Disclaimer: We do not own Soul Eater.
Lacrow: Well, as I said in the last chapter, we've made our decision. This will be the final chapter of the Babies Collection.
It's been a lot of fun writing this story, but we both agreed that it had to end somewhere. In actuality we're just following through with our original time-line, but that's not to say it won't end with a bang. For your enjoyment and our entertainment, this chapter was written half and half by us. Figure out who wrote what if you can! I'll let Scarlet have the last word this time though, I never could keep my mouth shut!
And a note from me, Scarlett, saying this collection has been a blast! Lacrow and I may partner up again to work on another story, too, hopefully! I hope you all enjoy reading the last installment of this collection! As he mentioned up above, this was written half and half by us. A fun way to spruce up this final chapter! So, take a guess to what part belongs to whom. I dare ya'! ;)
Please Take Care of Our Baby
by. Poisoned Scarlet & Lacrow
Light bounced off the symmetrical walls of Shibusen, the sun's rays seeming to focus on a single boy as he made his way up sloping steps towards the academy. Like a spotlight, the laughing star in the sky seemed to hang over him as if he were the lead actor in a play. Others walked up and down around him, but in the end it was he who held fate's attention. At least in the boy's self-conscious mind, anyway.
Shy, unsure, and timid, the fair haired child continued his trek with hunched over shoulders, hands in his pockets as the distance between him and the front door closed in. Warily, he thought of the parting words a certain someone had given him; their voice still crisp in his ears even above the background chatter of students as they passed him by. Her words brought comfort to him, somewhat. Mostly they just served as a tether that kept him from turning around and going back down where he had come from.
We'll already be there by the time you make it up the stairs. One of us will be waiting for you at the front.
The boy sighed in relief when he realized she wasn't lying. After an arduous climb up hundreds of steps, the new student of Shibusen found himself looking at a man who looked just like him standing there by the door as he reached the plateau. Eerily their posture mimicked each other, except one was grinning and the other had his eyes cast down in embarrassment. Despite the boy's reserved nature however, he was genuinely happy at the other man's presence. Which was why he didn't even flinch when a hand reached out to him and ruffled up his hair.
"Look at you, a hot shot just like your old man." He sneered down at the boy, eyes soft with pride.
A halfhearted groan came from the new student's throat. "Dad, would you knock it off? There's people around, you know!"
On a whim, the man turned his head to find the gazes of others as they walked by the similar looking pair. They had become the center of attention with their short lived conversation, and already small chatter had begun to stir that involved them. The timid boy hoped that his father would give up at this realization and instead just show him to his first classes like he said he would. However, the only thing his dad did was give an amused snort as he bent his knees and brought their faces level with each other.
"And just what the hell are they gonna do?" He asked, barely letting up on his grin.
The freshman shook his head. "Probably give me a hard time about it? This is my first day, after all."
"You just have to relax, Gil." The man replied casually, shrugging off that witty tone that he heard countless times before.
"But I can't!" Gil argued back, almost whiny in his tone. "This is where people learn to fight Kishins! To become walking, talking weapons!"
Gil's father merely shook his head, though still seemingly amused by his son's apprehensiveness. The boy immediately knew that his words weren't getting through to his father, which forced him to slouch forward yet again with his hands in his pockets. Both were silent as the man reached behind him and opened the door to Shibusen, allowing his son to go first as he held it open. One after the other they filed in, letting the door slam shut behind them as they made their way to homeroom.
The fair haired child allowed his dad to take the lead, staying close behind him as he threw glances left and right at the other students there. Most seemed oblivious to his presence, which came as a relief to him. The less attention he drew the better, and if everything went well later that day, he would simply become another face in the crowd. No one would expect anything from him, nor would anyone vie to be his partner. It was the perfect plan, though Gil didn't think his father would be as thrilled at the prospect as he was.
"You do realize that no one expects you to be a Deathscythe your first day, right?" Gil's dad chuckled without turning his back.
"Doesn't matter if it's a day or ten years. That's never going to happen." The boy replied bitterly, staring at the man's heels in front of him.
The sound of his father sudden sigh made Gil snap his head to attention. He was instantly greeted with a flat expression as the man in front of him turned around, his normally cool eyes looking the slightest bit annoyed. The young boy quickly found himself sinking under his gaze, as if feeling the weight mount on his shoulders at the unspoken words it was trying to convey.
His father's voice was gentle, but sharp. "Gil, you have to stop being so negative. This place is great."
"I know dad..." The son mumbled, eyes still hung low towards the floor. "...It's just, I'm not so great with other people."
"You think you're the only one, Gil?" The man smiled faintly at his boy's plight. "I was terrified of people when I was your age."
The new student immediately blinked, not knowing how to respond. "You were? But you're not afraid of anything!"
"Yeah, well, you have your mother to thank for that." His dad replied simply, shaking his head with a smile.
