"Nice of you to show up again, Black Star," Kid drawled as he effortlessly blocked the ninjas attacks. "It's only been, what, three years? Three years, one hundred and thirty-seven days if you want me to be precise about it."
"Shut it! You abandoned everyone and hid in your fucking castle like a coward!" Black Star screamed as he swung his blade down, the Reaper's cloak deflecting the hit. "You gave up! You left the rest of us to die! Your power is stronger than Asura's, yet you just sit here and mope while the rest of us are starving to death or being eaten by those monsters! I doubt you even realized we had to bury Jacqueline a few weeks ago. We found her body, torn apart and ravaged by those things, Kid. There were countless others we buried, but I doubt you care."
"Death happens to us all at some point." Kid swung his leg out, catching Black Star in the back and sending him flying. "With life comes death, the cycle continuing endlessly."
"Are you saying Maka's death was because of the cycle of life?"
Kid remained silent, watching his former friend dig himself out of rubble. What happened to Maka was not justified by any means, regardless of the madness, but their lives continued on no matter how miserable and desolate it was. All of them had been traumatized as Soul hacked his own meister to bits, laughing manically while doing so. Madness had completely taken over his mind as they fought him, screaming, crying, cursing at him for taking such a precious life away. But in the end they couldn't do it, couldn't kill the person they considered family as he continued on his tirade.
"I am not saying that." Kid sighed, tiring of the conversation. "What happened was something nearly impossible for us to stop. Call it fate, or whatever you want. We both know none of us could kill Soul."
Black Star swayed to his feet, using the back of his hand to wipe the blood from his mouth. Kid was staring at him emotionlessly like usual. Bastard wasn't even bothering to go full strength against him.
"Soul could've been stopped, he could've been tied up and locked away in the damned basement of the school for fucking eternity, but you just stood there and watched."
"Enough! Both of you!" Tsubaki snapped as she transformed, standing between the two with her arms out. "Look what's happened to us! We were friends, are friends, and you two are arguing over something that isn't the cause of all this! Asura released the madness, not Kid. Instead of bickering, we need to fight together as a team once more to stop him."
"This is none of your concern." Kid said darkly, turning black eyes to the weapon.
"This is everyone's concern! I understand the overwhelming madness in your body is because you needed to be stronger than Asura to defeat him. I know you can sense his soul in there, Kid. We're down the most powerful meister-weapon team but we have someone here who can help."
"'Baki, I doubt Soul will want to help save this damn corrupted world," Black Star huffed. "He's got his own damn issues to worry about, why would he—"
"That Maka in there is nothing more than imposter."
"You are fucking—!"
Madness exploded from the school, washing over them all in a heavy haze. Kid moved his head slightly to glare at the unseen source. Black Star took a few steps back, shielding his face with his arm as a heavy dust kicked up, pulling Tsubaki behind him with the other. Something wasn't right. Soul had just gone in there, he couldn't have fallen to the madness so soon.
"Black Star," Tsubaki called out, voice trembling. "It's him."
"Kid, where the fuck is Maka?" The Reaper briefly glanced at him.
"You mean that thing that's imitating her? I left it in the Death Room. It was too wounded to move anyways, so this takes care of th—"
Kid jolted as a fist collided with the side of his face, his footing slipping on the loose rock beneath him. With wide eyes he stared at Black Star, fingers barely touching the now swelling mark. Immense hatred and rage rolled off of Black Star's tensed body, his breathing heavy as blue eyes turned yellow.
"She isn't an imitation, jackass, she's real and going to be killed by Soul again if you don't get in there and stop him!" Black Star roared as he swung again, clipping the top of his head. "You're fucking disgusting! You're no better than Asura at this point! I won't sit around and watch her die again!"
Kid watched silently as he took off, blasting right through the front doors of the school with Tsubaki on his heels. The madness inside of him began to twitch restlessly, anxious for a good fight. The will had died out long ago, the looming memory of the bloodshed a constant reminder of Asura's power. Two soul wavelengths entered his perception and he remained still, instead searching the souls inside of the building.
"Kid! Where's Black Star? He got away from us!" Liz panted as she and Patty staggered up to him, bruised up but still in one piece. "There was this girl that looked like—"
"Maka. I am well aware."
"She got us good, went all nuts with madness and beat the shit out of Ox." Patty tossed in, scuffing her torn and dirty shoes against the ground. "Kid, I think she's real. Like, really real. Sis and I followed her for quite a ways and she acted like she had no idea where she was."
"Interesting."
"What's going on in there? The madness is becoming sickening," Liz held her cloak to her scrunched face.
"He's here."
Soul kept Maka tight against his chest as he slowly backed away, eyes never leaving himself. Whatever the hell it was didn't seem human anymore. Madness was pouring from his body, spilling to the floor and slithering towards him, the tendrils lashing out at his feet. Black eyes stared eerily at him, sending a shiver down his spine. His body was awkward, as if his bones had rearranged themselves, limbs elongated and thin, back hunched. It reminded the weapon of when they were called to Russia after Chrona attacked.
"You look like me," Soul, the other one, mused aloud. "Interesting. The black blood still flows in your veins, yet you haven't fallen to the madness. Why is that? Are you afraid of the madness? Don't want to drown in it? Or is it because of…" He motioned with a gnarled hand to the meister.
"Don't fight him, Soul, you'll be sucked into the madness. I can barely fight it off," Maka mumbled against his jacket. "Get as far away as you can."
Maka was right, the madness was beginning to make him feel fuzzy, the familiar fire surging through his veins at a fast pace. The corner of his lips twitched. He wouldn't last more than a few minutes longer being exposed like this.
