Here we go again! Seriously on a roll here. Who needs sleep anyways…

The conversation with Kid went on for nearly three hours and by the time everyone left, Maka felt exhausted again. The dinner Tsubaki had made, though, was delicious; a rice dish with an omelet roll on top and various vegetables as sides. Soul had even fulfilled his promise of making cupcakes with little souls designs on top. The meister hadn't realized how hungry she was until Black Star pointed out she was on her fourth cupcake after having two full plates of food. He promptly got a book thrown at his head, the crack satisfying to the scythe meister.

"Do you need any help in there, Soul?" Maka called to her partner as she laid out on the couch, too full to move. She could hear the dishes clinking together as he washed them.

"I'm almost done. Tsubaki cleaned up most of them before she left, so there's just the dishes you and I used."

Soul actually needed a distraction like cleaning the dishes after the conversation they had tonight. It was a serious matter that had everyone on edge, especially Kid. He hadn't seen the Shinigami so serious since the battle with Asura on the moon all those years ago. Of course, when a powerful witch somehow managed to infiltrate Shibusen and then attack a 3-Star meister, who had advanced Soul Perception abilities, without warning, everyone was bound to be on edge. For now, the school was on lock down until repairs could be made so the students were given a few weeks to relax. Soul almost envied them for being able to be so carefree while him and the others were about to engage in another war. Drying off the last dish, he set it back in the cabinet before tossing off the frilly pink apron and shuffling his way back into the living room.

Maka cracked an eye to look at him before sitting up, giving him space to sit behind her. He took it and settled himself against the arm of the couch, letting his head roll back. His meister waited until he was settled before resting her back against him, grabbing his right arm to play with his hand.

"What are you thinking, Soul? I can tell you're worried," Maka said quietly as she fiddled with his fingers, running hers over each finger lightly. "Are you worried this is going to turn into another war?"

"There's no way it won't turn into another war, not with Ametrine attacking first. This isn't going to be like the battle with Asura; she's a witch more powerful than a Kishin and nearly blew you to bits with one hand." Soul ran his left hand through his messy locks. "I don't know how we're going to defeat her. We couldn't even handle that pre-Kishin in Russia, so how the hell are we supposed to beat a witch who's probably hundreds of years old and far more powerful?"

Maka stayed silent for a few minutes, wondering the same thing. The way Ametrine attacked, it was almost like there was something aiding her… Obviously she was a very powerful witch, but there was something different about her attacks. Something familiar, yet the meister couldn't put her finger on it. The way her eyes seemed to morph as she attacked…

"What if… what if someone or something was helping her…when I fought her, her eyes seemed to change…as if being influenced by something…"

The meister suddenly shot up as it came back to her, startling her weapon. She quickly spun around to face a surprised Soul on the couch, palms pressing into the cushion as she leaned forward.

"Madness! That's it! When we we're talking, she told me she was under the influence of Asura's madness. That's how she was even stronger!"

"So, she's also got the power of Asura's madness behind her?" Soul asked carefully as he watched his partner get up and start pacing around the living room, mumbling to herself. "Asura was sealed on the moon years ago; if she's being affected by the madness, wouldn't that part of her been sealed up along with him?"

"That would make sense…unless she somehow was in a place where it couldn't reach or only the main source was cut off and there still remains madness spread throughout the world…." Maka began chewing on her lip as she tried putting the puzzle pieces together. "Asura was sealed for eight hundred years, right? So, and this is just a guess, what if she had somehow acquired his madness before he was sealed?"

"That would make her nearly a thousand years old. How long do witches live anyways?" Soul had sat up, resting his arms against his legs as he tried to comprehend the information. "There's no way a witch like her would be that old unless she found the fountain of youth or something."

Maka slowed her pacing, covering her mouth with a hand as she thought. Soul was right; very rarely did witches live to get even close to a thousand years old. There were probably a handful that had survived that long, or even longer, but a witch like Ametrine didn't seem anywhere close to that age. Nothing was adding up and it was making her irritated.

