"Stein has gone insane why…? Even though Marie was with him." Worriedly, Spirit points out as he, Death, Ava reside in the death room after hearing Maka's report.
"Madness is a fickle thing it comes in waves even when we think we're having a good day that's when it can catch us off guard and hurt us the most." Ava sighs sadly, brow furrowed as she explains sitting down on the pedestal leading to the mirror.
"I guess but shouldn't Marie's soul have stabilized his insanity." Spirit argues lost.
"You do make a point there. I didn't want to do this but perhaps internal affairs should be called in." Death agrees nodding his head in agreement.
"Internal affairs? You think there's a traitor in our midst?" Shocked, Spirit's bright blues expand at the thought.
"That traitor poisoned my wife." Seething, Death growls his voice turning dark snarling making Spirit flinch from the voice while Ava simply sighs.
"And your wife is fine. Death…doing this may make people on edge even more." Annoyed, Ava deadpans to her husband.
"I am not risking you getting poisoned again, Stein and you are the most susceptible to madness." Sternly, Death reminds Ava.
"You're calling that guy in…I understand. I'll contact him…" Spirit sighs turning his back to them just as the door opens. Spirit greets Kid before brushing past him and leaving heading off to call for said reinforcement just as Kid makes his way towards his two parents.
"Mother father. I have returned." Politely, Kid bows his head to them both, with Liz and Patty behind, giving a small salute as a greeting which the two happily return.
"Kid you're alright! What about you two are you alright?" Ava smiles softly relieved. She warmly welcomes her son back, hugging him making him grumble before turning towards the twins worriedly making them smile softly at their mother figure, calmly assuring her they were fine.
"We're fine." Liz assures her.
"Thank goodness." Relieved, Ava smiles at the three.
"Of course, you could have some faith in me mother." Whining, Kid pouts glaring lightly to the side as a faint ruby red tint crosses his cheeks.
"Of course, I do." Softly, she smiles down at her son, placing her hand on his head patting his head.
"You seem troubled what's wrong Kid?" Death asks his son.
"What I saw st the field…" Kid bows his head as he removes himself from Ava.
"Hm?" Death and Ava share a look.
"Were you two enemies once?" Kid questions the two making them both flinch from the question proposed.
"O-Oh boy…never thought we'd tell you this." Tensely, Ava scratches the back of her neck.
"Yes Kid you're mother and I were…enemies. Immortal enemies." Death sighs.
"You were?" Stunned, Kid blinks baffled by the news.
"It…it was a long time ago kid, the world was very different back then we were both very different back then." Pained, Death begins to explain but…
"What changed then?" Impatiently, Kid demands baffled still reeling from the shock of it all. He grew up with his parents being all lovey dovey to think they were once enemies is just…
"I…uh…Death?" Unsure, Ava turns to her husband.
"Who knows?" Death shrugs making Ava groan.
"What do you mean who knows?!" Frustrated, Kid snaps at his father fuming.
"Well Kid it's hard to explain when you've lived a life as long as we have, you tend to see things that others don't." Death sighs.
"Like the predictable cycle of humans just killing each other over and over and over until it becomes routine then it just…you know the argument of living forever is a fate worse than death." Ava adds.
"Yeah…" Death nods his head.
"It's like that?" Kid's gold narrow still not buying it.
"When you've lived as long as we have you tend to see things different from people and its due to this that meeting others like you is so rare so to find someone that understands the pain of immortality and so much you just…grow close." Sighing, Ava grimaces, glancing to the side.
"So it's like a Romeo and Juliet thing forbidden love." Liz adds
"I-I wouldn't say it like that Liz." Uncomfortable, Ava smiles strained.
"But it sounds so cool two gods pitted against each other falling in love then having Kid!" Animatedly, Patty joins in.
"…The truth is a lot more complicated than that." Death sighs the tow sharing a look.
"I see…would you be willing to talk about it?" Hopeful, Kid asks making Ava grimace.
"Kid…" Death begins noting his wife's tenseness.
"Right, I understand excuse me…Patty Liz come." Civilly, Kid turns his back to the two, frustration clear upon his friend but he knew a dying battle when he saw one.
"Right!" Patty smiles.
"Yeah, yeah…" Liz sighs following after the two.
"We're going to have to tell him eventually." Ava sighs once the door slams shut leaving both husband and wife alone.