Gil's dull green eyes seemed to brighten at the prospect of his father being just like him. He loved him like no other and was proud to say he was his son, but many times he found himself questioning just how on earth they were related. They looked exactly the same, save for his eyes which he inherited from his mother, but other than that they were nothing alike. One was cool, calm, and strong. The other was shy, nervous, and usually too involved in study to fight. Gil was, of course, the other.
But none of that seemed to matter now as his father grabbed hold of his shoulder and walked with him down the remainder of the hallway. The two soon arrived near the very end, a door that read '101' on the sign being the only thing that greeted them. Gil again became disheartened as the grip on his shoulder disappeared, but was reassured as his father again brought their faces level with each other.
"This room's for students only, so you're on your own from here." He explained coolly, noticing his son's grimace. "But before I go, let me tell you the same thing I told your mother on our first date."
Gil looked warily at his father. "And what would that be?"
"If anyone ever gives you a dirty look," the man smiled, remembering every word by heart. "I'll be the one to cut it off 'em."
Just like that, Gil's day took a turn for the better. Unable to hold back a smile, he watched as his father gave him a confirming nod and stood himself straight. Gil nodded back, letting his emerald eyes follow him as he started to make his way towards the other end of the school. Without turning back, his father waved him off in that cool way he was so good at doing, and soon disappeared beyond the sea of students as the bell rang for classes to begin.
Not wanting to disappoint him, Gil took his words to heart. He knew that his parents would be watching over him all day, so there was no need to worry, at least not today. So, mustering up all his courage and strength, he took hold of the handle and opened the door. There were students in the classroom, all stopping their apparent wandering to look at the newcomer. Gil however just faced their stares with an indifferent one of his own, one he had learned from his father after watching him for so many years.
He was a Deathscythe after all. If anyone knew how to be cool, it was him.
"Please, call me Maka. We're practically family!"
Against the backdrop of cloudy blue skies and grave markers all around them, two women stood in the center of a room. The only thing besides them being a tall, slender mirror right next to them, the younger of the two couldn't help but feel slightly out of place. She knew exactly where she was, having been attending Shibusen for well over three years, but even then she had only been inside the Death Room a few times. That, combined with the fact that the woman whom she looked so much like was now having a meeting with her there, the young student didn't know quite how to respond.
"Sorry, Mrs. Evans!" The girl replied calmly, though inside her stomach was full of butterflies. "It's just, I haven't seen you in ages!"
Maka shook her head. "I know, it's been way too long. But when you have a child of your own, time certainly flies."
"How is he, by the way? Last I saw him he was still in middle school."
"Thankfully, more like me than his father."
A grin found its way on the younger girl's face, followed by Maka's own pleasant smile. They hadn't talked in well over two years and even now, they had no trouble picking up on light conversation. Long ago, she was given so much flack for acting like Mrs. Evans's then partner, Soul. Now with the passage of time, it turned out she had grown into quite the woman like Maka herself. Of course, deep down she still had the tendencies of the now famous Deathscythe, but with age came maturity and self-control. The two could be mistaken for sisters, the only difference of course being the younger one's deep, pink eyes.
"You make that sound like it's a good thing, Maka."
The pink eyed blonde suddenly threw her head around, catching the view of Lord Death's personal weapon as he entered the secluded room. In an instant and without a thought in her mind, she immediately ran towards him, throwing her arms around him as he tried to fight back total laughter. Maka remained where she stood, unable to hold back her giggles as the young girl buried her face in the man's chest.
"How you doing, kid?" He grinned down at her, ruffling up her long, blonde locks.
She shook her head at his touch and grinned back up at him. "Better, now that both of you are here! Why don't you ever bring your wife to school?"
"Because," the man replied with a sneer, looking to the woman in the center of the room as he did. "She's such a bookworm. I'd never be able to bring her back home!"
Years ago, his comment would have warranted a chop on the head. But now, after years of putting up with him and raising a child together, Maka simply let most of his comments slide. Instead, she simply smiled at her husband with narrowed eyes as if telling him he was going to get it later. The young girl's face still buried in his chest, he managed to sneak back a grin in acknowledgement.
"I missed you guys, so much." The pink eyed blonde muttered, bringing the Deathscythe's attention back to her. "Even you, and I see you every other day!"
The man pulled the girl's head up gently by her hair and smirked. "I know, Kirin. We're too busy for our own good."
"Damn right you are!" She replied with pursed lips, causing the man to laugh at her resemblance to his wife.
"You're looking more and more like Maka every day, kid." He sighed, glancing at the other woman.
Maka shook her head and smiled. "Too bad she acts more and more like you, Soul."
All three drew laughter at the small reunion taking place inside the Death Room, none of them wanting it to end any time soon. Kirin finally let loose her grip on Soul, allowing him to throw his shoulder around her and escort her towards Maka as she waited for them by Lord Death's mirror. The minute they arrived, Soul released his young friend and immediately threw his arms around his wife in a bear hug, causing her to shout out in disapproval. Kirin watched with an enormous grin as Maka forced his release with a now rarely used Maka-Chop, making sure to rub the bump on his head afterwards soothingly.
