Old Memories and New Beginnings: The Stitches to My Heart
Chapter 1: Peace and Tranquility: Medusa Returns
It's been a couple of years since the defeat of the Kishin, Asura and peace and tranquility has once again graced the town of Death City and the rest of the world. However, after a long Friday of teaching at the Death Weapon Miester Academy; Franken Stein finds himself at Chupa Cabra's with a drink to help ease an all too familiar pain that seems to be tugging at his heart.
The pain was from that a beautiful, yet powerful witch named Medusa Gorgon. He wasn't sure if the pain was from that of love, or from a craving for a night of passionate lust. However, no other woman he has ever met was as beautiful and enchanting as Medusa was. Despite all the facts that showed she was evil, there were those few moments where he spent those times together with her; proved that deep down inside all the darkness and madness was a lost girl looking for hope and faith. Yet, for some unknown reason something in the back of his mind says that they go back farther than he seems to believe. Stein took a sip of his Spaten Oktoberfest beer, a smile came across his face of the memory of him and Medusa's dance at the annual party years back. He knew there was an innocent girl still left in her, the adorable blush over her cheeks when he took her hand and walked over to the dance floor.
Stein clicked the screw in his head a few times and stopped at the fifth turn. A new memory came to him, and it was the one he regretted most. The memory of when Maka defeated Medusa in Rachel's body as Medusa left and disappeared supposedly in thin air there was a look of hurt in her golden eyes. A look that tore into Stein's heart like Spirit's weapon form cutting into Asura. Her eyes said it all that day to him, "Why? Why let me go? I love you, you know." "Maybe she really did express love but could only express it the way she thought was best in her mind." Stein thought to himself they both were alone in the world, not many people out there accepting them for who they were. Stein decided it was time to pay the tab and head out before Spirit gets to his drunken self like usual in the back lounge after all closing time is in one hour.
"Thanks for the drink Risa see you again." Stein said as he paid his tab and tipped for excellent service. "Come again soon." Risa smiled back at him before sweat dropping after hearing Spirit's ramble about Maka's lack of love to him in the back. As Stein walked through the town under the snickering moonlight, he glanced up at the night sky the moonlight reflecting off his glasses. "I have a feeling one day we'll meet again, something tells me you're out there somewhere my lovely snake goddess." he mused. Little did he know that up on her broom in the night sky above was a set of golden orbs watching down on him.
Medusa, she somehow miraculously survived and was able to transfer her soul into one her snakes. Despite the damage taken from Maka's Demon-Hunt attack from years back she somehow found a way to regenerate a new body for herself. However, after the defeat of the Kishin, the madness inside her seemed to disappear after all it was her sister Arachne's doing infecting her with it. Since the breaking of the madness inside she regained some memories and feelings from her past. It was a little overwhelming to her at first finally getting all of her feelings and emotions back as she never was great at expressing how she truly felt about something. She couldn't help but blush after hearing the last part of Stein's muse out loud. "I guess there is some feelings of hope for me after all, I just hope I can fix things with the others.", she smiled and thought to herself.
Despite all the joy that came back to the lovely snake witch, she too had something that was tearing at her heart deep down inside. She hid something some Stein that wasn't part of her evil doings in the past. It was possibly the worst sin she could ever commit on a another being let alone a human soul. She only thought she was protecting both her and Stein at the time, however, it only destroyed her even more. She knew Stein since their childhood when he was all alone and hardly had any friends because he was different than the rest. She was the first girl to make him smile, make him feel accepted, and make him express emotions. She hated having to use her magic to mind wipe everything about their past together that fateful day when she surrendered and succummed to the madness infected in her. She was going to do whatever it took to make things even with the one person she loved the most. She descended down on her broom and decided to meet up with Stein. This just might be her only chance to express how she really feels about him without the burden of madness distorting her thoughts. "Well Medusa, nows your chance to make things even and get right with the man you love." she said to herself for motivation. Once she landed she noticed Stein was just about getting close to walking in his laboratory home. "Interesting little pad you have here Stein, as expected covered in stitches." she thought to herself with quiet chuckle.
As Stein was walking back towards his home, he decided it was time for a smoke before calling it a night. He pulled out a cigarette and a match and lit up, taking in a puff and relishing the rich tobacco flavor. He often would enjoy a smoke outside at night just to watch the moon in sky and stars high above. Marie was another woman that he at one point did have an interest for in the past but with her thing of rushing towards marriage and even marrying a toilet he was quite turned off afterwards. Sure it was great having her around and there was no doubt in his mind she was strong and powerful, yet he couldn't quite feel any chemistry between him and her. "And yet somehow people say I'm mad ." he laughed at himself. "Then again if push came to shove, I think I'd rather have a lovely snake witch by my side rather than a hammer that smashes toilets. If only I had the option." he thought out loud.