"Maybe it's better to just forget about it for tonight, I can feel you're getting tired again. Do you want some more tea?"

"That would be nice, thank you." Maka gave him a tired smile before moving to plop back down on the couch. It felt like all of the energy had been sapped from her body. Maybe it was just from having everyone over that drained her.

"We've only got green tea left, that fine?" Soul called over his shoulder.

"That sounds perfect," Maka replied as she rested against the arm of the couch, holding a pillow against her chest.

She was still sore, especially her shoulder, back and ribs, but her body would just have to heal itself. The black blood was really only good for healing life-threatening injuries, not bruises and tender muscles. Maka grit her teeth as she moved her shoulder wrong, a twinge of pain shooting down to her fingertips, the appendages tingling. Soul seemed to pick up on it and she could hear the pain reliever bottle rattling as he poured some out.

"It doesn't hurt that bad," Maka called to him as she shifted more comfortably on the couch, letting out a tired sigh. Soul would call her bluff immediately; she knew they were still resonating and that everything she felt, he felt.

"And I'm the Queen of England," Soul snorted lightly as he brought the tray into the living room, setting it down quietly on the table. "You really should work on your lies, Maka, you still suck at them."

"I'll try, Your Highness." Maka shot back with amusement.

"I could get used to being called that…"

"In your dreams, Soul. I'm never calling you that."

"That's King Soul to you, Bookworm. I'll be expecting my crown by morning."

The meister rolled her eyes before grabbing the pain pills and the glass of water, quickly tossing both back. The tea was still steaming so she let it sit for a few minutes, resting her head against the couch. She squinted at the clock on the wall and it glared bright red, showing it was nearly five 'o clock in the afternoon. Glancing at her partner, she took in his ragged appearance as he sat with his head back, eyes closed. Soul looked like he hadn't slept in at least a few days judging by the dark circles under his eyes. His shirt was wrinkled far more than he ever allowed it to get, same with his pants. White locks were lacking their normal amount of gel, his hair in a more unkempt and wild style. Maka felt a pang of guilt as she watched his chest rise and fall slowly; he probably hadn't slept much while she was out cold. The meister watched her weapon as he slept, pulling her knees to her chest and wrapping her arms tightly around her legs.

'He always puts me first, even when he's clearly more exhausted…I feel like such a burden to him sometimes. Maybe that damn witch was right, maybe I am a useless partner…'

"They certainly don't lie about the weather up here, do they." Ametrine grit her teeth as another strong wind came blasting down on her, snow blinding her vision. With a blast of magic, the size of her barrier extended, clearing another few feet of visibility.

It was a serious risk coming all this way, especially in the winter, but there was no other choice. Now that she was a traitor to the Coven, Ametrine was exiled and thrown into the Human Realm to wander until death called for her. The witch grit her teeth at the memory, the anger still fresh nearly three hundred and fifty years later. Her reign lasted less than two decades thanks to her secret being spilled by accident. A young maid had opened the door to her room without warning, not realizing the powerful witch was in the middle of experimenting with the madness by infecting small creatures to see how they reacted. It was her gasping that broke the trance Ametrine was in and by the time she had spun around, the girl was sprinting down the hallway, screaming for the Council. The madness retreated and the Mother of the Coven was forced into trial, nearly the entire Coven in attendance.

Besides the accusation of harnessing madness for personal gain and endangering the Coven, there were other witches calling upon the suspicious death of Mother Rosediah who had passed away while recovering. Ametrine kept her face neutral as the charges were read, the Council sneering down upon her from their pedestals. Her Mother of the Coven robes had been stripped from her, ragged prisoner clothes replacing it. Dirt covered her body head to toe and her normally pristine locks were tangled and dull. Celestina and Marilla sent her glances of distaste while Raine Moonfall refused to look at her. Cordelia, on the other hand, wore a mask of pure hatred, eyes nearly burning holes through the chained-up witch.

