Disclaimer: I clearly do not own Soul Eater, Kingdom Hearts or anything particularly important. I think you would know if a crazy psycho that calls herself Silver owned anything like that.

Note: Italicized sections are going to be Stein's flashbacks during this chapter.

A rather deathly silence had fallen following the words of a boy who had two weapons, both of which had come from seemingly nowhere. No one had transformed, there had simply been nothing and now there was something. The more brainy students were perplexed, average students were in shock, then the more... dense, students were more in awe of the cool looking weapons never before seen... by them anyways.

How could one really explain any of this? Well, naturally Maka asked Stein who was very knowledgeable in... well anything like this. But she asked more out of a worry than curiosity. "Professor... what just happened?"

For a while the professor was silent, eyes never leaving the two combatants that had returned to their stare down. "I suppose it is quite surprising. To tell the truth, I only recently learned a few things about our new friend myself." He let this statement hang in the air a moment before continuing. "Both Roxas and his weapons are unique in their own ways, even more-so when combined."

"But what are those weapons? I don't think I've ever heard of something quite like them." Maka frowned as she eyed the weapons, a mixture of wonder and worry clear in her expression.

"Well, based from what I know, those I believe are Keyblades. It's really no surprise no one here has heard of them. I personally just learned about them earlier today." Stein admitted, drawing surprise from Maka before he continued. "From what I heard, they are the key to anything and everything. Quite fascinating really. I'm almost tempted to try dissecting one of those blades even though I get the feeling they can be quite impossible to break."

At this Maka sweat dropped. Thinking along the lines of, "He wants to dissect those?!"

Meanwhile, Stein thought back to his discussion with Death, just before he'd seen both Roxas and Black Star about to start a fight.

"Lord Death." Stein greeted as he entered the Death Room. He had some questions for the Shinigami.

"Ah, hello Stein. I assume you're here about the new student, Roxas. Right?" The black clad figure asked, apparently he'd been expecting Stein's coming.

"Yes. I was wondering about a few things concerning him actually." Stein admitted calmly. Yes, he'd known the new student was joining his class. However there was more to the student than originally thought. "His soul for starters. It took me a few minutes to actually see it. I don't believe I've ever heard of a soul being transparent-nearly invisible actually. Then when I saw it, there were many marks, it looked wounded actually."

"Tsubaki, smoke bomb mode!" Black Star shouted before charging forward at Roxas once more.

"Hmm... where to begin. Well, I suppose I should start with that poker game I had with an old friend several months ago." Death mused to himself thoughtfully putting a hand to his 'chin'.

"Poker?"

"Yes, poker. He's quite the notorious gambler." Death explained patiently. "It's not easy for him to get here either seeing as he came from another world."

Now Stein's interest had been quite stretched. "Another world?"

When Black Star was almost within reach of Roxas' blades, he threw the smoke bomb down, obscuring everyone's vision of the fight.

"Yes. Another world. There are actually many inhabited worlds out there, each with their own inhabitants and abilities. My friend, Hades for instance comes from Greece. Well, not the Greece we know, a different Greece but same general concept I believe however." Death explained in short, leaving Stein with the impression that either Death had actually lost it or that maybe those ancient Greek myths weren't so far-fetched after all. "Hades is the god of death in his world, ruling the underworld. He's a bit bitter and a complete sore loser but he has his moments."

"And you played poker with him?" In truth, Stein was wondering just what had to go through that skull-mask to think a poker game between death gods was a good idea.

"Yes." Death said with a completely straight face, allowing for a silence to settle before continuing. "Well, me him and two of his friends. That's when I learned of events that have been occurring in some of the other worlds. Including the discovery of people like Roxas, Nobodies."

"All I asked about was Roxas and now, I find myself intrigued by Lord Death's social life." Stein thought bemusedly.

"Nobodies like those two friends of Hades, Luxord and Xigbar, I believe their names were. Apparently a Nobody is a being that has no heart, created when a heart is lost and made from the shell left behind." Death went on to explain.

"Oh no you don't!" Roxas was heard shouting, quickly followed by the sound of clashing metal. It would appear both combatants were capable of fighting blind.

That statement had drawn in Stein's full attention. After all, someone in the school was literally heartless and yet able to exist. Very interesting. "And Roxas is one of these Nobodies?"

"Yes. But not just a Nobody, he's A Nobody. Most Nobodies apparently fade with time due to their lack of heart and are rather mindless. But A Nobody, like Roxas is in complete control and is created when their Somebody has a strong enough will."

