Happiness

Roth sighed as he tapped his fingernail against the desk, clearly bored before the lesson even started. His messy mop of light blue hair hung in his sharp blue eyes, looking around the classroom for any other signs of life, aside from himself. With a loud yawn, he leaned forward on the desk and placed his arms forward, resting his head. Closing his eyes, he muttered to himself, "Another Monday at the DMWA…God, this is getting to be so boring."

Roth Fangson was an outcast, even worse than most. Unlike most, he was friendless when he first enrolled in the school, but thanks to his "skills", he didn't require a partner at all. He was considered to be a hybrid, a self-weapon. He was one of the best too. Without a partner to hold him back, he grew very powerful, but it made him dangerous. Questioning his path, he began to wonder what he was doing here in the school.

When he got ambushed by other students one day, he went into overdrive, wiping them all out, almost on the verge of death. Roth was instantly feared…and hated by everyone in school. His soul was already starting to be corrupted; he was one fight win away from becoming a Keshin.

Word was very quick to get out and Lord Death had to fight him to take him down a peg. Using his newest Death Scythe, the infamous Soul Eater Evans, Lord Death defeated the corrupted hybrid and placed him under the partnership of a new mister, Krad Zebbers, a unique girl whose wavelength didn't mesh with anyone else's.

Krad wasn't very sure of Roth at first, but after a day with him, she saw a true fighter's spirit within this outcast. Roth, on the other hand, was suddenly so coy and unsure of her that he started to curb his power very quickly.

When Krad and Roth were seen together, the other students were shocked to see him with a quirky and fun girl like Krad. When others warned her about his "Keshin soul", she only scoffed and said as a reply, "Time and balance will change that!"

Their first battle together was literally a set up. A self-weapon with witch's blood emerged on the scene and saw the corruption in Roth's soul. With a snarl, the witch weapon attacked Roth and Krad, but Roth hissed and attacked back without Krad's help. The witch's self-weapon was an elemental staff, a fire dragon head on his right arm and an ice dragon head on the left. Roth was nearly killed when his opponent combined the heads together and released his Soul Resonance.

Krad saved Roth's life, taking the blows from the witch like a champ while defending Roth's helpless body. However, seeing his partner protect him made his soul cry out to her, finally putting his pride aside and allowing her to fight with him. Finally able to work together as a team, the enemy smiled and chuckled, "It's about time. Although I was having a great fight, it's best to end this. Lord Death's wish is done."

"Hey! Wake up, you sleepy fuckbar!" a rather rude voice shattered Roth's peaceful nap.

"Fuck off, Jubei…" he whimpered.

His ex-opponent smirked, "You dreaming of banging your partner?~ You are hitting that age now~"

His head shot up, his face as red as Jubei's ginger streaks, "Huh?! No, I'm not!"

"Excuse me, Mr. Fangson," a firm voice called from the middle of the room. Looking down stood his homeroom teacher, Maka Albarn. The master miester crossed her arms in front of her chest with a cross look on her face. "I politely asked Mr. Frost to wake you. No need to be barking in the middle of my class."

Roth shrank in his seat, "Sorry, Professor…" When she turned her back again to continue her lesson, Roth punched Jubei in the arm, "You're an asshole."

"Finally, someone notices," he quipped with a smirk on his face.

"You're lucky you're my best friend, witch weapon," Roth threatened.

His haunting yellow eyes flashed violently at Roth, "Hey, I can still kick your ass, anytime, any day, and anywhere."

"Bring it on." Despite the deadly banter between the two, Jubei and Roth became very fast friends, thanks to their "outcast" natures. Both Krad and Roth learned that Sizzle "Jubei" Frost was a special student in the DWMA, training to be a trump card in case things went from bad to worse, similar to the Asura incident. Jubei, his true name, is very unique in his genetics. Not only is he a self-weapon, but he's also part witch, to everyone's amazement. Apparently, he lacks true magical prowess, focusing more on his weapon skills than anything.

When the bell rang, Roth sighed deeply, "Finally!"

Jubei smirked, "Come on, let's get out of here." He gathered up his belongings and nudged Roth out of his seat. Jubei was that kind of guy that if he picks on someone throughout the day with slight rough contact, that means he respects that person. Roth developed this habit as well, normally right after being hit or tagged by Jubei first.

"Come on, boys!" a quirky voice barked at them as a fast-moving body glomped both of them from behind. "It's brawling time!"

"Your favorite, right, Krad?" Jubei smirked at the female mister of Roth's.

Roth, once again, froze and couldn't speak. Krad was semi on top of him, making him a mess of confusion and hormones.

Krad laughed as she got off of the two guys and pulled Roth up to his feet, "Let's go, partner!"

Her hand gripped his tightly, making him turn bright red from the gesture. She was so happy when she held his hand like that. Her eyes were full of life and energy that even he couldn't tame.

Jubei smirked, "Hey, lost in your fantasies, Roth!?"

Krad laughed, ruffling the half-witch's hair, "Oh, leave him alone, Jubei!"

Roth cleared his throat and stated, "I-I wasn't. I was thinking."

