Disclaimer: I'm just funnin' with some Soul Eater characters. Let's all have fun together.

Note: Crona is male in this. I am unable to view him with a birthin' hole, sorry. Also, props to Jeanne-Marie LePrince de Beaumont in the parts proper.

"Human After All"

By Son Rhandi

Chapter 1: "Dragon Seeds"

________________________________________

"Basketball! Basketball! A man like me, an inspiration to all the children of the world, was born to be team captain!"

"That's all well and good, Black Star, but how's about checking the ball, yeah?"

With the sun beaming down as much as it was, and the children having such a genuinely good time, no one would ever have guessed that the Kishin had been revived only days prior. There was a time and a place for everything, including the Kishin's defeat, and the time now was for a friendly game of basketball. Of course, if they were shooting hoops, Black Star just had to be a captain…

Black Star's team consisted his ever faithful Tsubaki, while Soul's team was comprised of the Thompson sisters. Patty volunteered to play steady, but the great Black Star, in his greatness, allowed the Soul Team the extra player as a boon. Despite the escape of a languid sigh, Soul rather enjoyed his classmate's energy. Mostly.

Maka had elected not to participate, choosing to sit on the courtside bench, her nose in a book. Crona, too, not really withstanding of a game under the day's sun, opted to keep Maka company. Truth be told, though, it was really working out to be the other way around.

"Beauty spent three months very contentedly in the palace," she read aloud. "Every evening Beast paid her a visit, and talked to her, during supper, very rationally, with plain good common sense, but never with what the world calls wit; and Beauty daily discovered some valuable qualifications in the monster, and seeing him often had so accustomed her to his deformity, that, far from dreading the time of his visit, she would often look on her watch to see when it would be nine, for the Beast never missed coming at that hour."

Crona rested his hand in his palm and listened intently, allowing himself a dreamy little smile. It was easy to get lost in Maka's sure reading. "There was but one thing that gave Beauty any concern, which was," she continued. "That every night, before she went to bed, the monster always asked her, if she would be his wife. One day she said to him, "Beast, you make me very uneasy, I wish I could consent to marry you, but I am too sincere to make you believe that will ever happen; I shall always esteem you as a friend, endeavor to be satisfied with this. …Crona, do you want to read the next passage?"

He jumped a little at the sound of his name, jarred out of the lull his mind had entered. He cast his gaze downward in his usual, unsure way, then cast his sights up and uttered, "S-Sure…… 'I must,' said the Beast, 'for, alas! I know too well my own misfortune, but then I…" He paused, a little flustered. '…I love you with the tenderest affection. However, I ought to think myself happy, that you will stay here; promise me never to leave me.' The reading was flat, but at least he had the confidence to do it.

"Pffffft! What's this crap?" That familiar dark Punch literally burst onto the scene.

"Ah, the rinky-dink Ragnarok…" said Maka, more to herself than anyone else.

"Crona, what does the she-pig have you spewing? Your brain will shrink if you feed it that kind of garbage!"

"But Ragnarok…" he began, pouting a little. "This is the story of Beauty and the Beast. It's a nice story…"

"Nice!?" He snorted. "If you're going to go on like that, your balls will shrink, too!"

"R-Ragnarok! You shouldn't say that kind of stuff!" Crona turned a deep shade of red. Maka couldn't help but laugh at the poor, flustered boy.

"Like Crona said," Maka began. "It is a nice story. It's an old tale about looking for the person within, despite the way they look on the outside. I guess the same can be said of you, huh?" She patted him on the head.

Ragnarok simply huffed and sharply turned away from her touch, but squeaked an excited "Gu-pi!" when she presented him with a hard candy. The black blob quickly caught himself, but not quickly enough to escape Ms. Albarn's notice. A smarmy grin spoke volumes. "D… Don't think you've won anything! A pig that craps diamonds is still a pig!" And with a final huff, consumed the candy in a single snap. Maka just chuckled. This pint-sized Ragnarok was, in her mind, just a yappy little dog that she couldn't bring herself to hate.

