A/N: Chapter 5 of Fallen Angel. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters except my own. Shakugan no Shana belongs to the rightful owner.

Special thanks to the reviewers, I truly appreciate it.

Bold Words: Alastor talking.

Chapter 5: The search for the dead

School…...

"I have had this feeling for quite some time now." Yuji spoke to me as we rode our bikes to school. "It feels like there is this moment where everything stops and then before you could blink, everything flows back to normal. Weird huh?"

"Oh? I never noticed." I smiled on the outside while panicking on the inside. Crap! What else does he know? Does he know about those monsters? What about the little flames?

"It does not matter really….just throwing it out there. Where's Hirai?"

"She said something about catching a fever from yesterday. I never noticed but when I knocked on her door this morning, she did not respond. I'll take notes and get tonight's homework for her."

"Well aren't you a lucky guy Axel. You know how to charm the ladies." He nudged my arm playfully.

"That is not a relevant point to say at the moment but okay." I shrugged with nonchalant as we entered the school yard, chaining our bikes to the fence. "It is not like I have a crush on her but, I would not feel right since she lives with me. It is my responsibility." We walked down the hallways and entered the classroom full of chattering classmates.

"Sounds rough bro. Tell her I wish her a safe recovery." I nodded and sat down at my desk. Shana's vacant desk stayed vacant throughout the lecture. The teachers were not particularly sad at her absents however they tried very hard to contain their happiness.

"You know, she just caught a small bug. She will be back tomorrow." I inwardly chuckled at their crestfallen faces. Right in their self-esteem and I could just picture tomorrow's drama action. The rest of the lecture continued with a lower level of enthusiasm; you could see a small rain cloud over their heads.

"That was so priceless! Did you feel the shift of mood when you reminded them that Hirai will come back?" Yuji sipped his little juice box while I opted for a bottle of cold water. "It was such a big change, everyone felt a frightening vibe behind the teacher's back. Practically all the students love Hirai because she is influential against the teachers. I always thought of her to be a shy and timid character."

"She does have her perks." I took a bite out of my sandwich. Especially the dangerous kind of perks. "She has changed a lot I guess."

"You have no idea. Back then, she would sit in the back and jot down notes. She does not like to speak a lot but she was really smart."

"That's nice. I am glad she is expressing herself now." I checked my watch. "Say, class does not start for another 45 minutes. I think I will go and check up on Hirai for a bit, better bring my bag."

"Sure, just be back on time." Yuji walked me to the front of the school. Removing my bike from the fence, I waved goodbye and took off down the path.

Home…...

"Damn, what a day. How did I manage to get myself in this mess?" Shana sniffled as she shifted underneath the blankets for a more comfortable position. "My head hurts like a bitch."

I told you not to stay up that late. Alastor scolded lightly from the desk. You technically whined to no end and finally you fell asleep after midnight.

"That is because I was thinking about a lot of things." She turned to give the necklace a blurry eye. "I gave the boy my homework for today so I know I will be okay."

That is true. I hope you feel better. The sound of a door opening up reached Shana's ears and she sat up in wonderment.

"The front door opened. That means only one thing….." She quickly dove under the covers, her eyes glued intently on the door. Footsteps trumped up the stairs and a tentative knock sounded. No reply.

"Shana? Are you okay in there?" My voice floated through the cracks as I opened the door carefully. Nothing out of the ordinary and I saw a humongous lump in the center of the bed; one set of gleaming eyes peeked out through a hole.

"Why are you here? Don't you have class to attend to? Did you turn in my homework?" Her muffled voice bombarded me with questions.

"Class does not start until another..." I checked my watch. "15 minutes."

"I see." Her head poked out from her blanket fort. "I still have a headache so I won't show up to school."

"I understand. I turned in your homework for you and I brought you the morning's notes." Opening up my bag, I placed the stack of papers on her desk. "I'll take the afternoon notes and get your homework as well. See you around." Checking my watch once more, I waved goodbye and returned to school.

After school…...

I waved goodbye to Yuji and returned home. The moment I set foot within the door, a sinister feeling washed over me. Setting my school bag down and removing my shoes, I rushed upstairs where the feeling felt stronger. It came from Shana's room.

I hope she isn't doing anything dangerous in there. "SHANA!" I kicked open the door to see her standing near the window, her eyes darting back and forth as if she was watching something.

"What do you think that feeling indicates Axel?" She asked me after a few minutes.

"I think something is happening within the city limits." I rubbed my ring, feeling the heat radiating from it. "It might have to do with the presence of a Haze."

"You aren't far off." Donning her black cloak, she whisked out the door with an elegant stride. "Come, we are going to investigate."

"Now?" I looked at the clock. "I should be preparing for dinner and then we have to complete homework for tomorrow."

"Axel…which is more important?" She looked at me and held up two fingers. "The fate of the world or the fate of your homework?"

"Uhhh….both?" I rubbed the back of my head sheepishly. "Kidding! Kidding!" I yelped as she glared dangerously; her burning eyes made sure to burn a huge ass hole through my head. "Just let me put on my shoes and lock the door."

"Atta boy, now we are talking. I'll treat you to breakfast tomorrow." She nodded her head with approval.

"It better not be that damn melon bread you eat everyday for lunch. Hopefully breakfast will be the common muffin and sausages or maybe some cinnamon buns and eggs." Feeling offended, she smacked me upside the head and hurried down the street; obviously trying to leave me behind.

Within the City…...

"Damn this town is boring as shit; far worst than the last town we stopped at. I don't feel nostalgic at all." Margery Daw sniffled with disdain as she hovered above the skylines.

"How about we blow some stuff up and tidy up the place my lovely bird, Margery Daw." Marco chuckled. "Of course, it can't be as bad as your—Ouch!"

"Shut up stupid Marco!" Margery punched the book in frustration. Adjusting her glasses, she flew around idly and landed softly on the balcony of a building. She stared out with a dazed look before something tugged at her senses. "Wait! I feel something on my radar."

"Must be another man looking for some fun!"Marco spoke before getting punched again. "Hey, he better be a pretty handsome guy because if he is not, you won't be able to live with yourself ever again."

"What are you talking about?" She glared at her partner with very cold eyes. "Honestly, I don't understand what is flowing through that dense cover of yours."

"Let's just say, it's a man's intuition."

"Man's intuition my ass! Keep spewing crap like that and I'll send you to the dumpster."

"Please don't do that, my lovely goblet of fire Margery Daw; I just had my spine polished!"

"Then keep your trap shut." Margery looked over the railing and concentrated hard. It wasn't like a sinister presence but it did reek of abnormality. "This shivering feeling does not feel right Marco. It's not what we came here for though, should we pursue it anyways?"

"I believe we should avoid it if it's making you uncomfortable my dear sweet Margery." Marco purred lightly, " Our priority as of now is to find that Corpse Collector and get rid of him. Once he is out of the way, we will hunt for our next target."