Shadow Reapers

Once the monster had fallen Kai turned to Audra and ran to her side. He placed his sword on the ground to pick her up in his arms. "Audra, can you hear me?"

"Don't worry." Kai looked to see Ichidan making his way over. His kimono used to be black, but when he gave Kai his death god powers it turned white. "Her soul wasn't eaten. She'll be alright."

Kai looked at the woman in his arms. She was out cold, she probably wouldn't wake up until morning.

"Amazing." Kai turned to see Ichidan looked at the sword at his feet. "I've never seen a Zampakuto this size before."

"Is it not supposed to be that big?" Kai asked

"A Zampakuto's size is proportionate to its wielder's spiritual energy," he said. "Yours is almost twice the size of my own."

"So I have a lot of spiritual power?" Kai asked.

"It's hard to say. Like I said before, your spiritual energy, or reiatsu as we call it, is in constant flux. Some moments it's very weak, and other times it's enormous. If you can learn to control your reiatsu, you'll become quite the formidable death god."

Once again Kai looked at the woman in his arms. "I don't care what this power means, so long as I can use it to protect the one I love. But I do have some questions."

"They'll have to wait for another day," Ichidan said. "When I poured my power into you the result was a massive emission of reiatsu. Because of that more Hollows may sense you and come after you."

"If they show up, I'll cut them all down."

"You need rest, Kai. I'll set up a barrier around this college to keep out unwanted spirits. You and the rest of your classmates will be safe for the night."

As Ichidan began to walk away Kai asked, "How will I find you?"

"Don't worry, I'll see you sometime tomorrow. We can talk then." He looked over his shoulder at Kai. He motioned toward Audra. "Right now, you should take care of her." Without another word Ichidan disappeared in a blur of speed.

Kai placed Audra back on the ground so he could merge with his physical body. Once he was back in his own skin he brought Audra back to her room. On his way he contemplated on what to tell Audra when she awoke. Should he tell her everything that happened tonight, or should he just tell her it was just a dream? The shock of tonight’s events hadn't set in yet, so Kai wasn't really sure whether or not this was a dream anyway.

Stella-

We ran all the way through the courtyard, but whatever it was, it was gone.

"What's going on here?" I groaned.

Kestrel paused. "Do you believe in ghosts?"

I paused. "Well, yes. I mean, I've never seen one, not really, but my old house, I could have sworn it was haunted, and let's not start on my school... but, so what?"

"You don't think that's what's happening do you?"

I bit my lip. "Back in the club, I thought I felt, a-a something, something benign but... weird, I don't know what it was, and then again back in the courtyard... what about you?"

"I..." she whispered. "I saw something. Something terrible."

I didn't know what to say.

"Come on, we should head back. Whatever it was, it'll still be there in the morning, and I have a lecture really early on."

She nodded and we began to head towards our own building. I couldn't help glance over my shoulder at what was -or wasn't- there.

Kestrel

I thought it best not to tell Stella but while running, I had witnessed a strange event. At first, the white figure appeared to have been destroyed and then the red had taken out the blue but after re-thinking it, it was more like, the red figure fizzled out and the white turned red but... but what could that mean? Were there different types of ghost? Different beings? Could demons exist? Or had one ghost took control of another? What could it all mean!

"Let's not tell Sally about this..." Stella suggested as we walked, side by side, along the hall towards our room. I nodded and we said our farewells quickly at her door.

I fumbled with my key, having even more trouble than before and entered the room, shaking. I hurried over to my bed and scrambled in, trying to pretend I was home and not in some foreign room. I lay in the darkness that, for once, felt amiss, felt restricting and oppressing after such beautiful, devastating lights.

And then it happened. At first, I shrank back from the dazzling, blue outline but... it looked different. It was humanoid and it spoke:

"Kestrel," a feminine voice greeted me. "It will get easier. I know these are unfamiliar surroundings and it must be so scary for you but it will get easier." She let out a sigh and the blue flash moved closer to me. I didn't dare to move. I could hardly breathe as I hugged the covers to me, suffocating myself. That voice! The figure extended a blue outlined arm. The arm moved closer. It paused. The fingers appeared to fight with the air, reaching out, slithering across my cheek just barely before the hand was retracted.

"I wonder if you feel me," the soft, familiar voice sighed. "And why you sit so still, staring as if you see me," she laughed, "but you couldn't see me when alive so I have even less chance now."

"I see you," I said simply. "And I don't feel ill and the blind can't hallucinate so you must be there." Suddenly, I dropped the covers and sprang forward to grab that blue hand in both of mine and run my fingers across it. That more than anything made her real - her hand. I touched her face - her face, every crevice, every groove a familiar line.