"What the hell happened to you? Too weak to fight it off?" Soul taunted the being standing before him, hoping to buy time as he slowly inched backwards. "How pathetic you lost yourself to the madness. You shouldn't even have the title of Death Scythe, the last Death Scythe at that. Fighting so hard to earn that title, to become the best meister-weapon duo in the school only to fail in the end. You fought countless witches, pre-Kishin, Chrona, and even Asura, but this is what got you? Madness? Something that had been engrained into your body for so many years? Becoming one with the black blood and utilizing its powers to slay those who threatened the peace of the world?"
Maka scrunched her brows in confusion. What the hell was he doing?
"The person you cared most about, loved, protected, saved countless times…you killed her when she tried to stop you. After everything…you killed the one person who could save you!" Soul snarled dangerously, his anger getting the better of him.
The slithering tendrils stilled as did dark Soul, black eyes studying his normal opposite. Slowly, almost painstakingly, the madness began to recede as the weapon continued staring at the two. His lips parted a few times, words failing to form before closing once more. His body straightened out, hands dropping loosely to his sides. With a sharp intake of breath, he spoke.
"I never…wanted to kill her." Dark Soul said slowly, surprising Soul. "I had no control over my body after the madness seeped into my mind and took over. I had to watch…watched as my body moved on my own, watched the blade materialize before it swung down, watched as her expression turned to sheer terror as her skin split open."
Soul stared at his counterpart with absolute disgust, red eyes wide with disbelief as he clenched Maka tighter to him. Standing before him was an absolute monster. Grinding his teeth together, the weapon resisted the urge to slice him in half, body shaking in barely contained murderous rage. Maka let out a squeak of pain and grunted for him to loosen his grip.
"That's all I see…every waking second, minute, hour, day, month, years. There's still a part of the old me, buried deep inside beneath the madness. It takes over the madness for a short while, but it never lasts long. Asura's madness is overwhelmingly comforting."
Dark Soul suddenly grinned manically, the madness expanding around him rapidly as his arms transformed. Soul felt his back hit against something and glanced back to see he had hid a slab of concrete, misjudging the distance to the hallway to his right. He couldn't make it before the attack hit so the weapon quickly turned his back, hunching over and covering Maka's head against his chest.
"Time to—!"
"LIKE FUCK YOU WILL!"
A loud explosion rang in Soul's ears as a powerful wind picked up, whipping violently at his body. Electricity filled the air and Maka carefully peeked over her partners shoulder, green eyes wide. Black Star had slammed into dark Soul with his wavelength, clutching him tightly around the throat. Tsubaki quickly made her way over to the duo, tugging hard on Soul's jacket towards the hallway.
"Black Star!" Maka cried as a blast of madness sent him crashing into the spot they were just at.
"Get her out of here, now!" The ninja screamed as he launched himself forward, arm pulled back tightly, palm bursting with electricity. "Tsubaki!"
"I'm on it!" The weapon yelled back, frantically shoving Soul down the hallway.
"W-wait! We can't just leave him!" Maka cried desperately as she tried loosening Soul's grip. "He'll be killed, Tsubaki!"
"If that's his decision, then I can't stop him, Maka." Tsubaki kept her gaze forward as they ran. "We've all lost you once, we can't lose you again."
Maka bit her lip to stop the tears from falling as they weaved around debris and sprinted down collapsing stairwells. Tsubaki suddenly jerked to a stop, throwing her arm out in front of Soul, eyes trained ahead of them in the darkness. A flash of light produced two kunai in her palms, fingers wrapping tightly around the handles.
"Shit, is that…?" Soul muttered as he took a step back, the madness twitching wildly in his body as his fingers began twitching uncontrollably.
"You remember how to get back?" Tsubaki spoke lowly. "We'll rejoin you later, get her to safety."
"Not you too, Tsubaki, please." Maka pleaded to her friend, receiving a strained smile in return.
"This is how our world is, Maka, it's everyone for themselves now. We'll find our way back to you, we always do."
Kid emerged from the shadows slowly, cape furling and twisting around him slowly as he studied the people standing before him. Tsubaki slid her foot forward, shifting to a defensive stance as she held her arms close to her body. Dulled golden eyes briefly glanced at the demon weapon before shifting to rest on a familiar pair of red eyes.
"It appears you are different than your corrupted counterpart." Kid said evenly, eyes darting to Maka. "And I recall warning you not to move from your spot. Apparently you're incompetent to instructions."
"Did you really expect me to sit around and wait so you could kill me?" Maka said sharply, motioning for Soul to set her down. "Kid, you've read my soul, you know I'm real. I understand you've distanced yourself from everyone because of what happened. I…ran into this world's Soul after you left, he told me what had happened, how the madness took over his mind and body. A part of him, the original him, still resides in there somewhere."
"He slaughtered nearly the entirety of this city after slaying you, do you expect me to forgive that? Just pretend it never happened?" Kid's eyes brightened as the lines of Sanzu began to glow. "You fail to comprehend the full severity of the situation, imitator, the never-ending nightmare it is to live in this world overrun with Asura's madness."
Maka steadied herself on the ground, lightly removing Soul's tensed hand from her shoulder as she faced Kid. Every movement she made, every slight twitch, was followed intently with his eyes. Kid was guarding himself, wary of the distance between them. Taking a tentative step forward, the meister noticed how his foot shifted slightly backwards. Another step, another shift. His eyes widened a fraction more as she kept moving forward. Soul shared a nervous look with Tsubaki, both watching, tensed to move at a moments notice.
"Kid," Maka said softly, stopping the Reaper in his tracks. She closed the distance between them, looking up at him with a calm demeanor. Slowly she raised her hand, fingers outstretched towards his face. "Let me help you."
