Welcome to Gaia! ::

She looked into Rhia's eyes as pressed the blade on its flat end against the underside of her hand. She used her thumb to lock the blade in her, letting the handle rest under her arm. Without a moment's hesitation, letting the unknown mass trail her fingers, she cut a laceration just deep enough for it to know what she was doing. She had a feeling that this, "thing" would begin to press harder as it beckoned to her.

Jan rushed into the door from Karakura town and grabbed a pen and notebook from his cape. He quickly scribbled out a note and placed it in the middle of the dining room table. As soon as he was satisfied with his note, he grabbed a sports bag and what looked like a beach umbrella from a corner of the living room floor and used his Sonido to rush off into the night.

The note on the table read as follows:

Hey, everyone! I've accepted Xeion Kuchiki's invitation to some sort of beach party. I'm already gone, but I left a trail with some Reiatsu so you can find me later.

I hope to see you all soon!

Koumei Jan

"Don't provoke it..." Rhia whispered faintly into Fiey's neck. As if it had followed the exchange, the blue-black shape sank back, disappearing beneath the bloodied tissue.

It didn't stay hidden for more than a few seconds. Rhia groaned in agony as her entire right side rippled and blossomed in heavy purple bruises. She gasped sharply and coughed, spraying Feiy's neck and shoulder with a fine mist of blood.

The crawling thing was back in her shoulder, pushing more violently against the thin layer of skin that separated it from its goal. It gave off a strange air of smugness, as though it might be chuckling darkly at Feiy's threats.

The thing slithered wetly in Feiy's grasp. As her fingers sank into Rhia's skin, the blue-black shape bit at them, lacerating her fingertips with what felt like thin, ribbed spines.

Unseen, the crawling thing sent dark veins traveling up Rhia's neck, tracing ominously across her face. The thing was taunting Feiy, showing that had claimed Rhia for its own. Mine, it seemed to insist. Bruises surfaced quickly, wending darkly up her neck and across her jawline. Rhia pressed her face against Feiy's neck, hiding the spreading bruises and blue-black veins--she could feel the vaizard losing control.

Something was trying to leech Feiy's reiatsu, using her fingers as a medium. It seemed to be trying to establish a link just as Rhia had done when Feiy ingested the hell butterfly.

"Wait..Feiy," Rhia could feel the reiatsu rising. Too late, she felt the thing in her shoulder sucking greedily at the Feiy's power, drawing it into itself. With each pull, it grew bigger, straining against the last shreds of skin that kept it confined.

As Feiy's questing fingers sliced through the last layer of skin, Rhia arched her back, and her shoulder blade exploded in a dark spray of blood. The blue-black thing drew on Feiy's reiatsu, warping it into its growing shape. The form was dark and angular as it slid out, slick with Rhia's blood.

With a last shot of Feiy's reiatsu, the shape snapped open, throwing Rhia out of Feiy's grip. She landed heavily on her left side, the deep purple bruises running across her right arm, leg, torso, and neck clearly visible.

And she didn't have a single wing, but two. Beside her black and gold raptor's wing, a delicately-ribbed demon's wing arced from her right shoulder blade. It was black with a tracery of deep blue veins that swirled so intricately they might have been henna tattooed on the translucent membrane. The wing's edges were sharp, graceful spikes. The overall effect was lethally beautiful, if a little gory with Rhia's blood.

Rhia stared at the thing with a mixture of panic and fear. There might have been anger, too. She looked back at Feiy with the same expression, though it strained her bruised side to move. Dark veins still traced the right side of her face, making her look somehow arcane.

Warm blood trickled from Rhia's re-opened scar as she slid slowly back. Her dark eyes watched Feiy's with a sort of defiant fear reminiscent of a grounded hawk. Her new wing curled territorially around her, and the dark veins in her face coiled into intricate designs that mirrored those on the smooth, black membrane.

"Wait...just..." Rhia half-extended her right arm, bruised and mottled purple. Her own reiatsu was still painfully low--just a thin layer over her soul's spark--but she was also half-consumed by the demon wing's energy that had melded with Feiy's. Again, she felt linked to the vaizard, the link was strangely empathic, and she unconscioiusly channeled Feiy's loathing for her new appendage.

The wing itself exerted a strong territorial pull--it seemed to want to protect her. It's...mistress? The demon's wing was both its own entity and part of her--the relationship was confusing.

Rhia knew in her current state she wouldn't have a hope of fending Feiy off. It surprised her to realize how she abhorred losing the demon wing. Yes...Strange whispers in the back of her mind--like it was speaking to her. Yes...We can fly again...Take back that freedom she stole from us... The tracery of veins in her face extended, spilling into her right eye and coiling around her deep brown iris.

Preoccupied by the enticing thought of flight, Rhia barely noticed Feiy's movement.

"It was mine to give," She responded to the whispers, not realizing she spoke aloud. "She stole nothing,"

You gave up your wings for her?

"Yes," Her reply was emphatic. "I trust her,"

Your trust is misplaced. See how she seeks to kill you, now?

"She's trying to save me,"

The whispers chuckled. Tell her that her precious little angel will die if she destroys me.

Rhia's eyes vaguely registered surprise.

Yes, little angel. Does the thought frighten you? You foolishly ceded your trusted vaizard all your power. It gave me the chance to take you for my own.

"I'm no one's possession," She snapped.

More laughter. You were lost the moment your power drained away. You think the pretty blue-black veins are just for show? I took your heart while your slept. Your irritating spirits managed to keep me away from your brain and lungs, but it was a close thing. Would you like me to tell you how your organs are divided?

Rhia shuddered, left hand moving unconsciously to her heart. For the first time, she noticed delicate gold veins tracing along her left arm and side--this had to be her zanpaku-to spirits fighting back.

The whispers seemed to take particular amusement in Feiy's declaration. You are ours --I'm born of her power, after all. Warped with your own darker power, perhaps, but still hers. In fact, you have never belonged to her more than you do now. Why don't you tell her she has your heart?

"Stop...Feiy, don't--" Rhia was cut off by the whispers, Got your soundbox... They spoke through her mouth, addressing Feiy. "You know, I rather like her body--I don't think I'll be giving her to you. But, know that she is well and truly ours, now,"