Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater or the song title which is Innocent Hearts by Elis.

Long Chapter Alert! You may need to take a break halfway through this one.

Have fun!

Remember Me

Innocent Hearts

Soul's training with Lord Death started tomorrow. It had been almost two days since he'd had lunch with Spirit, but still he hadn't taken the man's advice.

He intended to do so today.

It was about 11 in the morning, the Nevada heat rising from steaming to unbearable quickly. The malicious sun was laughing in the blue Nevada sky as though mocking the pitiful humans running around beneath it. Soul had just gotten out of the shower after his early morning workout. A towel hung around his neck catching any stray rivulets of water that might fall from his hair, and he was wearing a pair of black sweat pants and a white wife-beater.

He was currently standing in the doorway to his room staring straight across the expanse to Maka's door.

"Come on, Soul. What are you waiting for? Just do it."

But he's a fucking coward who can barely even walk past the foreboding door without wincing. Maybe if he just had a bit of Maka's old courage...

And, despite the fear drifting along the current of his soul, he's walking across the room, putting his hand on the doorknob, twisting and opening the door. He feels the madness creeping in, always there like itch he couldn't scratch. He'd stayed as far away as he could from here the last two years, but now the door is open and he's peeking inside.

He thinks the bottom of his stomach just dropped.

The room was exactly the way she'd left it two years before. The bed was neatly made up. Her books stacked in order on the bookshelf. The desk was bare save for an open textbook positioned underneath the desk lamp as though she'd been studying but had been interrupted – he smirked. Oh, yeah, he remembered that day.

The room was a bit dusty which was to be expected after two years of neglect, but it still smelt like her. This was her sanctuary. Sure he'd almost always been welcome inside, and yeah, about six months into their relationship, she'd started sleeping in his room more often than not, but this was always her room. Her clothes were still in the closet. Her mother's trench coat, the one she'd been wearing when they first met, was hanging over a chair in the corner. And the top of the dresser was littered with her various hair and face products.

Walking over, he picked up one of her combs. Beneath it was revealed the natural dark finish of the wood and a perfect outline of the comb made in dust. He dragged a finger across the varnish before rubbing his thumb across the now dirtied pad. He wrinkled his nose.

Maka would not approve.

And so he got to work.


The group was taking in the sights. Black Star, Tsubaki, Death the Kidd, Liz, and Patti had been allotted three days in Mexico to track down the witch. Today was their last day, and having defeated the witch the night before and taken stock of what her research had entailed, they decided to use up the time they had before their flight out to explore Mexico City.

"Hey, Kidd, look over here! It's so pretty."

Liz and Patti had dragged their friends to the central marketplace - much to Black Star and Kidd's chagrin, but the girls were having a blast, and that's all that mattered. Patti was currently showing Kidd a piece of jewelry she had just found at a small stand from across the street. It was a simple silver chain necklace with three gems dangling from the center. The center gem was black with a skull engraved on the face and a little larger than the two white gems on either side of it.

The vendor of the stand was showing his merchandise to all three girls as they ogled the accessories. When he saw Patti call out to Kidd, he perked up, hoping to make a sale no doubt.

"Tócalo, señor."

He waved his reluctance to the man, but gave Patti the permission to buy the item much to the weapon and gentleman's delight.

"You know you spoil those two," Black Star observed. The taller, blue-haired meister was flipping through a comic book of sorts pretending to mind his own business.

"Hardly," replied the reaper as he went back to perusing the book in front of him. He and the loud-mouthed shinobi had taken position at a stand that sold various magazines, newspapers, comics, and books.

"I guess they deserve it though," continued Black Star with a smirk. "…Having to put up with your ass all the time. Haha." He laughed as he threw aside the comic he'd been looking through back on the table.

"Yes, I'm sure they have quite a time of it, Black Star," he said more than a little exasperated. "Just as I'm sure Tsubaki has quite a time babysitting you."

He put the book down and gestured to the vendor to purchase it. Black Star spoke again as he passed the requested monetary amount to the lady that was running the stand.

