Whispers

by Akire Rosales

Can you love two man at the same time?... Theres no way to answer that, until it happens to you. How can you know if it even is love? how you make sure? Is there a way to untangle the mess of emotions between her long time weapon partner and her best friend? The heart whispers, so you must listen carefully...

6. Make him love you

AkireRosales: Warning, this is a big ass monster of 16,855 words. Also, this chapter was brought to you 2 weeks earlier thanks to my new beta-reader applezaira! Girl you rock! Thanks for helping me with this beast!

Just a quick note before starting this chapter: Rate changed to M because of Ragnarok swearing and future content (because I am a little paranoid when it comes to this webpage). Also, remember when I said that this story was Anime Crona and Manga Maka? You'll see what Im talking about in here. It doesnt matter if you havent read the manga, you'll understand, I think xD

I made little changes too to old chapters, nothing big.

And finally, I hope it worths the wait. Enjoy!

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Whispers

Chapter 6

"Make him love you"

She had been home alone for two weeks.

Being a four star meister, Maka's life fluctuated between very busy seasons and calm ones. Contrary to what anyone might think, the quiet seasons were the worst. Maka was in a quiet season, teaching two times per week in Germany's Academy for Weapons and Meisters.

Soul had gone on a mission only for Death Scythes. His missions consisted in joining up with other Death Scythes of other countries to discuss problems directly ordered by Lord Death the Kid, among other duties. It was an important job, especially for Soul who was considered the best Death Scythe of all time, even better than Spirit, by far.

Maka was proud of him, because overall Soul, her husband, was the fruit of her hard work as a meister. Soul was her dream, her purpose, her reason of being a weapon meister.

Then why did she feel so empty? Why did she feel so incomplete? Perhaps it was because she had been alone in their apartment for two weeks... Perhaps because Soul's absence due to his work reminded her of the weeks that she used to be alone, when Spirit used to disappear.

Now more than ever, Maka felt firsthand what her mother had endured for years. The absence of love, the absence of that special person by your side ... She knew well that Soul would never be unfaithful, that he was actually absent due to work. However, that sense of loneliness and abandonment was heartbreaking for her.

The first two years were great. Between the joy of being newly-weds and the stress of starting an independent life, Maka hadn't noticed those details. When Soul was absent, Maka did not notice the solitude thanks to the correspondence that she maintained with Crona. It was almost a game: One would respond to the letter as soon as they received it, sending the new one immediately. During the weeks that Maka was alone, she was consoled by receiving, writing and rereading her best friend's letters.

It had been seven months without knowing anything about him and the solitude began to suffocate her. What was even worse... was that she was more interested in knowing how Crona was doing, than how Soul was doing on his mission. It was probably because she knew Soul could take care of himself, perhaps because Soul was in a meeting with colleagues... Crona was alone in Death City, and Maka had not seen him in almost three years.

She missed her friend. She missed those evenings she use to spend with him watching movies when Soul was absent. She missed the nights when they read side by side, when they listened to music, when they went out for a walk at night. Living alone now with Soul, Maka began to notice the enormous void that Crona had left. The loneliness was unbearable.

"Would you like to try and have children?" It had been Soul's question after she had mentioned to him how lonely she felt when he was not there.

Children? With Soul? Sure, it was something that any married couple discussed in determined moment. However, the question at the moment had made her turn pale. What terrified her was not even the idea of motherhood, but the idea of raising a child and explain why his dad was never home. And when she and Soul were both on a mission, would the neighbors take care of the child as how it happened to her when she was younger? Leaving their child with the fear that their parents following mission could be the last?

Was children the answer for her loneliness?

"Not yet," she had responded, and the rest of dinner passed in silence.

---

"Makaaaaa!" Patty's voice managed to take Maka out of her thoughts. The blonde meister had remained silent after the question was brought up. "Earth to Maka!"

"Great job! You broke her!" Ragnarok laughed with a malicious smile, leaning on Crona's head who was looking at Maka attentively. The swordsman wanted to know the answer to the question, and at the same time didn't want to know anything about it.

"Maka?" Kid asked arching an eyebrow, noticing how his friend seemed to be recovering from the shock. What was wrong with an innocent question like that?

"I'm sorry" Maka apologized, smiling as to not worry her friends who were staring at her, waiting for an answer " No, no children, I'm only 25 years old!"

"Ah ah, do not underestimate your age, Maka," Marie said suddenly, quite interested in the conversation, "Do not think you'll have children on the first try, those things can take years."

"I don't think that's the problem, the fun is in making them!" Blair smiled enormously, enjoying how Maka blushed bright red at the insinuation.

"Do we really have to talk about that?" Kim sighed, noticing Ox's enormous smile who did not waste the opportunity to take her hand and to arch his eyebrows coquettishly.

"Children are great, especially for torture!" Patty commented with a grin.

"Well said, dammit!" Ragnarok shouted, putting his hand up for Patty to high five him.

Stein could only sigh, glancing at Crona who kept his head down, staring at his plate as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. It was obvious that the subject was uncomfortable for him, but Stein knew exactly what the problem was. It was time to change the subject.

"How's work in Germany?"

"Ah?" Maka turned to see Professor Stein, grateful for the sudden change of subject. Maka definitely did not want to discuss those issues with everyone. It was too intimate.

"Mein straisen cow!" Ragnarok roared trying to imitate the German language. Crona finally came out of his stupor, very upset glancing at his companion who raised his hands in a conciliatory way. "I didn't say anything!"

"Hasserfüllt zwerg" Maka growled in a near-perfect German accent, smiling mockingly at Ragnarok's wide eyes.

"What did you say!?"

"I didn't say anything!" The blonde said imitating Ragnarok, but holding the same deprecating smile.

"Of course you did! You can't fool me!" The sword demon roared angrily, about to break loose in insults against the scythe meister.

"Ragnarok" Crona called his attention with a serious look, bringing closer an unopened bottle of wine to his companion. The sword looked at the bottle for an instant before taking it between his little hands and biting off the cork, emptying the content in his enormous mouth. Maka didn't worth enough to miss the unusual opportunity to drink as much as he could.

"You shouldn't let him drink like that" Maka tried to warn him, observing the demon sword emptying a second bottle into the swordsman's bloodstream.

"I-it's okay... Ragnarok keeps the effects to a minimum" Crona sighed, taking a bite of food up to his mouth.

"I've never understood that" said Kim, watching as Ragnarok finished emptying the bottle of wine, accommodating it next to the other empty bottle, proud of his achievement.

"Ragnarok is Crona's blood. He has the ability to manipulate what goes into Crona, retaining nutrients, or even preventing poison from infecting him" Stein said, noticing the pink-haired swordsman who slowly were eating his plate. "That explains why Crona does not gain weight no matter how much Ragnarok eats."

"...You are a cancer" Maka concluded, looking at the little demon with scornful eyes. She had always wondered the reason why, no matter how much Ragnarok filled his huge mouth with food, Crona was still so thin.

"Excuuuuuuuse me for not allowing my user to become a fat cow!" Ragnarok growled, staring at Maka from top to bottom. "Besides, all that Crona eats goes straight to his ass, so you don't notice when he gains weight!"

"R-Ragnarok!" Crona gasped with his eyes wide open, directing his companion an annoyed look, slightly blushing.

"What? It's the truth! Your ass would put Shakira to shame!" Ragnarok shouted, sliding down the back of his meister to give a strong slap on Crona's butt "DAT ASS!"

"G-GAH!" Crona grumbled, pushing off Ragnarok while Kim and the others laughed at the situation.

One of those who did not laugh, besides Professor Stein and Marie, was Kid who was looking at Maka attentively.

"It's a good question, Maka how are things in Germany?" Kid asked with a half smile, raising his glass to take a small sip. Why did Kid ask something like that? She had always kept in touch with him through the Death Room's mirror.

Unless the question was not about her work in reality. Maka noticed it was just that, as the laughs decreased, everyone paying attention to her again. They would not definitively leave her alone until she said something.

"It's interesting..." Maka began, bringing her hands to her wineglass half finished before her. Crona stopped fighting with Ragnarok, looking at her attentively. "we do not have a lot of field missions, Soul and I. The directors prefer to send employees who still need more experience. Soul travels a lot... Conferences and meetings with other Death Scythes..."

"Oh yeah, I remember that Spirit met up with Soul in one of those meetings" Kid muttered, remembering well of Spirit's grumbling about the issue.

"I'm teaching at the Academy of Germany, is small compared to Shibusen, but it's better than waiting for a mission" Maka laughed lightly, bringing her glass to her lips to take a drink.

"Booooring! I totally understand, now that Kid took over as Lord Death, we also aren't going on missions" Patty complained, looking reproachfully at Kid while the shinigami just sighed.

"It's complicated, there are very few occasions when I can leave the academy" Kid explained, looking at Maka with a smile.

"We will never be Death Scythes!" Patty sighed, looking enviously at Ragnarok who smiled widely, showing his huge tongue in mockery.

"But couldn't you guys go on a mission with another meister?" Maka asked looking at the two blondes.

"Liz and Patty just need a witch soul to become Death Scythes" Kid tried to explain, "But due to the truce that we have with Maaba and the Witch Council, we can only execute witches who have violated the rules of the Council or the truce with Shibusen."

"And usually the witches who do that are very powerful, like Arachne and Medusa" Kim sighed "We have lost many students by the hands of witches this way..."

"Not forgetting that they hide very well, Shibusen requires months to find the track of those witches" Ox trailed, looking thoughtful for a moment.

"I know that there haven't been any new Death Scythes for a long time, but I didn't know that things were so bad" Maka frowned, noticing how Kid's face darkened.

"We've lost a lot of students that go on missions to investigate powerful kishins or rumors of fugitive witches and never return. But when I send a four star meister to investigate the disappearances, they don't find any clue"

"That's the reason we are emphasizing battle training with students, such as the class you attended, Maka" Stein pointed out, finishing his meal which was quickly removed by one of the employees of the mansion.

"Then the kids in that class were of one star?" the scythe meister asked astonished. She couldn't believe the new students received lessons much more difficult and hard than what she received when she was a one star meister.

"Oh you haven't heard the best part! Shibusen's melee coaches are Professor Sid, Professor Mifune and-"

"The first assistant Crona Makenshi!" Blair cheered, raising her glass in a matter of a toast. The aforementioned glanced at the cat, smiling slightly.

