Here we go again! Updates will be spread further out as work picks up, so please be patient. I rewrote the last chapter I think at least three times…kept getting better ideas. Without further ado…. onward! *Sorry for the delay! Got busy with work for the end of the year numbers and then I went to Japan for two weeks! Best. Two. Weeks. Of. My. Life. *

The Coven was abuzz as the gossip quickly spread throughout the Realm, excitement filling the air as the announcement neared. A new leader was to be chosen; the current witch had fallen critically ill, leading the council to designate the next successor. It was always a special occasion once a new Mother was chosen to lead the Coven, something that happened every few hundred years, if not more, unless something befell the predecessor. The council was composed of the oldest, and wisest, witches within the Realm; their word was law and anyone who broke the law faced exile or worse.

The candidates selected consisted of two witches from the High-Level ranking, one Short Range witch, a Tanuki witch, and a Necromancer classification witch. One of the HL witches, by the name of Ametrine Gorgon, was rumored to be the most favored by the council due to her impressive skill level and dedication to the Coven. Though she was favored by the elders, many of the younger witches had different opinions of the witch with the flaming red hair.

"I'm so excited to see who the new Mother will be! It's terrible Mother Rosediah fell ill in such a horrible way, may she recover swiftly, but I'm sure our new leader will be just as great!" A young Tanuki witch gossiped to her friend as they rushed down the corridor to claim good seats in the gathering chamber, excitedly moving through the crowded passageway.

"I just hope it isn't Ametrine; the elders may think she's perfect, but I heard she has been sneaking out and hooking up with human males! They're such disgusting creatures; though I guess it's fitting for a snake like her to be with her own kind." The two snickered before taking off, weaving through the throng of witches with ease.

As the plethora of witches filled the massive gathering chamber, on the center stage stood the contenders, sitting perfectly still on their assigned chairs. Murmurs waved over the crowd as one chair on the end was empty, the chair for the second HL witch Evanora Killgorne. Everyone quieted down as the council strode across the stage to their respective podiums, their movements slow yet graceful and fluid.

"Witches, sisters, welcome to the coronation ceremony. Though we mourn the illness of Mother Rosediah, now is the time to keep our strength and spirits up as we welcome our new Mother." An elderly Necromancer witch by the name of Celestina Barclay spoke loudly into the microphone adorned to her stand. "We, the council, have narrowed down the candidates for the crucial and sacred role that binds us together as family. But sadly, we do have some unfortunate news regarding one of our selected witches,"

The emporium went dead silent. Most of the older witches had a guess at what happened while the younger ones looked around in confusion. The council slowly scanned the crowds, taking in the confused, knowing, pained, and horrified looks before the second councilwoman spoke up.

"My sisters, it is with a heavy heart that we, the council, announce the sudden disappearance of Evanora Killgorne. We have received notice from a sister branch that she left their location two days ago but never arrived at her halfway checkpoint back to our home." Marilla Wyrm, a Tanuki witch, broke the heavy news to the hundreds of witches sitting before her.

"Ladies, we understand your thoughts and feelings, but we must have faith that she will return to us. We have sent our fastest and stealthiest teams to track her down and bring her home safely." A third council witch, Raine Moonfall, assured the panicking crowd, the whispers nearly becoming hysterics within minutes.

The fourth and final witch amongst the council took a step backwards from her podium while raising her hand, her thumb and middle finger barely touching. The three other witches took notice and took a step back, bowing in respect as they moved. After a heartbeat of waiting, she snapped her fingers and the whole arena went quiet as a calming wavelength washed over them.

"Witches, while this is a very urgent matter that has arisen, we must continue on with the ceremony as scheduled. We have the matter under control, so please refrain yourselves from further interrupting."

"We, the council, have hereby decided upon our new Mother of the Coven. Narrowed down from these candidates sitting before you all, their dedication and experience standing out above others, their bravery and courage helping those who look up for guidance and knowledge. For years we have observed and taken note of those who have earned the sacred honor of Coven Mother nominee. Witches, today we welcome the newest Mother to lead our clan to a safe and prosperous future, building the path for our youngest witches while keeping our sanctuary safe."

There was a pregnant pause as the coven looked on, anxious to learn of their new chosen leader.

