"Mother, Father." Calmly, Kid approaches the two only to falter, his gold widening when seeing the two before him, his father's mask has a ruby red tint to it as he holds his wife whispering something into her ears making her chuckle. They sit on a familiar golden throne from prior, perched upon Death's lap is his mother making him furrow his brow at the couple, the two blushing in their own little world.
"Oh hey Kid wazzup's!" Flustered, Death stands up alongside Ava removing themselves from each other, a ruby red tint to both his parent's facial features making him sigh at the two.
"Apologies if I'm interrupting…whatever this is." Awkwardly, Kid gestures to the two.
"I'm a failure of a mother, disgusting…disgusting…disgusting…" Intensely, Ava whispers muttering under her breath her brow furrowed in her own rant tangent insulting herself making Death sigh at the sad state of his wife, the embarrassment having consumed her.
"Well you see son when a man and woman…" Nervously, Death begins only to falter from his sharp scowl.
"I'm going to have to stop you right there." Politely, Kid interrupts his father.
"Agreed." Ava sighs furrowing her brow, her hands on her hips a raincloud hovering over her making both boys sweatdrop.
"Right…So what brings you here kiddo?" Curious, Death questions his son.
"I've been looking into legendary weapon symmetry and I stumbled across a weapon I was wondering if you knew about it father." Honestly, Kid confesses to his father.
"Oh what's it called?" Curious, Ava asks her son.
"Excalibur." Kid answers making both individuals freeze up from the name drop, grimacing.
"Urk!" Ava falls flat to the ground, where she comes crashing down, curling in on herself, her facial features shifting, shaking while Death grimaces, glancing to the side at the name, grimacing.
"Mother are you alright?" Concerned, Kid questions his brother, kneeling down, crouching down to her height.
"She…she's fine its best not to say that word around her." Tiredly, Death tells him, leaning down, placing his gloved hand on his wife's back, rubbing patterns into her back, trying to console her.
"I…see. Do you have anything on it?" Kid questions his father.
"Well…" Death trails off only then for Kid's gold to widen when his mother's hands grab hold of his shoulders...
"Keep away from it." Gravely, she warns him.
"Pardon?" Perplexed, Kid furrows his brow.
"Kid I love you and as your mother, I have to look out and protect you from the evils of this world. That book, that weapon is the definition of evil." Grimly, she warns him intensely.
"Are you serious?" Scowling, Kid says.
"Disgusting, disgusting, disgust…." Aggravated, Ava whispers curling in on herself seething, snarling making Death sigh.
"Is she…?" Concerned, Kid turns to his father.
"She'll be fine she just needs a minute to recoup is all. Why don't you check the library? I'm sure there's more on what you're looking for." Death offers.
"A good point thank you. Good say, father, mother I hope you recover." Awkwardly, Kid bows his head to the two, patting her back before leaving.
"Ava dear you okay?" Death questions her concerned once Kid leaves.
"Urgh…" Groaning, Ava curls in on herself.
"I know sweetheart, I know…" Death sighs at his partner as he continues consoling his wife in the Death room.
"I'm here what am I supposed to do now?" Blackstar furrows his brow at Sid as they reside in the library with books littered all over the place.
"Clean put the library back in order." Sid snaps at him.
"What? No way not me!" Blackstar scowls at the order.
"Listen here you brat on your last extraocular activity lesson you didn't collect a single soul." Scowling, Sid reminds him.
"Yeah well that's what remedial lessons are for right? I should know I've done enough of them already. What good will stacking books do for me? Cleaning? No way, I'm too big for that! Star's too big for that isn't there anything better to do like when we beat up you and the professor?" Blackstar whines.
"Listen up for once Blackstar you have more raw power than anyone else in your class and yet you have nothing to show for it. It isn't fair to Tsubaki she's trying so hard and you're holding her back. Right now what you need is punishment. Something tedious and boring to get you back on track." Sid declares turning to the door.
"This is a huge mess aren't you at least going to help me?" Desperate, Blackstar reasons.
"That would defeat the purpose and I don't spoil my students. That's not the kind of man I was." Smirking, Sid slams the door shut leaving Blackstar in the library.