"Hey!? What about me!?" Ragnarok roared, giving a slight blow on his meister's head.

"And Ragnarok..." Kim added with a sigh of disgust, enjoying the little demon's raging look.

"Woah..." Maka exclaimed, turning to look at her friend sitting next to her, impressed "You're everywhere, Crona!"

"I-I'm a volunteer... I help wherever is needed..."

"And with the disappearance of many meisters, we need all the help available" said Marie placing her plate aside, "Even Kid has gone out to try and find the culprit."

"Chances are that it is a witch. No Kishin egg could cover his tracks so well."

"How is that Shibusen has problems and we have not heard anything about it?" Maka asked, frowning, staring at Kid. He had never mentioned any of this during their talks in the Death Room.

"We can't go around taking other Death Scythes from their posts just because students have disappeared... Without corpses there's no crime, and with no witnesses there's no culprit" Stein explained as he withdrew a new cigarette from his pocket "All we can do is enhance our students preparation, and get new students."

"Now we recruit anyone with skills to be a meister, and try to convince all weapons to join Shibusen... I guess you've met Meena?" Liz asked, unable to hide the disdain in her voice.

Crona turned pale, turning to look at the older Thompson with imploring eyes. Please, please don't start talking about her!

"Who? The witch that haunts Crona's apartment?" Maka growled showing the same disdain as Liz. It seemed that she was not the only one who did not like Meena.

"Exactly, Maka! Well said!" Patty vigorously slapped the table.

"That woman needs a muzzle and a leash" Kim muttered with anger in her eyes.

"She needs to learn good manners... the old-fashioned way," Blair smiled coldly while her golden eyes glowed in intense hatred.

Marie kept quiet, biting her tongue with force. Stein meanwhile just inhaled deeply on his cigarette.

"I have never understood the excessive hatred toward her. She is not only a dedicated and professional weapon, she is also Crona's girl..." Kid said looking at all the guests who didn't bother to hide the disdain on their faces.

"Kid, for being a Shinigami, you're way too short-sighted" Liz sighed before taking a swig of her glass. Everyone there had a shared view on the swordsman's "little girlfriend"; opinion based on direct experience. But they were just that, opinions... The girl was a dedicated student, and as long as Crona agreed, she would continue being close to him.

"Then Meena is a weapon?" Maka asked as he turned to see Crona who let out a deep sigh of defeat. "Who is her meister?... Crona?"

"N-not me..."

"An advanced class boy changed his companion for her when she arrived" Ox said with a slight frown. For a student of Shibusen, renouncing your partner was one of the few things that could be considered a real failure. It was as if you were giving up on a family member.

"Although she did try to become Crona's weapon, she came over and talked to me a several number of occasions trying to find a way" Stein remembered, smoking his cigarette slowly between his lips.

"The damned bitch! Crona is mine!" Ragnarok shouted, dragging the words slightly. The little demon was going to half his third bottle of wine. Crona sighed, settling slightly in his seat. Maka could see that, in spite of Ragnarok keeping the effects of the alcohol far from his meister, the swordsman had his eyes lightly half-closed already.

"And I can't have another weapon, I could infect them during a resonance."

Crona didn't need to explain more. One of the effects of the black blood was the ability to infect both the meister and the weapon during soul resonance. As Soul and she had found out, just a drop of black blood was enough to infect a new host. Soul was infected in the same way that a human would be infected with a contagious disease... but showed no symptoms. It was much like having a dormant disease, it was latent and controlled. Soul controlled his black blood through sheer will and keeping a calm mind.

Crona, on the other hand, had been infected since he was a baby. Unable to even understand his own condition, the pink-haired child could not fight the black blood. That is how Crona's blood turned black forever, and madness would be the symptom which he would have to fight all his life.

Why then wasn't Maka infected? The blonde meister had a Grigori soul, which protected her from getting permanently infected with black blood. She couldn't avoid the infection during the resonances with Soul, but her weapon's control over his blood allowed them to maintain sane.

Crona didn't have such control. The ability to control his disease had been way long lost as a child. Therefore, if he tried to acquire a new weapon... that weapon would suffer the same fate as Soul, if not worse.

"If any try to take my meister I will make their lifes a nightmare! I'll make them explode inside out! Shatter their heart and eat their souls!" Ragnarok shouted, obviously drunk. Twisting on Crona's back, the little demon turned to look very closely at Maka "I'll shatter the heart of anyone who tries to enter Crona's!"

Maka frowned at his words, watching Ragnarok intently, not retreating for a moment.

"Someone's jealous" Blair smiled hugely, deflecting the confrontation that occurred between Ragnarok and Maka. The demonic sword turned to see the magical cat, directing all of his attention to her. "What's wrong Raggy? Are you afraid of your meister's attention being taken away from you?"

"Ragnarok! I had no idea you had feelings! It's adorable!" Kim teased with a half smile, looking the demon defiantly.

"NEVER! For me Crona can go to hell!" The demon roared, giving a strong punch to the skull of the swordsman.

"Ow! Ragnarok control yourself!" the pink-haired meister complained, holding the demon's little hands with his.

"Don't let anyone fill that empty head of yours with delusions!" his partner shouted, the tone of his voice making it evident that three bottles by himself was too much. Judging by the swordsman's sobriety, Maka could guess that the weapon was holding all that alcohol in his body... if it could be called that way.

"You're too late Ragnarok, you already let Meena in" Kid sighed, not at all enjoying the little black demon trying to ruin the dinner.

"That witch is fine! She's my bitch and I control her! Crona doesn't like her and that's better!" the little demon growled without realizing what he had said, lifting his third bottle of wine, emptying it before breaking it on his solid head.

Ragnarok was starting to say very interesting things.

"What do you mean, Ragnarok?" Maka asked with a frown. Blair tensed, looking at Crona who kept his eyes down. Marie could only sigh, looking away, unsure of whether to stop the conversation.

The demon seemed to finally have realized what he had said, seeing as he now remained unusually quiet. With a snort, he decided to dissolve back into his partner.

"Come back here you coward!" Maka growled, being stopped by a swordsman moan. Crona took one hand to hold his head, frowning. "Are you okay?"

"Dizzy..." Crona groaned, leaning slightly on the table for a better support.

"The next time you try to teach him manners, make sure you involve everyone and not just Maka" Marie scolded, shaking her head.

"Come on, Professor Marie. The day Ragnarok quits acting like Ragnarok, I think we'll have something to worry about," Liz smiled, trying to release the tension that the demonic sword had left behind. Patty laughed at the comment as she leaned back in her chair, finally being satisfied. Ragnarok couldn't stop being Ragnarok as much as Patty couldn't stop being Patty.

Everyone at the table had years of knowing Ragnarok to expect something different from him. But Maka couldn't help feeling uneasy... the demon had been about to say something important.

In front of the enormous dining room table, out of nowhere, an enormous mirror started descending catching everyone's attention. Usually the mansion was used also for the academy parties, which is why Kid maintained an enormous mirror that suited such purpose: a screen to give and receive important calls. After some static, from across the mirror somebody that nobody, except Kid, had waited for that night appeared.

"HELLO MY SUBJECTS!" A noisy voice resounded for all of the dining room, followed by a quite loud laughter "YOUR GREATEST GOD IS HERE!"

"Black Star," everyone greeted almost in unison with a tone of defeat. It was not as if they didn't miss the blue hyperactive monkey, but his capacity to be... Utterly hateful, was amazing.

Black Star, through the screen, looked around looking for something. Having the feeling what it was, Maka raised her hand with a sigh.

"Ahaa! There you are, Maka! I knew that you would feel shattered without my absence, But no God forgets his subordinates!" Black Star barked while inflating his chest proudly.

"I was passing out with grief" she sighed, noticing as the young bushin hadn't changed at all. His arm had healed perfectly and, from the fight of the Kishin, he kept as souvenir two scars in his face. With already 26 years old and molded by several fights, Black Star looked mature and extremely manly... As long as he didn't open his enormous loudmouth.

"How is everything in Japan?" Kid asked with half a smile. Although hateful, Black Star was one of the few humans that he could call his friend.

"Excellent! No kishing egg will touch a single human soul as long as I, the invincible Black Star, be watching" The blue-haired ninja boasted, laughing strepitously. In relation to his words ... Black Star wasn't kidding, because Japan was one of the most safe countries and with less incidents of murders related to Kishin eggs.

"I heard that you are the combat instructor there" Ox wanted to confirm while he was looking at the screen attentively. Black Star found himself almost stuck to the mirror, but Ox could notice a little bit of movement behind him.

"That's right! This God has set to teach the implacable art of combat to the simple mortals!"

"Wow... Somebody began to read the dictionary" Maka growled with a half burlesque smile. Patty let off a strong loud laughter for the comment.

"Black Star studies, although you don't believe it" A sweet voice was heard behind Black Star. Moving aside, the ninja let everyone observe the woman behind him. It was tall and voluptuous with long black hair, and in her arms she was carrying a boy of approximately two years old. He had pitch black hair and the same tanned tone of skin than the bushin.

"T-tsubaki!" Maka exclaimed surprised. The impression, however, hadn't been just to see her old friend, but for noticing the boy that she was holding in her arms. Maka's face seemed contorted, making Tsubaki smile.

"Hello Maka, long time not seeing!... and yes, this is-"

"MY SON!" Black Star interrupted Tsubaki, taking the boy in his arms to almost push him against the mirror for everyone in the dinning table to see him "Maka look! You will never see a boy like this! He is your future God! Now kneel down and idolize him!"

Tsubaki and Black Star. Damn that didn't impress her at all, she had seen it coming from a mile away years ago... but she had never imagined the immature and noisy Black Star as a father. Fair enough, at the end Tsubaki had enough maturity for both.

She felt pity for the female ninja. Certainly it was like being a single mother with two children to take care of.

"Black Star, is his bedtime" Tsubaki reminded him with half a smile, observing the blue-haired male who was holding the boy up and down.

"Excuse me , I will go to tuck the little God to bed. Lord Death" Black Star said his good-bye, addressing to Kid with respect before retiring from the mirror.

"He's so big! Last time that I saw him, He was just a little package in your arms Tsubaki" Kim said with a smile, same smile that became a pout when she felt Ox's hand holding hers. The black-haired meister was seeing her with an enormous playful smile and a suggestive look. With a snort Kim pushed aside her hand from Ox.

