Maka cradled Reina as her eyes still moved behind closed lids so deeply in sleep. Good. She shifted the girl, rocking her in hopes of keeping anything but dreams from coming to her. Because right now, Marie's gone to the kitchen like it's any other day, but Soul and Franken are arranging the bodies. It was not the first time Maka had seen anyone dead, but the way that wheat-blonde hair had cascaded over Franken's arm as he brought the first in made her stomach curl until she was sure it would pop.

Four now. Even a child. She sighed deeply, closing her eyes. I really don't want to know how he acquired a child.

"Maka?" Soul's voice was soft, almost as gentle as his hand touching her cheek.

While there was comfort in it, she instantly recoiled.

"Ah–" He cut his cry with a sigh. "It's alright. I changed. Washed up."

"Sorry," Maka murmured, opting to take his hand instead of letting it come back to her face. "Everything's set?"

"Franken's workin' on the kitchen now."

A master of bodies and arson… Maka's mind murmured before she looked down at Reina again. Your father is a strange man. She lifted her gaze to Soul. "Are you ready?"

He nodded as a shaky smile started on his lips. "I just… you're with me, right?"

She didn't hesitate to offer him the strength his smile needed with her own. "Right."

His fingers tightened around hers, his hold verging on desperate. "I love you."

Those vows had been a close facsimile, and it wasn't as if the word hadn't come from his mouth in other contexts, but this was still a lightning strike in her gut. Was there even a hope that she could say them without rust flaking? Hinges cracking her heart? The last time had been to her papa's face before he left, but… "I love you too."

Soul's smile finally took life as the glow of his scarlet eyes searched over her face. "I'll, uh, take Reina for a little, if you want."

"She's not very heavy." Her reasoning fell on deaf ears as Soul still reached, pulling the weight from Maka and taking it all for himself. For a moment, she wanted to gripe, but it was the sad warble of his breath that stopped her. His hand was tenderly clearing the hair from Reina's face. "You can be a little more honest about your feelings, Soul." She kept the chiding sweet, leaning closely to plant a kiss on his cheek.

"What do you mean?" he murmured.

"You want to say goodbye to her. It's alright." She dipped her head, letting her cheek rest against his shoulder. "You've been with her every day since she was a baby. It should take a week or two before we see her again, so you'll miss her. "

He nodded, hand continuing to stroke Reina's hair softly. "I…" His jagged swallow rang near her ear. "I used to imagine she was one of my sisters, like I'd been born right after Wes instead and at least one of them…"

"I think she'd like that," Maka whispered sweetly as she added a kiss against his neck. "Being your little sister."

A bitter smile trembled across his face. "I always wanted to hold her when she was little, but I was too afraid. I knew I'd hurt her and then–" He choked on the idea, air barely able to drift out into a sigh.

"You'd never." Maka didn't let that come softly, lifting her head and forcing his face towards hers with a palm cupping his cheek. "You'd never hurt her, and you can have all the time in the world to be a good brother from now on."

His mouth opened, lower lip trembling.

"While I love the familial scene," Franken voice's—laced with amusement and a strange bit of joy—rumbled behind them, "I'd like to take my daughter now."

Soul stood, hefting Reina with him to turn towards Franken. They exchanged the little girl who still drifted calmly in sleep. "When are we gonna see you again?"

"In two weeks time, if we're lucky. Maka knows where."

Maka had barely gotten to her feet before the insinuation bit at her. "I do?"

Franken's smile withered. "A good inbetween would be where your mother died, wouldn't it?"

"What?" she spat the word as her hand blindly clutched for Soul. It hit his sleeve first but she didn't have to snatch again for him to move closer and ground her with an arm around her waist.

"It's a crossroads," Franken's voice fell to a murmur. "And a place we all know well."

"But how–" Her voice trembled up in pitch, feeling the heat coming to her eyes. We don't have time for this, but how does he know? Who told him anything about that? "We'll meet there."

Franken smiled as he started to maneuver Reina into a sling around him. "Good bye then, for now."

"Take care of her," Soul grumbled as he pulled Maka closer.

Light chuckles started as Franken began to slip back towards the hallway. "You do the same."


Wind in his hair. Sun constantly on his face. Even the scuff of branches and brush against his cheeks as they moved through the forest. All of it reminded him piece by piece that he was out in the world, maskless.

