Shadow Reapers

*I'll give it a shot...*

We ran. "Can't catch my breath," I muttered, but I was still smiling a little underneath the terror of it all.

Ishida gave me half a look, running at my side. "I'm almost glad you're here," he said.

"I'll take that as a compliment," I replied. I risked another look over my shoulder. "What is that thing?"

"It's a Sweeper," Yoruichi explained hurriedly. "And it'll kill us if it catches us."

"But can't we just fight it?" Kai asked.

"Sure, if you want to die," Yoruichi said slyly. "Run!"

We picked up the pace a little. Behind us, the light was getting brighter.

We're not going to get out of this, said a thought in the back of my head. More to the point, Stella, you're not going to get out of this, said my conscience.

Oy, isn't it you who's always telling me act on impulse? I retorted.

The Sweeper was drawing closer.

"It sounds like a train," I managed to say, gasping for breath. "And it's as fast..."

"What do we do, Yoruichi?" Kes shouted.

"We run," he answered.

Oh, very helpful.

I thought Urahara didn't go with us...?

Kes

Breathing heavily, Kes felt as if her ribcage were about to erupt and spill her innards across the floor. Her feet burned and her arms were beginning to ache from being used like oars to propel herself through the air. She knew they couldn't keep this up much longer.

"Hurry, we're almost out, I can see the exit!" Kai called from near the front. Kestrel could sense nothing but what was behind them, even Kai's aura was diminished by the frightful white of that train-like monster.

"It's gaining on us!" Kestrel cried. "It's almost on us, hurry!" And they ran as fast as their legs could take them but they were slowing down and the Sweeper was catching up, moving at a relentless speed. It was sure to catch them.

(He didn't. Yoruichi did.)

Kai looked over his shoulder as well. At the rate they were going the Sweeper would catch up to them before they reached the exit. He began to reach for his sword. "If we can't run from it we'll just have to cut it down!"

"Hold it! Don't use your Zanpakutou!" Yoruichi told him. "Sweepers clean out this space between worlds of spiritual bodies. If you use your Zanpakutou, it will pull you in and discintegrate you!"

Kai gritted his teeth. "Then what are we supposed to do!?"

"I told you, just keep running! The exit is just a few yards away!"

They could see the exit right in front of them, shining like the gates of heaven in an abyss of darkness. The only problem was the devil itself was right on their heels, about to swallow them up. "It's no good!" Ishida yelled. "We can't outrun it!"

"Just a little further!" Yoruichi urged them on.

Ishida's right, Audra thought. It'll catch up to us before we can get out. If we don't do something now we'll all be killed! Audra spun her body and started backpedalling. She wrapped her fingers around her ring.

"Audra! What are you doing!?" Kai yelled.

She ignored his voice as she called upon her power. "Hinagiku! Baigon! Lily! I REJECT!!!" The three fairies broke off of her ring and formed a triangular force field of golden energy in front of her. She held out both arms, as if to push against the force that was about to collide with the shield.

The golden barrier flashed with a blindingly bright light the moment the Sweeper collided with it. She felt the force of it like a shock wave as the monstrosity tried to force its way through. The force was suddenly too much as the barrier itself was blown apart, creating an explosion of white light that propelled everyone through the exit.

They all fell from the sky like meteorites of white light. They hit the ground with enough force to crack the ground and create a cloud of dust and dirt. Luckily, Audra had been able to recast her shield to break their fall.

Everyone was sprawled out on the ground, moaning and coughing from the dust in the air. "Is everyone all right?" Audra asked.

Ishida moved himself into a sitting position, hissing a little from pain when he did. "Cripes...that was something else. This is more than I expected."

Audra let out a relieved sigh. "That's a relief, it doesn't look like anyone was hurt."

"What's there to be glad about!?" Yoruichi yelled before pouncing at Audra and headbutting her in the forehead.

"What the hell was that for!?" Audra yelled, holding a hand against her forehead.

"Were you not listening to me!? We're lucky the Sweeper made contact with just the shield area. If it had been your fairies themselves, you'd be dead now!"

