Lithium Petals 10

Listen to: All I Need by Within Temptation

Cross

"Get out! Out, out, OUT!" Kaien Cross shouted to the rowdy reporters. They whined like young children as the caring center nurses also assisted shoving them out the entrance.

Cross huffed when the last reporter finally got the idea and stalked out of the building. He walked back to Tamilla's room to find the two children still sitting on the bed laughing about something. Zero's usually over-serious face softened when he was around Tamilla; Zero was actually acting like someone his age. Come to think of it, Zero was a lot younger than he was acknowledged for - he was only 13 this year. After living months with the pesimmistic boy, it was a delight for Cross to see Zero's lips curl up into a handsome smile. It truly softened the lavender of his eyes.

He had a lot to thank Tamilla for.

Kaien Cross re-entered the hopsital ward with a smile wider than his waistline.

Tamilla

Tamilla looked up from her steaming cup of tea to find Cross re-entering the room. "What were all the reporters doing out there?" Tamilla questioned. For the last hour, Cross had been outside in the snowy weather shoving and booting reporters out of the building, while Zero and Tamilla had been observing the commotion from outside the windows. They had started talking about Cross himself, each noting the gayness Cross would so often demonstrate. Tamilla just felt so natural around Zero; it was as if she had known him forever! There was a little happiness, a little butterfly in herself that fluttered every time she talked with Zero. And it wasn't puppy love; it was the beginning of a beautiful friendship.

Cross sighed dramatically. "They somehow heard stories of you, Tamilla," Cross began to explain as Tamilla looked from Zero back to the man, a puzzled expression evident on her face, "There has never been a non-pureblood vampire in history that survived a square shot from a vampire hunting gun." Looking up to meet Tamilla's eyes, Cross pondered out loud: "Do you remember anything of your family's blood roots?"

Tamilla was at lost for words. The reporters were there because she what? "I... I'm a vampire?" Tamilla stuttered. Was she? Tamilla raised her fingers to touch her incisor teeth. They weren't the razor sharp teeth that she saw in the images that would play across her head. She didn't thrist for blood, either. She was nothing near a vampire, she was a human for sure. But how could she prove it? There was no idea or image that danced in her head as she tried to convince herself that she was a full-time human.

As human as she seemed, Tamilla knew she could not completely prove that she was a human. What if she was a filthy blood-sucking monster in her past life? What if she had drunk the blood of hundreds of victims? Tamilla would never, ever know.

Cross seemed puzzled for a small moment. Suddenly he looked bewildered an stammered with apology: "Of course, of course! How would you know? I'm sorry Tamilla, I took for granted most vampires' obsessive behaviour of their blood history. I didn't realize that you wouldn't know!" Cross exclaimed in one breath. Zero looked bothered for whatever reason, while Cross was nervously chuckling to cover up his inconsiderate regardlessness. As he brought himself back to seriousness, Cross started to explain; first, he asked for a starting point. "How much do you know about vampires, Tamilla?"

"Only that they drink blood and have small fangs," Tamilla chuckled. Cross laughed lightly. He took a breathe and spent the next hour teaching Tamilla the basic knowledge of vampires while Zero zoned out on the bed.

Cross explained the level of vampires, their abilities, their blood lineage, purebloods, the classes (Zero excused himself from here, apparently dying of boredom), their weaknesses ("I thought vampires were only afraid of garlic!"), the ignorance of humans regarding vampires as a myth, and the transformation of a human to a vampire. He explained everything there was to know about vampires, at least to his own knowledge. This girl had a right to know; after all, she seemed to be a vampire herself.

Tamilla blinked after her condensed lesson. Things made sense, sort of... the classes and the powers and everything... there was just one thing she was curious of:

"How would you kill a vampire?" Tamilla asked Cross. The tea in her hands had already gone cold after the lengthy talk.