Kid tensed, eyes wide as Maka touched his face, resting her palm against his cheek. It was…warm. A warmth he hadn't felt in years. It was something that didn't exist anymore in this cold Hell, a foreign feeling that had died off many years ago. Slowly he raised his hand, the Sanzu lines extinguishing, to do the same, dirty fingers hesitating to touch her face. After a nod from her, he closed the gap and rested his hand on her face.
"I'm alive, Kid," Maka whispered, shifting to clasp her hand over his. "I may not be the Maka from this world, but I'm here right now. I'll do anything I can to help you, so please, go help Black Star before we lose him too. Use your power to help your friend, our friend, Kid. I know you can do it."
Kid hesitated, staring uncertainly into those confident emerald eyes he missed so much. After everything that had happened over the years, the last thing Black Star would agree to would be his help, especially after the beating he just took from the Reaper. Most likely the ninja would vehemently deny the help and try to attack both him and Soul. But something about the way she looked at him with such determination and confidence swayed Kid and he slowly nodded. An explosion trembled through the building, dust falling over them in a heavy powdered sheet. A deafening groaning sound resonated through the air. The two meisters looked up in surprise.
"Maka!" Soul screamed as the ceiling above them began collapsing, Tsubaki forcing the two weapons backwards as tons of concrete crashed into the ground.
"Maka! Can you hear us?" Tsubaki cried out as she waved at the thick cloud of dust, coughing into arm. "Maka!"
Another rumbling shook the ground beneath them, the dust being blasted away with a powerful wind. Just as quickly as it came, it vanished, leaving the immediate area cleared of any dust and debris. Maka unclenched her eyes, aware of the arms wrapped around her protectively, and jerked her head up to look into golden ones. Kid's eyes were glowing brightly as he gave her the smallest hint of a smile before releasing her and stepping back. The lines of Sanzu died down.
"Kid…"
"We'll talk later. Leave the area, I'll find you." The Reaper chastely kissed the top of her head before heading towards the stairwell, cloak floating softly above the ground. It felt like he was silently apologizing, yet there was something more to it, almost as if he were saying goodbye.
"Maka, are you okay?" Soul rushed up to her, taking her face in his hands, examining every inch. "He didn't hurt you?"
"I'm fine, Soul. I think I got through to him," Maka released a small breath and winced. Pressing a hand to her stomach, she grimaced as she pulled it away, looking at the fresh black blood coating her palm. "I…"
Maka felt the world around her spin as her legs gave out, the dull colors swirling violently before everything plunged into darkness once more. Soul supported her weight against his chest, brows knitting together in distress as he supported her in his arms. Tsubaki was at his side quickly, reaching into the small bag slung across her back and pulled out a small roll of bandages. Working quickly, she wrapped the roll around Maka's waist, the black blood slowly seeping through the dirt tinged fabric. The demon weapon tied the ends tightly before stepping back, wiping the blood on her hands against her clothing.
"Tsubaki, I need you to get her out of here." Soul spoke quietly as he scooped up his unconscious meister. "I'm going with him."
"Soul, are you sure? Things are going to get even more dangerous with Kid joining." Tsubaki knitted her brows as she gently placed a hand on his arm.
"He laid his hands on her, I can't forgive that. I know you understand it, so please, take her and go." With a nod of confirmation, Soul carefully placed Maka on Tsubaki's back, ensuring she was fully secured before stepping back.
"Please, be careful up there."
"I will. Take good care of Maka for me."
"Don't worry, I'll get her fixed up when I get to the hideout." Tsubaki adjusted the weight on her back before sparing him another glance. "Bring them both home."
Soul nodded and Tsubaki took off into the darkness. With a deep breath in, the weapon steeled his will before turning on his heel, following the path they had just taken. He wasn't sure what was going to happen once he got up there, nor if he would come back in one piece, but one thing was for sure; he was going to destroy the other him.
If it meant saving Maka, he'd kill anyone who laid a hand on her.
Even if it cost him his life.
Kid stared anxiously out of the plane window, his leg bouncing rapidly against the carpeted floor. As soon as the remainder of Mardella's magic had vanished, Black Star and Tsubaki were sent to find the box in Maka and Soul's apartment while the Reaper called an emergency meeting in the Death Room for all teachers and Death Scythes. It wasn't an easy thing to do, suddenly announcing that the staff would be in charge temporarily while he left the city for urgent business. Only the Death Scythes and the teachers closest to Kid knew the exact reason for the sudden leave. Spirit had tried to force his way onto the plane as they were boarding but Marie knocked him out cold, assuring the team everything would be handled.
Behind him, Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty sat around a map of the area they were travelling to, talking quietly amongst themselves. Black Star was sitting in the back corner of the plane, silently staring out the window much like Kid was currently doing, arms crossed tightly over his chest. Forcing his leg to stop twitching, Kid felt his back pop as he stood. They had been on the plane for nearly ten hours already, with another few or so to go. The girls barely acknowledged him as he passed by, too engrossed in the battle plans they were preparing.
"We'll get them back," Kid spoke quietly as he stood over Black Star, though even his own words lacked a convincing tone.
"I'm going to find that witch, Kid, and I'm going to murder her. You won't stop me." The ninja replied darkly, green eyes never leaving the clouds as they passed by. "I'll tear through an entire country to find her."
"I understand what you're feeling, what we're all feeling, but we can't afford to be reckless about this. Witch Esadora is an ancient witch akin to Mardella, meaning she's immensely powerful as well. With Ametrine's soul, Asura's madness, and the ability to open tears in space, we can't tread lightly around her."
