Soul was standing in the kitchen and was washing the dishes after dinner.
"Pumpkin, pumpkin… I'm bored, Soul-kun!"
"Wha…?" Soul turned his head – only to find his face stuck in between Blair's breasts.
"Nya, Soul-kun, let's do something fun!" Blair squeezed Soul tighter, forcing his face deeper into her chest.
Soul's fingers relaxed, and the plate he was holding fell down in the sink and broke into pieces.
"What are you doing there, Soul?" Maka yelled from the main room.
Blair released Soul, turned into cat form and jumped into the open window. Maka ran into the kitchen and saw Soul with a blank stare on his face. She looked in the sink and leered at him.
"What's the big idea?" she asked angrily, "I just bought these plates!"
"I-I… It… It's all Blair's fault, really…" Soul tried to argue, realizing that it was pretty much pointless since Blair was longer there.
"Oh yes, blame it on Blair. Why can't you just accept that you got careless?"
"Because I didn't. Blair has just been there, really…"
"And even if so," Maka looked aside, "I know you like those 'tricks' of hers… there's no reason to smash dishes because of it…"
"What? You've got to be kidding me, Maka! Blair is… I mean, how could I…" Soul vainly tried to make a sense of his own thoughts.
"I still remember," Maka sighed, "When we first met Blair… and you said you were going to stay with her because she looked a lot better than I was…"
"I was joking, and you know it!"
"I know, and yet…"
"Look, Maka," Soul smirked, "Blair doesn't know where to draw the line. I don't like that. And, hello, she's really a cat! If I really were into here, it wouldn't be normal, would it?"
"No, I guess not," Maka smiled, "So then, hurry up, clean the sink and let's go. Shinigami-sama is waiting for us."
"But it's Sunday! Dammit, another extracurricular…"
"Hey, Patty, your hair is all messed up! Go fix it!" Kid said, checking the Liz and Patty from top to bottom, "If you can't be symmetrical with each other, each of you can at least be symmetrical on your own, right?"
"All right," Patty exclaimed cheeringly and ran off to the mirror.
Kid approached Liz and looked closer at her face.
"What is it?" Liz leaned backwards.
"You make-up isn't straight… there is a little more on the left side…"
"Whaaat? Are you going to tell me how to…"
"I'm back!" Patty yelled, running into the room, and stopped abruptly before Kid and Liz, amost bumping into them, "And I made a pigtail!"
Liz looked at Patty and almost burst into laughter, while Kid's face turned totally even paler than usual as he clenched his fists.
"Why the hell did you have to make one?" he finally exploded, "It's totally unsymmetrical! Either make another one or undo this one and brush you hair neatly! And Liz, add some make-up to the right side of your face to balance everything out. I'm going to fold my toilet paper into triangles and check if everything is perfectly symmetrical before we leave."
"All right!" Patty giggled and ran off to the mirror again.
"Eh, we're going to be late at this rate," Liz sighed and sat back at the table with her make-up kit.
"Nine hundred ninety two, nine hundred ninety three, nine hundred ninety four…"
"Black Star, we're going to be late," Tsubaki said, watching Black Star doing push-ups.
"I can't go to Shinigami-sama until I do a thousand… nine hundred ninety five, nine hundred ninety six, nine hundred ninety seven…"
"I don't think Shinigami-sama cares about it…"
"I do! Nine hundred ninety eight, nine hundred ninety nine… one thousand! All right, we can go now!"
"Er, Black Star…"
"What?" Black Star looked at Tsubaki, ready to leave the apartment.
"You might want to put some pants on," Tsubaki said pitifully.
"Oh, that's right, ha-ha-ha!" Black Star laughed, scratching the back of his head, "Totally slipped my mind! Wait for me downstairs, I'll be right up!"
"All right…"
"Although it's an hour later than I expected, I'm still glad you all showed up," Shinigami-sama said.
Liz sighed, glancing gloomily at Kid, and Patty giggled. Her hair wasn't looking any better than before she had tried to fix it. And that was the most likely reason that Kid looked grimmer than usual.
"So, do you have an extracurricular activity for us, Shinigami-sama?" Maka asked.
"Indeed," Shinigami-sama exclaimed cheerfully as usual, "And I'm sure you will like this one. There are three witches living in the forest outside the Death City. Normally, I wouldn't worry about them, despite the fact that they are on my list – because I've made them a deal, according to which they were never to show up at Death City and limit their magic use to minor evils. At least, that's what they thought the deal was about. The real reason for me letting them live was that I knew they that they were connected to some very important names on my list… I hoped that if I kept them alive and watched them, they would eventually lead me to those whom I'm interested in. But so far it has proven pointless. And today I received some information that they are planning something big against the Death City. Therefore, I'm calling off the deal and you three will have to take care of them…"
"Why do I need Maka and Kid for that?" Black Star yelled, "I can kill them all myself! Because I'm Black Star! And I will surpass God! And… ouch! Maka, what the hell was that for?"
"If Shinigami-sama thinks that we should all go, then He must have a good reason for it, Black Star!" Maka said, blowing on her fist with which she had just punched Black Star, "And you're quite a bonehead… literally."
Patty giggled.
"It's really embarrassing," Kid said apathetically, "Father, do you doubt me, you son? I could have…"
"I wonder if I should smack him, too," Maka said to Soul in half-voice but so that everyone could hear.
"Oh would you?" Shinigami-sama and Liz said at once.
Patty giggled again.
"Kid is depressed because I couldn't get my hair to look symmetrical," she said.
Kid clenched his fists and gritted his teeth but said nothing.
"I don't envy Patty and Liz," Tsubaki thought.
"Kid is one weird guy," Black Star thought.
"Yeah, Kid, it's like YOUR hair is symmetrical. Totally. I bet if I mention in right now, you'll break in suicidal speeches again," Liz thought.
"Could this day get any stupider?" Soul thought and sighed.
"How about we get down to business? What is so dangerous about those witches, Shinigami-sama?" Maka sighed.
"Ah, I'm glad that someone asked," Shinigami-sama said, "You see, those three are know in the witch world as the 'Three Dark Huntresses' – Linny, Batty, and Hoot. They are… well, a little crazy, and will cause trouble if let run loose. Their abilities are quite… intriguing, I should say. I will let you find out on your own… But what you must know is that they hold a grudge against the Death City and I, and I didn't like the latest news about them that were delivered to me this morning. That deal had them under control for more than a hundred years, but something had apparently come up, and that something appears to matter more to them than the fact that I will take their souls if they disobey me. I don't know the details, but I know that we must act. And to tell you the truth, this a task is not actually an extracurricular activity. It's a serious witch-hunt, and should be done using at least one Death Scythe. However, since you're the best students of Shibusen, and taking into account all of your achievements so far – I do believe that you will be just fine. On top of that, I will be watching everything and will send help right away if I decide that you need it."
