MEDUSA'S PLAN! DEATH'S CHOICE!
Medusa was here. Medusa was here. Medusa was in the DWMA. That was all anyone in Death City, heck the entire world, was whispering about as news of the evil witch's surrender spread like wildfire. While the world and most of the DWMA saw her as the third most wanted on Death's List of criminals behind Arachne and Asura himself, Crona and his friends knew how dangerous she really was, and that the third place spot didn't do the body-stealing witch justice. It had been a week since she was incarcerated in the dungeon with Kami and Marie as warden. Spirit had been ordered to stay near Death, and they could not risk Stein being anywhere near the witch seeing as her presence had in the past caused the darker, less sane, part of the doctor to bubble to the surface..
Maka spent the nights in Crona's apartment as she didn't want to impose at Stein's and she didn't want to sleep knowing she was so close to the figure she once called mother. Everyone knew that the witch had a plan, she always did and no witch who had fought so hard would allow herself to be caught so easily. What no one could say for certain was what the witch was planning. The only thing she had said since being locked up was that she wanted to talk to Lord Death and that he would regret holding her off. Medusa's presence had caused nothing but unease, and most talked about wanting to execute her witch. However, Lord Death being the oldest and wisest, knew that that would be a very foolish thing to do hastily.
When Death looked into Medusa's eyes he could easily see the extent of the witch's inner madness. She had long since succumbed, or rather, she had willingly embraced the darker parts of her nature. Death felt a sting of anger at that, knowing full well that so many others struggled to against something they had no control over - like Kim and Roxie who was in a constant battle to keep their minds theirs. Death had decided to wait and to see what would happen next and who would give in to the other, the reaper or the witch?
Crona and his friends were planning to see how Stein was doing, taking the detour to his house on their way to a picnic which Tsubaki and Crona had prepared. Stein answered the door, and upon seeing who his visitors was, gave the kids a small, tired smile before welcoming them into his home. He looked terrible with tired bags under his eyes, and his white coat now had new cuts and torn pieces as he seemed to have been tearing at it. His glasses were broken, his hair was messier than usual, and he looked much stronger as if he had done nothing but work out for days.
"So kids why pleasure me with a visit today? Did something happen at the school?"
Crona shook his head and smiled at the professor, "No, no sir, we were all going on a picnic and just decided to see how you have been doing, seeing as you have been on break for a while now."
Stein sighed and gazed down at the students whom had gotten so attached to in the last few months. He had watched these teens s grow into some of the best warriors he had ever seen and Stein couldn't help but feel proud of them. He had never intended to get so close, he never meant to actually enjoy being something he knew he wasn't. "Thank you for your concerns, but I'm keeping busy and I'm well thanks to Marie."
Liz pointed out the doctor's appearance, "Hey teach, no offense but you look like hell. You should get out of this dark lab more, there is a coffee place close by. They serve the best sweets and coffee in Death City."
Patty cut in with a smile at the memories the sisters shared there. "Yeah! Sis and I used to work there with friends before we met Kid! You should really really go see the place, and the boss man will give you a free snack on us!"
Stein couldn't keep down a smile from their enthusiasm and agreed to take Marie there. The group of friends left not long after. Stein began walking to his room for some much needed rest. A room away, a frog was quietly hopping her way to a safe where Stein's files on past experiments were kept.
...
The group of Meisters and death weapons talked and walked to their usual meeting teachers said that spending time with each other and getting to know each other would strengthen their resonance in battle. That day it was Maka that asked the question that became the focus of the picnic.
"Hey you all have known each other for a long time now right? How did you all meet each other?"
Everyone looked at each other with grins, it was impossible now to think of a time where they had not been together. Kid cleared his throat as he decided to be the one to start. "Well before I met the sisters, Father, Spirit, and I were looking for the best weapons in the world, for my Father believed only the best could hold the power of a reaper. All the weapons didn't meet my strict requirements of being perfectly symmetrical and were denied, until one day I found myself wandering in the less desirable parts of Death City. Soon two dirty uninteresting girls pushed me against a wall at gunpoint and proceeded to try and rob me of all people. I was about to dispose of them until I saw them transform into weapons in an attempt to scare me, and it was the most beautiful thing I ever seen! They were just what I had been looking for this whole time! They were twin pistols that were perfectly symmetrical! So after telling them who I was I began to follow them and even got them a job which they were terrible at if I may say."