"Great what am I going to do now? Hahahaah! Charisma justice is awesome! He's almost a big of a star as I am. I never knew he had comic books in the library. This is the kind of remedial lesson I can live with." Eagerly, Blackstar grins relishing the comic in his grasp, sat on the tall tower of books stacked up.
"Keep it down would you? You're in a library." Annoyed, Kid calls out to him surprising Blackstar.
"Uh yeah sorry. What are you doing here Kid? Are you being punished too?" Curious, Blackstar asks Kid.
"No I'm here to check out a book. I'm conducting research into the history of famous weapons I'd actually like to take that book that's under your butt if you don't mind moving for a second." Politely, Kid scowls at Blackstar, his hands shoved into his pockets.
"Oh right here. What does the cover say? E-E-CALI-BUR?" Smiling, Blackstar passes him the book under his butt peering over his shoulder scowling at the title of the snow-white book.
"Almost Excalibur." Kid corrects Blackstar.
"Yeah what's that?" Blackstar asks him.
"From what I heard it's a legendary weapon also known as the holy sword they say he who draws the holy sword from the ground will be deemed a hero and shall receive everlasting glory and fame. I've heard someone who claimed Excalibur in the past went on to become a mighty king. I bet a sword as powerful as this one has flawless symmetry, oh symmetry." In awe, Kid gushes his golds glimmer at the thought, shimmering shining.
"Hero? King? That sounds perfect to me." Merrily, Blackstar grins from ear to ear at the thought.
"Oh you mean Excalibur huh." Surprised, the two jolt up at Stein.
"Hey professor are you here for punishment too?" Blackstar asks Stein.
"Punishment? What are you talking about Blackstar?" Baffled, Stein questions him.
"Do you know anything about the legend of Excalibur?" Curious, Kid questions him.
"The holy sword Excalibur it was too much even for me." Grimacing, Stein glances to the side at the memory-making Kid furrow his brow having seen a similar reaction with his mother only less dramatic.
"Really? You pulled the sword?" Blackstar gasps.
"Even you couldn't draw the sword Excalibur? The holy sword Excalibur…" Stunned, Kid whispers at the thought staring down at the book in his grasp.
"Now I'm really interested!" Blackstar grins wildly as he glances over at Kid the two sharing a look of understanding knowing what must be done, find Excalibur!`
"Look at that Maka look how ridiculous the sun looks trying to fight off sleep. Pretty funny! Hahaha!" Sprit smiles as he leans against the balcony, looking out at the sun, saliva spewing out of their lips, trying to fight back against the tantalizing sweet sensation of sleep.
"Hm…" Maka glances to the side standing by her father's side frowning.
This isn't going well at all. I finally have the chance to talk to Maka and I don't have a clue what to talk about. What would Ava do? She's always good with Kid, heck even Lord Death is and he isn't even human! Come on if those two can have such a bond with their son then I can bond with my little girl too! She pulled out a book, she's bored with me I have to say something quick, something clever, something funny, think, think! Think faster idiot! Panicked, Spirit tells himself, sweat sliding down his trembling temple.
"Hey you shouldn't be reading in this light it's bad for your eyes…Spirit calls out to Maka reading the book in her grasp.
Really? Did I just start off by lecturing her!?" Spirit screams at himself.
"Hey…papa. How do you feel about mama be honest?" Maka sighs.
"That's easy I love her of course." Easily, Spirit answers.
"Then how come you cheated on her all the time? Did anyone else know about you cheating?" Scowling, Maka demands.
"Well, I um…well you see…" Shyly, Spirit trails off anxiously at the memory threatening to resurface.
Quietly, the soft snores of the bedroom echoes throughout the room where sleeping in the king-sized bed with ruby red satin dangles down from the bedframes as under the dark duvet reside both Ava and Lord Death, sleeping. His coal claw drapes over the small figure that is Ava, the two sleeping as the rain roars outside, pouring down from the outside world where a certain rushing redhead approaches the manor, peering into each and every door until grinning widely when seeing through the window said couple sleeping softly, unaware of a crib by the woman's side. Slyly, he opens the door crawling inside only to hiss, cursing when he comes crashing down having tripped inside.
"Damn…" Lowly, he curses cradling his behind as he opens his blue only to meet a pair of alarmed yellow.
"Hey there little guy…" Spirit whispers gushing over the baby boy, his fingertips coiled around the crib before bursting into tears alarming both the man and the two above.