"Oh please, don't send papa," Maka sighed, "We will be fine on our own."
"Of course, we will!" Black Star exclaimed, "Because Black Star is with you!"
"Do I have to punch you again?" Maka growled.
"N-no, I'm all right…"
"Well then," Shinigami-sama said, "If nobody has any questions, then you're to depart immediately. Since Maka and Kid can sense souls – there shouldn't be any problem for you to find the witches. Just be careful. Ah, I almost forgot! I need their souls… but you will receive a fair trade. Each will be worth ten regular ones, how is that?"
"Yes! Now we're talking!" Black Star yelled.
"Ten," Kid muttered, "Ten is good because it can be split into two fives. On the other hand, the number itself is not symmetrical. Eight is a perfectly symmetrical number, but eight is less than ten… Arrrgh! Which one is better? I can't decide!"
"You can decide when we kill the witches," Liz sighed.
Tsubaki patted Liz on the shoulder sympathetically. They looked at each other's eyes and felt each other's 'pain.' Both their Meisters were extreme cases – a stubborn idiot and an obsessive orderly neurotic.
"We will get trough it, just like always," Tsubaki said.
Maka, Soul, and Patty, who understood the meaning of that little scene, all laughed. Liz smiled. Kid looked indifferent, and Black Start was absolutely clueless.
"Well, I don't know what all this was about, but off we go! Come on, Tsubaki!" he said and ran off.
"Eh," Tsubaki sighed.
That time, even Kid let out a half-smile.
As they kept searching trough the woods, and as time was passing by, even Black Star quieted down a little bit. But perhaps it was just from boredom.
"I sure hope that we find the witches before dusk," Maka said, looking around, "This forest
definitely is denser than it looks from the outside."
"We have been walking for quite a while already," Black Star growled, "and I'm seeing is trees… I want some action! Kick-ass action!"
"I wonder if they actually have some way of detecting us," Tsubaki said quietly.
"No! Impossible!" Kid, who was walking a little behind with Liz and Patty, said in a distressed tone.
Everyone turned around. Very upset, Kid was looking at his sleeve and shaking.
"What's wrong?" Maka asked.
"This is… I can't take it," Kid muttered, and then raised his head, clenched his fists and started yelling, "My left sleeve is missing one button! The symmetry is broken! I… I can't take it… I can't go on… I have to go home and sew another button… If I don't, then I will be worthless piece of trash…"
"Oh, enough already," Liz sighed sadly, "Just show me your sleeve."
"Here, see, one button is…"
"Not that one!"
"Huh?"
"Show me the other sleeve…"
"Here… but why do you… Hey, what are you doing?"
With one sharp move, Liz ripped off one button from Kid's right sleeve and threw it away.
"See! It's symmetrical again, isn't it?" she exclaimed angrily.
Shocked, Kid switched his gaze from one sleeve to the other.
"It's… it's fixed!" he finally said in amazement, "You have a wonderful sense of symmetry!"
"Any time," Liz smirked.
"This was fun, let me try it, too!" Patty said playfully and ripped the other button from Kid's left sleeve.
"Patty, wait!" Liz screamed, trying to stop Patty, but it was too late.
The button flew in random direction, accompanied by Patty's laugher.
"Cool, I ripped it off!"
Kid's face looked petrified.
"You… you ruined the symmetry! Again! Patty, I'll…"
"Relax, I can still fix it!" Liz said in annoyed voice and ripped off the other button from Kid's right sleeve.
Looking down at his sleeves again, Kid was assessing the situation. Evidently, the absence of all buttons from his sleeves had acquired a new meaning in his little world.
"Wow! Now my sleeves have no buttons, but they are still symmetrical!" he exclaimed happily.
Only then he realized that everyone else was watching at them. Maka, Soul, Black Star and Tsubaki looked were completely dumbfounded.
"A-all right," Soul finally said, "I believe that what we have just witnessed could pretty much amount for our daily dose of idiocy. Why don't we just continue walking, then?"
"Wait," Kid suddenly said, looking ahead, "I feel something. Maka, can you feel it?"
"I feel it, too," Maka nodded, "I'm sure it's them…"
"We have just wandered in their domain, and they know we're here, so watch out."
"Stay by us, you three," Soul said to Kid, Liz and Patty.
They walked a little more forward, carefully looking around.
"They're getting closer," Maka said, "Doesn't it feel as if we're being watched?"
"Of course," Kid nodded, "My Father is watching us…"
"Not that kind of watching! I mean that the witches are watching us… but where are they?"
"Wherever they are, they'd better show themselves! Or, maybe, they are just afraid of me, Black Star, the greatest assassin!" Black Star yelled proudly.
"I guess, there is no point of telling you to be quiet, Black Star, if Maka says that they know where we are already…" Tsubaki sighed.
There was an echo of three voices laughing, and then powerful winds came from everywhere. Everyone cried in surprise while being carried in different directions. Maka felt herself flying through a bush. When she finally landed on the ground and opened her eyes, the sky looked green. At first she thought that it was because she had just taken a serious fall and her vision was distorted, but then she realized that she was in a dome-like barrier. The area enclosed in the doom was fairly small, and the matter that made it was clear.
"Some kind of a magical barrier," she said to herself and stood up.
She looked around saw Patty and Liz.
"Patty, Liz!" she screamed and ran towards them.
Liz and Patty turned around.
"Maka-chan!" Liz exclaimed, "What happened? Where are the others, and what is this thing?"
"Wyaa, it's cool! It's green!" Patty said joyfully, smiling and looking up.
"You have such high spirit, Patty," Liz sighed, "I wish I could find amusement in everything… But what is it?"
"It looks like some kind of a magical barrier," Maka said, "And we're trapped inside."
"Trapped? How do we get out?"
"You don't… unless, of course, you manage to kill me!"
"Huh?" Liz, Patty and Maka turned and saw a woman in feathery clothing.
"Does Shinigami really have that much faith in you?" she smirked, "Well, no matter, no matter. Even if you are as good as he thinks, what is a Meister without a Weapon? Now that you're all separated like that, you're helpless!"
"Separated?"
"Hey, look, there's Soul! Hey, Soul!" Patty yelled, pointing her finger.