"And I didn't hear about it!" Maka complained, looking at Tsubaki reproachfully.

"Sorry Maka, I wanted to tell you but you are hard to find" The female ninja sighed, keeping her eternal conciliatory smile.

"That's only natural, new generations replace the old ones" Stein said while turning off his cigarette, sticking his hand inside his jacket to get a new one. Marie looked at him reproachfully, taking his hand to prevent him from keep on smoking. It was an habit that she tried to take away by all means.

"Thats not impressive" Blair sighed while fidgeting with one of her purple locks of hair "Do you know what would be really impressive? That Liz finally get somebody"

Liz immediately began to choke with the wine she was drinking. Patty observed the scene with noisy loud laughters, while Kid sighed and gave light strokes on the back of the blonde to help her recover. Breathing deeply, Liz observed Blair with a blush.

"Hell not! I already was mother thanks a lot, I have too many responsibilities here to lose my time with such things" Liz growled, still blushing while tilting her head so she couldn't look at Blair, who was smiling malevolently. Liz always put Patty as an excuse, but the cat knew better... specially because Kid's hand hadn't left her back, slightly flushed.

They all laughed with Liz frustration, even Marie who, just like Blair, could see what for the eyes of a woman was very evident. Crona, meanwhile, fidgeted with the empty glass of wine between his fingers.

They said that that would be impressive. No, something really impressive -and imposible- would be that he got somebody... And for some reason, felt that Meena didn't count. Ragnarok was right, no matter how much he tried, he felt nothing for her. He couldn't feel nothing for her, neither for anybody else... His heart had been ripped off a long time ago.

Maka averted her attention from the mirror to see Crona, noticing rapidly that dark and melancholic look in his eyes. Smoothly, the meister laid down her hand over the one of the swordsman at the table, making him jump on his seat.

"Are you alright?" Maka asked with a frown. Perhaps Ragnarok had overdone the wineglasses and now Crona felt sick... But for some reason something was telling her that it had nothing to do with that.

The swordsman's dark eyes went to observe that soft hand that surrounded his, feeling its warmth. Yeah, well... Crona already was somewhat drunk thanks to Ragnarok, but fortunately kept enough reason to realize that and keep quiet. What he couldn't stop was the impulse of holding Maka's hand against his own, caressing her with his thumb.

The blond meister took no time to answer the caress, holding Crona's hand firmly, worried for the expression that the pinkette had in his face. Perhaps it was the alcohol, but Maka could see a deep sadness in those black eyes... a sadness that she hadn't seen in a while, a long time ago.

Tose were the eyes that he used to have when he was under the orders of Medusa. It was, simply, a fraught look of despair and sadness.

"Hello Crona!" Tsubaki's voice startled both meister, making them untangle their hands. The swordsman attention drew to the mirror, forcing a light smile while he lifted his hand to say hello to the black-haired ninja.

"h-hello Tsubaki..."

"New look uh? Really cool" A very familiar voice resounded from across the mirror, making everyonr to open their eyes widely in surprise, leaning on their chairs to have a better look.

Maka became tense, getting stiff like board. Both of her hands went below the tablecloth, clenching her skirt. That voice was unmistakable...

"SOUL!" Blair cried with joy, jumping out of her chair to come as closer as she could to the mirror. Tsubaki laughed lightly before moving aside, revealing Soul in a simple red T shirt and some sports black pants.

With his typical calm look and a wide toothy grin, Soul took one of his hands out of his pockets to greet everyone.

Liz and Patty, who used to see him constantly thanks to Kid using the mirror, only smiled and said hello back. Kim, who never had been really close to Soul, only smiled. Ox said hello the same way than the Thompson sisters, and Blair kept on jumping from one side to the other trying to call the albino's attention.

Crona, for his part, did the best he could to hold back his pessimistic feelings and greet the albino with his hand up high. The emotions inside him were many, between the joy of seeing a friend after five years, and the... Bitterness of seeing the one who, in his opinion, had snatched from him the most valuable and important being in his life. Maka, for her part, stared upon the mirror with an indecipherable expression.

"I like that long hair, you must have hundreds of girls dying for you" Soul joked, smiling enormously seeing how the swordsman lowered his head in embarrasment, instinctively taking a hand to twist lightly one of the long pink locks of hair that were falling on his shoulders.

"SOUUULLL!" Blair panted suggestively, scratching the enormous mirror while moving her rear end from one side to the other. The albino finally noticed the cat, blushing furiously due to the proximity of Blair goodies against the mirror.

"hello Blair..." Soul sighed, taking a hand to his nose to make sure that he hadn't begun to bleed.

"Blair has missed Sooouuuul so muuuuch!" Blair purred while scratching the enormous mirror playfully.

"What are you doing there, Soul?" Maka asked in way a little too rude, more than how she really wanted to sound.

"Woah, I'm happy to see you too, Maka" Soul sighed, his smile attenuating "I got called to give a week-long course in Japan, so I decided to visit Black Star on the way there"

"You sound busy" Kid emphasized while looking at the weapon up and down. Every Death Scythe were always very busy people. They weren't many, so they had to split for the whole wide world to capacitate other students.

"SOUUUUULLLL!" Blair continued whimpering suggestively. Soon the albino had to hold his nose to avoid a hemorrhage, making everyone laugh.

"YOOOO!" Black Star greeted again, surrounding Soul's neck with his right arm energetically "We recieved Kid's letter a couple of days ago, when Soul arrived we wanted to see if we could catch Maka. I was absolutely right!"

"Uh... it was Tsubaki's idea..." Soul reminded him, still trapped under the grasp of the ninja.

"Soul... And who do you think is the divine inspiration of Tsubaki?..."

"Ahm..."

"ME! The invincible Black Star!" The blue-haired roared, releasing Soul so he could flex his muscular body. With the benefits of the age, Black Star's body had attained the maturity enough to look incredibly toned up. The little white T-shirt and the Bermuda shorts that he was using highlighted his physique even more.

"Y-you haven't changed" Crona spoke to call the attention of the blue monkey. Black Star turned over to see where the shy voice had come from.

"Ey Crona! The best boxing sack in the world!" Black Star burst out laughing. Maka frowned, feeling that comment as an offense to Crona. She was about to get up to defend the pinkette when his friend's voice stopped her.

"U-uh? I-Im sorry, I didn't hear you. The tickles that your blows give me distracted me"

"Ooohhh boom!" Black Starlaughed as noisily as he could, joined by all the presents.

"Very cool" Soul smiled, giving his thumb up to Crona, who lowered down his gaze to hide a very light smile.

"Ey broski, how is Mifune doing?" Black Star asked, bending over a little more in the mirror to observe Crona.

"I-I believe that today he'll came back from the course in South America..." Crona remembered. Black Star and him had been training companions since the defeat of the Kishin. Mifune was an expert on fencing and, after listening about the sad childhood of the pink-haired swordsman, he took Crona under his wing.

From training him daily next to Black Star to have him over for dinner and hanging out with Angela and him, Mifune had a lot of affection for the young meister. Due to Crona's shy nature and his perpetual thirst for affection and attention, the swordsmaster became attached to the point of almost adopting him. It didn't help in nothing that Angela developed a liking for him beyond brotherhood. Fortunately, Crona already had been taken by Marie.

It had been that affection, that attention of the people around him, what had saved Crona from falling prey to his madness after Maka left.

Perhaps Crona could never cope with Black Star's energy, neither with his joy and vitality, but he always tried. The ninja was an incredible human being, a good person determinared to follow the path of the sword, the path of rectitude. Black Star was really an example to follow, a man that had been on the road of the Kishin and got able to leave all by himself. Crona admired him and, the fact that he addressed him as a brother, remembered him that he had to act in such a way that he could deserve that title.

Even if at the end everything were pointless without Maka.

"Right Crona, you were away on a trip, No? We haven't heard about you in years!" Soul reprehended him all of a sudden, crossing his arms to face the pinkette severely.

Maka raised her head, looking at the mirror with her green eyes opened enormously. Would Soul mean about...?

"U-uh?" Crona asked with confusion in his face.

"No letters, neither a call, Maka tried to contact you with Kid and nothing. So uncool"

Yep, he did it. The Dice had been rolled, and more than one turned over to see Crona and Maka. Stein knew that, thanks to what Marie got to tell him, Crona had lost touch with Maka. Kim knew from Crona that Maka never answered his mail. Liz and Patty knew, by hunch, that Maka and Crona would never lose contact for no reason, and that Meena had something to do with that. Ox knew only the fears that Kim shared with him, including the suspicion that somebody had been blocking the mail of both of them. Marie knew that Maka had mysteriously disappeared from Crona's life, without explanation, and knew the whole pain that that had caused in the pink-haired meister... Also she knew that that couldn't be deliberated, by no means, and that she didn't like Meena at all. Kid knew absolutely nothing, Blair and Ragnarok knew everything.

It's appropriate to say, that the environment in the dinner table became tense like a cord about to snap.

"Ah... Ah..." Crona stuttered, shaking lightly under the look of everyone around him. Why did Soul say that? Not keeping in touch? But... but he...

Had Maka hidden her letters to Soul?... Perhaps ... Perhaps the letters never arrived?... Did Maka try to get in touch with him?...

It would be possible ... Would it be possible that her haven't really forgotten him?...

"RAAAAAWWWWWRRR!" Ragnarok roared as loud as he could, getting out of Crona's insides again to lean on his head and stare at Soul, speaking with a frankly drunk voice "I will not let you talk like that to this imbecile!"

"Look who's talking, midget" Soul growled back, showing the weapon his shark-like teeth with a snarl.

"perhaps your fat fatty cow hid the letters from you, Hmmmmmm? She writes things that she doesn't want you to knooooow! MOOOOoooooo!"

Soul frowned, staring at Ragnarok with half-closed eyes, remaining silent. It wouldn't be the first time for Soul that Maka hides things from him. Maka for her part directed a look charged with anger towards Ragnarok, not even doubting an instant in taking out her book, ready to give a violent Maka Chop in the head of the weapon. However, she had no time to touch the little rat, because Crona was already almost strangling his companion.