"Kid? What's…SPIRIT!?" Stunned, Ava gawks quickly waking up at the sheer sight of the redhead, her groggy voice turning sharp as she scowls at the redhead.
"Looking lovely tonight lady Ava!" Cheekily, Spirit winks at the woman, eyeing the brief sneak of skin only to squeak when seeing the coal claw coil around her arm slowly arise.
"Spirit this better be good…" Warningly, Death tells Spirit who freezes from his boss's glare but most important terrified of the normal happy go lucky jovial jolly voice turning dark, demonic even husky making him squirm releasing a small squeak ready to give the couple, a valid reason for breaking in…
"So…she kicked you out again." Annoyed, Ava concludes as she adjusts her dressing gown crossing her arms over her chest. She glares at Spirit sat down on the table, sipping the beverage provided for him as she glances over at Death cradling the sniffling baby boy in his hand with his gloves back on, trying to calm the sniffing boy down, whimpering.
"Yeah…can I stay here for a few days?" Hopeful, Spirit smiles only then for them to flinch from the baby boy's wail.
"What happened this time?" Tiredly, Ava questions Spirit as her husband pours the milk into the baby bottle.
"I moved the milk." Drained, Death answers heating said bottle.
"Wait what?" Lost, Spirit furrows his brow as Ava stands from her seat, sighing.
"There was two bottles of milk on either side in the fridge." Frowning, she answers as she approaches the fridge.
"So?" Spirit raises a brow as she takes the glass bottle
"He doesn't like it if they aren't the same volume nor if they are at a specific place." Grumpily, Ava answers making Spirit frown.
"And…?" Stunned, Spirit gapes at Ava taking the milk, getting out two small bottles, getting out a measuring jug, crouching down, adjusting the volume of the milk once they are the exact same volume, she pours the rest of the milk into the even amount of bottles.
"Our son's a bit…unique." Death sighs.
"Weird." Spirit states making the annoyed Ava scowl, slamming the now empty bottle into the bin.
"Unique. It's just how he is and we love him for who he is even with his…quirk." Sighing, Ava approaches the fridge, placing the bottles inside, adjusting the fridge as she steps back, her and Death sharing a look watching as the baby boy's gold glimmer at the interior of the fridge, smiling softly relaxing in his father's hand at the symmetry of the fridge making Spirit scowl, gaping at the strange sight of the family.
"He's an interesting kid you know my Maka loves reading." Softly, Spirit smiles at the thought of her baby girl.
"Is that right? Does Maka wail if you don't put the books back in the correct order?" Miserably, Ava asks Spirit who frowns.
"And what is that correct method?" Curious, Spirit quirks his head to the side.
"We're still trying to work that out." Death answers.
"Still cheating again, really?" Ava sighs, turning back to the topic at hand.
"I don't know okay it just happened what do you think I should do?" Deflated, Spirit slumps in his seat.
"Stop cheating would be a good first step." Scowling, Ava offers.
"While you're at it maybe not climb into people's windows." Death throws in.
"Oh come on you can't tell me you two haven't cheated on one another!" Spirit argues making both their eyes expand at the thought.
"We've never cheated on one another." Together, the two chorus.
"When together anyway." Ava remarks snippily under her breath peeking Spirit's attention.
"Never? Come on…wait." Spirit wiggles his brow at the two unamused people only to frown at the last part.
"Why are you even telling us this?" Annoyed, Ava questions him changing topic too tired to deal with any of this.
"Cause you guys are like the dream couple, the best couple in the academy!" Animatedly, Spirit proclaims.
"Really?" Death raises a brow.
"Don't buy into it, sweetie." Sighing, Ava places her head into her plush palm, tired.
"You guys are like the ideal couple." Spirit continues.
"We have our flaws too you know." Irritated, Ava points out.
"Please as if you have to worry about Death leaving the seat up!" Perversely, Spirit snickers unaware of Death raising his gloved hand, muttering…"Reaper chop!" Swiftly silencing the fool or so the two had hoped.
"Please I don't know what to do!" Spirit goes down on his knees making both weapon and meister share a look while Kid sleeps sweetly in his father's gloved hands.
"Stop cheating." Together, the two chorus making him cry out pained.
