I don't own Soul Eater or Owl House.

Those belongs to Gilgamesh, King of Heroes... oh, shit, wait, wrong seriesOHFUCK-

The door swung open with no resistance under Maka's hand; something that surprised Soul, despite the fact that he knew very well that they had been summoned to the Death Room.

Normally, the Death Room's black, red and white trimmed door was one that was barred to students; anyone caught lingering in front of it without good reason was usually subject to some sort of detention. There were exceptions, of course – there always were to this sort of thing – but under normal circumstances, the only ones allowed into the Death Room were Death Scythes, and the Grim Reaper himself. Even faculty were only allowed entry if they were specifically summoned by Lord Death, or if they had some sort of grievance to voice.

Or at least, that was the gist of the rules that he could be bothered to remember.

"You ready, Maka?"

"It's just a chat with Lord Death," she assured, though he guessed it was more for herself than for him, "Nothing more than that."

"Then let's go."

With that, they stepped through the threshold.

It was always jarring, entering the Death Room; being the highest room in the DWMA, in the tallest spire the Academy had to offer, one would think it would be a fairly small room, albeit one filled with all sorts of oddities collected by the Grim Reaper over his many centuries of life.

But this could not be further from the truth.

The Death Room, in truth, was gargantuan.

Twisted clouds floated lazily across the clear sky overhead, the blue so vibrant that it actually stung the eyes; the earth beneath their feet was much the same, the sand so bright it almost looked more like snow. The gigantic red Torii gates that stood over the stone paths each upheld a gigantic guillotine blade, each razor sharp and glinting the light despite no sun being present. In the distance, innumerable crosses stuck up from the earth like thin dead trees or black lightning strikes that rose from the ground, their purpose unknown.

It even perfectly replicated the unbearable heat of the Nevada deserts surrounding Death City.

The only things that marked that this was indeed a room than a vast open plane were the distant windows.

"… I can never figure it out," Soul mused.

"Hm?"

"What exactly this is," he raised his hands, folding them behind his head, "It's way too big to fit into the DWMA, so that door has to be some kind of portal."

"Well, it's the Death Room," Maka kept her eyes fixed on the clouds overhead, frowning, "That implies that this isn't an infinite space, or at least that it's got some sort of walls and ceiling. Plus, it's got windows. Maybe it's some kind of pocket dimension?"

"Either way, it makes you wonder how he managed it. No way is science far enough along to pull something like this off."

Maka raised an eyebrow, "What, you think Lord Death is secretly a spellcaster?"

"Well, he's a Reaper, isn't he?" Soul glanced at her, "I'd say that being an embodiment of Death, he's exempt from the laws of physics in more than a couple ways. I mean, the guy literally lives inside a mirror, and uses anything with a reflective surface as his personal cell phone."

"Hm…" Maka folded her hands behind her back, lips pursed in thought as they proceeded through the Torii gates, "… maybe it's a physical representation of his Soul?"

"Maybe," Soul shrugged, "Doubt we'll get a straight answer if we ask, though."

Maka sighed, defeated, "You're probably right. He really does like to play up that mysterious old headmaster angle, huh?"

"Hey, he likes to keep some stuff private. I'm not exactly shouting all my secrets from the rooftops, why should he?"

"Fair point."

For a long few moments, neither spoke.

"ASSASSIN'S RULE NUMBER ONE! DISSOLVE IN THE DARKNESS AND ERASE YOUR BREATH! WAIT FOR AN OPENING TO ATTACK YOUR TARGET!"

They stopped, turning and staring up at the guillotine gate behind them; Maka let out a groan, "I do not need this today…"

Perched atop the crimson wood, a boy with wild blue hair glared down with a vicious grin, his arms outstretched, clasping a kusarigama in each hand, connected together by a chain; his white pants, black top and dark shoes edged with studded metal.

They didn't need to see the star shaped tattoo on his shoulder to know who it was.

"Don't bother, Black Star," the nonchalance in Maka's voice immediately disarmed any sort of imposing air the boy had hoped to cultivate.

Black Star let out a choked gasp, his grin jarring itself into a grimace, as if genuinely shocked he'd been spotted.

"You may as well just come down," Soul smirked, "You've already given yourself away. Again."

Black Star did not answer, his brow twitching as he audibly struggled to come up with some sort of response. The scythe in his right had began to glow, then transform, a head of long black hair tied back save for the bangs that framed her pale face and hung over her forehead. She gave a demure smile, "Well, they spotted us pretty easily… as usual…"

"Well, it can't be helped!" he suddenly declared, grinning broadly, "It's impossible to hide when you're as big a star as I am!"

He jumped, releasing his Weapon as she transformed; as the pair landed, Tsubaki gave Maka and Soul an apologetic smile, her eyes as dark a blue as the sea. Her long beige dress was held in place by the same studded metal belts that Black Star had, wrapped around her waist, and a black scarf was tied in place around her neck.

It always caught Soul off guard, just how tall Tsubaki actually was – he didn't think of himself as particularly short for his age, but the Dark Arm Weapon towered over all three of them. If one didn't count his hair, Black Star only came up to her chin.

"Oh well," Black Star continued, his grin never fading, "I think that's a disadvantage I can handle!"

"Idiot," Soul's own smile broadened as he stepped forwards, extending a hand, "You're just not cut out for this whole assassin gig."

