"Hey Lucy, Kristi! How was your Summer?" I half yelled at my friends -Lucy a vampire and Kristi a cat person- as I ran across the school yard to meet them at our usual table.

"Great!" Kristi replied when I arrived at the table.

Lucy stayed silent.

"Lucy, I know you're the silent type but don't you have anything to say?" I asked the vampire.

"He 'changed'," she stated simply and in a low voice.

"As usual, you only halfway make sense," I replied rolling my eyes.

"Hey, what's goin' on?" Yumichika had snuck up behind me, and at nearly five inches taller than me barley rested his arm on my shoulder.

"Lucy's making no sense," Kristi and I answered in unison.

"And exactly what is new about that?" Yumichika countered.

"Nothin' I guess," Kristi mused.

I looked up at my friend for the first time that day.

"You got a haircut!" I exclaimed.

His waist length black satin hair - normally in a loose ponytail with two shoulder length locks framing his face- seemed to have vanished. It had been reduced to jaw length. As my gaze traveled to his eyes I noticed his slate gray irises now had a lavender tint to them. On his right eye two yellow feathers swept to the side of his face attached to his outer-most eyelashes and from the inner tip of his eye brow two red feathers extended upwards.

During the time I observed this I had sub-consciously reached out with a finger and batted at the two yellow feathers.

"Kira," Yumichika ventured, "what are you doing?"

"Oops! You know I'm easily distracted!" I said jerking my hand away from his face.

"Told you," Lucy stated, barley letting me finish my sentence.

"I get it now, you meant to say the Yumichika 'changed'," I wondered out loud.

The school bell rang and already knowing our schedules Yumichika, Kristi, and I headed for the band room. When we entered the large windowless classroom we took the seats we'd used the previous year -Yumichika at 1st trumpet chair me at 2nd trumpet chair.

At the back of the room I heard the doors from the hallways open and shut. Out of habit I turned to see who had entered. The first a tall boy with orange hair and brown eyes, then another about the same height with light blande hair partially hidden by a green and white striped hat, the third was a short boy with striking silver hair and turquoise eyes.

Mr. Bates -the band director- began calling role.

He called out every student's name but with each name I grew increasingly curious who the three strangers in my midst were.

"Ichigo Kurosaki," Mr. Bates called out the unfamiliar name.

I turned to see which of the three said 'here'

"Here," answered the orange haired boy.

"Kisuke Urahara," another new name.

"Here," this time it was the blonde one that replied.

"Toshiro Hitsugaya," one last strange name escaped Mr. Bates' mouth.

"Here," stated the silver haired boy.

"Do what you want today we'll start rehearsal tomorrow," Mr. Bates stated as he walked back into his office.

I got up and started to walk towards the three new students, but Yumichika grabbed my wrist stopping me.

"What's wrong with you? I'm just greeting the new students," I brushed off his hand and continued to walk over to the strange trio. Yumichika got up and followed me after a few reluctant seconds.

"Hello Kisuke, Toshiro, Ichigo, welcome to the school," I welcomed them with a smile.

Kisuke and Ichigo smiled and Toshiro remained still. I could sense the three weren't humans.

"You are obviously not human," I said in a low voice pointing at Toshiro, "you two fit in pretty well though," I gestured to Ichigo and Kisuke, finished my little statement.

Yumichika bit his lip.

"Good job human," Toshiro stated.

"I am not a human!" I exclaimed almost forgetting to keep my voice down.

"You three want a tour of the school?" I asked after an awkward silence.

Only Toshiro doesn't nod.

I ran across the room to Mr. Bates' office.

"Mr. Bates, Yumichika and I are gonna show the new guys around the school," I said to the band director.

He nodded.

"Thanks!" I called grabbing up the hall pass.

I motioned to my companions across the room as if to say 'We're good, come on"

As they got to where I stood I lead them through the double doors and out into the hallways.

Yumichika showed Ichigo around due to their identical schedules and I went out of my normal path of travel to show the two Seniors the ins and outs of the school.

"Hey, Kisuke," I began, "I have one question for you guys."

"And those are?" he replied, awaiting my question.

"I know you three aren't humans so what are you?"

Kisuke glanced at Toshiro before saying a word as if asking permission.

Toshiro nodded.

"We are Soul Reapers," Kisuke explained in a short sentence.