Soul Fights the Dragon's Madness
Chapter 9
Black Star buried his face in his scarf as he thought. The train was sweeping quickly though the snowy landscape, but they still would not reach the next big train station for another couple of hours. Tsubaki could tell he was brooding about something, but approaching these situations was tricky for her, leaving the silence to its own devices for most of the trip.
Black Star still could not believe that Soul had run off without saying anything. He had every right to revenge, just like Maka and him. He had lost that battle alongside them. His mind ran through the battle that had almost killed them all. How Maka planned to beat such a strong witch alone was a mystery. She will have surely recovered her energy since then, and even be expecting them to come after her. Even if they found her, there was little chance of penetrating a lair like the one she had before without shinobi-like skills.
Tsubaki was about to break the silence when the train's whistle announced their arrival. A sign flashed by the window announcing their arrival in Berlin. They both stood but Black Star stopped in the walkway, making Tsubaki turn back. He spun around and stared at the figure in a cape who had just stood a few rows behind them. The person flinched.
"Who are you and why are you following us?" Black Star asked firmly. The person had a bout of fidgets before sighing. Both weapon and miester gasped when Ami revealed herself.
"Ami? What are you doing here?" Tsubaki asked. Ami kicked at the ground.
"I…I couldn't just stand by and watch all of my friends go off and fight without trying to help," She admitted. Black Star was frowning. The whistle blew again and he turned away from Ami.
"You should go back, Ami," He said, walking to the door. Ami followed.
"But I can't! You don't understand, I"-
"Go back, Ami!" Black Star interrupted, not looking at her. His fists were clenched tight. Ami was stunned. She stood at the top of the steps as Black Star continued to walk away. She took a deep breath.
"I will not." She said as firmly as she could. Black Star stopped and turned just as Ami stormed up to him. "I came all the way here to help, and that is what I will do." There was a moment of intense stare down. Ami's bright eyes glared powerfully into Black Star's.
"What could you possibly do to help?" Black Star asked, giving in slightly. Ami gave a tiny smirk of victory.
"I am a traveling nurse's station," she replied, revealing her bag. "I know every herb and chemical in the book, and I can do a lot more than treat cuts." Her confidence was admirable, but Black Star was only moderately impressed. She still couldn't fight well, making her somewhat of a liability later on. Oh well. Black Star shrugged and Ami smiled wide. Tsubaki sighed, glad that it had gone well, but even she was concerned about Ami tagging along. From Berlin the trio continued north until they took a ferry across the Baltic Sea. When they came to the first town in the Nordic country, the damage was immediately apparent.
The sky was darkened by heavy clouds and fires smoldered where houses once stood. They were stunned by the damage, all knowing they had found their mark. Upon investigation they found little life, and what life they found only consisted of frightened people who would not speak to them of what happened.
"Well this is frustrating!" Black Star shouted as another man scurried away without answering any questions.
"Maybe we will have more luck at the town's center?" Tsubaki suggested. "Most of these northern towns have a town hall where you can find answers." Ami nodded.
"Right!" Black Star led the way in search, but the center of the town was not at all what they expected. Here there was only a blazing inferno where the town hall should have been. "Well this did not help at all…" Black Star said, but Ami had approached someone else nearby.
"Sir, I need to know where we can find the first town that was attacked," She inquired gently. The man was not afraid like the others, but he shook his head grimly.
"There is no need to look for that place, ma'am," He replied, "There is little of it left I am sure."
"But still, I need to know where it is. Some friends of mine passed though here not long ago searching for the very same place." The man sighed.
"Yeah, two kids like you three, right?"
"Right!" Black Star interjected with vigor.
"Well that did not turn out well for them. Lady Ryuka don't take kind to strangers like that. I'm pretty sure they are long gone." The statement took a moment to fully sink in to the students.
"We aren't here for your speculation," Ami finally said, a hint of fire in her tone. "Just which way is the town?" A long pause followed in which the man carefully surveyed the three children.
