"HAPPY BIRTHDAY JASON!" yelled our party guests.

It was Jason's birthday today, August 10. He finally turned 13 and recently discovered the complicated world of dating. His girlfriend is Uncle Star and Aunt Tsubaki's youngest who is his age, just a few months younger than him. They're always touching eachother and making stupid faces and acting cute. It's gross and makes me want to puke.

Ace and I sat on the couch across from Jason and his girlfriend, half paying attention to what was going on in the room. We were occupied by trying not to squirm when they got all touchy and mushy. I mean Ace and I are touchy and mushy, but those two are on a different level.

"Hey, Annie!" yelled my brother.

I growled at the stupid nickname he gave me, "What do you want?"

"Can you take me and Takumi to the arcade down the road?"

"Why should I? After all you called me Annie knowing I don't like that name."

"Annalin Rose Evans!" snapped my parents.

"What? He knows I hate that name, yet he insists on calling me by that sickening name!"

My parents glared at me, making me cringe and sink into the couch. They knew I was a stubborn girl, but insisted that I learn how to comply with requests by people. That won't happen...like ever, well aside from Ace I will never listen.

Shing!

I looked over my shoulder and saw a blade coming out of my brothers arm. 'So my suspicions were correct when I sensed something from him.' I thought as my mouth hung open. Ace had his arm in it's knife form, ready to attack my brother if he made any sudden move.

"Ace, it's okay. He's just...a scythe," I gasped.

Why was my brother of all people the one who had the ability to transform into a scythe?! For crying out loud, his blade was similar to dad's. Why didn't I have that ability?! It didn't make sence, the eldest child was supposed to has the ability of their father and the youngest of their mother. Even Aunt Tsubaki's late brother knew that long before he became the Enchanted Sword. Ugh, why does my life have to suck?

XXX

When the party ended an everybody except for Ace, Takumi, and Uncle Star and Aunt Tsubaki left I grabbed my car keys and stormed out the door with Ace on my heels.

"Hey, what has gotten to you?" he asked as he spun me around.

"I just need some time alone, Ace! And if that's a problem to you, you can...you can g-g-" I started crying. I hated yelling at him, espcially when he was concerned about what my next move was going to be.

"Hey, hey, hey. Stop crying, please. Seeing you this way makes me feel guilty for something I didn't do."

I was at my car now, tears running down my cheeks and my hair flopped in front of my face, covering my eyes from view. Ace was a foot away from me with his hands occupied with some small object that looked rather shiny. My hands were shaking as I realized that I had shown him the one side of me that slowly dragged me down into madness. And then it hit me. The madness, the psycotic uncontrolable thirst for blood. A horendous giggle escaped my lips, causing Ace to visibly take a step back.

"Ann...what are you doing? This isn't like you. Please come back to me, I'd never hurt you and you know it.

"I'm going to kill you and eat your corpse," I laughed.

"Annalin! Knock it off right now!"

"And after I've eaten you, I'll use your bones t-"

I froze. My vision began clearing up as the haze left them. Ace stood in front of me with a very fearful look on his face. I took a step forward and fell. My knees had gone out and before I knew it, my vision blacked out.

XXX

I woke up in a large room that had a familiar smell to it. I looked around the room as I came around and my sences were fully functioning. Out side the partly opened door, I could hear someone crying as another tried to get them to calm down. I heard my mom say something about the madness that had taken over my body and then the low voice of my dad.

When I was little, I remember hearing my parents talk about black blood. I was sitting in what is now the game room with Aunt Tsubaki. She was smiling and tickling me as I played with my toys. And then her smile vanished. My laughing stopped. The house fell silent. My parents walked in the room and told Aunt Tsubaki something that she agreed to before leaving. I whined a little until my mom picked me up and hugged me with tears in her eyes. My dad had the strangest of looks in his eyes that I'd never seen before, as if he was holding back to truth to long forgotten incident that was hitting him in waves.

"Is she okay?" came Ace's voice.

"Sit down. We have something to tell you that could help you out when she loses control of her actions and words," came my father's voice.

I covered my ears and screamed for Ace. I did it on purpose because I didn't want to hear about black blood more than I already had. It terrified me to no end. My skin always crawls when it's mentioned and I suddenly feel cold.

"Ann! What's wrong?" said Ace.

"N-nothing. I just...I don't know," I replied.

"I'm here now. Relax, nothing will ever hurt you as long as we're together."

"How long I that gonna be?"

"I was hoping for the rest of our lives."

I smiled as I pulled myself into his chest and took in a deep breath as my body relaxed from his gentle touch. Nothing could compete with how comfortable I was in his arms. Not even my bed made me feel as comfortable as I do in his arms.