"Oi, Crona! Maka!"

They looked up to find Soul shouting from across the court. "We're gonna play another set. You guys want in?"

Maka shot Ragnarok a challenging grin. "You ready to go, Ragnarok?"

"Tch! As if I'd lose to you!" He popped his meister in the back of his head. "Crona! Come on!"

"Eh? But we haven't finished the story…"

There was clearly no arguing with the two of them. Before he could protest any further, Maka took him by the hand and like it or not, they made their way onto the court.

___________________________________

They played well into the afternoon, into the evening, long enough to see their sun struggle to stay awake. With a final tally of the sets, Black Star's team saw victory with a streak of 6-4. Being the sort of man he was, he simultaneously tooted his own bullhorn of success while ending with a gracious offering of hope for the little ones on the losing team. Maka was sure to rub the defeat in Ragnarok's sparsely featured face, and Ragnarok made sure to fling his better insults. Crona was just glad that they could have as much fun as they did. For him, it had been a long time coming.

"So then, I guess this is where we part ways," said Soul, folding his hands atop his head.

"Will you and Maka join Black Star and me for dinner tomorrow night?" Tsubaki asked sweetly. "I went a little overboard with this month's shopping --there were just so many deals-- so it wouldn't be any trouble. You're welcome to come, too, Crona."

"Actually, we'll all be going out on extra-curricular assignment tomorrow, so we'll have to pass. How about a victory dinner the night of our return?" She ended with an aggressive little wink and a thumbs-up.

"Now that's the kind of talk I like to hear!" Black Star snorted positively. "After you kick some ass, come on back to our place! Tsubaki'll fix you a dinner fit for a conquering Shibusen student!"

"All right!" She laughed. "We're heading back with Crona, so you all take care! And Liz, Patty! Tell Kid to join us next time!"

"Well, it's Kid's 'Household Symmetry Maintenance Weekend,' so there was no point in trying…" She sighed. Patty just waved in her usual carefree manner and giggled.

With a few final goodbyes, the children went their separate ways. "T-Today was fun, wasn't it?" Asked Crona, timid as always.

"Yeah," Soul replied. "I never thought Maka'd ever catch on to the game, but she's been known to surprise…" He grinned toothily. Maka just took it in stride, too busy beaming about the game's outcome.

"It's… good that we can have this sort of fun when we have the time. We should take advantage of it, while we can…" Her smile faded just a little. Of course, they all knew what she was referring to. It was only a matter of time before the world would be plunged into insanity. How many more times could they play before the war that lay ahead?

They continued in silence for the duration of the trip.

___________________________

The day had already turned to night by the time they arrived at Shibusen. Content with the day, Soul and Maka escorted Crona back to his room.

"Oi, Crona," Soul began. "We'll be here bright and early to leave for tomorrow's trip, so make sure you're ready."

"Y-Yeah…" He lowered his head a bit. Even though he was Maka's partner, he still wasn't used to his matter-of-fact ways.

"We'll see you tomorrow, Crona!" Maka beamed, waving gently. "And good game today!"

"Y-Yeah..!" He couldn't help forming a little smile of his own whenever she cast hers. It was contagious. "O-Oh, Maka…"

"Hmm?"

"When… When we have time again…" he rubbed his arm, a nervous reaction. "I… Can we finish the story?"

Maka shot him a thumbs-up. "Definitely. We'll definitely finish it first chance we get." Another smile. "Bye for now, Crona. Get some rest."

"Goodbye…"

The door clicked shut, and he was alone for the night. Well, as alone as Ragnarok would leave him, which was never very much. "Cronaaaa!" Ragnarok burst forth once again, and by the way he called Crona's name, clearly agitated. "When did I say I wanted to go on a trip with she-pig?"

"This is the sort of thing we do now," began Crona, making his way to the sink. "Because we're Shibusen students." He turned the faucet on and began to wash his face. "And anyway, you always end up getting a treat or two out of the deal, so don't complain so much."

