Hey guys, I told you it would be awhile for this chapter, but to make it up to you, I already have chapter 9 written and chapter 10 started. This isn't one of my favourite chapters of the story, but that okay. I can say, though, the next one will be worth the wait.
Reason why it took me so long: UNIVERSITY SUCKS! It's not even funny how much work was piled on last week! And then I also had to go home for thanksgiving (which I forgot my story) then my friend and I were decorating the dorm for halloween. And finally a couple of friends and I were working on our costumes. One is being Link from Legend of Zelda, the other is being Kairi (spelling?) from Kingdom Hearts, and I am being... wait for it... DEATH THE KID! It's almost finished! and making it cost me less than 20 bucks! I CAN'T WAIT!
Anyways, after my little rant and my completely defected word count, enjoy the chapter!
A Pure Heart
Chapter 8: BREW
"Kagome, we should take a break. We've been going all morning!" Inuyasha said. "You've even skipped class for this."
Kagome stood seemingly alone in a clearing next to the academy. It was a greater risk of getting caught, but it was much easier to train there.
Two months had passed since the meister was blown of the train, breaking her ankle in the process. Two months since she was last on a mission, or even wielded Inuyasha for that matter. Healing rather quickly for a fracture, her brace had been removed mere hours ago, giving her the power to move freely once again. Though the nurse had told her to take it slow, Kagome shrugged it off, heading out to train immediately after.
"Come one, Inuyasha. We have a lot to catch up on!" Kagome said, placing her hands on her knees, running out of breath. "Two months is a long time!"
Inuyasha, a second ago in his bow form, morphed back into a human, taking a seat on a nearby rock.
"I know, but you should slow down a bit. You don't want to go breaking that thing again," the weapon warned.
"Pfft, I'm fine. It healed up fast and proper."
"Yeah… too fast. Why is that? It usually takes a person longer to heal a break like that," Inuyasha questioned suspiciously.
"Err- I… I guess I'm just lucky!" Kagome smiled, pushing it off. "Anyways, let's keep going."
"But-"
"Attention all student," Spirit announced over the intercom. "Could all E.A.T. students please go to the Death room immediately for an important mission briefing."
"That's us. I guess training will have to wait." Inuyasha smirked, thankful for his perfect timing.
Kagome couldn't help but scowl at him before heading towards the hundreds of stairs leading to the DWMA.
The bitter winds tore through their hair; harsh waves keeping them off their feet. With how far north they were going, the students knew it would be cold- but this was ridiculous.
A couple of days after the mission briefing, the top one star meisters were put on a boat and shoved off to the arctic to collect another demon tool known as BREW. Arachnophobia's leader, Lady Arachne, especially wanted this tool, for it was rumoured to grant the wielder's greatest desires. This also meant that Arachnophobia troops would be at the lost islands as well, which could cause a lot of trouble for the academy.
"GOD! This is taking forever!" Black Star shouted. "Are we there yet?"
Maka scowled. "Do you see an island anywhere?"
"Well… no, but how could you with all of this fog?"
"Ahem," Professor Stein cleared his throat, silencing the bickering meisters. "A couple of days ago, we gave you a briefing of this mission which I expected all of you to remember," He began.
Black Star froze. I was supposed to listen to that? He thought the look of panic stretching across his face.
"Of course, I'm going to explain it again for those of you who didn't pay attention the first time," He continued, putting emphasis on the last part, glaring hard at the clueless assassin. Stein explained the mission to the group, though only really talking to Black Star, who just so happened to be the only one who didn't hear it the first time.
"Hey Kid," Kagome whispered to him. "Any luck on finding out who Eibon was?"
Kid shook his head. "No. The library only had one book with his name in it, but someone had taken it out three months ago and has yet to return it."
"Have you tried asking the person?"
"Whoever took it only signed it out using an M," Kid explained, not noticing a certain pig-tailed meister stiffen as he spoke. "Though I think it was Medusa."
"I hate that witch," Inuyasha added in. "I mean, look what she did to that Crona kid!"
"Well she's gone now… but we have a bigger problem at the moment," The reaper stated as the lost islands came into view.
The seven meisters- Maka, Black Star, Kid, Kagome, Ox, Kilik and Kim- stood facing what appeared to be an enormous, black and red cyclone. It was a magnetic field that had surrounded a factory that was destroyed eight hundred years ago by witch magic. And inside this factory, lay BREW; the final and most powerful of the demon tools, carrying the very essence of Eibon himself.
