IMPORTANT A/N: If you didn't notice by the name, this is a joint effort between me, Dark Raion, and Renegade Seraph. In a rush to get this up, I gave it a title and a rating, since Renegade left the account up to me. So, make note, that the title, summary, rating, or secondary category is subject to change.

Disclaimer: I don't own anything...
Chapter 1

With a quick glance into the mirror, she drew a deep breath and exited from the car, marching toward the front door of the house like a soldier would onto a battlefield, a look of utter determination masking her face. Today she would conquer the curse that seemed to follow her, and would emerge victorious in the line of duty. Today, she would sell this house.

Brushing her long blonde bangs out of her eyes, she offered her best smile to the young, raven-haired girl that stood waiting at the front door. She was the first person to come look at the house in three months.

"Ms... Heartilly, is it?" she asked, extending her hand to the smiling youth.

"Yes, you must by Mrs. Trepe, the realtor," she answered. "I'm really interested in the house, you know."

"Wonderful," she replied, pulling some keys from her pocket and unlocking the door for the visitor. "As I'm sure you know, this house has two bedrooms, one bathroom, a kitchen, dining room, living room, and den. It was repainted only four years ago, after the previous owner... moved out," she tried not to cringe as the little white lie left her mouth, but if she ever expected to sell this burden she'd been stuck with, then it might be necessary to avoid the truth.

"I hear this house has been on the market for quite some time now," Ms. Heartilly said, a skeptical looking gracing her features. "Why is that?"

"Oh, it just doesn't seem to be quite what anyone's looking for. Too small for the big families that usually settle around here, you see."

Heartilly nodded, and followed after her realtor as the tour of the house commenced. It was just like any other house, empty and echoey as it waited for someone to come and fill it. There was little about the quaint little house that could be disagreed with. The tour finally ended back in the living room, with Mrs. Trepe smiling at what she hoped would be a success.

"Shall we discuss price?" she asked. Upon receiving a nod, she took one of her business cards with her name, Quistis Trepe in large letters, from her purse and scribbled down a number before handing it over to her potential customer.

"Hmm.... A bit higher than I was looking to spend."

"Well, I can come down a bit," Quistis panicked, snatching the card back and scribbling another number down. "How does this sound?"

There was a long pause from the woman beside her, before she finally answered, "I'll take it!"

Quistis had to resist the urge to jump for joy. "Wonderful. Come by my office and we'll discuss payment options, and sign some papers, okay? Great! You can move in right away!"

The successful blonde then marched out the door and into the car, picking up her cell phone and dialing her boss as she headed down the road. "I've got great news," she began. "I finally managed to sell that old house on Emerald Hill. Did I tell her? No... I was afraid she would be like all the others, and not want it then. I know, I know... Well, I had a priest come out and exercise the place just last week, so maybe.... maybe she'll stay longer than one night."
One week after buying the small house up the hill from the rest of the neighborhood, Rinoa Heartilly was ready to move in. She watched the movers pull what little bit of furniture she had out of their truck with a small smile on her face. Her dreams of freedom were finally coming true, partly thanks to her father. Without his help, she would've been stuck in a tiny apartment in the over-crowded city.

"Hey, careful with that!" Rinoa yelled, watching them carry some of her boxes. Suddenly, she felt someone tap her on the shoulder, and turned around to find a smiling young woman standing next to her, with a small child in her arms.

"Hi, there! You must be new. I'm Selphie!" she announced, extending her free hand for a shake. "So, you actually bought this house?"

"Yes, I did," Rinoa answered. "I'm Rinoa Heartilly, by the way."

"Oh, I see. Well, I bet you won't be living there for long," Selphie said. "So, they really didn't tell you about the house?"

"What about it?" Rinoa asked skeptically. "Is there something wrong with it?"

Selphie just smiled, shaking her head, and slowly backed away. "I live just down the road with my husband, by the way. So if you ever need anything...." she jerked her thumb over her shoulder at her house.

Rinoa just nodded with a frown upon her face. Mrs. Trepe had never mentioned anything wrong with the house. Maybe this Selphie girl was just playing a joke on her, or was confused, or something. Deciding not to contemplate it any further, she stepped into her knew home, wanting to get a head start in unpacking.

Later that evening, all the hard work Rinoa put into rearranging her house took it's toll, and she found herself starving for something to eat. No problem, she thought. She'd just go down to that little diner she saw in town that morning. There was only one problem with that. Her car refused to work.

(That's odd) she thought to herself. (It's hardly a year old, and it's never done this before.)

Rinoa's phone hadn't been connected yet, so she decided to take Selphie up on her offer so she could call a mechanic. She threw on her coat and hoped she could remember the house Selphie had pointed out before. She walked slowly but steadily down a few streets, chills beginning to creep up her spine as she realized she'd taken a wrong turn. She found herself on a desolate street corner, with not a soul in sight.... or so she thought.

"Lost?" she heard a low, smooth voice behind her that nearly made her jump out of her skin.

She wheeled around and found herself staring at a black shadow, leaning against the side of a building. She squinted against the darkness, trying desperately to make out the figure that stood before her.

"Well, you gonna answer me?" he asked, tiring of her silence.

"Wh-what was the question again?" she stammered.