"Kid, whenever we do find her," Black Star broke his gaze to look up at his friend, eyes flashing yellow for the briefest moment. "I won't hold back until I rip the soul from her body and crush it in my bare hands."
Kid pursed his lips and tightly nodded. There would be no stopping him. With a heavy-handed pat on his shoulder, Kid turned to walk to the cockpit, anxious to check on the item in the box they had retrieved. It was something unexpected, at least to some extent, when they had opened it in the Death Room. As the lid was removed, a brief flash of light illuminated the surround area before dissipating and revealing the item. It was a golden compass, a type that none of them had ever seen before, nestled snugly in a silver pillow. The face appeared to be celestial themed with a night sky showing the constellations in their respective positioning among the stars. The intricately carved needle was resting in the North position, unknown symbols imprinted into the arm.
With a quick knock on the cockpit door, Kid waited for the all-clear before entering, shutting the door silently behind him.
"How are things looking so far?"
"Things are looking good, Lord Death," One of the pilots nodded approvingly. "We're even looking at being ahead of schedule by an hour or so thanks to the tailwinds. My guess is around two hours or so and we should be reaching the landing strip."
"Excellent. Has the compass been working well?"
"This thing is the most accurate compass I've ever seen! Whoever created this turned it into a masterpiece." The co-pilot beamed as he carefully handed it to Kid, treating it like a delicate piece of glass. "It's even better than the on-board equipment, if I say so myself."
Kid held the compass up, cupping it with both hands as he watched the arm slowly sway Northeast to hover over the Cygnus constellation. He wasn't sure if it had a specific meaning or not, though the constellation tended to be the most prominent during the height of summer. It was silly to assume the stars were guiding them in the direction of Esadora, though after everything that had happened so far, Kid wasn't entirely sure he didn't believe everything evolved around the stars.
A knock on the door pulled the Reaper from his thoughts and he carefully handed the irreplaceable compass back before bidding farewell to the pilots. Black Star was leaning against the wall just outside, hands shoved deeply into his pockets. With a quick nod of his head, they headed towards the girls.
"We've mapped out the area of woods surrounding the landing strip," Tsubaki explained as the two boys joined, tracing a delicate finger over a red highlighted area. "There's a smaller zone to clear on the left side and the larger one is on the right. The landing strip goes straight for about two miles or so before the jungle hits heavier foliage and the runway ends. If we split up into teams we can each take one side. If someone locates the witch, send a signal flare and we'll come running to the location. Try to avoid conflict if possible, we want to keep her where she is since the jungle goes on for dozens of miles in each direction."
"Shouldn't we just be able to sense her magic?" Liz asked, tapping the map with an elongated nail.
"She could be using Soul Protect," Kid input. "I'm not as skilled as Maka when it comes to sensing soul wavelengths, but Witch Esadora is an ancient witch, one who is immensely powerful and conniving if she was able to steal the celestial blood from Witch Mardella. I wouldn't put it past her to place traps throughout the area."
"I'll just blow them all up, no big deal." Black Star shrugged at the exasperated groans.
"Stealth, Star," Liz swatted a rolled-up magazine at him, grimacing as she missed. "If this witch has the power to open different dimensions, then we need to take every precaution!"
"We'll get them back, don't worry." Kid clapped Black Star on the shoulder, gold burning into green. "We won't stop until they're safe and sound back home."
"S'not what I'm really worried about." Everyone looked at him, confused. "It's the fact that they were thrown into a world overflowing with Asura's madness. What's gonna happen if Maka can't get to Soul if he loses his mind there?"
The group went silent, the question weighing heavily in the air. What would happen? Kid knew the black blood had been under control for years, but there had never really been a massive surge of madness flowing in the world after the battle on the Moon and the Russia incident. Maka was also always at his side, her anti-demon wavelength keeping the madness at bay. He had all the faith in the world that they could handle themselves without issue. Being in a realm where Asura's madness reigned freely wasn't for the weak minded.
"They'll be alright," Kid finally spoke, feeling all eyes on him. "As long as they're together, they can overcome the madness. I have complete faith in them."
He just hoped he was right.
Mardella rarely ever visited Ananke in her Olympus home due to the fact she always ran into other Gods along the only pathway to where the mighty and powerful beings resided. Currently, the God Narcissus was blocking her attempts to pass, admiring his perfect looks in a mirror while chattering aimlessly about himself. Being the patient person, Mardella allowed him to ramble on for the first few minutes, but her patience was wearing thinner by the second.
"Narcissus, forgive me for interrupting you," The God merely hummed, barely heeding her presence. "I have urgent matters to attend to, so if you would kindly move aside—"
"I haven't even finished telling you about the most dramatic part of the story!" He whined, pulling at the corners of his eye, searching for crows' feet. "So, there I was, admiring myself as usual, when I see what appears to be a grey hair! Can you believe that?! I panicked and spent hours trying to find it once more only to discover it was just a thread from my robe!"
"Narcissus—"
"I can't believe I panicked over a thread! Thank the Heavens above it was just that and not a grey hair! I don't know what I'd do with myself—"
"Narcissus, please—"
"Do you think I'm getting wrinkles, Marcy? Oh, I would be devastated—!"
Mardella felt her last nerve snap and she felt the uncontrollable rage of Chronos bubbling to the surface. With a flash of light her body transformed, growing and stretching to an impossible height, a long white beard pooling on the pathway. A shimmering celestial robe donned the massive body as it towered over a now speechless Narcissus, anger contorting his aged face.
"You ignorant fool," Chronos rumbled down at the puny God below him. "The fate of the world is resting on my shoulders, yet here you are blathering away like an annoying bird attempting to chat its way out of death. Lest you want to become crushed beneath my feet, move out of my way."