"What I said about you putting names to Maka? What did I tell you?" Crona growled under his breath, stretching Ragnarok's body so he could shake him in front of him, not caring about the pain that it caused in his own back. Both of his hands were closed around the neck of his companion, using his black blood to harden his grasp. The little demon began to throw punches trying get Crona off him, unable to say anything due to the hands squeezing his throat.

"Good Crona! Teach him who is in charge!" Black Star roared from the other side of the mirror, moving Soul over to observe his friend shaking the little demon as if he were a rag.

Blair didn't take long in joining Black Star, both of them cheering the swordsman who was shaking his companion vigorously. Kim followed the example and, before Marie, Stein or Kid saw it coming, the table had become a full ring of cheerleaders shouting for Crona.

The shouts and the struggling got interrupted abruptly when they listened to a couple of knocks at the door. Promptly, the door opened to show a female employee of the mansion, accompanied by a tall man of light blond hair and a little boy with golden hair of around eight years old.

"Excuse me, Lord Death" the female employee talked, calling the attention of the presents making Crona and Ragnarok to stop fighting "Swordmaster Mifune is here"

"Mifune!" Black Star shouted with an enormous smile, greeting his old teacher and friend.

The swordmaster smiled, holding between his lips a straw. With a backpack on his shoulder, it was clear that the blond had just came back from a journey. Kid smiled, getting up from his seat to welcome his employee.

"Good job Mifune, I received excellent observations of you" Kid smiled, getting close to the swordsman who simply nodded, extending his hand to shake the one of Lord Death as a greeting.

They all were so focused on the scene, that nobody noticed the little boy that tip-toed silently across the room to get to Crona's place. There, without any warning, he jumped straight on the unprepared pinkette.

"CRONAAA!" The little blond boy shouted, clinging to the swordsman's thin body, laughing. Maka moved aside, recognizing immediately that little boy of shiny golden hair and amber eyes.

"Victor!" Crona exclaimed, ignoring Ragnarok completely to take the boy in his arms, giving him an effusive hug. Seating him in his lap, Crona did something that made Maka's heart to shrink in an almost overwhelming feeling.

Crona smiled. It was an authentic big and pure, fraught smile of true happiness. It wasn't just one of his simple shy smiles, neither a wooble one... It was a true smile. A smile that, before, only she could take off him. It was a smile that, since her return, she hadn't been able to provoke.

Maka felt great joy when seeing him smile like that, and at the same time that she felt a deep sadness ... because that smile wasn't adressed to her, like it used to be. Maka wasn't the one who was making him smile like that.

Could Meena make him smile like that?...

"What are you doing here so late, Victor?" The Professor Stein asked staring at the little blond boy, who turned over observing the doctor and his wife. Giggling, Victor clung to Crona.

"But it's not so late!" The boy complained, snuggling against the pink-haired swordsman who held a smile.

"Victor Franken Stein..." Marie called him with a frown, looking at him fixedly.

"there it goes, my full name..." The little eight year old boy sighed, yet still refusing to leave Crona's lap " But mooooom! I can never be with Crona!"

"M-Marie is right, you should be in bed..." The pink-haired sword meister reminded him while combing some of his rebel blonde locks of hair with his fingers. Victor had the same type of hair as Stein, stirred everywhere, but shiny and silky like the one of his mother.

"Is not faaaair! It's been yeaaaarsss since you and me have had a sleepover together!"

"... The last one was three weeks ago" Crona reminded him, making little Victor to snort.

"Details details!" He growled, noticing the blond girl next to Crona who wasn't taking her sight off him "Uh... Ey! I know what! Come home to sleep today with me! We can watch horror movies and read scary stories and eat lots of candy and... and... We can play karaoke!"

"Candies?... Crona, we should go!" Ragnarok said all of the sudden, quite interested in the offer. Victor smiled mischievously.

"And I have some special ones for you, Ragnarok!"

"Reaaaaally?" The black bloob asked with a grin "Crona! Off to Screw-head's house!"

"You have school tomorrow" Marie reminded him, crossing her arms. The blond teacher knew perfectly that Crona would never deny anything to Victor, so she had to intervene.

"But mooooom! The school isn't useful at all! I want to be a sword meister just like my brother!" Victor vociferated, clinging to Crona tightly, hiding his little face in the chest of the swordsman.

"I-I thought you wanted to be a Mad Scientist just like the Professor..." Crona said with a light giggle.

"Ey, even a meister needs a good education to be the best" Maka said, smiling at the little one in Crona's arms.

Victor frowned, staring at Maka as if he tried to remember something.

"It is my fault that he is here, Profesor Stein" Mifune excused himself, getting closer to the table to greet the professors with an inclination of his head "I found him wandering outside the mansion, at this hour the streets are dangerous"

"Thank you for bringing him here Mifune, we appreciate that" Stein sighed, watching his little son who was rocking back and forth in Crona's arms.

"Crona" Mifune called the attention of the pinkette, who let Victor go rapidly to raise of his seat, trying to stagger as less as possible. Ragnarok fidgeted on his head, drunken and now dizzy thanks to the shake session that his meister had given him moments before.

"Y-yes, professor Mifune" Crona responded, expecting instructions from his teacher.

"Don't enjoy yourself too much, I want you to attend training first hour in the morning"

Crona sighed, relieved that it was only that. Agreeing, Crona took his seat again. No more drink for the night, the less he wanted was to help Mifune while suffering a hangover.

"Your little personal tick, Crona? Kim laughed, finding endearing the way that Victor didn't separate from the swordsman even if he was no longer on his lap.

Victor was the son of Marie and Stein. Born two years after the fight with the Kishin, the little boy didn't know about the incredible adventures of his parents beyond of what others would tell him. In relation to madness... he knew a lot, between his father and Crona it was difficult not to be face to face with it once in a while. Crona had been at his side all his life.

The swordsman never agreed to be legitimately adopted by Marie and Stein. He never mentioned it, but for Marie the reason was obvious: Crona refused to call her mother. It was not because the pinkette didn't like her, but because the word by itself, for him, had a very different meaning from everybody else. For Marie, Maka and Victor, the word mother had a beautiful meaning that cannot be expressed with words.

For Crona, the only meaning that the word "mother" had, was Medusa. He would never be able to use that word with nobody else, because for Crona that title had disappeared in his life along with her. However, for Crona a thing was obvious: If he could reborn, he would wish to do it being the legitimate child of Marie. Although that was, for him, a selfish idea... As long as he didn't make it public there wouldn't be any trouble.

When Victor was born, Crona had a sudden attack of jealousy in relation to him. In a start, he thought that Marie no longer would notice him now that she had a real son. He was wrong, because it hadn't passed a week right after Victor's birth when Marie involved Crona in his care. He learned, for Ragnarok's displeasure, to change diapers, to feed him, to read tales to him, to put him to sleep and even bath him. Marie told him all the time that he was his elder brother and that he should put an example for him. Crona had never before carried a baby, much less living together or playing with one. By the time Victor was one year old, both were like hand and glove.

With Maka's friendship, Stein and Marie's protection, the comradeship of Kid and the other ones, and Victor's affection, Crona was authentically happy.

Then Maka and Soul's wedding happened...

"You have grown a lot" Maka's voice drew Crona out of his thoughts, noticing the blonde smiling at Victor who tilted his head.

"Uh..." The little one stammered, looking at Maka from top to bottom, looking at her sitting next to Crona, and how Crona was looking at Maka with a special sparkle in his dark eyes. He was eight years old, but he knew how to add... sort of.

"You don't remember me, but I am-"

"You are Crona's new girlfriend!" Victor vociferated in all his innocence, making everyone to turn over at the table to see. Blair covered her mouth, trying not to laugh while the others didn't even made the effort.

Black Star burst out laughing through the mirror, and Soul could only smile amused. Even Liz couldn't help but letting off some little laughters noticing how Maka's face catched on fire like a Christmas tree. The only ones that weren't laughing were Marie and Stein, the last because he simply lacked sense of humor. Marie, for her part, didn't find anything funny in the subject...

Crona wasn't laughing either.

"Woaaah! And you are like a miiiiillion times cuter than the last one!" Victor continued, making Maka to blush like a tomato "You are fine! Not like Meena, she was dreadful! But you are very pretty! And you are blond! I will have blond nephews! Although I want pink-haired nephews too"

By that moment, Black Star's legs had stopped supporting him, falling to the ground rolling with laughter and holding his stomach. Patty had been holding herself in the chair, laughing in the same way. Kim's eyes were about to drop tears of laughter and Ox wasn't in better conditions. Victor kept on talking and talking, while Maka felt her face melting in shame and Crona shook behind him, red like a tomato in season.

Kid couldn't avoid laughing a little, calming down as most as he could to address the attention of Mifune.

"Did Spirit inform yo that we would be here?" Kid asked the swordmaster, distracting him of what certainly was, for him, a frankly adorable scene.

"Spirit? No, I went to the Death Room but there was nobody, so I came here" Mifune responded without giving him a lot of importance. That was why he failed to understand why Kid's face suddenly turned pale.

".. There was... nobody there?" Kid repeated with cold sweat runninf down his back.

Meanwhile, Victor kept on babbling the most shameful things that anyone could tell about a couple of very close friends. It was so bad that Soul stopped smiling, address Victor with an annoyed growl.

"Ey, she is my wife" Soul emphasized, crossing his arms in his chest through the mirror.

"I don't think so! If she is your wife, why aren't you here with her?" Victor said with a very firm voice for his age, demonstrating that he was Marie Mjolnir's worthy son. "I know that himself! Dad and Mom never separate, and even when dad wants to be alone, mom doesn't leave him. And if you are there and she is here, you cannot be her husband!"

Stein stood there in silence, observing his little son fixedly. It always impressed him the sincerity and innocence of a child and how they could say so many truths. What was even more impressive, was that an eight year old boy had left Soul speechless. The albino tried to explain, but soon he realized that he didn't have any arguments. Maka, for her part, limited herself to sigh before touching Victor's shoulder to call his attention.

"Ey Vic, he is Soul Eater, he is my husband. I am Maka Albarn" The blonde tried to explain to him, being as patient as she could. Her face was still blushing pretty badly.

"Maka... Albarn?" Victor repeated, staring at the green-eyed blonde in front of him. Skeptical, he turned over to see Crona who now was looking the other way, immersed in his thoughts. Maka Albarn... that name was familiar... Maka Albarn, Maka... Maka.

