NOTE: This chapter is actually written by the author TheDogzLife. It was originally going to be a collab between us, where she would write the odd numbered chapters, and I would write the odd ones, but due to wanting to work on her Okami fanfictions (which you should totally check out btw) it's been handed over to me. Subsequently, she owns the character Kage, and the design of Haku.
"These new students will have the greatest arrival ever once they see me!"
"Black*Star, there's only three of them," Soul pointed out.
The blue-haired meister span around so quickly it would have almost been surprising he didn't fall off the wall he was standing on. "But one of them might try to be a bigger star than me!"
"Don't worry, Black*Star, you're a two-star meister now," Tsubaki smiled. She was his weapon – one of the only ones who'd been able to match soul wavelengths with his wild attitude. "I don't think new students will be any trouble for you."
"It's sooo awesome that Lord Death made us all two-star weapons and meisters after we defeated Asura!" Patty enthused, hopping excitedly around her sister, Liz.
"Well, I hope these new students get here soon, if we wait here any longer for them we'll end up being late for class," Maka sighed.
"Wait, I think I can see them," Liz spoke up, pointing to where three figures were walking along the road leading to the academy.
"Yahoo! Time for my big performance to begin!" Black*Star cheered.
"I almost feel bad for these new guys," Soul muttered. He turned to the black-clothed boy who was sat on the wall a few metres away. "Hey Kid, has Lord Death told you anything about them?"
"Not much, but I know some basic information," Death the Kid, Lord Death's son, said evenly.
"So, who are they?" Maka questioned.
"Those two walking at the front there," Kid told them, everyone watching the newcomers. "Their names are Taiyo and Haku, a meister and weapon who were travelling the country by themselves. Death Scythe found them getting attacked by some kishin a few miles south of here."
"Okay," Maka shrugged, seemingly slightly irritated by the mention of her father. "What about the other one?"
"That girl on her own at the back is Kageno. She was homeless in the city before my father invited her to join the academy. "
"Hey she was like us huh sis?" Patty pointed out rather cheerfully.
"Yeah Patty, but we had each other as weapons," Liz added. "Doesn't she have a weapon?"
"She is one. But since she has no meister to control her we can assume she wasn't homeless for long."
"Here they come. Time for the great Black*Star to take centre stage!"
"Black*Star, wait a-" Tsubaki started, but her meister had already jumped from the wall to the ground which was at least three storeys below.
"Ah well, we'd better follow him," Soul shrugged, taking his hands out of his pockets and jumping after him.
"I just hope Black*Star doesn't scare them, the first day can make anyone nervous…" Tsubaki murmured as she jumped as well.
Maka and Kid followed, and Patty walked over to the wall. "C'mon, sis, let's go!"
"Ah! Jump? All the way down there?" Liz panicked.
But Patty had already vanished.
"Oh heck… here goes…" she took a deep breath and jumped, forcing herself not to scream as she fell and landing so hard that she toppled over.
"See, that was fun!" Patty cheered.
"Ugh… if you say so," Liz sighed, her voice muffled slightly by the paving slabs.
Taiyo and Haku were just arriving at the top of the stairs at the front of the academy. Black*Star immediately ran over to them.
"Hey, and welcome to the Death Weapon Meister Academy!" he shouted. "My name's Black*Star and I'm the biggest star around here! But don't worry; I won't outshine all of you too bad as long as you –"
He broke off as Maka hit him in the head with a book, and he slumped to the ground.
"Ehe… don't mind him," she smiled. She held out one hand. "Welcome to the academy, you must be Taiyo and Haku!"
"That's us," Haku shrugged, shaking her hand. His somewhat spiky black hair was tied up at the back, and he was clad in what looked like a blue tracksuit, with a grey scarf that trailed in the wind.
"Yeah, hey," Taiyo greeted nervously. She seemed slightly uncomfortable at being greeted by so many people.
"Would you like us to show you around?" Tsubaki asked kindly.
"That might be helpful, since we don't know a thing about this place," Haku smiled embarrassedly.
The school bell rung out from inside the building.
"Well you guys can show them around, I don't want to skip class," Maka called as she sped away, grabbing Soul's hand. "C'mon, Soul!"
"Huh? What?" Soul gasped as he was dragged away toward the lesson.
Black*Star jumped up. "Maka, you're such a teacher's pet!"
He was silenced as another book hit him in the face and he fell back to the ground.
The other newcomer was making their way up the steps. Kageno had scruffy black hair that looked like it hadn't been brushed, and some of it hung down over her eyes. She stared at the stone in front of her as she walked, and she wore a red T-shirt with a black cardigan over the top, and dark grey baggy trousers that had a couple of tears in them.
"Hi, welcome to the academy!" Patty chirped as the new girl walked past.
