A/N: There are some elements in this chapter that I've been dying to write since very early on in the fic, so I hope you guys enjoy them (although many of you have already guessed where this chapter is going, if your reviews are any judge of that~).
Review Responses:
Diana Raven, Morgan doesn't beat around the bush, lol.
karma88, I could answer that…ooorrrr I could invite you to read on. Thanks for the review, and enjoy the chapter!
Anonymous Person, thanks so much! I'm really glad that you like it! I've been trying to give you guys the new cast without neglecting the old, and also been trying to make sure Rei and co. get the chance to have the same wacky adventures that their parents did without neglecting the plot. Glad to see its working! And yes, things are definitely going to get a lot rowdier from here on out.
fanficlove2014, the Maka and Cori scene was a late addition to the outline, so I'm really glad you liked it! Clark's susceptibility to madness was hinted at in earlier chapters (his spar with Ayame, if you squint), but yes, it absolutely has to do with something about his mother. The details will be revealed later. And yes, Rei has definitely grown up since the first chapter. They all have, in their own way, although many of them still have a lot of growing to go. Thanks for the review, and glad you enjoyed it. Enjoy the new chapter!
Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
Return of the Warrior God
"And here we are," Ayame said, flashing him a quick smile as she and Rei walked up the DWMA's stairs. "Ten minutes early. See, Rei. I told you we'd make it."
Rei walked up the stairs in silence, his book bag tossed over his shoulder and a sullen look on his face. All around him, students of the DWMA passed them, jogging easily up the stairs and chatting with each other. He let them. He had had more than enough of running this morning, after Ayame had woken him up at the crack of dawn because she apparently decided she wanted him to come with her on her jog.
For some reason.
"Oh, cheer up," said Ayame, jostling him playfully by bumping into his shoulder with her own. "Have I ever steered you wrong?"
"Well…" Rei began.
"When it comes to training, Rei. Train-ing. Come on, you can admit it. I'm the best darned coach there is."
"Sure, Ayame," Rei said. "Whatever you say."
Ayame puffed out her cheeks, annoyed, and Rei turned his eyes back to the steps ahead of him, not bothering to argue with her. Ever since Ophelia's death, she had become even more obsessive about their training, which wasn't exactly a bad thing, all things considered, but understanding her reasons didn't magically make him a morning person.
Still, he had to admit that Ayame wasn't wrong. She was…a surprisingly good teacher.
Not that he would ever tell her that.
"Honestly," Ayame said, as the two of them walked up the last of the steps and into the DWMA's courtyard. "You should be grateful. I'm the product of not one, but two ninja clans, and we don't teach our arts to just anyone. You're lucky you're my meister, Rei, otherwise—."
"AYAMEEEEEEEEEEEEE!"
The sound echoed throughout the DWMA's courtyard, coming from far away. Ayame broke off suddenly, her eyes widening as she looked up at the sky. Before Rei could even open his mouth to ask her what was going on, she placed a hand on his chest and shoved him away from her. He stumbled back, arms flailing as he tried to regain his balance, then fell over completely as Ayame's backpack struck him in the chest, knocking the wind out of him.
A figure leaped from one of the spires, falling towards Ayame.
Rei looked up as Ayame sunk into a crouch, raising her crossed wrists over her head just in time to block a kick. The force of the kick was strong enough to push her down into the earth, cobblestones cracking around her and pushing the air away from her like an aura. Rei had barely caught sight of a head of turquoise hair, barely had time to feel what felt like a truly frightening wavelength, before the newcomer rocked back onto the ground, spinning around and aiming another kick at Ayame's chest.
Ayame leaped back, avoiding the blow just barely. Her eyes narrowed in concentration as the figure moved to chase her, and she ducked underneath a punch to her face, her blue hair streaming out behind her like a ribbon as she thrust the palm of her hand at her opponent's neck. Her opponent grinned, a pause in his movement that lasted only a split second, before he grabbed her wrist and twisted, flipping her over.
She lashed out with her foot as she flipped, kicking at his ear. Her opponent jerked his head back, the two of them moving almost too fast to see, and in doing so, loosened his grip on Ayame's wrist. She pulled her hand out of his grasp and curved her spine as she landed on the ground, translating the energy of her fall into a breakdance spin, kicking out at him with her feet to keep him at a distance before pushing herself off the ground, flipping over backwards and landing a few feet away from him.