"Che, as if! Bet cha can't even remember the last time I got myself into trouble."

Actually now that Kidd thought about it, he couldn't remember the last time he'd seen the poor weapon sputtering apologies in Black Star's wake. The thirteen year old who used to crow all day and all night had become far more subdued over the years. Granted, his OCD wasn't nearly as bad as it used to be either.

"Whatever you say, Black Star."

"Hah, that's right. Heed my divine words." The sentence rolling of his tongue thick with every intention of baiting him.

Burnt sienna rolled skyward. Some things never change.

"Hey, Kidd, do you think Soul will still be in town by the time we get back?"

Change of topic... Odd.

"I don't see why he wouldn't be," he said as he continued to look through his purchase. "Father refuses to give him another mission, and with Spirit gone on an assignment, Soul's the only death scythe available to him. In fact, I think Soul is to be starting his training to be a reaper's scythe."

"Good. He's always way too eager to take off again whenever he gets back. And besides I need to fill him in on all my godly adventures."

Kidd chuckled.

"Yes, it certainly seems he hasn't been around much these last two years. I worry about him sometimes."

"You know, I overheard that little 'exchange' you two had at the party the other day."

"You heard what he said then."

"You bet I did. Stubborn bastard. I like to see what she'd do to him, if she knew how he's been acting."

"Yes, a few good chops to the head might be just what the doctor ordered to snap him out of this meaningless and reckless cycle. I can hardly bear to think about what might happen if something doesn't change soon."

Black Star raised a brow at his long time rival before he continued.

"I think I speak for all of us when I say that none of us want to bury another comrade any time soon."

Black Star nodded.

"I think you mean friend, Kidd."

"Right…" he said with a small smile.

"Black Star, you have to come see this!" came Tsubaki's voice from somewhere behind him. Without looking, Black Star turned and ran straight into a young woman that had been standing right behind him. She had approached the stand completely unnoticed by the pair as they'd continued their conversation and had just finished purchasing a book. Upon colliding with the male, she had dropped everything that had been in her hands.

Black Star froze at her appearance.

Looking her over now, she had ashy blonde hair and lightly tanned skin. Her hair was done up in two French braids tied off with black ribbons. She was wearing a white tunic with pink beading along the neckline and a pink peasant skit that reached to just below her knees. But what had startled the meister the most had been her eyes, her pupil-less forest green eyes.

"Oh, I'm so sorry," she murmured quickly and dove down to pick up her things. Black Star's eyes widened at the sound of her voice. His hands shot out and gripped her a little tighter than necessary around her bicep,s stopping her from bending over.

"M-Maka…" he stammered too stunned to do anything but stare at her.

Kidd, who hadn't been paying much attention to the commotion, looked over at Black Star's muted exclamation only to stare in awe at the woman before them. Was it really…

"I'm sorry, sir. I don't know who you are."

"No, Maka. Come on it's me! It's Black Star!" he half yelled gesturing wildly between himself and her.

"I'm terribly sorry, but you must have me confused with someone else. My name is Maristela."

"No! Wait, Maka-"

Kidd pulled Black Star off of the now distressed girl.

"I so sorry, miss. My friend here seems to be a bit confused. Let me help you."

And he bent to retrieve her items: a black messenger bag, a small bouquet of sunflowers, a bag of groceries, and the book she had just finished purchasing. His eyes glanced over the title of the book as he picked it up. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery, it had been one of Maka's favorites. She slipped the bag over her shoulders so that it hung on her right side and the bag of groceries over her left wrist. She then cradled the sunflowers in her arms before reaching for the book still in Kidd's hand.

"Muchos gracias, señor," she said placing it in the careful fold of her arms behind the flowers so that is rested against her chest.

"De nada, señorita, but may I ask what your name was?"

"Ah, yes. My name is Maristela Velasquez. And you are?"

"I'm Death the Kidd," he answered placing a hand on his chest before gesturing at the man still sputtering at his side. "...and my clumsy friend here's name is Black Star. Your English is very good, are you originally from here?"