Cross' expression wavered at Tamilla's straight-forward, but controversal question. "Well, what Zero used is a very effective weapon against most vampires. Vampire hunting weapons, such as his gun, are fully capable of killing vampires or at least injuring pureblood vampires. Which," Cross smiled at Tamilla, "is what makes you such an interesting creature. I don't know for sure what you are, and neither do you, but vampire hunting weapons have no abilities to harm humans. Since you seemed to be at least injured by the Bloody Rose, it proves you are a vampire. However," Cross' eyebrows narrowed in perplexity, but also lightened in fascination, "you survived that attack! And its evident that you aren't even a full grown vampire. You seem around 10 or 11 years of age, Tamilla, which makes your story so remarkable. We'll have to keep your profile low though, or else those crazy reporters like the ones this noon will be hoarding after you in every possible moment. You are truly a walking miracle!" Cross ended with a smile.

Tamilla pondered to herself. So apparently Zero had shot her in her past life with a vampire hunting gun... and she survived, but lost her immediate memory... and she is a legend because she survived that attack, but she doesn't even know what she is.

"This is all too confusing," Tamilla sighed, exasperated. Cross immediately stood up.

"I'm glad you think that, Tamilla. This whole vampire business is very controversal and complicated. Why, I know more about vampires than some vampires do about themselves!" Cross smiled. Tamilla smiled in reply, but she could not stop arguing internally to herself about the kind of creature she actually was. If only she could remember!

That moment, the nurse walked in with a stack of papers and Zero right behind her. Tamilla smiled at the silver-haired boy, who awkwardly smiled in return. The nurse pulled Cross aside to discuss something about papers and agreements and guardianship.

Tamilla didn't even need to think about her adoption decisions. She felt right at home around these two people: Zero as her new best companion, and Kaien Cross as her adoptive father. Zero approached Tamilla with a small smile.

"You're coming home with us as soon as Cross signs those papers," Zero announced. Tamilla grinned from ear to ear; she could not have hoped for a more mismatched family! A 'father' who seemed to have attention deficit disorder or something, a moody but monotone best friend, and herself, a walking legend with no memory of her past.

This was going to be an interesting life.

Tamilla could not sleep. Rolling over side to side on the bed, she sighed in frustration. There was so many thoughts that were floating in her mind; her lost past, her new family, her 'surviving ability', her future. It was all coming at her too fast. She had awoken from a 2 week coma, been adopted, learnt about vampires and found out that she was a walking legend all within 6 hours. Her head hurt worse than it did during the rainy morning - it used to be a little dizziness, but now there was a irritating pounding against here skull.

Tamilla opened an eyelid to look out the window. The snow continued to fall, illuminated and glittering by the gentle glow of the street lights. It was quite beautiful, really, now that Tamilla was alone to appreciate it. The snow was so quiet and beautiful; it was calming to look at. She sighed in a frustrated peace - her head was hurting a terribly annoying pain, but it was so calming to look at the surreal snow outside the window.

Her new home was so big! Tamilla learned while being introduced to her new dwelling that Cross was going to open an Academy in just a matter of years, which explained the sheer size of the grounds. Tamilla, along with Zero and Cross would sleep in the rooms that were close to the main offices. One day, Tamilla would be enrolled in the Academy herself.

... but for now, Tamilla would frustrate herself about her perplexing past.

Sighing once again, Tamilla shifted to her other side to face the door. It wasn't much help.

Okay, it's the start of Tamilla new life! I chose this beautiful song by Within Temptation because it talks about giving life a second chance while still being doubtful and understanding the risks. I'll be taking in song requests, as long as they are in English and can be related to the story!

I'll apologize for the selfish delay of updates; these days have been honestly very hectic. School's finally over, so I'll be pouring over this story! You've guys have been very loyal; I'd like to point out athanasiamikee for reviewing nearly every single chapter so far, even the first couple which everyone ignored :) Thank You!!

I'm happy with my new hobby of writing fanfics, and I'm glad many of you are taking the time to read them; thanks! Next chapter will be out after 5 reviews!