She was breathing hard, her eyes narrowed in determination and beads of sweat forming on her skin. Her opponent launched himself after her, aiming a punch to her sternum, and Ayame moved to deflect the blow, stepping inside her opponent's reach and jabbing her elbow at his nose.
Students shouted in alarm, scrambling to move out of the way as the two of them traded blows across the courtyard, leaping from place to place and moving so quickly that they were almost a blur. Rei stared, bewildered, trying to catch sight of them so that he could tell which way the fight was going and finding himself unable to tell them apart.
Then Ayame leaped away from the melee, trying to gain distance, and Rei realized that she was getting tired. She landed on the ground and misjudged the landing, her foot sliding out from under her for an instant.
That was all her opponent needed. He grinned, crossing the distance between them in a flash. Ayame's eyes widened as she started to fall, and that was the last Rei saw of her as her opponent wrapped his arm around her shoulders, slamming her to the ground. They disappeared in a cloud of dust, the courtyard shuddering with the force of impact.
Rei heard the sound of stone cracking. He sat up, alarmed, then paused as he heard…laughter?
The dust cleared, revealing the two of them sitting in the center of a small crater, laughing. The man (and Rei saw clearly now that it was a man) had an arm around Ayame's shoulders, ruffling her hair, and Ayame laughed, dust clinging to the sweat on her skin.
"Hey, not bad, kiddo!" he said, rubbing his fist on the top of her head affectionately. "You've picked up some new moves!"
"Well, y'know," Ayame said, sitting up proudly and wiping at her nose. "Can't slack off too much."
"That's my girl! You take over the school yet?"
"Working on it!" Ayame said with a grin, clenching her hand into a fist. She let out a girlish squeal, throwing her arms around his neck. "Oh my gosh, it's so good to see you! Is Mom here too? Where's Mom? You have to meet all of my fri—."
"BLACK STAR!" shouted Shinigami, from somewhere directly behind Rei.
Rei jumped up sharply, startled. Shinigami strode past him, his face contorted in anger as he came to the stop of the crater. Ayame blinked up at him, pulling away from the hug.
"Why is it that you can't come to visit without destroying my school?!" He pointed at the crater, glaring at Black Star. "Every single time you come here! How many times do I have to tell you—."
"Hello, Kid-kun," said a woman, coming from just behind Shinigami. She had a smile on her face, her hands clasped behind her back. Rei stared, realizing that he hadn't seen her approach. Shinigami broke off to glance at her.
"—Hello, Tsubaki," he said, before turning back towards Black Star. "As I was saying, Black Star—." Shinigami stopped suddenly, blinking. "Wait…why are you here?"
Black Star frowned up at Shinigami. "You going senile or something, Kid?" he asked. "You called us back."
Shinigami frowned. "No, I didn't."
"Yes, you did."
"No, I didn't. I would have remembered—." He paused, shooting a glare suddenly at someone in the crowd. Rei looked over his shoulder and saw his grandfather disappearing into the crowd of students, trying to make himself look very small. "—Never mind," Shinigami said. "We'll discuss this later. And you will be helping me fix that hole."
Rei watched as Shinigami turned on heel and walked back through the crowd, a wave of awed mutters following in his wake. Black Star snorted, getting to his feet and brushing the dust from his clothes. "He's delusional," he said, holding out a hand to Ayame. "I'm not helping him fix nothing."
Ayame took his hand, pulling herself up to her feet and trying to dust off her own clothes. Considering that she was practically covered in dust, it wasn't helping.
"Oh, Ayame-chan, come here," said Tsubaki, pulling a handkerchief out of her pocket. "Let me help."
"Missed you too, Mom," Ayame said, giving her a look of chagrin as Tsubaki started wiping her face.
Rei took that as his cue to stand, holding her book bag in one hand. He walked over to them just as Tsubaki was stepping away, smiling.
"There," he heard Tsubaki say. "All better. Look at you, Ayame-chan. You're growing up so much already."
Ayame grinned, then launched herself at her mother, wrapping her arms tightly around her. Tsubaki blinked, holding her arms out to catch her, then wrapped them around her head as Ayame closed her eyes, tucking her chin into the crook of her mother's shoulder.
"I really did miss you," Ayame said, smiling. She pulled away, locking eyes with Rei. Before Rei could react, she jogged over to him, grabbing him by his free hand and pulling them towards her parents. "Mom, Dad, this is Rei," she said. "You remember Rei."