She hesitated before answering.

"I, well I live with my parents, but I recently had to relearn Spanish after an accident."

"An accident?"

"Yes, two years ago, I got into a bad accident. But umm... Where are you from?"

"Oh, we're from Death City, Nevada."

Her eyes seemed to light up.

"Oh! So you must work for the Death God."

"So you've heard of it."

"Of course. I've read a lot about the DWMA. That must be amazing."

"It's an exciting lifestyle."

She giggled.

"I sometimes wish I could be a weapon or a meister. It must be so wonderful being able to go on adventures and see the world-"

"Hey Kidd! Black Star! What are you two doing?"

"Over here, Liz. Just chatting with a friend."

The girls hurried over to where they were standing only to gasp at the young woman Kidd was speaking to.

"Oh my God! Ma-"

"Ah, girls," interrupted Kidd. "This is Maristela. Black Star kind of ran into her."

Tsubaki looked at the confused blonde like her heart had just been pulled from her chest. Black Star moved quickly, placing his body between her and the blonde, and pulling her into his arms.

Mari shifted a little uncomfortable with all the attention she was getting from these strangers.

"I'm sorry. I really should be heading home."

"Of course, of course. Sorry to keep you."

"It was lovely meeting you," said the blonde before she scampered away, disappearing in the crowd. Everyone was silent until Tsubaki turned to Kidd, peeking around Black Star's shoulder. Her voice was thick with shock and potential tears.

"Was that..."

He looked from Liz's disturbed face to the mirrored look on her sister's to Tsubaki's sad almost lost expression and finally to Black Star's frustrated frown.

"I need to speak to my father."


"Father…"

"Hi yah, Kidd… Oh and company. Hello, hello how goes it?"

Yes, everyone was standing in front of the mirror, having insisted on being present at the "meeting" between father and son. And, man, had it been an ordeal to squeeze five fully grown bodies into the tiny hotel bathroom. Imagine the size of your closet; add in a sink, a toilet, some towel racks, and a shower. That's what they were working with.

Kidd stood in front of the sink, Liz next to him behind the door. Tsubaki was sitting on the toilet seat on the other side of Kidd next to Black Star who was half in, half out of the shower. Patti was in the shower leaning over Black Star's head to get at least partial view of the mirror.

"Everything is fine, Father. We've completed our assignment."

"So the witch's soul has been taken."

"Hell Yeah! Big guy like me didn't even break a sweat! Oof…" – Black Star

Kidd threw the soap bar at him. Patti giggled behind a dainty palm as he slid completely into the tub.

"Yes, Father, but we had an unexpected surprise."

"Oh…"

"Yes, and we'd like some more time to investigate this revelation."

"And what may I ask was this unexpected occurrence?"

Kidd raised an elegant eyebrow and tried to look past his father and into the death room. Unable to see much, he asked in a quiet curiousity.

"Is Soul around?"

Shinigami-sama held a puzzled expression on his face… mask… face… oh you know what I mean.

"Not at the moment. Why? Should I summon him?"

"No, no, you see umm… we sort of ran into this girl at the marketplace today."

"Mhmm…"

"Yeah!" Liz this time though a little hesitantly. "It was… Well, at least, she looked like her..."

"Looked like who?"

"MAKA!" Black Star again. He'd jumped up from the floor. "It was definitely her! I could recognize that voice anywhere!"

The holes in the mask widened considerably.

"Really now?"

"Yes, Father, it's true."

"Do you have confirmation?"

"Yes, using my soul perception. Soul wavelengths are unique to the individual. No two are alike, and her Grigori soul is unique as it gets. (a) That was definitely her."

"Fantastic!" he exclaimed bouncing around as though in a victory dance. "Oh, Soul and Spirit will be over the moon when they hear this! Where is she? Is she with you? Let me see! Let me see!"

Seeing Kidd and the rest of the group's downcast expressions, the lord of death ceased his mini celebration.

"Kidd…?"

"There is a slight problem, Father..."