"We, the Council of the Coven, hereby give the verdict upon the witch Ametrine Gorgon… guilty. You are hereby exiled from the Coven and the Witches Realm. Any last words before your banishment?" The crowd went deathly still as they waited with bated breaths.

Ametrine slowly lifted her head, blazing locks uncovering her wild eyes. Bursting out laughing, the witches were taken aback at the behavior, unease settling over them as the witch began rolling on the floor. With a deep breath, the exiled witch calmed herself after a few minutes before staring right at Cordelia, madness swimming in her orbs.

"You will all regret this day for centuries to come…the day I return here, you all will be slaughtered like the animals you are! There is no escaping Asura's madness…it's everywhere, in everything…you'll see…you'll all see!"

"Remove her from my court! Exile this psychotic witch from this Realm, never to return!" Cordelia screamed as Ametrine fell to the floor, laughing hysterically as the madness squirmed inside of her.

The Elite squad quickly swooped in and yanked the witch up by her wrist chains, dragging her backwards from the courtroom while she kicked and screamed. Witches closest to the doors frantically scrambled away as she went by, fear driving their hearts to flee. Her screams dwindled down as she moved further down the hallway, the chamber still echoing softly. The Council remained silent as they stood up and left, exiting through a room behind the chairs. Slowly, but surely, the room began to empty, the witches nervous as they headed down the corridor.

Ametrine was blindfolded and gagged as she was led through an underground tunnel system towards the outer edge of the Realm. There was a one-way portal specifically designed for banishing rogue witches that only the Council and the Elite team knew about. Four guards accompanied her as the Captain dragged her along, showing no mercy as she squirmed around in her chains.

"I suggest you stop struggling, Fallen One, you're only hurting yourself." The Captain growled as he yanked the chains harder. Blood began to trickle down her arms, nearly gray in color.

In a matter of thirty minutes, they had arrived at the doors of the portal room. With two guards stationed on either side of the doors and two on either side of Ametrine, the Captain raised a hand and a blast of magic hit a mechanism on the wall above the room. With a flash of light, the gears began to groan as they slid together, slowly pushing the heavy doors open.

"Enjoy your life in the Human Realm, Ametrine Gorgon, for now it's your permanent home!"

The Captain roughly yanked her to her feet before giving her a swift whack on the back of her neck. Her body fell limp and he scooped her up before facing the crackling portal. The two guards on either side of her quickly removed the chains from her hands and feet, retreating against the wall. With inhuman strength, the Captain hoisted the witch up before hurtling Ametrine through the portal, electricity snapping aggressively as the doors were sealed shut once more.

She had wandered through the world blindly; thankful that her magic was still intact and strong as ever. A young man had found her half submerged into a lake and pulled her from it, even going as far to nurse her back to health. Months went by and Ametrine cherished every moment with the man, sharing many passionate nights together. Soon, it seemed like their small family would grow by one more. At the news, the man had grown fearful as the witch began to glow, quite literally, from the effects of the pregnancy. He fled and never returned, leaving Ametrine to raise a child on her own. Her distaste for humans grew as a nearby village found out a witch was living near the sacred lake, raising a demon child. Forced to flee, she moved from country to country until landing in the United States, in a state called Nevada. Her child, Medusa, was a bright one, picking things up quickly, always studying about the madness from her mother's books. As soon as she was old enough, Ametrine set her free, watching with pride as her daughter paved her own future.

There was no need to coddle someone so headstrong and brave who was ready to make her mark on the world. It pained her to see Medusa go, but it needed to be done. Most witches, once they turned a certain age, were set loose into the world to carve their own destinies. It was a tradition to see them off with pride and Ametrine was the proudest mother there ever was. Her older sister, Arachne, had done something similar to her when she turned of age, taking the place of their mother who had died shortly after her birth. It had been so many years ago, nearly a couple of hundred, and the witch had neither seen nor heard from her sibling. There was the passing rumor that Arachne had vanished from sight since both the Coven and Lord Death were hunting her down, but Ametrine couldn't verify any solid leads on it, instead choosing to mourn her disappearance as a loss of life.