The God did such that, bowing while profusely apologizing as he scrambled out of the way, his mirror long forgotten as it fell from the pathway, spinning into the cosmos below. Chronos grumbled before reverting back to Mardella's usual form in a flash of light. The witch pursed her lips as she sent a glare at the self-obsessed God, sending him scrambling for the hills far away from her. With a shake of her head, Mardella marched down the pathway, fists clenched at her side. If that idiot hadn't taken so long talking about himself then maybe she would have arrived by now. Time was of the essence.
Many of the Gods residing in the Heavens ignored her for the most part, whispering slander and spreading rumors behind her back, though when Chronos made his appearance, they fell at his feet, worshipping the ground the powerful God crossed. After avoiding the realm for hundreds of years, the Gods were tittering as the news spread like wildfire. Mardella knew it wouldn't be long before the offspring of Chronos would be welcoming her with weapons drawn as she noticed Hermes zooming towards the center of Olympus. Tensions had been high ever since the God attempted to eat all of his children, according to predictions told by Gaia and Uranus, with Zeus being the one who escaped and eventually defeated his father along with Poseidon and Hades. As powerful of a Titan as he was, three of his own had managed to overpower him and throw him into the body of a powerful witch on Earth, becoming an experiment of sorts for their entertainment. The first few hundred years were miserable as the two opposites battled constantly for reign of the body, pockets of space becoming destroyed by powerful magical spells as their powers clashed against one another. Though they eventually came to terms, it was a long and painful road to get to that point.
Zeus shall arrive shortly. Poseidon and Hades shall most likely hear of our arrival.
"I am well aware of what is about to happen," Mardella answered Chronos with a tight voice. "I wish to be done and gone before another confrontation occurs."
They will not allow you to change the will of the stars.
"What choice do I have? Witch Esadora is nearly as powerful as I am, meaning she can throw the world into chaos at any moment. The flow of time is beginning to alter in the realm we were just in. Asura will release his madness and corrupt everything and everyone unless we stop it."
They will not allow the timeline to be altered by a chimera of witch and God.
"Then I will do it without their help and accept the consequences of Ananke."
Ananke's house shimmered into existence just a few hundred feet from the witch, a quaint temple with a vibrant garden lining the now stone pathway. Servants were tending to the foliage with care, lightly snipping magnificent rose bushes into a perfect spherical shape. A young girl, happily laying rose heads into her woven basket, glanced up at the approaching figure. With a double take, she quickly whistled an alert to the others before throwing herself at the edge of the pathway, kneeling and bowing with her basket in front of her as an offering. Others soon joined, holding out their offerings of every imaginable type of flower variety growing in the garden.
"Welcome, Witch Mardella and God Chronos." They chorused. "This way, Goddess Ananke is awaiting your arrival."
Such pathetic servants, my child deserves strong armed guards to protect her from that nuisance Zeus and his insatiable loins. Chronos grumbled unhappily.
"You can complain later, we have little time before your other child shows up and blasts this place into oblivion."
Mardella swept up the massive marble steps, cloak swishing wildly as she hurried into the temple, glancing over her shoulder towards Olympus in the distance. Dark clouds appeared to be forming over its peak, a sign Zeus had received the news.
Servants ushered the witch along solemnly, the tension in the air causing unease. An illuminated doorway to their right meant Ananke was most likely in there, but most certainly not alone. Three voices drifted from the room as they neared, ones Chronos knew well as he sighed heavily within Mardella.
The fate of time is never wrong…
And it can never be swayed…
For it shall defy the will of the stars…
"I am well aware of the will of the stars," Ananke replied quietly as Mardella entered the room. "My children, this is a grave matter that if not taken care of shall—"
Ah, God Chronos and Witch Mardella…
A pleasure…
To see you once more…
Ananke turned swiftly, greeting Mardella with a short bow. Returning the greeting, the witch lightly made her way over to the three figures sitting around a pile of golden threat strung tightly around a handful of wooden spindles. One of them, a beautiful blonde-haired woman, held a glimmering thread between her fingers as another grasped the other end, her rich brown locks waving down her back. The third, with shimmering silver locks, held a pair of sharp shears up to it, watching as the thread began to glow brightly before the blades sliced it cleanly in two. The three young women, scarcely clothed in Grecian robes, stood and bowed before the God.
"Moirai, I come to you today to—"
Ask for our assistance…
In regard to the flow of Time…
Becoming corrupted with madness…
"I beg of you, the madness of Asura has escaped into the flow of Time, threatening all matters of reality." Mardella pleaded to the Ladies of Fate. "Even the Gods will not be safe from this threat."
We are well aware…
That even we are not safe from this threat…
Which looms over us in a haze of darkness…
"Father, I have tried everything in my power to convince them to allow you to alter the timeline," Ananke spoke softly beside Mardella, soft golden eyes filled with sadness. "They say it is the will of the stars, in which it cannot be changed. Please, even I understand the severity of this catastrophe awaiting to befall us all."
Mardella grabbed her hands gently, looking at her with a calm demeanor. "I shall do what I can, Zeus has heard of my arrival and shall be here soon. Can you distract him?"
"Yes, I will do what I can." Ananke nodded, bending down and kissing the hands enclosing her own. "I leave fate within your palms."
Once she was gone, Mardella felt the familiar searing heat as Chronos began to emerge from within. Unlike last time, his form retained more normal proportions, though he still towered over the Ladies of Fate. With bows of their heads, they greeted the God before them, offering sacred wine to him. He took it with murmur of gratitude.
