-1Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters places or events.

AN: This is my first fanfic so cut me some slack. Please review to tell me what you think.

Also this is a personal challenge of sorts if you can think of any interesting people they should meet please give me a clue and I will see what I can do. Sorry it started out so slow it should pick up soon.

I blinked my eyes, realizing I was awake, and sat up in the darkness. I could feel the sun, at its peak, and wondered what had awoken me from my Death/Sleep. I felt a moment of panic when I saw that the bed was mussed but no one laid in it. A light sigh brought my attention to the boy curled up next to my coffin, sound asleep. I felt a smile spread across my face, try as he might, Crow could never fall asleep in a bed but that couldn't have been what woke me. Knives!

I blink and am standing in a cobblestone road, flames engulf the surrounding buildings. This dimension is one of the few that time started later than most. It's a few centuries behind our timeline, this is brought to my attention by a man running from one of the buildings dressed in 17th century garb. "Knives!"

I turn to see a small red-haired young girl, holding an oversized sword, defending against an attack from a uniformed swordsman. The moment the girl went for a killing blow I stepped in front of her blade while facing her opponent, letting the sword slice into my back as I deflect the swordsman's blow with my hand. "I thought your father kept you away from such things."

I heard an intake of breathe, "Knives?" The sword came free as my back healed.

"Whom were you expecting," I emphasize the sentence by striking the man hard enough to knock him unconscious. "What caused the flames?"

"Men attacked," the girl struck a charging officer with the dull edge of her sword. "They threatened to burn the place to the ground if father didn't show himself," she took my arm and led me through the battles, striking a stunning blow where she could. "Father wouldn't do what they wanted when he confronted them and they started burning everything," she seemed to disappear for a moment when she came to a circle of men attacking a single samurai, the men crumpled as she reappeared next to her stone faced, male, copy.

The samurai set his killer's eyes on me and they softened, "You've kept your promise, thank you," his demeanor flipped as he cocked his head and smiled before someone struck him from behind, he was gone before the sword could touch him and reappeared above the attacker to strike him with the flat of his sword. The attacker dropped to the ground, unconscious.

"Anything for you, my murderous innocent," I smile and give a respectful nod as the men started to retreat, but the fires still raged. I watched the flames dance and sway, trying to catch my attention. You see, there is more than one way for me to feed, blood of course, and energy. What is energy if not heat, life-force, and all things have that. I let my power reach out from me and, when it touched. the flames flared only to die down to embers as I take the last of their heat.

"Thank you, Knives," I looked down at the girl and saw her blink at the flames reflecting in my eyes, it would fade with the power rush. "Though I do not know you, you stopped me from doing a terrible act," she did a low bow.

I lowered my gaze to the ground, though they should fear me, Humans always seemed to thank me. I raised her chin until she met my eyes, "Your father had me promise, before you were born, that if you should call out to me, no matter what, I would answer. It is him you should thank, not I," I let go of her chin and walked passed her, toward her father. "I will keep my promise, innocent assassin, so long as she takes breathe."

"Uh...I," he had to all but force that word from his throat, "thank you Knives." I saw it in his eyes, if his child was ever hurt, the Battousai would be the least of their worries.

"No need, I'm just keeping a promise," I noticed a crowd was starting to form, tying to see my odd clothes and hair, which had started to float and dance like flames, due to my over feeding. I let the red-tinged doorway open and stepped through, back into our hotel room. I smiled, Crow was still sound asleep, curled up next to my coffin, and had to suppress a laugh when I noticed Ka was hunkered down under his chin.

I took a step, to return to my coffin, and felt the back of my shirt gap, clothes. I knew I didn't have need of any but Crow would need to change when he woke. A thought sent a note to Crow's side, where he would find it should he wake, and another sent me to stand at the edge of the crowded sidewalks in front of the hotel.

M... Miss?" I turned to see an elderly doorman, rather shaken at that, "Would you... like me to... hail a cab?" His heart rate was a bit above normal but it was no harm to his health.

Giving him the most innocent smile I could muster, "No, thank you. I think I'll walk." I send calming waves of emotions to him and heard his heart slow to normal.

He smiled at me, "Have a good day, Miss," as I walked away. 'Poor boy, I nearly gave him a heart attack appearing like that. I'll have to be more careful with the sun still out and all.'

I continue to walk, occasionally looking at the surrounding stores, nothing but suits and formal wear lined the street. My hands begin to itch, it proceeds up my arms, as I turn down another street. It's been too long since I've relaxed enough to let my blades free. Unfortunately for me they are, like my cloak, living in a sense. My blood gives them a 'will' of sorts and they've been confined too long.

"Hey, pretty lady. You lost?" A hand laid itself across my shoulder and I put on a playful, yet confident, face.

"Yeah, it's been a while since I've been around here," I gracefully brush his arm away from me, stepping out of his embrace would be a show of fear. "Do you know where I could shop for younger kids?" I held my hand at about my waist, Crow's given height.

"I've got a place you can get kids from," a second man came up and I gave him a true smile as he undid his belt.

"It seems it's my lucky day," II could feel the blades that ran down my back sliding up through my skin and the ones in my arms shifting, wanting free. "Two birds with one stone," I relaxed and felt all the blades in my arms slide down, past my elbows and across my forearms and even my wrists. When I moves to attack I felt the blades barely pierce the skin at my chest, as I made a slice at the first man.