Black Star responded in kind, the two clasping hands, "Hey! 'S not my fault the whole world can see my greatness from miles away! People need to update their definition of assassin!"

"Is that why you study the Assassin's Rules so closely, only to flub them so hard?" Maka asked, eyes half lidded as she crossed her arms.

Black Star's eyes narrowed, releasing Soul's hand, "That's the only way my opponents stand a chance, Maka. It's only fair I give them a chance to run."

"And that's why you still haven't collected a single Soul."

"I'm sorry," Black Star cupped his ear, angling it towards the Scythe Meister, "Who was it that reached ninety nine Souls, only to screw it up and have to start over?"

"Soul and I started over deliberately, Black Star," she huffed.

"Oh, really?"

Maka felt a smug smile spread across her face as she opened her mouth to speak-

But before a word could leave her mouth, Soul stepped between them, hands in his pockets, but stance and expression stern.

"That's enough, you two," he warned, "Seriously, we don't need a verbal spar right now."

Black Star snorted, but stepped back, eyes closed with a smirk on his face, "Eh, you're right. No need to waste my effort on someone as small as Maka. That's just not a match worth my time."

"Keep talking," she retorted, "At the rate things are going, we'll hit ninety nine Souls again before you even get one."

"You two need the head start," the Dark Arm Meister declared, "Tsubaki and I'll get all our Souls in one mission, you'll see!"

"I'd say at this point it's less a head start and more a victory lap," Maka mused.

"What did I just say?" Soul asked, his tone growing irritated as he glowered at the two Meisters.

"… alright, fine," Maka looked away, lips drawn in a thin line, "I'll drop it."

"Heh. Good to know you can see when you're outmatched," Black Star bared his teeth in another grin, "Come on, Tsubaki!"

"R-Right," she stammered, giving another apologetic bow before following Black Star further into the Death Room.

Soul let out a long, slow breath as he watched their backs before returning his attention to his partner; Maka's hands were clenched, her jaw tightening, clearly struggling to not unload another round of snark at the other Meister.

After a moment, he reached out, his hand clapping down on her shoulder; she jumped, snapping out of her frustrated haze, staring at Soul with her deep green eyes.

"Come on," the Scythe smiled, "You know he's not worth it."

"… I know," she sighed, "He's just… so infuriating."

"You win basically every time this happens," Soul noted, "You have a bigger verbal dictionary, and you're usually right."

"And he never cops to it," Maka uncrossed and recrossed her arms, biting at her lip, "I feel so bad for Tsubaki…"

"Hey, he's not that bad," he finally pulled his hand away, "He's self centered, sure, but do you honestly think Tsubaki would stick around if he were actually that terrible of a partner?"

"That's a hard question to answer, honestly."

"Trust me, if Black Star were really that awful, she'd have ditched a long time ago," Soul said. Then he gave a lazy grin, "Besides, you're just mad he got the last word again."

"Ugh," Maka shook her head, "He just doesn't give… getting the last word with him is impossible."

"So why try when it isn't worth it?" he asked, "Every time you rise to his bait, he wins."

"It's easier to think that than it is to actually act on it," she grumbled.

"Let him have the petty victory. You're the one who usually wins in the end," With that, Soul started forwards, posture hunched and hands in his pockets once more, "Come on, let's go."

"… right," Maka agreed, a small smile crossing her own features as she fell into step beside her Weapon.

The bookstore was largely silent as Luz perused the shelves of fantasy and manga, looking for something to catch her interest. A new series, a game manual, a game artbook – anything at all, really, would do.

But she couldn't seem to get anything at all to hold her interest for more than a minute; she found her mind wandering almost constantly, even more than she usually did, and she just couldn't bring herself to focus on anything other than her own internal fantasies.

Those, and her Soul Wavelength.

She'd jotted down the basic overview of Soul Wavelength and its basic concepts – Frequency, Amplitude, and Resonance. She had a rough understanding each of them – or at least, Luz thought she did – but she knew that she couldn't get a thorough grip of them from just an hour spent chatting with Papi.

There were nuances to Soul Wavelength that he must have skipped in order to make it easier to grasp. And while she was grateful for the simplification, Luz wanted to know how it all worked. When they'd come to the Index after finishing their lunch, Luz had done what she never thought she would ever do, and made an immediate beeline for the textbooks.

There were entire schools surrounding the use of Soul Wavelengths; there had to be something regarding it available to the public.

And yet, to her incredible confusion and more than slightly mild disappointment, Luz had found nothing.

"You'd think," she muttered under her breath, barely paying attention to the titles as she perused the shelves, "I'd be able to find at least one textbook by typing it into the computer…"

"Sorry, Luz," Dad leaned back against a nearby shelf, "But it's just not that simple. All of those textbooks are actually restricted to official DWMA campuses; you can't get ahold of them if you aren't in the actual system."

"¿Seriamente?" she whined, turning her brown eyes upon him.

"Seriamente."

"... please tell me there's at least a good reason for it," she all but begged.

He shrugged, "The Soul Wavelength is a fairly dangerous thing to just hand out to the general public. Knowing how to use it basically gives you some form of super powers, and just like how not everyone is responsible enough to own and use weapons, not everyone is responsible enough to have access to and use their Soul Wavelength – which is part of why the DWMA exists in the first place."