"This is how you keep them in line, Kirin." Maka said matter-of-factly, still giving her husband a small amount of comfort.
The pink eyed blonde couldn't help but laugh at the sight of her friend and mentor still crouched on the ground. "And who is them, Mrs. Evans?"
"I think she means Evans men." Soul hissed bitterly as he looked up at his wife. "She used to do this to Gil when he acted up."
"Actually, I mean men in general." Maka replied sweetly, smiling back at Kirin as Soul picked himself back up.
Their pleasantries out of the way, the threesome wasted no time in picking up with their conversation. Soul and Maka listened intently as Kirin told them all about her life as a meister at Shibusen. The various missions she'd done, the friends she had met during her time there. Offhandedly she mentioned the falling out she'd had with her previous partner, but very quickly she changed the subject to something more lighthearted. Soul, being Lord Death's personal weapon, filled both women in on the latest update with her grades. Straight A's. Maka, of course, was thrilled.
Then it was the couple's turn. Soul described their new home together, which was amply sized to accommodate for an angst filled teenager. Maka went into detail about their son, Gil, and life as three-star mesiter when she wasn't busy at the house cleaning up after her lazy husband. Kirin's eyes lit up when they both told her that they were expecting yet another addition to their family. Six months from then, a baby girl already named Ella was to be born. Maka knew she didn't need to ask, but did anyway out of politeness. Kirin agreed immediately; she would babysit for them whenever they needed her to.
"You know I'll take care of her!" Kirin grinned from ear to ear, delighted at the prospect of taking care of her babysitter's baby.
Maka smiled warmly as her husband's arm wrapped itself around her. "We know you will. Thank you so much, Kirin-"
"-But," Soul interjected, causing the pink eyed blonde's joy to wane faintly. "That's not why we asked you here."
Kirin tilted her head in a way reminiscent of the Deathscythe. "Then, what did you call me for?"
Without warning, the sounds of kids talking and laughing flooded the young meister's ears. She immediately turned around, expecting a large crowd behind her. Instead, the only thing that greeted her was Lord Death's mirror, the image of one of the home rooms showing like a TV screen on the thin sheet of glass. At first she became confused and looked to the couple behind her for an explanation. They simply motioned for her to look through the mirror, which she apprehensively and obediently did.
A white headed boy caught her immediate attention, causing Kirin to smile as she knew exactly who it was. Being years since she'd last saw him, it was a wonder how much Gil looked like his father. His pleasant features and sharp teeth were balanced with Maka's emerald green eyes. His coat looked like it was made from an old Spartoi uniform that Shibusen used to make before they disbanded it, with the patch still on it and everything. The young woman couldn't help but to stare. He certainly wasn't like any of the other freshman.
"It's Gil's first day." Maka finally said aloud, breaking the silence. "And he's not into trusting people."
Soul grabbed the back of his neck. "And since you're in need of a partner, not to mention the fact you're his complete opposite..."
Kirin reeled before they even finished their sentence. She knew exactly what they were going to ask. Instead of waiting for them to though, the pink eyed meister simply continued to stare at the white haired wonder before her. He was so much like his mother, yet looked so much like his father. She, on the other hand, acted like Soul and looked like Maka. Although she was a straight A student, Kirin didn't need brains to tell her what that meant. They were eerily similar to the most powerful partners Shibusen had ever produced. And here she was, being offered to repeat history...
"...will you please," Maka pleaded, smiling woefully at her young friend. "...take care of our other baby?"
This was most certainly not what he expected when he walked in through those doors. Gil shrunk under the sadistic, analytic, gaze of Professor Stein, who hummed thoughtfully under his breath as he sized him up. The sutures that criss-crossed on his face, almost as if someone had ripped his skin off and sewed it back into place, frightened the young boy more than he'd like to admit. His lab coat was a blinding white, stitched up as well, but what caught his attention the most was the enormous screw lodged in his head. Gil wildly wondered just how someone could even survive with something so massive impaling their skull…
He knew Shibusen was filled with the strange and the odd, perhaps even the abnormal, but being held under the professors gaze like a sample under a microscope was pushing it a little, in his opinion.
"You resemble your father." Stein cranked the screw in his head a few times. A sly smile crept to his lips. "Yet you act like your mother. How interesting." And just like that, he moved onto the next student in the third row, also sizing him up and scaring the living daylights out of him.
Gil was just glad he wasn't being paid attention to anymore.
"Hey…psst!"
Gil stiffened up. Being the most strange-looking out of everyone had a downside, Gil winced. For once, he wished he hadn't been born with a head of white hair and piercing emerald eyes. His mother often coddled him because of it, and his father insisted it was 'cool'. But Gil would much rather be able to blend in with the rest than stand out, much as he was doing now, to his dismay.
"You! With the white hair! Hey!"