Luckily for me both of the men I faced pulled knives from their pockets as I fought them. I wouldn't have to heal their bodies before I left, the blades gave the excuse for the cuts. "It always ends so quickly," I smirked at the look in the man's dying eyes and finally laughed. They always give that same look, Human or non, 'Why?' they seem to ask, and I always answer, "Why not? You asked for this fate," the light faded from his eyes. "Maybe you will learn in your next life."

I looked down at my ruined clothes, my body had long absorbed the spilt blood from the fight, and gave an irritated huff. Though I'm not modest, by any means, I knew a half exposed young woman would catch more attention than a fully clothed one. It seemed I would need clothes after all, at the very least a new shirt. My first thought was to just take a male form until I could get one, men are less likely to be thought of as prey, unfortunately I've had more trouble in male forms than female. I am female by birth and nature but I am able to take whatever form I wish, though it is rather unnerving having members of the same sex hounding you. I felt my choker lengthen and curl its way around my shoulders and chest, into an odd jacket. I didn't even have to think, it acted on its own. I smirked as I pulled my hair out from under it, letting it fall down my back. "It's been fun," I cocked my head toward the dead men and walked into the streets, continuing my search.

The moment I turned the corner, a young man ran straight into me. I clamped my hands down on the top and bottom of the stack of books he had been holding, they flew toward me upon impact. "I... I'm... so sorry," I smiled when I saw him push his glasses back onto his nose, no wonder he hadn't seen me, and gave him a light chuckle when he took the books from me. "I'm so sorry," his nervousness made me smile again and I pushed his glasses, which had yet again slid down his nose, back to their rightful place, "I'm late for class," he rushed by me, again nearly toppling his stack of books. "Thanks," he called over his shoulder as he tripped, somehow recovering before he could drop his books. I looked on as he dove around the corner, there must have been a school I hadn't noticed on my way.

When I looked away from the corner I spotted a clothing store, "No, thank you," I quickly got across the street to it.

"May I... help you?" I caught a rather smug look from the sales woman, she was dressed as if she was about to meet the president, at least I think that's what this dimension has.

"Yes," I could tell by her widening eyes, she could hear the echo in my voice, a side effect of one of my powers, "I need clothes for a young boy, ten or so, rather short for his age." Her eyes were staring off as she left to find what I had asked for.

Knives? I heard Crow say my name, a sleepy tone to his voice.

Go back to sleep. I will be back soon.

Ka woke me up. He's hungry. Can I call for food? I smiled, Crow had gotten so use to me communicating this way I no longer had to be inside his head to hear his reply.

Yes, call for food. It will be dark soon, I should be back before then.

Safe flight. My smile widened, Crow had always said that ever since I found him. Must have something to do with Ka raising him.

"Yours clothes miss," the sales woman held an armful of clothes out to me and I nodded in approval. She took them to the counter to bag, eyes still staring off at nothing.

"I also need a shirt for myself. Simple, dark colored: nothing outlandish."

"Yes miss," she bowed at the waist, as if she was a mere servant girl and I her master, and walked off again. I leaned back against the counter and waited for the woman to return. "Will this do?" She held out a black button down, silk by the look, shirt. I nodded and she went back to the counter. "Here you are," she held out the bag, having forgotten anything to do with money.

I took the bag and, smiling, snapped my fingers to break her trance, "Thank you," she blinked and the smug look returned. "You've been most helpful." The smug look turned to confusion as I left the store, she had just realized I hadn't had the bag when I entered.

'Too slow.' She pushed through the door just as I vanished from sight. I had transported myself into the bathroom of the room, fearing a sudden appearance would spook a worker.

"Sorry kid, unless yer mom shows up, I ain't leavin' this with you. Not for a grand a bottle," I could hear an older male voice through the wall.

"She'll be right here and she said she wanted it with dinner," I could her Crow trying to play innocent.

'Good thing I decided to play it safe.' I pulled the door open and came up behind the man before he could see where I had come from, "Is that all?" reached and grabbed the bottle of wine from his grip. 'Early eighteen hundreds, not bad.' Too bad it was a white, Crow was right about me preferring red. What can I say, it just tastes better.

"Uh, you're welcome miss," the man nodded his head and turned to leave. "I don't like that man," Crow said after he was gone.

I smiled, "Did he ruffle your feathers?"

Yes. Ka chimed in. I watched him fly through the open balcony doors, landing on Crow's shoulder. He came into our nest like it was his and then he wouldn't stop squawking at my chick!

"He wasn't squawking, he was speaking," I spoke in English because I knew Ka understood it and wished to keep Crow in the loop.

Repeating the same words is squawking! Ka flapped his wings in aggravation. I smiled and wished Crow could understand what his, father, was saying. 'Maybe I could find a way to teach him, he's a smart kid after all, it only took him a week to master the language and reading of English.'

"Come on, let's eat. Before it gets cold," I signaled to the tray of food, not too surprised when it only held enough for one person. "Call me when you're finished," I walked over to my coffin, confused when I found it missing.

"Uh, frthern," Crow said through a mouth full of food and it shimmed back to its original place. "'E 'ot feriouth." I took the last word to mean curious and laid down to take what little rest I could.

"You're really getting use to those spells," I crossed my arms behind my head.

"Ah huh," was the last thing I heard before I slipped into sleep.