Why do I do this to myself? I guess I just daydream a little too much… This WILL be my last new story for a while… I’d like to finish a few… *sighs* Do you think I use the Jamie character too much? (Although she’s never exactly the same in these stories, she’s very similar…) Aw well… I guess we’ll have to live with it ^_~ Tell me what you think of this one………

Also, if you wish to be informed when I update one or more of my stories, e-mail me with the address you wish me to contact you at, and what stories you want update mails for…

Feel free to point out any grammar errors… (I’m going to try and get this story as perfect as possible…) If there are numerous once, (I hope not…) e-mail me so you don’t have to point them all out in the reviews… *cough* Well, here it is…

Episode One – Angel of Death

Nagoyaka Ame sighed as the alarm went off. She slammed the ‘snooze’ button, and covered her head with her pillow.

“Ame!” Her mother yelled… at least that’s what she assumed since she had the pillow over her face.

“Just a little longer…” She mumbled.

“Ame! Wake up right this instant!”

“Mmm…” She felt her covers being ripped off. The pillow soon followed.

“You can’t be late again. Now get dressed. I have a clean uniform set out for your first full week of school! You’re in high school now, you can’t slack off!” She sighed, and mumbled as she sat up.

“Grr… I really hate Mondays…” She sighed, and put on the school uniform. It had a dark purple skirt, the classic white top, and dark blue ribbons on either side.

She sighed, and quickly brushed her light, blue-gray hair. It went down to her navel, and was straight. She stared at her blue eyes in the mirror, almost falling asleep. She shook her head, and went downstairs. After a quick breakfast, and saying goodbye to her mom, she headed towards the school.

It was, unfortunately, depending on your view, really close to her house. It was about two or three blocks away. She sighed, and walked towards her first class.

“Ame!” She turned to see her friend come at her.

“Enkou!” She greeted the other girl.

“I see you made it here on time…” The dark, red headed girl quipped. She adjusted he braid, looking at her friend with maroon-colored eyes.

“Hmph.” Ame stuck out her tongue, and then sighed. “Great, look who’s coming… David…” She sighed.

David had short, simple black hair, and by Enkou’s opinion, dull, brown eyes. He was taller then either of the girls, at 6’0”. Though originally from the United States, he moved to Tokyo when he was very young.

“Hey girls. What are you up to?”

“David, go away.” Ame said.

“We don’t need to have your idiotic self around today.”

“Oh, Mr. Enkou is mad…”

“Grr!” She felt like attacking him. For some reason, David got it in his head that Enkou sounded more like a boys name. “I am very much a girl!” She restrained from kicking him as the first class’ warning bell rang.

“See ya around!” He laughed as he walked away.

“Why…” Ame restrained Enkou from going after him.

“Just be glad he’s not in our first class… Which we’d better hurry to…” They sighed in unison, and navigated through the halls to their first class. They went to the back of the room, and took their seats. The class was almost completely full, for it was required literature.

The two were in the back of the room, near the only empty seat in the corner. They both sighed again, and took out their book and other supplies. They both waited silently, until the final bell rang. The teacher walked in, and was surprisingly followed by another student.

He motioned for class to quiet down, and then led the girl to the front of the class. She had long, green hair, in a high ponytail. She also had two long bangs on either side. She had piercing violet eyes, and was about 5’6”.

“Everyone, this is a new transfer student from the United States, Jamie Luminaire. Do not be shy, for she speaks Japanese fluently. If you’d take a seat…” She bowed slightly, and took the seat next to Ame. Enkou was on the other side.

“Hi!” Ame said enthusiastically.

“…” Jamie acted like she didn’t even hear her.

“Uh…” She turned to Enkou. “She did say she speaks…”

“Yeah…”

“Uh… Hello, my name is Ame…”

“…” Jamie ignored her. Ame sighed, and turned back towards the front. She figured she’d try after class.

Class seemed to drag out for the two, but it was finally over. They walked out to get ready for the next. Jamie’s locker happened to be near Ame and Enkou’s.

They grabbed their books, and went over to her locker. “Hi…” Ame said again, unsure of what her response would be.

“What?” Jamie slammed her locker shut. “Is there something you want?”

“You don’t have to be so rude.” Enkou said.

“And I don’t need friends. Leave me be…” They saw David headed for Jamie, and stepped away.

“This should be interesting…” Ame said. “Jamie doesn’t seem like the type to be taken in by him…”

“No kidding…” Enkou agreed. David was somewhat of a ‘charmer’ around school. He was very popular, especially around the girls. Some believed it was because he was ‘foreign,’ while others said it was his sports abilities. Enkou and Ame figured it was because he pretended not to be a jerk.

Both girls thought he wasn’t too bad looking, while most girls would travel in hoards at him. His looks didn’t matter to them, because they knew what he was really like.

“So, I hear you’re from the States too… I was born in the U. S….”

“Good for you…” She said in that soft, yet somehow firm voice. She was leaning against her locker, just waiting for the next class.

“Hmm… How’d you like it if I showed you around? Then after school we could go get something to eat…”

“Ha!” She laughed in his face, an odd sound coming from her. “First off, you’re not my type… Second, I’ll hurt you if you keep this up…”

“I see, so you’re that type.”

“Idiot.” She socked him in the stomach. He doubled over. “You have much to learn about girls.” She scoffed and walked away.

Enkou and Ame wear giggling, and almost gave away that they saw the whole thing. “She just went up on my list…” Enkou joked.

“She definitely knows people…” They both giggled again, and went to their next class.

Each class seemed longer then the last, but they finally made it through the day. They started walking home together. Enkou lived a couple blocks away from Ame, so they always walked home.