"Go on."

"I believe that due to the trauma of the accident she has developed a severe case of amnesia. She has no recollection of who we are or of who she is. She introduced herself as Maristela Velasquez, and says she is under the care of two people she believes to be her parents."

"Hmm…," he hummed his fingers worrying the spikes of his chin. "That is definitely a problem."

"Yes, which is why I would like to request more time here, so that we can convince her and whoever has taken care of her all this time who she really is and bring her back to Death City with us."

"Very well. Request granted. Take however long you need."

"Thank you, Father."

Everyone gave a small cheer in celebration of the permission.

"Just bring Maka Albarn back to Death City. She has a far better chance of recovering her memories here."

"Of course."

"Very well. Good luck, kids."

He was about to terminate the connection, but a cry from his son stalled him.

"Oh, Father, Wait!"

"Yes?"

"Please, don't tell Soul. Or Spirit for that matter"

His four teammates looked at Kidd in shock.

"That's a little cruel, don't you think?" asked Liz with a frown on her face.

"Yeah, Soul has a right to know," put in Patti.

"I know, I know. But just think about it. If Soul finds out Maka is alive and in Mexico, what's the first thing he's going to do?" He paused, waiting for an answer. When none came, he continued. "He'll barrel his way down here, completely disregarding his already given orders, getting himself into trouble and possible making an already delicate situation worse. Maka was confused enough when Black Star ran into her and tried to convey to her who he was. Imagine if that had been Soul."

"You do have a point, Kidd," said Lord Death looking at them through the mirror. He sighed "Very well. I don't like it, but I will keep Soul in the dark about the situation for now, but," he emphasized holding his pointer finger to the glass. "Once you all get back here, Maka included, I expect you to tell him exactly what has happened."

"Of course, Dad. I wouldn't have it any other way."

"Very good. Now, good luck to you all. Hope to see you soon!"

And with that, the mirror went blank.

Liz turned to Kidd.

"So what's the plan?"

Kidd scratched his head a moment before answering.

"Well, first things first. We have to find the Velasquez's."


(Death City)

Soul had been at it all day, and now as the sun set behind the horizon, he admired his handiwork. He'd washed the sheets on the bed, beaten any dust out of the mattress, aired out the closet, swept the dust off the floor and furniture, even gone through and dusted the bookcase. Blair had passed by a few times, offering to help. He'd told her not to worry about it and that he was fine doing this alone. She had left to go to work about an hour ago.

Upon finishing up, he'd taken another shower to rinse off the dirt and dust that had settled over his skin. And now that he was lying on Maka's bed taking in the clean atmosphere and going through one of her photo albums, he felt strangely at peace.

It felt like she was nearby. Like she could walk in at any moment and smile at him for a job well done.

Looking through the album, he realized it was the same one she had been looking through after the "super" written exam they'd taken under Professor Stein. He hadn't seen it since that day though. He'd already flipped through the old photos of Maka growing up with her father and found that Maka had put some new memories in the album that weren't from that long ago.

He laughed when he found a picture of Maka and Black Star standing next to each other, both sporting matching bruises on the sides of their cheeks (Maka's was just a little darker than Black Star's, more swollen too). It was taken the day of their Duel Arts dilemma when the two had been in opposition. There was one of him sleeping on the couch, drool coming out of his mouth. There was one of Crona and Marie, followed by a picture of their team after a game of basketball. He found another of him and Maka together at a restaurant. He remembered this one; they'd been on a double date with Tsubaki and Black Star. The next was a group picture of Spartoi taken after Kidd's rescue from the Book of Eibon.

He raised an eyebrow at the last picture he found. It was one of him stealing a kiss from Maka in the Academy hallway against the lockers. Okay, it had been a bit more than a kiss, but he definitely didn't remember posing for that one.

He carefully removed the photo from the book and looked at the back.

Hey Maka,

You're lucky I don't use this as blackmail material, but I'll be nice this time and give this to you. Word of caution though, it could have easily been someone else walking down the halls at exactly the right time to witness such a great show. Someone like, say, your father! Hehehe. Don't worry I won't tell.

