Shadow Reapers

Kestrel

Singing... I could hear singing in such a sad, beautiful voice. It was Mother. Mother was singing to me. I smiled happily but... I couldn't see her. Where was she? I turned about the room, turning in darkness. And then she was there, just outside. Her face swam into view and crinkled with laughter at my confused expression. Wait... see her? But I can't...

'Can't what?' her eyes seemed to ask as she sang and sang but I couldn't identify the words and oh how I wanted to! I felt sure that if I could hear what she was singing, I'd never know fear or pain or misery again. Still smiling, I tried to approach her but suddenly something held me back; a demon. I pulled away as hard as I could, tugging my arm from its grasp and landing on what at first felt like a pile of rubble but when I looked down, it was actually the start of a short flight of stairs, at the bottom of which my mother stood.

I caught a few words of her song: 'Help me Kestrel,' she pleaded and suddenly another demon was at her side, this one bathed in the devil's red and trying to cut her with an awful, blood-stained sword.

"Mother!" I cried out. "Stay away from her!" I ran down the stairs, feeling the cold air against my skin as I left the room -- I had been inside? But what about a door, what about... -- and the demon followed me out with a human girl close behind -- a friend of mine, Stella... -- and the demon was snarling, his words distorted in a guttural language.

"Come to me," Mother called, "Quickly. Before they try to stop you!"

____________________________

Sorry if this was a little confusing. Lol.

"Kestrel!" Ichidan tried to call out to Kestrel as she ran down the stairs but she ignored him.

Ichidan had helped Stella after being thrown into the wall. He would have stopped Kestrel before she had left the room but Stella was using his body to balance herself as she stood. "What's going on!?" she asked.

"There's no time to explain," Ichidan said. "We have to stop your friend before she gets herself killed!"


Fighting the Hollow was difficult because it could fly, but Kai didn't give up. He knew the only way the Hollow could attack was with its talons, so when it got in close to attack that's when he would strike. The Hollow let out another shriek as it dove in to attack. Kai lifted his sword over his head to strike.

"NO!!!" Kestrel arrived in time to grab Kai's arm and keep him from attacking.

"Kestrel, let go!"

"Don't kill her, you monster!"

Kai didn't have time to think. He spun around, grabbed Kestrel around the waist and leaped out of the way before the Hollow attacked. The creature's talons missed Kai and tore up the ground. It turned to face the two of them. "Good, Kestrel. Together, we can defeat this demon. Once he is dead, we can be together once more."

Kai let go of Kestrel to face the Hollow, but she wrapped her arms around his waist so he couldn't move. "Kestrel!"

"I won't let you take her from me! Not again!"


Ichidan and Stella made it out of the building in time to see the fight. As Stella watched Kestrel standing in the middle of the courtyard with her arms out in front of her she saw something. The air between kestrel's arms seemed distorted, as if something was there and she could faintly see its form.

A few yards in front of Kestrel the air was distorted, too. The air suddenly shifted, moving forward, and Kestrel was thrown off her feet.

Audra

I watched horror struck as Kestrel restrained Kai! Damn girl, she'd get him killed! I banged on the window, ignoring the crackling of the barrier.

"Ichidan! Let me out!" I shouted at the top of my lungs. The guy looked up at me, saw me gesture to the barrier and then at Kai, and nodded.

The barrier lifted, I opened the window, and jumped out. I ran forward, leaping to the side when the Hollow swept over me, talons brandished, but kept going. I had to get to Kai. I had to help Kai!

He looked up and saw me coming. "Audra, what are you - "

"Just get busy!" I shouted, moving to his side and back handing Kestrel across the face. She yelped, lost her grip on him, and fell, nose and mouth bleeding slightly. I sat on top of her and used all of my strength to restrain her.

"Let me go! He'll kill her!"

"Kes, he has to! It's not your mother! It's an evil spirit!"

"Let me go! Please!"

"Kes, calm down! Your mother's gone! She's not there!

"No!"

"Kai has to kill that thing!"

I kept trying to comfort her as Kai resumed fighting.

(I'm going to be camping for four days so this is probably going to be my last post until then.)

Kai faced off against the Hollow once more. Now that Audra was holding down Kestrel he wouldn't have to worry about her getting in the way.

The Hollow let out an another shriek when it saw Audra backhanding Kestrel. "How dare you strike my daughter! I'll kill you!" The harpy-like Hollow dove toward Audra.

Kai was already there waiting for the creature. He lifted his sword and slashed at the Hollow, making a nice big cut across its chest. It let out an agonizing cry of pain as it struggled to stay air-born. "The first rule in fighting is to never take your eyes off your opponent." The Hollow let out another shriek as it dove at Kai.