"To teach people not just how to use the Soul Wavelength, but the responsibilities entailed in knowing how to use it?" she guessed.

"Bingo. It's just like learning how to use any sort of weapon or martial art, Luz; there's a lot of responsibilities that you have to take into account. If you don't, you run the very real risk of getting people hurt," he gave her a smile, "Plus, a lot of these things sink in a lot better when you actually have a teacher on hand to show you how it works and explain in detail. You could certainly learn from the textbooks, but they probably wouldn't be able to give you quite the same understanding of both how it all works, and the ramifications involved as an actual mentor, you know?"

"Yeah," Luz sighed, once again turning to the bookshelves, "That makes sense… I just… really wanna learn."

Papi's hand gently clapped down on her shoulder, "I know, kiddo. I know."

She managed a smile, before returning to perusing the books.

Eventually, her eyes snapped to one particular book.

The Good Witch Azura.

Luz felt her heart lift a little more upon seeing the familiar bronzed skin and sky blue hair of the white robed Witch; the first novel was also one of the first books that she'd ever truly read through cover-to-cover that wasn't strictly a picture book. Ever since, Luz had kept close track of the series, and they had always wound up being either a Christmas or birthday present every time the new one came out. Dad had even pre-ordered the fifth book for her for Christmas last year, and when she'd finally gotten it a few months later, she hadn't been able to even think of anything else, reading it every chance she got – even going so far as to hide it beneath her desk when she should have been doing classwork.

"… you really do love that series, huh?"

"Yeah," Luz agreed heartily, "I do."

"The author sure was brave, making her main character a Witch," Dad stated, pulling the book out and staring at the cover, "Ooooh, special edition hardcover."

Luz snickered, "I'll wait until the whole series is out, thanks."

He raised an eyebrow with a smirk, "Gonna extort me for the full boxed set?"

She crossed her arms, matching his smirk with one of her own, "You and I both know I don't have to do any such thing."

"Heh. Touché," he slid the book back into its place on the shelf.

Slowly, her expression grew more thoughtful as she stared at the title; her smile faded, and she felt a question she had always been yearning to ask well up in her stomach before she could stop it, "… hey, Dad?"

"Yeah?"

"… you really think there's no such thing as a Good Witch?"

The Death Scythe let out a low hum, lips pursed and eyes narrowed in thought, "You really are asking all the hard questions today, aren't you?"

"Well…" she shrugged helplessly, "Call me an optimist. But I can't help but wonder if Witches just… have a bad rap, you know?"

"Not exactly a popular opinion."

"… I know," she conceded, "Mom tried to get me not to use the first novel for my book report because of that; Witches don't exactly have a good reputation… but even so…"

"You don't want to think of anyone as inherently evil," Papi stated, more than guessed.

"… yeah. That's it exactly."

He silently bobbed his head, once again leaning back against the bookshelf, obviously still pondering his answer.

"… we weren't really taught much about Witches in school beyond 'they exist,'" Luz ventured, "I'm assuming there's a reason for that, too? Like with Soul Wavelength?"

"There is," Dad confirmed, his expression growing a tad more serious, "The world is still feeling the shockwaves from the impact Witches had and still have on it, Luz. On the one hand, it would make sense to tell people in depth about what Witches really are… but on the other, telling people about a threat they can neither see nor really do anything to fight…"

"… you really think people are that afraid? Don't you think people would be braver than that?" she asked.

"Well, you know the line, Luz. What did K tell J?"

"'A person is smart,'" she rehearsed the quote as if she'd seen the movie yesterday, "'People are stupid, panicky animals, and you know it.'"

Papi nodded, "And that's exactly why Lord Death has decided to just let the subject be. It's one thing to try and prepare people for something they can deal with – but Witches aren't like natural disasters that can be overcome or pandemics that can be avoided or treated. They're not something that can be dealt with by a normal person, just like those who have begun to transform into Kishin. The fear might get to people's heads, and… well, I don't wanna point fingers, but there's a reason why everyone knows about what went down in Salem."

She felt her brow crease, pursing her lips, scepticism dripping from her tone, "That still doesn't seem like a very good solution. Especially since Salem's Witch Trials were actually started and perpetuated by ignorance and superstition."

"There are a lot of problems in the world that don't have good solutions, Luz," a smile crept back across his face, "Which is why the world needs people like you. We need people who keep looking for better solutions than the ones we have."

It was like he always knew exactly what she needed to hear; a grin was crossing her face before even she realized it. She quickly put her patented Serious Face back on, though she couldn't quite put the smile away entirely, "Thank you. But even so, don't you think the deaths brought about by those trials could have been prevented if the people involved actually knew what to look for?"

The Death Scythe shook his head, ruefully, "I'm not convinced it would have stopped them. All the methods that allow one to actually find a Witch are tied to being able to use Soul Wavelength, and even then, most of them were only invented relatively recently – as in, within the last one or two centuries. Plus, not everyone was so eager to trust Lord Death back then; people were, and still are, afraid of the Grim Reaper, and honestly I'm not sure I blame them. So, they wanted to take matters into their own hands, even if there was no real way for them to do so."

"… well, that sucks," Luz crossed her arms, biting her lip.

