A head of red hair jerked as blue eyes shot open. The figure sat up as drops of sweat fell off him. Spirit hugged his knees as his t-shirt soaked up the sweat as it was pressed against his chest. Why that dream now? He looked up at the window to see a black circle where the moon should have been. Barely a month passed since Kid became the new Lord Death. Spirit placed his head back onto his knees letting his mind wander. Weeks before he died Lord Death had called him into the Death Room.
"You wanted to see me?"
"Ah, yes Spirit. I'll get straight to the point. I want you to be Kid's new father."
"What?! His new father? But I've already got Maka."
"Spirit, when I die the memory block on Kid will disappear."
"His, memory block?"
"You remember the Exodus, at the same time I placed the memory block on him. I tried to erase his memories like the others but because he is a Shiagami it didn't work."
"The Exodus." he repeated uneasy.
"Promise me Spirit."
He looked up at him "I promise."
"The Exodus." he said in the dark. Will the memory erase be undone as well? Maka.
"Stein?"
Marie looked over at the empty spot in the bed. Then she looked around the room. Stein was no where in sight. Stein was actually jumping across the town on the roofs of the buildings. The Exodus. Why am I recalling it now? He stopped looking at a figure on the opposite roof.
"So you remember it too, eh Stein."
"Spirit, you will catch a cold in a that shirt."
"Hey, Stein."
"Yea?"
"You're it!"
Stein smiled as he ran across the roof jumping onto the next one as Weapon and Meister played tag across the town. For some reason Spirit kept teasing him by pausing until Stein got close then took off when he was just an arms reach away. The two played till dawn then sat on the roof to Spirit's apartment watching as the sun rose. Their soul wavelengths were starting to become in sync, just like that week.
"Stein."
"The memory erase, I know."
"What about Kid? His memories are blocked not erased."
"This could get ugly if the memories come back."
"There has to be reason, right? Why we are recalling that cursed event."
"I remember that I awoke and you were still in coma."
"Yea, I don't remember it all that well."
"What do you remember?"
"I carried you the last mile to Death City, then collapsed at the entrance."
"It must be the coma, that's why your memory is jumbled."
He paused for a moment as he lit his cigarette then continued on.
"It was such an horrific event. All those lives lost in the desert. The thing that surprised me though, is how you were able to stay in your weapon form for that long. Has your default form gone back to human yet?"
"I really don't know. When I go to sleep and wake up I'm in human form."
"Um, I might have to observe you to make sure that you don't go into weapon form when your sleeping."
"You think that's what's happening to me at night?"
"Might be, right now we should be observing the children from the event."
The sun's yellow and pink rays colored the city as it rose higher and higher into the sky. The birds started to sing, the strays started their rounds around the city for free food and the students got ready for a new day at the DWMA. Stein and Spirit when off to get ready, Spirit dropped down to the balcony as Stein went back to his house.
Kid awoke to the sound of knocking on his door.
"Kid, wake up! We're going to be late again!" Liz called.
Kid groggily looked around his room then snapped at attention jumping out of bed. He looked at the bottom of his bed at the pile of clothes on it. He grabbed the clothes sniffing them. The ones that smelled went on the floor while the others were thrown onto the bed. He then pulled off his pjs throwing them on his pillow. He stumbled to the bathroom in his room. He splashed water on his face, brushed his teeth and manged to comb down his hair. Then he noticed it. When did my lines of Sanzu disappear? His hair was now all black without a single white line in it. Oh well, maybe it's just my imagination. He rushed out of his room after grabbing his shoes and rushed down the stairs.
"Great Kid." Liz told him annoyed. "Now we're only two hours late."
"Sorry Liz, but my hair was sticking up on the one side. It took me forever to get it symmetrical."
"Yea whatever. Let's just go."
The three headed off to the DWMA but as they were walking through the town Kid kept looking behind him.
"You okay Kid? You've been looking back a lot."
"I feel like we're being followed. It's making me nervous."
"Then let's just go faster." Patty said before racing ahead.
The other two raced after her as Kid got even more nervous.
"Tsubaki, I'm going to be the biggest star here."
"Yes, no one can beat you."
Kid, Liz and Patty shot by them racing up the stairs to the top and inside where it was safe.
"What was that?!" Black Star asked looking around. "Was that people?"
