girls in school wanted him. And Cari had finally gotten enough courage to go talk to him the other day, that just so happened to be the last day of school before summer break. Although it was partially due to her bumping into his friend. But they'd still agreed to go to the beach together.

Ok, so maybe it wasn't a date like she'd wanted, because they were going with a group of friends. But they were going together all the same. And Cari was just brimming with excitement. She felt like if she was any more excited, she'd explode into confetti.

It had taken her almost the entire day yesterday to get ready for this afternoon. And her dad was clueless as to why she needed everything to be perfect. Even after she had explained to him that a girl's first date—pseudo-date as it was—was extremely important. And that she'd inherited her near perfectionist ways from him.

She needed it to be just right, and her one-piece swim suit, no matter how cute it was, just wouldn't do. So she ended up going to the mall to get a bikini. She even got a new beach towel and summer outfit, with a really cute pair of sandals. Although finding the perfect things to wear today was hardly what anyone would have called easy. Her own best friend could attest to that—seeing as she had carefully contemplated everything there that she could choose from.

"Cari, I need to see you a minute," a slightly shrill voice called from inside.

Cari turned around and went back inside to find her dad sitting at the kitchen table, with his long, blond hair still pulled back from his last experiment early this morning. "What is it?" she asked.

"I just wanted to go over a few rules with you again before you go to the beach," he said. "First off, you must be home—"

"By 10:30, I know," Cari said, crossing her arms. "Dad, we've been through this at least twenty times since I told you about this. I know, practice safety and don't get hurt. Behave. Don't cause any scenes. Don't be reckless. Be polite. I'm not five anymore." She sighed. "I'm not going to get myself killed at the beach. So don't worry so much."

Vexen closed his mouth in a frown. She was exactly like her mom, and not a single difference between them. She was stubborn, sassy, a bit rebellious, and they looked exactly alike. Sometimes he swore her mom was still with them, living inside of Cari. Although considering all the possibilities, there was always that small chance.

"Dad, just let me have some fun without you telling me what not to do a million times," said Cari. "Like I said, I'm not five anymore and I don't need someone constantly holding my hand."

"I just want to make sure you're safe," said Vexen. "I don't want you to…"

"End up like Mom", Cari said, a tone of sadness in her voice. She looked away from Vexen. "I know." She turned to leave. The brief mention of her mom, as much as she loved her, was depressing. "I'm going to go get ready now. Zexion will be here in a half hour." She quickly headed back to her bedroom to get changed.

The doorbell rang and Cari went to open it. She blushed when she saw her slate blue haired dream boy smiling at her. She loved that smile of his. It made her feel so happy when she saw it, because it was such a soft smile, unlike some of the overly-wide grins that some of her friends used. And really, she couldn't imagine his smile being anything other than what it was.

"Hi, Zexion," she said nervously. "Would you like to come in for a few minutes?"

"Hi, Cari," said Zexion. "Thank you. That would be nice."

Cari led Zexion into the living room and they sat down on the couch. "So, um… How are you today?" she asked awkwardly. She wasn't used to interacting with him.

"I'm doing alright", Zexion replied. "And you? Are you ready to go to the beach?"

"Yeah," Cari said, resting her hand on her red duffel bag. "I'm really exited." She glanced around the living room, looking to see if Vexen was back out of his room. "What's taking Dad so long? What's he doing?"

"He'll be out soon enough," said Zexion. He glanced at her clothes. "You look nice today."

"Oh, thanks." She blushed again. "I just bought these clothes yesterday," she admitted. "I wanted something new to wear today."

Both Cari and Zexion turned to face Vexen as he finally came out into the living room. He sat down in one of the chairs, and stared at the both of them intently. Zexion's face flushed a bit as Vexen turned his gaze completely onto him. Cari could almost swear that he was doing it to make Zexion uncomfortable. Although why he would was another story entirely.

"Is something wrong, Mr. Neil?" Zexion asked.

Cari started laughing. "No, nothing's wrong," she said. Zexion looked at her. "He's probably just doing it to freak you out." She rolled her eyes when Vexen looked at her, too. "Dad, I'm kidding."

"Just make sure she's safe," Vexen said, looking back at Zexion.