Liz puffed her cheeks up in annoyance listening to Kid's version of the story, and finally spoke up, "Oh yeah I remember now! Kid here kept stalking us and gave us an offer that he could get rid of our criminal records if we worked and then helped him out. We did the job and made some friends, but after we were done working Kid came to us with the records and burned them. He then told us if we wanted to be more than street rats, then we should join him."
Patty nodded and smiled, "So we did! And now we are ace kishin killing machines!"
The group laughed and felt for their friends, but it blew their minds that Kid was willing to break the law for people he didn't even know. Black Star smirked and jumped up making a pose, "Well Kid your story was okay, but mine is much more epic! So I'm going to tell you all how I met Tsubaki! Well as I was so godly that no one ever really wanted to get close to me, I only had Soul and Crona as friends and they had already teamed up so I was alone. I decided to make a challenge to the newcomers that were getting to the DWMA that day and show them a fraction of my greatness! I climbed to the top of the school and jumped off, doing spins and flips to prove my awesomeness. But when I looked the people were confused, so I tried to land on one of the giant spikes and proclaim my godliness but the spike broke underneath my feet, and gravity slammed me down on the ground on my butt. The students laughed at me as they left, all except for Tsubaki. She was clapping, even I knew that was a fail but she didn't care. She smiled and helped me up saying how great I was, I felt my ego get bigger and smiled laughing. She asked if I was a meister and I said yes, she lowered her eyes and she shyly asked if I could accept her as my weapon. Of course I agreed!"
Tsubaki was blushing at how vividly her usually forgetful partner remembered their first meeting and decided to tell everyone why she did what she did. "I knew just by that stunt that Black Star was a natural idiot, but when everyone laughed and walked away I saw his eyes and felt the sadness and want to be what he acted like he was deep down. He wanted to be the center of attention because he want to pull attention away from something else, when I first met Black Star he wore long sleeves over his arms. After becoming his partner I found out what he hid, his Star Mark. The sign of his family, I didn't know why he hid it but I didn't push. I saw the warrior and hero he could truly be and promised stayed by his side as he made me a promise also, to make me the greatest Death Scythe ever."
The friends smiled at the heartwarming story, and turned to the last team who had not yet shared their story. Crona looked at Soul and saw he was contemplating on what to tell and what to not tell, but Crona punched him in the arm and Blair hugged his other arm tightly. Soul looked at his partner who nodded, then he turned his head towards the girl he had come to care deeply for, and at the friendships around him that he knew would last a lifetime. Soul gave a small smile and nodded, beginning the story.
"I was five when I first saw one of the outcast of Death City, A child who was raised by the DWMA Black Star. My parents and brother told me to stay away from him, so naturally I went to talk to him and we became fast friends. We talked when we could, but he was the only friend I had as my parents status kept many people from approaching me. They were famous musicians and my brother Wes Evans is still one of the best musicians in the world, and I hated him. Not because he was mean, but because he was so perfect and nothing I could do on the piano could ever measure against his skills. I was stuck in his shadow and decided after finding out I was a weapon to run away, I changed my name from Soul Evans to Soul Eater, and through a chance meeting at a party Black Star introduced me to Crona."
