Chapter 3

His Story

November 1, 1189

"So, why do you live out of the Reaper realm?" The new apprentice asked now.

"That is a simple question, I am so used to living in this world, I actually like it. But as a child my father and I lived in the big rich houses of London. I had a maid she was called Momoko, and my fathers maid was called Eegann and then we had a butler his name was TeaGan. They were all very nice, they feared us though, my father was feared the most,but I was not as feared. I was still a child." A smile graced his lips. "My Father was actually shunned from the Reaper realm, since he was half demon. Well and he was an ass. They kicked him out of our own world, I was raised here and I grew to love it here. I grew up in a wealthy household. That is why I live out of our world." Yuuta explained.

"But why? Why do you prefer it?"

Smiling, he continued. "I prefer it because I feel superior and feared I-" William interrupted him.

"Like your name? It means 'superior'? Right?" William questioned.

Yuuta gave a great sigh, "We are never going to get anywhere with you asking me questions every two lines I speak. Now am I going to get anywhere?" The Higher Up questioned and seeming to be getting annoyed. William nodded quickly. "Now, how about I just tell you everything and then you may ask as many questions as you like. Fine?" The young apprentice nodded egarly.

"Alright, let me start again: my father was half demon and half Shinigami, he was forced to choose a side. He chose the the side of a Death God. He and my beautiful mother," Yuuta took the time to pause and point at a painting two paintings over from his father. She had the same color eyes as her son, but hers, unlike his were more defined and intense. By saying that she was indescribably beautiful she had ash blonde hair and plump pink lips and cheeks. "Aw, she was a beautiful woman, no?" He did not give him a chance to answer because he did not want to face many questions. "Well he and my mother had me, they were happy I had come to have her eyes and not his. Any how she died when I was very young, a Shinigami that had many a quarrel (I am speaking that of old language so there is no mistake) with my father, he killed my mother. Killing her he then committed subside because my father went at him with a vengeance for killing his beautiful Beloved.

"My father was not penalized because he was only taking back a life he had lost. Yes in the Reaper world it is frowned upon to kill your own kind and it is in any kinds eyes, but in this case his Superiors thought it to be a proper punishment. An eye for an eye, my father had told me. The Shinigami responsible was jealous of my father because he won the heart of the best woman Death God to ever live. As for my father and I we lived in the human world because there was still a distrust with the other Reapers and my father, his name was Ikabod, I have recently learned that it means 'the glory has gone' I find it has irony. I find that all names have irony to them." A giggle escaped his lips. "He was living in the human world with me and for the short time my mother was there to. Once my mother was gone it was me, my father, and our house keepers, I found the human world easy to manipulate, even the humans the poor souls.

"I was offered to live with some of the seniors, but I declined. I declined for me and for Ikabod. Even though I had the Reaper eyes and my mothers likeness of everything and everyone I choose to stay with Ikabod, he was my father and I trusted him, I also stayed because that is where I felt like I belonged. I am a quarter Demon and I will always stay like that. I did not want to see the distaste in a lot of the Reapers eyes as they hid the fact that none of them liked me nor my father, and since I look almost identical to my father, well besides the eyes, we were both frowned upon." Yuuta stared at his fathers painting. Laughing in his throat he continued. "As I grew older and learned the truth of why the other Reapers really despised Ikabod. He was. He was a selfish man, he stole assignments from his fellow seniors and he didn't obey many rules. My father I learned became a fraud.

"I was a Junior Reaper by then. Ikabod never showed his true colors when he was training me, but as I started to work with him I understood I had opened my eyes, but he was still my father and I loved him. I learned that he was an evil man as well. But, still he was my father."

"Is he still alive?" William asked the question that was itching in the back of his throat for a long while, he could not resist the urge to ask.

"No, he retired and then his body became frail as did his mind, he actually drown in his own madness. How? I know not. I went to visit him one day he tricked me into summoning my Death Scythe and he... well as I said he drown in his own madness-"

"What? That's all your going to give me? 'He drown in his own madness.' that is not fair Senpai! Why did he make you summon your weapon? What did you do?!" William burst out.

"Alright Will, calm yourself." Yuuta took a breath and continued with his story. " When he told me to summon my Death Scythe he told me 'Come on now Yuu' let us spar like we used to. Let us see if I still have it in me to beat you still.' I laughed thinking we would spar and I would have to go easy on him." Yuuta saw the look on Williams face, it was eager to hear every word he said. William hung on every word as if to fallow it on a daily basis like Christians do with the bible. "So, I summoned my weapon and smiled at my father he only held his hand out but his scythe did not come. He realized this or so I thought he realized it. He knew all along and had planned hat he did next. He lunged at me and forced my scythe into his own chest." Yuuta shuttered.