"So we have a special Nobody then." Stein mused to himself, this whole concept he was finding rather fascinating... He had the urge to dissect a certain someone-or noone- right now. "What did you mean when you said 'when a heart is lost'?"

There was the sound of a grunt from Black Star, maybe they'd been crossing blades and Roxas had managed to push Black Star back.

"Ah. There are these creatures called Heartless. The most common way a heart is lost, is when a Heartless steals it."

There was silence before Stein spoke again, having been thinking about recent events concerning these 'Heartless'. "It sounds like you had quite the conversation while playing poker. Although none of this is explaining what I saw when I looked at Roxas' soul."

There was the sound of a grunt from Black Star soon followed by Roxas jumping out of the smoke cloud. If Stien had to guess, Black Star's back had been used as a springboard again.

"Well, a part of what makes one's soul is the heart." Death pointed where his heart apparently was. "While playing our game of poker I too had trouble seeing Luxord and Xigbar's souls at first. But after catching up on events in other worlds, I think I figured it out. A Nobody's soul is probably as close as you can get to the shadow of a soul. A Nobody's soul is the shadow of a Somebody's. The two are connected, and yet completely separate. Although I guess the soul of a Shadow Heartless would be more fitting. A Heartless' soul is black, some with an emblem on it depending on the Heartless."

Twirling the silver Keyblade in hand so it pointed down at the smoke cloud, Roxas seemed to have entered a different kind of focus from the one he'd held since the fight had begun. His brows furrowed with deep concentration, Stein would almost say he was channeling something. Then one word, one strange word left the Nobody's mouth.

In most cases, heads would be spinning and having you question what is and what isn't. In most cases anyways. Stein was taking this all in stride. "That explains the transparency I suppose. But there's more to the soul of Roxas."

"Ah, so you were able to see it all too then. Some of it... I'm afraid to say even I am not entirely sure. Memories make up a part of a soul, but even so his soul shouldn't be quite that bad given what he does remember. Then the crowns, those are his weapons."

"Aeroga!"

"His weapons?" Stein echoed, just when he'd though he had learned everything he would from this conversation.

Death gave a nod of confirmation. "Yes. The key-or keys-to anything and everything. The Keyblades."

A massive burst of wind exploded from the end of the silver Keyblade, dispersing the smoke cloud on contact and sending Black Star flying to the other side of the circle.

"So Roxas and these Keyblades are like the Demon Sword?" Stein asked, somewhat curious at to how this was all supposed to work.

"Yes... and no."

Surprises never seemed to cease with this new student it would seem. But of course, Black Star got right back up, Tsubaki in chain scythe mode this time. Black Star bore the signs of many new bruises that would be more prominent later for sure. Roxas had probably used the more blunt sides of the Keyblades to play it safe.

"Roxas appears to be able to read his opponent pretty well. He's using Black Star's anger against him by toying with him. He must've noticed how easy Black Star is to anger." Stein noted to himself for later before glancing at Maka who appeared to have come to a conclusion of some sort. He was pretty sure he knew what too. "Maka."

"You see Stein, while like the Demon Sword, you won't find one without the other-or in Roxas' case, others-they aren't connected in the same way."

Maka glanced up at hearing her name.

"Heh, you think a little wind can take me down?" Black Star laughed mockingly.

"No. I just figured you'd have a better chance if you could actually see me." Was Roxas' counter as he smirked.

Black Star's eyes narrowed dangerously. "That's your excuse? You really are pathetic."

Now Roxas' eyes narrowed dangerously. "Then maybe it's time I took the offensive and end this now."

"It would seem Roxas is pretty easy to anger as well." Stein noted before addressing Maka. "Don't worry."

"The Demon Sword is connected only by body, the souls remain separate completely. While Roxas and the Keyblades are not connected by body but by soul. The crown marks on Roxas' soul are the anchors that allow for the Keyblades to be brought into solid form at will."

"So the Keyblades lack human form then." Stein did not ask, but state.

"Keyblades, like other natural weapons lost their human forms long ago. They sleep now, trapped between weapon and soul." Death explained without realizing he'd just let slip something else that Stein had never heard of before.

"Natural weapons?"

"It's not like the Demon Sword. Actually, it's the opposite." Stein stated, not taking his eyes off the fighting pair. Wondering just how Roxas planned to end this, he seemed too confident to not have a plan of some sort. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw relief pass through Maka's eyes.

