Whispers

by Akire Rosales

Can you love two man at the same time?... Theres no way to answer that, until it happens to you. How can you know if it even is love? how you make sure? Is there a way to untangle the mess of emotions between her long time weapon partner and her best friend? The heart whispers, so you must listen carefully...

11. The Black Dragon

AkireRosales: Just when I thought there would never be a chapter as long as "Monster"… how did I wrote this Godzilla of a chapter in 4 weeks is beyond me… BUT I DID IT FOR ALL OF YOU! ENJOY!

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Whispers

Chapter 11

The Black Dragon

"Beauty emanates from every word that you say

And captures the deepest thoughts in the purest and simplest of ways.

But you see… I'm not that graceful like you…

Nor am I as eloquent.

But just a simple melody can change the way that you see me…"

---

She was bored.

From what? She couldn't tell, but she felt bored. Bored of routine, bored of her life, bored of pretty much everything. Life had turned… dull, the spark of excitement she used to get from missions could last only so far, and beyond that… nothing. Just a big fat chunk of nothing. Teaching in Germany's DWMA, training students, hunting kishin eggs, chasing rogue witches… same old, same old.

Maka had actually asked to wield other weapons. Much for Soul's surprise, she started to feel intrigued about the use of other kind of weapons. She had used a scythe all her life, she had used Soul all her life… no other weapon but him. Professor Stein could use many different weapons, and he managed to sync his wavelength with almost any partner. Professor Sid could do the same with many weapons, and Soul himself had teamed up with other meisters during his missions.

She was the only one stuck with one weapon, and it started to feel dull, boring. She wanted to prove herself she could do more, that she could master other weapons. That her success as a meister was only because of herself, and not Soul.

It was quite a displeasure to find out, she was way too used to a scythe to quickly learn to use any other kind of weapon. She was clumsy with her hands when using a hammer, she swinged way too much with an axe, using a sword was so uncomfortable with such a small hilt. Her aim with ranged guns sucked at best. And yet… she liked it, she rejoiced in the challenge, welcomed new experiences.

Soul was cool with her curiosity about new weapons, since he already had teamed with many different meisters. It was just normal, when a Death Scythe becomes such, not always he will end up working with his default meister. More often than not, Maka and Soul would end up in different missions, with different partners.

At first, Maka thought that learning to use new weapons wouldn't be as difficult as learning how to sync with another partner… but it wasn't. Like a chain resonance, it was just about learning and understanding. Her Grigori soul made it especially easy to do so. And so on, Maka came with a life-changing conclusion…

It wasn't that different, resonating with Soul, from any other partner. Of course there was a difference, but it was subtle. The understanding and confidence that radiated from his wavelength was a perfect match with her reckless and hardened spirit. While Soul was relaxed and cool-headed, she was hot-blooded and quick on her feet. More often than not, it usually lead to heated fights between them, but during missions it was just a perfect combination.

At first, Maka thought their fights were just mishandled passion. Sure, he could crawl on her nerves most of the time, keeping his cool in matters that Maka considered of utmost importance, sometimes it almost felt like indifference, like Soul didn't care of things she did care. But it was just the way they were, it was the way they always had been. Since they were teenagers, the constant fights were usual between them. With Soul's constant acid remarks about her flaws, and her rather… physical way of showing her disagreement (mostly with merciless Maka chops), fights were a day to day situation between them.

Lately, however, she had started to run low on her patience. And so did Soul. Fights were not funny anymore, or solved that easily. She would find telling herself most of the time that fights and disagreements were normal in every couple, especially married couples, especially with couples that met from a long time ago. It couldn't be all honey and unicorn puke all the time, there would be hardships, there would be pain, there would be times when she would end thinking why the hell was she married with a man that attacked her likings and hobbies like a running gag.

Maybe she just was getting tired. Of routine, of boredom, of everything… of him? No, never, she loved Soul, she was married. She loved his playful grin, and those ruby eyes that matched the passion of his soul, how his deep voice would make her shiver in anticipation, or how he laughed at her for the dumbest reasons, even if that earned a Maka Chop from her. He was strong, endearing, reliable, sexy, and overall a decent cool man. And yet…

And yet…

Why was she feeling so empty?

"Maka?..."

The shy voice of the man beside her took her out of her thoughts. Lying beside her, both in the cool grass of Death City park, was Crona. Fidgeting with his fingers resting on top of his stomach, the sword meister got intrigued by Maka's sudden silence.

"Sorry, I think I got distracted, what was it again?" Maka asked, shoving her worries at the pit of her mind.

"Have you wielded another weapon?" Crona asked again, tilting his head a little so he could see her face. Maka was lying at his right, her hands resting on her stomach, both of them covered by the shadow of the tall trees around them.

"Yep, getting the hang of it, is not so easy when you haven't use anything but scythes… I think the next weapon I like the most is the axe" Maka laughed it off, her green eyes staring at the blue sky above them. "My turn"

"O-ok…" Crona mumbled, still fidgeting with his fingers. He was nervous when answering questions, but… it was nice, doing it with her. She had told him it would be a good exercise to fortify their soul resonance. Also, it would be good to catch up with everything that happened around their lives in those five years.

"When you grow out of your robe?" The question made the swordsman hum in deep thought for a second.

"Hmmm… I never did, I miss it" He confessed with a meekly sigh "Getting the hang of it, is not so easy when you haven't use anything but a robe."

"oh you! Would you please!" Maka laughed, noticing how he used her own words. Shifting her weight on her side so she could face him, she quickly poked his side, right where his ribs were. Crona squeaked.

"My turn! My turn!" He quickly called it, covering his sensitive sides with his arm, avoiding more poking from her and therefore, the tickles. "Y-you… you still like the same bands as before?... like the one you taught me when I came here..?"

"Oh yeah! Woah… I haven't heard those in a while… but I guess I've met new music, they have some kick ass metal bands in Germany" Maka cheered with a grin "I so need to take you to a concert!"

"Uhh… actually… Liz and Patty took me to one… once"

"Really!? Which one? How was it?" Maka asked, staring at him with surprised eyes.

"Some punk thing? Im not sure… but it was noisy, crowded, and sweaty" Crona scowled with a pout in his lips, his brows furrowing a little with the memory "But Liz and Patty had a lot of fun… so it was ok"

"You know you can say no, right?" The scythe meister scolded him, yet her hand reached to his own resting on his stomach, giving him a light reassuring squeeze. "You must not let others drag you around at their will"

Crona blushed slightly, his hand yet stood still, returning her caress with a soft squeeze of his hand.

"I-I know… but I like seeing them happy." The swordsman said with a small smile.

That smile. That shy, sincere, soft smile of his… how much Maka had missed it. It was the cutest smile in the whole world. She sighed fondly.

"My turn… tell me a new hobby of yours, any I don't know yet" She asked, rolling a bit on her side closer to Crona. Resting on her stomach, she used her elbows to support herself on the grass.

"…. Pass"

"What? Oh Crona come on! Tell me, please?" Maka pleaded, staring right at the swordsman with the biggest eyes she could make. The pink haired man gulped in distress, feeling heat rising on his cheeks.

"I…. I…" He stuttered, unsure at first, bitting his lip a little trying to gather some confidence "… I go play with Victor… with his toys…"

"What's wrong with that? I think is endearing"

"Really?... Ox found out once… he laughed until Kim beat him using Jaqueline…" He confessed, remembering how the meister mocked him, saying something about faulty childhood.

"I would have beaten him to a bloody pulp as well" She growled with a frown in her face, quickly changing her features to a softer glance at the meister lying beside her, her hand still softly caressing Crona's knuckles. "You haven't changed at all, have you?"

"Is… is that bad?" The swordsman asked, his dark eyes unable to hold her stare, glancing at some random point in the sky, trying to avoid her.

"Not at all… I like you just the way you are" She replied with a smile, sliding closer to him just enough so she could surround his body with her arms into a hug, resting her head on his right shoulder. "I missed you so much."

Crona's heart skipped a beat, holding his breath just for a couple of seconds. Quickly enough, he found himself blushing atop of his ears, his hands slowly returning the hug. Didn't take much for the swordsman to slowly surrender to the warmth and safety of those arms.

"I… missed you too Maka…" So god damn much….

Silence soon fell upon them, both quietly enjoying the peace and warmth that traveled across their joined arms. Crona's thundering heart slowly paced to the calm rhythm of Maka's, his breathing relaxing, guided by that soft wavelength linked to his own. How had he survived without this for so long?...

"Is your turn" Maka said after a while, her arms not holding him tightly anymore, but resting on one of his shoulders, unable to stop from cuddling with him. Crona swallowed hard, trying to ignore the fire on his cheeks.

"… hmm… any pets around?"

"No actually, we don't have much time to take care of one" Maka said thoughtfully "Blair never counted, she always took care of herself"

Crona glanced at her green eyes, unable to hold her stare for too long. She was too close.

"That's another question! How you managed to tame her? Like, really! When we were living together she was a handful!"

"S-She still is…" Crona chuckled slightly, his dark eyes looking up to the clouds slowly moving in the blue sky above them. "I guess… my only rule for her was to not tease me. I-I can't deal with a cat teasing me… but beyond that, she's really nice. I like sitting in bed, reading while caressing her fur… it's relaxing."

"I miss that about her too" The blonde meister said with a soft voice, thoughtful. She missed Blair, even with her antics and all, but said antics were highly uncool for newlyweds. Especially when Soul couldn't get a hold on his male reactions towards her. She understood them, but had no patience in the matter whatsoever.

Crona never reacted that way towards her, he would just stare for a second in panic and then glance away awkwardly. A gentleman, as always.

"My turn?" The swordsman asked, moistening his lips slightly after receiving a nod from her. He had to ask, the question lingering on his mind for three days now, since the practice with Kim and Professor Stein in Shibusen. He had a hint about what the answer would be, but he wanted her to tell him. "… what do you think?... about me?"

That question caught Maka by surprise, her face glancing towards him. She could feel her heart beating slightly harder on her chest.

"W-what do you mean?..."

"About… you know… in class?" He asked with uncertainty. She never mentioned it after that day, never said a thing about it, and although he knew she didn't reject him, he still needed to know her opinion. Was it awkward? Was it threatening? She didn't like it but accepted it?

Maka dropped a sigh of relief.

"I think is amazing." She said, giving him a warm comforting smile. "My best friend in the whole world is a witch and can transform into a kickass dragon, the German Shibusen is gonna be SOOO jealous"

Crona pouted, his fingers awkwardly fidgeting atop his stomach.

"Y-you gonna tell them?... I don't know Maka… I wouldn't like them to know you hang out with me…"

"Wait what?... why?" The scythe meister frowned, shifting her weight on her left elbow, so she could gaze at Crona from above. The male witch blushed, her stare that up close making him shiver.

"Well… you know… because of who I am, what I did… and… well…" Crona stuttered a little, his dark eyes glancing away from her stare. Maka right hand reached from his arm to his cheek, holding him firmly, her thumb caressing his cheekbone. He blushed.

"Crona, look at me" She ordered with the usual bossy tone of voice she would only use for him. It was demanding, yet soft, non-threatening but strong. Crona obliged right away, his dark eyes staring at her intently. "You think Im embarrassed of you?."

"…. Y-you´re not?..."

Maka stared at him idly for a second, before reaching for her trustworthy and heavy book, giving Crona a light poke at the top of his head. He lowered his gaze, the heavy blush still coloring his cheeks.

"My friend is one of the strongest meisters around, hes a powerful witch and helped me lock Asura in the moon… And yet, hes the most gentle, loyal, selfless and kind man you could ever met. Ashamed, Crona? Really?" She scolded him, retreating her book from his head, before laying again beside him so she could embrace him once again, her arms tightly around him. "I want to scream it to the world, you´re MY best friend."

Crona gave her a light smile, his arms slowly but surely surrounding her small frame and holding her tightly against his chest. How?... How could she say such wonderful yet bittersweet words? He felt that well known ache in his heart, the need, the want, the longing, all the feelings he buried not so long ago were now blossoming back to the surface, swelling his soul. He had forgot, for the last years, he had forgot those feelings, for years he had numbed himself into oblivion, almost forgetting how she could make him feel.

That painful sting of love.

His soul wavelength shifted slightly, humming a different tune in their resonance. Maka could feel it, it was as if the usual music theme had changed its pace into a deeper, more intimate version of itself. Maka understood the change of pace, it was acceptance, happiness? Yes, longing… she could identify such feelings because she was feeling them too. They resonated hard into her soul, making her close her eyes, relinquishing to his warmth, to the blissful sensation of… being whole. That was the word, wasn't it? Whole…

Soul resonance was just like that. It meant to take two different souls and merge them into one, giving the two parties the sensation of being complete. She knew that already, after resonating for so long with so many people. But with Crona it was always different, the song their souls would sing was different from any other resonance with anybody else… even with Soul. She enjoyed it so much, she had missed that feeling so much.

Maka nuzzled slightly in Crona's shoulder, sighing softly.

Both meisters laid in the grass, in the middle of a lonely park, in comfortable silence. The wind ruffled their hair with a gentle cool breeze, relaxing them into each other's arms. For Maka it just felt so right, so normal, she didn't stop to think if it was okay. She didn't need to ask herself that. It IS alright, without a doubt, without question. Something that felt so right, couldn't be bad. Maybe if someone else could see them, the way they were right now, tightly snuggled into each other's embrace, could think differently. But for now, for her, it was just right. It was normal, it was the way it should always be, and it felt so right she couldn't think about anything or anyone else. Right there, at that moment, that embrace had deleted all of her worries, leaving her with a wonderful sensation of peace.

"I-I thought you would hate it…" Crona murmured, his eyes slightly closed, all of his senses focused on the soothing warmth of her soul.

"I could never hate anything from you" She answered immediately, without a trace of doubt in her voice. "… but I don't understand."

Maka glanced up from her position, her eyes looking for Crona's gaze. The swordsman parted his eyelids, dark eyes meeting emerald green.

"How can you turn into a little lizard… and then that? I haven't heard of witches having two different transformations…" After Maka's question, Crona laid on the grass silently, thinking about it for a minute. With a sigh, the swordsman slowly sat down beside Maka, breaking the embrace they had been holding for some time now.

"P-Professor Stein said… it m-might have been a "wrong" transformation. Like… a madness amplified version of it? He says he can't tell much without seeing it… but I never got that form again, thankfully."

It was probably a madness induced transformation? He knew witches got stronger with madness wavelengths, exponentially increasing their powers, like an amplifier. Probably his lizard transformation could become a dragon if he was shaken enough. That wasn't a pleasing thought for Crona, at all.

Maka didn't want to ask the next obvious questions. The madness induction… she had her suspicions, and none of them of her liking. It was already in the past, it seemed, and it was the only thing that mattered. Her hand went down to caress his knuckles, his slender hand resting on the grass between them.

"Your turn" The blonde meister said, patiently waiting for the swordsman to ask.

Crona stared down to the hand caressing his own. How her small yet strong hands could touch him so tenderly. How his rough slender fingers looked so different from her own. The swordsman moved slightly in his spot, getting comfortable in his sitting position, his slouched form towering Maka who was still lying beside him. The breeze of the desert ruffled his chopped uneven hair, which was falling below his shoulders.

He wanted to ask, but he wasn't sure if Maka would want him to ask such things. It was personal, after all…

"W… Why… Why are you here, Maka?"

That question made Maka frown. Crona wasn't looking at her, but staring at some random point in the blue sky. Coming from any other person, she would have taken that question as a bait to make her react, or a teaser to just plain bother her… but not from Crona. If he asked that, it meant he was worried about her, he truly, sincerely wanted to know. Therefore, half-assed answers like "taking a break" and "visiting friends" would be not only a lie, but a plain insult to Crona's intelligence.

He deserved sincerity.

Maka sat down next to the swordsman, her legs crossed, holding her own hands between her legs, thoughtful about her answer. She had told herself many answers to that question, from the moment she decided to flip off her entire life at Germany just to travel back to Death City, alone. She sat there, silently, trying to fix a sincere and truthful answer. Was it boredom? Homesickness? Nostalgia? The dreadful gnawing at the back of her head telling her she had to make sure everything was alright?