"Of course," said Zexion. "While I'm with her, she'll be fine. And I'll make sure she doesn't leave my sight unless it's an emergency."

Cari blushed. He would keep a close eye on her the entire time she was with him. That was so sweet. "Ok," she said. She stood up and grabbed her bag. "Now that that's taken care of, should we get going?"

Zexion stood up as well and smiled at her. "Sure," he said. "We don't want to keep everyone waiting." He looked back at Vexen. "I'll have her home before 10:00."

Cari giggled. "Actually, Zexion, curfew is 10:30," she said.

"Oh, alright," said Zexion. "That makes things nicer. It means we get to spend longer together."

Cari blushed, again. He was so cute. And he seemed to be flirting with her? She felt a little light-headed just thinking about it. "Ok, let's go then," she said.

Zexion watched Cari as she stepped out of the restroom. She was so beautiful, and she was his. At least for today. He couldn't take his eyes off her. That black and silver crescent bikini fit her so well. It definitely gave him a different view of her than from whenever else he saw her. But then it was also only natural—this wasn't her at school. She was about to spend the day at the beach with friends.

Cari stepped out of the restroom and blushed when she saw Zexion standing there in just his swimming trunks. He looked so good today. That was one more thing to add to the list of why she loved him. She was so happy to be there with him. And she would simply squeal with joy if she could be his. He was everything that she loved and more.

"Ok, Zexion," she said, laughing. "Stop staring like an idiot and let's go. Everyone else is waiting for us."

She grabbed his hand and he let her pull him towards the water. They passed several families and laughing kids and finally reached a group of people all about their age. Some a little older, and some younger. They all looked a little awkward together. As far as first looks went. They looked like they wouldn't be seen together normally. But if you looked close enough, you could tell they were closer than family.

There was a gangly boy with red, almost porcupine style hair talking with a black haired girl, a girl with long blond hair, and anther boy with spiky blond hair. A girl with magenta hair and bright blue eyes was chatting with another girl with blond hair. And a man with long, pink feather-like hair was laughing with a caramel haired boy, a boy with an odd mullet hairstyle, and a tall boy with an eye patch covering one eye. One had to wonder what had happened—he never did tell anyone.

The boy with the eye patch looked over at Cari and Zexion, who had both just arrived. He smiled. "Well, looks like the final couple has arrived," he said teasingly. Everyone else looked at them.

Cari blushed. "Xigbar," she pouted. "Do you have to be so embarrassing?"

Xigbar pretended to think. "Yes," he said. "Just because it's so easy to do."

"Come on, Xiggy," said the one blond, the one who had just grabbed the porcupine's hand. "This is their first date."

Cari rolled her eyes. "And you're no better, Yuki," she said.

Yuki laughed. "Yeah, and you still love me," she said.

"No one can hate you," the porcupine said, wrapping his arms around Yuki's shoulders. "For one, you're too cute."

"Awe, thanks Axy," Yuki said, looking up at the boy.

Cari looked over at Zexion, whose face was also a light red. She poked him and laughed when he blushed more. "Zexy, why don't we find a more peaceful spot," she joked. "Somewhere we won't be teased."

The boy with the mullet whined at Cari. "Oh, come on, you just got here!"

"I'm fairly certain she's kidding," said Zexion.

"Yes, I'm kidding," said Cari. "Demyx, you shouldn't think I'd want to ditch my friends."

Demyx blushed. "Oh," he said. Everyone laughed at his blank face and went back to what they were doing.

"Demyx, you're really cute when you blush," said Cari. "Just like a little kid in a candy store." She and Zexion went and set their towels on the sand.

Zexion looked at her once they sat down on the beach. "So do you like Demyx?" he asked as calmly as possible. He couldn't help feeling a little disheartened after Cari's last comment to Demyx. Did she see the tall boy as more than just a friend?

Cari looked at Demyx and smiled innocently. "He's like a younger brother to me," she said. "So yeah. I do like him."

Zexion smiled in relief. "Oh, that's nice," he said. "So it's not like a crush."

Cari giggled a bit. "No, it's not," she said. "I've got my sights set on someone else." She sighed happily. "He's everything I love. But I'm not sure if he feels the same about me. I mean, from what I could tell, he's nice to everyone who's nice to him."

