I'm keeping my promise with the updates, and AB will be in major reconstruction, same but more grown up. And a dear friend named Tally had pointed out that most vampire stories are within the same story line so I don't have to worry about any resemblances.

Here's the new chapter ten, Antics

The sun was on the verge of rising, but the air was still cool from the long night, untouched by the sun's warmth. Roxas stroked a girl's blonde hair softly as she slept, then exited Tifa's room and walked to the mansion's balcony facing the great clear field hidden from the forest.

Footsteps followed Roxas' own after a few seconds. "Hey buddy." Axel greeted. "You're up early."

"I kind of... kept tossing and turning." Roxas replied.

"Nervous?" Axel asked smiling.

"Very. She's remembering everything. I know she should be; with her being who and what she is, but I'd really rather she didn't and slowly drained her immortal blood out without knowing about any of us."

"You sure you're just not after the title?" Axel joked.

"How can you say that?" Roxas asked indignantly.

"You know I don't mean it..." Axel replied with an eyebrow raised.

Roxas mumbled out an apology then stared forlornly at the far horizon. He sighed then put his head on his hands.

"I really don't want her to remember anything. I mean, I was the exact reason... of why she had to go away in the first place. The guilt might as well swallow me whole now instead of slowly eating me away." Roxas said through gritted teeth.

"Well, this had happened before, so you should know what to do." Axel tried to reassure.

"But that ended with death." Roxas replied flatly.

Silence.

"I'm sure you won't let that happen."

Then Roxas was alone.

XxXxXxXxXxXx

"So what's Midgar like Tifa?" Namine asked as she bit into a piece of toast. Namine slept over since it was the weekend and her parents allowed it.

"Midgar? It's a big city; it used to run on this strange force called the Lifestream, but it was bad for the earth so it got new resources. Cloud lived there too for a while, that's where he advanced his training after learning from your dad. He got a job as a bodyguard for a while for a friend of mine. When the guy after her was turned into a human again that couldn't harm her, she went back to her shop; while Cloud came back to here."

"Who was your friend?"

"Oh, it was Aerith; she's a Cetra. She's a race of humans who are attuned to nature. We sometimes call her our super hippie, but she doesn't mind. She just retaliates with the name blood-lapping savages." Tifa said making a face. "She lives for a long time too, because the earth is part of their bodies. And of course, the soul lasts forever."

"Wow. Is there like a reference for all the races?"

Vexen answered as he washed the dishes."Yup. I classified them. You can find everything except for animals. That, you can find on the internet."

"Because he's the big, scary scientist." Lexaeus chuckled.

"Hey guys, you wanna build a big hotspring in the yard? We are kind of having a big party here. Oh, and a giant pool too." Tifa added in as an afterthought.

"But that's abusing our powers." Demyx said with a fake solemn face. The teenage boys laughed.

"Hey, I'm up for it. Our normal pool's empty for the moment anyway." Darx said.

"Then let's go!" Larxene said and scooped Namine up and all the teenage members of the house raced out of the house. "Lexaeus! We'll need you!" Larxene called over her shoulders."

Saix barked a laugh and followed as well.

"How big do you want it?" Lexaeus asked.

"Make two-sixth of the area a hot spring, another two-sixth a pool, one sixth for a dining area, and the last sixth will be space for walking around or random arrangements of chairs." Zexion said.

"Alrighty." Lexaeus obeyed and summoned his tomahawk. He held it pointing straight to one third of the land and a huge wall of smooth stone rose out of the ground as the earth quaked. He pointed to the other side and this time the ground sank in a neat rectangular shape. He waved the tomahawk around like a conductor and rocks and marbles began to rise out then melded together to make a smooth surrounding layer on the pool. Stone chairs then rose out in no order around the field and in the middle was a long table of rock. A stone layer came to top the hot spring as well.

Marluxia stepped forward and conjured his scythe out. He was more active, he ran around while pointing his scythe at places. Trees grew to become shade for the dining area. Vine ladders coiled to be dipped on the pool. Soft aromatic leaves waved to the hot spring area to serve as cushions on the seats. Marluxia twirled the scythe and a wind rose as fragrant petals of varying flowers appeared and dusted the whole place. Demyx jumped to the pool and summoned his sitar. Water spouted from the handle's tip and began to fill the pool. He strummed a few chords and water taking form of dancers appeared then jumped to the fountains Lexaeus made and melted to become flowing water that traveled to the pool and hot spring. Axel and Darx stepped forward and took out their weapons.