"There is just no stopping you is there?"
"No, sir, there isn't," Tsubaki replied confidently.
"Fine. You're looking for a town just northeast of here. But I warn you- there are no friendly faces there anymore." And with that the man walked away. They immediately set of northeast until they had reached the city. From afar there was a faint glow from the fires, and as they got closer, they realized the town was in the later stages of being burned as well.
"How are we going to know where Maka and Soul are in all of this?" Tsubaki asked no one in particular.
"Look!" Ami pointed suddenly and ran up to a pile of ashes, what remained a building. Black Star arrived just in time to see Ami pull Soul's vibrant orange bike from the soot. Tsubaki gasped.
"This is definitely the right track," Black Star said. The actual weight of the situation began to sink in as they moved deeper into the town. Black Star insisted they keep a low profile, so all three slipped through the shadows to avoid detection.
"We need to get into the headquarters. I'm sure that is where Maka and Soul are," Tsubaki whispered as they got closer to the center of the town. Black Star nodded.
"That means sneaking in," he said.
"Well I'm out of that scenario," Ami chimed, "I am definitely no shinobi." Weapon and miester agreed silently, but what could they do? "Maybe I could be a distraction."
"that is a terrible idea" Tsubaki said.
"Actually, it's a good one," Black Star countered as they came upon the town hall. It was crawling with goons and guards. "A distraction would give us a better chance of getting in and out undetected." Tsubaki looked at Ami with concern.
"Are you sure you want to do that?" She asked, "Bringing all of the attention to you does not sound very wise." Ami smiled.
"I know, but there isn't much else I'm good for now is there? I will just have to be super careful."
"Okay, if you say so," Tsubaki moved aside for Black Star as he came and grabbed Ami's arms.
"You had better be careful," he warned solemnly, "Make some noise and then get out." Ami nodded.
"Right, I promise." They said their farewells and Ami headed around the front of the building. Okay, she thought, time to get their attention. There were plenty of unstable buildings, so Ami found one that was supported by only a couple of pillars. She knocked down two out of four and tied a rope to the third. She then ran out into the middle of the street waving her arms. "Hey! Come and get me, losers!" the guards were unimpressed, but none the less four left their posts and came running. She led them into the building then disappeared. When they got inside she jerked hard on the rope. Just as planned the burnt pillar gave way, taking the ceiling with it. The men's cries attracted plenty of attention, sending most of the guards and grunts. Ami grinned as she slipped silently into the dark and out of the way.
Black Star darted silently behind the sparse guards that remained and into the dark halls of the building with Tsubaki in her ninja sword form. It was larger than it looked, and many of the rooms had been repurposed as prison cells the deeper they went. Black Star eyed each prisoner carefully before moving on, searching for the two familiar faces within the shadowy prisons. Eventually the rooms had doors that were closed. Black Star searched silently before finally coming on a door that was locked. He listened through it for a moment, but all he could hear were low hushed voices.
With one swift kick the door burst from its hinges. And all fell silent. There in the center of the room under one bright light was Maka, strapped to a chair, machines beeping around her. The four men in dark coats stared in shock at the new arrival before mounting defense.
"Black Star! Black Star!" Maka struggled against her restraints, and by the time he had disposed of the men she was in a frenzy, involuntary tears sparkling in the lamp light. He rushed to tear the straps from her until she stood, flinging herself into his arms. The moment of surprise and shock faded, and Black Star let her cry herself calm. She was still half sobbing when Black Star pulled her to arms length.
"Maka, where is Soul?" He asked. She shook her head, wiping the tears away.
"I don't know, Ryuka….Ryuka had him in his scythe form last I saw, and then she disappeared and I came here, and I can't sense anything." She began to shake.
"It's okay now, Maka," Tsubaki comforted. Black Star looked around the room.
"I'm pretty sure she has not killed him, she wanted to use him as her weapon, but…I have no idea what else to go on."
"Let's keep moving," Black Star looked back at Maka, "Do we need to get you out of here first?" She stood straighter and took a deep breath.