God Chronos, Father of Time…
We welcome you to our sanctum…
As the Moirai…
I am honored to be in your presence, Clotho, Lachesis, Atropos. I request your guidance and judgement in these troubled times.
Of course, God Chronos, we shall offer…
The answers that you seek…
In order to save the realm from destruction…
Asura, a being of pure fear and madness, has begun to corrupt multiple streamlines of Time, altering the will of the stars and destroying everything in its path. Chronos recited the words Mardella was instructing to him. I ask of your assistance in stopping this creature of destruction by cleansing the timelines and returning them to the normal flow.
God Chronos…
Witch Mardella….
We respect your authority…
Mardella frowned as she watched through Chronos' eyes as the three exchange an uneasy look amongst themselves. Ananke was the one who could command them, though there was another who could sway their decisions as well…
We have been directly ordered…
By the God of Lightning…
To disobey any orders from you or Goddess Ananke…
Zeus may think he has say over what you can and cannot do… Chronos rumbled dangerously, the three Fate's flinching back. But I command thee to pay no heed to his orders and to abide by thy and Ananke's words. I have heard the will of the stars' screams of agony as life diminishes from the cosmos, life burning for eons extinguished as they are overwhelmed with madness and insanity.
The three shared a distressed look. They were internally debating between themselves judging from the rapid eye movement and various facial expressions. Mardella grit her teeth. She knew Zeus would pull something stupid like this, the arrogant bastard only wanting to control everything atop his golden throne in Olympus. Though they may have been commanded by the almighty King of Gods, Chronos and Ananke were the ones who could truly sway the will of the stars if needed.
After much debating…
We have decided…
Before Atropos could speak, a roar shook the temples foundation, sending the spools of thread scattering across the marble flooring. Chronos stood, anger contorting his face as the air filled with electricity, Ananke's pleading voice echoing down the hallway.
Conceal yourselves, I shall find you after this matter is taken care of. Do what you must to save the realms from the unquenchable madness.
The Moirai quickly vanished in a cloud of smoke, any trace of their existence gone.
"Chronos…"
I am aware, Mardella. They cannot abide by his restrictions and they will do what they can to prepare. I will end this quickly.
Chronos walked slowly through the doorway, celestial eyes burning brightly with the rage of a thousand suns as they turned to his child storming towards him, lightning bolt in hand. Ananke quickly backed away, ushering the servants and crowd of nosey Gods and Goddesses far away from the temple before the battle ensued. Zeus stopped just feet from his father, a dark expression on his face.
Father, your presence here was unknown to me, though I know full well what you are here for.
Zeus, you have no right to command the Fate to disobey orders from Ananke and myself. Has all of the entitlement of being 'King' of the Gods rotted your mind?
My mind is clear as always, Zeus snarled as he eyed his father up. You have no business in attempting to alter the flow of time—
Foolish child! Chronos bellowed, the temple threatening to collapse from the force. Do you not see what is beyond this realm? How not only the stars above are dying out rapidly, but many tears in space are being corrupted by the madness? If you could look further beyond than the fruits of countless women you would notice this world is threatened as well!
Silence! I shall not take these insults to my kingdom!
I created you! I gave you life! You think of nothing but yourself!
You devoured my siblings due to a prophecy of being overthrown by your children! Yet you fell right into that ensnarement and found yourself merged with the body of a witch as punishment. I guess it was not harsh enough of a judgement brought upon you. Zeus lifted his arm back preparing to throw the lightning bolt.
"Give me control of your arms, Chronos!" Mardella cried as the power of the bolt increased exponentially. "I can deflect it—!"
There is no need, Mardella, for I shall not be the one receiving harsh judgement. The God rumbled as he inhaled deeply.
With a slow exhale, Chronos' body began to expand rapidly, his back hitting the ceiling and causing marble to rain down over Zeus. A mighty explosion shook the realm as the God transformed into his Titan form, towering above all others with a mighty roar. Lightning clouds darkened the skies as the air became supercharged, small bolts hitting Chronos in succession. A blast of marble revealed an angered Zeus, bolts vibrating violently in his palms.
Lend me your power, Witch Mardella, so that we may end this once and for all.
"Are you going to kill him? Your own child?" Mardella asked hesitantly, preparing to release the full extent of her powers. "I understand your reasons, but there must be another way to end this amicably, Chronos. We are running out of time."
I ask of you, your strength, Mardella, not to vanquish my own blood, but to freeze all of Time.
It hit her instantly. "Y-you want to freeze the realm in order to fix the flow of Time? The consequences of that are—"
I am aware of the punishment for this sin, there is no other option lest I slay the entirety of this realm. Chronos lifted a mighty foot before slamming it down onto Zeus, the shockwave obliterating the temple remnants. Zeus will not back down easily. Together, we can freeze Time and preserve the will of the stars. Look, darkness has already begun to seep into this world.
Mardella watched through his eyes as he pointed a massive finger towards the Northern sky, a noticeable dark cloud growing larger by the minute as it slunk towards them. Asura's mark flashed on her palm, the searing pain causing her to wince. Zeus used his mighty strength to lift his father's foot above his head, body enflamed in electricity as he pushed with all his might, sending the Titan stumbling back.
"I pray you know what you are doing, Chronos."
I alone shall atone for the sin I am about to partake.
Magic pooled in Mardella's core, quickly travelling from her torso and throughout her body, the most power gathering in her hands. What they were about to do was heavily forbidden due to its dark magic nature and potentially permanent results. With a shaky breath out, Mardella's mouth formed the words.
"Heavens above, hear thy call, thine will is thy command, thee shall obey. Align the cosmos, cease the flow of Time. Forbidden spell of Darkness–" The celestial orb appeared in her outstretched hands, glowing warmly as it levitated upwards. With one final deep breath, she unleashed her magic. "Ouránia diafthorá tou chrónou!" Celestial Corruption of Time!