"Hey, Yoruichi. Don't be so hard on her," Kai said. "Thanks to Audra we managed to come through without a scratch."

"You do not understand how serious this is!"

As the dust began to settle they could see their surroundings. They appeared to be in a Japanese style city from a few centuries in the past. Although it seemed like a fairly large settlement, the streets themselves were empty, devoid of life as it were.

"So this is Soul Society?" Stella asked. "I kinda pictured Heaven to be a little less...shabby."

"Yes," Yoruichi answered. "The area we are in right now is known as the Rukon District, otherwise known as the Drifting Spirit Town. This is where souls first live upon coming to Soul Society. It is on the perimeter of Seireitei, the center of Soul Society itself where Death Gods live. Rukon District is the poorest place in Soul Society. Ironically, it's also the freest, and has the largest population of souls in Soul Society."

"The largest, huh? Then why is it so empty?" Stella asked. She turned to Kestrel, who had been silent the whole time, and asked, "What do you think, Kes?"

Kestrel didn't say anything. She was sitting on the ground with her back toward the others, staring into the distance.

"Kes, did you hear me?" Again, no answer. Stella went to her side and asked, "Kes, is something the matter?"

"My eyes..." She slowly turned her head to look at Stella. Her eyes, that had once been gray and almost colourless, were now the strongest and most vibrant shade of blue. "...I...can see..."

Audra

I blinked when I heard Kes' words. She could see? She could really see? I couldn't fight the urge to get to my feet and stand beside Stella, kneeling before Kes. I gasped gleefully when I saw Kes' eyes; a bright, royal blue.

"Wow!" I beamed, hugging her. "That's brilliant! I'm so happy for you!"

Yoruichi scoffed. "Okay, okay. Can we please be moving on now? We have little time to waste."

The girls and I reluctantly got to our feet, but we stayed side by side. Kai and Ishida followed Yoruichi, and we fell in behind them. In the distance, I could just make out the skyline of a city.

Hang on, Ichidan. We're coming.

Kes

As they walked toward the city, Kestrel stared around her in delight, logging details in her mind, finding it difficult to adjust.

"You're blond, Audra," she murmured in amazement and... everything is so beautiful but how come I can see? Yoruichi, do you know?" She looked happily down at the cute cat and then cast her glance about Soul Society again wondering how it compared to the human road, were the houses similar? Were the streets the same?

"This world is made of spiritual particles so your ability allows you to see everything," Yoruichi explained. Kestrel's amazement diminished a little. It would only be temporary then. But she smiled and laughed and threw her arms out to encase both Stella and Audra.

They walked closer and closer toward a city, all looking around on the way, catching glimpses of people who seemed to flutter just out of sight whenever they were seen.

"Are they scared of us?" Kestrel wondered.

"Wouldn't you be if you saw a group of people fall from the sky?" Yoruichi asked.

"I guess so..." Kestrel said, still looking at the people they passed and taking in every detail with her new sight.

They came to a "T" junction where the street split off into two. They looked down both streets. Kai was the first to point down one of them and say, "What's that?" Everyone looked. The Rukon District seemed to abruptly end a few blocks down, as if a line was cut through the city to separate the two districts. On the other side the ground was made up of polished tiles and rich looking houses behind a long wall. "It looks so different on that side."

"Oh that..." Yoruichi began to say.

Kai didn't give him a chance to finish. His face lit up with excitement, "I get it! That's where the Death Gods live, the Sei-whatever!" He started running toward the next district.

"Y-You fool!" Yoruichi yelled, "Don't get too close! You'll die!"

Kai looked over his shoulder as he kept running. "Huh?"

The earth shook as colossal walls fell from the sky one-by-one like blocks in front of Kai. Dirt and debris flew into the air as a massive shock wave threw Kai off his feet. The walls continued to hit the ground in rows, stretching off into the distance. The wall itself was easily over a mile high.

When the dirt began to settle and the vibrations in the earth stop, Audra yelled, "Kai! Are you okay!?"

Kai coughed hard, trying to clear his throat. When he could speak, he called back, "Yeah, I'm fine!"