That he would never again wear a mask.

Maka was ahead of him, her steps speaking of not even a hint of exhaustion. There was just as much vibrancy from her as there ever was but– I felt it before. That drift of total sorrow from her. It comes and goes like the breeze, and I can't help but think it's because of what Franken said. Because of her mother.

They'd lost hold of each other's hands as soon as they got off the road since the unbeaten path wasn't exactly hospitable. They required them for balance and safety rather than comfort, but the moment the forest opened up to a clearing, he snagged her pinky.

"What is it?" She called pleasantly over her shoulder, giving him the hint of a smile.

Maybe that question had no perfect answer, so he offered: "Just remindin' you I'm here."

There was a minute fluctuation to her eyebrows before her hand started to snag more of his. "All those climbs to the shrine paid off. You don't seem tired at all."

"Well, someone did keep me up last night…" He reveled in the way that brought a little more color to her cheeks, begging for him to continue. "Better keep your hands to yourself so I can get some sleep after all this work today."

"Me?" She peeped back, scoffing as she turned her rosy face away from him. "I'd like to remind you that you kissed me."

"I remember," Soul crowed back with just enough pride to earn him one of those incredulous looks. "Just also happen to remember someone untyin' my robe, lettin' their hands–" She stole away her fingers with another huff, leaving him just to chuckle. He let it peter off, watching her shoulders relax ever so slightly. "You know where we're stoppin' tonight?"

"Well, cutting through the forest bought us at least a town of distance, but I don't think we should stay in a populated area tonight." Maka hummed away thoughtfully for a moment, her head swishing side to side. "We should be coming up on a river soon and if we follow it far enough, a fisherman's shack." She glanced back, eyes narrowing slightly. "But if you can, I'd like to push through tonight. The more distance we make the better."

He nodded even though it entirely lacked enthusiasm. Wouldn't be the first time I haven't slept through the night but not while hikin' across the province. "You know the area?"

"I have a map that Star and I put together of all the little places either of us passed on the way, but…" She sighed, and even without seeing it Soul could imagine her eyes rolling. "Of course it's not like he draws his own map while he's going, just adds onto mine after the fact and then hopes that it's right."

His laughter came easily, another side effect of the freedom that had burrowed deeply into his heart. "How long have you known him?"

"Oh, all our lives." Maka seemed to somehow both lament that fact and boast about it at the same time. "We were raised together since his parents–" She slowed, the clearing thankfully giving her the room to fall in step with him. "It's so strange to share secrets, but… I guess it's safe to tell you now." Maka paused for a tenuous laugh, something so far from humor that it left goosebumps to flush over Soul's skin. "His parents were killed. Shibusen took him in, and Sid and Mira took care of him. So the three of us—Star, Kid, and I—were all raised together."

There was an inkling to reach for those new names, but Soul couldn't help but see another opening. The hope, the moment of openness pulled him in. "Did Sid and Mira take care of you when your mother died?" He couldn't help the churn of his gut as he watched the question hit her, her steps now solidly stopped as she stared at him.

"My mama–" she started, and Soul watched as her fists balled into her kosode.

Take it back– that worried little corner of his mind tried to scream. Say you're sorry for pryin' and get the hell out of her business and– He stuck firm feet in the ground instead, eyeing her carefully as he tried again. "I feel like maybe I stole too much of the show with all the mess about my mother so if… if that's somethin' you can talk about, I wanna hear it."

Her eyes fluttered up towards the treeline, gauging time but searching her mind just as much as the sky. "I-I guess we have all night, right?"


Blood. Thick and scarlet, turning brown around the edges as it dried to tack her fingers together. The body had been there, had been cooling in her arms, but–

Even without a meister, her papa could still fight. He was a real weapon, one in a million, a pinnacle in their community, but now–

By the time Sid and Mira arrived, he was practically–

By the time Jackie flung frantic arms around her, Maka was broken, too, just–

Mama's blood was all over the floor, all over Maka's sunny yellow yukata as if to make a crimson sunset. She remembered that. A painting in colors she wished she had never known. But her mama's voice– her eyes– the beautiful pieces of her had all faded somewhere into the grey.

Death was the easiest story to remember.