Black Star coughed heavily as he sat up against the wall, blood dribbling down his chin. He was no match for Soul, the overflowing madness making him stronger. Without a weapon it was a death sentence for the meister. But if it meant saving Maka, even if it wasn't their Maka, then he'd gladly die to know she was safe.
"C'mon Star, I know you can fight a lot better than that." Dark Soul taunted as he sauntered over slowly, blades dripping with blood. "You were one of the best fighters for the DWMA, nearly stronger than Kid. It's no fun killing you if you're just going to sit there and accept your fate."
"Yer a real piece of shit, Evans," Black Star wiped the blood from his mouth, grimacing as pain shot through his arm. He was fairly sure it was at least dislocated if not fractured. "If the real you is still in there, this isn't cool."
"Unfortunately, the real me is currently drowning in Asura's madness. He does try his hardest, cursing and screaming as he tries to stay afloat, though he never stays for long." Soul stopped just in front of the downed meister, blade lifting above his head. "At least now you can join Maka for one last reunion. Goodbye, Black Star."
His body felt heavy as he glared up at his former friend, blood seeping from the scythe wound to his chest. He had tried, harder than most of the others, to survive this hellish land for years. There were times when he had wanted to end it all, to be put out of his misery and the haunting nightmares that clawed at the edges of his mind. Tsubaki was the one thing keeping him alive, her presence keeping him grounded to reality and out of the dark corners of his mind. Maybe they both should have died, almost everyone else had already thanks to the unending madness plaguing the world. As he watched the scythes blade glint with his blood, Black Star accepted his fate readily as he closed his eyes, taking solace in knowing Maka had been saved for the final time.
Searing pain tore across his collarbone as the tip of the blade connected briefly, blood pouring down his chest and he let out a strained yell of pain. When no other pain followed, Black Star snapped his eyes open, mouth gaping at the scene before him. Soul had stumbled backwards, hands clutching at his chest as he released an agonized scream. The madness was reacting as well, spasming around him violently, like it was being burned alive. Hands clutched at his head as the weapon stumbled backwards, tripping over a chunk of rock before hitting the ground hard.
"Black…Star…" The meister jerked in surprise, staring at the twitching form with wide eyes. "Get…out of…here…now…"
"Soul? That really you?" Black Star pushed himself up with a grunt, clutching his shoulder. "Can you hear me? Fight it, Soul, take back control of your body!"
"Can't…hold on for…much longer…please, just go…"
"I…" Could he really save him? The madness would most likely just consume his soul once more, taking the meister down with him. But Soul was his friend, no matter the circumstance. He had to try. "Maka is alive, you need to fight for her, Soul. Don't you ever give up on fighting! Show me the strength you worked so hard to reach as a Death Scythe! Don't throw away everything you and Maka worked for!"
A flood of madness blasted over the area and Black Star's back hit the wall, the immense pressure pinning him there. Dark Soul was pushed back from the force, flying across the room and slamming into a wall, the blast aimed directly at him. Through squinted eyes, he noticed it wasn't coming from the weapon himself, but from to his right.
"Black Star!"
"Soul?"
Soul appeared by his side, fighting the force of the madness radiating over the area. "Can you still fight?"
"Y-yeah, I think I can still fight, but Soul—"
"Get him out of here, Soul, I'll take care of the rest." Black Star tensed at the voice.
"Kid, the fuck are you doing here? Finally playing hero after most of our friends died off?"
"Star, I can explain later, we need to get out of the way." Soul tugged on his arm, wincing as a stray rock sliced across his cheek. "Tsubaki already took Maka and left. This whole building has become unstable."
"I ain't leaving here," Soul opened his mouth to protest but Black Star cut him off. "The other Soul, he's still in there. He overpowered the madness and saved me from having my head lopped off."
"Whether or not he's in there, he still needs to pay for his sins." Kid replied darkly as he waltzed past them, lines of Sanzu glowing brightly.
"So, you're going to kill him? You think that will bring Maka back? She's dead, Kid, and no matter much you beat the shit out of him, it won't bring her back. If you can purge the madness from his body, then maybe—"
"Maybe what? Cleansing him is only a temporary solution, nothing more. Even if it were possible to purge him completely of the madness, it could cost him his life. Soul is one with the madness and black blood. Take one away…"
"And he'll die." Soul finished tightly. He wondered if the same thing could happen to him.
"Well, isn't this a nice little reunion." Dark Soul gave a twisted smile as he pulled himself from the rubble, black blood cascading over his face from a head wound. "All reunited to fight against the bad guy. Such a cliché moment."
"This will be a one-sided battle. I should have done this long ago." Kid released his full power, the force sending Black Star and Soul skidding back.
Dark Soul grinned as he threw his arms out, accepting the blast of madness with welcome arms. The blast obscured his body from view, the force of the wave enough to blow out the wall behind him, debris flying into the distance. Soul transformed his arm, slashing at any rocks that bounced back towards them. Kid narrowed his eyes as he extinguished the madness with a closed fist, body tensed as he looked around, following something unseen through the walls. His eyes landed on the area where Soul and Black Star stood, palm quickly shifting towards them.
"Move."
Soul yanked the ninja to the ground just as the concrete slab behind them exploded, the blackened tip of the blade slicing a few strands of the weapons hair. Kid fired at him immediately, dark Soul dodging it by shifting his weight mid-air.
"I know," Soul purred as he landed above them all, balancing on a bent a rusted piece of steel. "Why don't I tell Asura where your little friends are hiding out? I'm sure he'd love to visit with Maka before he rips the soul from her very body."