"Soul? Where?" Maka turned to look in direction that Patty was pointing at. Indeed, Soul was standing some distance away, looking confused.
"Soul!"
"He won't hear you," the witch said, "This magical barrier blocks all sound and is hard as a rock. And it will remain for as long as I choose. And I think, two minutes is plenty enough to kill you…"
"So, wait," Maka said, "You and your friends separated us so that the Meisters and Weapons are all mixed up, and then locked us in magical domes?"
"Yeah, pretty smart, right?" the witch smiled.
"Not really," Maka smirked.
"What?"
"Well", Maka smirked, "Good Meisters are usually able to use Weapons that are not theirs. The only two I'm worried about are Soul and Black Star… if they are stuck together, then…"
"Look, look, there's Black Star," Patty screamed excitedly.
"Oh, you've got to be kidding me!" Maka said angrily, observing Soul and Black Star standing together and looking back at her, "I sure hope that they will at least figure out what's going on. Now, Liz, Patty!"
"Huh?" Liz and Patty looked curiously at Maka.
"I can sense your souls… their 'wavelengths' are synchronized, which is a good thing, because if I wanted to use you two, it would no more difficult that if I just used just one of you…" Maka said.
"Are going to use us?" Liz asked in surprise.
"Cool!" Patty cried joyfully.
"What other choice do we have?" Maka asked, taking a defensive stand, "I'm not as good at fighting as Black Star, so I need your help. If you agree, that is."
"No, no, of course, it's fine!" Liz said, "Let's go, Patty!"
"All right!" Patty screamed excitedly.
Liz and Patty changed into their pistol forms and Maka grabbed them. At first, they seemed too heavy, but then she managed to sync her 'soul wavelength' with theirs to a significant degree.
"You two feel all right," she said and then looked at the witch, "Hey, you! I would ask you your name just so I knew whom I was going to kill, but out of the three choices I have… judging by your ridiculous outfit… you must be Hoot..."
"I'll show you ridiculous outfit!"
"No need to… As I just said, I'm looking at one… But I've never used pistols in my life before, so you'll have to give me some time before I can aim well enough to kill you…"
Maka started firing shots, one after another, and the witch was forced to dodge and jump away.
"This is fun!" Maka exclaimed with excitement while shooting left and right, trying to hit the witch.
"Eh, I wish Kid could have so much fun just shooting us," Liz sighed.
"Tough luck," Patty giggled, "Maybe, we should stay with Maka."
"I'm flattered, but I'd never trade Soul for any other Weapon," Maka smirked.
She glanced at where Soul and Black Start were still standing there, looking even more confused than before and watching her fight.
"I'll have to deal with this dumb witch quick, and then, maybe, we can find a way to help Soul and Black Star," Maka thought.
Hoot was undoubtedly unhappy with how everything turned out. She expected Maka, Liz and Patty to be an easy prey, but all of sudden she turned out to be the hunted one. It was hard to launch an attack if she was not able to stand on one spot even for a short moment: Maka was devastating everything with a rain of shots and clearly meant business.
"What the hell is this thing?" Soul wondered, pushing against the barrier and feeling the hardness of it, "I can see through, but I can't get out! And Maka is fighting over there and it looks like she's having a good time with Patty and Liz."
"Maybe, we shall have a good time as well?" a voice asked from behind.
Soul and Black Star turned and saw a woman in mantle.
"It's just about time, witch!" Black Star yelled, "I was getting bored! So, you are the one responsible for this. Your friend is already being killed over there, and you're next! No one survives Black Star!"
"My, my, so hasty," the witch smiled, took off her mantle and tossed it aside, "Why don't you relax a little and enjoy Linny's beautiful looks?"
Underneath the mantle, her seductive body had a bare minimum of clothing, yellow in color and with black streak-like spots.
"Heh, big deal," Soul smirked, "Having someone like Blair around, we have gotten used to being molested like that every day. It takes something more to knock us out, right, Black Star? Black
Star?"
Soul looked down and saw Black Star lying on the ground with a nosebleed.
"Ugh… Blair mostly hangs around your and Maka's apartment," Black Star muttered, then stood up and wiped blood from his face, "But it doesn't matter…I just got surprised… I used to peep on Tsubaki while she was bathing… but she would always find me out…"
"Oh, Chee, I wonder why," Soul said sarcastically, "Is it because you always forget the zeroth rule of the assassin?"
"Zeroth rule of the assassin?"
"Yeah, the one that says, 'keep you big mouth shut at all times.'"
"Shut up, Soul!"
"Hey, quit ignoring me!" the witch exclaimed, "And who's that Blair you're talking about? Should I be jealous?"
"Well, I say she has better looks than you do," Soul grinned, "Even though she is just a cat skilled in magic. But I'm sure she'd have clawed your eyes out if she were here."
The witch clenched her fists.
"Oh, what is it? Did I get your pride weakened?" Soul chuckled, "But really, she does have better looks… not that I'm interested in her or anything… it makes my opinion objective this way, right?"
"Then I'll just have to find and deal with her after I kill you two!" the witch screamed, "Ever wondered what it feels like to be cut into pieces by thin air? Wind Blades!"
She crossed her arms in front of her and then pulled them backwards quickly, producing a set of powerful air currents. They rushed at Soul and Black Start, who jumped away at the last moment. The wind hit the ground and sliced it all over the place.
"You can't run from me!" the witch waved her hands again and disappeared.
"What? Did she just vanish?" Black Star yelled, jumping away from the wind currents that were spreading everywhere.
"Not quite, kiddo."
"Huh?"
The witch suddenly appeared before Black Star in the air and attempted to strike him with her clawed hand. Black Star was lucky to move away just in time, but, having lost balance, fell on the ground. When he looked up, he saw the witch standing right by his head.
"I don't need to disappear," she smiled, looking down at him, "I can just ride the Wind Blades, which are faster than anything you can think of, but… hey what the hell are you staring at? You little pervert!"
Although it was definitely not a good time, but since the witch was standing right by his head, Black Star could not pass on an opportunity to eye the witch's legs from bottom to where her shorts began. He reaction, however, gave him a chance to jump on his feet. He tried to land a punch in the witch's face, but she evaded it without any trouble. At the same time, Soul dashed into her shoulder-first from behind, knocking her few steps away. She landed on all fours and turned around with a jump.
"Is that how you treat such a beautiful lady as myself?" she exclaimed angrily, "Is that how you treat that girl of yours? Blair, is it?"
"She is not my… ah, screw it, I don't have to explain anything to you. And I'll treat you much better, just you wait."