None of those answers were of her liking. They sounded more like symptoms, and not the root of the problem. At the end, Maka just took a deep breath, and answered the only truth she knew from the bottom of her heart.

"I don't know"

Crona glanced at her, his dark eyes staring at her face and how she was looking as confused as he was. She knew it wasn't a good answer, and certainly wasn't enough for the meister beside her. Hell, it wasn't enough for herself.

"I just… needed to be here" She continued, trying to explain her answer. "I needed to come back, to see this city, to… go back in time…"

Go back in time. In a time where life was easier, when adulthood worries were alien for her. A time of childish innocence, naivety, when they could worry about more simple things. Yes, they had a rather chaotic teenager years, saving the god damn world, but at the end it was still… so simple. Defeat the bad guy, destroy the Kishin, hand out some smacking here and there. After all that had happened during those times, everything that happened after that seemed so… dull.

She wanted to go back in time. A time where she could be back at school learning, having all of her friends back, hanging out, worrying about simple things. She wanted back those sunset evenings sitting in the couch, watching movies next to the shy boy, now turned into a young man, beside her.

"And I really really wanted to see you again, Crona" She dropped out of her heart, rising her green eyes to meet his dark stare.

The swordsman black eyes looked at her, his pale face showing a glimpse of color on his cheeks. Slowly, but surely, he started to feel a slight tremor in his body, his hands anxiously starting to rub each other in an attempt to cope with the thoughts and feelings swelling inside of him.

"Crona?" The scythe meister looked at him with worry, moving closer to him so she could lay a hand on his shivering arm. The swordsman shook his head, trying to recover some composure.

"It's… is just that… you have no idea how…. How happy I am that you're here, Maka…" He said, talking softly and slowly, avoiding at all cost to stutter. "I dreamed with this for five years… you coming back… I still can't believe I'm talking to you right now"

And the end of things, Maka couldn't help it. Seeing her dearest friend, her best friend, her shy gentle Crona, shivering, saying such words. It just… was an act of instinct. Without a word, the scythe meister almost pounced the swordsman, squeezing his thin frame in her arms, her forehead hiding on his chest. His wavelength hummed through her soul, a symphony of warmth, comfort and endearing feelings.

"Shut up and hug me back now" She muttered, feeling heat rising on her cheeks. A bold order, but the initial awkwardness of it quickly vanished when the slender arms of the man next to her surrounded her body, holding her tight against him.

A time of simple things, of easy comfort, of hugs, laughs and soul-warming moments. She could stay like that forever.

---

She had been walking aimlessly for some time now.

Back again on the streets, just the way she started before entering Shibusen. Before she was a student of DWMA in South America, she had been a homeless teenager, running away from responsibilities, and mostly from trouble she used to make for herself. Could anyone blame her? For being the way she was? Probably.

She very well knew she deserved everything she got. Bullying sweet gentle Crona used to be way too entertaining to stop. She liked that, the sense of power, of dominance, but what she liked the most was the feeling of being... needed. She wasnt stupid, she knew damn well Crona was using her as much as she was using him. Like a toxic relationship, they would just take anything they needed from each other, and throw away everything else. But it had worked, for some time.

She could live at his expense, and he could keep a grasp on reality, supporting himself on her. Meena met Crona at his darkest hour, when all hope had been lost. She could remember it as clear as water, as if it had happened yesterday. The vile monster he was... the monster that, with a grasp of its claw, took her prison in its arms and flew away with her into safety.

Crona had rescued her from a slaughterhouse.

Most of the victims were too young, too scared, or too broken to talk, when Shibusen started their investigation. Even Meena kept quiet the first night, when she got taken to the hospital to care for her injuries. She liked to believe she was strong, but several nights at the mercy of those tainted students had shown her otherwise. She didnt want to talk to anybody. She had nothing to say, because she had disappeared for a month and no one searched for her.

Just him.

She had nothing to say to anyone but him. So she would wait, patiently, for that man with pink hair to be released so she could thank him. Many nights passed by, until she heard the horrible news. She would never be able to thank him, because he was being blamed for the death of Carlos gang and the girls they had killed. Meena couldnt have that, any of that, there was no way she would stand idly while her savior was condemned for saving her.

No one in her whole life had done anything for her before. Not her parents, not her family, or her so called friends, not anyone... Just him. So, she would save him back. For him, she talked. For him, she explained the horrible nightmare she had lived for a month, at the hands of those pre-kishin Shibusen students. She explained everything, and how he arrived and saved the caged women those students held in captivity for so long. It were her words that discarded the Shibusen Principal's theory that Crona was responsible of every single death since his arrival at South America.

Crona got released free of all charges, even Martin's death. She didnt say the latin meister begged for his life, or that he said he never had killed anyone. She just said he was a part of the gang, and he was the one that was in charge of feeding them. Martin got branded as guilty by association, and the case was closed. Crona always carried that guilt, knowing he killed an innocent, and knowing she had lied for him. Only Meena knew the truth about that night, and how Crona couldnt stop himself from staining his hands crimson red.

She got the chance to thank him. At the end of the trial, when the dark meister went out of prison with Death the Kid at his side, Meena blurted out her gratitude. She remembered fondly how the swordsman blushed madly at her, as if... he never had received a "thanks" before. At least, no personally. He was flustered and awkward and shivering all over with embarrassment. Meena thought it was way too cute, and almost impossible to believe from someone who could transform into a massive dragon and impale pre-kishins like sausages with a toothpick. Cute and appealing.

Then, her mind started to plot. She couldnt help it, it was her nature, to try and get some advantage of any situation. Life had taught her to be that way, always thinking, always plotting, trying to make as much benefit from anything as possible. This was her way out, from her shitty country, from her life as a low class weapon in the ass of the world, from everything.

Playing correctly her cards, she managed to hang out with the mysterious swordsman long enough to find out his trigger buttons. He was way too easy to read, and quickly she managed to cook a story that would make Crona act, pushing his caring buttons. A simple story of being followed with ill intent from other students was enough, and quickly enough her transfer papers were due. She would study in America's Shibusen, the land of opportunities, far away from her horrible third world life. She knew it was her destiny, otherwise, why would fate send such meister which was, amazingly, a close friend of Lord Death the Kid? It was fate, it was meant to be.

Crona was meant to be for her.

She couldnt lie to herself, even if she wanted to. She liked him. He was handsome, caring, selfless, a true gentleman, and oh so passive. He was everything she looked for in a male. At first it was just a crush, like the stereotypical infatuation for her savior. But it lasted, it grew, like fire in a dry forest. His sad eyes, his damn charming little smile, how he would blush at any little touch or sweet words towards him. He was perfect.

Or... almost perfect.

She had tried. Oh how much she had tried, with all her might, to make him notice her as a love interest, instead of just a ruthless teenager. At first she tried with hints, with discrete flirting, but soon enough she found out it was like throwing smoke signs to a blind man. So, she had to be direct, plain and simple. She told him she wanted him, she liked him, she told him how much she desired him.

But she never told him she loved him. Love was a word, too strong for even think about it, love was something Meena refused to think. Love meant being out of control, and she hated losing control. Instead, she offered him a relationship of care and desire, not love. Every man would have taken her offer without blinking.

But no Crona. Oh no, he was special, so fucking special that he refused. Not only that, but the bastard actually ran out! As scared as if she had told him she was pregnant, no joke! She didnt know what the hell was wrong with him... More later than sooner, they sat down and talked. She held his hands, noticing his shaking, her heart fluttering at the sight of those beautiful dark eyes and the heated blush on his cheeks. But then... everything crashed down.

He was into someone else. And not just "into" someone else, but plain head over heels, completely blinded by a sickening madness inducing love. Some high ranked meister, the famous Maka Albarn. He went so far to even show her a letter he had been writing for her, a letter he hadn't found the courage to send because of all the changes in his life since he returned from South America. He asked her to understand, that he couldnt love anyone else... that being with her while thinking about Maka would be an insult, she didnt deserve that, he said.

Even while rejecting her, he could make her desire him even more. She needed that man in her life. A caring gentle man that would take care of her, a passive man that would do anything she wanted, a weak mind in the body of a blazing dragon. She wanted him, badly, and for Death she would have him!

Forcing him into accepting a "relationship try-out" had been easy. Ragnarok was especially eager to convince his meister into the deal. Between her pushing and his partner's constant nagging, Crona accepted the so called "try-out". Such relationship they had... Crona resulted into a very disappointing boyfriend material. After knowing his whole dark story, she could understand why he acted the way he did, and why he couldnt deal with most of human interactions that were normal for anybody else. Still, he advanced at painful baby steps, and Meena had no patience for that.

And which was worse... even during that "relationship", he would still send those idiotic letters to Maka Albarn. That wasnt the most outrageous thing, oh no, what truly triggered her anger was the moments she could catch him writing them. He looked so... happy, with those dark eyes of his beaming with joy, his strong hand scribbling eagerly, a soft blush on his soft cheeks. She never managed to get such attention from him, it seemed that no matter how much she tried, she would never have that love, that special part in Crona's heart. She wasnt as special as the famous Maka Albarn, she would never replace her, and certainly the demon swordsman would never stop loving the scythe meister instead of her.

Her crush, her infatuation, her secret love for him quickly spoiled, got rotten, turned into resentment. What was so special about her? Why was Maka Albarn better than her? She was a married woman thousands of miles away, and she still could keep her grasp on Crona. Maka Albarn, she couldnt have just the best scythe in the world, but also keep a "back up plan" holding Crona's love interest as well. And stupid little Crona couldnt see it! Oh no, she was perfect, so fucking perfect, and he was just some idiot man behind an impossible perfect woman, right!?

Meena took a long sigh, sitting in a bench on a public park in the city she just arrived. After receiving the beating of her life in the hands of Shibusen witches, she had to promise them to never go back. It was no joke, of course... after beating her at the edge of death, Kim had healed her, and promised her a lifetime of such beatings if she dared to even take a foot inside Death City again, or approach Crona at any time. She was supposed to be in Africa by now, but with all that had happened, and how Angela took her place to avoid suspicion, she was probably being branded as a deserter by now.

Lost, the weapon lifted her face to stare at the clear blue sky above her. It reminded her of those pale blue eyes of his, when he was worried, or scared, or pretty much every time she harassed him. Why? Why she had been such a pain in the ass for him if she owed him so much? Well... if she couldnt have his love, then she would have his fear. One way or another, she would own him, if not with love, then fear would do just as well. Knowing his past, she knew he couldnt refuse if someone ordered him. Orders were his weakness, and although he had built a back bone of his own during those years living in Death City, it still wasnt strong enough to refuse a direct order from a friend. At least the swordsman took her as a friend, at the start, and she had taken advantage on that.

It wasnt her fault, that things got so bad between them. Really, it wasnt! It was all Crona's fault, for being so damn difficult, for not giving her a chance, for loving an impossible girl and being so stubborn about keeping that part of his heart occupied. No matter how much Meena had tried, the swordsman would never love her as he loved Maka Albarn. She was just a friend with VERY small benefits. Crona would never give himself to her, he would never surrender to her or break down his walls for her.

Even when kissing him, she felt at the deepest part of her soul, he wasnt thinking on her, but Maka Albarn. His kisses were soft, warm and gentle, but they lacked the passion, the desire, any other feeling that was present when kissing someone you loved. Crona didnt love her, he never did, never would. She wasnt enough for him.

That filled Meena's heart with hate.

Love was overrated anyway. She didnt need it. Oh no, it was a lesson Meena stored in the deepest part of her heart. This is what happens when you dare to think about love. Love was an illusion, a stupid joke for stupid people like Crona. So, if she couldnt have his love, his passion, his desire, then she would have everything else. His fear, his very soul, like a working slave that budged at every command of her. She could agree with that deal, and he would still belong to her, in some way at least.

Or so she thought... until Maka Albarn returned to Death City.

In just three days, Maka had demolished the castle Meena so carefully built around Crona's will. His love for her was so strong, that just a caress of Maka's hand would take off every doubt from his eyes. With just some words, Crona threw away all of Meena's plans, all of her words, their story together, their memories. Just like that, Crona discarded her.

He discarded her, like everyone else in the world.

Now, alone in a city just a few miles from Nevada, Salt Lake City Utah, she sat in a bench close to some Mormon Temple. Truth be told, she had no idea where she was, she had never left Death City alone. Although she had some idea about where she was, she didnt know where to go. Her only clue was a propaganda she was holding between her hands.

"Looking for Shibusen weapons for work" the propaganda read. It didn't specify anything else, and she desperately needed a job. She managed to talk to the phone wrote in it, but was answered by a machine telling her the day and place for a meeting. She was hoping that, no matter the job, she could fit in. She was tired of doing day by day works just to eat and keep herself clean, sleeping in shelters and eating from charity.

Her hands closed atop her knees in a tight grasp, her knuckles turning white. It all was Maka's fault, and Crona's fault as well! How could he!? Discarding her just like that...

"Are you a weapon?" A voice said suddenly, making Meena jump in her seat out of surprise. Behind her a tall figure towered her. He... it... was dressed with a long black coat that could barely hide his 7 feet tall. It was staring at her with a void red eye, his face unrecognizable, hidden behind a top hat and a thick ragged grey scarf. It was too hot for being so dressed...

Meena felt goosebumps all over her arms, a cold chill running down her spine. Something about that shadow was screaming her to get away, to run... what was up with this dude?

"Who wants to know?" She asked with a growl, frowning. He didnt look like the kind of person she was expecting for a job interview. Her guts were screaming her to run away, but her mind was more focused on finding out what was his business.

"Someone who is looking for a weapon" The man just answered. It was a man, sort of... his deep dark voice at least hinted that. And yet, there was something unnatural about him. Maybe his void stare, maybe his height, maybe the coldness of his voice...

Maybe the machete hiding on his back.

Meena jumped from her seat, staring at the long knife on his back. Then she noticed. Below that coat there were weapons, knifes, guns, all well hidden for the unaware eye. What kind of crazy bastard was walking around in the middle of daytime wearing a freaking arsenal? This was wrong in all ways and sides.

"You should go to the police station, I bet they have the weapons you need" She growled sardonically, before turning around on her heels and walking away rather rapidly. That creepy bastard managed to put her on edge.

Seriously, what kind of creeper would walk around like that? It was highly suspicious, and yet people around didnt seem to mind. Or at least that's what she thought, otherwise, how come no one noticed all the weapons on him?

Too curious to just walk away, Meena glanced behind her shoulder, trying to see what that man was doing. Her feet stopped moving when she noticed he was gone. Not only gone, but plainly disappeared. There was no way a man so big was able to move so fast, without making a scene. He literally was nowhere to be found...

Meena frowned, feeling anxious, feeling... watched. Really, after some time she could tell when someone was watching her. And right there, she felt like she was being hunted. Where to go now? She didnt know, she had nowhere to go, no place to hide, and if the bastard had dared to approach her in the open of a public park, then where else was she safe?

She could still make a call to Lord Death's room... but that would make things a lot worse. She could be marked as a desertor, if she wasnt one already, and locked into a cell at the depths of Shibusen. Oh no, not there, for everyone to mock her, for those witches to pay her some sweet painful visits. For Crona to pity her...

Hell no, she would deal with everything that was coming to her, by her own, just like old times before entering the DWMA. With a determined look on her face, she shoved her hand on her purse, counting how much money she had before running low again. Funny thing was, she already knew the answer, when just a few coins were found in her hand. As a student she got paid a regular modest salary, said salary she waisted like water in her hands. There was no point in saving when Crona provided her with everything she needed, really. Right now she regretted every single penny she had wasted for 3 years.

She could have saved her own money and wasted all of Crona's, for a start.

With a resigned sigh, Meena decided it was too early to go back to the shelter. She needed money to eat, or hopefully enough to spend a night in some low budget motel. It was a lot better than the shelter, really. Maybe if she went back to the job board downtown, she would find something suitable for her.

It was there, walking carelessly through the city, when she felt an overwhelming presence near her. Her skin crawled, and the weapon stared in front of her with a feeling that was quite close to horror. There, a few feet away from her, was the same man in the black coat. He didnt say anything, but instead kept on staring at her with that void red eye of his.

