TITLE: 46-52-424
SUMMARY: Kid, Maka, Black Star and their weapons defeated the Keishin only to find themselves facing a new threat. Death is missing, Eibon now runs the Academy, and as the days go on, their teacher's curriculum's get more and more challenging. Seeming to rest on the border of right and horrific. Though the more they question the new head of their Academy, the worse their punishments become.
STORY PAIRINGS: SoulXMaka, BlackStar X Tsubaki

PLEASE NOTE: This story is rated M. According to the FF site, that means it has to be appropriate for ages 16+ WITHOUT explicit content, which includes adult language, themes, and suggestions. This story meets those requirements.

"HA! You didn't even scratch me! Your fist wasn't enough after all! You fool! There is no way a weak talentless little human like you could beat me. You didn't stand a chance!"

And suddenly his vision cracked.

"Wh… What is this? You just punched me! Your fist isn't a weapon. It's nothing special!"

"Exactly," Maka answered looking determined. "Bravery is not special. But that means. Everybody has it."

"Everybody huh? Then it's just like madness…"

The Kishin erupted into light which expanded outward from the spot where he stood. Maka had to shield her eyes it was so bright…

Above looking down from the hole in Lord Death's room, the others stood waiting...

"The barrier's gone," Stien said staring down as a large orb of light seemed to be bursting from the barrier.

"They did it!" Sid gasped.

"FOOL!" shouted Excaliber.

Maka looked down at her hand. That was… too easy…

She wasn't sure why she thought this could work. Yet it had. The Keishin was gone. The souls he had captured were floating around them sparkling. Turning she looked down at the others. They looked exhausted, but they were all smiling.

"We did it," she said smiling as well. "I can't believe we did it!"

"I can't believe he went down with one punch," Black Star frowned throwing his hands behind his head. "Man, how lame is that!"

"It was more of the mind game. Maka broke the Keishin's resolve by rising above his madness and letting him know he could no longer scare her. Fear is what Keishin's feed off of after all," Kid explained.

"But still, I couldn't possibly have made him fear me without you two having weakened him considerably first," Maka explained.

"Thus, confused, angry and fearful himself, his guard was dropped. Even a simple attack from you Black Star would have killed him at that point…" Kid pointed out looking somewhat bored.

"HEY! What is that supposed to mean! You saying I'm weak! I'll take you on right now!"

"Now now, I think everyone has done enough fighting for today."

They looked up to see Stein smiling at them.

"Professor Stein!" Maka exclaimed cheerfully. "We did it. We defeated the Keishin!"

"I saw. You kids did a wonderful job."

"How is my Father doing?" Kid asked, and the smile on Stein's face faltered slightly.

"He's not doing well Kid. I'll be honest," Stein stated flatly.

Kid's hand clenched and his gaze fell. "I'm going to go see him."

He started heading back towards the city only Stein held out his hand. "That's not a good idea kid. He's in pretty bad shape and he needs rest. But don't worry too much. It'll be rough for him for a bit, but after a few days I'm sure he'll be fine. I'll let you know when you can go and see him..."

"I'm his son. I want to see him now."

"Kid, please just trust me," Stein placed a hand on Kid's shoulder. "You can't see him right now. Just wait for a little while."

"…"

"Everyone, you did an amazing job! You deserve to rest. Let's all go back now…"

They all followed Stein back to death City. When they got to the steps of the Academy Maka heard her name.

"MAAAAAAAKKKKKKKAAAAA!" her Father came running out of the building and hugged her. "I'm so glad you're alright! I was worried about you!"

"Weren't you the one saying all along that Maka couldn't be beaten that easily?" Stein asked him smirking.

"Yeah, but… that didn't mean I still wasn't worried," he snapped. Turning back to his daughter his expression softened. "How are you feeling? Are you hurt?"

"Just kind of sore, but other than that I'm alright."

"The kids need to get some rest. You guys should head home and relax for the night." Stein took a cigarette from his jacket and lit it.

"C'mon, where is our congratulations party?" Black Star asked. "We should be celebrating! We won!"

"Let's leave any parties to after we're sure Lord Death will be alright," Stein pointed out.

"Oh that reminds me," Maka said turning to Stein. "How is Crona?"

"He's fine, I'll have him meet you at your place Maka. He's going to be so glad you're alright."

Maka smiled. Everyone was safe and sound… Lord Death was injured but expected to make a full recovery. Everything was alright now…

"You sure fought well," Blair said smiling as they all sat around a table of food back at Maka's place. "Wish I could have helped."

"Well then why didn't you?" Soul asked frowning.

"Are you kidding? What if I would have broken a nail?"

Black Star was recounting everything they had all just lived through only spinning it in such a way that he was the star.

"Black Star you realize we were all there, we know what happened," Liz said frowning.

"I wasn't there!" Blair snapped. She was wearing her skimpy purple out fit today.

Just then the door opened and Crona walked inside, his expression lit up when he spotted Maka. "You're alive!"

"Crona! You're alright!" Maka jumped over the back of her sofa to hug him.

"And so are you. I was really scared there. But I always had faith. I knew you could do it," he said smiling.

"HEY! Maka wasn't the only star of today's show. In fact, if you sit down I'll tell you what happened!"

"Patty, Liz, we're leaving," Kid said getting to his feet. "I'm not listening to this story again…"

"Kay!"