"There is no real sure-fire way to find a Witch, Luz. No two Witches are the same, in terms of personality or magical ability. They've come up with all sorts of ways to hide and fight," he turned his gaze to the ceiling, hands in his pockets, "As for your first question – is there such thing as a Good Witch?..."

He trailed off, leaving Luz to stew in the suspense.

"… I'll be honest. I don't actually know."

She blinked, "… you don't?"

"My first impulse is actually to say 'no,'" he admitted, "But, I do have to acknowledge that as a Weapon and a Death Scythe for the DWMA, that impulse stems from a fairly strong bias; most of the Witches that the DWMA handles are ones that pose an actual threat to the world – Witches with a grudge against regular humans or against the DWMA itself, and act on it.

"All that being said, Lord Death has opted to leave certain Witches alone before… but in those cases they were either too weak or too young to really cause anyone any actual harm," he shrugged once again, "It's very difficult to find a Witch that isn't actively making a nuisance of themselves. If there is a 'Good' Witch… it's probably someone who's settled down and shut themselves away from the world. Putting aside whatever grievances they had for something… more important, I guess."

Abruptly, the pale, golden-eyed woman sneezed, causing her rickety stand to rattle. She pushed her silver hair out of her eyes, grumbling under her breath as she started the long, slow process of resetting all her knickknacks and junk.

"Dammit, I hate it when that happens… probably one of my exes…"

"Hmm…" Luz hummed, stuffing her hands in her pockets, "… it all sounds like it's way more complicated than it has to be."

"It probably is," he conceded, still smiling, "But hey. Maybe you'll be the one to actually find a Good Witch."

Again, she found herself returning his smile with another grin. She opened her mouth, eager to continue-

Then a simple ringtone blared out.

Papi blinked, then dug in his pocket, pulling out his phone; his expression soured, and he hit the decline call button, and turned his gaze to Luz once more, "So, you find anything-"

As soon as he tried to ask, the phone went off again.

And again he declined the call.

"Did you find anything else, kiddo-?"

When the ringing went off again, Luz shifted closer, craning her neck to get a look at the name on the screen.

Sid Barret.

"Dammit, Sid," Dad growled, this time jabbing the phone with his finger as he ended the call. He turned to Luz, "Sorry Luz. He knows he shouldn't be calling me right now-"

Again, the phone rang.

She could practically hear the glass cracking as her father gave her a painstaking smile, "… Luz. Can I take this?"

She shrugged, "'S no biggie. Another teacher?"

"Yeah. Sid knows I'm on vacation right now, so there's really no reason he should be calling me."

"Must be important then," she gestured, "You can hang up after five minutes. I can find another book in that time."

He nodded gratefully, then finally hit answer as Luz turned back to the shelves.

"Not a good time, Sid," he said, tone low and warning; despite herself Luz couldn't help but listen closely, straining her ears to catch the voice on the other end of the line.

She couldn't quite make out the words, but the voice itself was deep and rough, but somehow pleasantly warm – strong, but gentle. Luz had to resist the urge to turn on her heel so she could listen more closely, instead fixing her eyes on the book directly in front of her.

"Just 'Spirit,' Sid," he sighed, bringing a hand to his forehead and closing his eyes, "I'm off duty."

He paused, listening for another moment as the voice responded.

"Kind of man you are, you mean?" Dad smirked lightly; Luz turned back to him, eyes wide and curiosity piqued.

"And what's that supposed to mean, exactly?" he asked, tone suspicious.

Abruptly, Dad's eyes snapped open, his expression one of horror and shock as he stared straight ahead, completely forgetting the world around him, "Stein did WHAT!?"

The entire bookstore fell silent; Luz stuck her head out of the aisle, glancing about, and everyone in the store now seemed to be focused on the fantasy aisle, staring openly at her in a mix of bewilderment and concern. She gave a slight wave, chuckling weakly, "Sorry…"

She ducked back into the aisle, waving a hand in front of her father's face and bringing a finger to her lips. He stared at her, bewildered, and slowly nodded, bringing a hand to his temple.

"… so you asked him to do that?" after a moment, he took a deep breath through his nose, exhaling through his mouth, "Okay. May I ask why?"

He listened a little longer than before, the explanation evidently lengthy, then snorted, "You realize Naigus is going to kill you both, right? And this time she'll make sure you stay dead?"

...

"Yeah, I know you're partners, but trust me, been there, done that – there is nothing worse than having an angry partner, Sid, Weapon or Meister."

...

"… alright. Don't say I didn't warn you. Does Lord Death know about this?... he sanctioned it?... you really do care about being honest, don't you?"

...

"… yeah, yeah, I get it. Doesn't mean I approve."

...

"Look, I'm with my daughter right now. Can this wait until I'm back at my hotel?... oh, you're done?... okay. Take care of yourself, then, Sid," he smirked, "At least long enough that I can see Naigus kick your ass when I get back... yeah, alright. Will do. See ya."

With that, he ended the call, "Professor Sid says hi, Luz. I think you'd like each other; he's a bit strict, but I don't have any doubt you'd make him proud to be a teacher."

She beamed… then tilted her head, curiosity once again getting the better of her, "¿Papi?"

"Yes, Luz?"

"Who's Stein?"

At this, the Death Scythe went rigid, the colour slowly draining from his face as he stared at his daughter. He opened his mouth, closed it, opened it again…

Then collapsed on his knees, raising his hands to the sides of his head, babbling incoherently under his breath.