"No, she's mine!" Black Star yelled, charging, "She has challenged my speed, and I can't forgive that! There IS something that is faster than her Wind Blades! And that's ME!"
Kid stood up and wiped dirt off his suit.
"Kid-sama, are you all right?"
Kid turned his head to the side and saw Tsubaki.
"Yeah. You?"
"Yes," Tsubaki nodded, "What happened?"
"I'm sure it's the witches," Kid said, looking around, "And it seems that we're trapped inside this magical dome…I think that it serves as some sort of a barrier… It appear to block everything…"
"Can you sense the others, Kid-sama?"
"No," Kid shook his head, "And that means that they must be on the outside. Otherwise I would be sensing their souls even if the were dead…"
"That's a relief," Tsubaku sighed, "But why are we being kept inside this thing?"
"Those witches must be crazy, but they are also quite smart," Kid said angrily.
"What do you mean, Kid-sama?"
"Since Liz and Patty aren't here, I don't have any weapons..."
"Slow in thinking, huh? Just as your father? Eh-heh-heh-heh…"
Kid and Tsubaki raised their heads. The witch was at the very top of the dome. She was wrapped in a dark cloak so that only her head was showing, and she was hanging upside down.
"You're quite sneaky, aren't you?" Kid said indifferently, "I haven't seen you there just a moment ago."
"All bats are sneaky," the witch sniggered.
She flipped in the air into an upright position, opened her cloak and quickly descended on the ground.
"So, it appears that Shinigami-sama had broken his own treaty," she smirked, "How low of him."
"Don't you dare speak of my father like that," Kid said, "Besides, you three were the one that broke it first…"
"Oh, is that so?" the witch sounded rather amused, "So, he noticed… I wonder where we have gone wrong. And does he really think that we will go down that easily?"
"Kid-sama, what shall we do?" Tsubaki asked.
"I wonder…"
"Huh?"
"I can sense your soul, Tsubaki-chan. It's very flexible and can adjust its 'wavelength' to that of the Meister…"
"Are you saying that…"
"Yes," Kid looked at Tsubaki, "I think I will be able to use you…"
"B-but… Liz and Patty are range weapons… I'm different…"
"True," Kid nodded, smiling, "But you and them have one very important thing in common."
"What thing?"
"Don't you see? It's symmetry!" Kid exclaimed joyfully, "You are symmetrical in you Weapon form! And symmetry is all that matters!"
"Are you sure, Kid-sama?"
"Of course! Symmetry is everything! Go ahead and change, Tsubaki."
"If you say so, Kid-sama. Here I go." Tsubaki sighed and turned into axes.
Kid grasped them, and his eyes filled with happiness.
"This is… Tsubaki-chan, you're so great… Perfect Symmetry!" he cried in excitement.
"You flatter me, Kid-sama…"
"Now, witch, I'll destroy you with the power of s…" Kid looked at where the witch had been just a second ago, but she was no longer there.
He sensed that she was already behind and ducked just in time to avoid her attack. The witch flew over him and turned around, levitating in the air.
"Two can play this game," Kid said and summoned his magical skateboard, "Let's go."
Probably having a time of her life, Maka kept firing at Hoot, who seemed to be almost out of breath and had exhausted herself while trying to escape the shots both on the ground and in the air.
"I remember, Kid went insane like that in the Tomb of Anubis," Liz smirked.
"Ha-ha-ha, that witch is funny!" Patty laughed.
"I'm not insane," Maka said, "I just want to finish this quickly. Soul and Black Star can't possibly work as a team. Maybe, I'll be able to help somehow…"
"I've had enough!" Hoot suddenly yelled, blocking the last series of shots with some kind of a magical shield, "It's cheating to use range weapons. I thought I wouldn't have to summon my children, but since you're cheating, I don't see why I can't…"
She spread her arms, and owls flew out of her body. They weren't real owls but rather some kind of shadowy silhouettes, and their eyes were glowing red.
"Cool! They have red eyes!" Patty exclaimed.
"It's scaaaary," Liz whined.
"No. It's disgusting," Maka said, "I wonder where I should start…"
"Go, my children! Time for Soul Harvest!" Hoot bellowed.
All the owls rushed at Maka. She tried to shoot, but there were too many. Just as she expected, the owls didn't try to peck her but instead went right through her, just as if they were ghosts. The only thing she couldn't possibly predict was the effect of that. And now she knew. All of a sudden she felt terribly weakened, to the point where she found herself unable to stand. She fell on the ground, dropping the pistols.
"H-how… what is this?" she whispered.
"Maka-chan!" Liz and Patty screamed.
"My children like feeding on souls, just like me," Hoot laughed echoingly, "When they come through you, each of them tears off a tiny bit of your soul. And since they're made from my body, I get everything they gather! Bring it to me, my children!"
The owls flew towards the witch and she started absorbing them. Maka managed to get up, breathing heavily.
"Your soul tastes interesting," Hoot smirked, "Too much determination… you know, girl, if you push yourself hard all the time, you start thinking that everyone around you is lazy. I wonder… Are the others really your friends? I doubt it… It's hard to be a friend with someone like you…"
Maka looked left and right, trying to figure out which pistol was closer, and then, swaying side to side, she approached one of them and picked it up.
"You should know, girl, that if you lose enough of your soul – you will die. And that's what I'm going for," Hoot said, spreading her hands apart and releasing the owls again.
Maka fired only twice. It seemed that even pulling the trigger had become nearly impossible to her. The owls rushed through her again. She dropped on the ground, and the pistol fell out of her hand. She tried to get up but seemed to be unable to. Hoot was slowly enjoying the 'harvest,' absorbing her owls.
"Maka-chan, say something!"
"Maka-chan!"
Liz and Patty, already in the human forms, we standing on their knees by Maka.
"It's no use," Hoot said, "It takes quite some time to recover from the harvest. And no one has ever survived three in the row, so don't push her… on the other hand, you'll all die either way…I'm just feeling a little pity for this girl…"
Maka's eyes widened.
"Pity? Did you just say pity?"
Her fingers dug in the ground and she pulled herself to a sitting position. Hoot was clearly surprised.
"I was right," she sighed, "You do have to much determination. How pitiful. What's the point? Why do you have to push yourself so hard? You will die regardless. Even I would have given up."
"I'm not you…" Maka said angrily, "And don't you dare pity me either…"
"Ah, my Maka is so brave, isn't that right, Blair-chan! I'm so glad to have a daughter like her! But, why isn't she glad to have me? What is wrong with me?" Maka's dad whined, walking down the street while his arm around Blair.