"May we proudly present…"

"Our new Mother…"

"The one who shall guide us on our journeys…"

"And bring prosperity to our Coven for many generations to come…"

Ametrine growled through her mouth gag, sealed eyes twitching restlessly beneath the fabric as she was shuffled along like a criminal. She was fitted with a straight jacket that kept her arms pinned awkwardly behind her, every jostle or bump in the road causing her shoulders to grind painfully. Shackles were linked around her ankles, restricting her movement to small shuffles when she walked. With her powers bound she had little hope of escaping the Witches Realm unscathed. Even so, as a witch of over five hundred years old, she could still sense there were numerous guards surrounding her, anti-magic weapons aimed mere inches from her body. Small sparks would arch far enough to zap her often, a painful reminder not to try anything.

"Nyamu."

The captive witch grunted as a hand grabbed her roughly by the back of the neck, forcing her to stop. If an aura could kill…

"You'll be staying in a hidden location until the time of your trial, Ametrine, so I suggest you use that time wisely to repent for your actions." Snarled Mabaa's assistant as a heavy metal door screeched open, like nails on a chalkboard. Hot breath hit Ametrine's ear as the witch drew close. "Unfortunately for you, I am one of the judges for your trial. If it was up to me, I would kill you on the spot while you're tied up and defenseless. The others may not be aware, but I am fully aware of what really happened to Mother Rosediah all those centuries ago."

The memory flashed through the captive witches' mind and she let out a silent tsk. She had tried to be careful when taking care of the elderly and sick Queen Witch, but apparently not careful enough. Everything had been planned down to even the 10th backup plan. A slow, but effective, natural poison that was nearly impossible to trace, was slipped into a nearby incense burner. With her weakened state, and the burner running nearly non-stop, it only took about two and a half weeks before she slipped away in her sleep, none the wiser. It must have been a servant who had inhaled too much of the incense and fallen ill as well, or a hidden recorder lacrima stashed near the Queen. One small slip and now she had a witness, one who was a judge, no less. Ametrine turned her head to face the feline witch, her glare nearly burning through her seal. The powerful witch let the edges of her tight lips curl upwards as she felt the glare permeating from behind the seal, releasing an amused puff of smoke.

"I see your memory is still sharp after all these centuries. You'd best remember your place and keep it." Blowing a puff of smoke into Ametrine's face, the higher-ranking witch flicked her wrist before turning and leaving. The sound of chains clinking diminishing as the large iron doors began to close.

The groaning of the door rang throughout the small cell as Ametrine was magically chained against the wall, the final slivers of light giving into darkness with an ear-shattering clang. She would have plenty of time to think of an escape; a trial like this would take up to seven days maximum to prepare all the evidence and gather the Council. More than that, it would give the witch ample time in which to formulate her retaliation against the DWMA.

A wicked grin graced her taut lips; she would save the best prize for last.

'You're mine, Maka Albarn.'

"Maka…Maka-chan…"

Maka groaned as she nestled deeper into the warmth, her consciousness slipping back to the darkness as she ignored the disturbance. A hand began gently pushing against her arm and the meister twitched her arm slightly away. Exhaustion weighed heavily over her mind and body, the urge to slip away from it all tempting.

"Maka-chan, you have some visitors here to see you. Kid-kun would like to see you, he's waiting in the living room." Blair purred as she gently grabbed the meisters arm and began removing her from the cocoon of blankets she was currently nestled into. "Tsubaki and the Thompson sisters are here as well. Come on, Maka, let's get you up now."

"K-Kid?" The meister slurred the words out, her mouth feeling full of cotton. She flicked her tongue around before trying again. "Blair? What's going on?"

"Kid-kun wanted to discuss something urgent with you and the girls wanted to make sure you were okay. You've been out for quite a while…"

That woke Maka up. As the blankets were thrown back from her lethargic frame, the natural light penetrated her green orbs and she let out a hiss. How long had she been out? Noticing how sticky she felt, she must have been taking more than an afternoon nap. A while didn't exactly sound very comforting…

After some shifting of blankets and clothing, Blair helped the meister shuffle to the bathroom to clean up a bit. After adjusting to the brightness of the lights, Maka cracked a watery eye and nearly had a heart attack looking at her ragged reflection; it looked and felt like someone had used her face as a punching bag before a big match. Bruises lining her jaw were a medium yellowish color, matching ones traced around her cheeks and eyes, even down her neck to her collarbone. The bruises would be gone within a few more days, but she couldn't help but grimace at her appearance. She noticed an oddly darker bruise that appeared hand-shaped print around her neck, just under her chin. Narrowing her eyes, she stared at the markings until the sensation came back to her in a flood of emotions and she could feel the witch stealing the very breath from her once more. A strangled gasp left her lips and she backed away from the mirror, grabbing at her throat with both hands. Panic began to set in as her chest constricted painfully, breathing becoming ragged as she slid down against the wall.