Cautiously, Luz stepped away, poking her head out of the aisle once more, waving at the first staff member she saw.

"Um… can I get some help?" she called, pointing back at the figure of her father on the floor, who was now curled in the foetal position, "I think I broke my Dad…"

"Well, he knows," the man grunted, blank eyes narrowing as he pocketed his phone.

"Hm."

It was the only response he got from the figure typing at the computer, the dark rendering the screen absolutely blinding; the silhouette of the figure in the chair was a ghastly one, leaving the man to shudder, even if the relative cold of the room was no longer something that bothered him.

"… didn't you have anything you wanted to say to him? It's been a while since you two have been in the same room together."

"No," the voice was toneless, distracted, "I'll have plenty of time to say everything I want to him soon enough. He is my keeper, after all. Once I'm back, Spirit will be spending less time at Lord Death's side and more time keeping me in check."

"That's the other thing I was wondering about," the man grumbled, "Didn't you want to tell him you're coming back?"

"Nah."

Slowly, the figure stood, stretching out his limbs; his joints clicked one by one, from his elbows, wrists, and even fingers, to the vertebrae in his neck, everything popping back into place with a loud crack.

He turned, the light of the screen catching his glasses and illuminating the stitches that wove across his face as he gave a lazy, mildly amused smile, "I wanna see the look on his face when he sees me again."

The man shook his head, appalled, "You really are a sadistic man, you know that?"

"Believe me, I'm well aware," the figure took out a lighter, lighting a cigarette, "You know your jobs over the next two weeks?"

"I do."

"Then get to it. The students should be getting their extra lessons any minute now, and I'm eager to get to work."

"Alright. With any luck, I'll be seeing you soon, Professor Stein."

"They don't need luck. They need to show what they're capable of."

"Too true."

With that, Sid Barret turned, and pushed through the door, his lips pulled back, baring his teeth in a permanent snarl.

A simple platform of cobblestone some odd hundred feet across raised the gilded mirror away from the sand; it stood over twelve feet tall, easily towering over both the Meisters and the Weapons, gilded with golden trim. A candlestick was attached to both the top and either side of the mirror, and though each bore a lit candle, the candles didn't seem to melt or burn down even in the slightest, no matter how long one stood staring at the flickering flame.

The surface of the mirror itself was absolutely flawless, bearing no marks or even a sign that it was a mirror at all; were it not for the mirror's frame, one could walk towards it and find themselves wondering if the reflection within was really just that, or if you were staring at a true doppelgänger.

"… so," Soul started, glancing at Black Star, "Were you summoned by Lord Death too?"

"So what if we were?" the Meister rebuffed, folding his hands behind his head.

"Just curious," Soul shrugged, "We got pulled out of class for this."

"You too?" Tsubaki asked.

"Yeah. Not that I'm complaining, but… well, hard not to wonder why, is all."

"Well, we won't find out why until we call him."

Soul watched as Maka stepped forwards, finger raised to touch the mirror; with speed that never ceased to astound, she traced out the numbers, "Forty two, forty two, five six four, whenever you want to knock on Death's door."

As it always did, the mirror darkened, the ringtone blaring out with an echo that reverberated throughout the Death Room.

"Hello? Lord Death?" Maka called, "Are you there?"

The dark gave way to the familiar, jagged figure of the Grim Reaper, his mask glancing back and forth across the students.

"Hello, hello!" he acknowledged, "Thanks for coming! What's up?"

"Scythe Meister Maka, and Demon Weapon Soul Eater reporting in," Maka stood at full attention, expression serious as possible.

"Yeah, and Dark Arm Meister Black Star, too," Black Star put his hands on his hips.

"And Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Magic Dark Arm Weapon," Tsubaki followed in turn.

"So, what's up?" Soul finally asked, "What did you want with us?"

"Well, let's start one pair at a time," Death began, turning his gaze upon the Dark Arm Meister, "This actually has more to do with you two, Black Star, Tsubaki."

"Is there something wrong, sir?" Tsubaki asked, eyes widening slightly.

"Well, unfortunately, as a matter of fact there is," he confirmed, "I have a little assignment for you to take on."

"Assignment?" Black Star raised an eyebrow.

Death raised a hand, the eyes of his mask narrowing, "Some extra lessons."

"E-Extra lessons!?" Tsubaki exclaimed, eyes going wide, "The ones meant for failing students!?"

"Correct, Tsubaki," Death nodded, "I trust that you are all aware of the purpose of the DWMA?"

"Well, yeah," Black Star's eyes narrowed, "Our job is to gather Kishin Egg Souls. We protect the world by collecting the corrupted Souls of evil humans, and feeding them to our Weapons, in order to create a Death Scythe."

"Absolutely correct, Black Star. But do you know how many Souls you have actually managed to collect since your enrolment?" the Grim Reaper raised his hands, fingers and thumbs curled together to form perfect circles, "Exactly zero."

This time, neither Black Star nor Tsubaki answered; the Weapon cast her eyes to the ground, hands clasped behind her back and lips drawn tight, eyes wide. Black Star, however, erupted into raucous laughter, eyes squeezed shut and mouth wide open-

Only for it to be immediately silenced as Death's hand escaped the mirror, larger than a patio stone and every bit as hard, cracking the Dark Arm Meister directly in the forehead; Black Star fell to the floor, collapsed in a heap and silent as the grave, eyes spinning in their sockets.

