So I'm not dead. I have survived the "beast year" of school and have returned. Sorry it's been an eternity since I've updated. I wrote so much over such a short period last time that I needed a little break to recover and plan the story out more. And then school killed me. But now I'm a bit better and will hopefully have time to write in between working.

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater

"Richard! I've been looking everywhere for you!" The girl exclaimed. "Are you ready to go home? Everyone was so worried about you!"

That couldn't be possible. He remembered his city burning. He thought it was his home city. Who was waiting for him?

"Who are you?" He asked, unable to ever remember seeing the girl before.

No one else in the room was surprised by the news because it had already been explained to them by Terra, who had learned it in her meeting with Death. She was watching Caelo a.k.a. Richard as he sat staring around the room in confusion.

"What do you mean? I'm your meister, Ira! How could you not remember me?" The girl cried in shock. He stared at her, trying to remember if he had ever seen her before, but he had no recollection of anyone from her past aside from vague shadows which danced around the edge of his memory.

"Sorry," He shrugged. The girl frowned deeply at this.

"How couldn't you remember me Rich?" She whined, taking a step closer to his bed. "Not even a little bit?"

He inched back a bit, uncomfortable with the stranger's close proximity, even if she was supposedly his partner.. She may have known him, but he most certainly had no recollection of her (or anyone for that matter) so he choose to try and distance himself until he remembered more of his past. She smelled slightly familiar, but he shook it off. His nose was messed up by the bleached stench of the infirmary anyways

"Sorry, but I need to borrow Raul for a minute. You might want to come too, Terra." He added on before disappearing back into the hall. The weapon and meister both looked at each other in confusion before shrugging and following Lux into the hall. Terra had a vague idea of what Lux had to tell Raul and she was not sure that he would react so well to the news if she was correct about what Lux was going to talk to them about. Once they were in the hall, Lux cut straight to the point.

"That's the dragon."

"What?" Raul asked, clearly confused about the entire situation.

Lux sighed and began to explain. "That boy is the dragon. He was possessed and experimented on by a witch. He's better now, but he was still assigned as Terra's temporary partner while you were out so that someone could keep an eye on him. He's been staying at your apartment. Ira is apparently his partner. Death wants the two of them to stay with you tonight: their train leaves tomorrow morning." He finished. Raul stared at him, mouth open before turning to gaze questioningly at Terra, as if to ask whether or not Lux was pulling some kind of sick joke. She slowly nodded, confirming her partner's fear.

"What the hell?" Raul growled. "You mean to tell mean that that guy is the dragon? The dragon that killed Roc? And that you've just been walking around with him being all buddy-buddy with him for the past few days? You've got to be kidding me!"

Raul was yelling by now and Terra was sure that everyone in the room next to them could hear every single word that was being said. She felt completely useless, understanding his anger and being unable to come up with a logical argument to calm down her weapon. Lux was at least trying to explain the situation, but Raul wasn't listening.

"And you want to let that THING stay with us?" He howled, turning on her. "How could you just sit back and forget that he killed our FRIEND?" Raul roared. He was hysterical by now and showed no sign of calming down. Terra was only ale to stand like a deer caught in the headlights as he continued his rant. Lux finally lost his temper.

Raul fell silent and the only sound ringing through the hallways now was the echo of Lux's hand crossing Raul's face.

"I've already been through this Terra and to be honest she's usually the one who has a harder time dealing with things than you are, but you're really out of line." Lux explained in a level voice.

"He killed your partner!"

"He was possessed by a witch! There's nothing anyone could have done about that, including him!" Lux snapped back. The older boy massaged his temple between his hands for a few moments before continuing. "Now it's one night: their train leaves in the morning. I'd ask you to at least try to be friendly, but I can see that there's no way that that's going to happen, so just try to treat him like a human being. Death asked this personally. And before you ask, I already offered Death to take them off your hands, but he insisted that those two go with yall. So just try to behave for the next few hours." Lux finished.