He slowly turned, letting his eyes fall on the pretty girl with curling pink hair. She wore thick, horn-rimmed, glasses that hid her aqua-green eyes; donning DWMA's current uniform , which showed off her nice figure. She had certainly gone through puberty faster than most, Gil thought wearily, as the girl scooted closer to him and smiled sweetly.
"Hi! You're a weapon, right?"
"Uh…Yes. I am." He cleared his throat, uncomfortable with the proximity. He found himself inching away from her, looking for any way to escape this girls suggestive tone.
"My name's Katherine Ford! But you can call me Kathy, if you want!" She introduced herself boldly. She scowled when Gil smiled back and introduced himself stiffly. Her hand gripped his shoulder, nails digging into his skin. "What're you doing all the way over there? Come closer—!"
"AH! NO!" Gil screamed, completely falling out of his seat in his wild scramble for distance. His face flushed when the class burst out in laughter. His sharp teeth ground into one another and he hid behind his thick strands of white hair as he picked himself up and sat back down in his chair. He made sure to screech the chair as far away from Kathy Ford as possible; staring at his desk and willing the harsh pounding of his heart to settle along with the classes' laughter.
"Hey….are you okay?" Kathy asked, awkwardly. "Hellooo?"
"I'm fine." Gil replied, quietly. "You startled me, that's all."
"Oh." Kathy pursed her lips. She leaned closer to him again, resting her chin on her palm. "So, yeah, as I was saying… you're a weapon, right? What type?"
"…Blade type." He said, slowly. There was something about having a scythe gene in both his parents that simply intertwined strangely. He wasn't necessarily a single-sickle scythe, like his father or his grandfather, but more like a double-edged one. Gil miserably thought it would be terribly hard to learn how to master such a fickle weapon, as learning how to use a traditional scythe was a challenge enough.
"Oh, that's so awesome!" Kathy giggled. His cheeks dusted pink. She scooted closer again, to his rising panic. How did his dad handle these sorts of women? Gil thought, panicked. Oh, yes, he would always smile back and politely slide his way out of their range; sometimes even scratch his cheek to show off his wedding band. But Gil certainly couldn't do that here: there was nowhere to run, Stein was still evaluating his students, and he was not married! "I'm a Meister! And we're gonna' have to pair up pretty soon…. So, you wanna' give it a shot?" She smiled, flirtatiously.
Before Gil could even open his mouth, shocked he'd been asked for a partnership so soon, Stein's drawling voice cut through the classes dim chatter.
"Not likely, Miss Ford. You're far too conceited and outgoing for someone as studious and…quiet as Gillard Evans. Your partnership would crumble before it even began." Stein deduced, his footfalls echoing throughout the lecture room. "Now that I have all of your attention… we may continue with sorting you into the EAT or NOT programs. As you all know, first years may take a mixture of both for the first semester in order to ensure what they have chosen is what they want. After all, once you are registered into a program, there is no getting out." Stein eyes sharpened, causing the Freshman to gulp. "Am I making myself clear?"
A collective "yes" was heard.
"However, if you are sure about what program you wish to enroll yourselves in… speak now or forever hold your peace." Stein grinned, darkly. "Those who wish to participate in the EAT program, raise your hand."
A few hands rose but Gil's stayed stubbornly down. His eyes darted to Kathy, who yawned as she rose her hand; picking at the chipped blue nail polish of her other hand absently. White Star, his best friend, was in the EAT program. There was no way he was backing out when his best friend was waiting on him! Before he could talk himself out of it, Gil rose his hand as well. He looked up to find Stein mentally tallying them up; no doubt setting them up for something else.
"Good. Now I'll ask you a series of questions for my own entertainment!" Stein cheerfully stated, to the horror of his students. His eyes zeroed in on Gil, to his utter dismay. "Gil. You'll go first. What, in your opinion, is a soul?"
"A human soul is the incorporeal essence of a person. It's the driving force behind a humans every thought, action and desire, although, at times, the human may become corrupted by the their own desires and can, in turn, convert into a Kishin Egg should the human start to consume uncorrupted human souls in an effort to sate its obsession."
"And how does DWMA take care of these 'corrupted human souls' you speak of?"
"Lord Death's Weapon and Meister Academy works to eliminate the Kishin Eggs by training Meister's and Weapons to function as one, single, entity so that another travesty like the Kishin Asura may not repeat itself." Gil answered, fluidly. The class remained stunned silent, staring wide-eyed at the strange looking boy with the silver hair and green eyes that was obviously smarter than his age called for.
Stein smiled, pleased. "Very good, Gil. You are certainly your mother's son. Come and stand beside me." Stein then picked on another unsuspecting student who wished to enter the EAT program while Gil silently made his way down to Stein's side. He stuffed his hands in his pockets, inwardly groaning when Kathy kept smiling and looking at him. And when she came to stand beside him, after answering both of Stein's questions mediocrely, she stood so close he felt her shoulder brush with every impatient switch of her foot.