"It isn't something to laugh about, Chuckles," the headmaster chided, his hand still smoking from the force of the impact.

"Okay, but then why are we here, Lord Death?" Maka asked.

"Yeah," Soul concurred, "Didn't you say that starting from scratch wasn't gonna reflect on our grades?"

"I did say that, and I meant it," the Reaper confirmed, glancing at the Scythe and Meister pair, "Hence why I said that this concerns Black Star and Tsubaki more than you two. For you, Soul and Maka, this assignment is optional, though I think it would be perfect to get you two back on track and test how far you've come."

The pair glanced at each other, once again silently questioning each other.

"… I think at the very least, we can hear you out," Maka declared, smiling.

"So what'cha got for us?" Soul inquired.

"Splendid!" Death clapped his hands, waiting for Black Star to pull himself together and get back to his feet before continuing, "Now, Im sure that by now you have all heard about what happened to Professor Sid Barret?"

Soul blinked, startled, "He was murdered last Friday, wasn't he?"

"I'm afraid it's a little more complex than that, Soul. You see, Sid was murdered… but it seems he was also brought back to life."

"… I'm sorry?" Maka asked, perplexed.

"After Sid's murder, the Academy sealed off the room he was murdered in from the students and took his body into our hospital wing for an autopsy," the Reaper explained, "The strange thing was that there was very little sign of a struggle despite the fact that he was clearly attacked from the front, the statuette embedded in his skull.

"But soon afterwards, the body disappeared. Sid's office and home were both thoroughly ransacked. And a number of reports have come in from DWMA students that detail some rather alarming sightings over the past few days. Sightings detailing a figure that bears more than a passing resemblance to Sid, following or even outright attacking them. If these sightings are accurate, then it would appear that whoever killed Sid was not content to let him rest in peace – if I had to wager a guess, Sid Barret has been revived as a zombie."

"… who would do something like that?" Tsubaki asked, eyes wide in abject horror.

"That, I do now know, Tsubaki," Death confessed, "It is at the very least evident that whoever did this knows what they are doing. There are not many people who can get into the DWMA undetected, or so effortlessly defeat a Three Star Meister like Sid – much less both."

"So what does this have to do with any of us?" Maka asked, "And moreover, why is school still in session if someone that dangerous is running around? Shouldn't everyone be staying home until this guy is caught?"

"Not necessarily, Maka," Death shook his head, "Though your concerns are valid and your instincts sharp, asking everyone to stay home is not necessarily the safest available option in this scenario, for a number of reasons; whoever did this made sure they stayed out of sight and avoided causing a large commotion. A large number of students moving to and fro through the campus will likely discourage the killer from making any overt moves, at least during the day. Moreover, it will be easier to keep track of the students if their attendance is marked in class each day – if they were to remain at home, regular checks would be necessary, and the Academy would not be able to react as readily if students were to go missing."

"… he makes a solid point," Soul whistled, "You got a better handle on things than I gave you credit for, old man."

"My first priority is always the safety of my students, Soul Eater," Death reminded, "If it weren't, I wouldn't be much of a headmaster at all, now would I?"

The Scythe spared a glance for his Meister, watching as her shoulders fell slightly, her features slowly relaxing; he smirked, letting his head tilt and his headband cover his eyes.

"But what about Sid?" Tsubaki pressed, "You can't honestly expect us to take on a Three Star Meister and win! Even without Naigus!"

"Under normal circumstances, no," the Reaper held his hands up, displaying the image of a wavering blue Soul, "But these are not normal circumstances. If our assumption is correct and Sid has been revived as a zombie, his Soul should still be weak from having died once already. If we wait too long, he will regain his full strength, and it will be much more difficult to put him down... but if you can find him before that happens, I am confident that you will be able to defeat him. From there, you should be able to find whoever killed him, and why."

"Sounds easy enough!" Black Star shouted, "You can count on me, sir! So we just gotta eliminate these guys?"

"Not quite. Your mission is find Sid, defeat him, and through him track down his killer; from there, Three Star Weapons and Meisters will work to apprehend them."

"Pff. Lame," he closed his eyes, crossing his arms, "I bet I could take on this creep no problem! I don't need help from anybody!"

"On that matter, I'm afraid we will have to agree to disagree, Black Star."

Even Black Star had to blink at the grave tone in the Reaper's voice; he looked from the Meister, to the Dark Arm, the mask hiding any emotion that might have crossed the headmaster's face.

"There is a reason that, for Maka and Soul, this extra lesson is optional. For you two, Black Star and Tsubaki, this extra lesson is mandatory. And I'm sure you both already know why."

"… sir?" Tsubaki's voice wavered, "You mean…"

"The both of you are incredibly skilled as DWMA students go, especially considering your age. However, the fact that neither of you have successfully collected a single Kishin Egg Soul despite being enrolled as students for over a year has me very concerned."

"Really? That's it?" Black Star cackled, "That's what this is about? If I really wanted to, I could collect all those Souls at once! I could make Tsubaki a Death Scythe in a day if I wanted to!"

"But that's just the problem, now, isn't it?" Death asked, "It certainly seems like you don't want to."

