The fire was my womb.

A pallid echo of the true fire, it was nonetheless the best, most comforting thing I had ever felt. If anything, it was more comforting than the true fire… that fire had been too intense, too prone to churn and surge around me. This was steady fire, the fire that warmed, and despite how unfathomably bitter me feelings towards the creator of the fire had become I couldn't hate the fire itself. I loved the fire.

I lived inside the fire, content and relaxed, for an unknowable amount of time. But finally, I felt the tugging again and snarled. How dare they summon me again? Didn't they know what I would eventually do to them? That one of HIS blood would come here again…

I would make them pay. It might take years, but they would hurt. I never forgive and I never forget.

"Roxas, Sora! Come help me unpack this!" Roxas sighed, looking up from his notepad as his mother called.

He hadn't wanted to move. He especially hadn't wanted to move to a creepy house in the middle of nowhere. But when great-uncle Jacob had died it had been left to them in the will, along with most of his money, and their mom hadn't been able to move them out of the city fast enough. In a way, it was definitely a good thing. Their place in the city really had sucked, compared to this mansion of a house. But leaving behind all their friends and the city was still hard… what did people do out here? Besides surfing? Although surfing was pretty cool…

"Roxas!" Grimacing, he pulled himself out of wool gathering and walked downstairs. There was a ton of unpacking to do. "Fetch me a bucket of water!"

"Huh?" Roxas glanced around, befuddled by the request… then saw the fire burning steadily in the hearth. In the middle of the summer? "Sure, mom." He went to fetch the water, not particularly caring how the fire had gotten there. Although it was odd. Why would someone have lit that fire for them in the middle of summer in a house that had been vacant for years?

But who cared. There were more important things to worry about than a fire. Like how the other kids at school were going to react to him and Sora and their lack of a last name…

… Two not of the blood and one of it. Why on earth would they come here? Didn't they understand what I could do to them? What I WOULD do to them? Had they forgotten? Had they forgotten ME?

Wait, what was that woman doing?

…

She's trying to put out my fire. I'm horrified, bemused, amazed… this is interesting actually. I must watch this. How long is it going to take before she figures it out?

They really HAVE forgotten me. This could be… fun.

"Roxas, get me some flour!" Roxas went to fetch the flour as his mother glared balefully at the fire in the hearth. It was popping at them with a cheerful gaiety after downing three buckets of water. Roxas wasn't entirely sure where the water had gone, but his mother was clearly in one of her moods. It was easiest just to humor her.

A small woman with brown, tousled hair, and blue eyes, she closely resembled Sora. She could be sweet and kind… and also demanding and harsh. Her mood swings had gotten worse over the years, but Sora and Roxas had learned to cope. And they did love her. It was just easier to go with the flow, no matter how insane things got.

After he gave her the flour, Roxas took a seat and picked up his notepad. There was no point in leaving the room. Next she'd have him-

"Roxas, get the fire extinguisher."

"Yes mom." Roxas sighed to himself and went to fetch the fire extinguisher.

How long was this going to go on?

How long was this going to go on?

Maybe I could keep them as pets. This is funny as hell.

"Roxas, go summon the priest for an exorcism!"

"Huh what?" Roxas blinked, startled out of his field of daydreams. His mother turned to look at him with a fierce expression.

"Or get one of the wizards from town! This is a demon fire! Nothing will put it out!"

"But mom… I think the town is too small for…" Roxas stopped at his mother's expression. "I'll go to town right away."

"See that you do." She slammed the door behind him, and Roxas sighed, pulling himself to his feet as she yelled for Sora. At least it would get him out of the house. When she was in a mood like this, there was just no reasoning with her. He took care to bring his credit card with him.

He'd likely need it. It was a good thing great-uncle Jacob had left them a lot of money. When mom got a bee in her bonnet, money ceased to matter. Roxas could still remember the time they'd almost been evicted.

Hopefully that wouldn't happen again. Hopefully.

Or maybe I could drive her insane. From the looks of things, it would be a really short step. At this rate I was going to drive her nuts and I hadn't even done anything.

Sweet.

Oh, the blond one is gone. Ah, that's the one with HIS blood. The only one immune to my rage. What did she send him for? An exorcist?

This is funny as HELL!

"Um, I'm looking for an exorcist." Roxas wearily said to the weather witch sitting in his rocking chair. The old man tilted his head back, frowning at the blond haired boy.

The town here was tiny and just as sleepy as he'd expected. He'd had to ask around, but it hadn't taken much to run down the only mages in the town… a father/daughter team who handled the crop blessings and weather witchings.