Ragnarok blinked, a little taken aback at having been spoken to so frankly. As if to assert his dominance, he gave Crona a good tug of his cheeks. "Don't get too uppity! I'll smother you with your own pillow tonight!"

"W-Wagnawok! I can't deaw with being sthmothered! Wagnawok!!"

______________________________

Once upon a time, in a far away land, there lived a very rich merchant, who had a single daughter. When she was little everybody admired her, and called her "The little Beauty," so that, as she grew up, she still went by the name of Beauty.

In a veritable stroke of bad luck, the merchant lost his entire fortune, with the exception of a small country house at a great distance from town, and told his daughter with tears in his eyes, they must go there and work for their living. Poor Beauty at first was sadly grieved at the loss of her fortune. "But," said she to herself, "crying will not solve anything. I must try to make myself happy without a fortune."

The family had lived about a year in this retirement, when the merchant received a letter with an account that a vessel, on board of which he had effects, was safely arrived. With that news, he set off, his fair Beauty wishing him a safe voyage.

The good man went on his journey, but when he came there, a dispute broke out regarding the merchandise, and after a great deal of trouble and pains to no purpose, he came back as poor as before.

He was not even thirty miles from his house when, while passing through a forest, found himself lost. It rained and snowed terribly; besides, the wind was so high, that it threw him twice off his horse, and night coming on, and with them, the howls of wolves, wondered what would become of him. It was then, looking through a long walk of trees, he saw a light at some distance. A court!

The merchant thanked God for this happy discovery, and hastened to the place, but was greatly surprised at not meeting with any one in the outer courts. His horse followed him, and seeing a large stable open, went in, and finding both hay and oats, the poor beast, who was almost famished, fell to eating very heartily; the merchant tied him up to the manger, and walking towards the house, where he saw no one, but entering into a large hall, he found a good fire, and a table plentifully set out with but one cover laid. As he was wet quite through with the rain and snow, he drew near the fire to dry himself. "I hope," said he, "the master of the house, or his servants will excuse the liberties this old man takes."

Having dried, and ate and drank his fill, the merchant, with new steel, ventured out of the great hall. At the end of its connecting corridor was a bedroom, unoccupied. Weary from his misadventure, the merchant resigned for the night.

Morning came, and the merchant arose to find a good suit of clothes in the room of his own. This sort of kindness, he thought, surely was the work of a good fairy who had taken pity on him. As he dressed, he looked through a window, but instead of snow saw the most delightful arbors, interwoven with the most beautiful flowers that were ever beheld. He then returned to the great hall, where he had eaten the night before, and found some chocolate ready made on a little table. "My thanks, Good Fairy," said he aloud, "for being so generous through the night and day; I am in your debt."

The good man drank his chocolate, and then went to look for his horse, but passing through an arbor of roses he remembered his Beauty. "Alas, if I cannot return with means to support you, at least, accept this rose," and with a 'snap', the flower was plucked. Immediately he heard a great noise, and saw such a frightful black beast coming towards him, that he nearly paled with faint.

"Are you having fun today?" said the beast to him, in a terrible voice; "So ungrateful. So ungrateful... You ate my food and drank my wine, and, in return, you steal my roses. My roses! Did you come seeking death, merchant? Oh, look at you, trying to escape… Those doors, you know they open inward, right?"

_____________________________

Crona awoke feeling unusually groggy. Everything about his sleep was unusual. He didn't normally dream so vividly, if at all. Still, morning was already here, and Maka and Soul would be arriving soon. He shrugged off his covers and threw his legs over the bed. Somehow, his body felt strangely heavy. Heavy and sore… He attributed it to the yesterday's long hoops session, and with a yawn and a stretch, rubbed the remaining sleep out of his eyes and sighed deeply.

"Good morning, Ragnarok…" He doled out another yawn. Normally, the black blob would appear with a related quip and a demand for breakfast, but he remained within and silent. Curious, he called again. "Ragnarok? Are you sleeping in today?"