The blue haired boy's eyes narrowed, his smile wavering, "What was that?"

"Black Star, no one disputes that you are one of the strongest Meisters in your year at the Academy. Possibly in the Academy in general. But you refuse to use your strength or skill seriously," the chiding tone of Death's voice allowed for no arguments, "Instead, you spend all your time on missions showboating and grandstanding. For all your bluster about being a great assassin and warrior, you have let your quarry escape every single time you have gone out on collection over the past year, forcing other Weapon and Meister pairs to pick up your slack. This, frankly, is unacceptable behaviour for a Meister of your calibre."

At this point, Black Star's smile had completely faded, replaced by an expression of grim determination. His fists clenched, jaw tightening, "So that's it? I'm being punished for being too big a man for any of the missions you give me?"

"I would hardly call your behaviour that of a 'big man.' Especially considering the fact that your teachers are all at the end of their ropes with you."

"Hey! It's not my fault they're too scared of how big I am compared to them!" Black Star jabbed his thumb into his chest, grinning, "I wouldn't want to live in my own shadow either-"

"And that," Death interrupted, "is exactly what I am talking about. You excel in every physical test, but every field operation you are sent on ends in failure, and you refuse to learn from it. You don't seem to realize that in refusing to change your strategy or even your behaviour, you also refuse to make any sort of forward progress. A certain amount of pride can be healthy, Black Star, but you are letting your ego control your every action; how do you expect to make Tsubaki into a Death Scythe when you can't even complete the collection of a single Kishin Egg Soul?"

Black Star snorted, giving the headmaster a thumbs up, "With incredible flair and innate greatness!"

With all the speed of a bullwhip, the Reaper Chop once again came crashing down on Black Star's forehead; he stumbled back in a daze, clutching his head with a pained groan before falling to the ground, staring up at the ceiling with his eyes spinning in their sockets.

"Whoa, slow down there, old man," Soul crouched over Black Star's fallen body squinting at the Meister's pupils, "Black Star doesn't have a lot of brain cells to work with as it is. I don't think hitting him over the head is gonna help him learn humility."

"I suppose you have a point there," slowly, the great brick the Reaper called a hand retracted, "But even I'm getting frustrated with his antics; I've seen a lot of students come and go, but only a select few were ever as proud as Black Star."

"… none of them… were ever… as big… as me," Black Star managed, once again raising his hand, thumb pointed towards the sky.

"Dude, he's gonna crack your skull open at this rate," Soul deadpanned, gripping him by the shoulders and carefully hauling the Dark Arm Meister to his feet, "Just keep your mouth shut until we're out of here, will ya?"

"No… promises," Black Star slurred, eyes following unseen images, "Especially… with all the other… Black Stars… cheering me on…"

"You really are hopeless," Maka sighed, bringing a hand to her forehead.

"… um… sir, if I may," Tsubaki raised a hand, getting the Reaper's attention, "I know Black Star is… unorthodox as Meisters go, but he's always been an excellent partner to me. I know that if we were to really try, we could really do some big things as Meister and Weapon."

She turned to her partner, giving him a gentle smile, even as he gradually returned to reality, "Please. Don't be so harsh on him. He really is the best partner I could have asked for."

"… unfortunately, Tsubaki, this is where I must level some criticism at you, as well," Death spoke, almost mournfully, as if he didn't want to begin this next lecture.

"… what do you mean?" she asked, tone apprehensive.

"You are an excellent student, Tsubaki. You excel in every physical test, much like Black Star does, and your tests and written classwork are impeccable," he cast a significant glance to Black Star as the boy slowly came back down to earth, "But Black Star is not the only limiting factor in regards to your shared performance in the field. I appreciate the amount of patience you have had with him – I doubt there are any other Weapons in the Academy who could realistically work with Black Star – but there should be a limit to the patience you are willing to offer him."

"I'm… not sure I understand," she admitted.

"You are quick to defend him in regards to his performance and behaviour, despite the impact he has had on your own performance. You are content to let him lead in every mission, opting to merely advise him rather than attempt to help make decisions. Oftentimes you are content to let your opinion go unheard for the purpose of keeping your partner happy."

He turned to the other Weapon and Meister pair, "Take a look at Maka and Soul. They are not perfect partners by any means – no teens ever are," he quickly added, seeing Soul frown deeply and Maka bristle with indignant rage, "But Maka's bookish, studious nature and Soul's laid back attitude bring each other into balance. They have the capacity to act independently of each other when the situation calls for it, but by and large, they make their decisions together. They are honest with each other, and neither one attempts to, or allows the other to dominate their relationship.

"By comparison, you allow Black Star to do as he pleases, regardless of the situation at hand. Rather than acting as a healthily restraining influence on him, you have been enabling his ego, allowing it to run rampant despite the damage it is doing to the both of you. Put simply, Tsubaki, Maka and Soul are partners; by comparison, your relationship with Black Star is more akin to that of an advisor and a King. You constantly offer him advice, but you act as if the decision ultimately falls to him, and your voice holds no real weight. I think you know as well as I do that isn't how a partner is supposed to behave."

"… I…" Tsubaki shifted from foot to foot, hands wringing behind her back as she squirmed in place; her eyes were wide and downcast, her jaw working anxiously as she bit at her lip, struggling to find the words…

All the while, Maka and Soul looked on, equally solemn.