Love,

Patti

He shook his head and placed it back. Patti would. That conniving little blonde. The demon gun could be insanely sadistic at times. He was surprised he didn't get an earful from Maka about the incident.

He kept looking through the album.

The pictures finished just as he reached the last page. It was full of some shots of them together. One in particular was during a training session. She was wearing her gym clothes, and he was in scythe form. She was practically glowing, in her element, with a thin sheen of sweat covering her skin and her cheeks flushed. It made a smile come to his eyes.

Beneath that picture however was just enough room for one more photograph. His heart clenched, knowing she would never be able to complete the album.

With a sigh, he closed the book and placed it back in its designated spot on her bookshelf. He lowered the blinds to the window and left the room, closing the door behind him. He wanders into his own room and plops down into his desk chair. He can't help but think that he knows exactly what picture would have eventually ended up filling the last open spot in the album. He leans over, opening the desk drawer and pulling out a little black box.

He opens it, peering at the simple diamond ring nestled between the cushions.


(Mexico City)

Liz was not going anywhere near that house. She'd decided that the moment they'd wandered up to it. This detective and investigation shit was not for her. Any other time of day, and she would have been perfectly fine. What was it about Spanish homes that made them look so damn hostile after sundown?

Actually, looking at the place, it was really a lovely home. Classical white pillars decorated in ivy lined the entryway, and the Spanish molding of the brick was spotlessly executed. The roof wasn't in shackles, and all of the windows were intact if not a little dusty. Well tended roses thrived along the rails guarding the steps up to the threshold. She could admit that during the daytime, this place would probably be one of the first places she'd love to visit… But it wasn't daytime, and her experience at the last house had been damn near horrifying.

What had Kidd been thinking going to a place in the middle of the woods? The lawn had been dead for Shinigami's sake. She'd been scared enough as it was, but no, Patti just had to come up behind her and bellow "BOO" at the top of her lungs.

No, compared to the last house. This manor was the most elegant thing she'd ever seen. Didn't stop her from being a total scaredy-cat though.

"Do we have to?"

"Liz, I'm telling you this is the house."

"That's what you said about the last three houses."

"But this is the one, I'm sure of it."

"How?"

"I just am!"

"Well, can't we just come back tomorrow, when it's daylight?"

"No! We need to move quickly with this!"

Liz just glared at him, taking none too kindly to being yelled at.

"Will you just knock on the door already?" asked an exasperated Kidd.

She looked at him.

"Please…" he added.

He heaved an internal sigh as, finally, her arms uncrossed and she moved toward the door.

Knock

Knock

Knock

Liz didn't even wait more than five seconds after knocking before turning around.

"Well, no one's home. I guess it's the wrong house."

He grabbed her shoulder before she could scurry back to the others waiting patiently at the bottom of the steps.

"Now, wait just a minute. It may take them some time to answer.

They waited thirty more seconds before Kidd decided to ring the doorbell.

Ding-Dong

No more than ten seconds later an older woman answered the door. She was somewhat pale with long black hair, gray just barely gracing her temple. She was quite beautiful for her age, full of vibrancy and grace. Warm brown eyes took in the two youths standing before her as she opened the door completely without any note of suspicion or wariness in her gesture.

"¿Hola?" A sweet, Chicano accent filled the air.

Kidd jumped to answer.

"Ah, buenos noches, señora. ¿Pero, usted puede hablar en Inglés?" (b)

"¡Oh, perdóname! Si, si… Yes. Can I help you?"

"Is this the Velasquez residence?"

"Why, yes! I'm Rosanna. My husband, Escobar, is in the living room, and our daughter is at work. And who might you all be?"

"We are representatives of Shibusen. I'm Death the Kidd, and these are my teammates," he explained gesturing to Liz and everyone else who was currently making their way up the stairs.

The woman's eyebrow twitched, but he's not sure if he imagined it or not.

"Oh! You're from Death City. Well, then, how may I help you?"

