Erik took a deep breath in and said, "Telling the whole story at once will take too much time, and I'm tired so you'll get what I want to tell for now. I'd rather tell everyone at once instead, if you don't mind." Lord Death shook his head and said, "Not at all." With that, Erik began his tale.
"I was an orphan," Erik began, putting his hands behind his head and leaning back. To his left he could see through the window, showing a portion of the DWMA, and the sun laughing its endless laugh, "I remember the place almost perfectly, though it never really had a name. I think it did at one point, but whatever that name was, nobody called it that, especially us children. All it was to us was cold cots, raggedy sheets, stupid and stuffy uniforms, and terrible food. I think it was the uniforms that I hated most, honestly; there was no reason for them. We didn't go to any kind of school, so many of us were completely illiterate, myself included." Erik closed his eyes, clearly seeing the old orphanage as he told his story. Kid sat in silence, his golden eyes focused on Erik as he told his story. Lord Death was looking out the window, but it was doubtful that he wasn't paying attention. Then there was Minora, now lying on her side as she listened.
"I lived at the orphanage until I was ten years old. It was around that time that rumors went around about a Witch nearby. The people running the place told us not to panic, and like dogs we all obeyed. Well, most of us, anyway. I was the exception, of course. I had planned on getting out of there anyway," his face darkened as he reopened his eyes and looked down at his hands, now clasped in his lap, "but I couldn't bring myself to do it." He went silent then, fighting back the bad feelings associated with what he was about to say. When he finally got his nerve up, setting his face in a calm stare out the window, he continued.
"That is, until the day people started going missing. First it was just one of the people living on the streets; someone that nobody ever really noticed had gone missing. Then it got worse, with more people going missing, strange lights being seen in the forest, and of course the fear that maybe it was the Witch Arachnae, returning after nearly 800 years of silence. Among some of the people missing was the curator of the orphanage, as well as three children, two young girls and a boy my age. I think that was what decided what I was going to do; the night those four, the children and curator, missing I ran. I packed up everything that I owned, which wasn't much more than the clothes on my back and some food I packed into a satchel, and then I just walked out. Nobody stopped me, and nobody noticed when I walked out to the forest. Once I passed the tree-line, I remember running for a while, until I finally stopped in a clearing and collapsed, panting. That's all I really remember from there. The next thing I remember is being with a very beautiful woman, who you all know as the Shining Witch, Lilith."
At this, Kid gasped and said, "So the Witch you worked with…is the one that Maka and Soul are after now?" Erik merely nodded, then said, "Yeah, and the one who took me in after I'd left that no name orphanage in that no name town….and turned me into a monster."
Confused, Kid looked over to his father, who asked, "Erik, do you mind if I tell this part?" Erik nodded and put his hands back behind his head, his icy blue eyes looking out the window.
"As you already know, son, Erik was involved with the Shining Witch. She taught him how to fight using his Soul Wavelength, as well as kept him alive. To her, I believe she was just a test subject, or maybe some kind of toy to play with until she got bored. But to him…"
"To me she was my first love. I didn't know it at first, since I was only ten. Of course, I didn't know she was a Witch either. But as the years went on I guess I sort of fell in love. But I'm sorry Death; I didn't mean to interrupt you." Erik said before going quiet again. Somewhere down the hall someone, probably Spirit, yelled, "HAVE SOME RESPECT YOU PUNK!" There were running footsteps followed by a loud thud as Lord Death closed the door and locked it before the man could enter the room.
"Yes, it's quite alright, Erik. Anyway, it's true that Erik and Lilith grew very close over the years, and she trained him in the art of fighting with ones Soul Wavelength. She probably taught him reading and writing as well I'm sure. But I believe it was at the age of fifteen that she had him fight one of my personal pupils, whom you defeated," Lord Death continued, now addressing Erik, speaking more to him than to his son, "and whose soul you devoured. The first of many pure souls, I believe." Erik looked down and nodded, saying, "Yeah, I started with him, then Lilith had me attack innocent villages and eat the souls of those people as well. She said that with more souls I would gain more power, and that she could make it so that we could live together for all of eternity," Erik laughed to himself quietly, a dark sound that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, "and I believed it. I didn't want to believe anything else. To me, everything she said was what I wanted to hear, everything she wanted me to do was the one thing I couldn't live without accomplishing…I was a fool."
Lord Death picked up from here, saying, "Love isn't a fool's errand, Erik, but it does bring out the foolishness of our hearts. Your love was what made you do as she said, and with each soul you devoured, a little bit of your own was chipped away, until eventually it was a Kishin Egg," Lord Death looked away for a moment, as if he were thinking about something, then he said, "However, it can't be said that she lied to you. Every soul made you stronger, so strong that your Soul Ripper technique was almost strong enough to take my soul, something that I honestly thought would have been impossible." Erik looked down then, letting his long hair cover his face, and what he said next made the room quiet and tense.
"If I was so powerful back then….so evil….then why didn't you just end me, right there in the cave?"
Death the Kid and his father exchanged a quiet, almost alarmed look, but said nothing. Minora now sat up with a very concerned, almost hurt look on her face. For at least five minutes, the only sound in the room was the incessant 'beep…beep' of the heart monitor.
"I couldn't bring myself to destroy a child," Lord Death finally stated simply as he stood and reopened the door. Spirit stood leaning against the wall on the opposite side of the hall. From the look on his face, he must've heard at least that last part. Before he left, Lord Death concluded, "Besides, you seem to have a turned a new leaf anyhow. You shouldn't let such dark thoughts fill your mind, Erik." Then, as if in afterthought, Lord Death said, "Oh, and starting tomorrow you and Minora are to begin working together as a Weapon and Meister pair." Eriks eyes grew wide as he glanced over at Minora, whose face had become a rich shade of scarlet. "Great, the girl who wanted to kill me, but now wants to kiss me. Won't this be an awkward pairing," Erik thought, not too thrilled about the idea, "But on the other hand it's a pretty intriguing situation." As Lord Death left, Kid followed, glancing back at Erik once, his eyes, which had been filled with fury not fifteen minutes ago, were now filled with compassion, understanding. "Or is it pity?" Erik caught himself thinking angrily, but dismissing the thought almost immediately. Nygus stepped in after allowing Kid to exit the room, and closed the door lightly behind her. Erik yawned, not noticing just how tired he was until now, and lay back, letting himself drift slowly into unconsciousness. The last thing he saw before the sweet darkness of sleep overtook him was Minoras big green eyes staring over at him, then turning away bashfully.
"Well," Erik thought groggily, "It's not too bad…she is kinda cute."