"Aaaaaaah!" The boy exclaimed, jumping far from Maka's grasp to point at her accusingly with his little finger. "Maka! Crona's Maka? Yes you are! You are that Maka!"

"Eeh.. Yes, yes ... I am that one" Maka smiled while a drop of sweat was falling down her head. What she didn't expect was that the innocent face of Victor changed suddenly for an annoyed one. It was a facial expression identical to the one of Stein during a madness attack.

"Witch!" Victor vociferated, still pointing at Maka.

"Eh?"

" Victor Franken Stein!" Marie scolded him, looking at her son threateningly. For Victor it was personal now... It was about Crona.

"You abandoned my brother! You stopped writing him for years! You were his entire world and you abandoned him!" Victor vociferated, really angry "You... you made my brother cry! And even worse! He never stopped sending out his little letters to you, every week he sent his letters and you never answered him!"

"Enough" Stein's stern voice resonated in the dinning, silencing Victor completely. The little boy had much more to say, but when his father gave an order, he had to obey.

Maka was frozen. Crona... Did Crona write to her? But, the letters ... she received nothing. Week after week ... but, but she had written too... What the heck?

"Victor" Stein called him with the same quiet voice of always, while his amber eyes were looking at the little boy fixedly. "Get out of here, we will go home together later"

Muttering, Stein's and Marie's little son left the enormous dining room.

"Crona..." Maka addressed herself to the sword meister, who found himseld sitting next to her with his head bowed, his face hidden under the long pink hair locks "... You kept writing me the last three years?"

To the question, the swordsman raised his head, shocked. Perhaps... she didn't know? If she didn't know, then the letters never arrived, then... everything was a misunderstanding, perhaps then... Maka really never ignored him... Maka never forgot about him.

Ragnarok fidgeted from the top of Crona's head, frowning before getting back inside of his meister. As soon as he entered, the swordsman felt a sudden dizziness followed by some sort of lethargy. Dizziness almost knocked him down of his chair, supporting himself by the back with great difficulty.

"Crona?" Kim called him with a frown, noticing the enormous blush in his face and his half-closed eyes.

"W-woaah... Everything is ... Spiiinning..." Crona talked in a slur, starting to let out small laughters. Maka hastened to support him, embracing him for his torso to keep him stable in his place.

"But... But you were just fine a moment ago" Maka said, worried to see his friend frankly intoxicated.

"It seems to be that Ragnarok stopped cooperating with him and the whole alcohol he drank got released into his organism" Stein sighed, shaking his head. That explained a lot of things... a lot.

"Hahaha, I didn't think that I would live to see the day in which you were drunk" Soul joked, trying to free the tension of the moment. He hadn't escaped from the conversation of moments before... it looked like the things between Crona and Maka were complicated.

"Shhhhhh!" Crona growled with his forefinger against his own lips "you think that you aaaaare so cool Soul, soooo coooool"

"Uh?"

"But you dont even knoooow! You have no ideaaa!" Crona kept on talking, leaning on the table.

"Crona, you are drunk" Maka whispered in his ear, still with her arms around his chest. The pinkette turned over to see her, addressing a look that made the blonde to hold her breath . The swordsman's icy-blue eyes were seeing her with a mix of pain, sadness, and something more...

Something more than Maka didn't dare to name.

"Hell yeah Crona! You already are an adult! I am proud of you!" Black Star vociferated from the other side of the mirror, laughing next to Soul.

"Now we have to get him a girl and turn him into a man" Soul followed the game with a smile.

"Leave him alone Soul" Maka warned him with anger in her voice, looking at the albino with a frown.

"Hell Maka, it was just a joke, how uncool of you" Soul sighed crossing his arms.

Yes, yes, Maka knew that by heart. She was the uncool, the girl that wasn't sexy at all, the rude and nothing feminine nerd of Shibusen, the girl with the smaller breasts of the entire generation. Maka already knew all that repertoire ... damn, she had to hear it every day. Or at least the few days when she and Soul were together at home.

Before she could give voice to her thoughts, she was surprised by the hands of Crona clinging to her clothing. The pinkette was looking at her anxiously and, in spite of his drunkenness, he seemed to understand what Maka was thinking. Like in the old times, when only a look between them used to say more than a thousand words.

"MAKAAAAAAA!" A very well-known voice resounded in the whole mansion, and soon a couple of arms pushed Crona far from Maka, seizing the blonde in a strong hug "You are here! Papa will take care of you now!"

"GAH! Release me in this very instant!" Maka roared trying to get rid of Spirit's grasp, while Crona holded himself using the table as best as he could. Spirit's screams were like claws in a chalkboard for Crona's intoxicated head, making him feel like his brains were about to explode.

"Shhhhhh!" Crona growled with a whine of pain, dropping his head on the table to support it between his hands. Even he had forgotten what they were talking a while ago.

"Spirit!" Kid called the redhead, pale like paper "Who remained in the Death Room?"

"As I said, it was empty when I got there five minutes ago" Mifune sighed, looking at Spirit like if he were a lost cause. And he probably was.

"I am sorry Lord Death, I couldn't stay there knowing that my daughter was here without her papa" Spirit whimpered, holding Maka hard against his chest. "My Maka never sent me a single letter in all these five years! Neither a call! Papa was so worried!"

"Get... Off... Me..." Maka growled, quickly losing her patience while struggling with her father's arms.

"Spirit, if you appreciate what remains of your relationship with your daughter, you should release her" Stein sighed, noticing how the blonde meister was about to take out her book and give the redhead a savage Maka Chop.

It was there when a couple of steps were heard in the room, and soon one singular figure stopped in the middle the table in front of everyone.

"What a sprightly and juvenile multitude we have here!" The little being, that seemed to be some kind of dog, exclaimed "It reminds me about that epoch of my own youth when I was a renegade. Yes, It was a hot summer afternoon when I was hanging out with my gang of thugs on the streets, although now that I consider it, it was at night. Yes, it was in a night of hot summer, although it could be a cold winter, although perhaps I remember it cold because of the cold that was in my soul. A cup of tea can relieve any cold from within! Would you like to hear my history?"

"EXCALIBUUUUURRRRR!" Black Star and Kid roared in sheer horror.

"Turn it off Soul! Turn it off!" Black Star panted with his face twisted in a grimace, as if he had got his face scrubbed in horse excrement.

"Sorry Lord Death, we have to leave!" Soul excused himself rapidly, breaking the mirror communication

"BLACK STAAAAR! SOOOUL! Don't let me die by myself!" Kid shouted, pulling his black hair with despair, while Excalibur's voice kept on rattling on and on.

"Aaaaaah! I'll kill him!" Patty roared with rage in her eyes with a fork in her hands.

"Who the hell allowed him to get out?" Liz could only hold her head with one hand, feeling a strong migraine coming.

"Excalibur, Shouldn't you be in the Death Room keeping watch that Lord Death does not miss any calls?" Marie sighed, exasperated.

"FOOL!" Excalibur shouted, aiming at Marie with his walking cane "Any small child knows that the unanswered calls go immediately to the following active mirror, what remembers me that time of my life when I was a little boy. My games consisted in running along the grasslands helping the abandoned and the undefended, but never before taking my noon tea. It is very important to begin the day with a cup of tea, but never before saying hello to the sunlight and shouting with joy. Joy is what moves the world and creates the true anecdotes of history. Would you like to hear my history?"

"NO!" Everyone shouted in chorus, really exasperated.

" Shhhhhhhhhh!" Crona complained, beginning to hit his head against the table, pulling his own hair.

"FOOLS! Who does not know his history doesn't have a future. History is written with the blood of the fallen and the handwrite of the conquerors. My history begins at the begining the century..."

For that moment, Kid almost was strangling Spirit, who should have stayed in the Death Room to keep Excalibur from getting out of there. Kim made use of all her self-control not to incinerate the hateful weapon while Ox tried to comfort her in spite of his own headache. Patty was almost on the table with knife and fork in hand, trying to reach for Excalibur. Liz limited herself to hold Patty back. Blair had charmed his own ears so she couldn't listen to anything, sitting calmly in a pumpkin reading a magazine. Marie was massaging her temple while Stein smoked a cigarette almost vehemently. Mifune had left almost as soon as Excalibur appeared.

During the riot, no one of the presents noticed when Maka pulled Crona by his arm, leaving the mansion with him.

---

In the streets of Death City there was two figures walking side by side: a male walking a little bit unsteady while the female supported him once in a while. Maka guided Crona in the dark of the city, a perpetual darkness that was illuminated only by the street lamps and the stars. The moon was almost invisible in the darkness of the sky, covered by a dense coat of black blood... the Kishin's blood, which now worked as new seal, just like his own skin used to centuries ago.

There had passed over 10 years since that fight. In the fight against the Kishin, when they realized that they couldn't defeat him, they turned to the Brew to try what Lord Death had done the first time: To seal Asura. Wounding him enough, they turned his blood into his new prison, a prison which all waited he couldn't escape again. The new black moon was the monument to that battle that determined the destiny of the earth. For Maka, it was a memory of all the effort, the blood and the combat shoulder to shoulder with her friends. Also, it was a constant memory of Crona, who had made possible the Kishin's enprisonment.

They all recognized Maka Albarn like the meister who, using the Death Scythe Soul Eater, defeated Asura with a simple cut of her scythe. Nobody in the world recognized the young man that had conceived the whole plan. Even at the expense of his own life and with a deadly fresh wound on his stomach, he used the Brew. That recognition only existed in Shibusen, for the few that knew the truth and for the even fewer who had been there.

Seeing that black moon always reminded her about that young unappreciated man that gave everything of himself and more. He was a person that would do things, not in order to receive a recognition, but just because they had to been done. Oblivious of the natural order of the world and its laws, Crona only do what dictated him his heart. Sure, as long as the madness inside of him didn't take over...

That was the main reason of why Maka Albarn, well-known to be very closed, antisocial and short of patience, was helping that pink-haired man to walk on the streets of Shibusen. On behalf of the bond they used to share, of their friendship that was as strong as their soul resonance, of the unconditional affection that they felt for each other, she was helping one very intoxicated Crona to get to his apartment,

"Im so sssooorrrry Maka, Ragnarok is a big fat butt..." Crona stammered, trying to speak as correctly as possible. Usually the little demon waited until Crona get to his apartment or to the closest secure place before releasinf the alcohol in his bloodstream. This time, on the contrary, he had done it deliberately and all at once, incapacitating the swordsman for the rest of the night.