"I know but for now we should focus on the mole once I know you and Kid are safe then we can finally talk to him." Death reasons.
"Right…" Ava sighs nodding her head in understanding at the fact of the matter.
"Wake up get out here! The least you can do is invite us in for a drink." Boisterously, Giriko shouts screaming seething as he stomps his feet through the snowy sheet below. Giriko shudders, bringing the coat closer to him, his nose twitching at the sickly stench of ash resonating in the air. He turns to look behind him at the burnt ruined remains of the town below, noting the numerous pillars rooted about the place.
"Are you finished?" Unamused, Mosquito sighs scowling at him.
"Huh?" Giriko glares at the mosquito man.
"That's the kishin in there, the son of the two strongest gods in the world and you're demanding a cup of tea from him?" Mosquito furrows his brow at Giriko.
"So what? The bastard thinks I should bow to him!?" Haughtily, Giriko sneers scowling at the thought.
"No but your yelling is as bothering to him as a buzzing fly." Firmly, Mosquito deadpans.
"Well maybe he'd rather hear the screaming of a mosquito?" Mad, Giriko offers.
"…" Silently, Mosquito simply glares back at Giriko.
"Why are we even in this shit hole? How do you even know the crazy bastard is in there?" Tiredly, Giriko demands from the two furrowing his brow at the temple, noting the numerous tags of some sort slapped on the temple podiums, seeing spell tags of some sort littered around, almost trying to ward off people.
"Because this is the only place he could be." Arachne finally speaks up making the two turn to the woman.
"What do you mean? What makes this place so special?" Scowling, Giriko questions confused.
"This was the place where he and his mother hid from lord Death." Arachne reveals to the two.
"Wait they hid?" Lost, Giriko furrows his brow at the thought.
"Yes, you see Lord and Lady's plans for Asura differed vastly leading to many fights it got so bad they seek solace elsewhere in one of Lady Death's temple shrines. I remember how furious lord death was, he would cut down anyone in his path to get the two back, he was a complete stranger from what many people see him as now. Those ruins behind you of the villages were followers of Ava, followers of Morrigan. They had hoped the magic of these seals would hide them away from Lord Death but they were wrong, they weren't strong enough and each and every follower of Ava on that day were slaughtered, cut down until there was nothing left of the first witch settlement." Arachne explains to the two.
"So… you think he's in there?" Giriko grimaces glancing behind him, furrowing his brow at the countless bodies upon bodies underneath the ground now thanks to that monster.
"Indeed recovering until he has enough energy…" Arachne confirms.
"To face off against Lord Death again?" Mosquito gathers.
"Who knows…" Arachne sighs as she takes a step forward towards the stone stairway towards the temple. The two men notice the slash marks upon the temple doors as if they had been forced upon, seeing the broken seals loosely crumble from the crisp chill wind wafting in the air.
"Lady Arachne please let us go in first." Pleadingly, Mosquito begs but…
"Since losing BREW we need all the help we can get to combat against Lord Death what better victory than having his own child kill him. You can stay out there I'll handle this alone." Arachne explains as she steps up the stone steps towards the tall towering of the temple doors.
"Lady Arachne…" Worriedly, Mosquito calls out watching the door slowly open for her before swiftly slamming behind her just as her webbed purple plum hues spot a doll of some sort to the side. She kneels down smirking slightly at the rather endearing sight of the doll it wasn't much of the doll, no hair, no clothes, no nothing but Arachne could practically feel the sentimental value ooze out of the doll, seeing the care embedded into the teeny tiny doll.
"Greetings Kishin Asura I am lady Arachne you may remember me I was a friend of your mothers when you grew up. I know of your great power and respect it. I have travelled far to greet you will you not show me your face?" Smirking, Arachne calls out, her voice echoing. She is greeted by beady blood red eyes scattered around the open air as a long tassel of skin slides over to her palm. She arches a brow bemused when said doll is swiftly snatches from her hands by the silken skin limbs pulling it back. Her purples narrow noting the ruby red enveloped around the distant figure hiding in the rubble remains of the temple, seeing slash marks embedded into the wooden walls of the temple, seeing the ruined remains of the temple as she sees the figure curl in on himself, clutching the doll close to his chest cradling, caressing it tight to his chest.