"Did I say natural weapons? I really shouldn't have. Oh well. Not like it's a super secret anyways." Death gave a rather comical shrug before continuing. "Natural weapons were the weapons that inspired the weapons created. They were never made, long-lived and had three forms. The Keyblades were among the natural weapons."

"Like you could pull offense on me." Black Star laughed mockingly despite his new bruises saying otherwise.

"Then these natural weapons attach themselves to the souls of others?" Stein surmised thoughtfully as he contemplating this.

"As long as they carry the will to go on. The weapons we see today are crafted weapons, they can't anchor by the soul like natural weapons. A shame really. It's the soul anchor they posses that makes them hard to kill and with time they just... lose the will to go on. When that happens and the wielder passes, the soul of the natural weapons tend to fade."

"Already have." Roxas pointed both Keyblades at Black Star. That concentration from before... summoning... that wind-Aeroga-was back in his eyes.

"To tell the truth, I thought the natural weapons were all gone until that poker game. It would seem there are still some left, but what's more, they're attracted oddly to the Nobodies like Luxord and Xigbar. I fail to understand why a Keyblade would anchor with any Nobody however given their... particular requirements." Death admitted, it was plain to see something wasn't adding up.

"Oh?"

"Not going to try to move?" Roxas challenged, narrowing his eyes.

"Ha! You can't scare me with those dumb over-sized keys!" Black Star flashed an irritating, over-confident grin.

"Keyblades in particular are picky. They look at the heart." Now it was obvious why Death was having trouble adding things up. If what he said was true, Nobodies weren't supposed to have hearts after all.

"Don't say I didn't warn you." Roxas smirked, stumbling forward a brief second before shaking his head.

"Heh, you're nothing but talk!" Black Star accused, clearly trying to provoke the other boy.

"I see. It sounds like we have quite the mystery on our hands then." Stein mused aloud.

"It does, doesn't it?" Death leaned to the side as if contemplating something. "Suppose I'll have to contact Hades. Maybe his friends know our friend. They were wearing the same coat Roxas was wearing when he came here."

"You're going to regret not moving." Roxas stated flatly, although the gritting of teeth was a clear sign Black Star was continuing to get on his nerves. "Double Thunder!"

"I believe that's a safe bet." Stein stated simply as he contemplated all the new information he'd received.

"I'm kinda surprised. Xigbar and Luxord seemed rather curious about weapons and souls around here. I was under the impression they'd visit sometime soon." Death admitted, mind starting to wander.

"They were curious about us?"

"Of course. They apparently collect the stolen hearts much like how we collect souls."

A series of lightning bolts struck down in a line from both respective Keyblades(although one line seemed oddly stronger than another), meeting half way to Black Star, combining so there was one line of doubled up lightning, and getting a solid hit on Black Star. Although it took a moment to register what happened, the lightning had moved so fast. Anyone that had blinked probably missed it and wondered why there was a smoking Black Star on the ground, twitching occasionally with a spark of lingering electricity.

Roxas straightened up, letting the tips of the Keyblades touch the ground. "Should've moved."

"That idiot. Just like his fight with Kid, he should've moved." Maka murmured and sighed shaking her head before looking over at Roxas. "I didn't think he'd be so strong though..."

"I don't recall Lord Death mentioning anything about wind or lightning." Stein thought to himself, thinking of a nice long series of followup questions for the Shinigami.

"Black Star?!" Tsubaki called, returning to human form to check on her meister.

The Keyblades Roxas held disappeared, the black one in a 'cloud' of shadow and the silver one in a small burst of light. "He should be okay later. It wasn't that juiced up to do any serious damage." With that the Nobody turned and started making his way through the crowd that had no trouble parting to make a path. Whether out of fear or respect was hard to say.

This whole display helped Stein conclude something that was important... in his opinion anyways. One thought echoing through his mind as he wheeled himself back to the school via chair. "What I would give to dissect one that lives without a heart."

Now that update speed is definitely an improvement by my standards. In case you're wondering, I felt the flashback would be too long if a pushed it all together, hence the jump from the fight to the flashback. Not really something I'd normally do and I will admit I've been experimenting with my writing quite a bit lately. I blame my nutso English class. I get too much time to experiment while everyone else whines when writing papers.

I'm sure some of you are wondering about that game of poker between Death, Hades, Luxord and Xigbar. There's a long back story to all that but it lead to my friend Useful writing Poker in the Underworld, now she's going to write what happened in this particular game of poker. So if you want to know what happened between the death gods, Nobodies and a deck of cards, pester her to write it.