Blair knocked on the door and asked if she was alright, but the loud ringing in her ears drowned everything out. Everything was becoming hazy as the room began to spin faster and faster. Tears poured down her face as she curled into a tight ball, willing the images to go away, for the pain to go away. There was a dull tug at her soul, but the pain soon washed over it and she let out a silent cry.

"Blair, is something wrong with Maka?" Tsubaki gently asked as she made her way down the hallway, Thompson sisters close behind.

"Bu-tan doesn't know what to do to help. Maka-chan has been having terrible nightmares during the nights and not even Soul-kun can wake her up. I think she's having them because she's afraid of that witch, of how much stronger she is than Maka. I've never seen her shaken up so bad and I don't know what I can do to help…" Blair's ears folded against her head as she wrapped her arms around herself, eyes drifting to look at the closed bathroom door with forlorn. "That witch, Ametrine was it? I have a really bad feeling about her. I may be just a cat with incredible magical powers, but I'm nowhere near the level she is. I could sense her power from the club, and it was like nothing I've ever felt. Asura doesn't seem to come close to her level…"

"Ametrine's power nearly overpowered my own considering my awakened powers as a Shinigami; the fact that her level is that high, if not higher, means she's a serious threat to the city and others worldwide."

Kid had joined the conversation quietly, standing between Liz and Patty with his arms crossed over his chest.

"It's lucky that Maka survived a battle against her. Who knows what would have happened if it weren't for us intervening the battle. I've been researching what history we have on the witches, but there is very little mention of Ametrine. There was a page that had notes on her becoming the Coven Mother a few hundred years back, though it seems after a few short years she was exiled. This may require contacting the witches directly and gathering more information from them."

"But didn't they capture Amoeba? The witches have probably already locked her up forever,"

"Ametrine, Patty, but she has a point, Kid. I'm sure they've got her locked away and probably awaiting a trial at some point." Liz corrected her sister before turning to Kid. "If she was exiled from the Witches Realm, then she must have done something horrible enough for the witches to turn on her. Maybe she broke some sacred rules or something?"

The shower suddenly turned on in the bathroom and everyone went quiet. The handle slowly turned, and the door cracked open ever so slightly to reveal a sliver of green.

"Blair, could you grab me some fresh clothes? I'm just going to shower first and then we can talk." Maka croaked out, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Of course, Maka! I'll grab you some sweats and a t-shirt and leave it inside of the door for you."

"Thank you." The door quietly shut.

"I'm going to make some tea for when she comes out. Liz, Patty, could you help me get some food ready for her? She may not be hungry, but she needs to eat something." Tsubaki took command and ushered the sisters into the kitchen, throwing Kid an apologetic look.

Kid gave a reassuring smile before slowly returning to the living room. Ametrine must have done something worse than breaking a few rules to become exiled after just a few years. Witches usually were in charge for hundreds of years, if not longer, until they became too weak or sick to continue ruling. Considering how powerful of a witch she was, there's no telling what could've happened. There must be a clue somewhere, possibly right in front of their faces…

The front door swung open just then to reveal Black Star stuffing his face with rice balls and an annoyed Soul Eater carrying groceries on both arms.

"Sorry it took so long, someone kept eating the groceries on the way home and we had to go back and get more." Soul shot a dirty look to the unapologetic ninja, earning a shrug in return.

"I was hungry, do you expect the great Black Star to starve? It takes a lot of energy to be as perfect as me!"

"Black Star, what have I told you about doing that! Especially to someone else's groceries!" Tsubaki scolded him, waving a wooden spoon threateningly in his face. "You can use that money you earned from that mission and pay Soul back. I can't believe you, I thought you were better than that."