"What is it Senpai? Whats the matter?"

"I saw his cinematic record. It was the worst one I have ever seen. It was just so... indescribable. His record." Yuuta shook his head and shuttered again. "I had collected his soul and took it to the old head superior. He viewed the record as well and learned that I had not killed my father, but later the rumor had came to be that I have, I did not kill him. He took himself out the only way he saw fit, was by his own son and by his own reason. I never really forgave my father for that, Ikabod was a twisted man." A short chuckle.

"When did this happen Senpai?" William thought he could ask questions now.

"This only just happen about five years prior to now." Yuuta stood and stretched out his arms. "Well is that all you want to know for right now? Or what do you want?" Questioning the apprentice.

William shook his head. "I think that is alright for now. I think I need it all to sink in."

Yuuta beckoned for him to fallow. William did as he was told, Yuuta lead them into the bedroom. "Okay, now I am to get dressed for work, and I want you to do the same. Since you do not have clothes of your own you will wear some of mine, they will be big but it will do, right?" Yuuta dug into his hanging clothes and pulled a white dress shirt and black wool pants. "Here." He threw the clothes at William and sat. "Put them on and let me see."

William stripped out of his warm clothes and put on the cold stiff ones his mentor threw at him. As he put them on Yuuta had a note pad in his hands writing. When the very large clothes were on Yuuta walked to William and dropped to his knees fixing the pants rolling them. "We need to get you some clothes but that can wait..." Mumbling to himself. The shirts cuffs hung way over the hands of the apprentice and the pants did the same thin as well, it looks as if William had shrank. Yuuta rolled the cuffs of the sleeves as well, he stood and placed his hands on his hips.

"Well, we should be on our way, we'll eat at the base." He held out his hand. "Since you do not how to transport yourself yet" Grabbing Williams hand he faded into a mist appearing in the cafeteria next to an empty table. "Alright, sit. I will return shortly. I am going to break our fast, you stay here and I will come back." Yuuta turned on his heel and swiftly walked away.

As William watched him walk away he noticed that Yuuta had changed, he seemed more composed and serious. At his house he seemed to be relaxed and easy going. Now here, he was very composed and quick with everything, but at home he was so, the word he couldn't think of but he came up with, loose. Perhaps? No there was another word but that will do. William had the chance to look around. Looking around he saw the cafeteria for the first time, before he was just swept through without a look. He saw what he thought to be Seniors and Juniors. Looking around more the room was completely white with brown wooden chairs. The white made him dizzy but the wooden chair set it off. Small groups of Reapers littered the large area in small groups of two or three.

X-X-X-X-X-X-X

Yuuta returned a half an hour later with two tea cups in hand and a paper bag curled in his pinky. "So, Will did you have a nice look around while you waited?"

"No, I was bored"

Yuuta laughed. "Ah! The patience you will have to learn! You will need a lot of it when you start to climb in the ranks!"

"Why would anyone want to be an uptight person? Who would want to sit in an office all day when you can be out collecting souls?!" William shot him.

Looking down over his glasses at him. "Well I sit in my office for half of the day and the rest I am on the field cleaning up the messes." Rolls his eyes. "And you do not even know anything yet so I think you should not say anything about this position just quite yet. One day you too will have to sit in an office all day, because I know for a fact that you will rise in the ranks just as I did. One day you may run the whole damned operation, so careful with your words young Will." Yuuta gave a short laugh. "Karma, she'll bite back. You remember that alright young Will?"

"Right. I will." William told him. "Um, can I ask a question?"

"You just did but I guess you need to ask questions to learn right?" Yuuta gave a smart smirk.

"Um, why do a lot of these Reapers have really short hair and some like you have length to their hair?" William asked.

Oh, that is a very good question." With his words he leaned forward and grabbed a lock of his dark brown hair. "And that reminds me... your hair is long. You know what that means right?" Yuuta spoke slowly and with a Cheshire cat smile.

"No, what?"

"This means we need to take a trip to our little hair stylist here in the Reaper realm. All of your long hair will be cut cropped and short. The only benefit you will have is you can get any style but it has to be above your shoulders. All this beautiful hair gone."

"What?! No! You can not cut my hair!" William grabbed his hair feeling protective of it.

"No, no ,no I will not be cutting it. Before I forget, and I doubt I will, let us go now." The Senior Reaper stood grabbing William's hand. "Come now young Will. You might even like it..."