"Of course I remember Rei-kun," said Tsubaki, smiling. "You're starting to look just like your father."
"Uh, thanks," said Rei, flatly.
"Hey, look at you!" said Black Star, grinning. "The last time I saw you, you were like…this high." He held his hand out at knee height. "And kind of wimpy. And now, look at you. You're—uh—taller."
"Thanks," Rei said. "Really. Thanks."
Tsubaki let out a slightly embarrassed chuckle. Black Star didn't seem to notice.
"So how long are you going to be back for?" Ayame asked.
"A little while, I think," Tsubaki said. "We don't have another mission lined up just yet."
"Yep," Black Star said, stretching. "Just enough time to check in, see some people. Speaking of, Rei, your parents around here?"
"Mom should be getting ready to teach right now," said Rei. "Dad's…probably around somewhere. He's been busy lately too."
Black Star made a face. "What about Mifune?" he asked. "He still here?"
"He's still here," Ayame said. "I don't think he has a homeroom class."
"Sweet!" said Black Star, taking off at a run. "Mifune!" Rei heard him yell as he ran into the school. "Where are you? Fight me!"
"That's Dad," said Ayame, grinning. She rocked back and forth on her heels, her hands clasped behind her back. Rei glanced at her.
"I see the family resemblance," he said.
Ayame grinned proudly in response.
"You two should go to class," said Tsubaki. "I'll go find Black Star. We'll talk later though, Ayame-chan. I want to meet all of your friends."
"Definitely!" said Ayame, nodding.
Rei nodded as well. "Later for sure," he said.
Tsubaki turned, following Black Star. Rei stood with Ayame while she watched her go, and then the two of them turned, making their way to class.
Ten minutes before their parents were scheduled to come over for dinner, Rei was standing in the kitchen setting out plates and trying desperately to stay out of Ayame's way.
She was in the living room, running the vacuum back and forth across the carpet at a speed that seemed to defy reason. He watched out of the corner of his eye as she hefted the sofa with one hand, not seeming to notice its weight at all as she vacuumed beneath it. The phrase "panic cleaning" hardly did what she was doing justice.
"Relax," Rei said, as she set the couch down and went to work on the bookshelves. "The place is already clean."
"It's clean for you!" Ayame said, a scowl on her face as she ran back and forth across the living room. "Not for my mom! She'll spot a speck of dust a mile away!"
Rei rolled his eyes, going back to setting out the plates. He didn't have much else to do, considering Ayame's mom had specifically told him not to cook anything. It left him feeling strangely antsy—the kitchen was usually his part in their shared responsibilities. He wondered if he should at least start the rice.
Before he could think about that, the doorbell rang, about seven minutes early. Ayame let out a panicked squeal, and the vacuum cleaner's whine abruptly shut off, followed by the sound of Ayame picking up the appliance and stomping away. He took his time walking to the door, giving her time to compose himself before opening it.
They were all outside, both his and Ayame's parents, waiting. Rei wondered if they had come here together or if that was just a coincidence. Black Star and Tsubaki stood in front of the door, Tsubaki holding a bag of groceries in one hand and the hand of a dark-haired six-year old boy in the other. Rei assumed the boy was Bright Star, Ayame's brother.
"Hey, Mom! Hey, Dad!" Ayame said, leaning against the door and trying and failing to look casual. "Come on in!"
"Nice place," Black Star said with a grin, walking past them and heading into the apartment. "It's smaller than my old room at the DWMA."
"It's not too bad. Come on. Let me show you around!" Ayame peeled away from the door to deal with her father, and Tsubaki smiled at Rei, holding up the bag of groceries.
"Thank you for letting us come over on short notice, Rei-kun," she said. "Do you mind if I use your kitchen?"
Rei shook his head. "Not at all," he said, opening the door wider for her. She walked into the kitchen, a smile on her face. He held the door open while his parents and sisters walked into the room, but the four of them had been here many times before. Annie and Cori made a beeline for the couch while Maka paused to look around the living room, eyes wide.
"It's so clean!" she said, sounding slightly awed.
Soul snorted. "Well, we know Rei didn't do it," he said.
"Ha ha, Dad, very funny," said Rei. He moved to shut the door, then frowned when he noticed that four more people were waiting outside, watching the door expectantly. Specifically: Vayne, Clark, Morgan, and Cassie.