"It's been a long time..." a loud echoing voice toward the wall said, "...since someone tried to pass through the Seirei Gate without a travel permit." Kai had to squint his eyes to see the figure that stood before him in the cloud of dust.

Before him stood a giant. He was easily as big as any house within the Rukon District. He wore a black robe, similar to what Death Gods wear, and a plate of armour covering his entire left arm. A fuzz hat sat on his square head. He held in his right hand an axe that was more than three times the size of Kai's body. "You're a rare guest," he said. "Welcome, kid!"



"...He's so huge!" Audra said, scared.

"Who is he? He's too big to be human!" Ishida said. "Just what is he?"

"His name is Jidanbou," Yoruichi told them. "He was chosen from among the best in Soul Society to guard the White Road Gate, one of the four gates of Seirei Gate."

"Are you saying we have to beat that thing to get inside?" Stella asked, disbelief filling her voice.

"Yes. But that won't be an easy task..." Yoruichi said. "During the three hundred years that he has been on duty, not once has anyone been able to break through the White Road Gate. He is legendary for his power and strength."

"So how do we fight a guy like that?" Ishida asked.

"That's where your intelligence comes in." Yoruichi tilted his head to one side to think. "I think, first, a meeting is in order to come up with a strategy." When he brought his gaze back up, Audra and Kestrel were already running to Kai's side. "Hey! Audra! Kestrel! Come back! Come back, both of you!"

Neither of them listen to Yoruichi. As they ran, Audra thought, There's no way Kai can beat someone that strong on his own. He needs our help!

Jidanbou lifted his giant axe over his head and brought it down between the two girls and Kai. The ground buckled and shot up as he dragged his axe through the rough stone of the street, creating a wall between them.

"Wh-What is that?" Ishida asked, shocked. "He's crazy!"

Jidanbou looked down at Audra and Kestrel from the other side of the wall he had made. "I don't like your manners," he told them. "You must be country bumpkins. Now listen up. We have rules in the city." He lifted a finger for each rule he recited. "First, wash your hands when returning from outside. Second, don't eat food that's fallen on the floor. Third, when you fight, it's one-on-one."

(Is anyone going to post, or should I just double post?)

Sorry, I've been rather busy and I'm pretty tired, also finding it really hard to get into this storybook at the moment. It's just starting to feel a little too planned if you know what I mean? I'll try and think of something tomorrow.

(Hmm... I see what you mean... I guess since I'm basing the story off of a pre-existing storyline from an anime it's a little hard to keep it from feeling too planned, as you so accurately put it. I'll try to think of some way to tone it down, do you have any suggestions on how I may do that?)

Not knowing the story sort of makes that awkward... XD Maybe divulge from the original? Just start posting anything and not having to worry if we go completely out of bounds? Or perhaps give us a hint of what's going to happen so we know our limits but make it vague and only give us the essential storyline so that we can change what happens along the way?

**I'll post something tonight; I have to go. Band is marching in the parade in an hour.**

(All right, here's something to start off with. After the battle between Kai and the giant gatekeeper something happens that prevents them from going through the gate. At this point our characters will have to find another way into Seireitei. They spend the night at an inn. But before that happens, Kestrel will meet somebody in Soul Society. The only hint I'll give is that Kestrel has met that person before in the real world.)

***I agree with Kitty; let's have a little freedom with the story; it makes it more interesting and fun.***

Audra

I tried to run around the wall, but it only expanded in that direction. I couldn't get around. I even called forth my fairies, but to no avail. Nothing could get me through.

"Kai!" I called, helpless and useless back here. "We have to help him!"

Kes touched my shoulder. "I'm...I'm sure he'll be fine. Just trust him."

I did trust him, but...

What if I nearly lost him, like before...? I couldn't bear to do it again.



**All I've got. My four-hours-of-sleep-energy is running out... See you tomorrow.**

Kestrel

Kes could understand Audra's worry but she didn't share it. What had the man said? I don't like your manners. And that sort of suggested an honorable person did it not? Surely he would not kill Kai... or would he? But even then, in her amazement at her new ability to see, it had not registered in her mind that the auras were still there. She had become so used to their lights...

