Soul Eater: My Way
Episode Ten: Understanding
Chrona's Bequest?
Sam awoke. It was dark where he was. He soon noticed that 'here' was the school infirmary. He smiled. How many times had he been here after taking a beating like this from Lord Death now? Sam counted five.
He turned his head and saw Sarah in the next bed. He frowned. He hadn't recalled Sarah being injured. The last thing he remembered was taking a blow to the side by Lord Death's Kishin Hunter technique.
His eyes widened. He shouldn't be here. He should be, as they say, 'taking a dirt nap.' He should be stone cold dead. An unblocked assault from the Kishin Hunter and surviving it was impossible. Slowly he reached for the wound, thinking there might be a massive chunk of flesh missing.
What he found was far more disturbing. He found a thin, long scar. The wound was nearly completely healed. How was that possible?
"Sam?" Sarah mumbled. "That you?"
"Yeah," Sam replied with a horse whisper. "It's me."
"Thank god you're alive," Sarah whispered. "After you got hit with that Kishin Hunter I thought you were done for."
"Sarah?"
"Yeah?"
Sam took a deep breath.
"What happened, after I was hit by the Kishin Hunter?"
Sarah paused.
"I don't know. I blacked out after a few seconds."
"How long have I been out?"
"A week."
Sam closed his eyes. An injury like his was impossible to recover from. Fatal injuries healed he could perhaps except, but healed over the course of week? Definitely not possible.
He pushed this away and tried to get out of bed. He felt the scar give a slight twinge but it wasn't that painful. Another worry, but he put aside and sat down on the edge of Sarah's bed.
He rested a hand on her hair. She rolled over and looked at him. Sam gave a weak smile, which she returned. Sam slowly lay down beside her and drew her close. They lay there silently for a few minutes before Sam said something.
"Should we get dressed or something?"
Sarah giggled before replying, "I just want to lie here actually. Just knowing you're alive."
Sam smiled contently, before nuzzling the back of her head, sliding off into sleep.
"So he'll live?" Marie asked. Death nodded. Marie gave a gasp of relief. "Thank god."
She walked out of the room. Spirit, Sid and Azusa looked at Death.
"There's something you didn't tell her," Sid said.
"Yeah. And I felt what happened to his soul," Spirit said. "He was going to die, but he got straight back up. And that wavelength… I've never felt anything like it."
Death remained silent.
"I did not tell Marie the information I won't tell you, because I didn't want her to worry over the only family she currently has. With Stein's disappearance she's been a wreck."
"That reminds me Lord Death, Chrona wanted to talk to you about that," Sid said.
"Well I have other pressing matters to attend to at the moment. I will see Chrona in two hours. I need time to think."
The three gathered around him bowed and walked out. Death faced his mirror. He was remembering a time, long since passed.
Flashback
The witches cackling screams were all around him, as his elite guard hacked their way through the numbers. Asura was out in front his weapons emitting bolts of red light, killing the witches instantly.
Abonn was behind him, his dark bladed sword slashing through what little witches Asura left behind.
"Excellent," Death said. "Soon there will be none of them left."
And then, not for the first time he felt it. The pulse of numbness, of clammy cold and of misty fog.
He looked up the ridge and saw the man standing there.
"Lord Death shall we deal with him?" asked the tall woman beside him.
"No," Death said. "Silhoes."
"Yes Lord," replied the Death Scythe, transforming into Weapon form. And Death leapt to the ridge.
The man waiting for him there held gently onto a long, dark bladed sword. It was heavy and medieval looking, but he had it slung over one shoulder as if it were made of paper.
The Medieval Arts Meister, Sadar.
"You seem well," Sadar said to Death.
"And you are a murderer," Death said. "You slay the souls of the innocent."
"I slay the souls of those who have done wrongs Death. You slay only the souls who have become Kishin eggs. I must say it is a waste of time. Evil exists in the world and you seem to be doing nothing about the evil of men, only that of the Kishin."
"You are strong Sadar," Death said. "And obviously wise. Stronger than Asura, and wiser than Abonn. Why do you not join my elite guard?"
"Law and order would only slow my work. I must be free of such restraints in order to fully rid this world of evil. Another such dead weight on my heals is you, and your battalion of useless Meisters and Weapons. I can't see the likes of Abonn and Asura staying loyal forever. It is my duty to purge this world of all evil, and at the moment, I decree, in my books, you are evil."