"I've heard others say you side here because you're timid but I suspect you came to this temple for other reasons. Tell me does your soul burn, ache remembering your father dragging your mother back to him while you stood there helpless? Does your soul quiver when remembering how your father beat your mother while you simply watched? Does your soul break knowing well that you could have saved her throughout those years of neglect, of abuse, of pain but you did nothing as she took the brunt of it? Perhaps I'm wrong perhaps you are as afraid of the grim reaper as they say." Smirking, Arachne calls out smirking when seeing said eyes around her darting all over narrow from her words
"ENOUGH!" Enraged, Asura snarls shouting as air slashes gales even gush at Arachne pushing her back against the temple walls making her wince as the crater forms from behind her.
"I grow weary of hide and seek come out." Arachne demands from the boy before her.
"Go away." Angrily, he snarls seething at the woman rudely trespassing in his home, his grip tightening around the doll in his hands. He slams his silken skin slam down on the ground below creating craters either side of the unfazed witch simply watching on as she stands tall before the crouched form.
"Are you this intimidated by a lone woman? That's almost cute!" Coyly, Arachne smirks slyly only then to gasp, crying out as tangled skin coils around her waist, making her gasp. She is suddenly thrown from side to side similar to a doll almost as Asura looks down at the doll in his hands, his thumb brushing against the doll. He plays with it humming, absentmindedly ignoring the crisp crunch of bones breaking. Arachne is thrown from one wall to the next smashing into old and new wounds littered about the ruined remains of the temple.
"I found you…I've been looking to this moment." Grimacing, Arachne whimpers weakly, battered beaten, scarlet streams descends down her busted bruised lip. She heaves, hearing the crisp crunch of her broken bruised ribs. She dangles before the boy paying no heed to her, simply amused at the sheer sight of the doll, he so happily plays with.
"What are you planning? What is it you want woman?" Annoyed, Asura demands from Arachne angry at the woman for interrupting his play time.
"The grim reaper had stood in my way long enough just as he has stood in the way of freeing your mother. I want you to help me eliminate him. I've hated him for 800 years; I've loathed him more now than ever you understand how that feels I know you do. If we don't join forces, we'll both fall again and your mother will forever be trapped to be by his side. Do you want to be tied up in a sack of your own skin again as your darling mother who gave you life, who gave you everything is bound to the man that you so loathe. Fight with me, we can be so strong, we can protect each other." Earnestly, Arachne reasons almost pleading, begging, beseeching the boy bowing his head, flinching from the mention of said woman, his grip tightens around the shaking, quivering, quaking doll in his grasp.
"Liar…liar…pants on fire." Fuming, Asura seethes snarling, grinding his teeth together just as the silk confines around Arachne tighten around her throat making her cry out wincing when feeling her throat tighten to the point of breaking almost.
"Argh I'll give you everything, my heart, my body, my soul…." She pleads to the child but…
"As if I'd want your puny soul." Seething, he swiftly slams her back into the crushed crater of the temple doors, returning his attention to his doll just as Arachne comes crashing down from the crater to the floor groaning.
"Urgh…" She winces cradling her toros, seeing the heavy hue of ruby red smear her coat, tasting nothing but iron.
"Leave." Sternly, Asura orders her.
"W-What?" Shakily, she stands cradling her wound turning to furrow her brow by the boy continuing to playhouse almost.
"You were no friend of my mother's. You had one job and you failed. All we wanted was for you and Lord Death to have the child so we could be left alone, so we could leave, so we could…" Seething, Asura shakes, it was why they left when they saw what the witch wanted it was clear as day and his mother saw it as their chance to have a new life, to live life as mother and son not as gods, not as weapons but as people but he couldn't have that. He just couldn't….
"Asura…" Arachne begins brow furrowed but…
"I said leave!" Sharply, he screams a familiar weapon protruding out of his tongue taking Arachne back as she gasps as she is thrown through the doors of the temple, thrown out. Mosquito and Giriko rush over to the woman's side shakily standing before dismissing both men and leaving. The tow follow after her, cradling her having been given their answer as clear as day to the trio leaving the kishin alone, clutching the doll close to his chest, wrapping his shredded skin around him, cocooning himself inside the ruined rubbles of the temple.
*What do you think of Asura now guys? Of that little snippet of info about him and Ava? Would love to know!*