Kestrel watched helplessly as her mother fought against the red flame. As she struggled under Audra's weight she began to regain her sense. Her mother let out yet another shriek as she rushed to attack again. At that moment Kestrel knew she wasn't her mother. Her mother would never hurt anyone.

Kestrel just wanted it to stop. She wanted her mother to stop fighting. She didn't want anyone to die tonight. She screamed, "MOTHER! PLEASE, STOP!!!"

The Hollow suddenly stopped in mid attack. It turned its head to look at Kestrel's tear-soaked face.

"Please," she pleaded, "no more fighting! I don't want to lose you or anyone else. Please, don't kill these people. They're my friends. I love you with all my heart, mother, but I don't want to see you hurt anyone else!"

The Hollow stared at Kestrel for the longest time. Then the creature spoke with a strangled voice. "...Kestrel..." Its eyes suddenly flickered back and forth from the red eyes of a Hollow to the eyes of a human. She screamed and plummeted to the ground. The Hollow rolled around on the ground as it covered its face with its winged arms. It kept screaming over and over, the mask on its face fading, then reforming, then fading again.

Kai turned to Ichidan. "What's happening!?"

"Kestrel's mother is trying to fight the Hollow within her! Now's your chance!"

Kai rushed toward the Hollow, his large sword held to his side ready to strike. The Hollow's eyes went back to red as it screamed, "SHE'S MINE!!!" The creature charged head-first into Kai. He grunted as the Hollow's hard mask smashed into his chest and threw him a few yards away. His Zanpakto fell out of his hands and stuck into the ground far out of reach.

Audra gasped, "Kai!" Kestrel noticed the shift in Audra's weight. She took the chance to knock her off her back and run toward Kai. "Kestrel, come back!"

The Hollow let out another shriek as it opened its mouth and charged Kai. "DIE!!!"

When the Hollow's teeth sank into flesh, but it wasn't Kai's. Kestrel stood in front of Kai with her arms outstretched. The Hollow's teeth had sunk into her shoulder.

Audra

I gasped at the scene before me. Kestrel had knocked me off of her, run to Kai, and protected him. Blood streamed from her shoulder, where the Hollow's teeth had sunk in.

"Kes..." I breathed, slowly getting to my feet. That's when I realized it: Kai's sword was across the courtyard, away from him. "Kai! Get your sword!"

He started as I broke his moment of shock, and he nodded, breaking into a run towards the Zanpakto.

God, let him make it. Let Kestrel make it!

Kestrel

Tears flooded down my face as I clenched my teeth against the searing pain and tried to maintain eye contact with the blue aura but I couldn't make out her eyes and I could feel the blood oozing from my shoulder where her teeth were still implanted, her head turned slightly to the side, right next to mine, her fowl breath and the stench of blood making me gag. But under all that was the sweet, spicy smell of cinnamon, lurking just under the surface.

Then the pressure of her teeth faded a little and I flinched as the incisors scratched against my torn flesh, gradually retracting until I was free and we stood, each staring at the other.

"Kestrel..." her aura flickered, diminished a little and there was a softness to her voice. She reached out a hand and tenderly touched my cheek. I tried to raise my own hands to place them over hers and hold it there forever and ever and ever but it hurt too much to lift the left and the right was useless without the other.

"Please, Mother." I strained to keep my grip on reality, stumbling a little. Slightly ironic that, without her teeth about my shoulder, it was harder to stand. "I love you."

"I love you too," she said and for a moment, I could almost believe that it really was her who had spoken but then a horrible laughter issued from her lips and she cackled: "you will be mine forever!" Mother surged forward, grabbing me by the shoulders, drawing a screech from my mouth as she squeezed the old wound, squeezing blood out like water from a sponge and suddenly my feet were no longer touching the ground but neither were hers; we were flying!

And then I saw him.

"No!" I shrieked, my vision growing darker with the pain. "No, no, no," I pleaded but the sword sank into her back, deeper and deeper until we both fell and they crowded around, pulling her away from me but I clung to her waist with all my strength, burying my head in her chest.If she was dead, her body would be gone like with that other Hollow. She can't be, no, she's still alive!

Stella-

I shook my head, there was something there, the woman, but not really her at all. It was a faint image, like a ghost. Kestrel was sobbing grabbing onto her, refusing to let go.

Beside her, another ghost, Kai, stood, a sword leaning on the ground. He wiped his brow, exhausted by the look of the things.

"Mother, Mum, Mummy, please, you can't die, you just can't."

Kestrel was weeping and I felt like bursting into tears myself, it was a miserable sight to behold, this grown girl holding onto thin air for a woman who had died years before.

"Kestrel," I said quietly. I wasn't sure how to approach her, I always messed this kind of stuff up, and I knew that there was something here I didn't understand. "Kestrel, you've got to stop crying," I said bluntly.

