I'm not even really sure why I wrote this, but here's a random one-shot with Crona from Soul Eater. I wrote this at 3 in the morning, so please excuse any OOC. Any reviews are appreciated, as long as you aren't rude about it. I obviously don't own Soul Eater.

I sat alone, in the dark of the room. Ragnarok kept hitting me, but I didn't react anymore. It was easier if I just dealt with it. The only problem was, I didn't know how to deal with it. He would hit me, and I would take the hit, but I didn't know how to deal with the way he acted. I just wanted to scream. I wanted to rip him apart and throw the pieces in different directions. I didn't want to feel that way. But I didn't want to be back here, either. I had escaped this place. I was worth more to Medusa now. I was useful. But she still kept me here.

As Ragnarok finished his ritual torture, the door swung open. Medusa stood in the light. She spoke softly, "A visitor came to see you earlier, Crona. A girl." I remained silent but looked up at her and waited for her to finish. "She wanted to ask if she could show you something. I, of course, told her no. She was quite mad. I think she might like you, Crona. I can't imagine why. You turned out useless," she spat. I swallowed and focused my faze on the ground. She turned and shut the door, leaving me in the dark once more. I crawled over to the corner and cried myself to sleep.

When I woke up, I felt warm. It was a strange feeling, but I liked it, so I stayed where I was and kept my eyes closed. I wasn't folded on top of myself anymore and was instead laying against the wall with my legs straight out in front of me. Ragnarok was nowhere to be heard, and I allowed a small smile to cross my lips. I heard a voice to my side, "Crona? Are you up?"

The voice was gentle, but it startled me. I jumped up and stared at the source of the voice. It was a girl from the DWMA. I didn't know her very well, but I had seen her around Death City. Her name was Joyce, but people called her Joy. She wore a long navy blue dress that matched her eyes and her silver hair was tied back in a simple ponytail. I shrank inward and put one hand on the opposite arm.

"Don't be scared," she reassured me. Her voice calmed me a little, but I was still nervous. "It's alright, I won't hurt you." She stood, but didn't come any closer like most people would have. "I don't know if you know me, but I'm Joyce. You can call me Joy, if you want. I'm here to help you, Crona."

"I don't know how to deal with you." The words came out as a reflex before I really had time to think about them. She chuckled and held out a hand.

"It's okay. Here, take my hand."

"I don't know how to deal with this. I can't deal with girls. I can't deal with them at all." My head dropped and I stared at my foot, which was shifted back and forth on the tile floor.

"Crona, I know how Medusa treats you, and I know how it feels. My dad never treated me the right way either, and I know it doesn't feel that great. I know how it feels to have black blood coursing through your veins." My head snapped up and I stared at her, not sure what to feel. I straightened my posture and stared at her extended hand. I wanted to take it, but I was scared. I wanted a friend, but I didn't think I would be able to deal with anything but this room. This was really the only place I had to call home.

"I don't know," I sobbed, burying my face in my hands. There, in the middle of the room in front of the only other person I knew, I cried. The tears streamed down my face and I didn't think they would ever stop. All I could do was sob and shudder uncontrollably. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and pull me into a hug. I tensed and my sobs quieted, feeling suddenly more comfortable than I had ever felt before.

I felt the same warmth as before and I realized what it truly was. It was the warmth of her soul wavelength, resonating comfort and understanding. It covered me, and I fell the rest of the way into her arms. I muttered her name without realizing it and she pulled back slowly. I didn't stop her and she stood in front of me, trying to gauge how I was feeling. She smiled and I smiled back slightly. I tested out her name again, "Joy." The word felt foreign when I said it, but I could get used to it.

I shyly held out my hand and she took it, face breaking into a wide grin. She chuckled and I smiled again. She took a step forward and I tensed again, but only out of habit. In one swift motion, she wrapped her arms around my neck and pulled me into a kiss. My eyes widened, but I didn't pull away. She pulled back and held my hands. I stood and stared with a dumbfounded expression on my face. "Come on, let's get you out of here. You can stay at my place." She started to walk to the door.

"Wait." I searched for the words I wanted to use next, but I couldn't think of any that would avoid sounding unintelligible. I started to stutter, "C-c-c-ca-can y-you do t-that ag-again?" She cocked her to the side for a minute, but she soon understood. She strode confidently over to me and took my hands in hers once more. She slowly leaned in and gently pressed her lips to mine again. This time, I leaned into the kiss. The world disappeared and my problems dissolved. I was finally free.