He hesitated only a moment.

"We were wondering if we could talk to you about your daughter, Maristela."

Mrs. Velasquez's face hardened and her lips tremble ever so slightly as understanding lights her features. She looked at them all, one by one taking in their faces. It seemed for a moment as though she recognized them from somewhere before she called back into the house.

"¡Escobar, tenemos invitados!" (c)

A muffled response was heard from inside the house, and she looked back at them.

"We were wondering when you'd come."


The Velasquez's were a humble pair. They made good money in life and had established a peaceful living in the Districto Federal's suburbia. Sra. Velasquez had set about making tea for them as they entered the house, and she led them to congregate in the large and, to Kidd's observation, tidy kitchen. Once the five of them had been settled in, she flitted off to get something they might want to see. Escobar, or Sr. Velasquez, a tall, dark-skinned man in that appeared to be in his early fifties, was seated across from them as he waited for his wife to reenter the room. He eyed the youngsters with an unwavering and, to some (ehem, Liz), unnerving stare. Black Star, not to be outdone, sat with his arms crossed over his chest and stared right back at the Spanish gentleman.

His weapon is discreetly kicking him under the table for being rude when the elder woman reenters the room, settling herself beside her husband.

"You might want to look at this," she started, setting down an old cigar box at the center of the table. "These are some of the things we found with her."

Tsubaki, who sat the closest, tentatively raised the lid. Her gasp acted as a trigger for everyone to gather around the tiny treasure chest that had been placed in front of them.

Inside were several small items that to anyone else would have meant absolutely nothing. A pair of skull hair-ties, a pair of torn white gloves, a wallet, and a red Spartoi necktie. All of which once belonged to Maka. Liz reached over and picked up the wallet. It was small and light-weight, the kind Maka always had hidden away in one of the inner pockets of her coat. Inside was a photograph of them – Maka, Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kidd, Liz, and Patti – as well as a Shibusen student ID. The name: Maka Albarn.

Tsubaki had a hand over her mouth and tears pricked at the edges of her eyes. Black Star placed a hand on his weapon's back and leaned over to whisper in her ear. She smiled and nodded. Kidd watched as Liz and Patti each share a look, mirrored happiness shining in their eyes.

This was more than the confirmation they'd needed.

Kidd finally addressed the middle-aged couple before them.

"How did you find her?"

Sra. Velasquez answered, her face pensive but blithesome, "We found her washed up on shore when we went on vacation to the seaside. We thought she was dead at first, covered in blood the way she was and half drowned no less."

She reached over to grasp her husband's hand, tears welling in her eyes and her voice catching. He continued for her, his hazel eyes flashing. His voice was rough and thick with a Spanish accent.

"We're doctors. When we saw her, we rushed over. I found her pulse, though it was weak. After realizing she was alive, we rushed her to the nearest clinic for treatment. The village we stayed in didn't have a hospital. She'd suffered massive head trauma to the back of her skull along with severe internal bleeding and several broken bones. By the end of the day, she had slipped into a coma." He gave a sad huff at the memory. "…We didn't expect her to last the night."

Tsubaki shuddered while Black Star pulled her tight to his chest.

"Rosa refused to leave her side the entire night."

Rosanna spoke up.

"I prayed the whole night next to her. I kept telling God that he couldn't take away such a young life." Her eyes shimmered in the dim lighting. "I kept thinking, someone so young couldn't die alone, so I stayed with her."

"Come morning, she was still alive in spite of everything," continued Escobar. "We were amazed – even more so when her injuries started to heal at a substantial rate over the next few days, but still she did not wake."

"How long did she stay in a coma?" asked Liz.

"It was almost a month," answered Escobar. "My wife and I stayed at the clinic overseeing her treatment. We almost gave up hope after he wounds had completely healed, yet still she hadn't woken. We guessed the damage to her brain had been too much."

Rosanna looked up with a smile.

