Ain's spirit rested at the bottom of the ocean for several years. Her body and jet had been long recovered by the military and sent home for a proper burial. But there on the ocean floor her spirit remained forever looking up at the rippling clouds of day and the stars at night. No matter how hard she tried she could never seem to breach the ocean's surface to see the sky clearly. It was something that always seem to make her heart sink.

Not that living on the ocean floor didn't have it's interesting moments. There were many days when she'd lay at the bottom on her back and watch the weird and abundant sea life going about their day to day business. Whale season was her favorite. The creatures seemed to have an innate ability to sense her presence there and always stopped by to say hello and sing for her. Or at least that's what she like to imagine that they were doing. It wasn't much company but it was enough to keep her from going insane.

She had just been lulled to sleep by their songs one night when somebody nudged her head with their foot roughly. Ain opened her eyes in shock and looked up at man dressed in what looked like black karate garments. There was a sword at his hip and he carried himself like he just might know how to use it.

Ain kept her eyes on the man as she sat up. She would have said something but air required for sound had long left her lungs so instead she gave an awkward wave in greeting after staring at him in puzzlement for a while.

He was obviously holding his breath and didn't look to happy about the inconvenience of it either. The man jerked his thumb upward indicating she should follow him up.

Not really having anything else important to do Ain did so. Once they got to the surface the man easily crossed the barrier of water to the air that Ain had never been able to cross. She tried once again and once again failed. She press both hands against the ocean surface and it reacted like a glass barrier to her.

The man seemed to be knocking the water out of his ears when he noticed the problem. With a great sigh of annoyance he leaned down, put his hand back through the ocean's surface and took a firm hold of one of her wrist. He then pulled with surprising strength upwards in one heave.

Ain found herself suddenly being pulled through the surface she'd so long been trapped behind. She locked her own hand around the man's wrist as he pulled her further out of the ocean and into breathable air. Ain stood there for a moment not letting go of the wrist afraid she might fall back into the depths.

"Lucky~" The man's annoyed voice rang out in Japanese accented English. He let go of her wrist and began to pick at his ear as if there was still water in it. He then turned and regarded her with a bored interest. "You are very lucky~ indeed." He said scowling at her.

"I..." Ain's voice sort of cracked from lack of use. She coughed to clear her throat. "I am?" She asked the man. She knew she was dead and she was fairly sure that wasn't lucky at all.

The clicked his tongue then shoved at one of the whale's that had come to inspect the scene with his foot. "Lucky you weren't found by a hollow first." He stated again in mild annoyance.

"Hol...low?" He could have been speaking greek for all it mattered.

The man clicked his tongue again and drew the sword. Ain watched with a confused look. "Doesn't matter now." He said turning it pommel side to her. He tapped her for head and her spirit began it's journey to the next life.

WWP Golden~~~*

I'm interested to see who can guess the characters that have made their appearances so far.