Soul Eater: Legend of the Dragon

Shadow on the Sidelines: Playing with New Friends?

A sound soul dwells within a sound mind and a sound body.

Hellcat looked down from the branch she was perching on and grinned, baring her fangs. She waited for her opportunity and pounced. Crona screamed. Hellcat rolled onto her side, laughing. Maka growled and threw her book at Hellcat. The Bio-Weapon recoiled with a growl and cowered in the shadows, rubbing the sore spot on her head.

"Sorry about that, Crona." Maka helped the shaken Meister to his feet. Maka glared at Hellcat. "What was that about?"

Hellcat winced and withdrew more. "Just like Uncle Spirit said… You really are like your mother…" She gulped and slunk out of the shadows to Crona's side. "I'm sorry Crona." She looked up at him shamefully.

"I-it's okay," Crona stammered.

"Let's keep moving," Soul muttered. "The village is up ahead."

…

Hellcat gaped fearfully up at the giant golem that loomed over the team. It's so big. I don't think we can handle this. Oh no, what're we gonna do? She shakily withdrew to the shadows and scrambled up a tree. I have to transform. I have to. I promised Uncle Spirit I'd look out for Maka. Her eyes widened in horror as the man at the golem's feet changed into a chainsaw. The golem roared. Hellcat clung to the branch.

The golem attacked Maka and Crona, flinging them aside with ease. The saw laughed evilly. Maka and Ragnarok started yelling at each other. The golem raised the saw to bring it down on Maka's head. Hellcat closed her eyes. But she knew Maka was safe. Ragnarok held back the saw and laughed.

Hellcat smiled. I knew there was a good heart in that sword!

…

Hellcat balked. The spiders seemed to be coming from everywhere and swarmed the golem. Something emerged from the earthen construct. Hellcat hissed. A witch! She dropped from the branch and transformed. Crona stared in disbelief as Hellcat became a giant cat-like creature. Black spots decorated her tan fur. Blades erupted from her heels, elbows, tail tip, and shoulders, and a row of blades sprouted town her spine. She snarled through her fangs and slashed the air with her long hooked claws. She glared dangerously at the witch emerging from the golem's belly and licked her lips.

"Hear me, Witch!" Hellcat roared. "I am that which you fear most! I am your worst nightmare! I am a Biological Weapon. I am Honeko Kageneko, and I'm here to consume your soul!" She lunged and readied to sink her fangs into the witch. The black-robed woman swatted Hellcat aside, throwing her into a tree. Hellcat hissed and feebly tried to scramble to her paws. She collapsed, gasping painfully as blood dripped from her nose and lips.

The witch ignored Hellcat and turned to the others. "It's nice to meet you, children." She looked at them with venom in her gaze. "Maka. Soul. Last night you had a little argument, didn't you? Over who it was that burned the curry."

Maka scowled. "How could you possibly know that?"

The witch closed her eyes with the faintest hint of a smirk. "It was Soul. He forgot to turn the burner off and scorched your dinner."

Soul broke into a cold sweat. Maka growled at him. He looked away shamefully.

Hellcat's eyes widened. Spiders! Yes, what the saw-man said was true! The witch Arachne uses spiders to see things around the world. There must have been one of her spiders in their apartment last night! She growled weakly as Arachne continued speaking.

"The two of you aren't my only entertainment though. I've been watching everything that's gone on throughout the world… for eight centuries… through the eyes of my dear spiders." She turned her gaze to Crona. "You too, Crona. The child of Medusa, my little sister."

Crona recoiled in fear.

Arachne giggled. "How delightful. Medusa didn't love you one little bit, did she?" She paused and smiled. "Well, it's not too late. I can give you my love."

Crona gritted his teeth and glared at Arachne, still trembling fearfully. He clutched Ragnarok's hilt in a white-knuckle grip. He growled.

Arachne laughed. "Oh, how delightful!"

Crona yelled and charged. "Go after her, Crona," Ragnarok cheered. "Kill the witch! You're on fire now!"

Ragnarok's blade met with Arachne's fan and bounced harmlessly off. Hellcat closed her eyes and looked away. This isn't good. I can't move, can barely breathe. Maka's paralyzed, and Soul can't fight without his partner. I'm sorry, Daddy… I couldn't do it…

"Nice try! Saint Cross Knife!"

Hellcat's eyes snapped open. The man who called himself Giriko jumped back. A young man in a black robe had joined the battle. Hellcat recognized him. That's Justin Law, the Executioner! He's one of the Death Scythes! We're saved!

…

Maka sighed and stared at the ceiling. Her friends had gone home for the night, and she was stuck paralyzed in the DWMA dispensary. She sighed again.

"You sound bored."

"Hm? Oh. Hellcat."

"Mind if I join you?" Hellcat sat next to Maka's bed. "I feel really bad about how everything went today." She stared at her hands folded in her lap. "I don't even remember any of the fight. I just know I couldn't do anything to help." Tears brimmed in her eyes. "If I had been able to do something, then you wouldn't be stuck like this. I'm sorry, Maka."

"It's not your fault, Hellcat." Maka offered a small smile. "You tried, and you did your best. That's the most anyone could ask for. It was your first real fight, wasn't it? They don't always go over well. In fact, I almost got killed on my first assignment with Soul."

Hellcat's eyes widened. "Really?"

"Yeah. It was pretty scary. If Soul hadn't kept telling me to run away, we both would've died."

"It must be so nice to have a partner to look after you and watch your back. The way you two fight together reminds me a lot of my father and his partner. I would watch them train a lot when I was growing up." Hellcat smiled sadly. "Daddy always took such great care of me. He never forgot to get me a gift for my birthday. And whenever he'd go anywhere, he would always bring me back a little souvenir." The smile fell from her face, along with some tears. "He died a week before my tenth birthday."

Maka's smile faded. "He and my dad were good friends, weren't they? What happened?"

Hellcat's shoulders trembled. "Daddy and his partner were out on a witch hunt when…" She wiped her eyes. "The witch was too powerful for them to handle. Lord Death and Spirit told me… the witch had killed them both…"

"That's horrible."

Hellcat looked up. "I knew then that I had to dedicate my life to hunting down that witch and devouring her soul. But I still have to get stronger. I don't stand a chance if I can't hold my own in a fight."

Maka chuckled. "I can relate to that. I also want to get stronger. I don't wanna rely on Soul to save me every time I get in trouble. I have to get stronger so I can protect him the way he protects me."

"Hey, why don't we train together? I mean, once you can move again."

"Sounds like a plan to me."

Crona: Um… Uh… H-Hellcat?

Hellcat: Oh, Crona! Hi!

Crona: Uh, h-hi…

Hellcat: Aww, you're so shy! How cute!

Crona: C-can't… breathe…

Maka: Let him go, Hellcat. You're choking him!

Hellcat: Oh. Sorry! Please don't hit me…

Maka: I can't move, remember? Anyway, just what kind of training did you have in mind?

Hellcat: Actually… I didn't even think about it! Eh-heh-heh!

Maka: (sigh)

Hellcat: Next time on Soul Eater: Legend of the Dragon- Cry of the Cat: Sonic Echo?

Maka: Read it, or I'll take your soul.