"The hell is your problem you creepo!?" Meena roared, making some people around her to yelp in surprise, moving away from her. The tall man didnt move, didnt budge, not make a single sound. He just stared, and waited. The weapon tried to ignore the icy chill running down her veins, her feet getting cold, her senses heightened with adrenaline and panic. There was something in that man that was making her feel ill.

It was a feeling she had felt once, trapped in a cave in South America. It was the same feeling those pre-kishin students could trigger on her. It was the same awareness of danger, like a rabbit that can smell the fox.

It was right there when it fell on her... was he a Kishin Egg then?

Meena stared at the tall man with knowing, terrified eyes. She had to move, she had to leave, find some help... she had to call Lord Death. Without another word, Meena started running in the opposite direction that tall thing was. There were too many people, and she hoped that Kishin wasnt dumb enough to start a fight right there. Although... probably it would be for the best. The school wasnt too far, it would take just a couple of hours for someone to be there helping her.

Maybe Lord Death, maybe Professor Stein...

Maybe Crona would go.

She had to find a mirror and make the call, right now. A store, a bathroom, any place with a mirror would do. Screw the dangers of calling to the school, it was better to be locked in a cell than being dead. Quick on her feet, Meena ran straight into the first store she could lay her eyes on. An outlet store, filled with people shopping clothes and bags, there were mirrors everywhere.

With a sigh of relief, Meena stopped her reckless marathon, walking quickly but discreetly to a mirror far away from everyone's sight. Taking a deep breath, she lifted her hand to start dialing the number, drawing it on the mirror in front of her...

Then she saw it. Right behind her, staring at her, was that man.

It wasnt a man. A long clawed hand lifted to its own face, removing a part of the scarf hiding its face. Pointy shark like teeth grinned at her, one red eye staring at her with vicious hunger, an empty socket where the other eye was supposed to be. Meena chocked a scream of sheer horror.

One clawed hand punched right next to her head, destroying the mirror she attempted to use.

"Transform... weapon" That thing talked in an eerie tone, sounded like a threat, but also an invitation. As if something really bad would happen if she didnt do what he said.

Yet, no one fucking tells Meena what the hell to do!

"Fuck off!" The weapon roared, overcoming her crippling fear just to strike a punch right on the pre-Kishin's chest, in an attempt to make some space between them. It was too close for her to escape.

The punch did nothing on it. It was too big. It was big, and stank like rotten corpses, and was grinning madly at her. She recoiled as far as she could, feeling the broken mirror behind her back.

"What the hell is going on?" A man dressed in a white shirt and a tie challenged them, walking straight where Meena and her horrifying companion was. "You better pay for that mirror sir! Whatever is your problem you better take it out of here or I'll call the cops!"

The thing stopped glaring at the brunette weapon, looking behind its shoulder, right at the man that seemed to be the manager of the store. The thing grin widened.

"RUN!" Meena roared, running to try and save the man that got frozen in place, staring in horror. Right there, the thing dropped his coat, revealing what was below.

The weapon wasnt fast enough, or maybe the pre-Kishin had been faster. The only thing that mattered, was how a full arm came out of the thing's torso, using the machete he was hiding on his back to cut right through the manager's stomach, spilling guts and blood all over the beige carpet of the store.

Everyone in the store started to scream, running around the store, panicked, trying to find the way out. Mother's took their children in arms, running in a frenzy, men too stubborn or not scared enough to flee, grabbed chairs, poles and nearby ropes in an attempt to stop the murderer.

Didnt they understand? They couldnt do anything! They were no meisters, no weapons, they were just humans! They all would die! They had to run!

"The hell you are doing!? OPEN THE DOORS AND LEAVE!" Meena roared, watching how the… thing... started to grow limbs. Human limbs, of different color and size. The thing started to crept and move like some kind of hideous LoveCraft bug. Before anyone could leave, the thing jumped right at the entrance of the store, blocking the way out.

Screams and cries filled the store, paralyzing fear blocking everyone's common sense. They ran around the store, like headless chickens, trying to find a hideout in the small outlet building. Meena could do nothing but stare at that thing, that pre-Kishin, which was grinning and drooling, anticipating a feast.

"Where are you when I need you Crona?" Meena thought, feeling tears dwelling on her eyes. She was alone, alone in a room filled with innocent people and a hungry demon preparing to eat every soul around.

A man, stupid enough, or too brave for his own self-preservation, attempted to hit the Thing with a chair, breaking it against its back. The pre-Kishin moved its body to stare at him.

"... not a weapon" It growled, its giant jaws suddenly opening widely, chomping on the men's head, separating it from his body. The men's body shivered and convulsed for a few seconds, before falling limply on the floor, decapitated.

Meena could see a blue untainted human soul being released from that body, a soul that quickly got eaten by that Thing. The screams around her increased, panic rising, freezing with terror most of the people inside the store.

"The doors open from the inside"

Crona once taught her that lesson, along with many freshman students of Shibusen. The first rule before fighting an enemy was to know your surroundings. What could be helpful, what could be used as a weapon, what could be on your way, and the most important thing: always check your emergency exits. The doors open from the inside... if Maka Albarn, the day she fought for the first time against the Demon Swordsman, had known that she had to pull the doors instead of push them, she could have avoided the almost lethal injury in her weapon partner Soul.

Panic and horror filled the meister that day, blinding her from that simple fact, turning her unable to open a door she already had opened before.

Check your Emergency Exists...

"EMERGENCY EXITS!" Meena yelled, grabbing a shivering man by his collar and yanking him back and forth, forcing him to snap out of his panic attack."TAKE EVERYONE TO THE EMERGENCY EXITS!"

"It's no use! We all are going to die!" The man cried, shivering and falling on his knees, consumed by horror.

"You miserable piece of scum! Get on your feet and save everyone before I whip your ass to death!" She roared, watching the man yelp in surprise, his unfocused eyes quickly recovering a light of sanity. A few people around her heard her, starting pushing and pulling people around, taking them to the doors that had a red bright sign, marking the alternative exits.

The pre-kishin roared, pulling out of its body a shotgun, aiming at the people running away from him.

"NO YOU DONT!" The whip weapon snarled, transforming one of her arms into a whip, throwing a hit right at the Thing's hand, forcing him to drop the shotgun.

"Weapon..." The Thing grinned, looking for a second at the hand she struck. Twitching a little, the Thing stopped his aggression of the humans around him, focusing on Meena "Transform... weapon"

"FUCK OFF!" She roared, using her hand in whip form to hold one of its feet, pulling as hard as she could to take the demon off balance. The pre-kissing stumbled, but only faintly. The hands around its torso kept it from falling completely.

Grinning, the Thing held its long knife, striking Meena's whip arm from its feet. With a yelp of pain, the weapon retreated her arm, holding it tightly against her chest. The cut was deep, blood splurging out of the wound in thic drops to the floor. Meena hissed, glaring daggers at the Thing that kept on mocking her with a grin.

"Over here!" A woman yelled, waving her arm so the rest of people around could run to safety, out of the store. The thing growled, finally moving out of the main entrance, chasing at the people that tried to leave.

A long claw grasped on the leg of a teenager, hiding below a table, pulling her from her hiding spot. Screaming out of her mind, the girl kicked and punched at the claw holding her, her screams filled with despair. The Thing grinned madly, opening its mouth, its tongue patiently waiting to savor the body of that girl.

A new whip rammed against its jaw, closing around it, shutting its mouth with a tight knot. Meena was using both hands to hold the kishin from eating the girl, her transformed arms trembling with exhaustion. She wasnt physically strong, and without a meister there was just a couple tricks she could do by herself. Truly, she was only making time. By now, somebody surely had listened the commotion, surely somebody had already called to Lord Death, somebody was on the way to help them... Somebody, anybody.

Right?

The Thing glared at her, throwing away the teenager that frightfully got on her feet, running for dear life to the exit, right into safety. Soon enough, all the people in the store made it out, and the exit doors got shut from the outside. There was no way out, only the entrance door... and Meena was the only one between that demon and the exit. This was it, now she just needed to escape... somehow, without letting the pre-kishin out.

There was no way she would die right there. She couldnt die, not like this... without anyone knowing what happened to her, without anyone to cry for her, without anyone to remember her. This wasnt her time, this was not the way she was going to die. She refused.

"I wont let you out" She growled, determination filling her eyes. Even if she couldnt get out, the Kishin wouldn't leave either. Even if it took all of her strength, she would keep the demon inside, until someone, anyone, arrived to help her.

Using both hands, she released the kishin's mouth to hold tight to the entrance door knobs, and transformed. Her body shining a clear white light, before appearing as a whip, tightly knotted around the entrance door knobs. This was it, this was her last stand, and she would use every ounce of strength and will to keep her whip form as tight and strong as she could. She refused to let that thing go.

The pre-kishin wasnt amused. With a glare, it took out of its body a sword, as if the weapon was embedded inside its rotting body, and fiercefully stabbed right at the whip over and over again. Sparks flew whenever the sword made contact with her whip form, but she didnt budge. It was painful, but she could manage it, she would deal with it, by herself. That thing was not getting out, hurting more people, doing to others what others did to her. Not on her watch.

The pre-kishin was growing impatient. She could see it, he was getting nervous, more anxious. His time was running up, it already took him way too long, there was now too many witnesses... it screwed up. Meena found satisfaction on that, knowing that just she, a simple low ranked weapon, had managed to frustrate a pre-kishin by herself. Just a little more and someone would come, just a little more...

What happened next, was something she didnt expect.

Furiously, the thing clawed right at Meena, holding tight at her... and pulled. With all its force, with all its might, the pre-kishin pulled the whip surrounding the door knobs... and ripped her off them. The pull sent a numbing pain down her spine, her eyes out of focus, for a second not knowing just what had just happened. She could feel a claw around her body, a wet appendage surrounding her. Quickly enough, she knew what was happening.

"Crona... where are you?" Meena thought, closing her eyes tightly, tears of fear running down her cheeks, embracing herself for what was about to happen.

The kishin took her body in weapon form, and shoved her on its mouth. Without chewing, without breaking her, it swallowed Meena entirely. It ate her.

Sirens were heard from a distance, and quickly enough, the pre-kishin broke down the entrance doors, quickly vanishing from everybody's sight. Down the nearest sewer, the demon egg was gone.

---

"Come on! Give me a nice big fat five!" Kim talked to the dices she was moving on her fist, as if commanding them to obey her demands. "Momma needs a big fat five!"

"Just throw them already! Talking to them wont make a difference!" Angela complained, counting on her hands the fake colorful money bills she had to make a move in the next round.

Kim threw the dices on the table, watching them roll and roll, waiting patiently...

"FIVE! On your faces you miserable mortals!" The pink-haired witch laughed, moving her little Daisy Duck figure around the board. "Now I'll add another hotel, next time someone drops in here, I'm stripping you from all your money!"

"What money? At this rate I'll start to give you my clothes!" Crona complained, staring with resigned defeat how his fake money was vanishing in his hands.

"How is that Kim is the only one winning in here?" Maka pouted, being in no better situation than the swordsman sitting next to her. "This is odd..."

"Oh no you don't be a sore loser! Lady fortune is smiling at me tonight!" Kim laughed, staring at all the properties she owned and how they grew round by round.

"No one can be that lucky, I bet she's cheating!" Víctor yelled. The small eight year old was playing in the same table as the grown ups, but was more occupied with his plastic toys rather than the cards and bills around. He liked to watch them play, but he found that game sort of boring for his taste.

"I bet you're cheating too" Angela grinned, watching Kim glancing a death stare at her.

"SUE ME! If you have money enough for that!"

"Not fair, you have more experience taking money from others than us..." Crona musited in a low tone of voice, his dark eyes staring at the pair of bills on his hands. A gasp forced him to lift his gaze, staring at Kim who looked... rather pissed.

"What did you just say!?" Kim growled, lifting herself from her seat. "That's it, noogie time!"

"N-No! KIM! I'm sorry! Wait!" The swordsman didnt have time to beg any further. He had to dodge Kim's grasp, running away from her deadly head lock. Walking around the table, with Kim cracking her knuckles, staring at him with a wicked grin on her face.

"It's okay little brother, I wont hurt you that much..."

"N-no! The last time i got sore for a week and I cant deal with that again!"

"Pfff, you can tell Maka to kiss it goodbye after I'm done with you"

"That doesn't even work that way!"

Victor laughed, watching how Crona and Kim were doing some sort of chasing dance around the table. Maka sighed, shaking her head in disbelief. How Crona could be handled so easy back and forth by Kim? The last time she left, they were good aquintances, and not the best buddies she was watching now. Not like she didnt like it, she was so happy watching how Crona managed to grow and make new friends, it really filled her heart with joy. Still, it was weird, watching the swordsman so open now.

In just a week, since she had arrived back to Shibusen, Crona had transformed. From a wrecking anxious mess, to a young almost normal man. In just seven days, Maka was staring back at the boy she left on his twenties, more confident on himself, more stable... Crona's true personality was flourishing. Professor Marie told her it was because of her...

Could it be just that? That, somehow, just her presence around him had a healing effect? It sounded like nonsense. And yet... she felt he had the same effect on her. She couldnt explain it, not fully, but... the emptiness that forced her to travel to Nevada was now gone. Probably that's what she had needed all the time, just a break from routine, going back to the time she was truly, undoubtedly happy, surrounded by her friends, close to him.

"I need a new pair of boots made of lizard skin" Kim grinned wickedly, her hands on her front ready to take Crona down at the slightest slip.

"Well I would like to give Maka a raccoon hat and you don't see me chasing you!" Crona tried to defend himself. Kim's indignant gasp signaled he was just stumbling further, digging his own grave at the hands of the healer witch.

"Oh my god! You take that back!"

"Crona! I want a raccoon hat!" Little Victor laughed on his chair.

"Can we go back to the game? Otherwise I'm taking all your money Kim" Angela called out loud, discreetly snatching some fake bills out of Kim's account in monopoly.

"This is beyond money! Crona is calling me a thief! A lunch-snatcher! A bully!"

"B-But you ARE a bully!" The swordsman complained, still walking around the table, keeping the furniture as the only barrier between himself and the witch.

"Thats it! Your ass is grass!" Kim ran towards Crona, forcing the meister to escape with a frightened shriek.

The door of Crona's apartment opened suddenly, Liz and Patty arriving to the get-together with a couple of large pizzas on their hands. Both blonde sisters could only watch how Crona was doing parkour around the living room, with Kim trying to catch him. Angela sitting on the table, apparently hiding some property cards below a board, and Maka holding her face in her hands, out of embarrassment or hiding a laugh, they wouldn't tell.

"IM JOINING IN! GRAB THAT GIANT ASS!" Patty roared, quickly jumping into what apparently was now a game which only purpose was catching the pink-haired swordsman. How three grown ups could run around such a small apartment was beyond Liz comprehension.

"... Should I ask?" Liz turned to Maka, who only shook her head. With a shrug, the tall blonde weapon sat across Maka's seat, putting the pizzas in front of them.

"Where is Kid?" The scythe meister asked, noticing how Lord Death's weapon partners had arrived alone.

"He cant leave the Death Room, there was a problem in Utah" Liz face turned serious, lowering her tone of voice so only Maka could hear her, frowning slightly. "Apparently, the pre-kishin responsible of the students disappearances finally was spotted."

"Utah?... thats... way too close from here" Maka whispered. Usually, kishin eggs would never dare to do their biddings nowhere near Nevada, straight into Lord Death's domains. Spotting it so close was odd, and after so many years being in the hiding? Why now?

"He killed many people in some clothes store, according to some witnesses, some girl used ropes to distract him, allowing the costumers to run away using emergency exits... it didnt end well for her. That happened just yesterday."

Maka frowned, feeling a cold chill running down her spine. Without Soul at her side, she felt as a gunslinger without ammo, or even guns for that matter. Yes, she could try and use some other weapon but it wasnt the same. What if that kishin egg dared to enter Death City? What would she do? What would she be capable of doing?

"Thats why classes got suspended today, Professor Stein and Spirit are still chasing after the clues, but it was so close that even Marie had to step up and investigate." Liz whispered the last part, glancing at little Victor who was already snatching a slice of pizza from the square boxes in the table.

