~The next day, at Death Meister Academy…

"Hey, Maka! Bet ya can't beat me to class!" Black Star yelled as he ran past her and down the hall.

"Hey, come back! I'm faster than you!" Maka yelled after him as she sped up to his pace.

Soul grinned. "Hmph. I guess Maka's alright after all." Tsubaki looked at Soul curiously.

"Was Maka not feeling well yesterday?"

"She said she was fine but she had an 'off' sense to her. She seemed like she was zoning out a lot, but she seems fine now."

Tsubaki nodded with a smile. "Yeah, whatever it was, she seems to have forgotten it by now."

Black Star and Maka skidded to a stop simultaneously as Stein approached them. Stein's and Maka's eyes locked momentarily and they both held the same question 'What if…?'. Then, Stein looked away and returned to normalcy.

"Now, now, children…If you run too hard on these floors, you could fall and bust your skull wide open," He said with a light grin as he disappeared into his classroom.

Black Star shuddered lightly. "Ugh, that guy! He's so creepy…"

"Yeah…"

Maka stared off and watched Stein walk inside his classroom and prepare for his students.

"I WIN!" Black Star exclaimed as he stomped his foot inside the doorway of Stein's classroom.

Maka snapped out of her daze and realized what had happened.

"Ah! You cheater! We were interrupted; that's not fair!" Maka fumed.

Stein watched Maka yell at Black Star violently by the doorway as Black Star laughed.

'I wonder if she's noticed any difference…Has she forgotten about the thought? Or has that thought been the only thing she's been thinking about…Like it's been the only thing I've been thinking about…'

Maka felt his eyes on her and she turned to meet his gaze.

As soon as their eyes met, Stein turned his focus back to the papers on his desk.

'Damn…This can't go on…We need to talk.'

'He's acting weird…Is he thinking about the same thing I've been thinking about?'

Maka looked down at the floor and scuffed it slightly with the head of her boot.

"Hey," Soul said, walking into the room, "You guys ready for class?" He purposely met Maka's gaze to let her know he was worried about her.

Maka held Soul's gaze and followed him to their seats silently.

Stein clutched the screw once more and gave it a few turns. Then, he looked up at his students.

"Today, we're going to learn more about soul resonance and why it sometimes can't be achieved between the weapon and meister." He wheeled himself over to the board and wrote the subject on it with a piece of white chalk.

"We'll be practicing outside with soul resonance." Stein instructed as wheeled himself out into the hallway and into the nearby woods.

'I hope the madness I gave Maka doesn't interfere with her and Soul's soul resonance…Then, they'll know something's up…'

"Liz! Patty! Soul resonance!" "Right!" Liz and Patty replied as they began soul resonance. The small hand guns slowly transformed into huge guns that took up most of Kidd's arms.

Kidd squatted down. "Death cannon!" Blasts that could be seen for miles in Death city were blown through the forest into a cement wall used for practicing.

"Good," Stein said casually. Then, sat down and leaned back against a tree trunk. "Soul, Maka, you're next."

'Now…It seems that when he even says my name, it's different…'

They both nodded and Soul took hold of Maka's hand, transforming into a scythe.

"You ready, Soul?" Maka asked.

"Oh yeah!"

"Soul resonance!" They both shouted. Their souls sparked violently in response as Soul began to transform again. This time, Soul took on the form of a large mystical scythe that was 3 times as large as his normal form.

"Genie Hun-!" Maka abruptly dropped Soul and fell onto the ground, holding her throat and coughing violently.

"What…" Maka choked out as a painful pulse beat into the base of her throat.

Stein and Soul rushed to Maka's side.

"Maka…Can you breathe?" She nodded faintly as she coughed more.

"What the hell's wrong with her?" Soul yelled.

"I'm not sure…I'll take her to the nurse, you guys stay put!"

Soul tried to object but Stein had already made it halfway into the forest before words could form.

Stein slowed to a stop and placed his hand on the base of Maka's throat.

"This will hurt…Brace yourself." Stein sent small yellow jolts into Maka's throat and she stifled a scream.

Stein watched painfully and withdrew his hand.

Maka calmed to a pant and weakened in his arms. Stein swallowed hard.

'This is my fault…My madness won't allow her to resonate with Soul now…'

'It hurts…Is this the madness professor gave me?'

"Can you walk?" Stein asked, easing her down.

Maka nodded and stood weakly.

"What...was that...?" Maka asked Stein, lightly touching the base of her throat that had been constricting moments earlier.

"I think it's the madness I gave you…It's physically restricting you to resonate with Soul. I'm sorry…I never thought that this would happen…"

Maka was silent for a moment, thinking of what will come of her and Soul's meister-weapon relationship now.

The lingering thought from yesterday surfaced its way back into her focus. Maka struggled with her thoughts.

'How do I say this..?'

"Professor, have you been thin-"

"Please tell me you've been thinking about it, too…" Stein covered his face with his hand and relaxed his shoulders.

"I have…" Maka murmured quietly.

"I know that...the madness plays with our emotions…It makes some emotions stronger than others when it's active."

"I don't think that it messed with my emotions at all!" Maka said firmly, looking up at Stein with her closed fist on her chest.

Stein looked at Maka incredulously.

"So that thought…You really believe…" Stein's facial expression twisted with his words.

"I don't just believe…" Maka gently took Stein's hand and placed it over her heart. "I know…I can feel it."

Stein abruptly grabbed Maka and hugged her tight. Maka buried her face in Stein's shoulder and her breath trembled.

He placed his hand lightly on Maka's head and brushed her hair down. Maka relaxed in response and leaned into his shoulder more.

"I want you to come to my lab after school…I want to find out why the madness isn't letting you resonate with Soul…And I don't want you to get hurt anymore…"

Maka nodded lightly against his shoulder. That was all she could do, her body restricted any other movement being this close to Stein.

Then, he took her hand.

"Thank you."

Stein smiled and squeezed Maka's hand lightly. "Let's go back and postpone the rest of the training for tomorrow…You need to rest."

Maka nodded and smiled back at Stein, squeezing his hand just as he did hers.