"Nya, you really like you daughter. You talk about her all the time," Blair said playfully, "Where is she, by the way?"
Maka's dad suddenly stopped, paralyzed.
"I-I… Shinigami-sama…Oh, no! I forgot that I was told to get Stain and be ready help Maka in the forest! Aaaaah, no! What kind of father am I? I have to run! Hold on, Maka! Papa is coming to save you!"
"So that's why he was in a hurry before he saw me," Blair said to herself ponderingly, "Nya, maybe I should stop walking around like this… Maybe, longer shorts, and a less revealing shirt… Nah, no way! I'm the one with temptation, after all…"
"Liz, Patty, transform…"
"Are you kidding? You won't be able to hold us!" Liz exclaimed.
"Well, someone here has the right idea," Hoot smirked, "Live a few minutes longer while I enjoy the last bits of the harvest…"
"Transform…" Maka repeated, rising herself on one knee, "Just do it."
"All right!" Patty said
"If you say so," Liz shrugged her shoulders.
They transformed into pistols again, and Maka caught them in her hands. She managed to stand up, but it looked like it took her tremendous effort to do it.
"Amazing," Hoot said, "I've never seen anyone as stubborn as you are… I pity you even more now… All this effort… for nothing…"
"Stop… pitying… me!" Maka fired two pistols at once and got knocked back, unable to hold her balance.
Hoot jumped to the side.
"Now, this is just pathetic," she shook her head, "I can't look at it anymore. I shall put you out of your misery…"
Sitting on the ground, Maka raised her hand and took another shot. The witch bent her head to the side a little to evade it.
"Wow, you aim has gotten better," she said sarcastically, "Too bad there isn't too much that you can do with it now."
It seemed that no matter how much Maka tried, she couldn't pull the trigger again. The pistols fell out of her hands again, and she dropped on her knees, looking down.
"Finally, you've given up," Hoot smirked and started walking slowly towards Maka, "You know, we didn't really have to do this. The more you push yourself, the more painful it is. Death is one thing that should be quick and painless. I could have given it to you that way, but no, you have decided to struggle…"
"Patty, let's change back!" Liz cried tensely.
"Stay… like… this…" Maka whispered so quietly that it was barely heard.
Liz and Patty were about to complain, but then they saw a smile on Maka's face and realized that somehow she was having everything under control. Hoot finally approached and leaned towards Maka. She slipped her hand under Maka's chin and lifted her head straight up. With quick and sharp move, Maka grabbed the witch by the throat. Hoot shuddered as her eyes met Maka's, and then she felt the pistol pressing against her stomach.
"We all try hard at something. You too, have tried hard to make me believe something that was not true," Maka smirked.
She pulled the trigger several times. Hoot's body disintegrated and disappeared, leaving nothing but her soul floating in the air. At the same time, the magical dome vanished as well. Maka stood up, and Liz and Patty returned to their human forms.
"Yei! You did it, Maka-chan!" Patty cried excitedly and took the witch's soul in her hands, "And since you used me to kill her, I will be the one carrying her soul."
Liz looked confused.
"I don't understand," she muttered, "I thought you couldn't move…"
"I thought so, too," Maka said, "But I figured out that it was just an illusion. That witch was playing with my mind…"
"Illusion?"
"Sensory illusion. I've read about it, but I've never encountered it until now. That witch used her magic to trick my senses. I wasn't exhausted or pained, but her magic made me think that I was…"
"Errr… Even if so, how did you find out that it was an illusion?" Liz wondered.
"In order for that kind of magic to work, the spell caster must make the victim believe that the feelings are real. As soon as Hoot said that her owls were chipping my soul, and that she was collecting its bits – I knew that she was lying. Soul can only exist as a whole. If a tiny piece somehow broke apart from the rest of the soul – it would die out immediately. And because she was lying, there must have been a reason for her to do so. Her story just wasn't believable enough. Maybe, her owls were the ones creating the illusion, but as soon as I figured out that it was just a mind trick – it couldn't affect me any longer…"
"So, wait… if you… does that mean that you were faking after that?" Liz exclaimed.
"I'm quite an actress, am I not?" Maka smirked
"Ha-ha-ha, I knew it all along!" Patty laughed, dancing with the witch's soul in her hands, "Maka-chan is so smart!"
"No, you didn't! Shut up, Patty!"
"Kidding!"
Maka smiled, feeling proud of herself..
"No matter what anybody says, determination and hard work pay off," she thought.
"There's Soul!" Patty suddenly screamed, pointing "Hey, Soul-kuuuun!"
"Patty, he can't hear you," Liz sighed.
"Oh, that's right!" Maka turned around, "I almost forgot about Soul and Black Star. Hey, why is he just sitting there? Patty, Liz, let's get closer!"
"Well, this is stupid," Soul said to himself, sitting on the ground, "It makes me wonder why I'm even here…"
He kept watching Black Star as he was chasing after the witch at such high speed, that it seemed that both of them were teleporting from place to place.
"Come on, boy! Almost got me there! Ah, too bad!" the witch kept taunting.
"Shut up, you! I'll definitely kick you ass!" Black Star retorted.
Both appeared right before Soul and were visible for a moment as Black Star tried to kick the witch and missed – and the chase continued.
"Black Star found himself a worthy opponent," Soul smirked, "But I wonder how much longer it will go on before one of them gets tired. And there's no one else here to make a bet about it with. Ehh…Oh, stop it already!"
He jumped on his feet and extended his leg to the side. Very soon, the chase stopped: Black Star tripped over Soul's leg and slid on his stomach all the way to the barrier. On the other side, Maka, Liz and Patty burst into laughter.
"Hey, shut up!" Black Star screamed, shaking his fists at them, but then realized that they couldn't hear him and turned to Soul, "Are you out of your mind? What did you do that for?"
"My, my, what a surprise," the witch smiled, "I have an unexpected ally. Or, perhaps, an admirer?"
"Yeah, keep dreaming," Soul said coldly, "It's just that I thought a little while ago that I've had enough stupidity for one day, but no…"
"Hey, I landed few good punches!" Black Star exclaimed.
"Out of the dozens that you threw," the witch laughed.
"Shut up, or I'll kick your…"
"Hold on, Black Star," Soul sighed, "Would it hurt you to think? Well, it might, but bear with me here… You've been chasing her for quite some time already, and it has proven pointless. Is it time to change your strategy yet?"
"So, you must be his brain," the witch laughed again.
"That would actually be too much of a burden," Soul smirked.