_________________________
This might be a little confusing but I figured that she sees different spiritual energy as different colours. She can't see human's because theirs is too weak, she sees humans who can see ghosts as a faint white, ghosts as blue and death gods as red. Hope that's okay with you Dynamo and congrats on the wins! xx

(Thanks, and that should be fine. Blue can be ghosts and Hollows, a weaker blue can be regular ghosts and a stronger blue can be the Hollows. White can be humans with strong spiritual energy, or reiatsu, and red can be death gods. It'll be interesting when Kestrel runs into Kai in the hallways and sees his energy as red instead of white.)

(I can't post until Ayumi does.)

Audra

I moaned. My body still hurt, but the pain was subsidding. There was a cool rag to my forehead, and a bed beneath me. I was safe, at last...

Images still burned in my memory, a monster and fighters. I remembered that something invisible had grabbed me, crushing me, after throwing Kai away...

I sat up. "Kai!" I gasped and groaned when everything spun. "Oh, shit..."

"Easy, Audra," Kai was by my side within a second, steadying me. "Just lay down."


**All I've got for now. I gotta go to class.**

Audra did what she was told and lay on her back. Her body ached as she moved. She looked up at Kai when he put the damp rag back on her forehead. "What happened?" she asked.

"The Hollow came back and attacked us," Kai said.

"Hollow?" The word sounded familiar, then she started to remember bits and pieces of the conversation between Kai and the death god. "Oh, yeah, the Hollow. All I remember is you being thrown in the air by something invisible and the next thing I know my body is being crushed."

Kai told her everything that happened, how Ichidan got injured while trying to protect them, how the Hollow was about to kill Audra and how Ichidan gave Kai his death god powers.

"Wait, so that person who killed the Hollow, that was you?"

Audra

I blinked as he nodded.

It had been him. He had saved us, killed the monster, become a god-like being with super powers!

I was speechless. I just continued to stare at him, first in shock, then in awe and amusement.

"Wow," I finally managed. "That must be great, being able to do that. I'm certainly impressed and thankful. You saved my life."

He smiled at me. "Of course I did. I can't let my girlfriend die!" He kissed me on the forehead as I took hold of his hand, moving gingerly.

"Now, how do you feel?" he asked, expression serious and worried.

I wanted to shrug. "Sore. But I think I'll be fine. Thanks."

"Don't worry about it. I'm glad you're not hurt worse!"

(Let's move onto the next morning.)

"Are you ready, Audra?"

"Just give me a second!"

Kai had stayed over at Audra's place like they had planned. Night had come and gone and they were getting ready for classes. Audra was getting dressed in the bathroom, she always took more time getting changed than Kai.

When she finally came out Kai asked, "What were you doing in there?"

"Hey, a girl has to work hard to be this pretty!"

Kai cocked an eyebrow. "You look exactly the same as when you went in there." Audra gave him a playful punch in the stomach. "Hey!"

"Stop whining, we'll be late for our classes!" They hurried out the building and made their way to the college.

On their way they stopped by the courtyard where they were attacked the other night. The spot where Kai had thrust Ichidan's sword into his heart was a scorched ring on the ground. The size of the ash mark was huge.

"Did you do that?" Audra asked.

"Yeah... I guess I did."

A student approached the two of them. "Hey, Kai!"

Kai turned to look at the guy. "Oh, hey. Calvin, was it?"

He nodded. "I see you've noticed the fire site."

"Fire site?" Kai asked.

"Yeah, turns out some jackass torched a truck right here in the courtyard last night. It's a wonder nobody woke up."

"Where's the truck?" Audra asked.

Calvin lifted his arms in a shrug. "Beats me. I heard the cops came the moment the fire started, arrested the guy and towed the truck away. Well, I've got to get to class, see ya!" Calvin ran off toward the tech building, leaving Kai and Audra dumbfounded.

"...Where would somebody come up with a story like that?" Kai asked.

(Just so you know, everybody on campus is going to be thinking the same thing about the energy scars on the ground that Kai had made.)

Hill-

Hill pulled on his suit jacket only to take it back off and leave it laying on the bed. He didn't really like wearing suit jackets. Adam and keagan were still both alseep and he slipped out of the house onto the semi quiet street. After a short walk he was on campus and headed towards his first lecture.Between conversations he could hear talk of a truck being burnt in the courtyard. He brushed the gossip asside and headed on to his classroom.

<Rei>

'Mr Hill, Mr Hill!' I swerved into his classroom. He was already scribbling notes for his first lecture across the board. 'Can I join your lesson today?' He turned with an expression of accusation. 'Dad said I could, as long as I caught up on my schoolwork.'