"Within this field, as you know," Stein began, facing his students with Marie by his side. "Lies BREW. However, only Marie and I will go in and retrieve it. The rest of you will stay here until we return. If we're not back in twenty minutes, Kim, give the signal to retreat," He continued, directing himself to the pink haired lantern meister, who nodded in return.
"Wish us luck," Marie said softly with a smile as she and Professor Stein turned and embarked into the magnetic field, unaware of what lay ahead.
Seconds felt like minutes; minutes like hours. Time seemed to drag slower and slower the longer Stein and Marie was in the field. Kid, whether of worry or impatience, couldn't help but check his pocket watch every couple of minutes. It also didn't help that it was getting colder. For warmth, Kim held up her weapon, Jackie (who just so happened to be a lantern) and shared the heat with the others.
"I'm so hungry!" Black Star complained. "Hey Kilik, give me one of your candy bars!"
"Sorry, this is my last one," He responded, chewing on the last couple bites.
"LIAR!"
The rest of the group ignored the typical bickering, too focused on their own hunger and tiredness.
Kagome shivered. "It's so cold! I should be used to this kind of thing! I mean… it got really cold some nights when I lived on the streets. And I didn't even have a coat!" She shivered again, hugging herself into her slim-fit, white coat. "I wish those two would hurry up!"
"It's been fifteen minutes. They should be out soon," Kid stated. "And you've been off the streets for over a year now. There's no way you'd still be adjusted to the cold," He continued, wrapping his arms around her to share some of his heat.
Kagome blushed, trying to avoid the five pairs of eyes staring at the couple.
"I can't sense them anymore!" Maka shouted suddenly. "Professor Stein and Miss Marie's soul wavelengths; they've disappeared."
"You could detect their souls even with this magnetic field?" Kid questioned, completely awestruck at her ability. Maka nodded in return. "Alright, I'll go in and check it out. My reaper body should be able to withstand the field longer."
"No way, man! We're going too!" Black Star cheered, Maka and Kagome nodding in agreement.
"I'll go too," Kilik said, following Maka's group. But before they could approach the field, loud shouting and rumbles were heard from the distance.
Arachnophobia had come.
"Don't worry, my darling Kim!" Ox cheered, staring down the approaching henchmen with his lightning rod raised. "The lightning king will protect you and then we can be together in peace!"
Kim face-palmed. "Only if you get rich!" She called out
"Sorry guys!" Kilik began. "You four will have to go without me. I can't leave my team."
"Right!"
Maka, Black Star, Kid and Kagome took one last glance to their friends in battle before heading into the magnetic field. At first, the field was noisy and cloudy, making the visibility slim to none. But before long, the group had found themselves to be in what appeared to be an Aztec temple grounds.
"W-where are we?" Kagome asked, looking around to see a long, stone pathway, lined with stone pillars on each side, leading to an ancient-looking building. "I thought this place was supposed to be in ruins."
"It was…" Kid said, looking puzzled at the perfect condition of the witches' lab until something caught his eye. "Huh? Father? What is he doing out of Death City?"
The remaining members looked to the sky. Kid was right. Lord Death really was flying towards the lab, though his mask seemed more terrifying than before.
"Could it be that… this is an image of the past?"
Maka stiffened, her gaze shifting to a witch clothed in long, purple robed, standing in the corner with another. "It's Arachne!"
"What is she doing here?" Black Star asked.
"We should be asking you the same thing!" Marie yelled from up ahead, holding Stein up on her shoulder.
"Miss Marie!"
"We're sorry, but you took so long and we got worried," Maka explained.
"And we still have fifteen minutes, so we can keep looking, since your body isn't up for it," Black Star continued. He was right. Marie looked down at her hand, and then over to Stein. Their bodies were slowly phasing out, and eventually, they would be destroyed completely.
"A-alright… but promise me you'll be careful," She said, making her way out with Stein, who appeared to be going insane.
"Now that those two are out of the way, I can finally make my leave!" An unfamiliar voice chuckled from the other end of the stone path.
Black Stars eyed widened as the figure stepped out of the shadows.
"MOSQUITO!"
REVIEWS ARE WELCOMED AND ENCOURAGED! AND THANKS AGAIN TO ALL THOSE WHO HAVE REVIEWED PREVIOUSLY, FAVORITED, ALERTED... AND HELL... EVEN READ THIS STORY! YOU HAVE NO IDEA HOW MUCH IT MEANS TO ME!