"So, what do you suggest, then?" Black Star yelled, "I can't use you, remember? Otherwise a single successful attack would do it…"
"We have agreed that we are through as Meister and Weapon, but I think that there could be an exception just this once…"
"What the hell are you talking about? I couldn't lift you, remember? Our souls were totally out of sync, and there was nothing we could do about it!"
"And even now you won't be able to do anything about it. You haven't changed a bit."
"I know! But what are you getting at, then?"
"Remember when we first met professor Stein?"
"Yeah…"
"Do you remember what he said about your soul?"
"Not really…"
"He said that your soul was so self-absorbed that Tsubaki was the only partner for you, because she could adjust her 'soul wavelength' to yours."
"Oh yeah, now I remember! So what?"
"I might be able to get our 'soul wavelengths' in sync the same way."
"How the hell are you going to do that?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Soul grinned, "All I have to do is to temporarily become just as full of myself as you are… I'm not going to like it, though…"
"I don't get it."
"Just try to lift me. But don't force your 'soul wavelength' into me this time… I'll do everything myself…"
"Are we going to fight any time soon? Linny is bored," the witch asked impatiently.
"No matter what I've said, that witch is a lot like Blair," Soul thought and turned into scythe, "Now, what shall I think about? Something that will make me feel like a total hero… and a douchebag… aha!"
"What are they doing?" Maka exclaimed, "Black Star can't possibly use Soul! They're just being plain idiots!"
"He's lifting him, he's lifting him!" Patty screamed.
"What? No way!"
Maka looked shocked.
"How could this be, Maka-chan?" Liz wondered, "I thought their 'soul wavelengths' were totally different."
"I thought so, too…"
"Yeeees, it's working!" Black Star yelled, standing in a prideful pose and holding the scythe over his head, "How did you do it?"
"I'm thinking about when I will become Death Scythe, and everyone will praise me. But hurry up, I can't possibly maintain myself for long at this state…"
"All right!" Black Star looked at the witch, "We're ready!"
"Oh, finally," the witch yawned, "I was about to fall asleep. A conversation between an idiot and a smart one is rather tiring."
"Who is the smart one?" Black Star wondered.
"My point exactly," the witch smirked.
"Shut up or I'll cut you into pieces! Well, I'll cut you anyway, even if you don't shut up! Let's go, Soul!"
"Are you all right, Kid-sama?" Tsubaki asked.
"How annoying," Kid said grimly, standing up after a fall, "The sound of her screech bounces off the barrier and creates multiple echoes, which makes it very hard to concentrate. On top of that, close-range weapons are harder to use that I thought…"
"I told you so," Tsubaki sighed.
"Done already, Shinigami junior?" the witch sniggered, levitating in the air before him, "What a letdown. I thought that I was honored to be the one to kill the son of Grim Reaper, but now I find myself rather humiliated. Why am I the one to fight the weakest? It's no fun."
Kid seemed to have ignored the witch's mockery and picked up his magical skateboard.
"Round two," he said, "Let's go, Tsubaki-chan."
"Just one slash and you are a goner!" Black Star yelled angrily, chasing after the witch with the scythe in his hands "I'll show you who's an idiot here!"
"I already know that," the witch taunted him playfully, agilely evading and escaping every attack.
"Shut up or I'll cut you!"
"You'll have to catch me first!"
"You'd like it, don't you, perverted witch?"
"Ah-ha-ha, you're too young for me, boy! And look who's talking. You were the one eying my goods just a while ago!"
"Not that I care! All I want is to slice you to pieces!"
"Dammit, Black Star, hurry up!" Soul said angrily, "I can't hold my egoism at such high level for much longer! How the hell can you stay like that all the time?"
"That's because I'm Black Star! And I'm above the Gods! Hey, you're getting heavier!"
"You bet I am, you idiot! Not only I'm unable to keep my 'soul wavelength' adjusted to yours anymore, but you're making yours even more self-absorbed by bragging about yourself!" Soul yelled angrily.
"Sorry!"
"Just get her already!"
"Easier said that done, boy," the witch laughed, "I feel that your partner is getting tired. Just wait and see how the hunter will become the hunted soon, because unlike his body, mine never gets tired. I'll show you what a dreadful mistake it is to hunt a lynx."
"This isn't good, Black Star! She's just wearing you down!"
"Hey, I'm not that stupid, Soul! I'm getting tired because you're becoming heavier and heavier!"
"Oh, so-o-rry! It's totally my fault that you're one of a kind self-centered freaking above-god being!"
"You know what, Soul? Screw you!"
While in the air, Black Star threw the scythe as hard as he could at the witch. She had no problem avoiding it. The scythe hit the barrier behind her and fell on the ground, and Soul turned into his human form. He immediately stood up, getting ready to charge at the witch from behind, but then, as if suddenly something came to his mind, he paused and slowly wiped the dirt of his pants.
"I'm done fighting for you, Black Star," he said, "especially against such gorgeous lady."
"Whaaat? Are you out of your mind, Soul? She's a witch!" Black Star yelled.
"Yeah, but a very beautiful one," Soul smirked, "Now, think about it, should I choose an idiot like you versus her?"
"You… Traitor!"
"Nope. I just have good reasoning."
"My, my," the witch looked at Soul over her shoulder, "I thought you said that that girl… Blair… was prettier than me…"
"I lied," Soul sighed, "The truth is that I can't get her no matter what I try. And you… you're even more gorgeous…"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Black Star cried, "Are you the Soul that I know? Hey, dirty witch, what did you do to him?"
"I'm not good at love magic," the witch smiled, "So I haven't done anything. But I do have a charm in me, you have to agree…"
"Yes, quite a charm," Soul smirked, approaching her from behind.
"Well, aren't you the cutest thing," the witch smiled again, not turning, "That Blair must have made you lose all your confidence. I can help you work on it once I finish off your former friend…"
Breathing heavily, Black Star watched Soul coming close and closer to the witch.
"Don't do it, Soul!"
"I've made my choice, Black Star…"
"Damn you! Then I'll have to kill you, too!"
"My, my, I don't see that very often," the witch giggled, "Friends become enemies over beauty of a perfect woman…"
"This has nothing do to with you!" Black Star yelled, "It's about Soul's dignity, which he appears to have lost."
"Well, at least I had it. But I can name one thing you've never had," Soul smirked.
"And what would than be?"
With a wide grin on his face, Soul stopped right behind the witch.
"Brains," he said, "You've never had brains…"
Before the witch could sense any danger, Soul grabbed her arms from the back and brought her body close to his, pushing is knee against her back while holding here tightly and not letting her escape.