Kageno glanced up, some of the hair that covered her eyes parting so she could see who had addressed her.
"Hi," she said blandly, continuing to walk ahead.
"Charming," Kid muttered. "Your first day and you don't even try to make a good impression?"
She halted, spinning round to face him. "What's that supposed to mean?"
"I'm simply saying that you could have at least cleaned up your appearance a little. No symmetry at all."
"Oh, here we go," Liz sighed.
Kid didn't seem to notice. "Anyway, my father requested to see all three of you in the Death Room since you're new here. We'll show you the way."
"Hooray!" Patty cheered. "It's this way!" She raced away into the building.
"Hey, wait!" Black*Star jumped up once more and sped after her. "I'm supposed to show them around, I'm the biggest star around here!"
"Is it… always like this?" Haku questioned, looking slightly baffled.
Tsubaki gave a nervous smile. "I'm afraid it is…"
"Hey, hey, hello there! Welcome to the academy!"
Lord Death stood before them in the Death Room, looking slightly ridiculous with his childish skull mask and black outfit that made it look like he didn't have any arms or legs, until he seemed to sprout an arm ended with a massive white hand to wave at them.
Black*Star and Patty were stood at the side of the platform, squabbling over who should be the tour guide, whilst Kid, Liz and Tsubaki were waiting a few metres away from the newcomers.
"I'm sure you'll all have a lovely time here! Now then, I suppose the first thing to do would be to decide what classes you'll be in. Hmmmm…"
"You mean you haven't decided yet, father?" Kid questioned.
"Oh well, there's no rush, is there?" Lord Death said cheerily, his other arm appearing so he could clap his hands together. "Now then, you two are Haku and Taiyo, am I correct?"
They nodded.
"Hmm, I'll be putting you in Stein's class for now."
"Stein's class?" Liz blinked.
"Although all of you are in his class and it might be a bit challenging, I'm sure you two could handle it!"
"So long as they don't get dissected," Black*Star added.
Lord Death silenced him with a reaper-chop.
"I wish… he wouldn't… do that…" Black*Star groaned as he fell to the floor once more. Patty started laughing hysterically.
"Kid, Liz, Patty," Lord Death glanced around the room. "You can show Taiyo and Haku to their class."
"We're not showing them around the academy?" Kid raised an eyebrow.
"There'll be time for that later. Maka and Soul can help you then. Byeeee!" he waved.
As the five of them left, only Lord Death, unconscious Black*Star, Tsubaki and Kageno remained in the seemingly endless room.
"Now then… Kageno! Did you come to the academy on your own?"
"Yes."
"Hm. Well, don't you worry! I'm sure we can find you a suitable meister!"
"I don't need a meister."
"Huh?" Tsubaki gasped. "But you're a weapon, you need a meister!"
"Well, I don't."
"This is a very unusual case indeed," Lord Death said thoughtfully, tipping his head to one side. "Weapons need meisters to be able to fight properly and to resonate souls. Only death scythes can fight effectively on their own."
"I'll find my own partner then."
"Very well then," Lord Death shrugged. "Since you don't have a meister yet, I'll put you in Mifune's class. Tsubaki, Black*Star, you can show her the way."
"All right!" Black*Star sprang back to his feet again. "Never fear, Kageno, the great Black*Star is going to show you to your classroom!"
The new girl was silent as she followed them.
As they left, Sid walked into the room, watching as they passed. "Is she one of the new students, Lord Death?"
"Yes," the reaper said slowly, now out of earshot. "We'll have to keep an eye on all of them for now."
"C'mon, Mifune's class is this way!"
"Erm, Black*Star… you're going the wrong way…"
"Ah… ha ha ha! I was just testing you! Ha ha!"
"Right," Tsubaki gave a half-hearted smile. She turned to the new girl. "So, what made you join the academy?"
Kageno shrugged. "Dunno. It seemed better than the streets."
Tsubaki blinked. "Y'know, I heard Liz and Patty used to live on the streets before Kid found them. They're his weapons now. You're a weapon, aren't you?"
"Yeah."
"So why don't you want a meister?"
"I just don't. "
Tsubaki was silent for a moment. "Don't worry, not all meisters are as rowdy as Black*Star."
"I don't care what their personality is, I don't want a meister. I can fight by myself."
"Oh… okay…"
"Aha! Here we are!" Black*Star ran over to the door and flung it open, disrupting a class of students who were sat revising. "Hey Mifune, you got a new student!"
"Black*Star?" the samurai exclaimed in surprise. "Didn't anyone teach you to knock before entering a classroom?"
"I don't need to knock, I'm the great Black*Star! I can lighten up any classroom just be going into it!"
"Ah, sorry," Tsubaki apologised, grabbing Black*Star's collar and dragging him back out of the room. "He didn't mean to interrupt the lesson…"
Mifune smiled slightly. "I should have expected as much. You say there is a new student joining my class?"