"Um…it's getting chilly don't you think? Maybe we should head inside huh?" Nervously, Spirit smiles at Maka after the pregnant pause filters in the air.
"Already but we just got here." Coldly, Maka points out eyes closed as Spirit freezes from her ice-cold words.
"Well…um…" Spirit squirms under the heavy tension in the room, internally screaming at the realization of her just being like her mother with the blatant observations…now realizing how screwed he is in this situation.
"This is it…" Kid and Blackstar stare up at the tall tower of rock, where a waterfall resides, descending down the tall tower of rock, Kid has the book in his hand. Blackstar eyes the obstacle before them, their ears listening to the gushing waves of water come crashing down.
Yahoo Excalibur is up there waiting for me." Mesmerized, Blackstar beams brightly at the thought of the holy sword.
"Yes according to this we'll have to climb up there and find the cave the sword is in." Calmly, Kid confirms from the book, looking down at the pages before him before stretching his palm out, ghoulish ghosts pop out of his open palm. He summons his skateboard bezebel. He gets on the board before taking off, soaring high into the air.
"Hey, no fair! Dammit, spoiled rich kids have all the best toys. You're not leaving me behind! Huh? Kid's not here where did he go? In there maybe?" Bitterly, Blackstar calls out glaring at Kid before beginning his climb upwards. Cheering, he comes crashing down into the shy stream below, hearing the slushing sound of water but to his confusion, he doesn't see Kid, confusing him until…
"Blackstar…" Blackstar perks up at the call of his name, looking up to see Kid clinging to a tree, his limbs clinging to the tree.
"Huh?" Blackstar exclaims shocked to see the kid so straight-faced despite the position he is in.
"I can't come down there's water. My pants are going to get wet." Kid confesses to Blackstar.
"What are you talking about?" Baffled, Blackstar questions him.
"You'll carry me." Kid dictates.
"Yeah right, you can stay there." Blackstar huffs turning his back to the Kid but….
"Such a terrible obstacle so early in the quest. Our chosen path is truly a cruel one." Kid narrates as Blackstar's eye twitch when he finds himself entering the cave but not alone. Instead, he holds Kid up, piggyback style while Kid holds both the book and the umbrella.
"Yeah you really got it rough don't you?" Sarcastically, Blackstar exclaims.
"I'll ward off water from above and you can handle the water on the ground. Okay? We'll work together it's a good thing there are two of us here. This way would be impassable alone. Quite an obstacle." Oblivious, Kid agrees nodding his head, straight-faced.
"Dude, you're kind of a useless idiot aren't you? Hm?" Blackstar states only then for his eyes to widen when seeing the flickering fairy before them.
"Hm?" Kid spots said fairy before them.
"It looks like a fairy. What's something like that doing here?" Confused, Blackstar ponders out loud.
"We're hunting after a legendary sword. Finding a fairy or two shouldn't be surprising. Is Excalibur up ahead? Are we in the right place?" Politely, Kid concludes before questioning the fairy.
"Eurgh…" Surprised, the two raise a brow by the fairy's reaction.
"She's not a very polite fairy is she." Blackstar states after the fairy flee from the two.
"Looks like the path ends here." Kid notes as he gets off Blackstar.
"Hey over there!" Blackstar beams pointing towards the pedestal.
"Yes, no doubt about it. That's it. The holy sword Excalibur." Kid confirms nodding his head looking between the book pages and the pedestal proudly before them.
"Awesome…" Excited, Blackstar grins.
"The air here is vibrating standing here I can easily believe what the book says about becoming a hero and earning everlasting fame and glory. This caver certainly seems like a magical place. Just look at the sword such precise detailed ornamentation on the hilt and not a single nick on the blade. This is indeed deserving of the holy title the sword, a magnificent sword that only be pulled out by the chosen hero…by me." In awe, Kid confesses his gold glimmering, glistening, gleaming at the thought, a faint ruby red tint to his cheeks. He gushes in awe at the thought of the holy sword, stars sparkling before his very eyes at the thought of the holy sword being his unaware of Blackstar approaching the pedestal podium of sorts, curling his fingertips around the hilt of the blade and…
"Whoo! Guess that makes me a hero!" Happily, Blackstar proclaims proudly waving the sword about after easily sliding it out of its stone sheath of sorts.