"What?" Soul yelled, snapping his neck up to glare at his corrupted counterpart.
"Like we'll let you anywhere near them!" Black Star snarled as he pushed past Soul, forcing his soul's wavelength to pool in his hands. Kid glared dangerously at his former friend, golden eyes burning brightly. Dark Soul tittered with glee.
"Oh, maybe I should have mentioned he was already on his way there. It's not every day I have to become a distraction for Lord Death, my apologies for the poor performance."
Soul felt panic flood his body as he whipped his head to look at Black Star. He could feel the anger rolling off of him as his eyes flashed yellow and he vanished.
"Soul, get out of here and protect the girls! Gloomy and I can handle this!" Black Star barked as he swung his good arm at Dark Soul, missing his target by a long shot.
"Is now really the time for nicknames?" Kid drawled as he cut Soul off, kicking him and sending him crashing through the floors.
"I won't leave you two!" Soul yelled, throwing his arm over his face as the wind sliced at him. "Star, you're too injured to fight right now! Let me and Kid handle this."
"And they say chivalry is dead." Dark Soul cooed as he appeared before Soul, arm swinging back. "You wanna play scythe boy? Then let's play!"
Soul quickly rolled out of the way, hearing his jacket rip in the process as Dark Soul sliced at him as he shot by. The thick material split completely in half and the weapon tossed the remnants aside, transforming both arms as he stared down his counterpart.
"Fine by me!" Soul yelled as he launched forward, twisting as he jumped into the air.
"Kid, what the hell do we do?" Black Star watched as their blades collided at nearly untraceable speeds, the clangs of metal nearly deafening.
"I can sense Asura is on his way here, we need to secure the girls and stop him from killing Maka." Kid took one last glance at the battle before turning on his heel. "Soul can handle himself."
"You hit yer head or something since I last saw you? Since when the hell do you care about either of them?"
"No, a certain meister has just reminded me of something important." Kid said softly, the corners of his mouth twitching.
"I knew she would get through to you!" Black Star laughed and clapped him on the shoulder.
"Don't make me blast you through the wall."
"Ah, you love me, and you know it!" The ninja turned in the direction of the fight and cupped his hands over his mouth. "Soul, you better kick his ass or I'm kicking yours back to your own world!"
"I'm more afraid of Maka beating my ass for losing!" Soul grunted as he blocked Dark Soul's blades, the metal screeching as it scraped together. "Now, get out of here and stall Asura until I get there."
"Don't die on us!"
"Never planned on it."
Kid and Black Star left the room and the two weapons skidded to a halt, sweat dripping down their faces as they stared each other down. Soul felt the madness squirming inside of him, begging to be freed to unleash destruction.
'Come on, Evans, you know you want to release the madness,'
'So, you're finally back. Took you long enough.' Soul thought as he swung his leg out, connecting with Dark Soul's face. 'I always knew it wouldn't be so easy to kill you.'
'Thanks to your meister, I ended up being suppressed by her overwhelming anti-demon wavelength. That really is a terrible thing, you know.' The ogre huffed.
'Saved my ass more times than I can count. Now, are we going to just sit around and talk or are we going to get down to business?'
Soul stood in the darkness, hands shoved in his pockets as a door materialized behind him, a bright light slipping through the opening. With a grin he turned, stepping through the door of the black room, his usual clothes now replaced with a pinstripe suit. The ogre stood by the piano, gesturing to the pulled-out bench with a wide smile.
'I've kept her nice and clean for you. Let's put on a good show for our audience, shall we?'
Taking a seat on the bench, Soul lifted the cover, running his fingers over the ivory keys lightly He positioned himself, hands hovering over the keys at the ready. He closed his eyes, relishing over the familiar warmth zipping through his veins, electrifying every nerve in his body. It felt good, the madness, as it washed over him, the weapon readily accepting the immense power. He could hear the ogre tittering excitedly beside him.
'Let's give him a show he won't soon forget.'
With a deep breath in, Soul slammed down on the keys, a dark haunting tune erupting from the piano.
"Oh? Seems you're ready to fight for real this time." Dark Soul felt his lips curling into an impossibly large smile, giddy as he watched the splitting image of himself suddenly slouch over. "Well, come on then, don't disappoint me!"
"The only disappointment…" Soul chuckled, his movements jagged as he straightened up. "Is that this fight will be over before you can even blink!"
Dark Soul blinked and the weapon was gone, barely a cloud of dust moving from his spot. Something collided with his back and sent him crashing through the walls of the school, the already unstable structure groaning under the chaos as he rolled to a stop on the debris lidden floor, coughing. A noise reached his ears and he stumbled out of the way just as Soul landed where he was, blade imbedded in the tile. The madness inside of him tingled excitedly as he stood, the cloud of dust separating them slowly clearing.
"Feels nice, doesn't it? All that power coursing through your veins!"
"Unlike you…" Soul growled lowly, stepping through the dust screen, bladed arms at his sides. "I can keep my cool while under the madness. The real you may still be under there somewhere, but unless you can fight your way out, then today's going to be your last."
"Show me, Evans, what it's like to be the last Death Scythe!"
Sorry for the delays, been busy with work and chickens. Plus, I took some time to redo Captured, my Avatar the Last Airbender fanfic, so that's been taking my time as well.
Okay, so there is some iffy information on Chronos and Ananke. Originally, I had read they were father and daughter. That's not the case. Apparently they are siblings, which considering Grecian mythology, isn't exactly uncommon. But it is kinda gross. For the sake of the story, they're father and daughter because I don't want to change the other chapters and don't feel like writing about incest.