"No, I need to come. Soul and I stand better chance of getting out together." Black Star nodded and they all slipped out of the room, heading deeper into the large building. It did not take long for them to arrive at a large central door. It creaked open to reveal a dark room lit by only a few candles that shone with an eerie blue. Maka's brow furrowed as she sensed the room. "S-Soul?" She called softly. "I can sense Soul in here, but…" Black Star ran up to her side.
"Soul are you in here?" He called louder. Then he saw it, the jail cell protruding from the back wall, in which a white-headed figure rested against the wall. "Soul!" Maka rushed up to the cell.
"Soul! Can you hear me?" She asked, studying the lock on the cell at the same time. Soul tilted his head only slightly upward so that he could peer from underneath his white bangs, but did not respond. Black Star punched the lock hard, but it only rang out in defiance, sending Black Star whimpering back clutching his pounding fist. Maka kept calling to Soul until he finally looked up all of the way. But Maka was surprised. "Soul, are you okay?" She asked. He looked tired, his eyes expressionless and distant.
"…Maka?" He whispered.
"Yeah…" she nodded, but he only looked away.
"Tsubaki, Demon Blade Mode," Black Star commanded.
"Hai." She transformed and with one swift motion Black Star had sliced the bars to bits that fell to the ground like rain. Tsubaki changed back to her assassin sword almost immediately as Maka ran to Soul's side.
"Come on, Soul, snap out of it. What happened to you?" She began to panic. She shook his shoulders, but Soul only sighed.
"She will be here soon… I have to obey or she will kill…" He looked up into Maka's eyes as the large entrance doors creaked open. Instantly more candles ignited throughout the room, exposing everyone's surprised faces. Black Star's brow furrowed.
"Ryuka…" He whispered. Her bright eyes gleamed from her silhouette as she stepped into the room.
"I see you could not stay away, Black Star," She said with a grin. Maka stood.
"What have you done to Soul!" She shouted. Ryuka chuckled.
"Well, it was not easy, but I finally got through to that little brain of his." She spread her arms slightly. "Oh, Soul-kun, come here." Soul slowly stood and walked to her.
"Huh! Soul!" Maka grabbed his wrist, but he jerked away, shooting a glare back to her that startled her to silence. "S-Soul…?" As soon as he reached Ryuka he transformed.
"Soul has been brainwashed!" Tsubaki gasped.
"Impossible…" Maka whispered.
"Difficult," Ryuka corrected, "But not impossible. He had quite an attachment to his sanity." A smile streaked across her face as she ran her fingers over the blade. "But I can cure sanity!" She lunged toward Black Star and swung the long scythe. Maka dodged while Black Star blocked.
"Damn it, snap out of it, Soul!" He shouted. Ryuka only laughed as she swung again, throwing Black Star through the wall. He stood back up and blocked Ryuka's next attack, only to be hit by her wavelength that she pulsed with her other hand.
"How will we fight when she is using Soul?" Tsubaki asked as black Star stood, spitting the blood from his mouth.
"We just can't hold back," Black Star said with a grin.
"What!"
"I haven't held back in a fight with Soul and I am not about to start now!" He charged, dodging Ryuka's pulse attack and slicing up with his sword. She pulled her scythe in to block, but Black Star predicted her and reached past to send his own waves pounding through her.
"Gck!" She backtracked from the intensity.
"Confident little wretch…" She hissed. He laughed a little.
"It's not hard to see you are no scythe master, witch." Ryuka scowled.
"I don't have to be to defeat you!" She powered up. "Soul resonance!" They both shouted.
"No way!" Maka exclaimed as Soul began to glow. Maka could see Ryuka's soul overwhelming Soul, energizing him without consuming him. Ryuka was laughing hard. "Witch hunter!" She swung. The building flashed, then half of it slid to the ground with a plume of smoke and debris. Ami watched in shock as the dust settled.
"What is going on…!" she whispered.