"I'll make him pay tomorrow... Do you hear me Ragnarok?" Maka growled, supporting Crona by his waist while the pink-haired leaned lightly on her with his arm around Maka's shoulders.

For Crona, the floor was moving as if he were standing on a ship beaten by huge waves. It was like walking on a very unstable bridge and, between that and the constant dizziness, the swordsman kept on cursing his companion internally.

"We are almost there, when we get there you will be able to rest in your new mattress" Maka smiled trying to encourage him, feeling his pessimism thanks to the short distance between them. Being drunk, the swordsman didn't have a good control of his soul wavelength, allowing Maka to catch small pieces of his soul. Of course, as long as Crona didn't open himself for her, it would be impossible for Maka to get into his soul, but at least she could perceive him. It felt like a soft caress in a strong pinch.

"No not not not not nooooo" Crona shook his head, stopping in the middle of the street to turn to Maka, holding her by her shoulders suddenly. Lifting his hands, Crona took the blonde's face, touching her cheeks softly with his thumbs.

"Crona?" Maka whispered, her cheeks blushing lightly because of the proximity of the swordsman. Usually she detested when men, or anybody in general, drank to the point of drunkenness. She considered it a horrible vice and in fact she repudiated it. When Soul had arrived drunk right after a mission, Maka had obliged him to sleep outside as a punishment. She simply detested it... perhaps because she remembered those times when Spirit arrived home completely wasted and smelling like cheap perfume.

But with Crona... it was different. In addition to know that it hadn't been the swordsman's fault, he behaved very different to everybody else... sometimes she could even see traces of his personality that, in any other way, she would have never known that Crona had.

"Maka ..." Crona whispered, swallowing forcefully trying to talk "Im not letting you ssssleep in my bed, no... I cant allow my sssweet mmmaka to sleep in such a place..."

Crona was talking with all the seriousness he could, his strong hands touching her cheeks as softly as possible. Maka could feel the rugosity of his hands, lifelong product of supporting a hilt, as well as his warmth. When taking Crona's hands between hers, she could also feel the contrast between his palms and the back of his hand, which was surprisingly soft.

"It doesnt bothers me"

"It bothers me" The swordsman growled, getting closer to hold Maka in his arms, clasping her to his chest. Inhibited by the alcohol, Crona not even shook with the contact. "I may not see you again... I want... I want to give you everything as long as I can... I want to make you happy"

Maka listened to his words while keeping her face hidden in his chest, both of her hands still helping Crona with his equilibrium. She didn't answer to his words, standing in silence between his arms.

"I cant stand seeing you sad... and not knowing why... I dont want you to be sad... I want you to be happy, I cant stand seeing my angel sad. I want to hear... your laugh... And see your smile... Seeing your beautiful eyes shine..." Crona whispered while holding Maka even more tightly, feeling at the same time as the blonde surrounded his waist with her arms, almost clinging on him grabbing fistfuls of his clothing.

Maka supported herself on him in silence, her face hidden in his chest, her arms clinging to Crona who rocked lightly due to his dizziness. The right hand of the swordsman rested on Maka's waist while the right was rising to caress her blond hair. They remained that way a long while, in silence, static between the streets of Death City.

After some minutes passed, Maka finally separated from Crona. In her green eyes was a whirlwind of emotions, being excitement and sadness the more predominant. Her cheeks were blushing and in them there was what seemed to be a tear's trail. Crona's chest was wet, and the face of the pink-haired man was filled with an expression of immense longing.

"Lets go, the apartment is not too far away..." Maka called him, smiling while taking his hand, intertwining her fingers with his own. A little more sober, Crona tried to walk, making one step after the other, trying to stagger as less as possible.

The walk to the apartment was slow and in silence. They didnt need to talk, the only thing that they needed was to keep their hands interlaced, feeling the proximity of each other. Crona was still pretty drunk, but tried his best to keep Maka's pace as decorously as he could. Maka for her part kept thinking on what had happened during dinner.

His letters didn't arrive... Crona had been writing, but for three years the mail between them disappeared. But, it just didn't make any sense... Didn't Kid assure her that he had delivered the letters personally?...

Had he delivered them to Crona right into his hands? Or perhaps...

"Your keys" Maka said to the swordsman once both had gotten to the apartment. With a whine, Crona began to rummage his pockets awkwardly, taking a moment to find the keys stored in the internal pocket of his black gabardine.

Taking his keys away, the blonde sighed before opening the door. She had had enough for a day, the only thing that she wanted was to tuck Crona to bed and go to rest. Entering both to the apartment, Maka supported the pink-haired man one more time to guide him to his room.

"Tomorrow Ragnarok will wish he'd never been born" The blonde growled in a low voice, helping the swordsman who felt as if he was receiving even more alcohol right into his bloodstream. It seemed as if Ragnarok wanted to knock him out.

"Ugghhu..." Crona complained, holding tight on Maka to get to his room.

Neither of them counted on a figure blockading their way, looking at both severely and with a pronounced frown.

"Missing all day long! Where have you been?" Meena vociferated, looking at the swordsman who took both hands to his own ears to block the sound.

"Sssshhhhhh!" Crona hissed, trying to silence the young brunette.

"Dont you dare to hush me!" Meena shouted, this time a lot louder in order to bother the pinkette.

"You shut your mouth, damn witch, and get off the way" Maka growled, supporting the swordsman tightly who began to breathe agitatedly.

"Excuse me?" Meena talked with arrogance in her voice, smiling almost wickedly while she walked closer to Maka, standing face to face with her. "Maka Albarn... You may be a legend, but in this house you are a guest and I live here"

Maka could feel her blood boil while looking at the girl of brown hair in front of her. She was... She was... She had never before felt such urge to evicerate someone since Medusa.

"move out of the way..." Maka growled with an extremely threatening tone in her voice, making Meena to arch an eyebrow.

"Get out of my house" Meena responded, still holding that enormous mocking smile "you think you are the biggest woman in town, isnt it? You think that you can do your will as you please and stick your nose in everyone's lifes?"

The young brunette was advancing with her arms crossed in her chesr, while Maka stood her ground in her place, supporting a Crona who said absolutely nothing. When they were close enough, the environment between both felt like two storms about to crash.

"I've been tolerant with you leading Crona wherever you want, now I want him back, and you are going to give him to me"

"Crona is not an object for you to talk about him like that" Maka hissed, her face blushing with anger. If the blonde didn't have her hands busy holding the swordsman, she would already have taken out her book and beaten Meena into a full coma.

"He is mine, now leave before I-"

Meena couldn't continue, because suddenly a couple of powerful hands took her by the lapels, holding her with such a force that the face of the girl filled with fear. In front of her was Crona, stainding between her and Maka, his grasp being such that almost picked her up from the floor.

"C-Crona..."

"do not speak to Maka like that..." Crona growled. His cold blue eyes looked at her with a determination fed by alcohol. His grasp was powerful, his fists hard as lead and his thin arms weren't shaking not even for instant in spite of almost being carrying the girl. The pupils contracted of the swordsman and those fixed blue eyes managed to chill Meena's blood.

"C-Crona... Are you on her side? I haven't seen you all day long and you-"

'I can't deal with you right now" he warned her, making Meena to hold her tongue "Don't make me deal with you"

Meena understood the message immediately. She knew that she shouldn't confront the swordsman while he was in such a state. Deviating his look, the pinkette understood that it was the closest thing he would obtain as a nod, releasing her slowly to deposit her again in the floor.

"I'm sorry" Were Crona's only words, who looked down again, taking Maka's hand and guiding her to her room, where the mattress that they had bought in the afternoon was.

Maka, instead, made good use of Crona's grasp to guide him to his own room, pushing him inside and locking herself up with him, leaving Meena alone in the living room.

"M-Maka?" Crona asked, clinging to the closer wall to support himself. The dizziness was getting worse and worse, and now he even felt a terrible desire to puke.

"I swear to you Crona, I'm going to kill her!" Maka almost shouted, filled with frustration. The pinkette complained with the shout, crawling to his bed to sit there. For some reason he felt as if he were close to faint.

Maka noticed the change in his state, frowning anxiously. Heaving a sigh, she decided to calm down and to take a seat in bed at his side. Lifting her hand, the blonde began to caress his back softly, making the swordsman sigh.

"D-don't kill her..." Crona whispered lowering his gaze, his long pink hair locks covering his face "I know that she is mean but... She's the only company I have"

"What are you talking about Crona? Of course she is not! You have Blair! What about Marie and the professor Stein? And Victor? Kim, Kid, Liz, Patty... Even Mifune and Angela..." Maka talked with a deep frown on her face. She couldn't believe what she was listening. How could Crona feel lonely when he had so many people that worried about him?

"you wouldn't understand..." Crona sighed, his eyes filling with a deep sadness. It was a stare of complete despair, a look that made the Maka's stomach twist. She knew that look... It was the look that he had when she met him for the first time, that sad disconsolated look of the abandoned child in a waterless sea.

" ...you are not alone, Crona..." Maka talked, coming closer to the swordsman to try to surround him with her arms.

" if she wasn't here... Who would?"

" ... The hell you are talking about? I am with you!"

"you will leave..." Crona affirmed while his blue eyes turned over to see her. It wasn't a question, it was an affirmation, an affirmation that she could not argue with. "If she weren't here, I would be alone... they all have their lives, Kim and Ox, Marie and the Professor... Liz and Kid..."

"... Crona, that one is not reason to bear her" Maka whispered, turning Crona by his shoulders so she could see him eye to eye. The swordsman kept on talking with a frankly drunk voice, but did a superhuman effort to talk correctly. At least his stutter had disappeared. "Would you eat a maggoty apple just because it is the last? Being alone is better than being with someone like-"

"Whoever said that didn't know loneliness!" Crona shouted, his fists clenching the bedspread tightly. Maka held her tongue, staring at the swordsman with concerned eyes. "Is it better to be alone? Really? the one that said that had the slightest idea of what it is arriving to an empty house every day? Did he know how silence amplifies the noise of your thoughts? Did he know what it is to have nothing and nobody but your memories?... And the apple would be eaten by anyone that knows the true meaning of hunger..."