His father would give him hell about this if he ever found out, Gil thought with a sigh. He took much pride in him even though Gil was merely a shadow of what his father truly was. Confident, strong, brave – how could he ever think he could match up to that? Gil thought, gloomily. All he was ever good for was annoying people with his knowledge. He spent most of his time indoors reading, discussing topics with his mother, or being forced out to play basketball with Black Star's son White Star, his probable only friend and who had been enrolled in DWMA for the past year.
"Those of you who wish to take a mixture of classes be sure to inform Marie when she comes in." Stein told the remaining students. "Those who wish to stay in the NOT program, simply stay where you are and don't touch anything. Marie will separate you into Meister and Weapons when she arrives. Those of you, Meister and Weapon alike, in the EAT program…follow me." Stein walked out of the classroom, a file of students following in his wake. "Now, I will be dropping you off with Coach Nygus so that she may show you all a demonstration of what it takes to be in the EAT program. This is your final chance to back out if it's not to your expectations." He threw open the gymnasium doors and Gil immediately stared at the woman enveloped totally in white bandages, wearing dark khakis.
"Hey, Stein! You're early. This the new batch of students?" Nygus smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners to show this.
"Yes, and I think you'll be pleased to know a few have a lot of potential." Stein looked at Gil and another three students in particular. "Who is presenting, if I may ask?"
Nygus looked uneasy for a moment. "Our best – but we're not sure if it's even gonna' work." She lowered her voice. "Got another fall-out. Honestly, this has been happening way too often. These kids don't know what they want anymore!"
"Should I call for a replacement?" Stein offered.
"Nah, they said they got it." Nygus dismissed. Gil leaned in to listen. "They're able to resonate to an extent but it's very weak. Below the twenty percent requirement. But they told me they'll be able to do a demo, however it'll be their last match together."
"Pity." Stein said, without much sympathy. "I wish to see how this turns out, if you don't mind."
"'Course not!" Nygus laughed, as she rounded up her new group of students. "Alright, listen up you guys! For those of you who don't know me, my name is Mira Nygus – school nurse and part-time coach! You can call me Nygus." She set her hands on her hips. "Any questions before we begin?"
"Yeah, how come you're covered in bandages?" Kath asked, with a hint of distaste.
"That's for me to know and for you to find out." Nygus answered, flatly. Kathy scowled, crossing her arms over her chest. "Any more questions? No? Then lets get this game started!"
"Can you believe her? Those bandages make her look fat, anyway!" Kath hissed into Gil's ear, causing the boy to stiffen up again. But this time he didn't pull away: it was obvious Kathy was not going to give up so soon and if his mother had taught him anything (which she had; a lot of things) it was to respect a girl no matter what.
"It's not the shape of the body that matters…" Gil quietly told her. "It's the shape of the soul."
Kathy eyed him weirdly but four students entered through the gym doors before she could even ask what he meant by that. Gil felt his breath catch in his throat when his eyes landed on the only girl, with her blue pleated skirt short on her thighs and her loose uniform shirt with Lord Death's emblem sewed proudly on her right breast. Her hair was loose, a shade of honey blonde, and the boy next to her dressed alike in the sense that his black pants were ironed and straight and his oxford shirt was primp and clean. His muddy brown eyes gazed sneeringly at them all, giving off the air of superiority while his partner gave off an air of apathy.
The other two were smiling and excited, dressed similarly although their ethnicities were starkly different: one being a darker tan with a head of shaggy brown hair and the other light-skinned and Asian. They were no doubt eager to show off their skills to a bunch of underclassman.
"Class, I'd like to introduce you to two of DWMA's brightest and strongest pairs… Kirin Knightly and Gale Hawthorn and Adam Reyes and Jacob Cho." Nygus introduced, a few claps and giggles sounding. "However, one of these two won't be a pair for long, am I right?" She added, looking at Kirin and Gale. "Here's your first lesson of the day, guys: a Fall Out. That means when a partnership is beyond repair, it has to fall out. Each must look for a new partner and begin their training over again no matter how far behind – or even ahead – their new partner is. Who knows, maybe one of you will be lucky enough to partner off with one of these two!"
"Tch." Gale scoffed, obviously thinking otherwise.
"Stop it." Kirin glared, the weapon shooting her a nasty look.
"Guys! Not now!" Adam whispered, concerned.
"Okay, are we ready to begin the demonstration? We don't have much time!" Nygus clasped her hands together in front of her, regaining the Meister's attention.
"Let's get this over with." Gale spoke with a tone of boredom. "I have class to get to."
"We all have class to get to, Gale." Kirin muttered.
"Hey, don't start!" Adam snapped, looking at his partner. He automatically transformed into a Dao sword, the curved blade which shone dangerously to a filed tip at the other pair. It appeared heavy yet Adam caught it with ease. "We're here to set an example. Don't forget that." He stated, looking at Gale primarily.