"Yeah, I think I'm going to go to bed. We'll have a lot of work to do tomorrow repairing death City and all," Maka said stretching.

"Me too…"

"Hey wait, don't you guys wanna hear it again?" Black Star asked as they began to leave.

"I do!" Blair cheered!

"I haven't even heard it once," Crona frowned. The two of them sat down to listen to Black Star's account of the heroic tale.

With that Kid left with Patty and Liz, he headed straight towards the Academy.

"I thought we were going home Kid," Liz frowned as she and her sister followed him.

"I want to see my Father before I go home," Kid explained.

"Stein said no one could go see him right now. He needs rest remember?"

Kid frowned, "I don't care. He's my Father. I deserve to see him regardless of the state he's in…"

Liz frowned. "Well, this is probably a Father son thing I'm guessing. Maybe we should go ahead and head back then."

"That's fine," Kid said stopping to look back at them. "You two go home and get some sleep. I'll be back in a little while."

"Kay Kid! See you later!"

Looking back up at the Academy he frowned. It was indeed in a sorry state, it made him nauseous to look at it so he kept his gaze down and walked on heading straight for the death room figuring he would check there first. If his Father was well enough to stand then he would surely be there...

When he entered he noticed only one person was in this room, and it was not his Father.

"Eibon!"

Eibon was standing before Death's mirror. He turned upon being addressed. "What a pleasant surprise."

A metal mask, yellow scarf, dark ornate clothing, red panels down his front. Long flat fingers sharp as blades. He was just how Kid had last seen him. Though he had a strange feeling.

"What are you doing here?" Kid snapped immediately.

"You're being rather rude, child," he stated. "If you must know, your Father was just speaking with me."

"I was told my Father was too ill to even be seen."

"He… was. He is better now. Death has gone away for a while. He has left the Academy and all of its students in my hands…"

"My Father can't go anywhere, he's bound to Death City," Kid snapped.

"When the Keishin was killed the forces binding Death's soul here were broken. He is free for the first time in a very long time. He has decided to explore the world he hasn't seen in over eight hundred years."

"I'm finding it hard to accept that my Father would leave without speaking with me first."

"Relax child, come over here."

Frowning Kid stepped forward and looked at his Father's mirror. Eibon waved his long arm and the scene before him showed his Father observing the damage their last battles had done. "Your Father feels it is his mission to help restore balance to the world, to right the wrongs Asura engraved upon its surface. Now I ask you keep this part a secret, but there is evidence that the Keishin may still be alive."

"What?!" Kid snapped turning to face him.

"We don't think he was destroyed, but rather that… he split. Your father is searching for the pieces before they restore themselves to a full form," Eibon explained. "He has spent so much time looking on from afar as his friends and family fight on his behalf. Now that he is free, this is something he feels he has to do on his own... After so many years of being bound here… Can you really blame him?"

"…"

"Since your Father has left me in charge, I have temporarily commandeered this space, and this mirror. If you need to contact me or your Father, you need only write 46-52-424 on a glass surface."

"Why wouldn't my Father want help?"

"Your Father is free to fight for the first time in a long time, not to mention his students and his son nearly died fighting that Keishin to begin with, a problem that was his from the start. If you had been locked away able to only watch as those you care about fight on our behalf, would you then ask them to endanger their lives to assist you once you were freed?"

"…" Kid frowned.

"Go home and rest up. I will address the students tomorrow to let them know the situation…"

Seeing no point in staying there to argue. Kid turned walking towards the exit. He turned back. Something wasn't right.

"Yes? Did you need something else?"

"..." Kid turned away again. "No."

He left the Death room, feeling worse and more confused then when he went in. How could the Keishin still be alive… If it has indeed split. Then he should be assisting his Father in finding the pieces…

Father, he thought to himself. Why are you doing this all on your own. Something is not right…

"Hello students," Eibon called to them the following morning using the same mirror system Death had used to address them before their battle. "Death is currently taking a leave of absence from the Academy. I will serve as the head of this school in his place. To contact me, you need only write the Death Room's number backwards on a glass surface or come to the Death Room itself. I will address any concerns you have at that point."

"Lord Death is gone," Maka gasped looking up at the mirror where Eibon's mask looked back at them. She glanced over at Kid who purposely avoided her gaze.

"Lord Death and I would like to thank you for fighting in the battle to destroy the Keishin. It took all of our student's efforts to defeat this evil. But we must thank in particular those who took on the Keishin in his barrier thus dealing the final blows. Those students being Meister Maka and her Weapon Soul."

Maka felt her face grow red as the students in her class turned to look at her and Soul. Soul simply grinned.

"Meister Black Star and his Weapon Tsubaki."

"Yeah that's right!" Black Star exclaimed putting one leg up on his desk. "I could do it again too!"

"And last but not least, our very own Shinigami and his weapons Liz and Patty."

Liz and Patty waved nervously, but Kid on the other hand gave no sign of having heard himself being addressed. He was in too deep of thought.

"Once again, thank you all…"

With that the mirrors all around the school that had been addressing the students disappeared.

"Well, now that all this Keishin business is over, let us all get back to our studies," Stein said addressing his class with a smile. "We're going to start a new topic today. So we'll begin learning about magic tools..."

This is my first Soul Eater Story. I hope it turns out good. Please note, while I am in the process of reading the Manga I have not finished it. So this story is based off the anime and begins where the anime left off.