'Alright then.'

I skipped to one of the first desks and sat on the top, kicking my legs.

Should I ask him? What if he thinks I'm crazy? Dad said he liked paranormal stuff... But then isn't it kind of intrusive to just ask?

'So...' I said, though he could probably tell how fake my 'casual' voice was. 'Have you heard about the vandalism?'

'The truck?'

'Yeh. I was wondering, do you, well, what else, might cause that?'

'Flamethrower, matches, acid,' he mumbled sarcastically.

'I mean, suppose, rhetorically,' I rolled my eyes, 'that some freaky invisible monster was wondering round, and some guy like, exploded with energy, and totally cremated everything around him, rhetorically. Why would that be?'

'That's a very detailed rhetorical question.'

'I even drew it,' I strugged to pull out my sketchbook. 'Look. That bunny-shaped shadow, that's where the bad guy was. I think it was probably more fierce than a bunny.'

Stella-

"I'll see you Sal," I said, waving goodbye and struggling to put my shoes on and finish my make-up at the same time. I rounded my eyes in black liner, used my normal Benefit powder, was careful not to poke myself in the eye with my mascara and ran.

I stopped once I was outside of the building. There was scorch marks all over the ground. I frowned and cocked my head at them. How did those get there?

"You don't know anything about it do you?" Calvin asked me, coming over. He was an ex of Sally's, what boy around here wasn't?

I shook my head. "I was here late last night, I didn't hear anything..." I trailed off.

"You're sure?" he asked.

"Yeah," I said, shaking the thought out of my head. "I gotta go, I'll be late."

I jogged past towards the Science building.

I had always believed in ghosts. I had never seen one, but I lapped up the stories. I couldn't remember a time when I didn't believe in them. Damien always used to laugh at me about it, but I just rolled my eyes.

That's what I was thinking now. Ghosts? But ghosts couldn't make those marks. It was stupid. Of course it could just be a car.

But just the feeling last night.

I went into the lecture hall and sat down in my favourite spot, halfway up.

"Ally, can I just look at your assignment?" I asked, my mind on other things.

Audra

I snickered as I heard more and more ridiculous assumptions about the burned courtyard. Kai did well to conceal his own humor. If only they knew the truth.

It would be the end of my college career because they would put me in an insane assymlum.

That made me frown immediately.

I gave Kai a quick kiss on the cheek before disappearing into the classroom.


**All I've got, now...sorry...**

Kestrel

"Will you still be here when I get back?" I asked, clutching at my mother's fingers, desperate to never lose her again. She laughed lightly and nodded.

"I'll come with you if it will make you feel better," she said. "But you'd look strange holding onto thin air like that." I laughed with her and finally released her hand with a small smile.

"Thank you," I said. "I missed you." The blue curve of her head moved in a nod - a nod, I could see her nod! - and together we headed outside. Remembering the location of the art lecture room was surprisingly easy but I paused before the door.

"It's just in front of you, dear," my mother said. But for the first time since her return, she didn't have my full attention. The professor did. He was facing the rest of the class, his hands moving theatrically as if he were explaining something and the reason I knew this? He was outlined in a faint white.

But surely he was human? As if sensing my pressense, he turned with a scowl and the hesitated, staring at something just over my left shoulder.

"Go on dear, your professor is waiting," my mother said. Finally, I nodded and entered the room, the ghost trailing behind me.

"Sorry I'm late," I mumbled.

(Just to make it so it makes sense almost everyone's in the same class, I'm going to make Mr. Hill teach English. Just about every college program has at least one English class. Is that okay with you, Rory? I don't remember you specifying what kind of classes he taught. If you did and I just forgot, I'll edit my post.)

Kai was in Mr. Hill's English class. The teacher was giving a lecture, but Kai's mind was somewhere else. He couldn't stop thinking about last night. When his spirit separated from his body he felt better than he had ever felt in years. It was like his entire body weighed the same as a feather.

And on top of that, the massive power rush. So much energy was coursing through his body he felt like a jet engine. He cut through that monster's arm as if it was paper. He just couldn't stop thinking about it.

A student came into the classroom in the middle of the teacher's lecture. Mr. Hill turned to the man and asked, "May I help you?"

"I'm a new student. The dean even gave me this note to prove it."

Mr. Hill took the note from the student and began to read it over.

Kai didn't pay much attention to the newcomer, he was too busy wandering around in his own little world. He remembered Ichidan telling him they would get a chance to talk today. Kai wondered when he would see him again.

Mr. Hill turned to the class and said, "It seems that we have a new student joining us for the year. Everybody, please say hello to Ichidan Hatsuga."