Ametrine's steps faltered as they snowstorm suddenly cleared, an eerie silence filling the frozen forest. She knew very little about the people hidden away deep in the Russian forest, but what she did know was that they were ruthless when it came to unwelcome guests. A few members on the Elite squads had been originally from this area, though they never spoke a word of their history or even their names. They all had the same characteristics though; piercing white eyes and nearly unparalleled ninja art skills and stealth. A sound caught her attention and she reinforced her magic just as a shuriken came whizzing through the air and pierced the shield. Wary orbs searched the area but found no visible attacker. She was in their element and it was a huge disadvantage during a battle. Getting on their bad side was the last thing on her mind…

Shadows suddenly appeared from behind the trees, their clothes matching the frozen tundra surrounding them. Ametrine swallowed hard as she counted a few dozen, possibly more due to their known level of stealth, and prepared to unleash her magic reserves in case. One lone ninja landed just outside of her barrier, piercing white eyes nearly indistinguishable from the surrounding snow.

"You are not welcome here, stranger, turn around and leave before this place becomes your grave." The voice said roughly, though it was clearly feminine. "You have entered forbidden territory and by our rights, we have the authority to slay you where you stand."

Ametrine grit her teeth; the possibility of them listening to her was slim, but it was either that or die trying.

"I do not wish to fight; I am here with a message from the God Asura himself!" The witch spoke strongly into the wintered woods as she threw her arms out wide. "I bring with me the wisdom and power of Asura, the madness to bring any enemy to their knees in an instant! I offer his gracious gift to you in exchange for cooperation."

"What would we desire from an outcast witch like yourself?" The ninja sneered from behind their mask. "We know of your history, witch Ametrine, and we want no part of your twisted ways!"

"How about you let me speak with your elders before you decide for them, girl," She could feel the madness squirming around eagerly inside of her, ready for the feast to begin. "You are not of a high enough ranking to make a decision yourself. I'll give you one last chance to take me to your elders; if you refuse, I'll simply release the madness and your men will be overcome with fear and begin to kill one another."

The two stared each other down, white into dark red, anger flaring wildly within their souls. Ametrine could feel the ninja's will breaking as she narrowed her eyes further before sending up a signal, her fingers moving too fast to see. Shadows began to retreat into the dense forest, becoming one with it once more. Their tracks were soon covered by the blowing snow, leaving no trace of their existence.

"You will be given one chance to explain yourself to the Elders. If you try anything funny, you will be dead before you can think about taking your last breath. Follow."

Ametrine gave a mock bow before following the aggravated ninja, a smile on her lips. She always did love when a plan began to unfurl.

Maka felt stifled in the apartment, so she left Soul a quick note and kiss before heading out. The sun was low in the sky, his laughing face turning into a drowsy one as the meister slowly walked down the stone streets. Children were being called back home, their laughter filling the air as they raced each other. The streetlights began flickering on one by one, a low humming noise filling the air. It felt good to get outside; considering she hadn't been outside in nearly a week, this was refreshing. Soul would freak out if he knew she went out by herself, but he was so exhausted that he didn't even stir when she placed the blanket over him and brushed the hair from his face. Maka felt her heart flutter just thinking about him, how calm and peaceful he looked when he slept. He wasn't worried about any upcoming wars, her being unconscious, or even school in his dreams.

Her feet carried her to the familiar Square, the twisting Lord Death inspired fountain burbling loudly. Shops had turned on their outdoor lights, illuminating the area in a soft glow. Between the splashing of the water and the warm light, Maka felt herself relax a little more as she sat on the stone edge of the fountain. Couples were out on dates, laughing and flirting as they strode by in semi-formal clothing. Kids were running around while their parents were chatting over coffee. Even a violinist had started to play somewhere nearby, the music soft and enchanting. Closing her eyes, she sat there, absorbing all of the sounds around her, her chest losing some of its heaviness. She wasn't sure how long she was zoned out, but the peace ended sooner than she would have liked.

"You know, I'm not surprised you're here." Maka cracked an eye open at the voice.