"Ooh, I bet~"

"Same shit, different day with you two!" Krad giggled, loving the fact that Roth also has Jubei as a friend. "Anyway, guess who's our rival today!"

"Who?" Roth asked, his eyes sparking for a challenge.

"It's Vanger and Karter!"

Roth smirked, the first genuine act of emotion he's done all day, "Let's do this."

Vanger Dunn yawned and leaned against the tree trunk, watching other students go by. With a sigh, he muttered, "They're taking their sweet-ass time."

Karter Vante, who was sitting in the tree above him, swung upside down to meet him in the eye. This sudden closeness didn't even make the dead-panned brunette boy flinch. "Well, most likely, Krad is trying to get Roth and Jubei separated from their little bromance."

"Him and Jubei?" he chuckled lowly, "I ship that."

Karter smirked, "You are one twisted, dirty-minded boy~"

"You know it," he quipped with an obvious wink to his weapon. Vanger may look and act dull, but that's really just a mask to deal with everyday life and the bullshit of others. Truthfully, he's very insightful and loves to observe others, seeing if humans are truly learning or not. He is a strong believer in all kinds of love, since his first crush was, in fact, a male weapon. Karter is his opposite in public, but the two are of very like minds when alone or with others they trust. Both may be similar to each other, but their soul wavelengths are leagues apart, making them the perfect mesh in battle.

"There they are," Vanger looked past his partner's long blue hair.

"Ooh, yay! Finally!" she beamed as she let go, knowing that Vanger would catch her. And he never disappoints; he caught her in his arms bridal style and then set her down on her feet. "Thanks, Vans~"

"No problem."

Roth was dragged outside by Krad, the duo running towards the forest border where Vanger and Krad were waiting. The girls grinned as they began to talk smack.

"Get ready, Karter. Roth is on his A-game today~"

She scoffed, "Nice try, Krad. Everyone knows he sleeps in class~"

Roth and Vanger looked at each other and without words, flipped each other the bird with serious eyes, but bored faces.

The females looked at their male partners and giggled loudly, enough to make both of them shift their gaze to the girls. "Boys~" Karter giggled.

"Tell me about it," Krad smirked.

Then the girls growled at each other, "Let's duel!" Both of them jumped back, yelling to their respected partners. Roth with Krad and Vanger with Karter.

"You ready for this!?" Krad barked at Roth.

"You know I am!" he yelled back, feeling very lively when he fights alongside his miester. With a few butterflies in his stomach, he leaped up and transformed in blue and purple lights, swirling around Krad as she posed her arms in a diagonal fashion. With a snap of her fingers, Roth revealed his weapon form: a long and slender energy chain with a spear head of a dragon for one end and a dagger tail for the other end.

Karter giggled, "What a pair of show-offs."

"A match made in heaven, forged by the pits of Hell," Vanger commented with a knowing smirk. "You know what to do, Karter."

"Of course, love," she giggled as she too transformed into a sharp beam of white and black lights. Shooting directly into Vanger's left hand, he gripped her tightly and with a sharp slash to his side, the light shattered away to reveal her form: a black and white katana with a skull on the hilt.

Jubei was sitting against the wall of the school, watching the duel about to take place.

"Hey," he heard a voice emerge beside him. Emerging from the shadows was the Death Scythe, Soul Eater Evans.

Jubei straightened up a little; being in the presence of a Death Scythe made him improve his bearing a bit. "Oh, Death Scythe Soul Eater Evans."

"Please, it's just Soul, Sizzle." The albino smiled as he took the witch weapon's side and sighed, "I had to get away from Lord Death. Too much work in one day. Urgh, I needed a break." Looking at the two teams about to fight, he smiled bitter sweetly, "Those were the days."

"You miss fighting, Soul?"

"More than I'd like to admit. Especially with my partner, Maka."

"Professor Albarn?" Jubei asked, his eyes widened a little.

"That's her. She and I drifted apart after she became a teacher here, stating that we need to work on our careers. Her duty was done when it came to making me a Death Scythe." Looking up at Krad and Roth, he smiled, "I see those two will go the distance."

As they talked, the duel was well underway. Karter and Vanger were very quick with their strikes, but Roth's defenses were next to unbreakable, coiling around Krad's arm and blocking it with said arm like a bracer.

"What makes you say that?" Jubei asked, watching them.

Soul smiled softly, "I see that spunk in that weapon. He has the same look I used to have. Complete admiration for his partner. I remember fighting against him when he was one fight away from being a Keshin. He has the strength, but none of the control. He needed that other half of himself in order to be happy. Hell, I still remember what he said to me when we brought him in."

"So, it is true, isn't it?"

"That miester-less weapon went on a rampage."

"He was as good as a Keshin."

Soul escorted the chained up Roth through the halls of the DWMA with a hard scowl on his face. He hated seeing Roth's own classmates turn on him and such a low opinion of him. Looking at the rebellious youth he had chained up with magical bonds, he truly saw what Roth was.

A friendless soul desperately wanting someone to help him. His dead blue eyes cried for something more than the life he was given. He didn't want to be a Keshin, but his nature led him down the wrong path. His whole life was full of distrust and hatred. No wonder he was the way he was.