"I love pizza so muuuuch" The blonde toddler grinned, hungrily munching the cheesy slice with joy in his face. Marie arrived the night before, asking Crona to watch over Victor for a couple of days, she said she was going to visit a friend... why would she lie about it? Probably didnt want to upset Crona.

A scream made both girls jump on their places, looking at the living room where Kim finally managed to tackle the swordsman, holding him tightly in a lock head while Patty was viciously holding his leg.

"Murder! I'm innocent!" The young male gasped, trying to release himself from the deadly head lock of Kim.

"Now now, just a quick noogie, you'll like it!" Kim grinned, her eyes glaring with malicious intent. Nope, Crona wouldn't have any of that!

"D-Dragon-Drake-Gon-Dragon!" Crona gasped with the little air he had left on his lungs, disappearing in a black smoke. Kim and Patty lost their grasp on the sword meister.

"You cheating prick!"

"Where is he!?" Patty roared with a determined glee on her eyes, her hands opening and closing menacingly.

"Patty, stop torturing Crona" Liz reminded her little sister, with no avail.

"I bet he's on a corner! Check every corner!" Kim suggested, starting looking around the furnitures while Patty dropped on her knees, peeking below the sofa.

Maka took a deep sigh. So much for a relaxed evening with Crona. It all started after receiving the announcement in the morning about classes being suspended, and Angela overhearing their lack of plans for the day. Really, in just five years that little witch had turned in a handful, but she could see why the swordsman could cope with her. It was just like Victor... they were so young at the time the world had met the worst of him, that now they didnt judge him. They didnt know about the mass murderer of Shibusen, the Traitor Witch, and all those horrible idiotic surnames he was famous by during his teenager years. Now, after so many years, these kids only knew the sweet gentle Crona, the assistant professor, the meister of the demon sword Ragnarok. They loved him for who he really was now, without judging, without blaming. Right now, at that time, Maka could see how Crona was so... happy. He wasnt like the shivering Crona she found just seven days ago. It was almost as if he had magically healed, from everything.

Seeing him happy made her feel so complete on the inside, filling her heart with joy, warmth, and such wonderful feelings that were making her ache. She had always dreamed to see him this happy. Maka couldnt help helself from loving that sweet smile of his.

She got distracted from her thoughts by a gentle scratching on her naked leg, startling her. Looking down, hoping to see Blair begging for food, was a much more shocking view. A cute black and pink Gila monster with blue eyes was staring back at her, distressed.

"H-help me Maka... H-hide mee..." Crona whispered, begging, its small body shivering while feeling Patty lurking closer to the table he was hiding below.

Discreetly, the scythe meister took off her white sweater, patting on her lap so Crona would climb to her reach. Fearful of hurting her smooth legs with his long claws, the now lizard stretched as long as he could, just enough for the blonde to hold him by its sharp claws and pull him up up all the way to her lap, being immediately covered by Maka's sweater like a small package.

"Crona this is so childish of you! Only small kids hide in their animal form!" Kim growled, knowing he had to be somewhere near them.

"He wouldn't need to hide if you weren't so eager to hurt him" Maka pointed out, her hands softly caressing the breathing bulge hiding in her lap, trying to comfort the shaken meister.

"Ohhh its just a noogie Crona! You should be used to them by now!" Patty cheered, lifting herself up from the floor, unable to find the pink haired meister.

"Should I be worried about the implications of such statement?" Maka asked to Victor, who was helping himself with a second slice of pizza.

"Very very worried" Marie's son laughed, chomping hungrily at the hot slice of pepperoni and extra cheese. "Noogies are an expression of love for my brother!"

"Hell yeah! Well said" Patty grinned, looking back to Victor just to frown. "And who the hell told you to grab pizza without me!?"

"Ey! Finders Keepers" The blonde toddler answered, taking a third slice just before Patty would grab the whole pizza away from him.

"Your stomach is going to hurt if you eat that much" Liz warned little Victor, who just winked at her before stretching the stolen slice to Maka's lap. The oldest Thompson sister watched with an arched brow, just to see a pair of clawed black paws coming out of Maka's sweater. Liz smiled, saying nothing.

"Crona, you will miss the pizzaaa" Kim tried for a last time, to no avail.

"Leave him be, poor sweet Crona, you torture him so much" Angela sighed, opening the second pizza cardboard, taking a fresh slice for herself.

"Is what big brothers do!" The healer witch said proudly before sitting right in front of Maka, who just pouted.

"Really, I leave and everyone takes advantage of him, does no one give him the care and love he deserves?" The scythe meister asked, looking around.

"Ey, I'm not the cheesy type, and if Patty wants to torture him, who am I to stop my sister's entertainment?"

"I would show him ALL my love if he just-" Angela fell to a sudden silence, staring at the book Maka carefully placed on the table, VERY close to her.

"Oh don't be like that Maka, we all take care of him" Patty grinned, already shoving a second helping of pizza on her mouth.

Maka wanted to argue that statement, remembering the heated argument back in Death's Room, when she found out about what Meena had done to Crona. She already had talked to Liz about it, in private, but the oldest Thompson sister kept on telling her they did it for Crona's well being. It was like a plan that went out of hands, or so she explained. Still, Maka wasnt feeling quite reassured that it wouldn't happen again. She couldnt be with the swordsman forever, no matter how much she wanted to.

Or could she?...

Her hands traveled softly atop the fibers of her sweater, caressing the lizard nested on her lap, said lizard that had already finished his share of pizza, now hiding completely in Maka's garment. She could feel how Crona breathed deeply and slowly, his body going up and down with every breath. At least he calmed down.

"Say... you never told us why Soul didnt come with you" Liz asked, picking a slice of pizza and nibbling at it, trying to look as uninterested as possible. She knew there was something big, if Maka decided to spend her vacation a whole continent away from him. Patty sat silently next to her sister, helping Angela picking up the cards and fake bills of the table game back into its case.

"Is okay to tell us, you know? We all are friends here" Kim reassured her, looking back at Maka with a serious expression on her face.

Maka looked down to her lap, her emerald eyes showing a glimpse of sadness just before frowning. Instinctively, she held Crona closer to her, snuggling the bundle against her. Crona already knew, or at least had an idea, thanks to their constant link between their souls, and the small bits of information she had managed to drop him.

All in all, she still didnt have a concrete answer.

"We didnt fight, if thats what you think" She started, but quickly thought about her words more carefully, pouting slightly "Well, no... we fight all the time, but its the way its always been."

"Pfff, tell me about it, poor Soul must have brain damage by now with all those books on his head" Liz teased, grinning at the memory of a teenager Soul, scared to death every time some Maka Chop would relentlessly fall upon him.

"Then what is it?" Kim asked, intertwining her fingers below her chin, staring at Maka with curiosity. The blonde meister took her time to think her answer carefully.

"I just needed a break... told him that, I just wanted to come back and see my friends" She tried to explain, as clear as she could, even if she didnt have quite the perfect answer. Truth be told, she was pretty sure she didnt know the reason at all. "We argued quite harshly before I left... he asked me why here and not somewhere else, why here if I knew I would have to see my papa again, why here and not visit Black Star and Tsubaki. Soul wanted to visit them badly for a while and I just refused... I wanted to be here."

"That doesn't sound like Soul, why wouldn't he come over with you?" Patty asked tilting her head.

"I told him so... I wanted to come alone. Is just that... we've been together for so long, I was starting to forget what it felt to be alone for a change, you know? Sometimes I felt overwhelmed, as if Soul turned into my own personal Ragnarok, connected via the hip... no offense Crona"

"N-non taken" The swordsman answered carelessly, quickly throwing a little yelp when he heard Kim gasping.

"Oh you rascal! Hiding in Maka's clothes! You dirty lizard!" Kim snarled, looking at Maka's lap just to see a shivering bundle and a pair of scared blue eyes peeking out.

"Why we didnt search Maka? It was the most obvious hiding spot" Patty asked, tilting her head in deep thought.

"I would never have guessed he dared to hide on her skirt!"

"I-I'm not hiding in her s-skirt! It's a sweater!" Crona complained with a controlled small shriek.

"It's an expression, dummy" Angela teased him, finishing closing the monopoly game, good as new.

Glad that the conversation had taken a different direction, Maka took the opportunity to leave Crona on the table, still snuggled in her sweater, to make a quick escape to the kitchen with the empty boxes of pizza in her hands.

She didnt like to be asked about her reasons to be there, or why she wasnt with Soul. Quite frankly, she didnt have a reasonable answer either. She just wanted to do it, she wanted to be there, with her friends, for a change. She wanted to be alone and enjoy the memories of her teenage years, the joys left behind in that city. She had wanted to go back to Crona so long ago, like she promised him before. Yet Soul and everybody else kept on asking her the reasons, as if her actions were wrong, as if, as a wife, she couldnt be five damn steps away from her husband.

Soul turning into a scythe had been the most eye-opener experience she ever got. It just showed her how little time she has for herself, doing the things she wanted, and how much time she spent with him, as a wife and as a meister. She never thought about it when she lived in Death City, back at her single days, mostly because she didnt feel it at all. She pretty much could do whatever she wanted, go wherever, and spend her days however she wanted. When she moved to Germany... thats when she felt it. Something was missing, something big, something endearing.

"WHAT YOU MEAN YOU DIDNT SAVE PIZZA FOR ME!?" A sudden roar took Maka out of her thoughts. The high-pitched voice, unmistakable, made her frown.

"S-Sorry, I just couldnt change back..." Crona apologized to his weapon partner. He was already back into his human form, Maka's sweater tightly held against his chest.

"BULLCRAP! You want to starve me again! I'm going to eat your damn hair if you pull off that shit again I swear!"

"You cant eat my hair! Is already uneven as it is!"

"You ingrate I would be making you a big favor! You look like a damn fruitcake with that long stupid pink hair!"

"Ey thats not true! I think its sexy" Angela teased, grinning at how the swordsman ducked his head in embarrassment, blushing.

"If you like ugly Disney princesses!" The demon sword growled, shoving his ball-like fist against his meister's skull.

Maka brow twitched, quickly wielding her trustworthy book, aiming in Ragnarok's direction. So much for a quiet night, and apparently the demon sword couldnt take a hint about how Maka didnt want to know anything about the little traitorous pest.

But, fortunately for the black blood demon, Victor's voice called his attention, stopping his tantrum.

"Here Raggy! You can have mine, I'm full" The toddler said with a smile, getting up from his seat and walking towards Crona, lifting the plate with an almost complete slice of pizza for the sword to eat.

Ragnarok stared at it for a second, his ball-like eyes unreadable, before opening his mouth widely and throwing the pizza slice inside.

"And where's my drink kid?" The sword questioned after barely chewing his meal, grinning when Victor quickly prepared a glass of coke for the black blob. "Finally! Someone gives me the god damn respect I deserve!"

"If you pamper him too much you're going to regret it Victor" Liz warned the little kid, who in return smiled widely. He had Marie's smile.

"But Ragnarok is Crona's blood, so he is part of Crona, and I like Crona, so I like Ragnarok too!" Victor explained with simplicity, proud of his flawless eight year old train of thought. Reaching up, he passed the glass of soda to the sword, who emptied it in one gulp.

"Damn straight kid!" Ragnarok grinned, quickly noticing how Maka now stood right beside the swordsman, watching at him with a frown. He was just not about to antagonize Maka Albarn, definitely, so the demon sword decided it was time to retreat back inside his meister.

With a gurgling sound, the black blood disappeared in Crona's back, who just took a deep slow sigh, his hands holding her sweater close to his chest as if it were a comfort blanket.

"Crona! You promised you would watch a movie with me tonight!" Victor reminded the tall meister, holding his black coat in small fistfuls, clinging to him. "I wanna see a movie!"

"YES CRONA! I heard it was going to be a movie's night! I'm not going without my movie's night!" Patty threatened him, staring at the thin meister intently.

"I'm sorry Crona but if Patty wants a movie night, you must comply" Liz said with a smirk, crossing her legs in an elegant movement on the chair.

"I'm up for it! Let's make a movie marathon! All night no rest!" Angela cheered. "Like a sleepover! I pick Crona's bed!"

"W-wait, what? B-But there's not enough rooms for everybody" Crona punctuated to the young witch, confused "Even if I sleep in the floor, Liz or Patty would need to share a bed..."

"Who said you were sleeping on the floor? You're sleeping with me!" The brunnete grinned, her shiny ruby eyes staring at him with malice.

"Angela..." Crona sighed. He should be used to her behavior by now, but truth be told he couldnt be angry at her, or take her seriously for that matter. As long as she didnt turn too physical...

"No sleep overs Angela, I need my beauty shower daily and I highly doubt Crona has my cosmetics in his bathroom" Liz warned the young witch, who just pouted in disagreement "Also, he already has his hands full with Victor"

Sure enough, the little energy fireball also known as Victor Franken Stein, was already picking a movie out of his own back pack. Knowing he was sleeping with Crona's since the day before, he took the titles he was sure the swordsman hadn't had the chance to watch. True, Crona was oblivious to most movies in the world, but quickly enough thanks to him, he was catching up.

When Angela was growing up, Crona had his life-long supply of Disney movies and Pop culture thanks to her. With Victor, however, he was learning about Scy-fi and supernatural genres. The little boy had a taste for science and knowledge, just like his father.

Quickly enough the evening passed with everyone gathered around the living room of Crona's apartment. Since there wasnt enough space in the sofa, Liz and Patty had taken Maka's temporary mattress, laying down with as much pillows as they could, Angela and Kim doing the same with the swordsman's old mattress. The sweet scent of popcorn filled the air, with Crona and Maka sitting in the sofa along with small Victor, who was happily munching fistfuls of buttery popcorn. Patty had her own share, leaving nothing to Liz who was too scared about the topic of the movie to actually care, while Kim and Angela kept on fighting for their shared bowl.

This was it. This is what Maka had needed for so long. Just... this. She couldnt exactly point out what it was, but she was sure that, right at that moment, she had it. She could feel such inner peace. Something that had been missing for so long, was finally filling every corner of her soul. With a smile, she discreetly held on Crona's arm, who very lightly moved closer to her, so she could held him more comfortably.

He had been toying with his own fingers rather anxiously since the movie started, but when Maka reached him with her wavelength, he quickly relaxed, his hands holding her own, mimicking the link between their souls. Ever so slightly, Maka's thumb caressed his strong slender hand, feeling the rough callouses of his palm. At times she would feel how he tensed, just to quickly relax when she softly nuzzled his shoulder. Overall, the blonde meister was happy that the swordsman was having such a giant transformation. With every new day, he would open up a little more. With every new day, he allowed her more and more access to his soul, to his feelings and emotions, something that before was so easy between them. Right now, she could feel how happy he was. She could feel his warmth, his joy, his peace... feelings that resonated hard with her own. She was feeling exactly the same way, and just for that moment, for the short time that a movie could last, she forgot of all her troubles and doubts.

With a smile, Maka intertwined her fingers with the strong hand holding her own.

Right there, she was where she needed to be.

---

It was just another hot morning in Death City.

The classes returned to their almost normal activities, with more spare time now that Stein's classes were postponed because of his absence. He along with Spirit had been gone for 3 days now, Marie following suit just a couple days after. Sid was in charge of building the city defenses, with high ranked students aware of the threat that provoked most of the classes to be suspended. Kim tried to cover most of the signatures, but fortunately Maka was around and ready to provide some lessons to the freshman courses, and Crona had his good share of experience in classroom under his belt, enough to finally be on his own, as a full Professor for a day.

"And there I was! The best weapon in the world! Laying on the floor next to this scrawny ass! All hope was lost! And even through the pain I would keep on fencing against his witch of a mother! Because fuck that bitch! No one touches my meister!"

Well, scratch that, it was full Professor Ragnarok, and Crona was just standing there, consumed by embarrassment.

"R-Ragnarok! Focus, we were talking about Defense against Witches" The meister tried to control his weapon partner, who just started rubbing his ball-like hands against his skull.

"Oh hold your tits! I'm going to the point here!"

Many students were laughing, already accustomed to Ragnarok's antics and his weird symbiotic relationship with the witch swordsman. Although the sword never would appear this much during lectures, or talk that much, mainly because there usually was someone leading the lecture. Either Kim or Professor Stein where the ones who usually could keep Ragnarok in place with more efficiency than his own meister. Crona was too condescending with him at times.