"Don't mind if I do," said Vayne, grinning as he walked in.
"What are you doing here?" Rei hissed, looking back at his parents before turning towards Vayne.
Vayne shrugged. "Free food," he said. "Besides…" He glanced back at Clark, then gave Rei a meaningful look. Rei sighed, understanding. Ever since Ophelia's death, Clark had been…a little withdrawn.
He pulled the door open wider. "Well, come in if you're going to come in," he said. "I'm gonna see if Ayame's mom needs help."
"Nice," said Vayne, giving him a knowing smirk. "Get on the good side of the parents."
Rei elbowed him sharply in the ribs, then went off to the kitchen. Tsubaki was rinsing fish out when he got there, the ingredients for sushi laid out on the table beside her. Rei said nothing, but walked over to one of the drawers, pulling out the knives.
"Oh, you don't have to help, Rei-kun," said Tsubaki. "I like cooking." She paused to look over at Bright Star as he tugged at her shirt, pointing into the living room where the girls—Cori at least—had managed to convince Vayne to put on some video games. "Yes, you can play with Annie-chan and Cori-chan, but you have to behave and do whatever Aunt Maka and Uncle Soul tell you."
Bright Star nodded solemnly before running off into the living room. Rei watched him go out of the corner of his eye, frowning. He seemed a little too…quiet to be part of Ayame's family.
"Yeah, don't trust him," said Ayame from behind him, nearly making him hit the ceiling. "He's a sneaky little brat."
"Don't do that!" Rei said, whirling around to face her.
"This coming from the guy who can see in any direction?" asked Ayame, giving Rei a skeptical frown.
"You know it's not on all the time!" said Rei.
"Well, it should be."
Rei scowled, rubbing at the back of his head. "Ugh, that sounds like a pain."
"Slacker," Ayame said with a shrug, moving past Rei and stepping closer to her mother. To Tsubaki, she said "You know he's only going to listen to Maka-sensei and Mr. E."
"I know," said Tsubaki, picking up a knife. "But it was easier than listing everyone's names. I like your friends, by the way, Ayame-chan."
"You met them?" Ayame asked, leaning against the counter.
"Mm. We ran into them on the way. They're good kids. I'm glad they're on your team." Tsubaki frowned. "Clark-kun is the one you told me about, isn't he?"
Ayame nodded. "He liked Ophelia."
"Poor boy," Tsubaki said, a sympathetic frown on her face. "It's a good thing he has all of you around him."
"Yeah," Ayame said. "Even if he is a pain in the butt sometimes."
Tsubaki gave her a quick smile, going back to her work. "I like your apartment too," she said, her voice warm. "You did a good job decorating it. It looks very nice."
"Not as nice as you'd make it," said Ayame, twirling a strand of blue hair around her finger and looking away uncertainly. Tsubaki gave her an encouraging smile, before going back to cooking.
Rei, getting the sense that he was intruding on something very private, turned and left the room.
"Oh, come on!" Vayne said, as Morgan's car whizzed past his a second time. "I thought you were new at this!"
"I am," said Morgan, balancing the controller neatly in her hands and sitting primly at the edge of Rei and Ayame's couch. A smirk touched the corner of her lips. "You're just bad."
"Oooh," Ayame said, grinning at them from her seat on the arm of one of the living room's armchairs. "You gonna take that, Vayne?"
"Heck no," said Vayne, scowling and leaning over the controls. He pushed the analog sticks forward, his car executing a tight turn and whipping around Morgan's. "Take that!"
"Special move," said Morgan, calmly pressing a button. Her car shot forward like a rocket, overtaking Vayne's and knocking it out of the way. On the screen, the fictional crowd cheered as Morgan's car crossed the finish line. Vayne scowled, grumbling to himself as he leaned forward in his seat, pressing the rematch button.
"Crushing the dreams of orphans," he muttered under his breath, watching as the game put up a loading screen. "What's next, you heartless monster? Drinking the blood of the innocents?"
"Hmm...maybe," said Morgan, moving her eyes to the armchair on her right and glancing at the three children crowded onto the seat as if she was considering it. Her smirk widened, easily noticeable now.
On the armchair, Bright Star looked back at Morgan blankly and shrugged, as if trying to convey that he didn't exactly count as one of the 'innocents'. Annie let out a shriek of terror, cowering behind Cori and nearly pushing her sister off of the chair. Cori's eyes widened, and she grabbed onto the arm with one hand to stay seated.
