Balance, Fear. Duty.

Family is important. Family can be anything, right? Even if they aren't you're real one. But its better to have a real quality family someone of you're blood, you're DNA. I guess the thing is that some families aren't capable of staying together for reasons some do not know.

Chapter 6: Home, Sweet Memories?

The next few days were constant learning spree, learning the new towns and languages. Sean and Leo had been arguing for the past hour while Lance and Ava were getting extremely annoyed. "No, you eat the pineapple" Leo argued. "No, you eat it!" Sean replied, they both continued till Ava yelled "SHUT UP! Goddamn us all!" They quickly went into a silence. Ava seemed to be angrier with them since they left Oplus. "The next big city is over the hill, it's called..." Lance said looking at the map, going silent. "What? What's it called?" Leo said jumping up and down in his saddle. "It's called Helia. Lance's Home, right?" Ava murmured. Lance nodded.

Riding into the impressive advance city, their mouths gaped open. In awe they seemed to not fit in with the technology. Cars drove through the streets; horse seemed a little old fashion. "This is where you lived?" Ava said smugly "No wonder you're brain dead." Sean and Leo sniggered. "Yeah, haven't seen it in a while." Lance said staring at the tall buildings. "All the cities here at in different ages. From rebuilding and such. Like Galta in the Middle Ages. Helia and a few other cities didn't fall so there pretty advanced." Leo stated sounding intelligent. Ava giggled. People staring at them in there middle age wear and there royal leader. Whispers and loudly said words were heard by the four. Ava rode sternly along side Lance who wasn't bother by the celebrity hungry crowd. "Guess we go to another palace, right?" Leo said tiredly. "No, mansion." Lance pointed at the huge 2 storey mansion sitting on a small hill, quite near the city.

Big place meant small people or big people with small brains, I'll take the small brains one.

Dance music was coming from most of the building a soon as sunset hit. They soon arrived at the large mansion. A lady wearing heavy make up and tough man in a suit seemed to run out to Lance and hug him. The woman kissed him leaving a huge lipstick mark on his face. With a disgusted look he whipped it off as she went to greet the three. Leo and Sean hid behind one another trying to avoid the lipstick. Ava smiled and hugged her back." Is she yours, dear? She's gorgeous" his mother said stretching gorgeous. "Yes, I am." Ava smiled "I'm your son's fiancé?" she questioned him. "Ah, yes, mother, she's my fiancée." He walked to Ava and wrapped his arm around her. "You owe me one" she mumbled. "I know" he replied. His mother squealed with joy. "My son got a beauty. Frank, I told you he'd find one out there." she nagged her husband, Lance's father. "Linny, of course, but I told you. Congrats son." he shook Lance's hand. The fake couple smiled and was taken inside followed by the two young men confused by what was happening.

"Oh my, Frank, we must have dinner. A formal dinner. Lance's sister left some clothes up stairs where you can stay uh, I'm sorry; I don't know your name, dear." Linny smiled. "I'm Ava, Lin, if I may call you that." Ava replied smiling back. "Ava who?" A dark haired figure asked. "Ethan, Ava's your brother fiancé, show her some respect." Linny demanded. Ethan paced his way down the stairs to his brother and gave a harsh threatening look. Ava looked at him merely annoyed. "Ava, I apologies for my behavior here. If I can, may I talk to you alone for awhile with my sweet brother's permission of course." Ethan bowed slightly. Just as Lance was about to say no Ava interrupted "Your brother here doesn't control me, of course we can talk." she said walking past him and waiting at the doorway for him to follow. "Ah, someone he can't push around." Ethan smirked leaving Lance who was glaring at him coldly.

As they stepped out into the court yard Ethan quickly stopped "Heartless, are you not?" he snapped. Ava laughed "Hm, just as smart as you brother. He found me out too and yet, I'm friends with him." Ethan glared "Heartless aren't welcome on light seeker land even if they are good". Ava merely smiled and walked off, meeting the rest at the bottom of the stairs. Later when they'd changed and only three could talk alone. Sean and Leo asked Ava about the fiancé thing. "Well, he'd have to have a reason for a girl to be here. And no, we're not together." She said fixing there tuxes. Lance was in his own room, tying his bow "Mum loves to chuck a party expeciall6y when I bring a girl home." he complained. "Not quite a girl, girl looking but a monster inside" Ethan hissed coming up behind Lance "Heartless she is and she admits it, why is that?" Lance chuckled turning to his brother "She's facing her past. She's the heartless our family killed." Shocked and confused Ethan stared at the ground as Lance left to meet up with the three.

At the bottom of the stairs cased he waited, tapping his foot. "Hey!" Sean yelled. Lance looked up and he mouth fell open. There was Ava, wearing a very body fitting lavender gown "Hi" she smiled and giggled at his drooling stare. Leo rolled his eyes and walked down the stairs. Sean and Ava followed. Linny soon came down squealing at Ava and how 'gorgeous' she looked. They walked outside and two huge limos waited for the group. Ava, Lance, Sean and Leo in one and Linny, Frank and Ethan in the other. They arrived at a small club like restaurant. You saw a bar at the entry and a dance floor further in. They sat at the back. A huge glass table. Glasses of shappaine and wine waited at they sat down.

This is one dinner I'll never forget and I thank Lin for, she let me remember something.