"Professor Crona, no offense but, without Black Blood you are just a meister like us, and you said the witch Medusa took off your ability to harden, so... how did you defeat her?" A meister student in the front row asked.

"I didnt" The demon swordsman said, getting a light punch in the head from his weapon partner. "She stabbed me with a vector arrow and almost cut me in half"

"What? How did you live?" A girl in the back row asked with a frown on her face. It was obvious that many, if not most of them, didnt believe him.

"Thats me in the act! I took all my awesomeness to keep this bitch from dying! Just collected all his blood in vital organs, it was a pain in my non-existent ass" Ragnarok said proudly, sitting comfortably atop his pink colored fluffy bed that was Crona's head.

"Ragnarok almost died that day..." Crona sighed, remembering how the sword had been too weak for days to even pop out to eat. "Which comes to one of the main secrets when fighting a witch... trust your weapon partner"

"Like hell im going to give my life for you!" One of the weapons in class grinned, giving a soft punch into his meister's ribs. "You are not worth that much!"

"The Witch Hunter is one of the strongest abilities a meister can perform, and can only be done with a strong Soul Resonance with their weapon partners. Such Resonance can only be achieved with complete trust in each other" Crona recited, knowing by heart the paragraph that was written in every student's book, without a single stutter. "How can you go to battle if you don't trust your weapon or meister? Is the meister's duty to asses the situation and take decisions, and its the weapon's duty to protect their meister. A weapon hasn't proved itself until they risk their life for their wielder."

"What if my meister is a complete idiot?" One asked out loud, making many students around laugh.

"Then you will know how I feel!" Ragnarok roared with a grin, making Crona frown at him.

So much for trust and respect.

"A-anyway, even if every meister has its own fighting style, the key to any victory is the Resonance. Between meister and weapon, between teams, between other meisters, as long as you master the resonance, you can overcome any challenge" Crona added, before going back to the teacher's desk, grabbing the big text book related to the class. "N-Now please... lets go to page-"

"PROFESSOR CRONA!" A student interrupted in class opening the door with a tackle, panting, his face red in exhaustion after running through all the Shibusen's main stairs. "ITS HERE!"

The student managed to make the swordsman jump in its place, scared by the sudden interruption, staring at the panting boy in front of him.

"C-Calm d-down... what is here? I don't understand" The swordsman asked, walking towards the student who suddenly grabbed him by his black coat, staring at him. Now that he was so close, Crona recognized him as one of the advanced courses, a three star meister... and he was covered in blood.

"It ate him! It ate my partner!" Crona's eyes widened in horror "He took him from my hands and ate him! My partner is dead!"

Students around started to get up from their seats, shaken, staring around and murmuring, scared.

"It came out of nowhere! We were walking the perimeter in the desert, and it just popped out of nowhere! It was too fast! I.. I couldnt do anything!... I didnt know what to do!" The meister finally broke, wailing in his arms, tears running down his face. "Joshua is dead! My partner is dead!"

"Wake up Crona, do something" Ragnarok whispered in Crona's ear, making his meister snap from the initial shock.

Quickly enough, Kim and Maka ran to Crona's classroom, hearing the horrifying screams from afar. His terrified icy blue eyes stared at the student before noticing the two girls standing in the door, staring at him with shock in their faces.

Crona, too shaken to act, could do nothing but hold the sobbing student in his hands. Kim frowned, fear and determination fixed in her face.

"Everyone, listen up!" Kim talked in a loud demanding voice "We may have a pre-kishin in Death City"

The students stared at each other, fear and confusion slowly rising among them. Gossiping, murmuring, quickly the room filled with noise from every voice talking at the same time. Kim tried to calm them down, but it was Maka loud whistle that forced everyone to shut up. Crona snapped from his turmoil, looking up to stare at the blonde meister.

"We have protocols for outbreaks! Every EAT meister below two stars must take their weapon partners and guide the NOT students into the school's basement, NOW."

"YOU HEAR MAKA YOU BASTARDS! GO TO WORK!" Ragnarok roared with a high pitched scream. His voice was the kickstart for every meister in the classroom to start moving out, weapon students transforming quickly for their partners to grab them.

The student in Crona's arms fell on his knees, despite his effort to keep him standing.

"I wasnt alone... he killed the other meisters... ate their weapon partners... I just froze... I froze... I did nothing..."

"K-K-Kim... please take him to Nygus in the infirmary... let her know what is going on..." Crona asked, knowing that if there indeed was a kishin egg invasion in the city, they would need her assistance to help the injured. The witch nodded him, knowing there wasn't much she could do without Jaqueline at her side. Certainly she would be a lot more helpful healing, if needed.

By the amount of blood in the student's clothes, she was fearful that there wouldn't be much to heal...

"Maka... go with Kid, he needs to know, please?" The swordsman asked, looking at the blonde meister with fear in his eyes. What kind of Kishin egg would even dare to go face-first inside Lord Death's City? "And stay in the Death's Room."

"Wait what? Why?" Maka frowned, walking towards the swordsman while Kim held the shaken student, still sobbing uncontrollably, taking him out of the classroom. "Aren't you coming with me?"

"N-No..." Crona said, swallowing hard, feeling his throat dry. "I must go search for it, I must stop it"

"I'm going with you then" The scythe meister said with resolution, standing her ground in front of the tall swordsman.

"I wont let you" His voice, filled with confidence, surprised her.

"And what makes you think I will let you go alone?" Maka yelled at him, feeling the sting of disbelief in her gut. "If you think I'm hopeless because Soul is not with me, then-"

"Even if you had Soul, I wouldnt let you!" Crona said, his voice secure and unwavering. "Its too dangerous, you stay here while I deal with this"

"No, Im going too! I wont leave you alone!"

Her anger was suddenly stopped by a pair of strong arms holding her tight. Crona had closed the distance between them, taking her in his arms into an embrace. He squeezed her against his body, his eyes closed, his breathing quickened by anxiety. This was nonsense, it was just a pre-kishin egg! It wasnt like if he would go fight against Asura or another full grown Kishin, right?

Right?...

"I would die if something happens to you..." He whispered in her ear, her eyes opening widely upon his words. "I cant let it happen... so many students have died because of it... I can fight it, I know I can, but if youre in danger I dont know if... I just cant risk you, not you..."

"Crona..." Maka whispered back at him, her hands moving up to hold him, her palms resting on his back. "Dont do this... let me help you."

"You already did..." He murmured, breaking their embrace just to gently cup her face in his hands, his thumb softly caressing her cheeks. Lifting her gaze, Maka stared right into his dark orbes. His intense stare painted a blush on her face, making her heartbeat speed. He was so close to her, she could feel his soft breath tickling against her lips.

Slowly, Crona closed the distance between them, resting his forehead against Maka's. Closing his eyes tightly, he took a deep breath, collecting his thoughts. He felt how Maka was standing ever so still, her hands grabbing his coat in fistfuls. "Im being brave now because of you... please help me keep this courage... stay here."

Without another word, Crona broke their contact, rushing out of the classroom. Maka stood there, in the exact place where the swordsman had left her. She could feel heat on her cheeks, her skin burning at the base of her jaw and neck where he held her, her forehead tickling with the previous contact. Closing her eyes tightly, she bit her lips, hugging herself for a minute... she just needed a moment to collect her thoughts.

---

"Desert squad... answer me" Sid talked through the walkie-talkie in his hands, a couple of meisters with their weapon partners looking around them with boredom.

"Probably they are sleeping under a tree, Death knows I would love to" One of the three meisters grinned, balancing his hammer partner on his shoulder. The chances of a pre-kishin attack in the middle of Death City were close to zero. It never happened before, except for the time Asura got released.

"So hoooot..." His weapon partner complained in his shoulder. The other meister was looking around with a frown on his face.

"Professor Sid, maybe I should look out for them? Even if they were resting, which I doubt, they should answer our calls" The meister ruffled his jet black hair, right before fixing his thick glasses back at the bridge of his nose. At days so hot as that one, he missed having his bald head. Harvar stood silently in his weapon form, firmly grasped by his meister.

"No Ox, we need to hold our position" Sid growled, growing anxious by the minute. He was weaponless, with Nygus far away in the infirmary. It was supposed to be only a perimeter check... so why he was feeling on edge? "When I was alive I was always prepared to overcome any surprise the enemy would throw at us, that was the man I was, anyway..."

"The chances of some idiot pre-kishin ramming its way across Death City are so low that this whole simulacrum is pointless" The meister hiding in a building's shadow complained, cleaning some sweat out of his forehead.

The air around them was still, a faint breeze barely brushing the leaves in the trees, too light to actually blow some relief to the heat of the day. The scorched earth beneath their feet felt like an oven, and Ox couldnt help but think this was a bad day for going into pre-kishin hunting. De-hydration and soffocation because of the hot weather was already making him feel lethargic.

Sid grabbed his walkie-talkie once again, holding it close to his face. "Forest Squad, how are things over there?"

"Quiet as a tomb Professor" A voice answered through the device, followed by a snicker. "You get it? Is fun because you are a zombie."

Sid sighed, slightly annoyed.

"Try to contact the Desert Squad, they're not answering, call me when you succeed" The students were not taking the ordeal seriously, and that was worrisome for him. Certainly they never had to defend the city from any dumb pre-kishin before, but never a demon egg had been so close to them before either.

"Oh look, there it is" Ox called out, pointing at a meister that was walking towards them. It was one of the meisters that was supposed to be in the desert. "And what are you doing here? You are not supposed to leave your position!"

The student stared at him, silent.

"Ey, are you listening man? You look shaken up" The hammer meister frowned, walking to the student that had just arrived. Laying a hand on his shoulder, he shook him slightly. The meister was unresponsive, his wide eyes staring blankly at him. "Professor Sid, it may be the heat, he looks confused"

"Alright, I'll call Nygus, she'll come for him" Sid said, bringing his walkie-talkie close to his mouth. "Nygus... I have a sick student here, can you come for him?"

"SID! I was just about to call you!" The alarmed voice of Nygus talked him back, barely understandable because of the static on the background. Behind him, Ox leaned closer, trying to hear what was all about. "The desert squad got attacked! They all are down!"

"What? Repeat please, the desert squad?" Sid tried to understand.

"One of the students escaped, he was the only survivor! He had no way to contact you!"

"Must be the student I have here... but wait, attacked by what?"

"What? No! The student is in the infirmary with me, Sid, they all died! He saw it!"

"We must split and investigate Professor" Ox suggested with a frown in his face, barely understanding what Nygus was trying to tell them. They all died? Surely she was mistaken, a member of that squad was right there with them.

A sudden shriek of horror made both meisters jump in their places, turning over their backs just to see how the so called student was quickly turning into a giant abomination. Tall, almost 9 foot long, with human limbs popping out of its torso like spider legs of different sizes. It had limbs of its own, of a rotten brown color, its body looking like a misshapen piece of meat that had seen better days. Its limbs were long and animalistic, with long claws on every finger and toe. The meister that was closer to him, had his arm grasped by that thing, unable to run.

It all happened too fast to react. The kishin egg opened its jaws, and in one single movement chomped the meister arm off along with the weapon he was holding. In one bite, he ate his arm and his weapon partner. Blood spurted everywhere, falling in thick pools on the floor, the severed meister fell on his ass, holding his maimed arm trying to stop the bleeding.

Ox and Sid stood there, in shock, watching how that... thing... stared at them with a shark-like toothed grin. Its body was a hideous brownish grey, dense and wobbly, Ox couldnt help but think about chocolate jello looking at it. All over that body there were arms, human arms, of different size and color, moving and grasping the air, as if there were people inside of it, screaming for help. One arm shoved its hand inside its own body, taking out a weapon... it was a hammer.

It was that meister's weapon partner.

"Professor Sid! Take him back to the infirmary! I'll handle him!" Ox yelled, grasping his weapon partner tightly, pointing at the giant pre-kishin in front of them.

Sid was about to complain, but the maimed student kept on screaming and crying, using all of his strength to stop the bleeding. He had to leave, he had to take the injured student to safety, yet to leave Ox by himself...

"I'll send help! Run if you must!" Sid ordered, holding the hurt student in his arms bridal style, running away from the fight.

The pre-kishin followed them with his one good eye, growling lowly, starting to move in an attempt to follow the zombie. Ox blocked the path, his grasp on Harvar tightening, staring at the monster with determination.

"Your rampage stops here, Ox Ford will take care of you!" Ox grinned, fear and excitement bubbling in his chest. Fear because of what he saw... and what it was capable of doing. Excitement, for the chance to avenge all the fallen students from years ago.

Sid ran as fast as he could, carrying the injured students in his arms, grabbing his walkie-talkie to warn everyone around.

"Everyone! The kishin egg is in mid town! Ox is fighting him! The kishin can transform! I repeat, the kishin can transform!" While the Professor yelled his orders, the sirens around the city started to sound, for the first time since the attack of Asura in DWMA. Death the Kid had been informed, and now the whole city was being warned.

The citizens glanced out of their windows, looking around in case it was a simulacrum, but the siren was loud and persistent. People on the streets ran to the closest building, hiding like they were taught in countless training. Soon enough, the EAT students of highest rank were already shouting out orders, telling people to hide, to fortify inside the buildings, and don't look outside.

Inside the DWMA, NOT students were guided into the dungeons, the toughest structure of the school, where they would stay safe. Maka was now staring at Kid, inside the Death Room.

"Ballsy, coming inside MY city and causing chaos..." The Death God said with a frown in his face, lifting his hands up in the air. Quick enough, the Thompson sisters recognized his silent order and transformed into their weapon forms, falling graciously on his open palms.

"I dont think this is a common kishin egg Kid, and I think Crona feels the same, he went alone to face it..." Maka warned him, tightening her lips, trying to ignore the bad feeling in her chest.

"No kishin egg had killed so many students without being caught before... So yeah, its not a common kishin egg, Maka" Kid said matter-of-factly, his golden orbs glancing at the blonde meister in front of him. "Dont worry about him, he's not a kid anymore, and after myself he must be the strongest meister in Death City"

Why the hell would everyone keep telling her NOT to get worried about him? It was starting to turn really annoying. Maka's fist tightened, her anger quite evident.

"I know you want to help, but if you put yourself in danger, Crona will not be focused, or worse... I need him in his five senses, not in a madness fit" Quickly enough, Kid summoned Beelzebub, hoping on his board with both of his weapon partners tightly secured around his waist. "I already called Stein and Spirit to return as fast as possible, but I fear they wont make it in time."

Maka's green eyes kept on staring at him, worry and uncertainty written all over her face. Kid chuckled.

"He wont be alone, I'm helping him out... he's my friend too, Maka." Without another word, Lord Death flew off the Death Room, leaving Maka alone with her thoughts.

He would be okay, they would be okay. There was no reason to be afraid... then why she had this bad feeling dug deep inside her chest? It may be nothing, it was just herself being scared because she didnt have a weapon, feeling useless. It probably just was that...

"Maka" Kim's voice called for her, the witch meister staring at the blonde from the Death Room's entrance. "The students are already in the school basements, you should go there too, everyone else will take care of the citizens"

"I should go? What about you?" Maka frowned, looking how the witch smiled at her.

"My stupid fiancé is out there, I cant be hidden while he's out having all the fun, now can I?"

Maka stared at her for the longest time, just for realization falling upon her. It was so obvious, and Kim seemed to know it, smiling as she was. Maka grinned, determination showing on her face.

"No weapon at all?"

"Ey, fuck weapons, I have my fists!" Kim grinned.

"Sounds like a plan to me!"

In the meister's job, Death was the only assured thing the technician would have.

And yet, Ox couldnt remember the last time he felt truly endangered. As if, the grasp of death was there, lurking, dancing with him while he stepped back and forth, avoiding strikes and trying to make one of his own into the vile monstrosity in front of him.

"Catch your breath!" Harvar yelled at him, while his meister's gasped while running between buildings. The crawling of claws and fingers, like a giant cockroach, was a sound he knew very well would chase him even after the battle was over. Quickly enough, Ox crouched between a large trash bin, and some abandoned boxes of a closed convenience store. He could hide there, just for a minute.