Crona nodded and continued the story explaining why he had picked Soul. "I was at a party thrown by Lord Death because I heard Black Star was going and I wanted to talk to my old friend. When I found him he was talking to someone I had never met before, I found out this was the guy Black Star had told me so much about. I remembered his cool guy attitude, but couldn't get passed the fact his name was so dumb. I mean Soul Eater really? But I put that aside and we talked, but found out that we didn't have much incommon and went in different directions. I wandered around and was going to leave when I heard the most beautiful music I had ever heard before, the tone was sad yet hopeful, easy to hear but hard to understand, beaten but strong. I followed the sound as if it was pulling on my soul and ended up in a abandoned wing of the house where Soul was playing on an old piano, he finished his song and turned in surprised to discover he had an audience We studied each other and I was the first one to smile and hold out a hand. I told him, 'I want to surpass my family and make the greatest death weapon in history, but first I need a weapon. Will you be my partner?' Soul looked at the hand and after a minute of thinking he took the hand with a smirked, showing his sharp teeth. He laugh a bit and said 'Well I have nothing better to do so sure let's do it.' And that was how we met. "
As the group continued with their picnic, a mouse snuck into the cell keeping the witch Medusa. As she spotted the animal, a smile grew on her lips. The mouse inched closer as she whispered to it, "Begin the plan Free." The mouse left and quickly escaped the DWMA, before turning into one of the Mizore sisters and she squeaked to her siblings and they sent Free toward a large machine guarded by followers of Arachnophobia.
The siblings were scattered across the world, but all were attacking a similar machine to Free's. Once the Arachnophobia soldiers were gone, Free radioed Shaula Gorgon to turn on a machine that looked homemade inside of Medusa's hideout. She did as ordered,and the machines around the world that Medusa's team had taken from her sister turned on and caused the Earth to shake. Medusa could feel the ground shake underneath her feet, and she threw her head back as she let out a bellowing laugh. She didn't have to see it herself to know the sky had turned red everywhere on the planet, and the madness in the world would spread.
Death was informed that Arachnophobia had activated machines that spread the madness. All eyes turned to the principle with desperation for orders as to what to do. Death looked angry as he turned to Spirit and told him to bring Medusa to him. Spirit went down to the dungeon and opened the cell, him, Marie, and Kami grabbed the witch and roughly pushed her to the Death Room.
The whole trip to the chamber, Medusa asked about Stein, made a comment about Crona, or insulted Maka. Spirit gritted his teeth, but managed to not lose his patience. As they entered the room, Death asked everyone to leave as he wished to talk to the witch alone. They left reluctantly and Death sipped his tea in silence as he gazed at the witch thoughtfully.
Medusa stared at the god back, and a few moments later she shifted in her seat with an uncomfortable expression at the eerie silence. She had expected yelling or angry hissed word, not silence filled with an emotion she could swear was disappointment"I know you called me here for a reason. Glancing out the window on my way up, I noticed the sky had been turning red. Can't be a good thing," she tried quirking her lips upwards, but the smile turned into a grimace as there were still no reaction from her companion. She decided to change tactics. " My sister is the one responsible, isn't it? She used the madness manipulator machine to spread madness across the world and you want to make a deal with me to stop the machines."
That finally got a reaction, and Death spoke up with a booming voice that did not hold back any power "You surrendered for a reason. I suspect you knew this would happen. What is it you can offer the DWMA and more importantly what is it that you want?"
Medusa laughed a cold heartless laugh and began, "I'm willing to give the location of the kishin, my sister's castle, the locations of the machines that are destroying your world right now, and as a bonus I will give all my data on the blackblood to you."
Death wouldn't lie, that was a tempting deal but he was afraid to see the price. "All I want in return is the key of Eibon which that little bear witch took from the guardians, a promise on your word that no DWMA people will come after me, and one more thing."
...
The students and teachers were all gathered around the entrance of the DWMA as the doors opened and Medusa came walking out with Free and Eruka, with Free holding Eibon's key. Medusa looked around to watch the enraged, terrified, and depressing expression on her audience's faces and laughed as a third person came walking out with her. Crona came out with his hair covering his eyes and everyone gasped as they saw one of the heroes of the DWMA walking with the witch.
Medusa turned and pointed at the boy, "Help me to welcome the traitor of the DWMA, my son Crona Gorgon-"
A shout cut her speech short, "NOO! Not him! Take me you bitch! Take me!"