"I'd like to thank our gods for letting my son be blessed with such a beautiful girl" Lance and Ava held hands ate the table "I'd also thank the gods for letting him live and watching over Hm while he left our watchful eye." Linny raised her glass "To our gods and our family for saving Helia!" Everyone cheered even Ava. During the dinner Ethan glared at his brother constantly. So much tension grew between these two you'd have to be brain dead not to see it. 'So, Ava, What do you do for a living? Linny asked surprisingly. "I work with people and...time." she smiled. "So, you're a scheduler?" Linny asked with interest. "Yes, exactly." Ava said not knowing what in the world it was. "So, where were you born?" Linny asked smiling. "Uh, well, honestly...uh" Ava then remembered.

Ava's Night of Hell

"Quiet now..." A man whispered into Ava's little ears. "Okay..." she whispered back. They watched a small crab come out of its shell and crawl away up close. "Wow..." she whispered in excitement. The man smiled and kissed Ava on the head. "Daddy, why does that crab have a shell and other don't?" she asked. Shifting her into his lap and hugging her. "Well, that would be he has a secret. Like you." He smiled touching her nose with his finger watching her giggle. "Explain..." she asked looking up at him."Well, you'll only understand when you get older. But I guess that's a good thing." he laughed "Well, a crab has a secret that can only come out at the right time. His color. He takes his shell off and shows his true self. It's like expressing yourself at a time when you personally think its okay." She smiled a hugged him. "Like your mother and I, we didn't talk to maybe people here in Neenah (Nine - a) for a long time till we thought it was alright to come out of shell." he continued "But for others it's different but the same. They become something they aren't proud of and they change and want to tell people about themselves."

"Honey! It's getting late, come inside and make sure you big Ava with you. I don't want her catching a cold." His wife yelled. Smiling he murmured "she wants me to bring you inside off this beach! Oh my, that's not very nice but neither is a cold." He picked the girl up and through her over his shoulder letting her giggle. "Daddy!" she giggled and then stopped to see the crab takes its shell off as she smiled. Inside, they changed into there pajamas and sat in front of there fireplace. Snuggling together the three started drifting off talking about the day they had and what they'd been doing. A knock was at the door and it was late. "Hide her!" Ava's father said, as her mum picked her up and shifted her into a hidden compartment. "Hopefully they won't look." she said saddened. The door burst open. Men came through. 'I love you' were there last words. Hearing the screams and swords Ava woke started. She saw her parents die. Screaming and fitting in the small enclosed space. The figure turned to the compartment.

Escaping from the grasp of the shadows she ran into a taller, muscular figure that bent over her. "Ava, right?" he asked his voice dark full of horror. She nodded and tried to back away. "Ava, come with me." he held out his hand. She looked at his hand then shook her hand, over coming all he fears. "Please, I'll take you to a place where you'll always have a family." He held his hand out still. She looked at the bodies on the ground, her parents. Then she took his hand. He smiled as she fell into his power, how easy she was to convince.

"I was born in Neenah." She answered finally. Everyone looked shocked, whispering things. "Neenah? The city of Twilight?" Lance whispered making Ava think. Linny changed the subject and they finished dinner. The limos drove them back and they went to bed, all the excitement from dinner had drained them. For the next few weeks they stayed at Lance's mansion. Ava and Lance kept there faking up to date everyday exciting like a couple. Sean and Leo had been checking out there technology but hadn't questioned Ava on her birth place. Until Lance said "Neenah's dead you know?" Ava shook her head. "Not to me. I still live there." she smiled. "You never told us. It is because you didn't trust us or the fact that you never wanted to tell us?" he argued. "I don't know much about my past, it' faded with my heart that was swallowed by darkness." she answered.

Later on, Lance questioned himself and his trust in his friends. "I don't know anything about them and they don't know anything about Me." he thought walking back and forwards. A rustle in the hedges startled him. He heard whispers and mutterings from them and went to check only to be ambush. "He, he, little tiny prince got himself into trouble, eh?" Bulbous cackled loudly. "Not this time, you moron" said Lance kicking him off. "Moron?" Bulbous flared up angrily grabbing Lance by the throat and giggling. Lance grabbed Bulbous's dagger and stabbed a few times, weakening the large man. Dropping Lance and stepping back and pulling the dagger out. Lance re gained his breath and went for his sword, running through his mansion followed by the large mammal.

"What's going on?" Leo asked. "We've got visitors" Lance answered running past then going to his room and coming back out with his sword drawn. He looked down were the man and Ava had met. Staring at each other intensely. "Ava." He bowed. She sneered "Bulbous.". Suddenly Ava went flying down the middle hall way. It was Lyla. "Miss me?" she smirked stalking over to Ava's body on the ground. Lance ran down and attacked the monkey man. Being forced off and thrown off him was crushed against the wall. Regaining his balance he slashing the man's arms before stabbing him twice. The man now drew his large sword and smirked. Slamming it hard against Lance's blade. Now in a sword lock. They both pulled back and took a few swings, only blocking each others attacks. Lance started to get use to fighting the huge man and knocked his large sword of his hands by stomping on his foot and using the blade as grip between his hands to use the end of the sword in Bulbous's face. Before turning around and shoving g the sword up through his gut and into his mouth. Blood soaked his blade as he turned to watch the battle between Ava and Lyla.

This really hurt, no wonder I sort of lost...

For a second.