"Annie, she can't drink your blood!" Cori yelled. "She literally can't!"
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no!" Annie shouted, crouching down behind Cori and covering her head in her arms.
"Annie!"
The sounds carried over into the kitchen, where the adults were seated, a collection of empty plates piled up between them. The four of them looked up, glancing at the living room to make sure that things were alright, and then as one, turned back to their conversation. Laughter rang out in the living room where the kids were playing.
"It's too bad Kid-kun couldn't be here," Tsubaki mused, looking back at the others.
"Yeah, what's up with him anyway?" asked Black Star, scowling. "Didn't even say hi today, just came out and yelled at me about something stupid, then walked away."
"Kid's under a lot of stress," Maka pointed out, frowning. "This whole thing with Ophelia…I don't think anyone's seen much of him lately."
"How about you, Soul?" Black Star asked. "You know what he's up to?"
Soul snorted, a frown on his face. "Beats me," he said. "He spends most of his time locked up in the Death Room. You're gonna have to ask Liz and Patty."
Black Star frowned. "Are he and Liz still doing that thing where they pretend they don't like each other?"
"Black Star!" Tsubaki said, surprised.
"What?" asked Black Star, turning towards her. "I'm just asking!" He looked back at Soul and Maka. "So are they?"
Maka frowned, glancing down at the tabletop. She traced circles on the wood, considering her answer. "It's gotten a little better now," she said. "But…yeah. I know it's really hard on Liz."
"Tch," said Black Star, leaning back in his seat. "They need to get over themselves already. Life's too short."
"It's not that simple," said Maka. "Kid's…going to be around for a long time. And the rest of us…"
She fell silent at that, drumming her fingers on the tabletop. From the living room, Ayame let out a cry of triumph, followed by Vayne shouting in dismay. The game on the screen seemed to have changed to a fighting game. None of them said anything until Tsubaki looked up, tentatively breaking the tense silence.
"Um…I noticed Ox-kun is back," she said. "I'm guessing he and Kim are um…off again?"
"What do you think?" Soul asked, leaning back in his seat. "Wouldn't ask him about it if I were you, though."
"Noted…" Tsubaki said. "Is it the same sort of problem as with Kid-kun, or is it just…?" She trailed off, gesturing vaguely into the air.
"Ox things?" Soul finished. He shrugged. "You tell me."
"Oh yeah," said Black Star. "While we're digging up dirt on everyone, anyone heard from Kilik lately?"
"Gone off to visit the Earth Shamans for a bit," said Soul. "And…" He paused, trading a look with Maka. Maka lifted her hand to her mouth to hide her giggles. Black Star and Tsubaki looked between them, frowning.
"And?" Black Star asked.
"Nothing," said Maka and Soul at the same time.
Tsubaki frowned. "That didn't look like nothing," she said.
"No, really," said Maka, waving her hand dismissively. "It's nothing. You're going to have to ask Patty though."
"Patty?!" Black Star and Tsubaki asked, leaning forward at the same time.
Maka straightened up, fighting to maintain her composure as beside her, Soul stifled laughter. "I'm not saying any more," she said.
"What about you guys?" asked Soul, when he had recovered. "Run into anything interesting?"
"Eh, not much," said Black Star, leaning back. "Some weird shit happening in Europe. Madness, disappearances, random monster attacks. That sort of thing."
"There's also the matter of who exactly called us back, if Kid-kun didn't do it," said Tsubaki, frowning.
"Mifune knows something," said Black Star. "That shifty-eyed bastard was being all 'mysterious' when I ran into him today."
"Sid too," said Soul. "And Maka's old man. It's been going on for a while."
The four of them went quiet for a moment as they considered the implications of that. Tsubaki tapped her finger on the tabletop, thinking. "They have to have a reason for keeping it secret, whatever it is," she said. "I can't imagine any of them wanting to harm the DWMA."
"Well, whatever it is, they better come clean soon," Maka said. "I don't think things are going to stay peaceful for much longer."
The silence stretched on between them for a while longer, broken only by the sound of Ayame and Vayne trying to encourage Clark to play. After a while, Black Star tipped his chair back, making an impatient noise. "Well, whatever. Who cares about that crap? Either talk about something else or go grab us some drinks."
"How's Ayame doing?" Tsubaki interjected smoothly, a smile on her face as she leaned forward over the table.