"I'm not sure, they went by too fast for me to see."
"Well, anyway, I'm going to be the biggest star here, yahoo!"
They got to the top and went inside the school. They walked down the hall to the mission board and looked for a new mission. Soul and Maka came up.
"Hey, Black Star. What are you doing?" Soul asked.
"Looking for a new mission worthy of my awesomeness."
"By the way what are you looking at, there's nothing there."
"What?!"
"He's right Black Star, there are no missions at all." Maka told him.
Soon all of the students were crowded around the board wondering why it was completely empty. The four went into class Crescent Moon and sat down. While waiting for the teacher the class started talking. Soon the classroom was abuzz with the empty board.
"Why is it empty?"
"Is the school closing down?"
"What's going on?"
In the death room,
"Are you sure about this?" Azumi asked.
"If you guys are right then this could end in disaster." Sid added.
"What are we going to do?" Marie asked.
"You are going to stay here." Stein told her.
"Stein's right, you have to protect the child." Spirit added.
"What are we going to tell the students?" Naigus asked. "They would have seen the empty board by now."
"Right, those kids are smarter then they look."
"Well Stein, what are we going to do?"
Stein and Spirit entered the classroom looking gloomy. They waited until the students quieted down then spoke.
"Listen up, we won't repeat this twice." Spirit began.
"There has been a change of plans for the missions." Stein said pulling down a chalkboard.
"From now on the missions for this class will be on this board. All the other classes are doing this as well."
"Why the sudden change?" Black Star asked.
"This way you get the missions suited for your level."
"That's no fun. Your taking away all the best ones! HOW AM I GOING TO BE THE BIGGEST STAR NOW?!"
"SHUT UP YOU DAMN BRAT!" Spirit yelled.
His eyes flashed red which Stein saw and got concerned. The classroom went silent. Nobody dared to move. Black Star sat back down totally freaked out.
"It has already been decided by the committee here." Stein continued. "Now if you will open your books to page 153 we will continue where we left off."
Spirit went out of the room up to a balcony. He got on the edge and sat down with his back against the wall. His head rested against the wall as well where he looked out. Past the buildings, past the town deep into the desert. What happened back there? I lost control. Just like... His mind started to wonder as a few of his memories started to appear.
"Papa!"
Spirit turned to see Maka running to him. His wife behind her holding the hand of a young boy. He reached down and picked her up holding her. Her eyes looked at him with innocence and gentleness.
"I love you papa." she told him.
"I love you too, Maka."
Just then a scream was heard. Then more rose to join it. Soon chaos was heard. People came tearing out from around the corner rushing past them.
"Spirit!"
He looked up seeing Stein jump down to him from a building.
"Stein, whats going on?"
"Not good. A sorcerer got in. and not just any sorcerer, the one on the same level as Lord Death. Plague."
Spirit handed Maka to her mother and then raced off with Stein to the center of the chaos. There in the middle of the town was Plague. His soul was pure black, the colored energy surrounded him. In his hand the body of a half eaten witch.
"More, more!" he demonic voice yelled.
Three more teams showed up.
"Stein! We'll hold him off! You guys go help Hino and Gino."
"Spirit let's go!"
"Right!"
Stein rushed at a Kishin swinging Spirit in weapon form cutting it in half. A scream made them jump down where they saw a father holding two girls. They cut the other Kishin then Stein rose Spirit above them.
"Stein no!"
He paused mid way through the swing stopping as he tried to calm down. Turning he saw the exit out of town.
"Go though there!" he told him.
The father got up and raced to the exit stopping as another Kishin jumping in front of him. The duo cut him down as the other families met up with them.
"Go!" Stein yelled.
"Come on!" Maka's mother called as she raced out holding Maka and the young boy. Maka and Spirit saw each other as she was carried to the exit. The other families followed her mother as Stein and Spirit did there best to hold off the swam of Kishin that rushed at the families. Hino and his weapon Gino met up with them.
"You guys go we'll take care of them!"
"Death City is just 50 miles from here! Go straight and don't stop until you get there!" Gino yelled.
Stein nodded and jumped out of the exit to the lost crowd outside. They got to the front where they saw they their wives and children.
"Follow me!" he called.
"Spirit? Spirit!"
"Uh?" he turn to see Stein standing beside him.
"Stein, I remember his name. The sorcerer. Plague."