Axel took to the pool and jumped in with his chakrams on fire. The splash became steam. He was like a hot stone dropped into a bowl of water and instantly heated it up. Darx stuck his spear into the hot spring and it started to steam as well. In less than twenty minutes, they built a water paradise.

"Okey-dokey. All done." Darx said as he raised his spear out of the water and summoned it away. "One warm pool and one steaming-hot spring."

Namine and Tifa squeeled in delight strangely in synchronized. Larxene lifted Namine and ran to her room. Everybody was slipping on swim gear, all eager and giggling to have fun. Soon watermelons, ice-cream, lemonades, and whip-cream was being passed around. Roxas and Namine were resting in one corner each sipping a drink.

"...And I thought you guys didn't know how to have fun. I was convinced this household was in permanent shifts of chasing wolves and vampires." Namine joked.

Roxas scratched the back of his head. "We're not total heroes or anything. The counsel does let up sometimes. See, there's Larxene and Axel cuddling on that chair. If we were always fighting for our lives... those two wouldn't have time for romance." Roxas chuckled.

"That's a good thing. I would hate it if you didn't have time for romance." Namine replied.

Roxas grinned. "Good thing..." he murmured. He tipped up Namine's face and kissed her softly. She simply wrapped her arms around his neck.

XxXxXxXx

Namine sighed happily. Where was she? Cloud 9? Boyfriend-bliss-land? One of her best fantasies? It felt like all was rolled into one for her. She tilted her head up and saw that Roxas was still asleep, the complete image of peace. After yesterday being completely devoted to swimming and aquatic activities, Namine, the only somewhat-human around, was exhausted. She and Roxas has spent the evening after just talking in a balcony with the spectacular view. A lagoon underneath, a city-less canvas of the stars above. Namine wanted it to last forever. In that expanse of time, nothing bothered them, nothing was strange.

They were two teenagers; a boy, a girl, together... doing the normal couple stuff. Views, thoughts, likes, dislikes, experiences, and assorted topics, they kept talking, talking, talking until one in the morning.

She gently removed Roxas' arm off her shoulders then made her way downstairs as quietly as possible. Demyx was already at the kitchen, drinking a cup of orange juice.

"G'morning," Demyx greeted. Of course he was a morning person.

"Good morning Dem-Dem." Namine yawned.

"What's the big plan for the newest couple?" Demyx teased.

"Mm. I don't know. He's still sleeping." Namine replied as she assembled a bowl of cereal. "I'm gonna go explore the grounds though. I'll see you later."

Demyx waved bye and as he popped a chocolate waffle to his mouth.

Namine slowly ate her cereal, the milk icy on her tongue as she walked around the garden once more. The Venus-flytraps were sleeping this time, all bundled up together against the cold. She made her way out of the maze this time unscathed taking only a few wrong turns; in the end was a grand ballroom. Fairy lights were strung around with a million pearly roses winding around the poles of the giant gazebo. The floor itself was a mosaic almost like her drawing. A phoenix dancing with a dragon. Perhaps she remembered this place unconsciously. She bended down to her knees and placed a finger to the tiles. Glass… She looked up at the ceiling. It must be a counter image. A snake winding around a turtle was drinking water on a creek with a white tiger.

"You recognize this place at least, right?" Zexion asked. He was occupying one of the coffee tables with a laptop on the furniture and a book on his hand.

Namine nodded. "Good." Zexion smiled. "You used to waltz with your dad here while your mom taught Cloud. With every other song, your family switched partners."

The blonde smiled, closed her eyes and started to waltz with air. She twirled once, then stopped.

"Zexion?" She asked timidly.

"Hm?"

"Y-you're in charge of my memories, right?"

"In charge? Not exactly, that's the counsel. But I'm the one who accesses and handles it."

"But you can let me… remember again?"

Zexion looked away from his laptop and peered up at Namine. "Yes…"

"Please! Can you stop the whole amnesia deal?! I… I want to know my parents again! You don't have to let me get back everything, but I want my memories of at least my parents back!"

Zexion's face shifted from surprise to thoughtful. "Namine…"

"This… this is unethical! What power should this counsel have over me? Isn't it my right to have access to my own head?! This is completely unfair!" The girl started to look deranged.