Raul, albeit very begrudgingly, finally agreed to let Caelo and Ira stay at their apartment since it was only for one night as the other two waited for their train out of town. Raul was still in a foul mood from finding out that it was Caelo who had been assigned to be Terra's temporary partner while he was out and was continuously casting the dragon boy venomous glances the entire, awkwardly silent walk back to the apartment where the four of them would be staying. The dragon boy showed no signs of distaste towards Raul outside of his regular personality that he treated everyone with, even though Terra was entirely sure that he had heard Raul's rage against him earlier. Once they all arrived at the apartment there was the dilemma of who would be sleeping where, seeing as there were four of them and only three bedrooms. They finally settled with Caelo still in the guest room, Raul in his own room, Ira in Terra's room, and Terra sleeping in the den on the couch. At first Ira had suggested that she could stay with Richard in the guest room, but he had declined, reasoning that it was a very cramped room. His partner seemed to doubt his words, so Terra stepped in by vouching that she would be uncomfortable with so many people staying in the room because it would be far too easy for someone to knock over one of her instruments. This caused Ira to pout and recede from the conversation. Caelo said a silent prayer of thanks her direction. Raul had also fought against the decision, offering up his room either Ira or Terra to stay in, but Terra had shot him down quickly, claiming that he was still injured and would need to sleep properly in order to help him heal quicker. With that fact along with the fact that Ira and Richard were their guests, she had insisted that she be the one to take the couch. With that the discussion was ended and once the group arrived at the apartment everyone adjourned to their respective rooms to settle in before dinner.

Caelo, or Richard rather, paced around his room nervously. The entire situation was very uncomfortable to him and in response he had decided to shut himself in with the hopes of defusing the tension by just avoiding the whole thing completely. He wanted to question Ira about his past, but she was still mad at him for whatever reason and he was still uncomfortable with how she invaded his personal space at seemingly every chance she got. He figured it would be best to wait for everything to cool down before making his move. His ears twitched as he closed his eyes and listened to the sounds of the others wandering around their rooms. The light squeak of a chair from Raul sitting at his desk, the sound of Ira rummaging around in Terra's room as she settled down, and the sound of Terra busying herself in the kitchen. He had thought about touching one of the various instruments that was sitting around the room, but decided against it on the whim that he was in no mood to have another female mad at him. After picking up and flipping through a few books halfheartedly, he finally wandered over to the door and poked his head into the hallway.

To his relief, the doors to the other's rooms were closed, letting him wander into the main space of the apartment without having to awkwardly confront anyone. He was glad. The only person in the apartment who didn't seem raging mad at him for the moment was Terra, and even then he wasn't sure exactly what the crazy girl was really thinking.

He crept into the living room. Terra's back was to him and, even though he was quite sure that he had heard him enter the space, she made no movement or acknowledgement of his existence in the room. He could see that dinner was already cooked and sitting out on top of the stove. However another smell hit his nose was strange and he lifted his head curiously to try and identify it better. Whatever it was, it was what Terra was messing with it. Carefully he crept forward, trying to peak over her shoulder at what she was up to. Once he was close enough she finally turned around, revealing to him what was behind her.

He leaned around her and sniffed curiously at the tea. He couldn't remember ever having this kind before, but then again there were quite a few other things that he couldn't remember at the moment as well. Still, the smell was intriguing to him. He pulled back and looked down at Terra, who had been watching him patiently the entire time.

"Could I. . . .have a cup please?" He asked, looking away out of embarrassment. Without a word she pulled another cup from the cabinet in front of her and filled it. He took it from her and thanked her softly. He skulked back over to the sofa and tried to get comfortable. After a few trials and errors he finally figured out that apparently the most comfortable position for him was to be nestled into the cushions, despite how ridiculous he felt.

A soft noise caused his head to shoot up and glare in Terra's direction. She was chuckling at the sight of the grouchy boy snuggled between the cushy pillows. He growled out of irritation and turned his attention back to the cup between his hands. He brought the cup up to his face, sniffing the liquid before carefully taking a sip. The malted liquid slipped down his throat easily. He was quick to take another sip before unceremoniously downing his entire drink.