"Don't worry about us. We'll be on our best behavior. Right?" Kirin said, sending Gale a sharp look. He nodded with a scowl and refrained from commenting. "Any day now would be nice." He automatically shifted into a long Naginata blade, the bade catching the light and the wood a polished auburn. However, unlike Adam, Kirin caught him with a grimace; the weapon obviously weighing her down.
"Ready?" Nygus boomed, taking out her timer. "You got five minutes! GO!" She started the timer, moving out of the way. Adam struck first, delivering a fatal-looking blow to Kirin, who blocked instantly. Gil felt his heart lurch when her arm trembled, looking overwhelmed by the steadily increasing weight of her weapon and the force behind Adam's strike.
The fight was clearly uneven. Adam's strikes and form was almost flawless, faltering only when Kirin lashed out using her fists and feet. She wasn't using her weapon, Gil noticed with rising dread, which was not right as the weapon was supposed to be used at all times. It wouldn't benefit the meister at all if the weapon was only dragging them behind.
"Ah—damn—!" Kirin gasped, barely blocking a blow by the sword. She stumbled over her feet, Adam delivering the final hit that sent her rolling across the gymnasium floor. There was something that snapped in Gil at that moment, seeing Kirin roll across the floor like a rag doll. Perhaps it was her eerie resemblance to his mother, or something else totally, but it made fear choke up in his throat when she came to a still halt by the padded gym wall.
"KIRIN!" Gil shouted, darting after her.
"No, wait, Gil! Don't! Ugh!" Kath growled, going after him as well.
"What're you doing? You're supposed to be behind the mat, Gil!" Kirin grunted, allowing her weapon to roll away from her with a disgusted sneer. "It's dangerous! The match hasn't ended yet!"
"It might as well be. You lost – that blow was supposed to finish you off!" Gil shouted. "The match has been concluded. He won."
"He's kinda' right, y'know." Adam piped up, resting his sword on his shoulder. "You're dead. Why are you still talking?" He joked, trying to lighten the atmosphere made heavy by the fire that burned within Kirin's eyes.
"Nothing has been concluded! We're still in – c'mon, Gale!" Kirin insisted, trying to grab her weapon. But the weapon wouldn't even budge: it felt as if it weighed a ton. She gave it a frustrated kick, earning herself an outraged shout from her partner. "Get lighter! This isn't over! GALE!"
"What? If you can't pick me up, it's not my problem!" Gale snarled from within his weapon form. "It's over, Kirin. We lost."
Kirin set her jaw, looking back at the group of whispering students and one curious-looking Mira Nygus.
"Let Gil partner with Kirin and Kathy with Gale." Stein suddenly spoke up. He once more made his presence known, sending chills down the freshmen's spines.
"No way – that's too dangerous!" Adam instantly shot down. "They have absolutely no training! Maybe the kid can do it but the girl can't – she's not allowed to wield a weapon until second semester, anyway!"
"Very well." Stein shrugged, unconcerned. "Then let Gil and Kirin partner up. Only one pair is needed in the match, anyway." Stein looked sternly at Gil. "You can successfully transform into your weapon form, can you, Gil?"
"Well…" Gil hesitated, losing his confidence under the professors critical gaze. His father had taught him how to since he discovered he was a weapon-type but the only one who'd ever tried using him had been his mother. "Yeah, but…"
"Then let's do it!" Kirin stated, determined. "Gil, transform." She held out her hand, her pink eyes glowing under the light of the gym. Gil let his eyes drop to her hand nervously. It was a gesture his mother always made to his dad, be it to ask him to transform into a scythe or otherwise, but coming from her, Gil suddenly realized just how much trust she was placing in him.
He was a weapon, born to protect his meister. It would now be his duty – for however long she had him in her grasp – to protect her from harms way. Gil glanced at Adam and remembered the way he delivered his attacks: swift, clean, and beautiful. Gil had enough knowledge, from reading up numerous textbooks before his first day of school, to know that the meister and weapon must function as one in order to successfully fight. Gil must bend to Kirin's wishes, just as Kirin must bend to his.
"Gil?" Kirin softly called, a crease in her brow showing him her concern. "You don't have to if you don't want to. I would be nice if you did, though." She said, with a weak smile.
"Gil, c'mon." Kathy whispered from behind him. "Let's go back! It's too dangerous!"
"No. It's fine. I'll do it." His eyes hardened and he took Kirin's hand. There was a moment when he felt her wavelength reaching out to him. Was this what his mother spoke of? He couldn't ponder on it because he transformed, Kirin gasping as she held onto a double-edged scythe. It's sickles curving inward dangerously, made for the beheading of witches, both blades shone dangerously under the light. The staff was a deep black, solid and firm in her hand. There was a weight to him, as expected as Gil had never partnered up with someone before, but he was much lighter than Gale had been.
"Double Scythe. How very, very interesting…" Stein muttered, with a creepy grin. A student sitting close to him scooted away in fear.
Kirin tightened her grip on Gil comfortingly when she felt his recoil from the professor. She tried him out a few times, twirling him as she would if she had her ex-weapon, but found this would be a lot more trickier than she thought.
