A/N: They're beginning to think they're back to square one, but I think that's when Black Star bursts in again, all,"It's me, ya boi! Send me in, coach!" - Snippet of the note I wrote for my brainstorming for this chapter.
Because, c'mon, that's essentially how it went, right?
Again, thank you all for reading and hope you enjoy another chapter!
Chapter 14: Dust, Shadows, and Glass
Anger and madness are brothers.
~ African Proverb
"Now I already know what you're all going to say. You're going to tell me it's too dangerous and reckless and all that lame stuff, so save the lectures," Black Star declared, raising his arms up as if to ward away any dismissive words. "Pretty Boy over there is going to get on his high horse about me being a member of Star Clan and an abomination, the absolute last person he'd allow to get close to Kid, but joke's on you, I've saved him more times than you could probably count!"
Endymion looked appalled, and from where she stood, Tsubaki had to shake her head while considering the fact her meister's words weren't even remotely true. He'd helped the reaper out on assignments, sure, but saving him…?
The Dark Arm weapon released a low sigh as her partner rambled on, giving no indication of stopping.
"Professor Stein, I know you might say I'm reckless, but hear me out. I got to thinking about what we were saying earlier, with Tsubaki's Enchanted Sword mode. You said it forces people to be compatible with their wavelengths, right? Well, if me and Tsubaki can get into Kid's soul and we all get along, there you have it! I knock the creepy reaper on his ass, Kid wakes up, and then I beat the shit out of Kid for scaring us!"
"Black Star, that's…" Stein began slowly, pinching the bridge of his nose in speculation. "You make it sound so simple, but what I don't think you get is—"
"We're lost, we know!" Liz interrupted with a scowl. "We're all grasping at straws, so here's what we've got: Crona got into Kid's Hollow with Stein and you guys were severely underestimating this Dark Reaper. He took a little bit of Ragnarok, so with that added madness, he's bound to be even more powerful than before. It might be a shock coming from me, but Black Star's pretty powerful. Even against Kid, he puts up a hell of a fight. Take that, plus the fact he's almost complete immune to insanity, and we've got a powerful player!"
Black Star looked taken aback by the compliment before the words registered and he blinked dubiously. After a moment, he began nodding his head vigorously, crying, "Y-Yeah, that's right! My sixth sense is crap, so the Dark Reaper can't affect me!"
"Asura's madness was more concentrated during the battle under the Academy," Soul added. "The Dark Reaper only has some of Ragnarok's. Granted, he's basically a god and we're probably seriously doubting his abilities for a second time, and this is also a really stupid plan but Black Star's a stupid guy!"
"That's right!" the assassin agreed firmly.
"Soul and I talked about this same plan, though we didn't expect Black Star to beat us to it," Liz admitted.
For a moment, no one spoke. All that could be heard was the wind rustling tree branches outside the window, along with the soft footsteps advancing down the hall. Those not present had heard the commotion and were approaching Kid's room and the tense silence within.
"Lord Death…" Spirit was the first to speak, eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Tsubaki's Enchanted Sword mode could be of assistance. With Stein's Soul Perception abilities and Tsubaki utilizing Soul Possession, it's possible she could get into Kid's soul…"
"There's also the fact that with Tsubaki's abilities, Black Star has the ability to pick up on other soul wavelengths," Stein added. "It's not as efficient as Soul Perception, but it doesn't leave them completely in the dark if they're to also use Soul Possession.
"But using Soul Possession involves taking advantage of the victim's fear!" Endymion interjected. "The young reaper is already in a questionable state, especially his mind, and now you suggest these children take advantage of his weakened state even more?"
"Wait, what do you mean his mind?" Maka's voice broke in from where she'd appeared at the doorway, joined by Patty who surveyed the scene with wide eyes.
"While you kids were away, we compared notes from Spirit's own past experience with the Dark Reaper, as well as my own," Stein explained quietly. "In his current state, we know Kid has retreated far into past memories from when he was a child, when the Dark Reaper first appeared. Both Spirit and myself were part of that, so we have a general idea of how things play out."
"But things aren't happening like we remember," Spirit interjected. "We've determined that with our current interference now, we're apparently… rewriting Kid's memories."
"Seriously?" Liz murmured, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, clearly that's not good, but will that really matter once he wakes back up?"
"This internal battle Kid faces is difficult enough," Lord Death stated. "He's put up walls around himself, likely doing all he can to keep the Dark Reaper at bay. These walls consist of memories, and if we begin messing with them and poking at these walls, we believe things could grow even worse."
"The young shinigami could fall into madness," Endymion murmured.
"And worse, the Dark Reaper could take hold of that weakness and break in," Spirit finished grimly.
"Still don't see how that matters to any of us," Black Star declared, crossing his arms behind his head and turning to his unconscious friend. "You guys know the original story, you know how everything works out. That gives us the upper hand. We have the entire tutorial of Kid's childhood, duh!"