Black Star dropped the charade and quickly shot an apology to Soul, tossing him more than enough money to cover the groceries, at least enough for a few months, and following Tsubaki, asking for forgiveness. Soul rolled his eyes. He always acted so tough, yet when Tsubaki was scolding him, he follows her around like a puppy hoping to get back on her good side. Liz and Patty greeted him as he unloaded the food onto the table, separating refrigerated from non-perishables.

"We're making food for Maka, did you want anything specific? Hers will be pretty bland." Liz asked while picking out the ingredients she needed. "She woke up a short while ago and is showering now. It's great Blair is here to help out while you're gone, though I'm sure you wanted to be here when she woke up."

"I'm good, not all that hungry right now. I could feel when she woke up earlier, so at least that's a bit of comfort," Soul paused momentarily as he was placing cans in the cabinet. Liz noticed but kept quiet, waiting for him to speak. "She's being tormented by that creature in her sleep, the one we fought in Russia, screaming out and trying to fight it off. I couldn't even wake her up, no matter what I tried. I feel useless as her partner, not being able to help her…"

"Soul, the best thing you can do right now is be there for her, whether she's awake or not. You two share an unbreakable bond; you're bound mind, body, and soul. As partners, you're always there for each other, no matter what happens." Tsubaki had overheard the conversation and joined, laying a gentle hand on Soul's shoulder. "She may not be aware you're there, but her soul can feel your presence."

"Tsubaki is right, Soul, you are the strongest team I have personally ever seen. Not just in physical strength, but in soul connection. Of course, you'll have your arguments and fights, but when it comes down to it, you'll always be there for each other." Black Star interjected, earning surprised looks from the women. "What? Did I say something weird?"

"Kami above, he actually has some brains in that thick skull of his,"

"Sometimes he says really nice things, you guys, it shouldn't be so shocking."

"You think he had any to begin with? I'm pretty sure it's just full of hot air,"

"Patty, you too? How could you all turn against me! Soul, buddy, pal, you've got my back, right?"

"After you kept eating my groceries on the way home and making me go back to get more? I'm not so sure anymore,"

"Ouch, that's harsh, Soul. I trusted you like my brother—"

"To be fair, Black Star, you do tend to do whatever you please without caring about the consequences. Do I need to remind you of the asymmetrical damage you did to the front of Shibusen that fateful day all of those years ago? I still have nightmares about it from time to time."

"Seriously, Kid? Nightmares about the front of the school becoming asymmetrical. You couldn't have nightmares about, oh I don't know, Asura trying to kill us all?"

"Ahahaha, sis is a scaredy-cat! Scaredy-cat, scaredy-cat!"

"You guys, we're being too loud! We don't want to disturb Maka too much…"

"I'm sorry to interrupt, everyone, but Maka is almost ready to sit and talk now." Blair interrupted the rambunctious activity in the kitchen.

Black Star was latched onto Soul's legs, listing off all the times he had helped Soul out and reminding him of the good times. Patty was twitching with glee, anxious to start a fight with the blue-haired ninja. Tsubaki was busy stirring a pot on the stove and Liz was busy examining her nails again. Kid, who had joined the gang in the kitchen, poured himself a cup of tea, eyeing the chaos with amusement.

"I'll be right back," Soul roughly kicked Black Star from his leg before hurrying down the hallway, leaving the ninja on the tiled floor.

"He really does love her a lot," Blair sighed with a smile, taking a seat on the corner of the table, tail twitching softly. "Though he would never admit that aloud to anyone but her. Young love is such a wonderful thing."

Maka ran her fingers through her wet locks, attempting to detangle the knots that had grown. When that failed, she grabbed the comb and began to tug them out. The shower had helped wake her up and clear her mind. The feeling of panic seemed to lurk at the edge of her mind, but a familiar warmth kept it at bay. Patting her hair dry with a towel, the meister heard a commotion going on in the kitchen. It sounded like Black Star being loud and obnoxious once again, though it sounded like others were with him. She should have known everyone would show up along with Kid to see her. A flash of guilt hit her, and she lowered her arms, resting the towel on the edge of the sink. Because she was so reckless, she had caused her friends to worry once more. Soul must be worried out of his mind…

Her legs felt like jello as she exited the bathroom and rested her back against the wall, the muscles burning from lack of use. She closed her eyes and rested her head back, a bit of dizziness coming over her. When was the last time she had eaten anything? A day? Two or three? Or maybe she had been out for an entire week…

"Maka."

