Chapter 2: Pray for peace... amidst evil deeds….

Soul lay on his bed, his head resting on his crossed hands and his crimson eyes boring into the ceiling. Fractured memories passed through his mind like water rolling over a stone; he remembered Maka's hand gripping his arm, still felt a tingling sensation above his elbow where it had been. He remembered the hurt expression she wore; he remembered thinking the look didn't belong on her face. He grimaced, remembering it had been his words that had put it there.

He had heard the main door of the dorm room slamming shortly after he'd retreated into his room, and had guessed it must have been her. He clucked his tongue, disgusted with himself. He remembered the watch, the gift Maka had given him. I know… it was supposed to be a representation of the time we'd spent together…. From the day we'd met, to today, when our partnership was supposed to come to an end…. But how could I have accepted it…? She's still stuck with me, and I couldn't even break the news to her…. Not when she had bought me that watch. Not when she… looked so damn happy for me.

He was growing restless lying on his bed. He looked up at the clock, and his eyes opened in surprise. What the hell…? I've been sitting here that long? He groaned. "It's really uncool to sit around feeling sorry for yourself…. I usually leave that kind of thing up to Maka…." He grinned his shark's grin. "Well, I'd better go find her; she's probably going to give me one of her damn Maka chops, though…." He grimaced, rubbing the top of his head gingerly, anticipating the throbbing pain. He pulled himself out of bed, put his hands in his jacket front pockets, and walked out of his room and then the empty dorm.

Spirit remained standing one pace to the right and behind Lord Death, trying his best to blend in with the background and to not appear as though he was eavesdropping on what was certainly one of the more interesting conversations he'd ever been privy to. Lady Mabaa's counterparts, on the other hand, made no attempt to veil their interest in the dialogue. Mabaa and Death knelt on comfortable-looking cushions in front of a low table, and occasionally Sid Barett would appear, seemingly out of nowhere, to refill their tea cups.

Mabaa watched Sid's careful movements as he refilled her cup with a detached curiosity, then returned her gaze to the Reaper. "There has been an incident in the New England area; apparently some members of our organization engaged each other in battle…."

Lord Death sipped at his tea, then set the cup down. "Yes, I've heard about it as well…. I've dispatched a small unit to the area, with orders to capture the Meisters and Weapons responsible, and bring them here immediately."

Mabaa was quiet for a long moment. Finally, she sniffed and said, almost dismissively, "The Witches involved in the fray have already been executed."

Death seemed to regard her, and only Mabaa and Spirit noticed a subtle change in Lord Death's wavelength. "…I'm sorry…. Did you say, 'executed'?"

Mabaa lifted her tea cup and gently swirled it; she seemed to study Lord Death's face from over its rim. "Yes, that's right. That's the mandate I issued to the entire Witches' Mass. Anyone who violates the terms of the treaty… will be executed on-sight. Do you disagree with my methods?"

Lord Death seemed to zone out for a moment, then chuckled. "Well, I suppose as long as we can both agree to respect each other's methods for dealing with these violators, I don't have any place telling you how to handle your people…. Out of curiosity, though… what was done with their…?"

Mabaa's robes shook as she chuckled. "With their souls? I'm afraid I'll have to keep that information close to the chest as well, Lord Death. I'm well aware of the DWMA's requirements for their students…." She clucked her tongue. "A distasteful practice, but one that is apparently necessary for your needs…. And one what will have to be discussed when the time comes…. I don't believe you currently have any members who are being held up by the requirement for a Witch's soul, do you…?"

Lord Death nodded. "Yes, thankfully times are relatively peaceful right now. There are fewer and fewer humans going down the path to becoming a Kishin. That said, peaceful times don't always last, and the policy of this Academy is still for students to develop Weapons into Death Scythes… which, I'm afraid, still requires the Weapon to devour 99 evil human souls, and one Witch soul."

Mabaa nodded. "Well, when the time comes, we can discuss this further, and at length. I have some of my best scientists working on suitable replacement materials, and I understand that they're making good progress. I'll keep you informed as necessary."