"… hey, Death."

Once again, all eyes were on Black Star. His fists clenched and unclenched restlessly, as if seeking some weapon. His eyes had shifted in colour, from a deep sea green to a sky blue, brows furrowed and jaw set.

"… throw all the shade you want at me. I'm a big man. I can take it," he hissed, "But don't you dare say Tsubaki isn't good enough to be my partner. She's my co-star, damn it; she's the one I'm gonna make into a Death Scythe."

The two stared each other down, as if waiting for the other to flinch; as usual, Death's mask remained impassive, betraying no emotion, while the rest of the room stared in shock at Black Star and his cold, almost quiet anger. A furious Black Star was certainly no surprise… but a Black Star that exhibited that anger with anything other than furious shouting and collateral damage?

It was uncanny. Frightening, even. Maka had taken a step back, aghast at the boy she had previously been trading jabs with; Soul studied him closely, uncertain, but ready to step in if needed.

The only person who dared to step towards him was Tsubaki herself.

Wordlessly, she placed a hand on his shoulder, a gentle smile on her lips as he glanced up at her; a second passed, with only a flicker of change on their faces signalling the silent exchange.

Slowly, Black Star's body relaxed, a low breath escaping his lungs. His eyes fell closed, and when they opened once more, they had returned to their normal dark green.

"Have you calmed down now, Black Star?" the headmaster inquired.

"Yeah, yeah," he grumbled, "It's not worth getting angry over an insult. I'm bigger than that."

"Good. Because I unfortunately have one last piece of bad news," Death raised a hand once more, turning his attention to both the Meister and the Magic Dark Arm, "Black Star, Tsubaki. If you fail this lesson, you are both going to be removed from the Weapon and Meister program. This is your last chance to prove that you can perform well both as partners, and as a Weapon and Meister in general. Do you understand?"

Finally, Black Star's smile returned, "What, is that supposed to scare us? If you want to scare a guy as big as me, you're gonna have to try a Hell of a lot harder than that, Grim Reaper."

"Black Star and I are ready for this, Lord Death," Tsubaki assured, tone and expression both resolute, "I promise, we won't fail this time. We won't waste this last chance."

"… I'm glad to see you both so confident," the Reaper stated sincerely, "Just don't let it get to your heads.

"And you, Maka, Soul? Do you accept this mission as well?"

"Of course," Maka nodded.

"You really need to ask?" Soul chuckled.

"Very well. Then I will outline your parameters," the Reaper held up two fingers, "We estimate that Sid will have returned to full strength in two weeks' time; thus, you have two weeks to complete your assignment. You are excused from all regular classes for the duration – I want you to focus all of your efforts on defeating Sid and tracking down his killer. I recommend you begin your search in Death City itself, as I very much doubt that either of them will have gone far."

"Duly noted," Soul acknowledged.

The Reaper bobbed his head back and forth, swaying slightly, "I wish you all the best of luck."

"Keep your luck," Black Star scoffed, "If you're gonna wish anyone luck, give it to Maka."

"We'll see who needs luck," Maka muttered, then straightened, "Is that all, Lord Death?"

"Yes, that about sums it up. I bid you all goodbye."

With that, the mirror went dark, and returned to its normal reflection.

"Welp, I guess we better get started," Soul sighed, "Least it's better than listening to our substitute."

"We'll start by looking into some of those reports Lord Death mentioned," Maka started, taking out her notebook and flipping to a blank page, jotting down the basis of a plan, "With any luck, we might be able to see if any of the sightings took place in specific parts of the city; if they overlap at all, we just might have a good place to start looking."

"It certainly sounds like a good idea," Tsubaki agreed, "Maybe we should also check the hospital wing and Sid's house? Who knows, maybe Sid left something behind."

"Not likely, but I guess it can't hurt," Maka pursed her lips, "Anything that can help us track him down would help a lot."

Black Star said nothing, merely turning on his heel and starting towards the guillotine gates, "Come on, Tsubaki. Standing around planning isn't gonna get us anywhere; we gotta get a move on."

"Right! Coming!"

"Don't act out on your own!" Maka shouted after them, "Our chances of pulling this off improve immensely as long as we work together."

"Then don't fall behind and don't get in my way," Black Star shot back, never once looking back as he continued on.

Maka let out a growl, but quickly stifled it, instead pocketing her notes once again, "I'm already wondering if we've bitten off more than we can chew…"

"Hey, we can't exactly let them get expelled, now can we?" Soul asked with a slight smile, once more stuffing his hands in his pockets.

"No," she confessed, "but that doesn't mean I'm looking forwards to being saddled with Black Star's ego for the next two weeks."

"Then let's get this wrapped up."

"… right."

With that, the two started down the gates.

"… this means Luz's lessons will need to be put off… damn it…"

To his credit, Soul's ear's only gently twitched as he heard Maka's faint whisper.

Man, this wait for the Boiling Isles just keeps getting longer and longer, huh?... well, I hope Luz spending time with Spirit makes up for it. I'm really loving their dynamic, personally.

Thanks for giving this a read, everyone, and thank you so much for your patience and understanding with me. Let me know what you think! I hope you all enjoyed the fifth chapter of Owls and Souls, Witches and Resonance!