"Wha…what? It can't be! This is some kind of mistake I hate to break it to you but you're no hero. How about a do-over?" Defeated, Kid gapes at Blackstar's win, stunned as he sways slightly from side to side, defeated, crippled even at the sad sight before he feels his legs give way, causing him to come crashing down to his knees, his palm lay flat on the stone floor before him, broken by the reveal of Blackstar's supposed heroism. But he quickly recomposes himself, slowly standing taking a moment to process it before turning to Blackstar offering said proposition to him.
"Huh? You saying that didn't count or something? Fine but I'm sure it's going to be the same every time." Lost, Blackstar furrows his brow at the suggestion but sighs complying to Kid's wishes as he inserts the sword back into the slot, stepping back for the Kid to have a go.
"No this time I'm going to do it." Determined, Kid steps forward towards the blade.
"Yeah right you wish! The sword chose me to be its hero Kid I'm a big fat hero!" Boastfully, Blackstar proclaims smugly hands on hips as Kid reaches his hand out to the blade before his fingertips flex, twitch alongside his focused facial features, his golds twitching at the sight of the golden handle before him.
"Best to be safe who knows who else touched this sword over the years." Kid reasons as he crouches down taking out his handkerchief to swab away any remains of germs.
"Hurry up and do it!" Impatiently, Blackstar barks at him, annoyed as Kid complies only for their eyes to widen when…
"It came out!" Stunned, Kid exclaims.
"Huh? How were you able to get it out too! It must be because I loosened it." Blackstar reasons stunned at the sight only then to gasp when the blade raises itself to the high heavens.
"Welcome…welcome to my save young ones!" Shining, the blade blazingly shines before the two revealing themselves.
"It's talking!" Panicked, Blackstar exclaims as suddenly a bright beam of light engulfs the two blinding them when the golden blaze begins to flicker out revealing…
"Please forgive the belated salutations I am the holy sword Excalibur!" Proudly, Exaclibute proclaims.
"How incredibly...lame." Blackstar bellows gaping at the supposed holy sword that is Excalibur.
"Papa, would you tell me more about the demon sword Ragnarok?" Curious, Maka questions her father as they lean over the balcony continuing to look out at Death City.
"Long ago misters and weapons worked together under lord death to maintain peace and order in the world. The same function you are being trained. No meister pair were allowed to collect the soul of a human being for any reason whatsoever. That rule still stands and now it seems natural to us as breathing. Because just as a human soul increases a weapon's power and ability just as much as a kishin's. The price is steep, the weapon that takes a human soul will lose his or her own human heart. Despite the risk however there were meisters who broke that sacred rule, these meisters feared death above all else. Their constant battles left them frightened and broken. So they took to hunting human souls, again and again, they defied the rule, secretly feeding their weapons the soul of innocent humans. As a result, a kishin was born into this world. Death weapon mister academy was founded in order to recover souls that left the human path and became kishin. It was also made to train weapons and meisters who are too young to hunt down evil without someone to guide them. The ultimate goal is to stop a kishin from ever being reborn. Once again reigning terror down on the world." Spirit explains to Maka.
"So the demon sword…" Maka trials off her brow furrowed.
"Yes, devours human swords. It was melted down by a witch and implanted into the body of a meister by using black blood. Now the demon sword Ragnarok is one step away from becoming a kishin and it's not just the sword we need to worry about. There are people who can become kishin as well and beyond that there's Soul whose body now contains black blood." Grimly, Spirit tells Maka.
"Does…does Mrs. Ava has black-blood papa?" Worried, Maka questions Spirt who blinks baffled by the assumption.
"What? What gave you that idea?" Stunned, Spirit exclaims taken aback by such a declaration.
"It's just when that witch came out a weapon appeared before her hands and…" Meekly, Maka attempts to explain herself.
"Maka Ava isn't a demon sword nor does she have one." Spirit affirms.
"But she isn't like Soul nor is she like Tsubaki or any other weapon I met." Maka points out making Spirit sigh.
"So what if she's a bit different…?" Spirit shrugs.
"How can she do that? Meisters can't usually summon their own weapons for their own person unless it's something small, a sword isn't small…" Maka points out.