Maka jumped down from where she had been standing and began to run in Crona's direction. She grabbed his shoulder and started to shake him violently with gritted teeth. "Tell them the truth! Tell them all it's a lie! Please Crona don't do this…"
A hand grabbed Maka as Crona turned away and kept on walking. Soul Eater held her still as their friends ran up staring at Crona's leaving figure, but they noticed the tears swimming in his eyes as he glanced back one last time. With rage and desperation, the group started to run to the Death Room to question Death, hearing the students talk about how much of a traitor Crona was and that he should die for his crime. They arrived at the Death Room and heard shouting inside, they ran in to see Spirit and Kami being held back by Stein, Sid and Marie from attacking Death.
"What gives you the right to give someone elses child away! How could you dare not tell us! Our son is now counted as a traitor to the DWMA! I don't care how powerful you are, this wasn't your choice to make!"
Death stayed quiet and was looking away from his old friends. "Look at me!" Maka felt her rage soften into sadness as Spirit fell to his knees with a sob, and Kami hugging him from behind, trying to keep her tears from falling, knowing that once again they had lost another child to the witch Medusa. The betrayal stung deeply. Marie was also crying and hugging Stein who looked angry and twisted his bolt.
Death, still facing away from everyone, took off his mask and sounded like he too was crying a bit. "I-I'm...sorry to you all...I had no choice...one person was a small price to pay for saving the world, but...I never thought she would ask for Crona...you're right I had no right to have done that. If she asked for Kid I never would have agreed...I'm a fool...you all have all the right to hate and attack me, but now is not the time we must hurry or many more lives will be lost. So please listen to me and I swear we will get him back."
Spirit stood and with venom in his voice he pointed at Death, "We better...or I'm done." Kami nodded and they left with Stein, Marie, and Sid.
Death put his mask on and faced the children, and said one thing. "I don't expect anyone's forgiveness."
...
Away in Medusa's hideout, Medusa was angry as her sister's attempts to control Crona had failed. "Why won't you give up? Everyone you love will die soon and you are now known as a traitor to the DWMA."
Crona spit blood in her face as the nails in his hands held him still and his cut-up lip made a smile. Medusa smacked him hard in the face and turned to Shaula, "I've had enough of this, use the Soul Breaker and if he dies oh well."
Shaula nodded in fear of her sister and turned to Crona, feeling bad for her nephew as she prepared to control his mind again. The Soul Breaker was an outlawed technique as it could literally tear the soul apart if the victim did not submit, Crona began to scream as the forbidden magic began to rip him apart from within.
Crona woke up near Death City that looked ruined and destroyed, Crona began to run toward the DWMA. Men, women, and children's bodies were scattered throughout the town and only grew in number as he neared the DWMA, at the top of the stairs he saw his first friend. Ox was laying n a puddle of blood, his partner was still in spear form and was broken and implanted in Ox's chest. Kim was nearby with the word 'Witch' cut into her neck, her partner was burned alive next to her. Crona kept walking coming across more of his friends with all of them dead in terrible ways, Tsugumi, Anya, Mimi, Kilik, Thunder, Fire, and more.
As he neared the Death Room he saw Mabaa the witch with her other eyes ripped out and her head bashed in, the werewolf Free with his head missing, the spider queen Arachne with her limbs ripped off, Mosquito with his nose broken off and it stabbed into his back, and Giriko had his heart shredded. Crona was now at the door of the Death Room. Every instinct in his body told him to flee, but he swallowed down the urge and walked through the door. Stein was the first one he saw as his bolt was pulled out of his head and he was bludgeoned to death with it, Marie was holding onto him and Crona looked away before he noticed the source of her demise. The Death Scythes were all dead and scattered around, Lord Death laid with his mask broken and the words false god written across his face. Asura was nearby with the same message on him, Medusa was next as she was torn apart at the waist and had a smile that sickened Crona. Kid and the sisters were dead with stab wounds in the chest, Black Star and Tsubaki were hugging as if Tsubaki had tried to protect Black Star from an attack and it cut right through them both. Crona was crying after seeing all he had, but broke when he saw Maka and Soul with their souls ripped out and his parents nearby sharing the same fate.
Crona fell to his knees and stared at his hands that had the blood of his friends and enemies on them, he looked up with the tears in his eyes and screamed a heart wrenching scream of sadness and regret. The moon was above him as he screamed, it was surrounded in a sphere of blackness.