The scholar panicked and scrambled to hold Namine in place. She was starting to tear up uncontrollably.

He sighed. "Does it matter that much? What about your current parents?" he asked.

"They're-they're… good to me, b-but they weren't the ones who brought me to the world. They're n-not my real parents. Please… Nothing else. Just them." Namine begged.

"Sit."

Namine took a deep breath then sat down on a chair.

Zexion looked her over then shook his head. "No, this isn't enough. Come." He walked to the garden to a space of soft grass. "You need to lie down for this. It's very strenuous to the body."

Namine lied down as she was instructed. Zexion crouched down and placed two fingers on her forehead as he summoned a book. "Your memories are recorded here just like everything else. It might shock you sometimes, so be prepared."

The girl nodded, grateful. Zexion began to murmur and soon words started to rise up from the pages, small little copies, floating whimsically then winding, wrapping around his fingers before entering Namine's forehead.

Her back arched and her eyes shot open and she screamed. Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Flash! Colors and shapes and emotions blazed through her. Millions of scenes all sped by. Her body began to tremble and shake, her hand curled to fists. "Nnnnaaaaahhhhh!!!' her voice echoed around the garden and ballroom. The words spun faster and surged in, all crowding to her forehead. Zexion gritted his teeth but remained chanting. Sliss! His fingers started to bleed. His cuts began to sting, her memories hurt!

Soon… her body limped down, the scholar shut the book closed and waved it out of existence. Her breathing was jagged and her eyes shut. Zexion licked his fingers, peering at the unconscious girl. "I hope you will be okay Namine…". He carried her body to a couch inside the ballroom.

XxXxXxXxXx

Namine was at the beach, running, fear racing through her entire being. The moon was tinged a waxy yellow, the sand was brittle pieces of ice, the rocks and shells were glass shards. She lets out a blood curdling cry of help and stumbles but remains running. Her ears could only detect her pounding heart, but it strains to hear her pursuers. Grunch! Sand collapsed in as a feline woman neatly dropped in front of her. Her two clawed hands grabbed out to her shoulders and picked her off the ground.

The woman's eyes were streaming with tears but her lips were curled to a sneer. A man, also tearing uncontrollably laughed as he brings up a fist and was prepared to spring.

Crack-rrrrack! His head was thrown up into the air then...sliss! A blade sliced the woman in half.

Namine screamed and Zexion reached for her pulse. It was racing…

Namine's small body was then cradled to the arms of the killer. His gold-glinting hair was splattered with thick purple blood. "Nam? Don't cry anymore, you're ok. You're fine…" he cooed to her. She kicked away with all her might but to the boy, she was only a fussy child. "No! No! No!" The seven-year-old repeatedly cried out. He lets her down, and she runs to her father's body. "I hate you!" She yells. "Go away!" Then the small girl started to cry out hysterically, in agony, howling out her sadness and pain.

The boy tried to remove the girl off the macabre but she clutched on tight. It wasn't her parents fault! They were crying! Didn't he see that?!

Cloud comes and sings to the little girl her lullaby. She sobs but doesn't fight off her older brother. She sees the blood-doused boy again then starts to scream once more. Cloud's brows furrowed and Roxas wiped off the blood ashamed.

XxXxXxXxXx

Namine curled up hugging her knees and continues screaming and crying. Zexion tried to calm her down but the girl wouldn't stop. He finally touched her forehead again and murmured for her mind to be tranquil. She stopped screeching, but her sobs kept coming. Tifa ran to the couch alarmed.

"What happened?!" She demanded.

"Take her home! She wanted all her memories of her parents back but one of them involved Roxas!" Zexion explained panicked.

"Are you mental? The counsel will skin you alive and that memory was the very reason she was wiped!"

"I know! I know! It got out of control and I'll have to wait for her to calm down to steal it back!"

"What do we do?!"

"Home! She needs to get home. She can't see Roxas now…"

Tifa nodded then carried the girl towards the cars. "Go tell. Now. The counsel needs to know."

Zexion nodded then ran. When both girls were in the car, Zexion reminded the martial artist to sing to her a lullaby. The blonde's eyes were lifeless but silent. Tifa worriedly checked again and again to the back seat but Namine seemed to have been cracked broken.

XxXx

She gripped her bathrobe as she lay alone in her room. Her parents were gone, Tifa left, and she didn't want to move. She was exhausted and her throat was shredded. But she was angry. Absolutely angry.