"The Lighting King, running away like some frightened chicken..." Ox panted, holding Harvar tight on his grasp. This was no ordinary kishin egg... this was a frigging demon at the edge of becoming a full blown out Kishin.

Now it all made sense. The reason why they would never catch it, was because it could transform. Probably it had some sort of magic within it... maybe it was a witch? Half a witch? Or maybe it already had eaten enough witches to get magic on its own. Like the werewolf Free who used Maaba's eye. But now was not the time to think! They would investigate later, right now the danger was real, and worst of all... if he was hiding, he wouldn't know if the kishin egg took a human form to hide as well.

"It seems... it takes the form and skills of the people it eats..." Ox said between pants, his chest moving up and down, catching his breath. "Those weapons it uses... must be the disappeared students of DWMA."

"Will be wise to keep it entertained until Lord Death arrives" Harvar suggested in his weapon form, feeling sweat running down his meister's hands. "We cant let it hide among the population Ox"

"I know, is just... is hard to land a strike, if that thing is trying all the time to get a grip on you" He wasnt the right opponent for that monstrosity. His melee attacks were a disadvantage when the kishin egg could get a grip on his partner to eat it. He couldnt land a good strike if he was afraid of losing grip on Harvar. "Kid will destroy it with no problem, there's no way it can defend itself from a ranged attack..."

"Mommy!... mommy where are you!... mommy I'm scared!" The voice of what seemed to be a little girl called the attention of the meister, who carefully glanced at the Main Street, not too far away from the alley he was hiding in.

She looked like a normal girl, with tears running down her cheeks, walking around as if lost. What the hell was a girl doing in the middle of the streets, alone, in a kishin lockdown? Probably if he were a normal, average even, student, we would fall for the trick. Was this a game? Did the kishin actually thought he would be that stupid? He was Ox Ford! The Lighting King! The most intelligent and skilled technician of Shibusen! That kishin egg was now just plainly mocking him.

"He's trying to find us... luring us out..." Ox frowned, ignoring how the scared screams of the girl could grip his heart so painfully. He tried to remember that little girl was no such thing... it was that monster, taking the form of just some random girl he probably ate.

Then, the worst happened.

A lady, peeking from a window, heard the girl. Unknowingly, and breaking every lockdown protocol, she ran out of her home to reach for the girl. Ox stared in horror, as the lady kneel down to hold the little girl, cleaning her tears. Stupid lady! Didn't she know that girl was...

A shriek resonated all over the street, followed by heavy stomping of claws and limbs. Jumping from one roof to the other, the kishin egg opened its jaws, already savoring the souls he was about to feast on. The woman screamed, holding the girl in her arms before running back to her house, absurdly hoping the demon wouldn't bother them once she was inside. It was some kind of instinct, like thinking that hiding under the blankets will protect you from the ghost hiding in the closet.

Of course it wouldn't work. Once the woman was inside her house, the kishin egg took out of its insides an axe, sniffing and drooling all over the small building, getting ready to chop its way in. Well, not on his guard, that was for sure! Jumping out of his hiding spot, Ox spin his lance above his head, static and lighting bolts surrounding him, right before ramming the back of the Kishin egg.

"LIGHTNING KING QUAKE!" A sudden explosion of thunderbolts and electricity jolted right in the kishin's body, knocking its giant mass out of the building, colliding against the floor in the middle of the Main Street. The attack usually would had been enough to at least temporary stop the kishin, or slow it down just a bit, but as the meister already knew, its wobbly body quickly recovered from his attack.

"OX!" A few voices were heard at his back, the meister in charge of securing the forest area running in his direction. "Stop! There are civilians in this area! We need to take them out!"

"You tell that to the kishin! He seems not to understand that!" Ox mocked with exasperation, taking his eyes out of the demon to stare at the student far behind him. Of course there were civilians, where were the other three star meisters of shibusen? Seriously, the city was massive but not enough for at least some more meisters coming to help, right?

It was everything it took. Just a second glancing away, just a second of not paying attention. He heard the student yelling at him, warning him, but even his light-speed reflexes turned short. When he looked back at where the kishin was supposed to be, he only saw claws and teeth. In a mere reflex, Ox yielded his weapon partner as barrier, protecting himself. The tip of his lance punctured the skin of the kishin egg.

"Lighting King!" He screamed, Harvar quickly sending bolts of their soul wavelength into the monster, striking him with electricity. The kishin roared, but it wasnt enough to deter his advances. He was too close to it...

And just what he had feared to happen all along, finally happened. The kishin egg grinned, and despite the jolts of electricity still running down its body, many hands popped out of it, taking a grip on Harvar. Just like that, with a fierce punch in Ox's stomach, and an iron grip in his weapon partner, the monster sent the lighting meister flying away, crashing against a building.

"OX!" Harvar yelled, trying to return back to his human form... but he couldnt. He was tightly grasped by that demon, who now was staring at him with the same sickly grin. Its one good eye, with red iris, looking at him hungrily.

"Weapon..." It growled with a guttural sound, the many hands popping out of its body guiding Harvar right into its mouth, opening wide, ready to swallow him. Harvar closed his eyes tightly.

"BLOODY SLICER!"

A familiar voice yelled, and a sudden razor sharp black blade flew towards the kishin egg, severing its human-like hands. Harvar fell off its grasp right to the floor, where he could transform back into his human form. Not losing even a second of freedom, the weapon ran towards his fallen meister, kneeling beside Ox who was just recovering from the punch on his stomach, slightly winded.

Flying to the scene using his large black wings, was Crona. From air, his icy blue eyes stared at that large monstrosity that screeched, snarled and clawed all around it. He made it barely in time, apparently. Landing next to Ox, the dark meister stared both him and his weapon partner.

"Y-you Okay?" He asked, his wings disappearing from his back, just to re-appear as a sword in his hand. Ragnarok grinned in his weapon form.

"We owe you one" Ox smiled, getting back on his feet with the help of Harvar.

"T-take the civilians out of here, I'll try to lure it out of the city, if I can..." He couldnt speak any further. Ox quickly grabbed him by his coat, yanking him away. Suddenly, a large claw crashed right were they were standing, barely missing both of the meisters. The kishin egg recovered quickly, back again to the fight.

"And now we are even!" Ox growled, Harvar quickly returning to his weapon form. Both meisters jumped to the nearest building roof, making some distance from the rampaging kishin egg "We need to wait for Kid! Is the only one who can take it down!"

"Who needs Stripes! We can handle this bitch!" Ragnarok roared through his sword form.

"No you dont! Close combat is useless against it! It will try to eat you! Thats how it managed to kill so many students!" Ox yelled at him so Crona could hear him from afar. The swordsman frowned, staring at the grinning disgusting fiend in front of him.

"You're too tired to keep fighting Ox, take the other students with you and protect the city... I'll deal with it..."

No point in arguing. Before the lighting meister could say anything, Crona launched against the kishin egg, his weapon partner tightly held in his hand. With a flick of his wrist, the swordsman summoned his powerful wavelength, a screech beta ramming against the body of the kishin egg, throwing it out of balance and right into the floor.

"Sometimes I forget about your ranged attacks..." Ox smiled, shaking his head in disbelief. Maybe, after all, Crona could actually handle it. His face turned down to the meister that not so long ago arrived, the student staring at the fight with fearful eyes. "Ey you! Help me out to get the citizens into safety!"

The meister nodded, running away from the fight. This was a Monster Dance he didnt want to be part of.

The start of the fight could be seen from afar. Dust lifting from the floor in a dense cloud helped like a red flag to pinpoint the epicenter of it. Not too far, Maka and Kim were helping the Shibusen students to hide the confused citizens. Many had underground basements, specially designed for such events, but others had small common houses that wouldnt hold any kind of damage if the fight reached them. For such cases, the Shibusen students were ordered to gather the families and guide them as fast as possible to the school interiors.

"KIM!" The voice of Ox quickly called everybody's attention. The lightning meister running towards the pink-haired witch. Kim smiled at him, dropping a deep sigh of relief, watching him sound and safe.

"That thing is way too powerful for a common Kishin egg, I dont think any house is safe right now" Ox panted, trying to recover his breath while Kim gently rubbed his back, helping him to breathe.

"We cant evacuate the whole city, if we take everyone out of their houses they will be in danger..." Kim frowned, Maka walking towards them with fear in her eyes.

"Who is fighting it?"

"Shibusen's secret weapon" Ox smiled, cleaning a drop of sweat from his forehead. "Crona saved our butts right there, he's trying to lure it to the desert"

"But he's in the middle of the city... the only way would be through down town." Kim said with concern. The houses in downtown had no protection at all.

"Who evacuated downtown?" Maka asked, the meisters around looking at each other.

"I did! Only the elementary school stood there, they have a security room" A two star meister answered, his ballista weapon partner tightly secured on his back.

"Which meister was left there for protection?" Kim asked with a frown. They were short on students as it was, and she could see most of them were right there... then, who?

No one answered.

"Victor" Maka whispered, her face turning pale. "I need to go there!"

"Wait what? You cant go there Maka! That place will turn into a war zone!" Ox complained, looking how the blonde was already running away. "MAKA!"

"Tch... for being one of the smartest brains in school, she is way too hot-headed" Harvar growled, unable to rationalize Maka's instinctive way of acting. How can someone so smart act without thinking?

"Ox..." Kim asked him, without saying another word. Her eyes stared at him, a silent plead, her eyebrows drawing a look of concern in her face. The lightning meister fixed his glasses back at the bridge of his nose.

"Yes my lady" The spear meister smiled, taking a deep breath before running back at the scene, chasing after Maka.

In the middle of the city, Crona jumped from one roof to the other, looking back to make sure the kishin egg was still after him. The vile monster crawled at incredibly high speed, its many limbs now regenerated from his bloody slice gave him a lot of movement. Between its sharp turns and the strangeness of its body, it was really hard to land a ranged blow on it.

Also, much to his dismay, it healed really fast. Between the many weapons that thing could shit out of its body, and the skills it possessed, Crona deduced it pretty much absorbed the skills of his eaten victims. Definitely it was an enemy the swordsman didnt want to give a chance to kill him.

In one of its quick turns, the monster got distracted, movement inside a house calling its attention. Stopping his chasing, the kishin egg moved right through a group of small houses, drooling in anticipation for the souls inside them. Crona muttered an obscenity, turning back on his tracks to lure the kishin attention back at him. He cut his wrist with the edge of his sword.

"Bloody Slicer!" He called, his blood cutting air before landing at a side of the monster. It roared, his red eye glaring murderous instinct towards the pink-haired meister. Good, he had its attention again.

"Be a good little piece of shit and come with us!" Ragnarok roared in his weapon form, already impatient. "This is ridiculous Crona, lets kill that thing already!"

"I wont fight around innocent people" The meister explained to his weapon partner, his blue eyes staring at the kishin who looked back at him, unmoving. For a moment, both enemies stared at each other, the swordsman feeling a cold chill running down his spine. It looked like the monster in front of him was actually thinking.

In an unexpected turn of events, the kishin egg started to run away from him, right into down town.

"COME BACK HERE!" Ragnarok roared, his meister quickly giving chase to the rampaging demon egg. They couldnt let it escape, or worst, hide, because there was a good chance it would hide successfully. If that thing manage to run away from them, Crona would never forgive himself. Too many students had died to let it escape now.

He followed the kishin egg to an alley. How such a big monster could fit into such cramped places? And most important... where the fuck was it!? As soon as they arrived to such alley, they found it empty. Not a single trace of the monster, not even an open sewer where he could have escaped, nothing...

But he was close. He could feel it, the chill in the back of his neck, the density in the air. That monster wasnt gone, he was hiding.

No, not hiding... hunting.

"Ey, remember that cat in the jungle? This is just like it!" His weapon partner grinned, still tightly secured around his grasp.

"H-hush Ragnarok..."

"Well if its gone I dont see why we cant have some chatting! What we gonna do after this? I want more pizza!"

"You just had pizza yesterday!"

"It was just one slice you cheap bastard!"

"Shush now! It will hear us..."

"I WANT PIZZAAAA! GIMME PIZZA YOU DAMN COTTON CANDY HEAD-!"

Suddenly, breaking out of a wooden door in the alley, the kishin egg jumped right above Crona and Ragnarok, claws and jaws open in a fierce attempt to give the thin meister a bite. The meister managed to jump away, but quickly something grabbed him by his ankle.

The monster was wielding a new weapon, it was a whip, grasping him tightly. The swordsman didnt get time to see it carefully, the kishin quickly pulling him back at its reach, claws and fangs awaiting him at the end of the long weapon.

"SCREAM RESONANCE!" Crona screamed, his weapon partner hastily vibrating with the unrestrained power of their wavelengths. With a swing of his weapon, the meister tried to cut the whip, sparks flying with the contact, to no avail.

The kishin egg clawed on a side of his body, trying to pierce him, but Ragnarok was already prepared, hardening his blood like iron. Confused, the monster attempted to scratch him on his torso with his other claw, a heavy hand falling on top of them... almost.

Crona yielded his weapon partner above him, vibrating like a roaring chainsaw, the kishin claw falling right at its edge. He pierced it, the claw completely stabbed by Ragnarok, red blood spurting all over the pink-haired swordsman. The kishin egg roared in pain.

"PYGEEEEEE!" Ragnarok screeched, the vibrations of his blade maiming the monster's hand, finally releasing Crona from his ankle, the whip weapon retreating back inside his body.

With a growl, the kishin egg stopped clawing at Crona, using its now free hand to grab Ragnarok with both hands... and then using its foot to kick the swordsman away. The brute kick was so powerful that the meister lost his grip on Ragnarok, thrown away, his body crashing against the nearest wall at the other side of the alley.

Ragnarok, now away from his meister, lost his scream resonance. Now, as just a sword, was at the mercy of that weapon eater demon.

"Weapon..." The kishin egg said in a low gutural voice, grinning, opening its jaws widely to eat Ragnarok.

"Get your fucking hands off me!" Ragnarok screeched, seeing nothing but fangs around him... the bastard was trying to eat him!

Without losing any second, the demon sword lost his solid shape, turning into a black cloud that slipped like air from the kishin egg's grasp. The monster gave a hard bite on thin air, and nothing else, staring with his wide red eye how the black cloud returned in a heartbeat to his partner's hand, Crona firmly grasping him back.

"Bitch! No one but my meister touches me! No one!" Ragnarok roared, enraged. Crona was in no better condition, his blue eyes showing bloody murder. Did that thing try to take Ragnarok away? The nerve!

The kishin egg was confused. How could that happen? His method was flawless, it worked every single time... how did that weapon escaped his grasp?

"You cant eat Ragnarok..." Crona said, getting up from the crater his body made when crashing against the alley. His right hand wielding his weapon partner in front of him, ready to fight. "He's my blood... he's part of me like my own heart."

"... Then I eat both..." The kishin egg said, a wicked grin returning to its gruesome face, his one red eye filling with murderous lust. Popping more hands out of its body, the thing adjusted itself on the floor, ready to launch itself at the thin meister in front of it.

Suddenly, a bang was heard on top of a roof, a hard shot of light bouncing at the back of the Thing's head, making it roar to the source. Right above them, Lord Death was staring at the kishin egg with cold golden eyes.

"I've seen enough... seems all you know to do is snatching weapon partners" Kid deduced with a thoughtful stare. The Thing growled at him with disdain.

"That method will be useless against Crona, Ragnarok cant be separated from him" Liz said in her weapon form, tightly secured around Kid's grasp.

"I say lets give this mountain of puke a peace of our minds!" Patty cheered, grinning hungrily at the monster in front of them.

Crona smiled at the sight of Lord Death, feeling now more confidence than before. With him in the scene, the kishin egg had now no chances of running away. Now they just needed to finish it with a hard blow, cutting it completely in half to avoid him from regenerating, that would do.

"Lets finish this Ragnarok..." Crona heard his weapon partner cheering, probably happy of finally flexing some muscle since the battle started. With the Thing distracted with Kid's arrival, the swordsman focused his wavelength for a mighty blow.

The Thing clawed at Kid, who simply jumped on his skateboard to evade its attack. Staring for a second to Crona, he understood what the meister was trying to do. So, he would buy him some time to charge.