"Just as I thought. You are exactly like Blair… Thinking that your seductiveness makes you invulnerable…"
"Hey, what are you doing, let me go!" the witch tried to free herself, but Soul's powerful arms were firmly holding hers.
"Ah-ha-ha!" Patty laughed on the other side, "Soul-kun is hugging the witch!"
"Such a playboy," Liz sighed.
"Arrrrrrgh!… Sooooul!" Maka said with her teeth clenched, "You always find the nastiest way…"
"What going on?" Black Star wondered.
"You're an idiot, Black Star, you know that? How could you think that I was able to betray my friends for sexy looks? I'm upset. Just hurry up and finish her," Soul sighed, sounding bored, "And don't tell Maka about this… "
"Actually, she is watching…" Black Star pointed her finger to the side, where Maka, Liz and Patty were enjoying the view, each with different emotions.
"Dammit! I completely forgot!" Soul exclaimed in frustration, turning his head to the side.
He could easily infer from Maka's angry look that a long talk was due after everything was over.
The witch, on the other hand, did not need to guess what was about to happen to her.
"Don't do this, boy," she pleaded, "Why would you kill such beauty as me?"
"It's not beauty if it's only on the outside and is used for evil," Soul said indifferently and then looked at Black Star, "Do it, Black Star! And no showing off!"
"How can the greatest assassin in the world kill his victim without showing off?" Black Star exclaimed proudly, "Here's my super special assassin move!"
He charged at the witch, then jumped in the air and crossed his arms at the wrists. At the last moment, Soul moved aside, and Black Star caught the witch's neck in between his arms. He dragged her along and then smashed her against the ground. There was a dull crack as the witch's neck broke, and the her body went numb, fell apart and disappeared, along with the magical dome. The only thing left was her soul, and Black Star took it.
"Yes! I did it!"
"We did it, you idiot," Soul said, looking to the side, where Maka, Liz and Patty were, "Dammit, I wonder what I should say… Just play with me here, all right, Black Star?"
"Huh?"
"Well done!" Patty screamed, running towards them.
Liz and Maka followed her.
"Yeah, good job," Liz said.
Maka said nothing and seemed rather irritated.
"Yeah, it was quite a good plan, right, Black Star?" Soul put on a smile.
"A plan? What plan?"
Soul's first wish was to smack Black Star between the eyes, but he resisted the temptation.
"Well, out teamwork…how we tricked her…together…" he said, still trying to save the situation.
"What? That wasn't our plan," Black Star smirked, "I got tired of you being so heavy and just tossed you away. Then you came up with the idea… I really thought you were on her side…"
"Dammit, I'll kick your ass, Black Star," Soul grunted.
"Next time you'll think twice before tripping me," Black Star grinned.
"Look, everybody, it had nothing to do with how she looked or anything," Soul muttered, "It was probably the only way to beat her…"
"Save it," Maka said, "Just don't make it you habitual technique…"
"Huh?"
"You got Blair the same way, remember?"
"That's why I knew it would work," Soul smirked.
"I don't see what women see in you. But I'm glad that you're likable," Maka forced a smile.
"Well, it's great and all. I'm glad everything is resolved here," Liz said worriedly, "But Kid is still fighting… Where is he?"
"There's another dome!" Patty exclaimed joyfully.
"Let's go! Follow me!" Black Star yelled and dashed ahead.
"He just hasn't gotten enough running," Soul sighed, "Hey, wait for us, you idiot!"
Kid and the witch clashed in the air. Using her long pointy tail as a sword, the witch blocked Kid's strikes and knocked his skateboard from under him. He landed on his feet and looked up. The witch screeched fiercely, forcing Kid to drop on his knees and press his hands with the axes against his ears. For a moment, his vision blurred and he almost fainted.
"How embarrassing," he said distressfully, "Even possessing perfect symmetry, I'm still not doing too well. I'm as worthless as trash. The world must ashamed of me!"
"Eh," Tsubaki sighed, "You're just not used to fighting with axes… it has nothing to do with what kind of person you are. Symmetry is not an answer to everything"
"Yes, it is! Symmetry is perfection!"
"Symmetry? Ha-ha-ha," the witch laughed, "What are you talking about, boy? Look at yourself! You're not symmetrical. Those white lines are messing up your look…"
"Darn it…" Kid muttered and leaned towards the ground, sobbing, "She is right! I'm an abomination! Why was I born like this? I must die!"
"Besides, what's so great about symmetry? It doesn't make anything better. It's just dull and dumb…" the witch said tauntingly.
Kid stopped shedding tears immediately and gave the witch a cold stare.
"What did you just say?" he asked angrily.
"What?" the witch sounded surprised, "What do you mean? I said that symmetry is nothing special… I'd even say that it's…"
"Don't you dare question the excellence of symmetry!" Kid yelled, standing up, "You can make fun of these damned lines, you can joke about my father, but don't you ever minimize the importance of symmetry! Symmetry is perfection!"
"You surely look tense," the witch smirked, "Did I hit your nerve or something?"
"I'll show you nerve and I'll make you respect symmetry even if I have to kill you!"
With an infuriated expression on his face, clenching the axes in his hands, Kid jumped on his magical skateboard.
"Look, Kid is fighting using Tsubaki!" Black Star yelled, approaching the magical dome, "I thought he could only use you, Liz and Patty."
"It's because using two same Weapons makes him symmetrical," Liz said, breathing heavily from running, "And Tsubaki's twin-axe form gives pretty much the same effect. It's good, because otherwise he wouldn't want to use her…"
"Onee-chan, is Kid all right?" Patty asked, "He looks mad."
"I wonder if I would be too far off if I suggested that his undertanding of perfection has been challenged again…" Liz smiled.
"Perfection?" Black Star asked.
"Symmetry. You know how obsessed Kid he is about symmetry…"
"How lame," Soul said.
"Ha-ha-ha, try saying it to Kid's face," Patty laughed.
"No, thanks," Soul smirked, "He is dangerous in berserk mode…"
"Berserk mode?"
"Just look at him."
Inside the dome, the witch had stopped having fun. All of sudden, the dome seemed too small, her strength and speed seemed to be lacking, and the neurotic axe-wielding maniacal boy that was chasing after her seemed to have completely lost his mind.
"I'll kill you!" he kept yelling, "Those who don't enjoy symmetry might as well die!"
"Kid-sama is scary," Tsubaki thought, "So little is needed to set him off. But, I guess that it's fine as long as it works."
"Die! Die! Die!" Kid kept shouting hysterically, laying insanely powerful blows, one after another.