"Yup, her name's Kageno," Black*Star called, shoving the new girl into the classroom.
"Welcome to the class, find yourself a seat."
Kageno just nodded and went to sit at the side of the room, staring at the sheet of paper on the table in front of her.
"You two had better go back to your own class before Stein replaces you with dissected animals," Mifune cast a final glance at Black*Star and Tsubaki as they raced away back to their lesson.
"Hi!" the person next to Kageno spoke up. "My name's Clara!"
"Hey," Kageno muttered, still staring at the paper.
Clara just blinked. "Strong silent type, huh."
"Wait!"
"Huh? What?" Haku nearly walked right into Kid as he stopped suddenly. "What's the matter?"
"The clipboard back there, I think it may have been ever so slightly tilted to one side…"
"Moving on," Liz walked on ahead.
"But if it's left like that it'll be asymmetrical! I have to go back and put it right!"
"Kid, we're already half an hour late for class."
"Ah! Only half an hour? That isn't symmetrical either!"
"Erm… is he okay…?" Taiyo said nervously.
"Oh don't worry he's just having a mental breakdown about symmetry; it happens all the time," Patty beamed.
"C'mon Kid, if we don't get to class there will be a bunch of spaces without people in them," Liz said somewhat enthusiastically. "And then both sides of the room won't be symmetrical."
"Oh, you're right! We'd better get back to class quickly!" Kid raced on ahead.
"Yay!" Patty cheered, running after him.
"You get used to it after a while," Liz said earnestly as she turned towards the two new students.
"I see," Haku blinked. "Well, I guess we best catch up to them…"
A few minutes later they walked into the classroom which was full of students. The teacher glanced over the second they walked through the door.
"Ah, you must be the new meister and weapon," Stein commented, turning the screw in his head. The sunlight reflected off his glasses, meaning it was impossible to see his eyes. "Haku and Taiyo. There are a few seats over there, feel free to go and sit down."
"Erm… thanks?" Haku forced a smile as he and Taiyo made their way over to the table.
"I'm back!" Black*Star shouted as he ran into the room.
"Black*Star, return to your seat," Stein said plainly, not reacting to the boy's manic entrance. Clearly he was used to it.
"Sorry, professor," Tsubaki apologised as she hurried in after him. Clearly, even though Black*Star was now a two-star meister, he was still just as obnoxious as before.
The bell echoed around the DWMA, marking the end of the lesson. All classes were dismissed and the students milled around the school as they had a break from learning.
"Y'know, we never did get to meet the other new girl earlier since she's not in our class," Maka pointed out as she and Soul walked down one of the corridors.
"It's not my fault you dragged us off to lessons before she even arrived," Soul said pointedly.
"Maybe we should go see her now, while Black*Star and Patty are showing Haku and Taiyo around?" Maka suggested, ignoring Soul's comment.
"Yea, sure. Whatever."
"Soul, come on. Lighten up."
"Well, from what I've heard from Kid, she didn't exactly make the best first impression."
"What about Crona? When we first met him he was starting to become a kishin."
"That's different. He changed when you became his friend. We don't even know this new kid."
"Well we're not that far from Mifune's class, we might be able to find her and say hi," Maka shrugged, walking on ahead.
As they hurried around the corner, Kageno was sat on a bench not far away from the classroom, staring at a textbook which was on her lap. She seemed oblivious to the many students rushing past her.
"Hey look, you found a fellow bookworm," Soul teased.
He managed to dodge and avoid receiving a Maka-chop.
"Hi there, I'm Maka!" she smiled, holding out a hand to the new girl. "You're Kageno, right?"
"Yea… hi…" Kage muttered, still staring blankly at the textbook. It was hard to tell if she was even reading it.
Looking slightly discouraged by Kageno's lack of sociality, Maka slowly drew her hand away. "Well… welcome to the DWMA! Has anyone shown you around yet?"
"No."
"Well, it's break; we could show you around now!"
"No thanks."
Maka wasn't really sure how to reply. "Erm… see you later then, I guess…?"
"Sure, whatever."
Neither Maka nor Soul said a word until they were at least a few corridors away.
"I did warn you," Soul shrugged, his hands still in the pockets of his hoodie as if nothing had happened.
"She is still new here," Maka pointed out. "Maybe she just doesn't like being around so many strangers."
"Maybe. Or perhaps she's just another person who'd rather have their head in a book than talk to anyone."
This time he didn't dodge quickly enough and he was hit squarely in the head with a large book.
"Ow…" he muttered, collapsing to the ground.
"I'm sure she'll lighten up when she gets used to the place," Maka said cheerfully as she waited for him to recover from his temporary head injury. "I guess it can't be easy to live by yourself and then suddenly be surrounded by people, after all."