(Authors Note: A few of you may have noticed that I've had some issues with chapter numbering... my fanfiction newb side is showing! But it's all fixed, and this is CHAPTER FOUR! *applause* This is one of the last beginning chapters, about two more until the plot thickens: dun dun duuhh! Anywho, thanks for your support guys! And go ahead, PM me if you see any mistakes or, hey, if you just wanna chat about the story - spoilers excluded!)

Chapter Four: Kai: A Leap Through Time

Five months, three weeks, six days, four hours, twenty-two minutes. This was how long it had been since this stupid ass exchange program had started, Also know as how long it had been since I had gotten a decent night's sleep; since I had made dinner without guarding my portion with one arm transformed into a sword. Black*Star had learned very quickly that my food was not to be touched.

The coffee table had been broken a record number of times: seven. I was amazed that I was able to repair it every time, so to prevent it from being broken again, I had moved it into my room a week ago. In our partnership, we had taken to a silent opposition while we were alone. It wasn't as if our soul resonance wasn't strong nor was it that he still disliked me as a weapon. In fact, Black*Star had taken to my Scottish blades and bow like a fish to water, adapting his fighting style within the first month. To be honest, if was more of a personality conflict than anything.

Our resonance had been uncannily quick, as Ian and Zach were still having issues resonating with their borrowed meister. It seemed that out of all the exchanged pairs, in fact, we had acclimated the fastest. In all seriousness, Black*Star and I had taken more kishin in five months than Warren and I had in almost two years, which was a fact that I couldn't ignore. Maybe it was this that irritated me. Maybe I hated him because he was doing a better job at wielding me than my own meister, who was halfway across the world who-knows-where with who-knows-who: I still hadn't been able to reach him through the mirrors. Every surface that I had tried had given me the same broken-glass effect, which hadn't been pleasant in most cases. One time I'd had to get stitches on my cheek, so now I was left with a thin scar.

Back to Black*Star: perhaps hate was a strong word. Severely disliked? Annoyed with? Our relationship was an odd thing considering we were supposed to trust each other with our lives yet we could barely have a conversation without one of us killing the other. We took missions often because Black*Star didn't like school, but I on the other hand was struggling to maintain my 4.0 GPA. The teachers at the DWMAA did accept missions as a reasonable excuse to miss classes, but we were going out so often that I practically lived at school when we weren't fighting kishin. Black*Star cared more about maintain and bettering himself than he did his grades, often doing some pretty idiotic stuff in the process.

This morning, as I stared at the teacher who was explaining something or another about different types of special abilities through soul resonance, I was a little more steamed than usual. Black*Star had bought himself a pig last week (don't ask, I don't know) and this morning had decided that, to be stronger, the pig had to go through a 'horrific obstacle course'. The obstacle course consisted of the coffee table suspended by a string that would be cut by scissors if you stepped on a certain floorboard, a hallway full of tripwires that dropped a multitude of different substances on you if you tripped them, and Black*Star himself throwing random objects at you while you sprinted the last few meters to the safety of the front door. Though the pig did not go through the obstacle course, I had the pleasure of having a coffee table fall. On. My. Head. Then, caramel, ketchup, and a liquid that was more than suspicious were dumped on my head as I stumbled through the hall, a feather pillow bursting on impact with my face as I walked away like a soldier who's just been through a terrible battle.

Needless to say, I'm not a very happy redhead today.

"School is so boring!" Black*Star griped, tilting his head closer to mine. "Why do we have to be here? There was a new mission up on the board and everything!"

I mustered up my fiercest glare and pegged him with it, watching as a drop of sweat appeared on his face. He attempted a smirk before looking away quickly, sinking slightly lower in his chair with a faint blush on his cheeks. A part of me admitted that I should be easier on him: it wasn't as if he was trying to make me angry right now, and really this morning had been an accident, but seriously! Who sets up an obstacle course for a pig at five in the morning? Of all the retarded things to do… he goes and picks that one. Where does the guy even come up with this shit?

"Miss Blair, do you know of any special techniques that are particular to scythes?"

Blinking, I returned my attention to the teacher. Amanda Roades – Ms. Roades to all us students – was one of the many past DWMA students that taught here. It almost seemed like once meisters graduated they had practically nothing to do with their lives, one of the many reasons I was glad I was a weapon. We were rather indispensable. Meisters might just end up teachers, though if they were lucky Lord Death employed them to wield on of his death scythes.

This time, however, I was excited to answer her question. Special techniques were a favorite topic of mine and the little information that was documented, I knew. Names, dates, families, famous techniques... I studied them to a cult-like degree. Ms. Roades smiled at me expectantly from the front of the room, nonverbally giving me command of how deep I went into my own knowledge.