"Disgusting little shit, asymmetrical disaster you are! Just one freaking eye! Can't stand looking at you" Lord Death growled under his breath, flying back and forth with his skateboard to keep the kishin egg entertained in its spot, using both of his guns to shot bullets of his wavelength at the thick skin of the demon. The alley was narrow enough for the monster to move with difficulty, it was the perfect place for a good one-shot strike.

Quickly enough, Crona finished charging, his weapon partner held above his head. His broadsword was glistening with a powerful soul resonance, the length of the blade longer than his full body, his purple wavelength oozing with magic power and hunger for destruction. He would deal with that thing in one blow.

"SCREECH ALPHA!" The demon swordsman screamed, swinging his sword like an executioner cutting someone's head off. As soon as it hit the floor, a purple unrestrained cloud was summoned from thin air, resembling the face of a screaming reptile, launching at the kishin in front of him.

The kishin egg was hit, hard. The blow piercing through its body like a hot knife on butter. Following its path, the attack kept on moving in a straight line, destroying the alley and creating a deep ditch in the middle of the Main Street. The attack was calculated enough to avoid houses, following the path to the alley across the street and quickly losing energy, disappearing after several feet.

"That should do it" Lord Death smiled, watching the scene from afar, still standing on Beelzebub. He had to jump far away in the last minute, that attack could have killed any living being on its path.

Huge was his surprise, when dust started to settle, and there was still movement.

That Thing was cut in half, barely holding together just by its upper half, the rest of the body opened like a banana peel, and it was still alive! The monster gurgled, blood splattering everywhere, and his insides... there were faces. Faces of humans, melted, showing eternal silent screams, mouths wide open, terrified void eyes, limbs, clawing hands, the insides of that monster was an amalgam of eaten corpses. That Thing was made entirely by the humans and weapons he had eaten before. Kid felt his blood boil with rage.

"I will execute you" Lord Death growled, his golden eyes now filled with anger.

The kishin egg started to regenerate, its body joining the two separated pieces back together, hands on both sides of its body moving and thrashing around.

"Lets do it again Crona!" Ragnarok yelled, noticing how his meister was just standing there, dumbfounded, staring at the Kishin who was still moving after his attack. 'Crona! Wake up!"

Before the swordsman could react, the kishin ran away without warning, crawling with impressive speed despite its mangled body. Kid didnt waste time, leaving Crona behind to give chase to the horrid abomination. They couldnt lose track of it.

The last Gorgon stood there, in the destroyed alley, staring at the red blood stain on the floor. His left eyebrow twitched slightly, his left hand quickly grasping his right arm for comfort, feeling the stinging pain after the blow he managed to land just seconds before. He could barely hear his weapon partner yelling at him, yet he couldnt move, his brain trying to find some reason in all that madness that was unfolding in his head.

For a moment, just a brief second, he thought he saw Meena's screaming face inside that monster. And that whip... could it be? No, it couldnt be. She wasnt even nearby, she had traveled to Africa, she was there in the scorching sun paying for her betrayal to him. This was just his madness toying with his fragile sanity, just that. Crona shook his head, recovering from his almost catatonic state, looking around just to notice the kishin and Kid were gone. Well... shit.

"W-where did the go?"

"Finally you are back home cheesebrain! The damn Thing ran away and Stripes is after it, right into downtown!" Ragnarok said, back into his small form on Crona's back, his ball-like hands grabbing his hair like reigns.

The swordsman ran out of the alley, just to suddenly crash against someone else. Both bodies fell to the floor, groaning in pain. Crona held his head just a moment, his blue eyes searching around just to watch at Ox flat on the floor with Harvar on his hand.

"Ox... what are you doing here?" Crona asked, getting up still a little winded from the impact, offering a hand so the black haired meister could get back up. The so called Lighting King accepted his help.

"Maka ran into downtown like crazy, she wants to help guard the Elementary School, with all the commotion apparently no one stood there as supposed to" Ox explained, rubbing his right knee, drops of blood staining his jeans.

"Maka... went to downtown?"

"Kim told me to help her out, I was chasing her when I crashed into you, she must not be too far"

"Ox... the kishin egg went to downtown!"

"Ey! You tell her that, she knows it and yet she ran like out of her mind! Seriously, for being such a smart girl sometimes she's stubborn like a mule" Ox sighed, fixing his glasses back into the bridge of his nose.

"Ha! Finally someone who shares my view!" Ragnarok grinned, looking down when he felt his meister trembling.

"D-dont call her that... and we must find her! Is not safe for her!"

"What about the kishin?" Harvar asked, his face reflecting on the blade his lance weapon form.

"Kid is after it, I need to know Maka's safe first" Crona rushed him, looking up to his weapon partner. "Wings Ragnarok"

"So, fuck the Kishin, is that right? And SAY PLEASE, you ingrate bastard!"

"PLEASE THE FUCKING WINGS RAGNAROK!" Crona yelled at him, his icy blue eyes showing that his eternal patience had finally ran out. His weapon partner stood there silently for a couple of seconds, but just a couple.

"Dont shove your sudden growth of balls on me..." He said with a monotone voice, trying to hide his impression. Losing his shape for a moment, Ragnarok changed into the form of a giant pair of wings, popping out of his meister's back.

"Wait wait Crona! Be reasonable!" Ox called for him, grabbing him by his left wrist before the meister would go airborne. "I have no ranged skills against that kishin egg, you should go help Kid, I'll find Maka"

"I-I can fly, you wont find her just running around"

"She's on the Elementary School, is not too far, you should take care of that kishin to NOT got in there, okay?"

Crona frowned. Despite his urge to know Maka was okay, Ox was making sense. Maka WOULD be safe, if he made sure the kishin egg was as far away from her as possible. Also, even if Kid was... well... Lord Death himself, he may need help.

"O-Okay..." The swordsman agreed, his pale face showing that the decision was much to his dislike.

Not too far, the sound of a building collapsing caught the attention of both meisters. The Thing had reappeared.

"Is it too far?... t-the school?"

"No, why?" Ox asked, his question being answered when Crona suddenly held him by his torso in some kind of awkward hug. His black wings flapped a couple of times, knees bending a little before jumping. In just a second, they were already several feet above the ground. The lighting meister held his weapon partner tightly against his chest. "CRONA! dammit warn me first!"

"N-No time! I'll take you to the school, then I'll help K-Kid" The sword meister explained, rushing to where the Elementary School of Death City was.

A few streets away, in the middle of downtown, the Thing crashed against an empty house. High above in the air, Kid kept on maneuvering with Beelzebub, firing consecutive shots with his weapon partners. Much to his dismay, his simple attacks were proving to be ineffective. Its skin was too thick, its regenerative power was too quick, and worst of all, his strongest attacks needed time to aim and recharge... and the kishin egg was too fast.

"A Death Cannon would obliterate it Kid! We need to try it!" Liz suggested, watching how the kishin quickly got back on its limbs, running away again like a mouse in a labyrinth.

"We would need to knock it out first, it moves too much to strike it with the Death Cannon" Kid frowned, moving with his skateboard giving chase to the monster.

The Thing crawled back and forth between buildings, as if it knew it had to stay in downtown to avoid being attacked with real strength. As long as it stood in town, the Death God and the students wouldnt dare to aim powerful fire against it. Kid still tried, aiming and firing a shower of bullets wherever the kishin tried to crawl away or hide. Still, Lord Death tried to force it out of Death City. If he managed to force it into the desert, he could fight with his strongest attacks, without the fear of destroying the town.

And the damn kishin egg knew it, avoiding being pushed to far from the center of downtown. It was an exhausting task for just one man, Death God or not.

"You look like you need help" The voice of a woman behind him, high in the air, called his attention.

"Blair!" Kid noticed the magical cat in her human form, flying beside him on top of a pumpkin.

"Blair heard all the commotion! Blair doesn't want the city destroyed" The cat grinned, lifting her hand so the Death God could see a pumpkin grenade in her palm. Kid smiled.

"Try to force it out of here, there's still people around"

"Nyaaan!" The magical cat cheered, flying towards the rampaging kishin egg that ran back and forth between streets. "You naughty naughty kishin, destroying Blair's city"

The Thing stared at her with his red eye, stoping right on its tracks, clawing at Blair in an attempt to catch her. Blair flew higher, out of its reach.

"This could do just fine!" Blair smiled, dropping a small pumpkin bomb on top of its head, the explosion resonating all over downtown.

Maka recognized the sound, and it was way too close for comfort. She managed to enter the Elementary School, doors left carelessly open as she had feared. She knew well the school had a refuge for this kind of events, but the entrance location? No such luck. It could be anywhere, and the explosions outside sounded closer each time.

She had to take Victor out of that place. Refuge or not, it wasnt safe if the whole building collapsed.

"VICTOR!" Maka yelled, keeping silent for a moment after, trying to hear any sound that would give away their location. Silence were the only answer for her calls. "VICTOR!"

Such luck, no sound except for the explosions outside. And just that morning Victor kept on telling them he didnt want to go to school, that he wanted to be at DWMA with them that day. Crona, being the soft man he was, was about to agree, but it had been her who insisted for him to go to school. If something happens to Victor, she would never stop blaming herself for it.

"VICTOR!" Maka screamed harder, holding her breath. Then, she heard sound.

It was a clanking sound that started to repeat at a steady pace. Wasting no time, the blonde meister ran towards the source of the sound. It was muffled, probably inside a room... the Principal's Office. When reaching the knob, she growled. It was locked.

"Damn it" The scythe meister started dropping hard kicks on the knob, trying to force it open. Screw with damaging private property, at the pace the explosions were getting closer and the trembling of the floor stronger, she knew it was just a matter of minutes before the fight reached the building.

One last hard kick opened the Principal's Office door with a bang. Looking around, she noticed the carpet on the floor was moved, a big metal trap door showing in the middle of the room, with no handles to open it from the outside. The clanking sound stopped.

"This is a Spartoi member of Shibusen! You all must get out! There's a risk of the building collapsing!" Maka warned them, dropping a sigh of relief when the door started making sounds, opening.

"Maka!" Victor screamed, happiness and fear in his big amber eyes. He was being held by the Principal, a rather chubby woman in her forties, surrounded by small children all around Victor's age.

"T-The other student told us to hide and dont come out" The Principal explained, frightful of leaving their security room. Victor yanked his arm from her, quick on his feet to jump at Maka's arms, who held him close to her.

"Now its too dangerous! If the building collapses you can get trapped inside, we need to leave!" Maka explained, ordering with her hand to the Principal and all the kids to leave the hidden underground room. "If we are quick we can get away to Shibusen"

"More than quick I would tell!" Ox said, suddenly appearing in the Director's office entrance, cleaning the sweat running down his forehead with the back of his left hand, his right hand holding tightly on Harvar's weapon form.

"Ox! I told you to stop following me!" Maka frowned, carrying Victor in her arms before ordering the principal and the children to move through the school corridor, to the exit.

Ox followed suit, making sure all the children were leaving together.

"You can be scary Maka, but I rather take my changes with your rage, rather than Crona if something happens to you" He grinned, helping carrying a little girl that couldnt keep up with the rest "I like my head where it is, thanks a lot."

"Kim ordered you to do it" She guessed, staring at the lighting meister. A drop of sweat formed in his temple.

"That too..." He laughed it off, his face quick going back to a serious expression. Dropping the girl he was holding in her arms, Ox took Harvar in both hands before leaving the building with Maka and the children, running far away from it.

Blair kept on dropping small pumpkin bombs. Enough to bother the kishin egg, but not strong enough to destroy buildings around. Crona already had joined them, throwing blasts of his wavelength with consecutive Screech Beta attacks. Kid, close to them, was mercilessly shooting with his Sansu River Shot. The damage was steadily holding the kishin in place, but not enough to eliminate it.

"Why they aren't attacking it with full power?" Maka asked with a frown, Victor's eyes loking back to stare at the kishin not too far away. Despite the distance, the small size of the houses still made it visible. By the look on his face, he was fascinated.

"... They must think there are people still around" Ox deciphered. Neither Crona or Kid knew downtown had been evacuated already. "We need to leave downtown, so they can fight freely"

"SCREECH ALPHA!" Crona roared, throwing for the second time his strongest move. The kishin saw it coming, jumping as far as it could out of the blast, falling straight into the roof of the Elementary School.

The building collapsed under its weight, the kishin egg falling down hard to the floor with a screech.

"PUMPKIN PUMPKIN!" Blair shouted, throwing a big pumpkin right where the Thing had fallen, the explosion throwing pieces of stone and dust everywhere.

A thick layer of dust covered downtown. The small children, still not too far from the school, started coughing and covered their eyes with their arms and small hands. Maka protected Victor's eyes with her hand, trying hard to protect her own by lowering her head, without closing her eyes. All the kids around her were her responsibility now, she had to take them to safety and fast.

"LORD DEATH!" Ox yelled, trying to call the attention of Kid who had his eyes fixed where the kishin egg had fallen. He was too far away to listen to him. "I'll go tell them, you must move now that the demon is down"

The sound of gravel and bricks echoed in downtown, followed by a powerful shriek. The Thing was... growing, in front of everyone's surprised eyes, it began to twist and turn while its body mass increased. A Madness fit, its wavelength was powerful enough to send a madness aura through town. Its height was probably around 13 feet tall, its body an amalgam of molten faces and moving limbs. It had a long horse-like face with uneven messy black hair, and one giant eye, glaring with thirst for gore and bloody murder.

Indeed, this demon egg was at the edge of turning into a kishin.

"A few more souls..." Kid murmured to himself, staring down with his golden eyes at the abomination roaring to the sky. "Its the only thing it needs, a few more souls to become a Kishin..."

"Kid..." Liz called for his attention "Crona..."

The death god looked down to the floor, frowning when his eyes locked on the thin swordsman. Crona was holding his head, slowly falling to his knees on the floor, biting hard on his lips to avoid the giggles daring to come out from his mouth. The madness wavelength wasnt massive, but it was strong enough to penetrate his mind like a drill. Ragnarok dropped his weapon form to reappear on the top of his head, grinning madly.

"CRONA!" Kid yelled at him, forgetting about the kishin egg for a moment, his skateboard flying towards the shivering swordsman.

The Thing roared, shoving one of its claws on its own body, taking out of his flesh a large rifle. Holding it with one of its human limbs, the kishin egg shot right into Kid, forcing him to maneuver away from the attack and away from Crona. The swordsman started pulling his hair, shaking his head in denial, but the voice was already there.

The kishin egg managed to resonate with him through his now altered wavelength, Crona's madness matching the demon egg's own.

"You and me... the same..." The Thing grinned, its red eye lusting over the form of the swordsman, its long tongue dropping bits of drool on the floor.

"LIZ! PATTY! Execution Mode!" Kid ordered. Both of his weapon partners nodded, ready to receive his wavelength, amplifying it and throwing it back at the Death God in form of sheer unrestrained power. The Sanzu lines of his head started shining like three symmetric halos above his head.

That damn monster, wasted a big part of its energy expelling its madness wavelength, just to provoke Crona. Kid would make sure judgement would fall upon it.

The Thing roared, throwing itself on all four long limbs, running in a feral mode right to the swordsman, jaws wide open.

"Sanzu River Shot!" Kid sentenced, both of his forearms turning into long cannons, throwing balls of energy to the kishin to stop its rampage. The damn thing managed to zig zag, avoiding the attacks. While the swordsman was still out of his mind, kneeling on the floor, the kishin reached him. "CRONA WAKE UP!"

The jaws opened above him, ready to swallow him whole.

"LIGHTHING KING QUAKE!" Ox screamed, managing to land a mighty blow on the Thing's spine, sending it back to the floor with a loud explosion of power. The attack wave threw Crona away, crashing against a wall of a partially destroyed house.

"Pumpkin Pumpkin!" Blair summoned a large pumpkin bomb, throwing it at the temporary stunned kishin egg, the explosion combining with a long painful shriek of that Thing.

"This is it! Right now!" Liz yelled at her meister.

"Lets blow it away!" Patty grinned, licking her lips.

"Charge... Death Cannon" Kid ordered, both of his weapon partners quickly reuniting their wavelengths into one single blow. They had one chance to land the attack, just one.