"Gil. I need you to focus – stop looking at the crowd. Focus on the fight." Kirin instructed coolly, nodding at Adam. He leaped back, returning into a defensive position. "You have to focus, Gil!"
"I am!" Gil snapped, annoyed. "If you would be quiet for a moment, you'd know!"
Kirin shot him a look of warning but allowed him to continue. Once she felt his soul settle, and he gave her a thumbs up from one of the sickle blades, did Kirin finally move. She was aware that Soul and Maka were probably watching them from Lord Death's Mirror. She supposed they got their wish in the end: if this worked out, she'd ask Gil if he wanted to continue being her partner. If he accepted, and if this even worked out between them, then she would be able to watch over him as his parents had asked.
"Let's do this." Kirin drawled with a smirk, falling into form. "Ready?"
"As ready as I'll ever be…" Gil mumbled. Kirin's smirk widened.
"And… GO!" Nygus began her timer.
Adam attacked first, Kirin blocking it swiftly. She instantly felt Gil's anxiety through their temporary link.
"Calm down – nothing can hurt you in weapon form!" Kirin grunted, sliding to a stop. She swung, one of the blades nearly catching Adam in the arm. But he was quick on his feet, backpedaling and grinning as he felt the match begin to rise to his expectations.
Kirin found a double-edged scythe was good for blocking and could be very good for attacking as the second blade would catch up to the first instantly. She fixed her hands toward the edges when she saw having them too towards the middle threw her off balance. She also learned, with Gil and her bickering when it happened, that swinging hard could get one of his sickles stuck in random things – like the floor, for instance.
"Spin – GIL!" Kirin shouted, sighing in relief when Gil focused and spun in the hands of his meister. "Now you're getting it!" She rushed forward, Adam's sword clanging back with every thrust of her arms. His sneakers screeched on the wood floor, Kirin's smirk growing with every hit, but at the last moment, Adam's luck returned and he flipped out of the way – raising his weapon and swinging it down as if to part Kirin's skull in half.
Kirin was too slow, Gil knew this before she could even move. Just by gauging the trajectory and speed of Adam's weapon, she would not be able to move out of the way in time. She had lowered him in that critical moment and she will be too slow to raise him back up. So Gil did what he knew he had to do since he agreed to enroll in DWMA.
He suddenly transformed and shoved her back so she would be unharmed, Gil teetering on his heels and staring wide-eyed at the tip of a blade. His eyes darted up to Adam, who grinned at him, before he removed the blade from his head and his partner transformed back to flesh and bone.
"Nice move, kid." Adam laughed. "Although it coulda' killed you!"
"What the—?" Kirin began, blinking.
"You idiot!" Gil snapped, sending her a fierce glare. "Why did you lower your guard? You're supposed to always fall back into defense position – aren't you a third year or something? They teach you this in the first year!" He slightly sneered.
Kirin flushed. "It was a mistake, alright? I won't do it again."
"It may cost you your life next time! So, yeah, don't do it again!"
"Like you should be talking – you transformed! Why did you do that, genius?" Kirin snapped right back, losing her cool. "You're vulnerable in your human form!"
"Because it's my duty to protect my meister!" Gil shouted, silencing her. "I knew, instantly, that you would not be able to move in any way to protect yourself." Gil stated, logically. "You were, essentially, cornered. If I hadn't transformed, should this have been a real match, you would have been split in two."
Kirin swallowed at the thought but hardened her eyes. "But this is only a demonstration."
"It's a simulation of a vey real situation." Gil replied, looking back at Stein. "Right?"
"Precisely." Stein drawled. "And I must say, Kirin, you did a good job wielding a double-scythe weapon for your first time. Your form, however, is terrible. You'll need much training if you wish to use him to his full potential. And Gil seems to be well-read in the mechanics of Meister-Weapon duties and expectations as well, to be expected. But, once again, Adam won the match. Gil would have died a horrible and painful death and you, the meister, would have needed to retreat immediately." Stein cheerfully told them, to the unease of the students watching. "Should this have been a real battle, of course."
"Oh, my God!" Kathy screeched as she sprinted toward Gil, bringing Gil into her chest with a crushing embrace. His eyes widened and he felt blood rush down his nose at the feel of her soft breasts on his face. "Gil! Are you okay? I was so worried!"
"Ugh, you pervert!" Kirin glared at Gil, who tried to push off Kathy with one hand under his nose to keep in his massive nosebleed. "KIRIN CHOP!"
"Not you too—!" Gil barely had time to scream before he was chopped into the ground, groaning while Kathy watched with both her hands covering her mouth in shock.
"Gil! Oh, my God! You're bleeding!" Kathy kneeled, bringing him back to her chest. Gil groaned as more blood began to leak from his nose. This girl and her dumb breasts and Kirin and her stupid, stupid chops on the head–!