“Where do you suppose that Jamie lives?” Ame asked.

“I hear she lives in that old place up on the hill…” Enkou pointed down the street. The ‘haunted manor,’ as the kids around the neighborhood referred to it, stood on a gently sloping hill at the end of the street.

Enkou’s house was closer, while Ame’s was a little further back on the same street.

“Really?” Ame asked. “No one’s lived there for years… and it’s so drafty…”

“Well, we’ll ask tomorrow. This is my stop.”

“Bye…” Ame said absentmindedly as she headed home. She was about to pass the ally, when she was suddenly shoved into it.

“Hey! Huh?” She was pushed back into a wooden fence.

“Give me all your money…” A gruff voice said. Ame was shocked. She had never beard of a robbery around here, let alone in the day.

“I uh…” She couldn’t see the man’s face; he had it covered. He was also wearing a leather jacket and black pants.

“Now!” He growled. Ame was too stunned.

“Idiot. Right here? In broad daylight? Desperate and stupid…” Another, yet familiar, voice said.

“Jamie!”

“Fine, you give me your money!” He rushed Jamie… she simply grabbed his arm, and flipped him behind her. He went flying across the street. He gasped and ran off.

“What’s this world coming to? What kind of idiot robs a girl in daylight?” She turned down the street, mumbling. Ame stood there stunned for a moment, and then ran after her.

“Wait! You just saved me! You have to at least let me say thanks…” Ame managed to catch up to her.

“Hmph. I don’t have to do anything… I only did it because I was there…”

“Still, that was brave…”

“Not really. I’ve fought worse. That guy was an armature…”

“But…” Ame was confused. For someone so cold and distant, yet that went out of her way to save her… Ame just didn’t get it. But she was determined to make her a friend.

“Where do you live?”

“I’m a ghost from the ‘haunted’ mansion.” She said in a monotone. Ame stared at her nervously.

“Uh… right… but you really live in that old place?”

“Yep.” She said in that same tone.

“You’re pretty weird, aren’t you?”

“Yep.”

“Eh…” Ame shook her head. “Well, I’ll see you at school tomorrow…”

“Whatever.” She turned and went to her home, watching Jamie continue walking, until she bumped into the door.

“Ow!” She fell backwards, and then pulled herself up. When she looked for Jamie, she was gone. “Wow, she moves fast…”

“Interesting…” Jamie thought to herself in her own room. “I sensed a strange energy from that girl… Hmph. I guess I did pick the right place… yet they have no idea…” She sighed.

“I guess I have to slowly awaken them… I really don’t look forward to that… But it is necessary. Now I just have to choose the right time…”

“Aw…” Ame sighed as the alarm went off. It was Tuesday, her second-least favorite day. She slumped out of bed, and put her uniform on. This time she met with Enkou outside of her house, and they walked to school together.

“And that’s what happened.” Ame told her of the previous day.

“Really? Why would there be a mugger around here?”

“I don’t know… it was odd…” She sighed. They both made their way to school, and went to their first class. Luckily they didn’t see David.

“I’d like to thank you again…” Ame said as she sat next to Jamie.

“I was there.” She said without looking at her. She sighed, and tried to stay awake during class.

After an uneventful day, the two slumped home. This time Enkou was going over to Ame’s house to do homework. They passed by the ally again, which seemed darker.

“I hate-“ Ame said, when they were suddenly pushed into the ally. There were large fences on both sides, so the only way you could see down the ally is to look straight down it.

“Not again!” Ame screamed. Whoever pushed them backed off.

“Now give me your souls!” A screeching voice said. Both girls screamed as they saw their attacker.

The creature, the best word to describe it, was a tall, hawk-like being. It had brown feathers covering its body, two razor sharp talons for feet, and equally sharp claws coming from its wings.

“Give me your souls!” It screeched again.

“What… is this thing?” Enkou said.

“I must be dreaming…” Ame said.

“No dream, soul now!” Ame fell to her knees.

“Soul this!” Enkou tried to roundhouse it, but it quickly moved out of the way.

“Strong souls… master will be pleased!”

“Your master is no one…” A voice said.

“Huh?” The creature looked around. Suddenly a shadow flew across the ground, and there was a slight ‘swishing’ sound. A mysterious figure appeared in the shadows. She soon stepped out.

She was around 5’10”, with strange black armor covering her entire body. She wore black leather boots that went up to her knees, and had a sleek katana on her back. She had piercing black eyes that Ame almost got lost in. She also had dark purple hair, in a short ponytail, with two short bangs on either side of her face.

She stepped forward, revealing the most surprising thing of her looks. She had two, large, feathery black wings on either side of her. She tucked them away.

“Meian!” The creature hissed.

“What’s going on here?” Ame demanded.

“Uh…” Enkou stared, frozen in her fighting stance.

“That’s right, little birdie. Time to return to Hell…” The creature roared, and dove at Meian. She sidestepped him, and tripped him.

“Time to die…” She raised her hand. “Black Lightning!” She shouted. A burst of dark purple lightning shot out, and slammed into the creature. It roared in pain, and disappeared in a puff of smoke.

“What a weak and pathetic creature.” She unfurled her wings.

“Wait…” Enkou said. “Who… are you?”

“Yeah, what’s going on?” Ame asked.

“Heh… Nothing I can tell you… Although, for who I am… I am Meian, the Angel of Death…” With that, she flew off into the sky.

“What… just happened?” Ame asked.

“I don’t know…” Enkou responded, looking into the sky. “Let’s just go home and pretend this never happened…”

“Good idea…” They both slowly left the ally, then ran to Ame’s home…