Black Star stood in front of her with his hands shoved deep into his pockets, a solemn look on his normally cocky and arrogant face.

"Nothing wrong with getting fresh air," Maka replied as she patted the spot next to her before closing her eye. "I've been cooped up in that apartment for so long, I almost forgot what it was like outside."

The ninja remained silent as he sat down, folding his arms behind his head comfortably. It was comforting in a way to have him near, even with his eccentric soul wavelength. They had been friends for so long, words weren't needed to have a meaningful conversation anymore. But something about his demeanor tugged at Maka's mind and she turned to look at her friend.

"Something's on your mind, isn't it? You're not usually this quiet."

"You could've died, Maka…." Bulls-eye.

"I've heard that a lot, but oddly enough, it just doesn't seem to happen, does it? I should have known there was something off about that girl, but I just put it off as a yearning for Soul's attention."

"This isn't like any enemy we've had before, she's on a completely different level." Black Star dropped his arms as he shifted to look at her. "Especially because she's in cahoots with that ninja clan in Russia."

"Cahoots? I don't think you've ever said that word, Black Star, your vocabulary is really improving." Maka snickered lightly but went quiet as he stared at her, not an ounce of amusement on his face. She looked down at her lap before continuing, absentmindedly picking invisible fuzz off her pants. "I still don't understand how the two are connected. There was Asura's madness seeping from that creature; Asura is still sealed on the moon thanks to Chrona, so why is it like he's broken free? Ametrine said she had Asura's madness in her, but that level of control over it means it wasn't something that happened overnight."

"I looked into it," Black Star interrupted, causing the blonde meister to look up. "That ninja clan? Apparently, they have ties to the Witches Realm, more specifically, the Coven. Seems some of their members were enlisted to be part of an 'Elite' team meant to be backup security for the higher members of society. They also were used as disposal teams, secretly removing corrupt witches from the realm entirely."

"So, the witches have a steady history with the ninjas…there has to be more to it than that, Black Star, something that motivated them to work together. I doubt there is anyone in the Coven willing to give up information about their 'Elite' teams." Maka watched as he leaned forward, pressing his elbows into his thighs as he thought.

"We're not sure; any record we tried to find on it, never gave anything more than a name and a very brief history. Tsubaki and I were thinking of taking that mission to investigate the area, see what we can find. Might be easier to fight ninja to ninja." A little bit of cockiness surfaced as he wiggled his eyebrows and Maka let out a small laugh.

"Mifune wasn't enough of a challenge for you?"

"Not for the Great Black Star! No samurai can defeat me!"

"…except you were beaten by him…."

"You know, it would probably be easier to have you with us. Soul Perception and all that," Black Star casually suggested as he stretched his arms out, ignoring her remark. "Not sure if you'd want to go back to that Hell-hole though after that beating you took."

"If it will help take that witch out, I'm in." Maka agreed instantly, rounding on the ninja was determined eyes. "I don't care how many pre-Kishins I have to punch to find her. The pain she's caused," The meister clenched her fist over her heart. "I can't forgive it. I'll defeat her just like Arachne and Medusa; I'll take her soul."

A rough hand ruffled her hair and she puffed her cheeks in annoyance, glaring up at the blue-haired ninja.

"Good to see you back to normal, Bookworm. Save that energy for the real battlefield."

The two fell back into a comfortable silence, watching as the once brightly shining moon rose clouded in madness, the nights becoming eerily dark. A low wind swept through and Maka shivered, wrapping her arms around her petite frame. She hadn't thought to grab a jacket and it came back to bite her as the night fell. Black Star suddenly stood up and offered a hand, a childish grin on his face.

"C'mon, I'll buy you an ice cream cone, like old times. Vanilla?" Maka took his hand, returning the smile as she was pulled up.

"Vanilla."

This one took a little longer due to rewriting it a few times. Had to go back and adjust the earlier chapters so they made sense for the future ones. The previous chapters will be adjusted as well, I keep going back through to make sure they line up throughout the story.