She could sense both of these auras and it was difficult to gauge which one was higher than the other. It would be a close fight for sure and either could be the victim. But Kestrel believed in Kai. He had defeated Urahara whose aura she had been sure was a match for Kai and now his was stronger still. So maybe there was a chance.

"He's so huge," Stella hissed. "He'll just step on Kai!"

"Appearances can be deceiving," Kes reminded her. I did not have this sight before but now that I have it, I will not allow it to interfere with my judgment!

"Well yes but... do you really think Kai can beat him?"

"I honestly don't know. But I hope so. I have a feeling that there are much stronger adversaries out there." Kestrel looked to Yoruichi for confirmation but the cat was looking directly ahead at the wall.

"Hey! Audra! Kestrel!"

Audra perked up at the sound of her boyfriend's voice on the other side of the wall. "Kai! Are you all right? You're not hurt, are you?"

"No, I'm alive and kicking!"

"Wait right there, Kai! When we get a chance, we'll-"

"About that, Audra," Kai said, interrupting her, "can you two just stay put?"

"Are you sure?" Audra asked. "That guy is pretty big, it'll be tough to fight-"

"Never mind. Don't worry about me, just wait."

Ishida ran up to the wall. It was obvious he didn't agree with any of them when he said, "No, I refuse!"

Stella came after him at her own pace. "Not very patient are we?" she asked.

He ignored her. "Our time is limited! Instead of just you, we have to attack together, and get going!"

"Oh, you're still here, Ishida?" Kai asked.

Ishida's face lit up with anger. "I've been here all this time! Quit saying such irritating things at a time like this!"

"Geez, will you shut up already?" Kai asked.

Kestrel came closer to the wall and asked, "Can you do it, Kai?"

Kai was leaning with his back against the wall. He rubbed his neck in contemplation when he said, "Umm... Probably."

Kai could hear Ishida banging his fists against the other side of the wall as he yelled, "Probably!? What're you saying!? Do you not understand the situation!?"

"Cripes..." Kai moaned. "Look, don't worry."

"How can I not worry!?"

"I'll tell you something interesting..." Ishida stopped banging his fists against the wall for a moment so he could hear what Kai had to say. "My Death God powers were supposed to be restored in ten full days. But I got them back in five. So what do you think I did for the remaining five days?"

"What were you doing?" Ishida asked, genuinely curious.

Kai smiled, even though the others couldn't see it from the other side of the wall. "Fighting. For five days and nights, I fought that jerk Urahara one-on-one."

"I get it," Ishida said, "you learned the secrets of fighting..."

"Nope. He didn't teach me a thing."

Audra was next to come closer to the wall. "Then what was the point of it?"

Kai grabbed his new sword from his back. The bandage wrapped around the sword unraveled until the entire blade was bare. "For stamina and guts," Kai answered. "I got them, even if I didn't want them."

"Are you done talking?" Jidanbou asked. The giant gate keeper had been waiting patiently for Kai to finish speaking with his friends.

"I don't remember asking you to wait," Kai said, with a smile.

Jidanbou raised an eyebrow in irritation. "You are a country bumpkin, after all. You don't know your manners." He began to raise his axe over his head. "When someone waits for you...you say, 'thank you'!" With a mighty swing of his arm, the giant brought his axe down over Kai's head. The ground shook violently as dirt and rock flew in every direction.

The others, being on the other side of the wall, could only see a wave of debris fly into the air. They couldn't see if the attack had hit Kai or not. When everything settled down, Audra called out to her boyfriend. "Kai! Are you all right?" When she heard no answer she began to fear for the worst.

Jidanbou smiled as he waited for the cloud of dust to settle, his axe planted firmly into the ground. His pleased expression turned almost instantaneously to something closer to horror when the dust settled completely. "What!?" Kai was in one piece, holding back his enemy's attack with his own sword, holding it with just one hand. "Just what are you?"

The only indication the others had that Kai was all right was when he asked, "Isn't it bad manners to attack before your opponent is ready?"

(Since it's Kai is in the middle of a one-on-one battle there's nothing I can do at the moment, but when it's over I'll start trying to make the story feel a little more freer. Is that all right with you guys?)