Maka was in complete silence, shocked, trying to understand the true significance of all his words. However, Crona didn't give her time for thar, because he began to sob in her arms.

" I don't want to be alone... I want to walk in this cruel world with somebody at my side... I want this solitude to disappear... I want these memories to leave me alone..." Crona panted, shaking, his voice breaking more and more wih each word. It was the alcohol, there was no doubt about it, It was the alcohol revealing one of the secrets that the swordsman hid deep within his soul, secrets that she couldn't feel, secrets that he was hiding from her "I want... I want somebody to love me..."

Maka swallowed hard, feeling as a knot took shape in her throat.

"but nobody can love me... How can somebody love this monster? How would anybody be able to at least contemplate that possibility? Because you are right Maka, nobody wants a maggoty apple... I am that apple Maka, I am..."

"Enough" Maka ordered him, shaking the swordsman by the shoulders. In her voice there was anger, but above all pain "What have I told you about talking like that about yourself?"

Crona didn't answer, keeping his glance low, not trying the slightest to look up and see the blonde in front of him. Crona's soul wavelength was sort of more perceptible now, perhaps for the strong intoxication, but Maka could feel it... And the only thing that she could felt was a deep and powerful solitude.

Maka embraced Crona tightly, clinging to his thin body feeling his shaking. The swordsman's hands didn't take too long before responding almost noticeably, feeling his hands to rest in the curve of her waist.

"How can you say that? How can you feel like this? You are my best friend Crona and I love you" Maka said while holding him tight. Usually, back in their youth, she could hold Crona fully, she would let him rest his forehead on her shoulder and hold him as close as possible. He was bigger and taller now, so she just clinged to him, still holding him as close as possible.

She felt Crona's gasp, his hands slowly starting to hold her with a stronger grip. His wavelength shifted slightly, she could feel his inner turmoil, his happiness... He liked the sound of that, he liked those words. And yet, along with that hapiness was an almost soffocating sadness. Why? Why would he feel so sad when her words made him happy? It made no sense.

If she could only resonate with him...

"Let me in..." Maka whispered in a soft tone, more like a request than an order.

" I can't..." Crona sighed with his voice breaking slightly, shutting his eyes tightly.

"Who did this to you?" The blonde asked, separating from him a little to face him. The Crona between her arms wasn't even the shadow of what they had achieved together. What had happened? What had provoked that the subjugated Crona of Medusa returned?

Maka tried to step back a little, but the swordsman's firm hands didn't allow it, pulling her closer.

"Don't leave..." Crona sobbed, his eyes still closed tightly, almost painfully. "Don't leave me... Don't Leave... I'll do whatever you want but please… please..."

It was there when a violent dizziness invaded the swordsman, who had to cling to Maka so he wouldn't fall off the bed. The blonde pushed his shoulders softly, helping Crona to lay down. For the swordsman's surprise, as soon as he was well-positioned, Maka laid down by his side, embracing him strongly.

"M-maka...?"

"I will stay with you" Maka whispered, clinging to his thin body "I will be here until you fall sleep"

"Maka..." Crona whispered, shaking lightly. Still with the brain drowned in alcohol, the swordsman could notice the whole picture... He was in bed with Maka. Unable to process that, he just surrendered to her warmth, allowing Maka to hold him against her own body. Surrounding her with his arms on her waist, Crona didn't even bother in worrying about how close he was to her.

Because he needed her. At that very moment, his aching soul needed her before anything else in the whole world. As intoxicated as he was, he couldn't fight his own desires anymore, and he just wanted to be with her. Maka, on the other hand, was pleased to feel him relax in her arms, pleased with his acceptance... Because Crona wasn't pushing her away.

"You are not alone... for I am here with you" Maka whispered softly againt his ear, one hand going up to caress his head. Her soft voice was a wonderful lullaby in Crona's head.

"Maka..." He sighed in contempt, holding her closer, burying his face in her shoulder. She was with him, at that very moment, he could tell that he had her.

"Though you're far away, I am here to stay..." As long as she could, Maka would try to stay with Crona. During those years not knowing anything about him... She had missed him so damn much. Now that he was in her arms, she just didn't want to let go. "But you are not alone... for I am here with you. Though we're far apart, you're always in my heart..."

"Maka..." Crona sighed while clinging hard to the blonde, not letting her go. If he could just tell her, if he could just open his soul to her and let her in...

Before being able to even think anything else, a new wave of alcohol in his blood knocked the lights out of him for the rest of the night.

---

It was midnight when Maka got out of Crona's room.

She was concerned, confused... and overall scared. Crona had a problem, it was an enormous problem that little by little was consuming his sanity... and the worst part was that she couldn't tell what it was.

Something was certain: Meena only was an escape for that problem. Crona was using her, perhaps as much as Meena was using him. He used her to fool himself, in order to get a false sensation of company, a placebo for his need of affection. For anybody else, that would have been perfectly alright. Like, what's the problem if both of them are using each other? If that worked for them, they could stay like that forever.

For Maka Albarn, that situation was completely outrageous. Crona was a marvelous loyal man to his friends and dedicated to his family. The best friend that anyone could ever ask for, comitted to his friends and compromised to anyine who believed in him. Crona deserved to have somebody who loved him, somebody that reminds him every day how unvaluable he was. He needed somebody to hold his hand every day and remind him that he wasn't alone. Was she the only one that could see all those qualities in him?

So sunken she was in her own thoughts that she didn't notice when a figure positioned in front of her. Before she could foresee it, a whip got tangled in Maka's neck, throwing her to the ground with a strong pull.

Alarmed, the blonde took both hands to her neck, trying to take off that whip that seemed to had life of its own, choking her slowly. Following the end of the whip, she opened her eyes wide when she noticed that that whip was an extension of Meena's arm, who was looking at her threateningly.

"Really, Maka, you don't want to provoke me" Meena smiled, squeezing Maka's neck while she squatted down in front of her. "Really... do you want to separate me from Crona? You can try it, but I don't assure you that I'll be the one losing at the end..."

"You are just using him... You feel nothing for him!" Maka roared, trying to open that whip that was almost soffocating her.

"Pfff... Of course I don't feel anything" Meena laughed evilishly "Who would feel anything for such an excuse of a man? No, is pure convenience. But... Who cares about that? Crona doesn't, he just wants someone to hold his hand once in a while and smile at him, it's a good deal don't you think?"

"You fucking bitch!" Maka growled out of breath, feeling how every intake of air was more difficult each time. Meena was asphyxiating her "If I just had Soul with me..."

"Exactly, Maka Albarn" Meena laughed, looking at the blonde with superiority "Without Soul Eater you are not anybody, and you know it. That is the only reason of why you did a friendship with Crona "

"what the hell are you talking about..."

"Really, Maka Albarn, who rescued a Soon-to-be Kishin of his own madness... I heard that Crona saved your ass in multiple occasions as well. You turned him into your little pet, didn't you? Obliging him to step in front of his own mother to die for you?..." Meena hissed with an almost poisonous smile in her face. Maka had stopped struggling. "So... Why don't you do us a favor and disappear from his life for good? I will take care of Crona"

"Crona is my best friend! I don't use him! He is very important to me!"

"I believe he thinks something different, really Maka... He is only being kind, Don't you remember that he stopped writing you? Not a single letter, Maka, that is exactly how much you mean to him" Meena talked with a giant-sized smile, her chocolate eyes looking at the blonde with sarcasm.

It was at that moment, when Maka understood everything. Her face turned pale for an instant before turning red with anger. Now everything made sense, it fitted perfectly.

"You did it..."

"Uh?" Meena growled, looking at her skepticly.

"You... You took Crona's letters!" Maka accused her, feeling a deep fury bubbling inside of her.

Meena was the culprit. She... she had somehow intercepted both her and Crona's mail, preventing them from keeping in touch. Because of her Maka had passed through so much solitude, not knowing anything about him. Because of her, Crona thought that she no longer cared about him. She was the culprit.

The brunette frowned, discreetly swallowing hard. Breathing deeply, she only smiled before releasing Maka from her grasp, turning the whip back into its human form. Maka breathed greedily, getting up a little bit unsteady from the ground to confront her.

"You can't deceive me! I see it in those deceptive eyes of yours!"

"Hmm... Big accusations for someone who does not have any proofs..." Meena smiled, crossing her arms on her chest "well then... Where are the letters, Maka Albarn? Can you prove that you wrote them? I can tell you that Crona didn't write anything to anyone"

"I will not listen to your lies! Of the only thing that I blame myself is to have doubted him for even a single moment, believing that he didn't write on purpose. I should have come back as soon as his letters stopped arriving" Maka growled, knowing perfectly that she was at fault of the terrible swamp in which Crona and her were. She never should have supposed that Crona refused to write her, she never should have doubted... How could he had doubt something like that?

If what the little Victor had said was true, Crona had wrote letters that never arrived, and at the same time never received hers. If that was true, for three years he thought that she had forgotten about him.

If that was the case, she couldn't blame him for having lost his resonance with her.

"take care of your business, Maka Albarn. Crona is no longer yours"

"Crona will be always my business" Maka responded, looking at the chocolate eyes of the brunette, threatening her. Behind the fierce interchange of looks, Maka left to her own room. She was not that stupid to try to fight against a weapon. She could be rude at the time of fighting, but he was still human.

But, tomorrow at first hour, she would go to Kid with Crona and unveil the whole truth. Crona would know what she had done... And maybe that way she would have her best friend again.

Meena for her part stayed in the corridor of the rooms, staring upon the door that led to the blonde's room. With a frown and a pout of repudiation on her lips, the brunette shook her head to address her attention to Crona's room. With a deep sigh, she entered the room where the swordsman was sleeping off his terrible intoxication.

Once inside, Meena closed the door smoothly to avoid any noise. In silence, she walked to Crona's bed, where she observed him sleep for an instant.

"Ragnarok..." Meena called, looking at the pinkette back attentively. She didn't wait long before the little demon got lazily out of his companion's back.

"Ughh..." Ragnarok complained, taking a moment to recover his physical shape on top of an unconscious Crona "What the hell do you want?"

"Where were you? Why you both arrive like this? And how did Maka found out about the letters!?" Meena growled, raising her voice more and more as she talked.