No response. Shrugging, he rose from the bed, two feet on the ground. As he stepped forward, he felt something dragging behind him, and falling to the floor with a heavy 'thud'. Thud? He looked behind him, and was horrified to find a black mass laying lifeless on the floor.

"R-Ragnarok! Ragnarok!" He shook the limp thing back and forth. "Are you all right!? Are you……"

He paused.

His hands… His pale, slender hands had become thick, black claws!

Horrified, Crona jumped back, and the mass jumped back with him. He spun around, and the black mass followed. It then dawned on him, that mass he thought was Ragnarok, was it… a tail!?It was! His claws trembling, he slowly felt his body, running his hands over his neck and face. What… What happened..!? Why was his face so long? Why was his skin so leathery? Crona was sure he was going to faint. He dragged his feet --his now clawed feet-- to the sink, and was taken aback.

His face… It was Ragnarok's… sort of… His face had become elongated like a lizard's, and his skin was completely black, save the white X running between his eyes and down past the jaw line. He opened his mouth where he met a maw of pointed teeth, not unlike Soul's. His uneven mop of hair and his deep eyes managed to stay put. And… were those wings?

The boy-creature collapsed, barely holding himself at the sink basin. "Wh… What is going on? Did I turn into dragon?" He clenched his eyes shut and mussed his hair in anguish. "I… I don't know how to deal with this!"

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK! "Crona?"

"Eeeeeeeeeeee!" Maka and Soul had arrived! What could he do? There was no way they'd recognize him in this form, and what would they do if they found what was essentially a monster where their friend should be?

"Crona, are you up?" Maka called out. "Come on, we've got our extra-curricular assignment today, remember?"

"M-M-M-M-Maka..! A-A-Actually, I'm n-not f-f-feeling too well today! P-P-Please just go without me!"

Maka and Soul exchanged confused glances. "Crona," she persisted. "If you're not feeling well, we'll take you to see nurse Nygus--"

"N-N-NO!" He pleaded. "Th-Th-That's not necessary! And anyway, I might be contagious!" He threw out a few dry coughs to support his argument. "So it's just best for you to not come in and go without me, ok!?"

"Man, there just isn't enough time in the day… Crona! I'm coming in! I hope you're decent!" Rather fed up by Crona's behavior, Soul barged in just to catch the tail end of a checkered blanket enveloping Crona at the side of his bed. Curious, Maka also entered. "Oi, Crona, quit playing around." Soul squared his hands on his hips. "Cool guys don't fake sick at the last minute."

Maka strode up to the cloaked Crona and knelt down to his level. "Crona," was her soft beginning. "You don't have to be scared. Whatever it is, just tell us what's going on. Don't be afraid."

Somehow, her words always held sway over him. "Maka…" And with that, he peeled off his cover, a snaggletooth grin meeting her.

"YEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"

If there was a record for making it from one side of a Shibusen guest room to another, Maka would have broken it. She hit the wall, positively floored. "Wh-Wh-Wh-What is THIS!?" Even Soul was heard to make an audible cry at this… thing in front of them. Things quickly turned aggressive as the weapon grabbed Crona by the collar.

"Ragnarok! Did you eat Crona?!" He hoisted poor Crona over his shoulder and began to shake him up and down. "Spit him out, ass!"

"St-St-St-Stop!!" cried the boy-creature. "I-I j-j-just woke up like thi-i-i-i-s!! Hey-ey, Sou-ou-oul!"

"S-Soul, that's enough!" Maka rose to her feet. "I… think that really is Crona..!"

Soul cast a backward glance. "How can you tell?"

"…He called me 'Maka.' If this was Ragnarok, he'd have called me a she-pig…"

She did have a point. Soul cleared his throat and placed the confirmed Crona back on his bed. "Sorry, Crona. That wasn't such a cool thing, just now…"

Crona couldn't hear the apology over the rattling in his head.