The Reaper's tone became harsher. "As I've said before, it could be helpful to have some of my people assist you in that endeavor…."

Mabaa's tone became equally curt. "And as I've said, the time is not quite right for that to happen just yet…. Not while Meister/Weapon pairs and Witches are still killing each other under cover of darkness…. Maybe if you handled your offenders with a bit of a heavier hand…."

Lord Death dismissed her insinuation with a wave of his hand. "As I already said, I will not question your methods of punishment, as long as you stay out of mine…. Besides, you've promised, and delivered, swift death to any Witch violators, and they still disobey with disheartening frequency. Obviously, your method is not perfect, either…."

Mabaa narrowed her eye. "Well, Lord Death, it might be a different story if we discover that it was your people who are instigating these skirmishes…. Accidents do happen, and there's no telling what may transpire in the confusion of a three-way battle with my execution squad."

Lord Death fell silent, and this time everyone in the Death Room could sense the hostile change in both Mabaa's and Death's soul wavelengths. Spirit's breath caught in his throat, and he set his gaze on the two Witches who had tensed behind their master.

Lord Death's shoulders slumped as he sighed. "Well, we'll look into it, I promise you…. It shouldn't be a matter of who started it, though…. Witches and Meister/Weapon teams should be more than capable of escaping from any kind of battle…. It's how we train; it's how we fight. Both parties must be held accountable for any violation of the treaty. Let's do away with threats…. This peace is fragile enough as it is without the two of us at each other's throats, don't you agree?"

Mabaa laughed, a cold raspy sound, and sipped at her tea. "Very well, Lord Death…. We'll set that matter aside for now. But, I'm afraid that's the end of what was on our agenda today…. So, if there's nothing else, I will take my leave."

Lord Death nodded. "All right, then…. We, the entire DWMA, were happy to have you visit. Don't be such a stranger! Come by anytime!"

Mabaa chuckled as she stood up and dusted off her bottom. "Quite so, Lord Death…." They faced each other and gave short bows, before she turned and walked out, her escorts close at her heels.

Spirit held his breath until he heard the door close behind them, then let it all out in one large exhale, and fell to the floor, his forehead glistening with sweat. "Jeez, Lord Death…! Did you really have to antagonize her like that…? I don't know what I'd have done if you two had started fighting right here in the Death Room! Why don't you think about how I feel every once in a while?"

Lord Death sighed. "Well, I don't even want to think about the consequences of a fight between Mabaa and me in the middle of Death City…. But, if you think about it, I'm sure she doesn't, either…. We've gotta give it to that werewolf… he really did us all a favor when he plucked her eye out all those years ago. You might not believe it, but she was a lot stronger before that happened."

Spirit's jaw dropped, and he pulled out a handkerchief and wiped his brow. "Ugh…. I can't stand you overpowered freaks…." His face became uncharacteristically serious. "Lord Death…?"

The Reaper's gaze remained fixed on the hallway Mabaa had just walked down, as if he were still watching her. "Hm?"

Spirit swallowed. "How… how long do you think this truce can really last…?"

Lord Death's answer came after a long pause…. "As long as it can, Spirit…. Only as long as it can. I just pray that it will last longer than we can hope for…."

Stein was still at the balcony, enjoying a few last drags on his current cigarette. He looked out at Death City sprawling beneath him. He smiled softly. He had sensed the presence behind him for a while now, coming in a roundabout way closer and closer to him over several minutes. When the door behind him swung open, he didn't turn to face the person behind it. "Good evening, Maka."

She scowled, then gave up and smiled with a shrug. "There's no surprising you, is there, Professor?"

Stein took a long drag on his cigarette and stamped it out on the balcony handrail, then tossed it out into the air. He turned to look at her. "Not with a soul like yours, Maka, no. You seem like something's troubling you…. It's Soul, right?" He smirked when he saw her response. "Did you want to talk about it?"

Maka tsk-ed. "That idiot? He's just acting stupid…."