A low laugh seemed to erupt from the darkened corner, and the figure slowly stepped out into the light, easing Rinoa's nerves only slightly. "What's the matter?" he asked. "You look like you've just seen a ghost."

This only seemed to make him laugh more. Rinoa took a few steps back, not trusting for a minute the handsome face of this night predator. "J-just leave me alone. I'm new around here, I didn't want any trouble."

"So I heard," he replied. "You bought that old house that's been on the market for four years. I doubt you'll be there for long, though."

"What do you mean? Who are you?" she asked, impatients getting the better of her fear.

"What do I mean? You'll find out soon enough. Everyone in town knows about it, I'm surprised no one's told you. Word tends to travel quickly around here. So, do you want me to help you, or not?"

"Help me?"

"You're lost," he clarified. "Normally, I wouldn't care, but since you're new around here, I'll cut you a break and show you back home, if you want."

"I don't trust you."

"So don't," he replied, turning to walk away. "Good luck getting home."

"Hey, wait!" she exclaimed, running after him and grabbing him by the arm. "I guess you could at least give me some directions or something. But first... I'm starving for something to eat... is there some place around here?"

He stared at her for a moment with his cold blue eyes gleaming in the dim streetlights. There was an unmistakable look of contempt there, mixed with something that he wouldn't allow her to see. She took another step back at this, letting go of his arm in the process. Before she could utter an apology to calm the cool blue fire that seemed to blaze in his eyes, he grabbed her by the shoulders and turned her to face the other way, before walking in that direction himself. When she didn't follow, he cast an annoyed look over his shoulder.

"Are you coming?"

She nodded and ran to catch up with him, trying hard to suppress that small tingling of fear in the back of her mind as she followed the stranger in black. She let out a small sigh of relief when they stepped out onto a brightly lit street, along side a small building.

"In there," he said, pointing.

"You're not coming?" she asked. "I owe you a drink or something at least."

He shook his head. "Don't worry about it. I don't want anything. I'll wait for you here, then take you back home when you're ready."

She nodded her gratitude then stepped inside, trying to ignore the eyes upon her. She was new here, and everyone was curious to a point that made her highly uncomfortable. Rinoa avoided their gaze as best as possible and sat down, waiting to be served. Nearly half an hour later, she stepped back out into the cold, looking around for her mysterious guide.

"You took long enough," he commented, hiding in the shadows once more.

"Sorry," she replied. "I mean, thanks. I really owe you."

"Yeah, whatever," he retorted. "Follow me."

She couldn't help but feel confused by him. He seemed to loath helping people, yet he was helping her, a person he hardly knew. To distract herself from her own questions, she asked, "So, how do know where my house is?"

"That house is infamous around here," he answered simply. "Everyone knows about it."

"Why?"

"You'll see soon enough," he answered, his deep, dark voice sending strange tingles up her spine.

"Why doesn't anyone want to tell me? My neighbor said the same thing."

He never answered, just kept walking. She decided that he must've been getting tired of her questions. If only she were not so curious.

The rest of the journey was completed in silence, Rinoa not daring to utter another word. Instead, she followed him wordlessly through the darkened streets that he seemed to know so well, until finally they arrived at her new house.

Finding her voice again, Rinoa gave a shy smile and asked, "Would you like to come in, or something?"

He declined with a simple, "No," and turned away, leaving her in the street as he quickly retreated to the shadows from which he had come.

"Thanks." she murmured to herself, as if her quietly spoken gratitude would somehow reach his ears. Shaking her head she turned away from the road and entered her house, studying things on the inside as soon as the light was on. After all she'd heard about the house that day, she couldn't help but be suspicious.

When finally her paranoid mind was satisfied that nothing was the least bit out of the ordinary, she pulled an oversized T-shirt from it's recent abode in her wardrobe and slipped it on, after shedding her day clothes. Laying in bed, and staring up at the ceiling, she couldn't help but laugh. What was she worried about? There was nothing to be afraid of.
Darkness, thick and choking, was the only thing that filled the room, save the faint sounds of breathing from the bed against the wall. The curtains shifted slightly, moonlight flittering into the room, casting light on the pale figure that stood in the corner. A blur of dark hair and cloth, paper white, almost colorless skin... all in a brief flash, before the curtain fell closed again, shrouding the room in blackness once more.

She rolled over on her side, a sleepy groan escaping her throat as her eyes fluttered open slightly, her senses triggered by another presence in the room. Her warm chocolate eyes shown in narrow slits as she stared sleepily into the corner that haunted her dreams.

Another shift of the curtains, another brief flash of light, caused her to squint into the darkness, wondering at the dark haired visitor she thought she saw.

"What the hell.?" she grumbled sleepily, the daze of slumber still lingering like an impenetrable fog over her mind.

She felt the presence come closer to her, her breath catching momentarily in her chest. She felt someone, a person that could only be described as a 'he' in her mind, soundlessly breathe two words against her ear, though she seemed only to hear it in her mind.

"Get out."

She felt something chilly, hauntingly cold against her skin, gripping her throat from the inside until she couldn't breathe. Her eyes went wide, and when the drapes fell back again, light spilling into the room for a short moment, she could see before her a pale, yet familiar face, mostly hidden by the shadows. Perhaps the thing that frightened her the most, however, before she fell into the void of darkness that called out to her, was the devilish smile that graced his full, tempting lips as an eerily melodical laughter poured into the air.