"Well you never looked into the option standing in front of you." a woman's voice said. Stein couldn't believe what he'd just heard, was this the beginning of the madness returning or was it torture? He turned his gaze to the direction of the voice, and there she was the woman who captivated him in so many different ways standing right there in front of him. "I didn't think such a beautiful and enchanting option such as youself existed, considering our backgrounds and history." Stein replied taking another puff of his cigarette. Stein couldn't believe his eyes here she was in her original body. Her elegant curves that were perfect in all the right places, blonde hair that looked like rays of gold flowing down her head and braided in the front, and lastly those gorgeous golden eyes that lured him since the first time they met. Even under the pale moonlight her beauty seem to surpass both that of Marie Mjolnir and even that of Blair the Cat. "Well it's here and it's a wearing a black hooded suit, with dotted snake tattoos on her arms, and blonde hair braided in the front." she replied to him. "You're serious? Sorry if I'm coming off as harsh but considering how you manipulated folks in the past; I have to question your intention." Stein replied clicking his screw.
"Understandable, but to answer your question Stein, yes very much so about being serious. I can't stop thinking about some of the times we had together when I was a nurse back at the DWMA, despite my madness inside, most of those feelings were straight from my heart and soul. I actually enjoyed the times we flirted here and there and especially that dance we had at the anniversary party. The way we almost kissed makes a woman like myself think there's more to a guy than madness wrapped in stitches." she said with a smile. Stein chuckled at the last part of her reply, "I'll take that as a compliment", he said. "There has to be more behind this though, since we had a love/hate type relationship in the past right? Not saying I'd push away the idea and thought." Stein said in response. Medusa looked down a bit at his reply "Please don't push me away, not after all this effort of coming back just to be with you." she thought to herself. "I'm not as interested in the past as what I am for what the future holds, given the current circumstances I think it's fate's way of giving us another chance for something potential." she replied. "Considering how you showed up in my mind during those phases of madness back then, I can only speculate that your realm of expertise is specialized in clairvoyance for your own personal gain." Stein replied. Medusa frowned a little at his remark but despite how much it tore her heart, Stein was right on that one. She did try to break him into insanity to get him to join her in ruling the world under Kishin's madness. However, she really did have those feelings for Stein and that was something her heart and mind couldn't deny.
Medusa walked up to Stein and wrapped her arms around his neck. Her golden eyes appearing different than the usual evil look of madness and malice that they once held. Her eyes now carried a more warm, gentle and sincere look to them, not to mention a unique glow reflecting the moonlight. "Stein I came back to be with you, I strongly believe this is life giving us a second chance at something. What are your thoughts on us possibly seeing each other more and possibly being together?" she asked as she looked into his eyes. "Part of my heart is wanting the keys to unlock and open every door to you right now Medusa." he replied. "What's the other half telling you?" she asked. "Cares deeply about you to keep them all closed." he answered. "I'm no stranger to pain, solitude, and regret Stein we both aren't." she said. "Besides, I know you feel the same about me Stein I overheard the little muse while I was taking a flight on my broom. It was an honest and sincere emotion probably the most you've given me since we've met and known each other." Medusa added. Stein was quite surprised she overheard that, not to mention watching him on her stroll into the night sky. He did miss the times he had with Medusa back then, however so many things were happening so fast and he needed some time to think things through.
"Medusa, you know I blamed you for so many things and made a lot errors in my judgment, some that deeply hurt me more than it did to you. I'm done blaming you for the pain inflicted in the past not all of it was your fault, the terrible mistake I made was letting you go when Maka used Demon-Hunt and released you from Rachel's body." Stein said to her. "Medusa, can you forgive me?" he asked. Medusa with her arms still wrapped around Stein's neck leaned in for a kiss, Stein cupping her face with one hand and the other around her waist pulled her in closer. Their lips finally met in what was kiss of both passion and forgiveness, all their pains and regrets of the past suddenly washed away. What felt like an eternity, was only a few minute and they parted looking each other in the eyes. Medusa brushed a few bangs from Steins eyes, "We're only human Stein", she smiled. "Thanks for reminding me." Stein replied.