Star settled into the darkness of the cave, watching the little fire he'd made at the mouth. Guess I marked this stupid thing right on her stupid little map. He huffed as he reached into his pack, taking out a piece of jerky that might as well be stone. At the very least it would put a dent in the emptiness of his gut until he could reach the next town. There was a pang of regret at leaving the mochi—zunda or no—but he let that pass. Instead, he watched the flame flicker.

I wonder if that fucker will bother her. He sighed—a rarity for him—before trying to push any of Maka's troubles from his mind. Chewing the jerky only started the gears of his thoughts again. What a fuckin' honeymoon if Spirit shows up. But I guess that'll give Soul the chance to see her really angry. Might be good to take some notes. That at least brought a chuckle, making him almost choke on the dry hunk of meat in his mouth. He
spat a little gristle to recover.

Parents. Who fuckin' needs 'em?


Patience was usually something Franken had in abundance, leaving him to enjoy the sight of others feebly wrestling with urges and needs that they couldn't tramp down. Instead, as he cradled Reina—who now refused to sleep even as the moon hung ripe in the sky—with an anxious itch that buzzed down to his bones.

Marie, be smart.

"Is Mama coming tonight?" Reina whispered.

"Tomorrow night," he murmured back, his hand tenderly moving to cup her cheek to help upturn eyes the color of his own to him. "While we wait, let me tell you a story about how strong Mama is."

A shaky smile started on Reina's lips, her eyes closing in anticipation for the soothing her father's stories always brought.


The charred smell should have been refreshing– that old, pleasant reminder that life was ephemeral and could be taken in an instant. Medusa had set such fires before and found as much satisfaction in them as a glowing hearth. This, though, was a horrible rumble of rage growing in her gut, that bastard's name written all over the inferno in front of her.

Franken.

Master Wes—that tireless sycophant—was comforting the widow whose tears Medusa could almost believe. His father was mute but standing close enough to the flame that his skin had turned an uncomfortable, raw pink.

And what exactly do you feel? Other's emotions were usually low on her list of interests, but Medusa toyed with the idea nonetheless. He was a monster– a thing to you since that blood of hers crawled through his veins. Did you ever love him? Was it perhaps fleeting like what you felt for your wife?

Medusa could still recall that ethereal beauty that had been the boys' mother. The delicate flower ripped from its stem for daring to try to grow. I wonder if you really think he's with her now. She turned, ready to recede from the heat and forget the glow when a spindly set of fingers grabbed her wrist.

"You're not leaving," Takehiko muttered, his grip in no way feeble.

If only she could hiss and strike, but even with the black bile surging in her gut, Medusa knew tact. "My lord?"

"You'll stay until it's out. Until you can identify the bodies." There wasn't a bit of moisture around those cold, black eyes. "I want you to tell me that thing's dead."

"Of course, my lord." Medusa bowed her head reverently. "Just let me retire to send word to Asura."

There was no acquiescence beside the release of his tight grip.

Medusa shot one more look at that blonde bitch who still knelt trembling in the dirt before starting back towards the estate. She'd rather slit Takehiko's throat than stay, but there was only so much attention she could bring without suspicion falling in the wrong place. Let them believe that little show was an accident. In the meantime… Swift steps took her to her room, Crona and Eruka sitting tense in attendance.

"Mother–"

Black, taloned fingernails sliced through the air to silence them before she moved towards the open slide to the courtyard. She slammed it shut, turning a vicious whisper towards them. "Eruka, you're going to follow that blonde bitch. I'm sure she'll reunite with them somewhere."

"Th-they're dead, aren't they?" Crona offered innocently.

Medusa scoffed before grasping them by the hair, yanking that trembling face towards hers. "If I believed that for one second–" She released, sighing before bringing her hand to her brow. This means nothing. This ruins nothing. Eruka will go after the sweet little family and keep them busy while we do what needs to be done. "This changes nothing. Eruka, when you find them, keep them busy." Golden, glowing eyes turned back to Crona. "We'll find that girl and you'll do what you were supposed to all along."

"B-but," trembled up from Crona's throat.

"If he can transform– if he can control the black blood we can't have him free. We can't have him getting to that fucking safe haven and doing that child's bidding. He belongs to Asura– he belongs to me."