"It's not that simple," Stein responded with a low sigh.
"Sure it is! Professor Stein, Maka's old man, and Lord Death." Black Star trailed his finger across the room, stopping at each individual respectively. "You're all part of Kid's childhood. You're in his memories, so best not to interfere anymore, yeah?"
"N-Now hold on a second!" Spirit exclaimed. "We can't just do nothing!"
"Just sit tight a moment," the assassin replied with a scowl. "If Kid sees your old mug standing next to your younger self, he's going to freak."
"As irritating as it is, the child has a point," Endymion mumbled begrudgingly. "But don't expect us to stand by while you tear ahead recklessly. Should the Dark Reaper gain anymore power, we've already lost."
"So we won't let him," Maka spoke up as she stepped into the room, deep in thought. "Unfortunately, introducing Black Blood into Kid's Hollow allowed the Dark Reaper to absorb some madness, no doubt making him more powerful. That can't happen again, so that means Soul and myself can't interfere, either."
"You're also tainted with that filth?" Endymion scoffed. "How tedious."
At that, Spirit advanced across the room, too quick for anyone to stop him, a long scythe erupting from the side of his arm and resting inches from the other man's face. The Death Scythe's eyes hardened into icy shards, the blade trembling as it brushed Endymion's skin, drawing the barest sliver of red.
"Say one more word." Spirit's voice was no more than a low hiss. "You've always been a bastard, ever since you were a teenager, always holding yourself so much higher than everyone else. You think you're so much better than the rest of us, yet I don't see you doing a damn thing here."
"I'm providing reason, Albarn," Endymion responded, expression just as dark. "While you all bicker and throw about outlandish ideas on how best to approach our enemy, I offer rational thought. You continue to disregard the most important thing, that this matter should be left to those capable of dealing with it. We should not be enlisting the help of children."
There came the sound of a solid thud as a body hit the floor, and everyone went still. The noise did not originate from Spirit knocking the other man unconscious, or vice versa. Instead, everyone slowly turned to where Black Star knelt against hardwood, the thin blade of Tsubaki's Enchanted Sword mode in hand. Black lines stretched across his face, passing over closed eyes, as a shadow began shrouding the boy in darkness.
"Damn it, Black Star!" Stein erupted, reaching for the preoccupied assassin, but Death's firm tone stopped everyone in the room from falling into disarray.
"He's already resonated with the Enchanted Sword mode," the shinigami spoke from his mirror. "Black Star is reckless, but no doubt one of the most powerful students from the Academy. Ever since the business with the Enchanted Sword's original owner, both Black Star and Tsubaki have grown as students and partners. That being said… I can only hope Tsubaki can keep her meister levelheaded while also using her own abilities to reach my son."
"Lord Death, someone needs to go in to help them," Stein said. "We can't just let them go off alone."
"I know, Stein." The surface of the mirror rippled, Death's reflection wavering. "And yet we still let them go."
—-/—-\—-|—-/—-\—-
"Black Star, I don't think we should have just left like that!"
"It's okay, Tsubaki. If we didn't, they'd all still be there bickering. Heck, they probably still are and haven't even noticed we're gone yet!"
Tsubaki wasn't sure about this, staring doubtfully back at her meister as they drifted in and out of the Hollow that was the Enchanted Sword. They drifted over clear pools of water as camellia blossoms brushed past, both souls resonating in harmony.
"I know this isn't the greatest thing," Black Star murmured, almost too quiet for his meister to hear and she frowned. "I mean, we've only had the Enchanted Sword mode for so long, and yeah, I can pick up on soul wavelengths with Trap Star, but this is completely out of the ordinary for us."
The sympathy in her meister's voice surprised her, and for a moment, Tsubaki's concentration wavered and the glassy surface beneath their feet bubbled, allowing thick, maroon droplets to sputter up towards them.
"Tsubaki?"
"I'm okay." Tsubaki closed her eyes, inhaling shakily. "It's not like when Masamune had the Enchanted Sword. This time, I'm the one trying to reach out for a soul to take over and… it's not easy."
"Don't worry," Black Star murmured, allowing himself to crouch down and place a hand into the shallow water at his feet. "I'll try to pick up on Kid's soul from here with my senses, okay? Once we find it, you do your thing. And remember, Tsubaki…"
The weapon partner looked down at her meister, forcing a tentative smile.
"You're the good guy. We're here to save Kid, not take over his soul."
Tsubaki nodded once, then closed her eyes, ignoring the whispers surrounding her, echoing her brother's words.
They were helping a friend. All she needed to do was take advantage of some bit of unease in Kid's soul. All they had to do was find it, find something that alerted them to the reaper's presence. But even with her in Enchanted Sword mode, there was no telling if they would be able to access Kid's Hollow. And Black Star was only wielding the sword, she was the one doing the possession. Once her and Black Star stopped resonating and she took over Kid's soul, what then? Would Black Star be kicked back out into the real world? Would that leave her with the Dark Reaper?