"Hold your tongue, you idiot! You'll wake up Crona!" Ragnarok hissed, shaking off his headache. He found himself dizzy, but because he had passed all of the alcohol he drank to Crona's body, he was in better shape than him "I had to knock him out with alcohol! I knew that everything would be discovered in the little party with his stupid friends, I needed an emergency plan!"

"Party?" Meena repeated, crossing her arms.

"The little God of Symmetry organized a welcome party for Maka, Who spent the whole frigging day with Crona, mind you!" The little demon roared under his breath, leaning over his meister to face the brunnete in front of him "Where were you!? The damage is unfixable! They hugged, they fidgeted with his damned hands, they did plans like a little couple of retarded retards! And at the end they found out about the letters!"

"How the hell did that happen? It was supposed that you were going to avoid that!"

"Fuck you! don't dare to question me!" Ragnarok raised his voice, frankly pissed off "Do you believe that I can do miracles or preventing others from opening their damned mouths? Luckily I probably wasted Crona so much that he won't remember anything"

Meena bit her lip and clenched her fists, swallowing her anger. She detested when Ragnarok put her names, but when it was the demonsword... She had to bear it.

"you should have told me where they would be..."

"And how the fuck I was supposed to do that, shithead? Walking out of Crona silently to inform you? It's bloody common sense! You should have never left Crona alone with that fat cow in the first place!"

" Ey ey ey I tried to separate them as soon as she arrived!" The brunette tried to defend herself, stepping forward to confront Ragnarok.

"and you tried to convince him... How? Being an utterly and allmighty bitch?" The sword mocked, being already almost half a meter away from Meena. "You cannot convince Crona of getting away from Maka that way! His mother tried... And where is she now!?"

Ragnarok's words were enough to make Meena to hold her tongue. The brunette's fixed eyes suggested the sword that finally she was listening to him.

"To control Crona, that works. All of his life he has been obeying orders, is very easy to manipulate him that way... but never when its about the cow" Ragnarok explained, lowering his voice "The way that the damned cow can give courage to this coward, or bring him to reason, or showing him the faults that he commits... Trying To make Crona say "no" to Maka is like trying to force him to get rid of a part of his soul"

Meena kept on staring at Ragnarok without saying a word, listening.

"he loves her, that is something than neither your or I will understand never. We are pitching against something we dont know, but of what I am sure its that you will never get him away from her behaving as you are doing it" Ragnarok growled, crossing his little arms in front of his chest.

" ... All right, all right..." Meena heaved a sigh, looking around to find something where to sit down. After noticing the old desk's chair, she took it from the back to accommodate it in front of the bed, taking seat close to Crona. " What you are asking me is...?

"only that you fulfill your part of the deal! Do you remember our deal?" The demon sword growled "The Only Thing that you care about is money, and I don't care about anything but me. I need Crona for that! I almost lose him because of the damned cow. The deal was that I would allow you to use Crona, if you made him forget about Maka"

"Do you think that that is easy, damn midget?" Meena roared, getting up brusquely of the chair, throwing it in the process. Crona growled while half asleep, moving lightly in bed.

"Low your damn voice!" The sword hissed, looking at his meister for an instant to make sure that he continued to be asleep. Meena took Ragnarok's hand, pulling it forcefully and obliging him to pay attention to her.

"How do you think I can conquer an idiot that cannot be even a man? I have tried, damn! Every single one of my innuendoes and flirtations are ignored! Crona's manliness is non-existant!" Meena roared, feeling as her face turned red of fury. It was the first time for her that a man didn't react to her charms, and for her that was an insult to her beauty.

"Ha! Do you believe that that works with him? If it worked, Blair already would have managed to fuck him years ago" Rangarok vociferated "his dick obeys the same laws than his courage: Non-existent unless Maka is near!"

"What the hell does that low-down bitch have that I don't?"

"Is not about what she has, idiot, Its about what she gives to him!" Ragnarok roared, very near already to lose his patience "You have to pretend that you love him!"

Meena held her tongue again, looking at the little demon fixedly.

"I don't know how you are going to do it, I am not interested either! But you have to make it happen!" The sword hissed, looking at the brunette fixedly with his unexpressive round eyes "The situation as it is in these moments is terrible. At this rate not even I will be able to convince him to remain at your side. If the cow tells him to leave you, He is going to do it! I can no longer act against her, so everything is on your hands now"

Meena remained in silence, as if she were considering the meaning of his words. After almost one minute in perpetual silence, the brunette snorted with annoyance.

"Too much work, I give up"

" ... What?"

"Too much work. I already have all of Crona's savings, enough to live well for a long time. I will draw the money from the bank and I'll ask my transfer with my meister to another place" Meena said with simplicity, stretching herself on the chair before smiling, standing up to leave the room "good luck with that, Ragnarok"

The brunette smiled victoriously, retreating. She was just by the door when an enormous hand took her by the head, yanking her hair. Meena screamed, but her scream was hushed up by another gloved hand that covered her mouth. That first hand managed to pick her up from the floor only by her hair, shaking her lightly provoking shouts from pain that were muffled by the second hand.

Over an unconscious Crona was found a giant-sized Ragnarok. With every minimal part of his body toned up, the black demon was looking at Meena with a facial expression of authentic repudiation. Impassible to the screams of agony of Meena, the demon sword kept on shaking her as if she was a rag. Tears began to fall off the eyes of the brunette, who lifted her hands to take Ragnarok's enormous ones and to try to avoid a bigger damage to her head.

"Funny, very funny you low-down bitch" The thick voice of the demon sword hissed, sounding scary and threatening enough to managed to chill the girl's blood. "for a moment I thought that you were for real, you know? For a moment I thought that you would really betray me"

"L-let me go..." Meena panted under Ragnarok's grasp, feeling as several locks of hair yielded due to the violent shakes, coming off by the roots. Blood threads began to drip from her forehead.

"Do you think that you can use us just like that, you little idiot?" Ragnarok roared below his breath, shaking her even more, ripping another scream of agony from her which drowned with his left hand. "Do you think that you can leave just like that? We made a deal and you are going to keep it, you will stay with Crona until I say so"

Meena shouted again, starting to become desperate for the indescribable pain in her head. Anguished, she turned her hands into whips, using them to give a lash in the Ragnarok's face. Seeing the blow coming, the demon hardened all of his body, making the whips completely ineffective. Meena shouted again, the pain in her hands forcing her to make them return to their original form. Her hands and arms found now reddened and inflamed. It had been like trying to give a slap to a solid brick wall.

"You are going to fulfill your part of the deal" Ragnarok growled, lifting Meena until she was at his eye level, blood threads dripping for her face. "Or... I will tell everything to Crona, the lost letters, the deceits, I will tell him about your little affair with your meister and as how you used him, I will tell him that you hit Maka... Oh yes, I am going to make him hate you"

Meena half-opened her eyes, looking at the giant-sized Ragnarok that was supporting her by her hair. It was there when the demon smiled, showing an enormous and distorted smile to the girl. Ragnarok was the solidified black blood, the madness in solid form.

It was an image that chilled Meena's blood, making her shiver in fright.

"you can flee ... but we are going to find you, we will find you and we will make you pay. I am going to eat your soul" The demon hissed before releasing the girl, whipping her against the ground. Crona, too drunk to be conscious, remained immutable face down in bed.

Meena sobbed, lifting her hand to touch her head. Some scalp had come off, filling her face and neck with blood. Shaking, Meena tried to stand up, turning over to see Ragnarok who again was only a little black blob comfortably installed on the back of his meister.

"Now get the fuck out of here" Were the only words of the demonsword, which reached up to grab the blankets and tuck Crona with them.

Meena did not hesitate in getting out of that room, letting Ragnarok only with his meister. The little demon centered all of his attention in the pink-haired man below him. Even asleep, the swordsman looked exhausted, breathing slowly.

"Is the best for us" Ragnarok said in a low voice, moving some pink-colored hair locks away from Crona's face. Still asleep, a tear leaked of the eyes of the swordsman.

Meena ran immediately to her room, locking herself up. Now alone, the girl allowed herself to fall on her knees to the ground, trembling with fear. A sob escaped of her throat, lifting both hands to touch her hair. The damage was not serious, but just the single thought that Ragnarok could do such damage with one hand...

She panted, allowing herself to cry in fright and impotence. She was terrified, but she couldn't be allow herself to show that to the little demon. No, she had to remember the true reason of why she was doing all of that, the motive of why she was entangled with Crona. The demon was right, she couldn't back out... not now only her pride was at stake, but also her life.

She had to push Maka away, she had to separate her from Crona.

Cleaning her tears and her blood with the back of her hand, Meena stood up to open her closet padlock, where a chest was hidden. When opening it, in front of her hundreds of letters appeared.

It was three years of mail between Crona and Maka.

"this has to disappear..." Meena whispered for herself. Nobody could found those letters, because they were the evidence of what she had dond. Those letters not only could destroy her, but make everything she had managed to achieve to split the swordsman and the scythe meister be in vain. As soon as she had the opportunity, that chest along with all of its content had to be destroyed.

In the dark of the night, a couple of amber eyes looked through the window of that room, half-closing irefully.

---

Akire Rosales: Soooo... how was it? Some questions got answered xD hope that keeps you all from killing me D: ALSOOOO! As you can see we are getting to the interesting part of the story xD For next chapter... you all gonna hate me, a lot.

In other news! This story has MOAR FANART! I cant believe it myself ;w; Now it comes from AkimiB who made a lot of drawings for many scenes of this fanfic. You should totally go see her talent in deviantart! She has a whole folder labeled with the name of this fanfic :'D I cant feel more blessed!

Wait, yes I can... WITH YOUR REVIEWS! Im having a very hard time with school and I can barely find spare time to write this story, but I read and reread all of your reviews every day so I can keep myself inspired! Trust me, your reviews are what makes the next chapter possible!

Next chapter -hopefully- will be the last that lasts this long to be uploaded. Remember when I took over 2 months for one chapter? I wrote the other ones during that time! And boy there are big surprises coming!

As for now, keep reading, fav, follow and most important: REVIEW! :D

P.S: dont forget to give some love to my beta reader, you can find her in deviantart with the name of Zaiduck... did I say she is a very talented CroMa artist? no? well there you go =) she'll make your nose bleed!