"Who is it?" asked Zexion. His heart dropped again. It could be anyone now. And she could probably have any boy in school she wanted. At least, that was his opinion.

Cari smiled at Zexion. "If you really want to know," she said, "ask me later. When we're alone. Because I'm just too shy to say it now."

Cari and Zexion sat alone farther along the beach line where everyone else looked like ants. Their friends had already left to get some dinner, and had left the two alone. They had decided to move away from all the noise, and came over here. Where it was peaceful and they could watch the sun begin to set.

Zexion looked at Cari. "Ok," he said, "now that we're alone, tell me. Who is it you like?"

Cari blushed and looked at Zexion for a split second, and then looked back at the water. "You really do want to know, then," she said. She looked at Zexion and smiled sweetly. "Well, he's got beautiful eyes that seem to hold so much knowledge. And a very sweet smile that could make any girl melt. Awesome hair." She closed her eyes and leaned back a bit. "He's amazing. He's really smart. Polite. And he's…"

Zexion was getting impatient. He needed to know who Cari liked. And she was beating around the bush—making a list of this boy's attributes. But he needed to stay calm. Because it wasn't like him to be otherwise. "He sounds like a good person," he said.

"Yeah," Cari said looking back out to the setting sun. She frowned. "But like I said. I don't know if he likes me."

"I don't see how he couldn't," said Zexion. Cari looked back at him with a confused expression. He blushed lightly. "You're such an amazing person. You're kind, polite, funny. The list could probably go on forever."

"You think so?" asked Cari.

"Yes, I do," said Zexion. "So he'd have to be a fool not to love you." He smirked. "Now, are you going to tell me who he is? Or do I have to find a way to get the answer out of you?"

Cari smiled sweetly. "Pop quiz," she said. "He's got gorgeous deep blue eyes."

"Do we really need to play a guessing game?" Zexion finally asked impatiently.

Cari smirked and ran her hand into Zexion's hair. She blushed madly. "And soft slate blue hair," she said. "Can you guess who it is now?"

Zexion caught his breath for a second. "Is it me?" he asked softly.

"That's a perfect score," said Cari.

"Good," Zexion said smirking. "Because if it wasn't, I'm not sure what I'd do. I suppose you could say I'm the jealous type." He leaned in closer to Cari and gently kissed her lips. He pulled back. "Do you know how long I've waited for this?"

"No," said Cari. "But I know I've been waiting for half of my life." She gently wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him back to her. "Since fifth grade, actually." She kissed him sweetly and passionately, and he quickly kissed back.

Zexion pulled away and blushed. "Really?" he asked. "I had begun to worry you would never talk to me."

Cari giggled and smiled at Zexion. He was definitely the one for her. She rubbed his hair a bit. "Silly Zexy," she said. "I was just being shy. I thought about you almost constantly."

Zexion walked Cari up to the front door of her house. The sun had set and it was almost 10:25. Meaning their date was over, and they had to say goodnight. Not like they wanted to. They felt like the time had gone by too fast. But at least they would have tomorrow and the rest of the summer to spend together, so it wasn't so bad.

Cari turned to Zexion. "That was a lot of fun," she said. "Thanks for walking me up to the door. Are you sure you don't want to come in?"

"If I do that, I won't want to leave," said Zexion. "And your dad would probably embarrass us."

"I wouldn't doubt it," Cari nodded, laughing. She kissed his still warm cheek. "Dad might be watching. So that's all I can do right now."

Zexion returned the kiss. "Not a problem," he whispered.

Cari felt a shiver run down her spine. She blushed more and hugged him. "Well, I should go in now," she said, letting go. "Dad wouldn't be too happy if I spent the rest of the night outside."

Zexion slipped a small piece of paper into Cari's hand. "Here's my cell phone number," he said. He kissed her cheek again. "Call me." He pulled away and began to leave. "Goodnight, Cari."

"Goodnight," Cari said, watching him leave. She didn't go back inside until after he was completely out of sight. When she finally did, Vexen was waiting for her.

"Did you have fun?" he asked.

"Yeah," said Cari. She yawned and stretched. "I'm tired. I think I'll go to bed now. Night."