"We don't do demons. Go talk to the priest." The old man waved a hand, and Roxas held to his patience with both hands.

"I went to him first. He said he was busy and to go to you." The old man grunted, then pulled himself out of his rocking chair.

"Did he? Asshole. Fine, come inside. It's too hot out here for business." The old man led him into the house. "I'm Murphy, in case you hadn't heard. Kairi is out. What in hell do you need an exorcist for? No demons in this town."

"Uh, well…" Roxas sighed, and blinked as the man poured him a glass of lemonade, handing it to him. "Thank you, sir. Well… my mom and I moved into the big house up the hill. Unfortunately, mom is kind of going on about the fire in the hearth. She's trying to put it out, but it won't go out, and she says it's a demon fire." Roxas shrugged helplessly, taking a long drink of his lemonade. "It sure is weird, but I don't think it's anything to get this excited over." If it were up to him, they'd be ignoring the fire. It wasn't like it was causing a problem. It wasn't even heating the house much.

"Hmm. An ever burning charm?" The old wizard mused. "Maybe I could undo that. Might as well have a look." He shambled over to a hat rack and pulled out a walking stick. "No one's lived in that house for, oh, must be five hundred years. Always been in your family though, I heard. Heard it was abandoned due to tragedies." Roxas blinked.

"You mean there might be ghosts?" That was an interesting thought. The old man laughed, a grating, slightly unpleasant sounds.

"Might be something. Ghosts? I doubt it. Once in a while some damn fool tries to break into that house, or children do a dare, and they come out with nightmares. Might just be drink or the night though. Well… either way, you'll see." Roxas blinked. He didn't like the sound of that.

Could there be something in the house? But what?

"Sooo." Murphy looked closely at the fire, and shook his head. "I'll take no money for looking at this. There's nothing I can do."

"What? You can't exorcise it?" Roxas' mother asked sharply, and Murphy sighed.

"I told you. It's not a demon fire. It's an ever burning fire, a mage spell. But this is a strong one, cast by a master far greater than I and tied to the ley lines themselves. Only a great master could dispel it, and they wouldn't, for any price you could pay." Roxas' mother looked ready to protest, until Murphy added sharply. "T'would be a great waste of their time. The thing is harmless."

"Harmless? Why would a wizard make something like that?" Roxas had to admit she had a point. It would be good in winter but it was very unnecessary in summer. Murphy shrugged.

"An old wizard with cold bones? Whatever the reason, it's not worth trying to get rid of it. Just live with it." He shuffled out the door, ignoring her sniff. Roxas didn't say anything, but silently hoped his mother would see reason. Or they might possibly be poor again very quickly.

"Oh, whatever." She turned away in disgust. "Stupid thing. It can stay, I suppose. I'll start fixing supper." Roxas heaved a quiet sigh of relief and Sora peered around the doorframe as she left the room.

"I think it's kind of nice." Sora smiled as he stared into the flickering flames, stepping into the room. "It's pretty… I could look at it for hours."

"Yeah, me too." Roxas smiled at Sora, then looked into the fire with him. Was it his imagination, or was the fire happy? Undoubtedly his imagination. But it was still nice.

Aw. They think my fire is cute. No one's ever called me cute before.

It's not going to stop me from hurting them, but I don't have to do it right away. Besides, I'm fickle, that's my nature… hell, maybe I won't hurt them.

Just have to see.

"Ugh!" Roxas grunted as he tried to change a light bulb. The stool he was using was rickety, and kept swaying. Then suddenly, strong hands gripped it and steadied it. "Thanks Sora." Roxas didn't look down, concentrating hard on screwing in the bulb.

"You're welcome." Roxas blinked at the voice that was most definitely NOT Sora… it was a warm, masculine, slightly rough voice. It sounded like the owner had spent some time breathing smoke… Roxas glanced down and caught a brief glimpse of red hair and green eyes, and a crooked smile, before there was a flash of light from the light bulb. The light blinded him for a moment, and when his vision cleared the man was gone… and Roxas had to jump as the stool started to topple.

"Wh-who…?" He turned around slowly, trying to figure out where the man had gone… but there was nothing. The doors were all shut. It was like he had vanished. The only thing moving in the room was the fire popping away in its hearth.

Was it his imagination, or was the fire laughing at him?

Being forgotten is turning out to be fun. I'll have to see how much shit I can get into. Of course, to do that, I'll have to convince him to carry one of my stones with him. Hmmm…

I'll have to try the necklace. And to imagine, I used to loathe it… but now I want out of the house. Was I bored, living in the fire? Maybe I was.

Well, this will be interesting.