"I take it you like this tea then?" Terra queried, shuffling over to one of the armchairs and settling herself down. He set his cup down on the coffee table and cast a sharp glance at her over one of the pillows coddling him before responding.

"It's very good." He started slowly. "What kind is it?"

Terra was very aware of how Caelo had secluded himself shortly after the appearance of Ira, and he had every right to do so. What he had been through combined with the memory loss would be enough to throw anyone for a loop and cause them to step back and evaluate their life, but she couldn't help but wish that he hadn't gone completely back to square one to evaluate everything. The way that he was wearily watching her now was a clear indication of far back the recent incidents had set him. The way he had been bristling uncomfortably around everyone else after he had finally begun to warm up to people was also a strong hint of how well he was handling everything.

"It's pu erh." She finally responded. He nodded thoughtfully, but did not say anything. She could see how he was still tense with anxiety and decided that she should probably give him some space, even f he was staying in her current bedroom. However, he made a move before she did.

Caelo wriggled free of his fortress of cushions and slipped from the couch, his toes curling as they hit the cold floor. He slowly dragged himself across the room, gravitating towards the piano near the window. He cast he a questioning glance, waiting to see if she would grant him permission. He more than half expected her to say no: they still did not know each other very well and from how well the instrument seemed to be cared for was indicative enough of the value she placed on it.

She paused for a moment from sipping her tea to contemplate. After a moment she nodded shortly and turned her attention back to her drink. His heart jumped into his throat as he let his fingers trace over the smooth body of the piano. He didn't know how to play one, but it seemed more interesting for him to try than to sit and stare at an empty cup. He sat down at the bench and experimentally started to push keys. He shrunk back at the sound. Whatever he was doing did not sound right to his ears and he could only be wondering what Terra was thinking. He glanced over at her to see that she was still staring uninterestedly at the wall. He turned back to the black and white keys, trying to figure out which ones sounded good together. After a few more minutes he finally heard Terra sigh and stand up. She walked over to stand behind him and he sheepishly took his hands of the keys, acting on what he expected to come out of her mouth.

"Move over."

He stared at her in stunned silence for a few seconds at her before scotching over and allowing the girl to set her self down to the left of him on the bench. He shrunk back a bit as she did, putting space between them. Part of him was still irritated by her presence, but it was overridden by his sense of curiosity.

"You lead, I'll follow," She said shortly, letting her fingers rest comfortably on the face of the piano.

"I can't play." He growled out of annoyance, placing his hands on the keyboard obediently anyways. She just scoffed at him and continued to stare, waiting for him to start. He finally sighed and gave up. What was with this stubborn girl?

His fingers started to move carefully over the keys, trying to pick out something that at least sounded remotely decent. Terra was watching him carefully the entire time, but she made no move to start playing yet. He internally berated himself: he should not be getting so shaken up just because this strange girl was watching him. He turned his focus back to the music and eventually found a repeating melody that didn't sound completely horrid. He was surprised when Terra suddenly entered, supporting the melody perfectly with expertly chosen chords. He almost stopped, but figured that she would chastise him if he did. He started to branch out and was surprised with how easily Terra moved with him, following his lead on every turn. Occasionally she would play so that he was forced to follow her into a new rhythm and he relented to the change willingly. After a few minutes they had found a good balance of give and take, responding to the other's movement smoothly. Terra still had to cater to his inexperienced hands quite a bit, but he was still advancing fairly well.

Some how they managed to find an end to the unwritten song that they were playing and both players removed their hands from the keyboard. Caelo was mesmerized: whatever chord Terra had stuck last resounded through the room and he instantly claimed it to be one of his new favorite sounds*. After it faded only silence was left in the air, but it was no longer as awkward as it had been before.

"So does Raul play? Piano, I mean." Caelo asked, finally breaking the spell that their song had left hanging in the air.