"But then she woke up... It was on the last day we were going to stay there, and she just woke up." She swallowed her tears, continuing. "She was very weak, but we spoke to her on that first day. She couldn't remember where she was from or even her own name. We ran a CAT-scan on her head. Damage to the Hippocampus had caused an immense amount of memory-loss."

Kidd's brows furrowed while Black Star's eyes narrowed at Escobar's next sentence.

"We didn't quite know what to do."

"So you took her in? You knew who she was, you knew where she was from, so why didn't you contact anyone?"

Kidd reached over to grip the now enraged meister's bicep.

"Calm down, Black Star."

"Don't tell me to calm down, Kidd. We thought Maka was dead for two years! Look at everything we've been through. Look at everything Soul's been through! All because these two decided to take advantage of our injured teammate!"

"We didn't take advantage of her!" shouted Rosanna. Black Star's eyes shot directly to her, seething in anger and potentially bloodlust. "We just didn't know what to do."

She leaned heavily on her husband.

"We'd always wanted a child. A son or daughter to call our own, but never could. Something would always go wrong… When we found Maristela-"

"Her name is Maka."

She winced. Black Star's voice nothing more than a deadly growl filled to brim with killing intent.

"Maka… When we found Maka, when we realized her memory was gone, we saw it as a miracle. A blessing from the heavens. Even though she was already a young woman, we took her in, named her, and made her our own. What more would you have us do?"

"You took her away from us." Patti's voice was steely, full of ice and a biting edge.

Tear-filled eyes turned to the young weapon.

"I know, and I'm sorry. She's only been with us for two years, but she's made our lives so full of life and love. I don't know if I can give that up."

Escobar's hazel eyes were burning with challenge, daring them to try and break the happiness this couple had carefully built in the last two years. He dared them to take away the woman who had indeed become like a daughter to him in such a short amount of time.

Liz, Black Star, Kidd, and Patti all looked like they were about to get up and answer the challenge, but something stopped them. Something subtle and quiet, but louder than a gunshot in a measure of impact.

Tsubaki's hand had reached across the expanse of the table to find a resting place over Rosanna's. Deep blue eyes met chocolate brown, and she spoke in a quiet, fortified voice.

"I understand. We understand…" she gestured to her friends at her side. "We don't want to give her up either."

Rosanna pulled her hand away, a small gasp falling from her lips as light as a snowflake. Awestruck by the young woman in front of her as she smiled in acceptance and understanding.

Kidd studied the older woman as she stared, almost lost, at Tsubaki, but then a twinge to his awareness drew his attention out of the kitchen. Liz and Patti, so attuned to their meister's wavelength, noticed the shift in his attention instantaneously.

"What is it, Kidd?"

He looked at the doctors across the table.

"Sr. and Sra. Velasquez, I am very sorry, but we will have to continue this another time. Black Star…"

"Yeah?"

"I've sensed a kishin."


In the heart of downtown Mexico City, the kishin Kidd had sensed was on the prowl. In the light of the setting sun, blood stained claws glinted against the dark concrete of a building rooftop. Beady black eyes were open and shifting from side to side looking for a target. Not many people were still out and about by this time of the day. Since the kidnapping that had started happening, local government issued a curfew for all citizens to follow.

Slim pickings for a hungry kishin, but there was always a straggler to be found trying to hurry to the safety of their home.

"Ahhhh, here we go," the kishin growled licking its chops.

Here came down the street a nice little blonde. She was thin – thankfully he ate souls not flesh – with ash blonde hair drawn back in twin braids. She was cute with wide green eyes and a healthy tan. Peering closer, the kishin noticed something even more intriguing. Something so enticing, it made him crave the taste of this girl all the more.

"A grigori soul. I've never had one of those before."

And as the laughing moon rose into the sky, blood would paint the streets.

TBC

Please, please, please… Review!

a) In the manga, it is revealed that Maka has a grigori type soul. This is a very rare soul type, appearing in 1 in every 50 million people. It is identifiable by the wing-like extensions.

b) Translation – "Ah, good evening, ma'am. But can you speak English?"

c) Translation – "We have guests!"