LunaC; okaidoki! Last chapter guys! i enjoyed writing this series, but your support was very appreciated! I hope you like this chapter! it clears up about Ed's past a bit. I will be changing his to complete, and if I get the epilogue finished and I think it ended up well, I'll put it up. Anywho Enjoy!

LG: Luna doesnt own Soul Eater. I mean, seriously, you've read so much of this! You should know what she owns!

LunaC: souls:weapons::reviews:authors! One last time? Pwease :3

"I want you calling me if you don't feel good, especially if you get a bad headache or anything, okay?" Lycao ordered worriedly as Casper was about to leave the infirmary.

"Don't worry mom, I'll be fine," she sighed. "And if anything does happen, I'll let you know ASAP."

"Alright. Keep safe, and make sure you take the next two days off from school. That sudden plummet of energy really drained you out."

"Okay, love you."

"Love you too sweetie," Lycao waved as Casper walked out with Phantom by her side. She held his hand tightly, glad he was there. Plus she did feel a bit drained, and it was nice to know he was there to help her if she did suddenly pass out.

"Where's Dawn and Ed? I hope they aren't in trouble," he commented.

"Ed might keep Dawn from getting into to much trouble," she replied.

"...this is my sister we're talking about." Casper made a small snicker at this.

"There you two are!" Dawn exclaimed, running around a corner to the two. Ed (who seemed very lost) quickly followed her. "Hey Phantom, Atros said to give this to you," Dawn said, handing Phantom a black violin case. He took it carefully, a curious look on his face. "He said father mailed it to him." A grim look grew on her brother's face as he looked down at it. In silver, the initials "R.K.M." were engraved, the cursive written in a familiar handwriting. He let his thumb glide over the letters gently.

"Remind me to tell him thanks when I see him again," Phantom muttered. Casper gave him a worried glance. "Let's just go home now."

"Alright," Casper agreed, rubbing the back of his hand with her thumb. Dawn seemed to recognize the case too, and was in an unusual silence. Ed was just as confused as Casper, but didn't ask anything either. No one pried him open for his own secrets, so he wouldn't ask about it if not told.

The four just walked home, Dawn and Phantom remembering the memories that violin held. Phantom could recall them easily, just preferred not to. Dawn could slightly recall them, and just remembered a little of their mother's performances with the violin.

Phantom remembered watching his mother play the beautiful instrument with admiration. She made it look so easy to play the graceful music. He himself had learned to play the violin, and had been called a prodigy by his father's friends and partners when he was only eleven. He really didn't want to do anything to make his father happy back then, but it was better to keep him pleased, so he might forget about alcohol and his son would go one night without being abused and scurrying to his room covered in bruises and cuts from glass shards. But whatever anyone said, he knew he'd never be as good as his mother. She taught him how to play ever since he was six until her death, and continued teaching himself because he knew she would want him to continue. Dawn never learned much about the instrument, but she had small bits of memories where she would hear the comforting melodies and images of her mother and Phantom smiling.

But that was a long time ago. These memories may have held happy times, but it still carried sorrow.

WwwwwwwwwwW

It had been a days since Casper returned home. Nothing was to out of the ordinary since. She had returned to school, rolling her eyes at the concern of her classmates and teachers for her help, insisting she could still fight and do required physical assignments.

"Hey Casper! It's good to see you're doing well again," Maka greeted as she sat down next to her fellow scythe meister in class. Casper just smiled in return.

"Thanks. It's nice to be back, it's quite boring staying home," she replied. Although, with Phantom being suspended she did find herself missing him during class.

"Yeah, I know what you mean," Maka sighed. "Though it's nice to get away from here sometimes and relax."

"I guess. But I was starting to miss you guys anyways."

"Hahaha! Well don't worry, because you're back in the presence of your awesome, almighty god Black*Star!" the blunette ninja exclaimed, laughing as he stood on the desk.

"...I'm kinda envying the fact Phantom doesn't have to be around him for three weeks," Maka grumbled.

"I know," Casper mumbled in agreement. "Thanks anyways Black*Star."

"No problem! Anything to make my follower feel welcome again!" he laughed. Casper gave him a confused look. Since when was she his 'follower'?

"Yeah, it was starting to get a bit uncool without you two around," Soul mumbled. "Yeah, but Phantom will be back soon, so it'll be just like normal again," Tsubaki said in a small voice.

"Since when is anything normal here?" Casper asked.

"True, true," Soul agreed. The rest of the group laughed at this.

"Well, no matter how unsymmetrical you are, I have to admit that I missed you a bit Casper," Kid stated flatly.

"Geez, thanks Kid," she replied sarcastically, causing the rest of the group to chuckle. But, with it being Kid, she knew it meant a lot. Even after all that had happened, they all managed to keep each other laughing and happy. She was glad she had such good friends.

WwwwwwwW

Casper was awakened by a small cry of fear after a sharp crackle of thunder in the night. Worried, she got up, walking towards the door of her room. Phantom had also gotten up, being the light sleeper he is the storm outside no doubt kept him awake. They both seemed pretty nervous about the shout they heard. It definitely didn't sound like Dawn, so the only other guess was Ed. Dawn seemed to have awakened too, slipping out of her room and to Ed's quickly, her hair and nightgown flowing behind her at the fast pace she was running at.