Maka blinked, then quickly joined the conversation again. "Oh, Ayame's doing fine. She gets a little distracted during lectures, but she's at the top of the combat-related classes, and she and Rei are doing well on missions…"
Rei draped a blanket over Cori where she lay asleep on the couch, motioning for Vayne and the others to keep quiet as he walked around to the armchair and did the same thing to Annie. The girl twitched, scrunching up her face as the blanket settled over her, then relaxed, exhaling and rolling over onto her side. She pulled the blanket close around her, curling up into a small ball. He patted her on the head, smiling fondly, then looked back at the others.
His and Ayame's parents had left their siblings here after the dinner, apparently heading out to a bar. To hear Black Star say it, they were also going to stop by Gallows Manor and "bring Kid even if we have to drag him". He felt an involuntary shiver run down his spine at the thought—he swore only their parents would even consider manhandling Shinigami. He watched as Bright Star moved towards the couch and Ayame grabbed at his arm to stop him, Bright Star rubbing at his eyes as if trying to signal that he was sleepy.
"Don't even think about it, Mister," she said. "You wanna sleep, you're coming up to my room with me. Where I can keep an eye on you."
Rei watched them go, Ayame carrying her brother up the stairs, then followed the others back into the kitchen. Vayne, Clark, Cassie and Morgan had stayed behind to help clean, and Clark stood in the kitchen, half-heartedly doing dishes while the others worked on putting the house back in order. They waited until Ayame's door had closed before resuming their conversation.
"Did you guys see that fight this morning?" Vayne asked, wiping down the table. "Ayame's dad wasn't even tired."
"I've heard stories about him," Morgan said as she put the chairs in order. "Apparently as a student, he beat Mifune-sensei in a fight."
"What?" asked Cassie, looking over her shoulder with wide eyes. "He beat Teach?"
Morgan nodded solemnly, and Vayne let out a low whistle. "So much for wondering where Ayame gets it from," he said, leaning against the table.
Rei bent down to tie off the trash, wondering if he should bother adding to this conversation. He didn't particularly want to draw attention to himself and his family, but he found that he couldn't help it. He looked up grudgingly. "Ayame's parents were on the moon with mine," he said. "They helped fight the Kishin, way back when."
"They were our age, weren't they?" asked Cassie, pausing for a moment over the dirty counter. She reached out with her finger and drew the word 'CLEAN' on it in big block letters, the bits of food and gunk on it shrinking back in a circle around the word and leaving the counter spotless. She stared at the counter for a moment as if considering, then wiped her finger off on her jacket. "I can't even imagine."
"Hey, we're not too shabby," said Vayne. "Aren't we, Clark?"
"Huh?" asked Clark, looking up from the sink. "Uh-yeah."
"Still," said Cassie, clasping her hands together behind her back. "Ayame's mom was pretty awesome too, wasn't she? All sweet and…motherly. I kind of wish she was my mom."
Clark dropped the plate he was holding.
It broke as it landed in the sink, fracturing into three large pieces. The sound echoed in the kitchen, all conversation coming to a stop as the other four looked up, facing him.
"Clark…?" Rei asked.
"I'm sorry," said Clark, looking down at the plate. Rei noticed that his hands were shaking. "I'm—not feeling well. I'm going home."
He shut off the tap and, before anyone could stop him, wiped his hands on his pants and left. The four of them stood in stunned silence in the kitchen, exchanging a look with each other as the front door clicked closed behind him.
"Clark?" Vayne asked, staring at the door. He looked around at the others, meeting their eyes, then jogged out of the room. "Hey, wait up! Clark!"
The door opened and closed a second time, loud enough that Cori sat up, the blanket slipping off of her shoulders as she blinked at the door sleepily. "What happened?" she asked, her eyes on Rei.
Rei looked blankly at her. He didn't have an answer.
Vayne caught up to Clark less than a block away from Rei's apartment, jogging to a stop where he found Clark walking slowly down the darkened street. He caught his meister by the arm, turning Clark to face him.
"Hey, what was up with that?" he asked. "That was kind of rude, man."
Clark looked up at him, then shook his head, his hands stuffed into his pockets. He didn't meet Vayne's eyes. "Just leave it, Vayne," he said. "You wouldn't understand."
He stepped forward, trying to shrug out of Vayne's grip, but Vayne held fast, scowling at him. Anger flared up from somewhere deep inside of him, triggered by Clark's words.