"Maka…I don't know what Ava is but I promise you this she is not Kishin come on Death wouldn't have married a kishin." Shyly, Spirit smiles at the thought.
"You do have a point there." Tiredly, Maka slumps her shoulders, a part of her feeling guilty for accusing her of that, Maka had to admit out of the teachers, Mrs. Ava was one of her favourites, she seemed to be the only sane one out of the staff. But still…why was Ava so different? What made her different from the other demon weapons?
"I hope Kid brought his umbrella or his wellies at the least…" Ava furrows her brow as she resides in the Death room, sat slumped on the stone steps leading to a mirror where Death currently resides.
"Hm?" Death perks up at his wife's words.
"He's going into that cave you know how he is around water." Lazily, Ava leans back her hands flat on the floor as she glances behind her at the mirror behind her.
"Yes…but you know Kid once he has his eyes set on something he wants it." Death points out making Ava smile softly at the endearing aspect of her son.
"You're not wrong, remember that portrait when we were at the art gallery, he wouldn't stop crying until you bought him it." Fondly, Ava closes her eyes at the memory.
"I remember…" Grimly, Death mutters he had to pay for the portrait to calm Kid down, he loved it.
"I just hope he can handle it." Ava exhales slumping her shoulders further.
"You mean Excalibur." Death gathers.
"Y-Yeah…Just talking to him feels like he's draining years of my lifespan. Besides if I remember correctly a certain big bad reaper got jealous." Grimacing, Ava glances to the side scowling at the thought of him.
"He was bothering you." Death shrugs.
"You tossed him over a cliff!" Cackling, Ava bursts into tears, laughing manically making Death sweatdrop at the memory.
"I did do that didn't I? Look I'm sure Kid will be fine he's a trooper." Optimistically, Death tells Ava.
"I guess…I hope he can handle the disappointment though I hate seeing him so crushed." Sighing, Ava tells him.
"He will be fine relax." Death assures her.
"I'll try…" She sighs.
"For all we know Blackstar could be a good influence on him." Positively, Death adds making Ava frown.
"Blackstar we're talking about the same delinquent right?" Warily, Ava furrows her brow at the thought.
"The one who pushes people out of their comfort zones yes." Death confirms.
"Yeah you're right. Blackstar won't bend to Kid's will of symmetry he may be able to help Kid adapt to different types of people." Softly, she smiles at the thought.
"Bingo!" Death confirms, the two smiling at the thought of their son's progress.
"You're the holy sword? In the top hat? Seriously?" Scowling, Blackstar glares down at the holy sword.
"You're one to talk in that funny outfit who are you exactly?" Carelessly, he pokes Blackstar's nose with his snow-white cane.
"Who am I? I'm Blackstar." Boisterously, Blackstar introduces himself.
"My legend dates back to the 12th century thank you very much from the looks of you, you must be meisters where are you children from?" Curtly, he cuts Blackstar off before poking Blackstar with his cane once more.
"Who do you think you are pointing that thing at me? Put it down freak!" Furious, Blackstar snaps at him.
"We're from Death-" Civil, Kid tries to be the peacekeeper of the two but…
"I know that. Here I want to show you something. Wait…" Rudely, Excalibur cuts Kid off as he then points his cane at Kid.
"What is it?" Confused, Kid's eyes narrow at the cane pointing at his face.
"Your eyes…tell me do you know of a fair maiden known as Ava Branwen!" Excalibur points out making both boy's eyes widen when hearing the name.
"Yes she is my mother." Calmly, Kid answers furrowing his brow, how does he know mother? Kid queries to himself, curious to hear of this connection.
"Of course I thought I recognized those beautiful jewels of gold as blazing as the brilliant sun shining down upon the heavily earth! The queen of the fea, the lady of the lake even, so many titles gifted upon a single vessel forever wandering the wastelands, with her concubine all of them paling in comparison to…" Lovingly, he compares making Kid's eye twitch clearly uncomfortable as Blackstar stares still lost to the conversation.
"I beg your pardon!?" Insulted, Kid furrows his brow, trying to use his self-restraint to not batter the creature before him for making such accusations as both Blackstar and himself share a look at the creature before them.
"She and I…were lovers." Dramatically, Excalibur proclaims causing both boys to gawk, both gaping at this bold declaration.