Maka managed to take the kids as far away of the commotion as she could. She had to take them out quickly, and watching how the kishin had fallen, she decided that taking the risk of the Main Street was necessary. They would be exposed, but they could leave faster. And now with two meisters and Lord Death himself in the scene, there wasnt a better time to make a run for it.

Thats when she felt it. They weren't too far... she felt Crona's wavelength shutting down from their resonance. As long as they could be in reach, their wavelengths would naturally match, unless... unless the swordsman was suffering from a madness fit. And she felt it, she felt that madness wavelength, she knew it too well thanks to Soul. That kishin had managed to match Crona's wavelength by throwing him into madness. What for? To incapacitate him?

Or to consume him?

The kishin egg started thrashing around, recovering from the initial shockwave from Ox's attack, its red eye catching the light coming out of Lord Death. Whatever that was... it wasnt good.

"Ox! Attack it again! Dont let it get up!" Kid yelled at the meister, his cannons not ready yet to land the blow.

"LIGHTING K-" He couldnt finish his attack, the Thing quickly clawing at his body, forcing him to back down. Its red eye stared now at the cat in human form, flying on a pumpkin.

Enough of those damn bombs.

Crona slowly returned back into his senses. His blue eyes bouncing slightly due to the madness aura surrounding the area, his black blood reacting violently. Even Ragnarok couldnt stop himself of laughing, his bulky form above him, towering the swordsman like a giant shadow. The thoughts of painting everything black... and yet, and yet...

The kishin egg opened its mouth widely, a large cannon showing on his throat. Blair opened her eyes widely, unable to react in time before the Thing threw a shot at her, throwing her off her pumpkin. Her scream managed to alert the swordsman, his clouded mind trying to make sense, trying to get back into reality. What was he doing? He was fighting a monster... which monster?... and then... and then...

"BLAIR!" Ox called for her, noticing how the cat quickly transformed into her animal form, falling harmlessly on the floor, running away from the Thing in case it tried to shot at her again. Wasting no time, Ox tried to land a second Quake on the demon, but it was too late, it already had moved, now prancing back and forth trying to make Kid's aim as difficult as possible.

"Kid! You cant aim if it moves that fast!" Liz said, her cannon fully charged on his hand, ready to land Lord Death's strongest move.

"Can't waste this attack... if I hurt somebody..."

"Lord Death!" Ox yelled, finally managing to call his attention "Downtown is empty! There's no one left here!"

Kid smiled, now feeling much more confident. Many houses would be destroyed, but it was a fair price for stopping that future Kishin of becoming such. His golden eyes followed the demon, noticing how it pranced back and forth between houses and corridors... then it stopped, right into the Main Street.

Why would it stop in such a place? The damn thing was asking to get shot. Then, just a few feet away, he saw it. Maka, running away with all the Elementary School, almost leaving downtown. The Kishin grinned madly, its long rotten tongue curling in anticipation, the single red eye staring at the kids with hunger. And it started to run towards them.

"MAKAAA!" Kid roared, pushing Beelzebub to try and stop the beast from hurting them. He couldnt land his blow now, it would hurt Maka and the kids.

The kishin egg heard Lord Death, and despite being chased, it managed to pop several limbs out of its back, all of them holding ranged guns. Ballistas, pistols, cannons, shotguns, all throwing ammo of wavelength towards the God, who had to stop on his tracks to summon his Skull Shield, protecting himself from the attack. He wouldnt reach them in time...

Maka didnt dare to look back, fear of losing her courage, of getting cold on her feet. She had made a decision, a decision that now proved to be wrong, and now she could feel the trembling of the floor beneath her feet, the large kishin egg getting closer... closer.

Victor was in her arms, and his scream finally forced her to look back. The Thing was above them, grinning, drooling, a claw aiming at them like a lance, sharp fingernails aligned like an arrow.

All the kids gathered around her, looking for protection. The Principal held them close, and Maka stood in front of them, holding Victor tightly. She held her breath, ready to throw the small child away from her at the last minute. Maybe she could save him, at least, maybe.

The Thing screeched, sending its claw right at Maka with all its strength. Maka closed her eyes, feeling a warm liquid staining her arms, her face and chest. She didnt dare to look, but she knew it was blood, it had to be blood. The metallic scent was all over the place... but she felt no pain. Slowly, ever so slowly, she dared to open her eyes.

She was covered in black blood.

Crona stood in front of her, his black wings in front of him trying to act as a shield, pierced. Both of his arms around the claws of the kishin egg, preventing it from completely cutting his body in half, a long fingernail managed to pierce his defense and stab him completely from side to side, thick black blood splurging from the wound, falling in a pool beneath his feet.

The swordsman stood there, covered in blood, slowly lifting his gaze to face the demon in front of him. He coughed, black blood running down his chin. The kishin egg grinned.

"C-Crona..." Maka gasped, her eyes filling with tears. Victor stared at him with fear on his face.

The swordsman didnt look back at her, his icy blue eyes, bouncing with madness were fixed on that large red orb in the kishin egg's face. Crona grinned back at him, madly.

"You know my blood is black?" The swordsman chuckled, his wild grin and bouncy eyes matching the madness in the kishin's eye.

"Transform... weapon..." The Thing growled, opening its jaws widely. Licking its fangs, it tried to bring back the claw it was using to pierce Crona, trying to shove the swordsman inside its mouth.

But he couldnt move its claw.

Frowning with his good eye, the kishin egg tried to release itself from Crona's grasp, with no avail. The frail looking swordsman had an iron grip on its claw, and wouldnt let go.

"You come to my town... you murder my students..." Crona musited with a grin, his icy blue eyes now fixed right at the hideous monster in front of him. Madness was bubbling inside of him like boiling water. "And now you try to hurt Victor and Maka..."

The kishin egg roared, using its other claw to try and shove away the swordsman, trying to recover its limb. His claw was stoped with just one hand, the claws piercing his skin, making him bleed further. Crona was covered in blood.

"I'm dealing with you now"

Maka blinked a couple of times, the tears dwelling in her eyes finally falling down her cheeks. Crona voice sounded wrong, sounded mixed... as if Crona and Ragnarok were talking at the same time.

Suddenly, the black wings on his back liquefied, falling on his body like a mantle... and the black blood started to spread. Even the blood staining Maka jumped back at the swordman body, as if it had life of its own. The blood pooling on his feet reacted, going up his legs and covering him like a black ointment. Then he started to change.

His body was growing, changing form, distorting. Maka ordered the kids to run away, handing Victor to the Principal, who wasted no time to take the children to safety. The kishin tried to follow them, but Crona's grasp wouldnt budge, and it just got stronger. The scythe meister backed off, and watched.

His legs bent over in an animalistic angle, his body grew larger until his clothes ripped open, showing a black blood covered body.. it was as if he was wearing a full body armor. A tail popped out of his rear, it was pointy and looked a lot like one of Medusa's vector arrows. His neck elongated, chains and metal collars surrounding it, very similar to Ragnarok's belts in his weapon form. His gentle handsome face was gone, leaving the snout and sneer of a dragon, an X shaped mark on its front, his eyes were a pair of void white circles with X shaped pupils. He was... a combination of both, as if Ragnarok and Crona had fused into one being of madness...

In front of her, stood a large black dragon.

It was massive, towering by three foot long at the kishin egg, who stared back with a mad grin. The dragon grinned back, before snarling, their combined voice filled with anger, its x-shaped pupils staring at the demon with murder intent. With a screech right at its face, the dragon shoved both of his hands at the Thing's body, clawing deep in its flesh. The kishin egg roared in pain.

The dragon stretched his long wings, flapping hard to jump high into the air, carrying the murderous monster with him, flying away from Death City. Kid stood there for a moment, staring in awe before shaking his surprise away.

"He's taking it to the desert... smart move Crona" Kid smiled, hovering on Beelzebub, following both monsters as fast as he could.

Maka stood there, in the middle of downtown, looking how at the distance that black dragon that used to be her best friend, was flying with an abomination in his arms. Without a weapon, this was definitely out of her league, and yet...

"Maka, its over now, they will take care of it" Ox said, holding the scythe meister by her arm. He was visibly shaken, his features pale and even behind those thick glasses she knew there was fear in his eyes.

"I need to go" Maka said, surprising herself after hearing the security in her voice. Wiping away a tear from her cheek, she tried to move forward when Ox's grip on her arm stopped her. "Let me go, Ox."

"This is enough Maka, you already put yourself in danger more than once today, we need to go back!"

"I'm not leaving Crona alone!"

"Did you see what happened to him? This is a monster level fight! Who knows if he's even..."

"HE IS NOT A MONSTER!" Maka yelled at Ox, shoving her arm away from his grasp, her emerald eyes shooting daggers at him. "Dont you dare calling him a monster!"

The lightning meister frowned at her for a moment, unsure on how to handle her outrage. Apparently he had touched a sensitive nerve, but he still couldnt understand the necessity of putting herself in danger.

"You cant do anything in that fight, Maka"

"Wrong... right now is when he needs me the most... I need to be with him, Ox. If you try to stop me, is going to end really bad between us" The scythe meister said with a warning tone in her voice, a deep frown showing in her face. Ox sighed, defeated.

"For my meister's safety, you better come back alive" Harvar sentenced, still in his weapon form, tightly held by the black haired technician.

In the desert sands, not too far away from the city, Crona threw the kishin with all his might to the floor, the demon crashing and bouncing in the sand, trashing and roaring like a cockroach in a seizure.

"SCREECH ALPHA" The dragon roared, opening its mouth widely. Like a fire, a black and purple wavelength was thrown at the Thing, who received the impact fully. The kishin egg was now too big for being cut in half with his attack, but it did hurt.

The Thing roared in pain, its body maimed with the merciless attack of the dragon, but insisted on keep on healing itself. The sight of closing wounds angered Crona and Ragnarok, who dived right at the top of the monster, ramming it with their own body mass.

The kishin egg clawed at the dragon, its long fingernails unable to pierce through their black blood thickened skin. They both were clawing and thrashing into a merciless animal war, with slashes and bites, pushes and headbutts, it was a dance of madness Death the Kid was observing from above.

In a swift movement, the kishin egg managed to grab a hold on the dragon's neck, gripping hard on it. Their skin was too hard for it to choke them, but at least it had a firm grasp. The Thing grinned very closely to their faces.

"You and me... the same..."

The dragon's eyes, even when inexpressive, showed what unmistakably was a glare of hate.

In retaliation, Crona pierced the kishin with his tail, grinning when hearing the shriek of pain of the Thing. Maybe if he decapitated it, it would stop regenerating, right? With that idea in mind, the dragon opened their mouth widely, ready to throw the strongest Screech Alpha his lungs could hold. His purple wavelength started to concentrate in his throat, ready to fire.

The Thing saw it coming, opening its own jaws, a cannon appeared right in front of the dragon's snout, and fired. The cannon ball hit hard on their face, forcing him to back off from the kishin egg, his arrow shaped tail shaking off the monster, who rolled a few feet away in the sand.

The dragon shook their head. The attack had been shot from such a short range, that it managed to break part of his black blood armor, his draconic face showing cracks on the left side. That had hurt, a lot. The Thing was not giving him rest, quickly enough it was back on its limbs, taking out of its body as many weapons as it could hold.

Axes, hammers, swords, lances, tridents, guns, ballistas. So many swallowed weapons who had lost their souls at the hands of that kishin egg. Crona roared, opening his wings in a menacing stance, and the demon in front of him followed suit, running towards him with guns firing and sharp weapons held up high.

Both monsters crashed into a merciless fight. The dragon moved in circles, using its long pointy tail as a sword of his own, crashing against the many weapons of the kishin egg. Even when he was bigger than the Thing, its many limbs turned to be quite bothersome for a melee fight, striking at his black blood covered body constantly. If his screech alpha wasnt enough to kill it, then there was only one attack in Death City that could do it.

"PYGEEEEEEE" The dragon screeched, forcing the kishin egg to stop its rampage, the demon shaking its head trying to stand against the incapacitating sound. Seconds, just a few seconds to breathe. "DEATH CANNOON!"

Kid heard that. Flying on top of the fight between the two monsters, the death god understood that scream. Now he understood why Crona didnt take the Kishin too far away from the city... he wanted him to use the Death Cannon from the start.

"Liz, Patty! One more time!" Kid ordered, flying on Beelzebub to the nearest building. Right there, he had just the right distance to land his cannon at full strength. If Crona could manage to keep the kishin egg still for a few seconds, he could strike it.

The Thing, whoever, recovered fast, moving back again against the dragon, clawing, biting and moving its many weapons like a rabid armed scorpion. Crona tried to protect himself, holding the Thing's long claws with both of his own, his tail keeping the many weapons of its torso away from him. He had to take it down again, maybe with a combination of a shriek and a Screech Alpha...

Then he felt it. A sting of pain in his chest, cramps running up and down his legs, his black blood bubbling, his wavelength becoming unstable. Ragnarok was exhausted, and he was quickly losing the grasp on their transformation. The kishin egg felt it too, grinning madly at him, licking its lips in anticipation. He may be able to land one more scream, but not his screech alpha. And the scream wouldnt hold still the kishin egg for long.

He had made up his mind.

Crona released the Thing from his grasp, recoiling his long tail, and allowed it to crash against his body. The kishin egg held on his body with claws and teeth, finally managing to pierce through his black blood armor. The many weapons it was carrying pierced him all over his chest and stomach, liquid black blood dripping. The kishin, even when biting him, was laughing.

Crona started chucking too.

"Bloody Needle"

Hundreds of large spikes were summoned from his wounds, piercing on the kishin egg body like toothpicks on a piece of ham. The Thing roared in pain, its long claws punching and scratching on the dragon, trying to shove him off... but he couldnt. They were tangled, joined together with the many needles between them. The Thing could no longer move.

"What is he doing!?" Patty asked, distressed.

"We cant attack if he's in the middle!" Liz warned with worry in her eyes. Both weapons had the energy ready again to fire, awaiting for Kid's command.

Lord Death frowned, staring at the giant dragon tangled with the kishin egg. He was holding it in place with his hardened black blood, his claws were holding it as well... he was doing it on purpose. His thoughts were confirmed when Crona slowly moved, holding the demon in his grasp, the back of the kishin egg right on his line of sight. The swordsman was holding the demon still, so he could fire at it.

Kid took a deep sigh, it had to be done.

"Dont you dare!" A voice warned him from below. Maka had reached them, panting, sweat running down her temple and neck. "You will hurt him!"

"Its Crona's decision" Kid said, his golden eyes staring at the dragon, struggling to keep the kishin egg in place.

"There has to be another way!"

"Maka, please..." A shriek interrupted them.

Crona was trembling, jaws shut tightly, his strength leaving his body. The kishin egg was thrashing on his arms, trying to run away. Its pull and push was so fierce, he had to use his tail as anchor, piercing the sand as deep as he could to avoid being moved from the spot. His black blood was boiling, and finally his wings retracted back to his body. He was losing his transformation.

"KIIID!" The dragon roared, some of the bloody needles piercing the demon, breaking like wood splinters.

Kid made up his mind as well.

"I'm sorry Crona..." The Death God whispered, resolve showing in his eyes.

"Dont you dare!" Maka screamed at him from below the small building.

"Kid..." Liz held her breath. Patty frowned.

"DEATH CANNON" He sentenced.

A beam of Lord Death's unrestrained wavelength got shot from both of Kid's arms. His most powerful attack came out with a blast of light, moving straight to the meister and the demon egg.

The kishin stopped trashing, its red eye lifting up to stare at the blank face of the dragon holding it in place.

"You and me... the same..." It repeated, but it was not heard.

Crona stared directly at the beam, coming closer by the millisecond, and couldnt help to smile. Funny, he had searched for two years for a way to end his pointless existence... and now, now that he had come in terms with his life... it was going to end and the hands of one of his friends.

He couldnt ask for a better end.

The beam crashed both bodies. The scream of the kishin egg, Crona and Ragnarok was heard all over Death City. The demon and the dragon got engulfed in light, before exploding in a mess of blood and gore.

Red and black blood was spilled all over the desert of Death City's entrance. After a few second of silence, only a scream was able to be heard. It was Maka's.

"CRONAAAAAAA!"

---

AkireRosales: Please, dont forget to review telling me how much you love my cliffhangers :D

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