"What? You think I wouldn't understand what it's like to have problems with your parents? Me?! But you can't just storm out of Rei's house like that! Just because you don't get along so well with your own mother—."
"She's not my mom," said Clark softly, interrupting him.
Vayne blinked, loosening his grip a fraction. He looked at Clark, unsure that he had heard right. The anger faded as soon as it had come, and he stared at his meister dumbly. "Uh—what?"
"Nancy Greysteil isn't my mom," said Clark, tugging his arm out of Vayne's hold with surprising strength. He resumed walking down the street, and Vayne followed, not sure what else to do. "She's my stepmother. She and my dad were old friends. When my mom left…" He shrugged his shoulders, his eyes still on the street. "They got married a couple of years before Jason was born. She and Dad like it when I call her 'mom'."
"But if…" Vayne's mind raced, grasping at straws as he tried to put the pieces of the story together. Clark's mood, his problems with his family, the way he acted around girls, the way he had left Rei's apartment earlier. There was a story there somewhere, but Vayne couldn't see it. Or maybe…he thought, he didn't really want to. "…But if she's not your mom, then who is?"
Clark looked over his shoulder, his hands still stuffed into the pocket of his jacket. There were tears in his eyes, gleaming behind his glasses. Vayne blinked at him, and then the story came together.
The students' suspicion, the interrogations…
The Paralyzing Wavelength.
"Oh," Vayne said, his eyes widening. "…Oh, shit."
Elaine slept in her chambers in a seldom-used corner of the castle, dwarfed by the bed that she lay in. She was wearing a nightgown now, her blond hair arrayed around her and her eyes closed, like a lady from a story. Her wound had been stitched together and bandaged, and the Magatama was finally beginning to release its hold on her, as if the gem had convinced itself that she would survive without its intervention.
She still hadn't woken up.
Micah stood over her, watching her, a frown on his face.
"Any change?" asked a voice from behind him.
He looked over his shoulder to see Mordred entering the room, closing the door carefully behind him. The sorcerer, Micah knew, had lived over a thousand years, well past the point when he should care about anyone, but he was quiet as he walked into the room, his expression solemn as he looked from Micah to Elaine.
There was something unreadable in his eyes. If Micah didn't know any better, he would have said that it was pity.
"None," he said, looking away. He'd done what he could for Elaine, but Shelley was the medic, not him. Even when he'd worked for the DWMA, his specialty had always been in development. What little medical knowledge he had picked up, he'd learned from her.
The thought of Shelley made something in his heart twist painfully and he looked away, clenching his fists behind his back where he hoped Mordred wouldn't see. Mordred watched him quietly, then turned back to consider Elaine.
"She will wake when she wakes," he said, after a long moment of silence. "I've come here for you."
"What—?" Micah asked, his eyes widening as he looked back at Mordred. Before he could complete the question, Mordred held his hand out, stopping him. Inside it, the sorcerer held a deck of cards. His cards. Micah took it, frowning. He fanned the cards out, counting them. "This means…" he said, raising his eyes to Mordred.
Mordred nodded, not looking at him. "There's been a shift in forces on the other side," he said. "DWMA has recalled their warrior god. Our lady—my mother feels as though they know more than they ought. Keep those with you at all times. It won't be long until we strike."
Omake
Some unspecified time in the future
"Ayame-chan really seems to like it here," Tsubaki said, as she and Maka walked down the street, a few paces behind Black Star. "I'm glad to see she's adjusting well. She can be a little impulsive though…It's good that she has Rei-kun to calm her down a little."
"It's good for Rei too," Maka said. "She keeps him motivated. And I've noticed that she and Rei always have really cute packed lunches, Tsubaki-chan. They remind me of the ones you used to make. Did she learn that from you?"
Tsubaki blinked, frowning at her friend. "Maka-chan…" she said. "…Ayame can't even cook rice."
Maka stopped walking, her eyes widening slightly as she considered the implications of that. "Then…"
X
Rei and Ayame's apartment
Rei scowled as he reached into the rice cooker, shaping the rice between his hands into a roughly triangular shape. It had been a particularly stressful week after the incident with Ophelia, and he glanced at the evidence of it, at the various dishes and experimental concoctions that littered the kitchen.
"I may have a problem," he said.
"More rice balls please!" Ayame said, from her seat at the table, waving her empty plate at him with a grin.