End Flashback
Death opened his eyes. The symbol of Sadar had been engraved upon the soul of Sam. Had the power of Sadar, the first and seemingly only, Medieval Arts Meister, passed down to Sam, the second Medieval Arts Meister?
"Lord Death? Sam is here to see you."
Death turned just in time to see Sid walking out. Sam stood in the centre of the plateau, his eyes dark.
"You seem well."
"I should be dead in all fairness, yet I'm living, breathing, walking. After only one week. A wound like that, if it were to heal, would take months of healing and state of the art medical equipment. I did it in one week with apparently natural causes. Explain."
Death shrugged.
"I don't know. You got up straight after you were hit by the Kishin Hunter."
"Another irregularity. I don't remember anything after getting hit. I want to know Lord. Now will you tell me or not?"
Death looked back at the mirror.
"I'm sorry Sam. I don't think you're ready for that information yet."
Sam scowled.
"Fine then. I'll go ask my father."
"I'm afraid that won't be possible."
Sam frowned and looked at him.
"Why not?"
"Professor Stein has left Death City. The madness had taken over. We assume he has left for the woman who planned this. Medusa."
"The witch? I thought father killed her?"
"So did we. She pulled a risky trick but she's back. And what's more, she has taken over the body of a young girl, meaning we can't harm her. And in exchange for the whereabouts of the Kishin, and the magic tool Brew, I had to agree that she not be harmed by any member of the academy."
Sam snarled.
"How do we know it was Medusa?"
"We know because her accomplice gave everything away. Poor Chrona."
Sam's eyes widened.
'Chrona? But he was on our side?' Sam thought. Then Sam's eyes narrowed in understanding.
"So what are we going to do about my dad?"
"We're going to find him. But first we need to find an exposable loop hole in the agreement between myself and Medusa. Until then, we have to wait it out. And you're to remain here 'til you're fully healed. Understood?"
Sam gave a rather grim nod. He turned on his heal and walked out.
Chrona sat in his dungeon room. He had been sitting there for the best part of three hours after his meeting with Death. Death had told him that there would be someone along who would decide whether or not he would be allowed to go on the mission with Marie to find and retrieve Stein.
'But remember,' Death's words floated around his ears. 'It is not the wrath of Marie you should fear, although she loves Stein devotedly. Nor is it the wrath of Stein himself. True he could kill you, but your suffering would be minimum. It is the wrath of Stein's son you should fear. Samuel F. Stein sees his father, not only as a father, as a hero and as a parent, but he sees Stein as the only man who could possibly show true affection for him. He grew up with a madman as a father, and grew to love that madman. This is why you should fear the wrath of Stein's son. Your suffering would not be minimal.'
Chrona's head snapped up as he heard the bolts on his door scraping. The door swung open.
Sam stepped into the room.
"I have come to assess whether or not you are worthy to accompany my mother to find my father," Sam said stiffly.
Chrona shivered as the door swung shut behind him. She couldn't help remembering what Death had said about this Meister's wrath. She knew his power. And she knew what he would say.
"Please don't kill me," Chrona whispered. This seemed to surprise Sam. He took a step back, and his eyes widened. The he composed himself and pulled up a chair.
"The thought never crossed my mind," Sam said giving a small smile. "I suppose Lord Death told you about my unparalleled wrath huh? Be that as it may, I know why you did what you did to my father. You were just trying to please your mother, trying to earn her affection."
Chrona looked at him; there was a hint of sadness and pain in his eyes.
"I know what it's like to want the embrace of a mothers arms," Sam said softly. "But at least your mother paid attention to you, in her own sick way. My mother up tailed and left me when I was four. I didn't see her again 'til I was ten, and that was because she wanted to see my father. My mother doesn't want anything to do with me, no matter how hard she tries to convince people otherwise."
For once the inner voice of Ragnarok was quiet inside of Chrona.
"So, Chrona. I understand why you have done what you've done. I don't blame you. And I'm proud that you're going to do this, to rectify your mistake. You are worthy of the mission you've been sent on."
Chrona looked at him. Then gave a small smile.
"Oh and can you do me a favour?"
"What? Is it something I can deal with?" Chrona muttered. Sam closed his eyes, leant back in his chair and nodded slowly. "What is it?"
Sam remained silent, deciding how to phrase his request.
"While you're at Medusa's castle, kick her ass for me would ya'?"