Stein nodded in understanding. "So I guess Soul didn't tell you, then…? Well, I guess I'm not entirely surprised…. I thought you two could communicate a little better than that, after all this time, though…."

Maka's eyebrows went up. "Huh…? What do you mean, Professor Stein? There's something Soul's not telling me, isn't there…? Does it have to do with him becoming a Death Scythe?"

Stein nodded as he reached for another cigarette. "Indeed…. Maka, you understand what it is that a Death Scythe's responsibilities are, right?"

Maka closed her eyes and seemed to recite the answer as if reading it from a textbook. "A Death Scythe's first and foremost responsibility is to ensure the protection and security of Lord Death. They are his protectors, his elite guard, and also act as his personal Weapons during battle. A Death Scythe's auxiliary duties include overseeing the operations of DWMA satellite facilities and areas of operation, and they have authority to act and make decisions there in Lord Death's stead, and with his full confidence."

Stein smiled and blew out a fresh lungful of smoke. "Perfect marks as always, Maka…. Of course, if you stop and think about it, that is an overwhelming amount of responsibility for anyone, including for Soul. Lord Death has decided to postpone Soul taking on the full responsibility of his position, at least until he has undergone enough training and extra courses to prepare him for all of that…. It's not to take anything away from Soul's ability or strength; it is more a reflection of the peaceful times that we find ourselves in right now. But… as you might expect…."

Maka looked down at her feet and finished the thought. "Soul's not taking it so well…. It's no wonder he seemed so distracted at our farewell party."

Stein nodded. "So that's what happened. I see…. Well, Maka, I have an additional theory on what must seem like strange behavior from Soul. You see, Lord Death also decreed that Soul would remain your partner during this transitional period for him. He seemed to take that news the hardest…."

Maka's eyes widened. "But… but why would he-?"

Stein narrowed his eyes at her. "Come on, Maka; think about it. You've been Soul's partner for years now; you know how he thinks. You already helped Soul ascend into a Death Scythe. Your job should now be to find a new suitable partner and help them ascend, as well…. It would be a big part of your advancement from a two-star Meister into a three-star one…. Not that just that would be enough for promotion…. It certainly wouldn't hinder you, though."

Maka seemed to think for a minute, then her body jumped at her epiphany. "So…! You mean, Soul feels like he's holding me back…?"

Stein winked. "Bingo." He adjusted his glasses and took another drag on his cigarette. "It's important that you two work this out. You're going to continue to work together as a Meister/Weapon pair, and you know all-too-well the results of a Meister and Weapon fighting together without complete trust and resonance. Don't let this fester."

Maka started to open her mouth, but then the door behind her swung open again, and she turned around and made a face at the sight greeting her.

"My sweet daughter Maka!" Spirit exclaimed, throwing himself at her with arms spread wide open, obviously hoping for an embrace.

Instead, he was greeted with the sole of Maka's boot slamming him full in the face, and he lay on the ground on his stomach, twitching and reaching for Maka as she kept him at bay with her boot. "Thanks for the advice, Professor Stein…. I'll try and find Soul, and try to work this out. See you later."

Spirit weakly raised an arm towards his daughter, choking and sobbing, as she turned up her nose and walked past him and back through the door into the Academy hallway.

Stein adjusted his glasses as he studied Spirit's pathetic movements, and turned back to the balcony, taking a long drag on a fresh cigarette. "So, how'd that go?"

Spirit lifted his face, tears streaming down his face. "I think she's still mad at me…."

Stein sighed and pinched the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger, trying to stave off a headache. "Not that, you numbskull…. I'm talking about Lord Death and Grand Witch Mabaa's… little meet-and-greet."

Spirit held a hand up to Stein. Stein's confused gaze went from the hand to Spirit's face, and he finally sighed with irritated resignation. "I knew it…." He reached into his coat pocket and withdrew a cigarette. "You're really a horrible bum, you know that…?"