"Lemme' go!" Gil gasped, rolling off of her to lay on the floor; hand covering his bloody nose. "Ow…"
Kirin scowled heavily, arms crossed over her chest tightly.
"Well…" Stein airily said in the background, ignoring Kirin and Gil's exchange of barbs at what Gil called an undeserved chop on the head. "Things will certainly look up in the next few years." He glanced at the mirror that was hooked on the corner of the gymnasium; where he knew Maka and Soul were no doubt watching the scene unfold. "Remind you of anyone?" He drawled at the mirror, slipping his hands into his lab coats pockets and walking out of the gym like a phantom.
Meanwhile, in the Death Room, Soul grimaced as he watched the professor leave.
"It creeps me out how he knows we're watching."
"Stein was informed of this, Soul. The only reason we're able to overlook Gil's progress is because you're Lord Death's current weapon and you're supposed to be here, anyway." Maka answered, kneeling on the floor before the small tea table. "Lord Death doesn't mind company, either. Right, Lord Death?" She added cheerfully to the Death God, who stood by Soul with his hands crossed behind him.
"Of course not, Maka." Lord Death replied, his golden eyes amused. "It's quite interesting to watch your son and that girl go at it. Reminds me of the time when you two were his age…"
"Pipe down, Kid, we weren't that loud." Soul said, annoyed. He smiled, however, when Gil picked himself off the floor and furiously rubbed away his nosebleed. "Never thought he'd get one of those, though…"
"It's an Evans thing, I know that now." Maka deadpanned. "I think he deserved it." She sipped her tea with a sniff.
"What? Did you see that girl – she totally threw herself at him! What's a guy to do?" Soul countered. "She reminds me of Blair. Stupid cat." Soul added, bitterly.
"Regardless of whose fault it was, it is clear that Kirin and Gil have much potential to become successful partners." Kid stated over their bickering, staring at the children through the mirror. Nygus was now shooing away the four upperclassmen to continue a short lesson with her students before sending them off to lunch. "I shall be keeping a close eye on their progress, should they decide to partner up."
"I hope so." Maka murmured, concernedly.
"They will." Soul stated, firmly. "If Gil's anything like you, then he'll definitely be looking out for Kirin now. Mainly because of that fatal mistake – Gil overreacts just like you do."
"What's that supposed to mean, Soul?" Maka snapped, slamming her tea cup on the table.
"It means what it means. Don't get offended." Soul replied gently, crossing his arms over his chest. "You just blow things out of proportion, Maka, admit it. You did it when we fought the Kishin, when you went into labor, and you're doing it right now—"
"MAKA CHOP!"
Kid sighed as Soul groaned, holding his aching head. Maka glared as she watched him pick himself up, growling something that Kid didn't bother listening too; far too accustomed to their bickering from the times they'd gone out to dinner to reunite with their old friends. His eyes kept straying back to the mirror, the white haired boy that intently listened to what Nygus had to say. If he had a notepad, Kid mused, he would most definitely be using it at the moment.
"C'mon, Maka, don't be like this." Soul begged, hugging her from behind. "I didn't mean it like that! I'm sorry!"
"Then think about what you say next time, you jerk!" Maka snapped, her tone less harsh than before. She sunk into his embrace when he whispered something into her ear; whatever it was obviously working because she didn't look on the verge of hurting him again.
"If all you're going to do is bicker, out with you both." Kid scowled. "You're ruining the peaceful balance of the Death Room with your shouts!"
"My shift isn't over until five, Kid." Soul deadpanned, still coddling his annoyed wife. "It's barely gonna' be lunch."
"Lunch break!" Kid suddenly announced, walking toward the door. "I have a meeting with Patty, anyway. She wishes me to approve of some boy." His scowl became dark. "Let's see how this one turns out!"
"He has no idea she's after him, huh? Kinda' sad." Soul whispered into Maka's ear, as Kid stormed out of the Death Room. "Makes me wanna' tell him she's playing him for a fool by doing this."
"Don't." Maka murmured. "Patty knows what she's doing… I hope."
Soul snorted. "She's a cruel woman. Knew she was kinda' on the crazy side since I first saw her." He kissed her neck when he caught her sigh of annoyance, grinning when she squeaked and pinked. "Still not used to it after all these years? That's adorable, Maka."
"Quit it!" Maka elbowed him, sauntering toward the door. "Come on, Soul, we're going out to eat." She held her hand out again, her weapon taking it instantly. "I don't think Gil would like it very much if his parents kept him company for lunch. White Star will probably end up finding him, anyway."
"He'll be fine." Soul drawled, taking one last look at the mirror. Nygus was beginning to dismiss her class. Gil stood up, that Kathy girl stealing looks at him as she followed in suit. But Gil looked more ready to find Kirin than heed Ox and Kim Ford's daughter. "He knows how to keep it cool – just like his dad." He smirked.
Maka rolled her eyes with a knowing smile.
She knew both Kirin and Gil would be just fine, too, as she led her husband down the waxed hall and out of the academy.