"Listen, kid," Soul spoke up to him, "You're not a Keshin. Don't let anyone tell you otherwise."

"But…I am…" he sighed sadly, his tone depressed and solemn, as if he has given up on life.

Soul stopped in the middle of the hallway and stood in front of the youth. Normally, he might've grabbed his collar and got slightly forceful, but that was the old Soul. Now, him being a Death Scythe, he had to mature and be a role model for others to look up too. He had to paint a different picture of one, unlike Spirit, who just irked him to the point of not-caring.

He placed his strong hand on his shoulder and Roth slowly looked up, his face bloody and bruised from the previous battle with said Scythe. "Roth, one of these days you will look back on this trial and see what you did wrong. You're in a very rough patch of your life. No partner for a weapon can be very lonesome, but also very dull and it won't unlock your full potential. That's why, I will stop at nothing to make sure you have calmed down and find you a suitable partner."

Roth frowned, but his eyes were shining with hope. He could only trust this Death Scythe, because…who else could he trust in this school?

Soul smiled softly as he continued to watch the fight, "He's gotten stronger. I can see it in his attacks."

"Indeed. It's all because of your choice in his partner," Jubei stated, seeing Roth strike hard with his tail end, whipping Vanger and Karter back into the tree.

"Actually, it was Krad who came to us."

The witch weapon looked at him in shock, "Seriously?!"

"It's true. She was distraught that her wavelength didn't mesh with any weapon. Including Karter, that kilij. She stated to Lord Death and I that she was a 'miester without a weapon' and that's when we introduced her to Roth, who was living under Lord Death's supervision. Roth was instantly smittened by her, just by the look in his eyes. Krad seemed to like him right away, but this only made him act like a douche."

"Ah, the classic 'I like you, so I have to hate you' play," Jubei chuckled.

Soul laughed, "Pretty much. When we told them to try meshing wavelengths, indeed, it worked, making Krad insanely happy, but Roth, again, didn't want to have it."

"And then Lord Death hired me to fight them and finally knock them into a team unit," Jubei nodded, remembering his involvement of the story. "That was a fun fight. I'd fight them again, but I think I'll get my ass handed to me."

Soul smiled as he bounced off the wall, "Well then, get to work on making yourself stronger, Sizzle." As he walked away, he smiled, "Only time will tell when you too can reach your full potential."

Jubei nodded as he looked at the victors of the friendly sparring match: Krad and Roth.

Vanger moaned as he sat up, Karter transforming back into her human self, lying next to him, "Ouch…"

"Indeed."

Krad beamed, "We did it, Roth!"

"Hell yeah!" Roth snaked off her body and transformed into his human form. He did suffer a few cuts, but he didn't care. His smile was wide and bright, while his eyes spoke volumes about his happiness.

Krad smiled at her partner and then turned to Vanger and Karter on the ground. "Good job, guys! You gave us a run for our money today." She offered her hand to Vanger, which the brunette miester grabbed with a soft smile on his dirty face. "Seriously, today's spar was very good!"

"Next time, we will beat you, Krad," Vanger spoke with a proud tone, his smile generally bigger now, knowing he was looking forward to the next spar.

Roth helped up Karter, who instead of being happy about their friends' win, but smirked as she noted, "Vanger and Krad, huh?"

Instantly, Roth's blue eyes flashed dangerously, "Not my miester."

"Oh relax, you jealous boy!" she teased, laughing at Roth for being so protective. "You know Vanger's mine and mine alone~"

Roth let go of her hand and muttered, "Go get stronger…and shoo!"

She winked at him, "Sure thing, you jealous weapon." Karter turned to Krad and Vanger and smirked, "Sorry, Krad, he's mine~"

Krad blushed, which was something that doesn't normally happen. "Hey, no arguments here, Karter~"

Vanger smiled at his weapon, took her hand and turned back to Krad, "Until next time."

"We'll be looking forward to it," Roth spoke for Krad, silently looming over on her side.

Karter giggled as the pair walked off, hand and hand.

"You can tell."

Roth blinked, "Tell what?"

"How happy they are together."

The weapon looked at his partner and blushed a little, "Y-Yeah, I guess. They are a great pair."

Krad turned to the shy blue-nette boy and took his own hand, making his small blush instantly escalate in shades of red in his cheeks. When he had the courage to turn his head over to her, she smiled and giggled at him, "I remember our first fight with them. You scowled at me and fought them yourself, but got your ass handed to you."

Roth quickly looked away, more out of embarrassment of the memory than out of the embarrassment of the moment. "That was a year ago. I've come a long way since then."

"I know," she smiled, her hand tenderly squeezing his.

Suddenly unable to shake the pitter patter of his heart, Roth quickly changed the subject, "Let's go to the bar to have a drink to celebrate other good battle, ok?"

"I'm in!" she tugged on him as she led them down the massive stairs towards town. Looking back, she smiled at him with the softest and most beautiful smile he's ever seen on her face, "I'm so happy you're my partner, Roth Fangson."

His hand squeezed hers in response, "Me too, Krad Zebbers. Me too."

Rule of Love:

Holding Hands=Happiness

Oct 2015