Vexen didn't say anything, but watched her slip down the hall to her room. What was this uneasy feeling he had? It was as if tonight marked something strangely important. But what? And if it was so important, why was he dreading it so much? A single thought ran through his mind, but he dismissed it quickly enough. That wouldn't happen. The possibilities of it were just far too slim. How would such a thing happen? But then again, he also knew that in this world, one always had to expect the unexpected. There were no laws of physics that said the world was anything close to sane. The basic nature was chaos, even when reasonable.

Cari headed back to her room and closed the door without a thought of what her father might be thinking. Ok, so she wasn't really tired. But she needed Vexen to think she was. That was so she could sneak out and go for another moonlit walk in the forest. Not that it was particularly safe, but she loved it none the less. It was just so cool at night in the summer.

Not wanting to accidently ruin her new clothes, she grabbed some older ones. She picked an old blue t-shirt, and a pair of denim shorts that were ripped at the knees. She quickly changed into the more appropriate outfit for a walk. She quickly slipped on her old pair of sneakers. Grabbing a scrunchy, she pulled her hair up into a ponytail to keep it off her neck for the most part. It was a little windy now, and her long hair would only be flying everywhere.

She opened the window and felt the wind caressing her face. It was such a nice night for a walk. Hopping out the window, she quietly ran towards the forest. Which was, luckily, not far from the house. But she still had to be careful no one caught her. Or else she would be in big trouble and any hopes of another date with Zexion would be gone for a while.

Once she entered the forest, she slowed to a nice slow walk. The forest was nice. Not too crowded where she couldn't move, but not so spacious where someone could spot her easily. She loved coming here to think about her day every now and again. Whether they were good or bad days—it didn't really matter what kind of day it was.

Today had been extraordinarily great. The weather was completely impeccable. And the beach was awesome. She had a lot of fun. Her friends all told her she looked amazing in her new bikini, with Yuki slyly commenting on her being with Zexion. And she, while not appearing to pay any attention until she was told, found that a lot of the boys were looking at her. She simply rolled her eyes and laughed at that.

She spent the entire time with Zexion, and had even managed to tell him she loved him. To say she was nervous was an understatement. She swore her heart stopped several times while they were alone. And her face must have turned a million shades of red darker than should be possible. But she kept telling herself it would be worth it.

And it was. Zexion felt the exact same way. Honestly, it probably should have been obvious from the start. But she was having one of those days where she just didn't notice much. Or at least any signs that should have pointed to the truth.

Once she came to a small clearing, she stopped. Something was wrong—very wrong. Normally, she heard the sounds of the nocturnal animals. But tonight, she heard nothing. Nothing except for the rustling from the breeze. Suffice it to say, it was creepy, and she wanted to turn and go back home. She felt like an idiot for not noticing it earlier. It wasn't as if it was unnoticeable when she entered the forest.

Cari turned around to leave, but froze solid before she could move another inch. Behind her had stood a tall man. Really, a giant in comparison to her. And he had glowing red eyes—something that stated very clearly she should run. Not only were the red eyes unnatural, but she could see a pair of pure white fangs protruding from his mouth. And his presence alone was frightening.

She promptly tried to run away as he lunged at her, feeling her legs unfreeze, but he caught her by the shoulder. He pulled her in closer to him, so that she was just about pressed against him.

"You smell nice," he hissed, knowing he had her trapped.

Cari screeched and tried to free herself. But she couldn't. He was just too strong. He bent his head down by her neck, and licked it. She felt a cold shiver run down her entire body.

"Just one bite, my dear," he whispered. He licked her neck again as she gave another scream.

And then she felt his fangs piercing her skin. It hurt a lot, like she was being stung by a million hornets at once. Maybe worse. She screamed again as she felt him sucking her blood out. Tears began streaming down her face as her blood was being drained. She was being attacked by a vampire.

She didn't know how long it really lasted, but eventually he let go. Her hand quickly moved to cover the wound. She watched in fear as the man just stood there, watching her. His mouth soaked in her blood. She screamed again as her legs gave out and she collapsed on the ground in a small pool of her blood. She just continued to stare at her attacker in fear as she realized she was probably going to die tonight.

To Be Continued