I looked round. What had happened here? I coud have sworn I saw more of those ghost things, imprints, and voices, howling, animal noises. I could hear them all. But what had happened?

Kestrel still held onto the thing, whatever it was.

"Kestrel, please, just let it- just let her- go, and we can talk."

"No, I won't, I won't."

"There's something going on here. I'm not expert, but it isn't safe here, I can tell. Whatever that thing there was, I'll bet a million euros -dollars- that there'll be more. Come on."

Audra

I watched, heart breaking, as Kestrel sobbed into her dying monster of a mother. I just sat still, tears falling from my eyes at the scene.

Kai just stood back, watching with what I understood to be regret and sorrow.

It was all he could do. Kes's mother was possessed, and she would have killed us all. I know he hated doing it, but it had to be done.

In my mourning, I began to sing very softly, very gently, ready to let my soprano version of Evanescence out again.

"Playground school bells ring, again...rainclouds come to play, again...Has no one told you she's not breathing? Hello, I'm your mind, giving you someone to talk to...Hello?

If I smile and don't believe...sooner, I know, I'll wake from this dream...Don't try to fix me; I'm not broken. Hello, I'm the lie, living for you so you can hide...Don't cry...

Suddenly I know I'm not sleeping! Hello, I'm still here, all that's left of yesterday..."

Kestrel

Stella had a point; more hollows could be on their way, but I couldn't leave her. Time to be practical, Kestrel. Time to be brave. I rubbed my eyes with clenched fist, leaving them red and puffy as I clambered to my feet, receiving smiles of encouragement. Oh you'd like that, wouldn't you? I stuck my jaw out in determination and carefully hefted my mother's body onto my back.

"Okay. Let's go." They stared back at me, blinking away their surprise.

"Did you just..." Stella's eyes flitted to my back and then returned to my face. "...Never mind. Let's go. Is there anywhere safe we can talk, discuss, organise?" Ichidan looked thoughtful and then nodded slowly.

"Yes, there's a safe house where we could... talk." His mouth twisted into a grimace as he considered the situation before he began to lead the way. I followed, trying not to stumble, trying not to show that my mother was a burden. You'll never be a burden, not to me.

(I hope this is okay.)

They all followed Ichidan through the darkened streets, the distant howls of Hollows following them. They were careful to stay out of sight, although at this time of night there was no one to catch them anyway.

"Kestrel..."

Kestrel looked at her mother as she carried her on her shoulder. "It's going to be alright, mother. We'll get you somewhere safe, and then we can heal your wounds."

"Please... put me down..."

"But-"

"Please, Kestrel..." They all stopped as Kestrel gently lay her mother on the cold pavement. The mask covering her face had shattered during the fight, now her real face showed. Tears rolled down her face as she looked up at her daughter. "I'm sorry, Kestrel... Not just for tonight, but for everything. I'm sorry for leaving you and your father."

Kestrel shook her head. "No, mother, It's my fault. That day in the hospital I told you not to die, not to leave me alone. That's why you couldn't go, couldn't move on. I knew that you were always nearby, watching over me. But because I relied on the hope that you were always there, you couldn't rest peacefully. I just want you to know that I'm happy, and you don't need to worry."

Kestrel's mother smiled, and even though she couldn't see it Kestrel knew her mother was indeed happy. "I will always love you, Kestrel. You're right, I didn't move on because I wanted to keep you safe. But, I know now that I can't protect you forever. You need to live on your own, without my help. Even though I'm leaving, I will always be watching over you." She shifted so she could look at Kai. "Death god, please, send me to Heaven."

Kai nodded and took his large sword out of its sheathe. As he approached Kestrel clung to her mother. "No! I don't want you to go!"

"Kestrel, you must be brave for me. It's my time."

Kestrel lifted her tear soaked face to look at her mother. "But I just found you. I don't want this to end."

"It won't end. As long as you remember me, I'll always be alive in your heart."

"Kestrel..." Kestrel looked up to see Kai standing beside them. "Your mother needs you to be brave for her."

After a few long moments Kestrel finally nodded and got out of the way. Kai angled his zanpakuto over her mother's chest. Her mother looked at Kestrel one last time and said, "Good-bye, my sweet Kestrel," before Kai plunged his sword into her chest. She let out a gasp and her body faded away bit-by-bit, her spirit particles being carried away by the wind.

When her body was all gone all that remained was a black butterfly. The little winged insect fluttered away into the night sky.

Audra

I wiped tears away as we watched the butterfly disappear into the endless sky. All that was left.

Is that how I will die? I couldn't help but wonder.

Ichidan cleared his throat as the silence drug on forever. "Come on."