"Kami Alburn, a meister from the Japanese branch of the DWMA, created several of the most famous techniques," I began, practically jumping up and down at the chance to speak about my favorite subject. "Among those were Witch Hunter and Genie Hunter. This last spring, though, another level was added: Kishin Hunter. By Kami's daughter, Maka Alburn."

Out of the corner of my eye I saw Black*Star react with surprise, whether it was from my knowledge of the topic or how passionately I spoke of it. I paid little mind, continuing to speak. "The Nakatsukasa Clan is also quite famous for their special abilities and techniques, including the Enchanted Sword currently used by Tsubaki Nakatsukasa as well as countless others."

Ms. Roades smiled, knowing my knowledge was rather unabashedly in-depth when it came to this sort of stuff, and asked me another question to fuel the fire: "What fosters a technique?"

This one was a little more difficult. I could feel the eyes of my classmates on me as I put together my answer. Black*Star especially seemed to be waiting to see how I would response, actually interested in a classroom discussion for once.

"It often runs through families, similar to the Nakatsukasa Clan. Those are hereditary. That's when it's more important to fit the weapon to a meister who's able to handle the side effects of the technique, because many are taxing on the soul." I paused, sorting out my words for the rest of my answer. "Most commonly, special techniques such as the Witch, Genie, and Kishin Hunter are developed through strong souls. Through resonance between two strong souls; that's often when techniques are created."

"You're completely correct," Ms. Roades grinned, glancing around the room. "Now, can anyone else tell me this: are techniques specific to meister, or to weapon?"

This was simple, for me. The rest of the room silently considered the question. It was a fifty-fifty chance at being correct, so it wasn't as if they couldn't take a guess. There was a lack of motion, however, that shocked me: were people really this clueless about this kind of stuff? Wasn't it nearly every weapon's dream to have their own special technique, right next to becoming a death scythe?

Surprisingly, it was Black*Star that raised his hand. "It's weapon specific."

"Like weapon, like meister," Ms. Roades murmured with a level of amazement, also shocked by Black*Star's participation. "That's correct, often weapons have the ability to do a singular technique, but it's a matter of whether or not their soul is strong enough, whether their meister's soul is strong enough, to handle performing the technique. Many weapons have techniques in common, however, it is true that some meisters have the ability to inspire a weapon to perform a special ability, such as the case of Ms. Alburn."

Just then the bell rang, signaling the end of class. Everyone stood as quickly as they possibly could, gathering their materials so they could leave as soon as possible. Black*Star, having brought nothing to class, begrudgingly waited as I stacked my books on top of each other, sticking my notebook in the crook of my elbow. He was being uncharacteristically silent today. It was obvious something was on his mind and, as his weapon, I felt led to ask him what it was that was bugging him, but I was pulled to the side by Ms. Roades before we even reached the door.

Black*Star paused at the door, "Make it quick, 'kay? I'm hungry today and a big star like me can't afford to go hungry for too long, you know!"

I rolled my eyes, "I'll come when I'm good and ready!"

Turning back to my teacher, I heard the door shut heavily behind me, signaling Black*Star's exit. A sympathetic look was on Ms. Roades's face as she watched the interaction. "I see things are going well," she commented, a slight tone of sarcasm in her voice.

"You've met him," Sighing dryly, I glanced back at the closed door. "It's a miracle I can adapt my soul to his at all. We're practically complete opposites."

"You're probably more alike than you think," she smiled, "Alike magnets often repel each other. A fine line, love and hate and all that."

My jaw dropped, disgust marring my features. "No. Don't even suggest a thing like that! That guy is… so… no. That could never happen. That's revolting!"

Ms. Roades seemed stunned by my reaction, momentarily taken aback at my zealousness. Even I was a little shocked, a little depressed by my feelings for my meister. I knew that Black*Star and I were only partners out of force, but I had still hoped that we could have been friends. Apparently even after five months I was still holding onto that hope.

"I mean," I corrected myself, much quieter than before, "I don't have time to consider things like that. And Black*Star wouldn't be my first choice, though even I will admit that he does have some admirable qualities. But," biting my lip, screwing my eyes up in confusion, "what does this have to do with anything?"

"Oh! Yes!" She clapped her hands, grabbing up an envelope from her desk and shoving it into my hands. "This came from Lord Death. All Exchange Program Students are to attend a ball in two days' time, the instructions on how to get there are in that envelope. I've been told to tell you not to share any of what's in there with anyone except for your meister, are we clear?" She looked me squarely in the eyes, sternly frowning.

"Of course, Ms. Roades!"

I turned quickly, moving towards the door.

"And one more thing, Kai!" I stopped, turning with my hand still on the door handle, "Black*Star and you both, you'd be surprised what will happen when you take the time to understand the other person."

Leaving me to stew on that, she dismissed me with a wave of her hand.