The two older ones followed, finding Ed curled up into a ball on the corner of his bed. His face was buried into his knees, and his hands clung to his ears, blocking out the thunder's booming roars. He sobbed quietly, muttering words they couldn't hear. Dawn sat next to him, rubbing his back gently and comfortingly. "Its okay Ed, it's just a little storm," she tried to comfort.

"I-It's just like t-that night t-though," he sobbed. "I-it was t-thundering."

"Ed, is something wrong?" Casper asked softly, walking over and sitting on the edge of the bed. Phantom stood next to her, giving the younger boy a concerned and worried look. Ed looked up at the two, green orbs brimming with tears. He nodded his head, and let out another scared squeal when the thunder crackled again.

"T-there was a storm t-that night t-too," he sobbed.

"What night Ed?" Casper asked. Phantom now sat down, his hand gently laying on top of Casper's.

Ed curled into a tighter ball. "T-the night Elliot k-killed mom a-and dad. H-he came h-home one day a-after he a-and dad got in a fight. H-he h-had a knife, a-and h-he a-attacked dad with it, t-then mom. T-then t-that witch came in, a-and t-they forced me t-to come with t-them." Ed burst into more sobs at the next roar of thunder. "H-he a-always t-told me when h-he and Raven finished h-her plans, h-he'd k-kill me just like he k-killed t-them. H-he laughed whenever I would cry during storms. H-he said h-he'd make sure t-to k-kill me during one." Casper's eyes filled with shock, wondering how someone could terrorize the boy like that for so many years. Especially how it could be his own brother. Her brother had always been protecting and kind, and she had always been around Phantom and Dawn's sibling relationship of arguments, yet still could tell that Phantom was very overprotective of her, and Dawn worried about the dangers he got himself into.

Dawn pulled him into a hug. "It's okay Ed..."

"Ed, you have nothing to worry about now, okay?" Phantom said in a stern yet comforting tone. The younger boy sniffled and looked up at him. "He may have terrorized you once, but Elliot is gone. He won't come back to hurt you. Same with Raven. And even if they do, we'll make sure to take care of them. You're safe here, okay?"

Ed just nodded silently, sniffling again. Dawn wiped the tears off his cheeks and from the corners of his eyes.

"See? We're not gonna turn on you like Elliot. You're part of the family Ed, so we protect you as much as we protect ourselves," she said, smiling.

"T-thanks," Ed whispered. A very slim smile grew on his face. Phantom ruffled the blonde's hair, Casper smiling. She then walked out of the room but quickly returned.

"Here, if the thunder scares you too much take these," she said, handing him a pair of ear buds, along with her old mp3 player. "It's mostly just instrumentals on it. If you set the volume right it should be loud enough to block the thunder but still quiet enough for you to sleep."

"Thanks Casper," he replied, taking it and setting the music before putting in one of the ear buds.

"No problem. Night Ed," she replied before walking out.

"Night. Don't get to scared, 'kay?" Phantom said as he got up and went to his room.

"Good night Ed! If you get to scared just come get me, I'll stay up with you if you can't sleep," Dawn said, giving him a hug before getting up and leaving.

Ed watched the three walk out with a small smile on his face. Maybe his life would take a change for the better.

Phantom walked into his room, glancing at the violin as he headed to bed. He reassured himself the same way he reassured Ed as he opened the case.

"He can't bother you Phantom," he sighed. He found the polished violin sitting gently in the velvet lining of the case, looking as if it hadn't been locked away for years. A white piece of paper was wedged next to the mahogany instrument. He carefully pulled it out, unfolding it to find the somewhat familiar cursive. It wasn't like the comforting one on the case, but one which filled his stomach with dread.

'Your mother wanted you to have this. You always deserved it. S.M.'

Simon Morro. The man who Phantom despised, who blamed his son for something the fates had controlled upon which he had no power over. Phantom noticed his hand slightly shake. He threw the note on the dresser, clenching his hand into a fist. Simon Morro wasn't the type of man who would give such a valuable thing to a son he disowned. Atros' words from earlier that year, only a little before Raven broke in, echoed through his head.

"I'm not exactly sure, but it turns out a colleague of father's has a daughter about your age who needs a weapon."

Phantom's fingernails bit into his palm. Was this all just a bribe, just so his father's social ranking would increase? Or to make their families future generations seem better because of another high ranked family in it too?

Well his father could forget about it. He crumbled up the paper and threw it on the ground, watching as it half rolled half bounced under his bed. He didn't care how many bribes he was faced with. He had a new life now. He had his friends at Shibusen, Dawn who was no longer filled with fear at the look of their father, his wonderful and amazing meister and girlfriend Casper, Cooper his close friend whom he hadn't seen for the longest time, and now Ed and Milo, who he would have to watch out for during their time at Shibusen. He wouldn't be running back to his horrible old life and leaving them behind. No, life was good. Great you could say.

He gently picked up the violin, turning it around and inspecting it. It was still in fine shape. He wondered how this even survived in the fire. He looked at the small initials his mother had engraved into the back before setting it back in his case.

If he was going to have to live with haunting memories the rest of his life, he might as well have something to remember the good ones.

THE END