"Our masters are losing patience, aren't they mother?"

"Do not speak like that, my son. They are my masters, not yours. You need not worry about them."

"But they will be my masters, someday. Don't they already say how my life must be lived?"

"Your offspring speaks the truth, child. He has been raised well. You have more knowledge than him, yet he is far more wise. He understands that neither of you have will, They shall dictate your fates, no one else."

"You know nothing, monster."

"It's okay mother, I know the truth. We have no free will. They say what will happen. What choice do we have in the matter?"

"You see? He knows far better than you."

It had been three days since Spirit's disappearance from his hospital room. Everyone in the academy was on high alert about the event. Whatever resources weren't already trained on finding the Kishin were being put to finding the missing Death Scythe. Even the students were told to keep an eye out on their various missions for any clue, just in case his disappearance had anything to do with the witches or the Kishin.

Maka, for reasons no one knew, had become more quiet and slightly withdrawn. She had nearly drowned herself in her schoolwork, speaking to no one but her closest friends. Many of them were becoming concerned with her well being, but she constantly insisted that she was fine and only wanted to find out what happened to her father. A few were concerned, since she had constantly insisted how much she had hated him. Those who knew her well, though, knew this was not really true and her concern for her father was genuine and near frantic, at least for her. One day, not long after her father's disappearance, Soul finally confronted her about this.

"Maka, are you alright?" His meister whipped around to face him, seeming almost angered by the question.

"I'm fine Soul. Why?" She snapped. Soul raised an eyebrow.

"No need to get snappy, I'm just asking because you've seemed strung-out for the past few days.

"I'm not getting snappy Soul, and I'm not strung-out." She seemed to bite off every word, accentuating every syllable.

"Easy, Maka," Soul tried to soothe, but it had the opposite effect he wanted.

"Easy? Easy?! How can any of this be easy Soul?! My father is missing without even a trace about where he might have gone off to! It doesn't look like anyone is even trying to find him! Does that seem easy to you?!" Soul could see her starting to shake, hands clenched into fists at her sides. "He just fell sick like that just before he disappeared, and no one has any idea about how it happened or where he may have disappeared to! And you know what's worse?! The last thing I said to him before he disappeared was 'I hate you'! That's right! That's the last thing I said to him the last time he was awake to hear me before he disappeared!" Her shoulders began to shake and her voice choked up. "How's that as a last thing to say! He may be somewhere far away from here, without any of us even having the slightest clue where, and the last thing he ever heard from his daughter was 'I hate you'! Well I don't! I don't hate him! I... I just..." The tears finally began flowing from her eyes as she wailed out, "I just want my papa back!"

Maka's balled fists came up to her face and rubbed her eyes, tears dripped from her eyes and down her chin where they bunched up and dripped onto the floor. Soul watcher her, a sympathetic look on his face. As his meister cried her bitter, wanting tears, he placed a hand on her shoulder and pulled her into an awkward half-hug. Maka cried into his shoulder, sobbing and sniffing freely. When her tears had died down and she was reduced to sniffled, Soul put an arm around her shoulders and began leading her home to rest.

Black Star narrowed his eyes, listening to Maka being led away by Soul. Shoving his hands into his pockets, he stomped down the opposite hallway. He was glaring at the ground as he walked, clenching and un-clenching his fists in his pockets. He went up to Tsubaki, who was waiting for him outside under a big tree.

"Hey Black Star, what's up?" she asked with concern upon seeing the expression on his face. He motioned for her to get up from her seat and follow him.

"Come with me Tsubaki, there's something we've gotta' do." Tsubaki obeyed and stood to faithfully follow her meister.

"Where are we going?" she asked curiously. Black Star fell into step next to her as they descended the stairs into Main Death City.

"Investigating."

"So, you're saying that Lord Death's main Death Scythe has mysteriously disappeared?"

"Y-yes Lady Medusa." Crona nervously wrung his hands as he spoke to his mother through Eruka. His back hunched slightly as Ragnarok's tiny upper-body leaned over his head. The snake witch had a grin in her voice, Crona could hear it. It made him shudder a bit at the tone, but he looked as shaky as ever to Medusa, so it made no difference.

"Very interesting," Medusa drawled. In her little base, where she stared into her crystal ball, drumming her little fingers on her legs. "He just vanishes without a trace, and just as the kishin is rising to power as well." A wide grin spread across her face. "Now isn't that a nice little present for me? I think this is just perfect to suit our needs."

"Maka is really upset about it," Crona mumbled before he could stop himself. Medusa continued smirking through her crystal ball.

"Is that so?" she said lowly. Crona stiffened, fearful that he had said something that could have hurt him or Maka. "So the little Death Scythe's daughter does love her father after all. How touching," she mocked sweetly.

"Serves them right, both of them," Eruka quipped.

"Very good observation work so far, Crona," Medusa praised. "I want you to keep this up just as you have, this will be vital for our upcoming operation. However, I want you to tell this to Eruka, she will inform me at a later date. I am going to be preoccupied with other matters for a while."

"W-what kinds of other matters?" Crona stuttered, dreading her answer. Medusa smirked behind her crystal ball and narrowed her eyes.

"Let's just say that I think there's someone with whom I have a bone to pick." She her grin grew wider as she clasped her hands. "And if I can pick this bone, then we may not even need the kishin. If all goes well, I'll have all the power I need, as easy as making a wish." She chuckled gleefully, causing Crona to tremble with fear.

I'm scared, he thought fearfully as he allowed his feet to lead him to his corner to curl up.

Dim sunlight flowed into the room, tinted reds and yellows and many other colors as the rays passed through the colored window panes. The heavy wooden doors were shut tightly, locked against the outside world. At the room's pinnacle, on the altar below an omniprescent statue, lay a single figure. The only truly living thing in the room. A shadow loomed over the altar, hands pressed together as the head bowed with an almost mocking respect.

"Yes... yes... indeed. It is nearly complete. There is no soul contamination, and they are bonding well... It is as you predicted, the process is going smoothly, even moreso than the last." The shadow appeared to be speaking to itself, as there seemed to be no one else in the room to speak to. A soft, blue glow kept the edge off of the darkness, yet at the same time setting an eerie atmosphere about. The shadowy figure listened carefully, both to the words of its' invisible masters and the slowing thumps of the heart in the prone body in front of it. Slowly, the thumps of the heart became less and less. Until, finally, they stopped altogether and all was silent.

"...It is complete. He is ready." The shadow reached a hand forward, and gently, barely even making contact, moved the hair out of the eyes of the person laid out on the altar like a sacrifice. The hand continued to hover over the person, and the shadow spoke only one word. "Awaken." All at once, the thumps began again. They were strong and steady, more powerful than the ones before. After less than two beats, their eyes opened. And the red skulls of their irises sparked in the darkness. "Give thanks for your newly returned life, child, and the next time you open your mouth shall be to praise and serve our masters. You understand." This last was not a question. The person lying atop the altar sat up straight, looked straight at the shadow, and spoke only five words.

"So, what do they wish?"