Chapter 1. One day before…

Running, racing, rushing through the menacing dark alleys that seem to close in on her as her silky silver hair soars out behind her while the shimmering tears trickled down her cold, pail cheeks contradicting the fresh hot blood gushing down her forehead. They were getting closer; the seventeen year old girl skidded to a halt and darted behind a huge black dust bin and curled up in the shadow. Three men sprinted past her with guns loaded and pointing onwards; she held her breath and made her move, slowly jogging towards the glimmer of light at the end of the claustrophobic paths. She could see it, a street light, a road, people; finally a public place where she could be safe…for now at least. Just as she could reach the end the girl let out a bloodcurdling scream, she tripped onto the floor; a freezing cold bony hand had grasped around her ankle, refusing to let go. She got up to her feet and turned to see an old man, with skin that was almost grey and wrinkled and no teeth looking up at her with weary droopy eyes still holding on. He looked like he had been dug out of a grave, he turned around to see three tall strong figures stampeding towards them, the girl struggled and had no choice but to stamp down on the man's arm with her pointed heel of her jet black shoes piercing his skin and keep running. Finally light, light!

The young girl quickly turned a corner close to escape but crashed into a tall man in a black suit, fiery red hair and dark mysterious blue eyes gazing down on her. She scrambled up from the ground and turned around, whipping a gun from her pocket and pointing it towards the sound of the men getting closer and closer.

"Seriously? What kind of cute trouble are you?" The guy calmly sighed.

She took no notice, why was he still there anyway she was being chased; he might want to run! Before she knew it the red headed man quickly pushed her aside and jumped in front. The three men halted to a stop, they seemed to instantly recognise this guy. Their cruel, harsh expressions leaked away and transformed into fear as this man's arm seemed to change into a dark black blade. She was shocked, a weapon? A death scythe? Instantly to her surprise the three men who were literally on the rampage to hunt her down for trouble and then kill were running away almost crying. Her saviour turned to help her up, he sighed as he looked at the gun still in her hand.

"A young lady like you with a toy like that?" He shook his head with a small grin, but the grin disappeared as a new face full with pain emerged after she punched him in the stomach with full force.

"Just because I'm a young lady doesn't mean I'm weak, that was a mistake for judging me." She scowled down on him.

"Jesus Christ, what's your name again?"

"The name is irrelevant however yours isn't. You had no right to intrude on my fight; you'll pay for that Mr…" Her voice turned serious as she stood in a firm stance and pointed the gun straight down towards him.

"His name is Spirt, and I'm Blair! It's a pleasure to meet you Miss!"

The serious was whipped clean off her face as she felt a light but noticeable weight land on her right shoulder, a black cat stretched out over behind her neck and drooped over her shoulders like a soft scarf. Before she could freak out that there was actually a talking cat on her she was forced down to the ground as the weight increased in a split second.

"Oh jeese Blair that's a cruel trick, turning into human form when you're resting on an innocent girl." Spirt got up and stretched up his arms.

The girl looked up only to realise that there was practically an incredibly good looking but naked lady onto of her.

She let out yet another scream and shoved Blaire off, "Oh thank god you're wearing underwear!" She sighed with relief.

The two new but friendly, for once, figure looked down on her.

"Now if you could be so kind my dear, if you were in a fight with those unworthy creeps you must be pretty talented with that gun of yours, I'm guessing from your body, height and face that your roughly seventeen and at that age you could easily get off these filthy streets and join the DWMA further into town not far from here. Why don't we lead you there, we could do with some students with skills like you." Spirit smiled.

"Sorry about before, you do seem like nice people so I will consider it. My name is Ashley and yes I am in fact seventeen, but I don't think I'm going to be able to join. You see I have no parent or guardian, I've spent my entire life living homeless and so if you two were any normal people you would be disgusted and send me packing."

Blair strolled up to Ashley and put a hand on her shoulder, "Well we aren't normal people, and you see for a start I'm not a person, I'm a cat with an incredible amount of magic power and this is my best friend Spirit who is in fact a death scythe, one of Lord Death's personal weapons!"

Ashley's jaw dropped, and without saying another word Spirit and Blair grabbed a hand each and dragged her up towards a shop window where they stood looking in.

"Blaire?"

"Leave it to me, forty two forty two five sixty four, whenever you want to knock on death's door!" Blaire chanted to herself.

"DEATH'S DOOR! I DON'T WANT TO DIE YET YOU GUYS!" Ashley shrieked, with her hands clasped over her ears and eyes tightly shut.

"Ahhh greeting Spirit and Blair! Good to see you!"

Ashley opened her eyes and looked up to see a man in a spikey sort of outfit with a skull mask over his face. This guy's voice was weird, really jolly but springy.

"Lord Death we have found this young lady roaming the streets, her name is Ashley and she is seventeen years old and she is living homeless. She has just got out of a fight with three hooded men in the alleys in town; she'd make a great meister at the school."

Lord Death leaned forward into the screen and examined Ashley, "She seems pretty cool if you ask me! Of course she can join! Look after her until morning, Blair take her shopping and get her some new clothes and then introduce her to Maka and Soul in the morning, they will show her around. See ya later Ashley! Congrats on making it in to the DWMA you're going to be totally amazing!"

And with that he vanished. That's it…I'm a DWMA student now…Ashley thought to herself.