Opening her eyes, she stared into the familiar red ones that she had come to know and love. He definitely looked a little ragged; his hair was in disarray, aside from its usual spiked form, and he looked exhausted judging by the bags under his eyes. Even his clothes seemed a little more wrinkled than usual. But there he was, standing less than a foot away from her, relief written on his face.

"Soul…" Maka hadn't even finished breathing his name before she was engulfed in his arms, the familiar warmth soothing her aches instantly.

"Thank Shinigami you're awake. You've been asleep for days," Maka grimaced.

"How long was I out?"

"Nearly a week. The few times you briefly woke up was to use the bathroom and get water from Blair before going back to bed."

She could feel his soul quivering slightly against hers with an emotion he rarely showed; he was scared. Because she was always so reckless, her partner suffered the emotional toll of her actions. Tears slipped down her face before she could stop them, the drops landing against Soul's shoulder. Gently pushing her back, the weapon lightly wiped them away before placing a light kiss over each eye.

"I'm so sorry, Soul, I never should've been angry with you over something so stupid. If I hadn't acted like a complete idiot, then none of this would have happened and I wouldn't have caused you so much pain." Maka blubbered out as she wiped furiously at her eyes with the backs of her hands. "I always cause you so much trouble…maybe it would be better to have a partner who isn't so reckless and stupid all the time."

Soul knelt down on one knee, grabbing Maka's face gently as he waited for her to calm down. Within a few minutes the meister was reduced to hiccups and watery eyes. She kept her gaze down, embarrassed at her outburst at Soul. But he waited patiently, his eyes never leaving her face for a moment. He wiped away any stray tears with his thumbs, stroking her reddened cheeks with such tenderness that it made her heart flutter.

"Maka, none of this is your fault. No one could have known she was a witch in disguise before something happened. I should have been there for you, and I'm sorry. I may be an arrogant, snarky, uncool guy sometimes, but I will always be there for you. We're partners and have been since the moment we met until the day that we die. I am willing to throw my life down for you if it means that you're safe. You're more than just my partner, Maka, you're the woman I love with all my being."

Soul closed to gap between them and kissed her softly, resting their heads together once they broke apart. Maka felt the tears flowing again once more and threw her arms around his neck, openly sobbing into his shirt. The weapon let out a small laugh as he held her close, their souls instinctively aligning as he tried to send calming wavelengths to his meister. He wasn't nearly as good at is as she was, her Grigori soul might have been part of the reason why, though he still tried his best.

"Such a crybaby meister, what am I going to do with you?" Maka snorted against his shoulder. He could feel her soul lightening up as she calmed down and relaxed.

"You could feed me some of your infamous cupcakes to make up for making me cry."

Soul rolled his eyes; there it was, the Maka-Guilt-Trip-Tactic. It always came out when the two had argued over something he had done wrong like burning dinner because Blair had distracted him by popping her top off in front of him. Whenever she pulled that card, though, he always gave in. He wanted her to be happy no matter what, even if it meant putting on a frilly apron and decorating cupcakes into little soul shapes.

"I suppose I could do that, but Kid and the others have been waiting patiently for you to sit down with them. They want to go over everything that happened so Kid can figure out a plan of attack against that rogue witch." He felt Maka stiffen up.

"Ametrine…she's no ordinary witch, Soul. When we fought, she told me that Medusa and Arachne together barely matched half of her power. I was effortlessly tossed around by her and she had only raised a hand. There was no use in trying to fight back, Soul, she's too powerful…"

"Be that as it may, she's chosen to mess with the wrong city and the wrong Shinigami." The two turned to see Kid standing in the hallway, hands symmetrically place in his pockets. "We've had our fair share of strong opponents, but if I recall correctly, we've always overcome and conquered them with your Soul Resonance. So, the question for you, Maka; are you ready to give your all and dish out some revenge while you're at it?"

A fire ignited inside of Maka and she stood, albeit with some help from Soul, and turned bright emerald eyes to golden ones. Kid smirked as he knew his answer.

"Let's have a seat then, this is going to be a long night."

Holy crap I finally finished it! Thanks so much for your patience! I'll keep chugging away at this since I've finally gotten motivation and time again.