"Nah," Terra shook her head. "He's can't play and doesn't like to try to much, so I don't get to play with others to much." She smiled a little bit ruefully.

"That's a shame," He started slowly, "You play well." She turned and cocked an eyebrow at him, in turn causing him to grimace and look away. "You're no Mozart or anything," He growled quickly. "I'm just saying that you're good at adapting." And with that he quickly stood up from the bench and made his way around the piano back to the couch. He took his empty mug and wandered to the kitchen for a refill.

"I don't remember saying you could have another cup!" She called after him.

"Whatever!"

"Well at least bring me another cup!"

Dinner that night was particularly uncomfortable for almost everyone at the table, Ira seeming to be the only person unfazed by the tension in the room. She seemed to be over whatever it was that "Richard" had done to make her mad and talked all about his past for the entire dinner. The information made his own head spin and he was quite sure that Terra and Raul were not wild that they were not getting any chances to talk and catch up. After cleaning up his dishes, Caelo was quick to slink back off to his temporary room. He did not need to stick around when Raul would only be glaring at him. Ira also turned in early, claiming that she wanted to be well rested for their long journey the next day. Despite going back to his room and snuggling under the blankets, Caelo was still wide-awake, unable to sleep. He heard as Terra urged Raul to turn in early as well, reminding him that he was still injured and needed his rest. Raul eventually relented and went to bed. Caelo could hear the deep breathing of two other people asleep, but was missing the third. After lying awake for what seemed like an eternity, still sleepless and listening for the third sleeper, he gave up. With an irritated growl, Caelo rolled out of bed and snuck to his door. He opened it slowly, careful to be silent. He prowled down the hallway and back into the den where Terra was supposed to be sleeping.

He was right in assuming that she hadn't been asleep.

She jolted when he slipped from the shadows and in to full view. She had been sitting up on the couch and staring out the window, but at flinched at his sudden and silent appearance.

"You should be sleeping." He whispered bluntly.

"You should be sleeping." She retorted.

"Can't get comfortable. What's your excuse?" He snapped.

She scowled at him, but did not respond.

He sighed and shook his head. "Go sleep on a bed: I'll take the couch."

"To hell you won't. You're the guest: you take the bed." She snapped back.

He growled. Why was the girl so infuriatingly stubborn? It was making him want to rip his hair out!

"Firstly, you're a girl. Take the bed. Secondly, I'm the guest, so I get to choose and I choose the couch." He reasoned. She opened her mouth to continue arguing, but he cut her off.

"Just go. . . .please." He sighed tiredly.

She shut her mouth and glared at him, but stood up anyways and skulked down the dark hallway. If not for his enhanced hearing, he would have totally missed the quite 'thanks' that she mumbled before closing the door to his room. Caelo turned his attention to the couch, stretching himself out on it and yawning deeply. He wrapped himself in one of the blankets that Terra had and closed his eyes. From down the hall he could now hear the sound of three people sleeping.

Terra woke up to a loud scream. In a flash she was on her feet and knocking her own door down as she burst into the hallway. She arrived at Raul's door only a millisecond before Caelo, granted he had a slightly farther distance to travel. She pushed her way into her weapon's room and froze at the sight on front of her.

Crimson.

Red everywhere.

Raul lying on the floor as the color drained from his face and out onto the carpet, staining it scarlet.

The face Ira made before it transforming into Ignis. The knife from her hand dropped to the ground as the witch stepped back, launching herself through the window and out into the night.

It's almost to the end of the flashback. I swear. I was kind of writer's blocked so this was a rabbit trail to give me enough time to think of something.

'Ira' comes from the Latin 'ira, irae' which means 'anger' or 'annoyance'

*do people have mental lists of their favorite sounds? Is that a thing? Or is that just me? Because it seems like a logical thing, but then again, what do I know?

About updating: Summer = good

School year = I'm crying in the corner because I just can't

Apologies for those of you who wait for me to update (if there even are any of you). You all are wonderful and have the patience of saints.