"Is he going be all right?" Maka wondered.
"Oh, absolutely," Liz said, "But I know who isn't going to be…"
"I almost feel sorry for her," Soul smirked, "It's even worse than syncing my 'soul wavelength' with Black Star's by thinking how good and above Gods I am…"
"Hey, shut up!" Black Star, "At least I don't have to put any efforts into doing that…"
Everybody laughed and continued watching the total annihilation of the witch and everything else along with it.
"T-take it easy, boy, I was just j-joking."
"Symmetry is not joking matter! Hyaaaa!"
Trying to block Kid's next powerful strike was a mistake. As durable as her tail was, it was no match against Kid's violent wrath.
"Noooo! My taaaail! You cut off my taaail!" the witch cried in pain, flapping her wings and retreating backwards.
Her fear the turned into fury.
"You, messed up brat!" she yelled angrily, "Now you've gone too far! I've never thought that I'd have to summon powers of Darkness to deal with someone like you."
She dropped her cloak on the ground, pressed her hands together and started chanting. Half of her body and face started growing spikes and turned black.
"No matter what the situation was before, but she has done it now," Liz smirked.
"She's dead meat!" Patty laughed.
"How's that?" the witch asked, smiling wickedly, "It's dangerous to let the Darkness possess more than half of the body, so this will have to do…"
Kid looked stunned.
"You…" he said furiously with his teeth clenched, "First you question the value of symmetry, and then you turn into this! Why do you have to mock me so? You're completely screwed up!"
"Look who's talking, boy!"
"I'll kill you!"
Kid ducked as low as he could, and his magical skateboard rushed towards the witch. She started spinning and shooting her spikes in different directions. Masterfully, Kid maneuvered to evade every single spike and collided into the witch at full speed, smashing the skateboard right into her face. It stupefied her and knocked her back, but she continued levitating, apparently held by her own spell. The skateboard returned under Kid's feet before he landed on the ground, and he charged for the kill. Floating wide-open in the air, dazed and uncoordinated from the blow, the witch could do nothing but watch Kid coming at her…
"That's for challenging the perfection of symmetry!" he kept screaming as he butchered the witch's helpless body until it disappeared, leaving her soul floating in the air.
"Eeeew, that's gross!" Liz said with disgust.
"Oh, that's nothing!" Black Star exclaimed, "I can kill with even more grossness! Wait… this isn't a good thing, is it?"
"No, I suppose not," Maka sighed.
On his skateboard, Kid flew towards the rest and jumped on the ground. Tsubaki turned into her human form.
"So, how does it feel to be a Weapon of a madman?" Soul asked Tsubaki, grinning.
"You must be forgetting that I am a Weapon of a madman," Tsubaki smiled.
"Oh, yeah…"
"Hey, stop that! Or at least, say that I'm a madder madman!" Black Star yelled.
"Calling me a madman, are you?" Kid said, smiling proudly, "But with the help from Tsubaki-chan I was able to protect the name of symmetry! Thank you, Tsubaki-chan!"
"My pleasure, Kid-sama," Tsubaki bowed.
"Yeah, Kid, about that…" Soul said hesitantly, pointing at Kid's pants.
"Huh?"
"Ah-ha-ha! You left pant is all dirty!" Patty laughed.
"What?" Kid looked down at his pants, "Noooo! This is impossible! It's totally unsymmetrical how the dirt is spread across! The perfection… It is ruined!"
He dropped on his knees and broke into tears, pounding the ground.
"Eh..." everyone sighed.
"Maka, I'll save you!" a familiar voice suddenly shouted from behind, "I'm going to kill all the witches, and you will be so proud of me!"
Everyone except Kid, who was still sobbing, turned around and saw Maka's father in a ready-to-fight pose. Stein was walking behind him, adjusting the bolt in his head.
"Come on, where are the witches?" Maka's dad yelled, "I'll teach them a lesson! Maka, stand back, it's papa's time to fight!"
"It looks like we're late, Spirit," Stein said, "As you might have noticed, everyone is all right and doesn't need to be saved. Everyone including Maka…"
"What kind of reinforcements arrive after the battle is over?" Maka muttered angrily, "Not that I needed anything from him, but still."
"Aaaaargh! Maka is so harsh. She doesn't love me!" Spirit cried in distress, holding his hands over his face.
"I'm sorry we're late," Stein said, "He was supposed to notify right away, but he had gone astray…again. Women are like giant magnets to him…"
"I'm such a bad father!"
"Indeed, you are, Spirit."
"Professor," Maka said.
"Huh?"
"We had to use each others' Weapons."
"Oh, is that so?" Stein sounded surprised, "How did it go?"
"It was awesome! Maka-chan used me and Liz!" Patty exclaimed, "And I killed the witch!"
"And I used Soul," Black Star said proudly, "But he didn't do a good job adjusting his 'soul wavelength' to mine… Tsubaki is much better at that."
Tsubaki smiled.
"Never again I'm doing that," Soul grumbled.
"So, I take it that Kid was with Tsubaki," Stein smirked, "How lucky… That was the only mismatch among you all that would be of any use to him. Is he all right, by the way?"
"Y-yeah," Liz sighed, "all the usual. Come one, Kid, stop it. I promise that I'll wash your pants for you when we get home."
Kid raised his head with.
"Really?" he asked with a thankful expression in his face, "Will you really do this for me?"
"If that will make you crying, then yes."
"Liz… you're so wonderful!"
"Eh, I know… Just remind me to close the window when we come home. I opened it to let some fresh air in…"
"You whaaaaaaat?"
"What?"
"If the wind puts out one of the candles, the others will burn more, and the symmetry will be broken! Hurry, we must run!"
He summoned his skateboard, grabbed Patty and Liz by the hands and whizzed in direction of the Death City.
"Weeeeeee, this is fun!" Patty laughed.
"Kiiiid, I'll kill yooouuuu!" Liz cried.
"Well, I guess that we can all go home now," Stein said.
"Poor Liz and Patty," Tsubaki thought.
"I wonder if I'm still in trouble," Soul thought.
"Soul, you are so going to get it when we come home," Maka thought.
"Yeap, I was the best as usual!" Black Star thought.
"Who else but you?" Tsubaki thought, knowing what Black Star thinking about.
"I need to go get Blair-chan and take her to the bar. She'll make me feel better," Spirit thought.
"Yes, yes, go get drunk, Spirit. It will make it much easier for me to adjust that mind reader that I put into your brain last night. After all, if it worked, we wouldn't have been late," Stain thought and smiled.