Kestrel

"Goodbye, Mother," I whispered sadly, my eyes lingering on the butterfly that somehow shone with an intense, black light against the abyss of my world. Eventually, she faded and I was left alone to follow after the others in silence, each of us an isolated individual as we considered just how fleeting life could be.

"I think I'd like to help," I decided as I followed their auras, wondering where we were going and what they must be seeing. How easily distracted my thoughts were, how unable to focus on my mother's death. Perhaps it was the shock or maybe it was because I'd lost her a long time ago.

"Help with what?" Kai asked. I did not delay or hurry as I explained and to their credit, neither did any other members of the group:

"Finding hollows. I can see them -- even now, they're all around us -- and I want to help others like my mother to find their peace." The night seemed to steal my words as I received no reply and I thought to repeat them to emphasise my willingness but decided against it. They heard me. And they couldn't stop me.

After a few minutes of walking in silence Ichidan finally spoke. "There is another way you can help."

"How?" Kestrel asked.

"I've heard of beings like you before, Kestrel. Humans who are blind but can see reiatsu, or spiritual energy for lack of a better word. I believe they were called Shadow Seers."

"What does that mean for me?"

"Because of the Shadow Seers' gift to see reiatsu it makes it easy for them to manipulate it. There have been times where Shadow Seers have even been able to use demon magic."

"Demon magic?"

"It's the type of magic death gods use. Back in your room I used demon magic to blast the Hollow through the wall."

"Will you teach me how to use this demon magic?" Kestrel asked.

Ichidan shook his head. "No, and the only reason I say this is because I need to focus my time toward teaching Kai how to be a death god." He looked over his shoulder at Kestrel. "But I know someone else who does have that kind of time on his hands."

"Who is he?" she asked.

"I'm leading you all to a small shop just a few blocks from here that sells all kinds of things you might normally see in a pawn shop. The owner is a man by the name of Uruhara. He can teach you how to use this gift of yours."

Stella-

I didn't get it. I mean, I was intelligent, and I read a lot of fantasy books, but I just couldn't get my head around this all.

"Hold on. A Death God? Shadow Seers?" I sighed. "Look, I know you probably don't want me tagging along here, but the fact is, you're stuck with me, and those... things, whatever they are, I can see them. And I don't have the slightest clue what a Death God is, and personally, I think we should leave the dead well enough alone, but you're obviously trying to do something here and-" I took a deep breath. "And I'm willing to help."

I looked round. Nobody answered me. "Have I just been either really inappropriate, made you feel really awkward, got the wrong end of the stick or completely embarrassed myself? It's got to be one of those."

"Neither of them," Ichidan said. "I was just thinking, that's all." He looked over his shoulder at Stella. "As our duty as death gods it's protocol to erase the memory of any humans who witness our battles with Hollows and replace them with new memories. However, just like Audra you've been subjected to an intense amount of spirit particles during Kai's fight with that Hollow. As such you have begun to see Hollows and spirits. That being said, even if I were to erase your memory it would be for nothing because you would just end up seeing Kai fight another Hollow. So, to address your concerns you can help us."

Stella smiled and nodded. "Thank you, I'll do my best."

"But on one condition," Ichidan added.

"What's that?"

"You have to promise not to get in Kai's way during battle."

She nodded again. "I promise."

"So, how much further is this shop you were talking about?" Kai asked.

Ichidan turned a nearby corner and pointed. "Right there."

They all followed Ichidan around the corner of the street to see a small, almost run-down shop. The sign said, 'Used Goods' and there were a few small wooden crates lying around the front of the shop.

Ichidan went up to the front door and knocked. After a few moments the door opened. The man on the other side was tall, muscular and very intimidating. He had a mustache, sideburns and short hair. A pair of glasses sat snugly on his nose.

"Ichidan," the man said, "what brings you here this evening?"

"Hello, Tessai. Sorry to bother you so late at night, but we need to speak with Uruhara."

"We?" The man by the name of Tessai gave everyone a quick once over with his eyes before returning his gaze back to Ichidan. "I'll see if he's still up."

"It's alright, Tessai. I'm up." a voice from inside said. "Who's at the door?"

"It's Ichidan and some of his friends it seems." Tessai moved out of the way as the second man came to the door. He was tall, slim and shaggy with short messy blond hair. His chin was fuzzy, as if he had forgotten to shave this morning. He wore a green men's style kimono with a short black housecoat. He also wore a striped green and white bucket hat on his head that cast a shadow on the upper part of his face.

"Well, this is a pleasant surprise," Uruhara said. His voice was pleasant and friendly. "What brings you here, Ichidan?"

"We need to talk, may we come inside?"

Uruhara motioned them inside. "Of course. Where are my manners? Please, come right in."


Uruhara: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kisuke_Urahara