Moments later, they stood side-by-side, smoking intermittently as they spoke. Finally, Stein nodded. "I see…. Well, it's to be expected…. The threat of the Kishin was enough to bring the DWMA and the Witches' Mass together, and I suppose you could say that it was a really cute scene when both sides absolved Kim Diehl, Eruka Frog, Crona Gorgon, and Tabasa Butterfly and Taruho Firefly, better known as Risa and Arisa, of any and all wrongdoing…. Kid was also highly instrumental in developing the ties between the DWMA and the Witches' Mass into the truce that we know today…. I guess every dark cloud has a silver lining, even one as dark as the Kishin…. But, the fact remains that the bitter war that's raged between the DWMA and Witches has been going on for so long… it's just idyllic nonsense to think that Lord Death and Grand Witch Mabaa sitting down to tea a couple of times a month would heal those wounds…."

Spirit frowned. "That's pretty pessimistic coming from someone who all but said that he was gonna place his hopes on the next generation…. And it was Maka and Kid who pushed this the hardest…. Don't you think you could show a little more support?"

Stein chuckled. "I'm not going back on what I said, Spirit. All I can do is look at this from an adult's perspective…. I have to substitute youthful enthusiasm and optimism with a little world-weariness and experience…. And it's not like I'm saying it can't work… over time. But you know as well as I do that if Kid or Maka had been in that room with you, and heard the things you heard… we might have had a pretty serious incident…. It's that wizened outlook that we adults need to apply in situations like these to know that a little spat over some fight in New England doesn't spell certain doom for this truce. It's one bump in the long road to peace…. It's a lot more difficult to maintain it than it is to attain it."

Spirit sighed out a long wisp of smoke. "Yeah, yeah… I hear ya." He looked at his watch, yawned, and stretched. "Well, I think I'm gonna head out, Stein…. You feel like grabbing something to drink with me at Chupa Cabra's? I still have a little time to kill before my nighttime cleaning punishment…."

Stein stood up from his forward lean and reached up, absent-mindedly turning the screw in his head in a clockwise direction of rotation. "Nah, I need to get back to the lab…. Marie is probably finishing up dinner and wondering where I am. It's kind of a pain whenever business brings her here, because she always ends up staying at my place…. But then, it's better than just eating liquefied vegetables out of a beaker…."

Spirit watched him walk away, aghast. "You actually eat like that?! Forget my invite! Actually, just go ahead and forget every nice thing I've ever said about you! You're inhuman! Not to mention absolutely insane!"

Her feet pounded on the moist ground as she ran through the forest. Thick mist hung in spiraling tendrils low to the ground, and it was all she could do to avoid slipping on rotted foliage, or tripping on a raised tree root. Her breath came in gasps, not because she was winded, but because her heart was pounding out of her chest. The night air was inarguably chilly, but it couldn't take credit for the raised goose bumps covering her neck and arms. Her Weapons felt extremely heavy in her hands, but she wouldn't dream of letting them go. Not after what she'd seen….

Tetsuo…! Oh, god… Tetsuo! She threw her hand out and caught hold of a tree mid-sprint, and whipped around and to a full stop. She doubled over and retched, her knees shaking. From somewhere in the distance, a pair of sounds rose over those of the wind whispering through the trees and cicadas buzzing fiercely: the howl of a wolf, and a strained scream. That set her feet moving again, and she was flying through the forest at her top speed once more. I… I have to keep moving…! I have to tell someone about this!

(She had lost contact with her cohort, a senior two-star Meister by the name of Tetsuo Yamada, over an hour ago. She felt foolish with the knowledge that he would likely be back at their campsite, and that she would be in for a night of verbal jabbing at her reckless behavior in searching for him. But, black ops policies be damned, she would never forgive herself if something had actually happened to the idiot.

It hadn't been long before she heard it… something… something strange. Parting the leaves of a large bush, she paused just long enough to check that her Weapons, two Chinese hook swords by the name of Fu Tao and Shuang Gou, were secured in the makeshift scabbards at her back. When she refocused her attention to the scene before her, her eyes widened so far that the effect was almost comical, if off-putting.