"Tsubaki, you getting something?"
Tsubaki pushed away the looming doubts, willing herself to concentrate even harder. No. Just find Kid first. That's all we can do right now. With Enchanted Sword mode and the art of the assassin, we should be able to reach out for Kid. What ever happens after that…
"Tsubaki, what are you doing?"
The weapon opened her eyes, blinking against the dreary light that had descended upon her hollow. The water around them had turned a murky grey, rippling unsteadily like a disoriented heartbeat. On the horizon, something dark bled into the water, slowly drifting towards them.
Black Star turned, inspecting their surroundings before focusing on the shape steadily approaching. He raised a single hand, fingers charged with the electricity of his soul wavelength while Tsubaki took on a defensive stance beside him.
The shape veered to the right, inching around the two partners, and Tsubaki blinked in alarm upon recognizing the thing as a shadow. It's jagged figure appeared similar to ones the Enchanted Sword mode controlled, but this one looked unfinished and out of focus in the hollow, flickering uneasily.
"Hey, is that Kid's shadow? Tsubaki, did you get his soul?"
Black Star watched the long shadow as it surrounded them, his teal eyes narrowed suspiciously as he awaited his meister's confirmation. However, before Tsubaki could say anything, the dark shape spread its weblike fingers, sending a network of black lines through the water around them. The water bubbled, then froze over with a solid exterior, the jarring change sending both students crashing to the ground.
"Damn it, what the hell?" Black Star hissed, immediately rising to his hands and knees.
"Black Star, that shadow—" Tsubaki stiffened as the ground came into focus. Like before, it was the same dull gray, only now it had turned to glass, the dark shadow spread out in a web of cracks that isolated uneven shards. Although murky, if she squinted hard enough, Tsubaki could see bright colors beneath the cold surface.
"Hey, look," Black Star whispered, extending his fingers across the floor and wiping away a layer of grime across one of the irregular segments. "After Stein got back from Kid's Hollow and everyone kind of separated for awhile, I heard him talking to Maka's dad and Lord Death about what it was like. He said there were a lot of mirrors, and that's how they saw Gallows Manor. They figured out Kid was back in his childhood after watching him through the mirrors, like some crappy TV set or something."
"Is that was you think this is?" Tsubaki asked, also clearing the glassy surface beneath her. Through the dusty surface, she could see a long table with a few books adorning the top, as well as surrounding chairs, a long carpet, portraits, and mirrors.
"Yeah," Black Star murmured, stepping over to join his weapon partner and gazing down through the glass. "That's the dining room, isn't it?"
"I think so," Tsubaki responded softly, watching her meister stride over to another section of the ground and clear away the dirt. "But why does this place still look similar to the inside of the Enchanted Sword?"
Black Star shrugged, crouching down to inspect the scene below his feet. The emptiness of the library lay beneath, and he scowled, stepping over to another part.
"I'm not sure about this, Black Star…" Tsubaki spoke as she stood, gazing around at the cold world. "Something seems off about this place."
"Kind of dreary, yeah." The assassin scuffed his shoe along the ground, sending up a flurry of dust that drew an obnoxious sneeze from him. With a sniff, the boy rubbed his nose and peered down at his feet with a look of disdain at the dull scene before him.
"Yes, but can't you sense that? There's something wrong here."
"It'll be fine, Tsubaki. Just help me find that dumb reaper so we can give him a good beating and save Kid."
Tsubaki frowned at her partner as he meandered further away, kicking up dust as he went. With each cloud of gray revealing little excitement, the assassin grew more impatient. Soon, he had resorted to darting around the glassy surface with unreasonable speed, sending up billowing clouds that left him cursing and coughing.
The Dark Arm weapon watched her meister for a minute before returning her attention to the suffocating presence she'd felt once the shadow had appeared. The entire expanse felt sick, much like the Enchanted Sword had felt when it'd belonged to her brother. There was definitely a darkness in the area, one that encircled herself and her partner, resonating up through the glass floor. And if Black Star couldn't feel it, that only meant…
"Black Star, I don't like this," Tsubaki murmured softly. "There's madness here. I don't think this is right, I think we got something wrong and the Enchanted Sword mode didn't work."
"You need to quit worrying," Black Star chided from where he resided a fair distance away. "It worked, no doubt about it."
Tsubaki frowned at the assassin as he raised a foot and slammed it against the floor, sending vibrations through its surface and filling the entire area with a low ring.
"He's right here." Black Star grinned triumphantly. "I found him."
-/-/-|-/-\-
A/N: They grow closer still to figuring out this mystery... Thanks again for reading, hope you all enjoyed another chapter, and I'll see you guys again soon!