Tetsuo was sitting with his back against a tree and his head bowed forward at an extreme angle; it almost looked unnatural. Then she realized he was strapped to it with several loops of fiber rope. She strained her ears, and realized that the strange sound she'd been hearing… it was him muttering something over and over. She approached him, silky and silent in her movements, and as she got nearer and nearer to him, she was able to make out what he was saying….

"Murder of crows…. Murder of crows…. Murder of crows…. Do you know what a flock of crows is called…? A murder…. M-murder of crows…."

She knelt beside him, putting a hand on his shoulder. He jumped at her touch, but kept his face downwards and hidden in shadow, and continued his meaningless rambling. "Tetsuo…? Who did this…? Don't worry; I'm here now…. I'm getting you out of here."

His voice shook, then faltered, then finally stopped. She heard his breaths coming out with ragged irregularity. "Do you know how crows eat their food…? When… when it's still alive? She asked me… do I know what a flock of crows is called…? When crows eat… they fight over who gets them first…." She looked down, and realized that there were two small pools of blood on the front of his pants, and that more drops were falling into them. Then he lifted his face. "They… they fight over them… you watch them fight over your eyes, and that's the last thing you see!" After that, he just screamed. Over and over… she couldn't make him stop screaming. She felt her gorge rising at the sight of Tetsuo's empty eye sockets staring blindly out at her, weeping crimson tears, and she barely managed to hold down the rising vomit. Then she realized she wasn't alone. She stood up slowly, drawing Fu and Shuang out of their scabbards and turning. She realized what she'd been hearing… it was the sound of wings fluttering. She looked up at the tree tops, and when she realized that the trees were alive with them… hundreds of them, her mind snapped… and she ran.)

She had stopped by a stream, trying to slow the beating of her heart and tuning out her twin Weapons' talking to her. "Guys, please…! Just… just give me a second of quiet, would you? I need… I need to think. I know I'm in shock, Shuang, thank you very much…. Just… just let me wrap my head around this all right?" She sat down beside the stream, hugging her knees to her chest and trying to gather her wits about her.

Suddenly, she sensed movement to her left, and jumped up, grabbing the twin hook swords and raising them defensively. Then she realized… she had just been spooked by a brown bear some 30 meters away. She sighed in relief and lowered her swords. "My god, I'm so unnerved that I almost killed a bear…. Some black ops specialist I am…. A bear… how foolish."

"Well, I don't think it's very foolish to be afraid of a bear."

Her eyes widened and her pupils dilated to the point of vanishing. She began trembling, and turned to look back at the bear. "D-did that thing just…?"

"I mean, honestly," the bear continued, its eyes shining with an otherworldly light, "they're one of the most dangerous things you can run into out here…. Large, covered with this convenient fur hide armor, armed with lacerating claws and fangs, outweighing you by several hundred pounds, on top of being faster than you are on foot… I'd say bears should be the thing you're most afraid of… when you're alone in the woods…. Besides," and here, the Meister could swear she saw the bear grin at her, "the bears around here…? They have a bit of a taste for human flesh." There was a brilliant flash of red light, followed by a long, agonizing female scream. Her twitching lasted several minutes afterward, while the bear ate its fill….

Elsewhere, the Meister known as Tetsuo had stopped squirming. The crows had managed to keep him alive for quite a while before one accidentally severed his femoral artery, and he had mercifully bled out in a matter of a few short minutes.

And somewhere in the darkness, under a canopy of leaves and brush, a pair of intelligent eyes, wolf's eyes, watched everything, with some strange sense of approval.

-And there's Chapter 2! The end there should give you some idea of the kind of things that'll be in store throughout this story. We'll try to keep language, sexual references, etc., to an absolute minimum, but where this fic will earn its 'M' rating will likely be in the violence/brutality department. Nothing too over-the-top, but c'mon…. These people are brandishing swords, scythes, knives, guns, you name it…. Somebody's bound to get mangled, and it might as well be these guys! Hope you're enjoying the build-up of things! …'Cause there's a lot more of it headed your way! See ya next time!-