Chapter 3:

"What?" Blair meowed. "You want me to go where?"

"We want you to take a vacation for awhile. We're still healing form that big battle so we need some time alone." Maka tried to explain.

"But where will I go?" Blair asked.

"Anywhere you want!" Maka said cheerfully.

"Hmm…Oh! I know exactly where I'm going!" Blair said practically jumping off the walls.

"Ok, just don't tell anyone we're still sick because we don't want them to worry." Maka warned.

"Don't worry, watch!" Blair began to chant. "Pumpkin Pump-Pumpkin! There!" she announced. "Now I can't tell anyone, even if I tried."

"Thank you so much Blair." Maka said gently.

"Okey dokey! I'll leave tomorrow while you two are at school. Are you sure you both won't need my help getting ready for the party?"

"Party! What party!" Soul asked.

"The party to celebrate the completion of destroying everything on Lord Death's list!"

Maka and Soul gasped.

"What? Don't tell me you didn't know." Blair smiled. Maka and Soul both shook their heads. "Oh well, out two will be fine. I already ate so I'm going to get some beauty sleep. 'Night!" Blair called as she went into Maka's room. A shark click followed as the door shut.

"Well." Maka breathed. "That was easier than expected. I'm tired so it's frozen dinners tonight. I'll make pork tomorrow." Soul sat down on the couch and flipped on the TV while Maka pressed the amounted time in the microwave. Waiting, she walked over to where Soul was residing on the couch. She leaned over to turn on the lamp but Soul caught her wrist and started unwrapping the bandages. In order to keep up the charade she had changed them this morning.

"Soul! Wait! I-" she cut off as the bandages fell softly to the ground revealing perfectly fine skin. She knew he wouldn't have believed her cuts healed that fast without some kind of explanation. No matter how shallow they were.

"How? I thought Blair scratched you?" He asked in bewilderment.

"She did." Maka replied in a whisper.

"Then how-?" Soul stopped. His gripped tightened on her wrist. Maka winced.

"Soul, you're hurting me." She said simply, not even daring to look at him. What she might see frightened her.

"You have black blood, don't you." It wasn't a question. The microwave beeped signifying their dinners were heated. Soul released his grip and was intently focused on the TV for the rest of the evening.

Click! Soul turned off the TV. "It was time we both went to bed." He commented stretching. "Soul?" Maka hesitated to ask. "What did you dream about last night?" A gasp escaped his mouth. "Nothing." He said and headed towards the hall. This time Maka stopped him with a hand on his shoulder. "I-I need know Soul. That," she inhaled. "That I'm not the only one." Soul turned to face her, his mouth slightly open in surprise. He grimaced. "I ate souls and watched us become insane." Soul pierced her with his eyes. It was the truth, but not fully. "Now what was yours?" Maka looked as startled as he had been. "I was dying is madness, I couldn't escape…twice." She rushed. "Its 2:00am, we need to go to bed." She said after lifting off the couch and stretching. She began to close the door to her room when stopped it. Looking at the floor she said "Hey Soul? I need you to promise me something." She could feel his suspicious stare. "Yeah, sure." Came his reply. "If you hear me scream, ignore it." And with that Maka closed the door on Soul's shocked expression.

"What was that all about?" Blair asked stretching on Maka's bed. "Nothing." She replied sinking got the floor. "Blair would you sleep on the couch tonight? I need sometime to myself." Blair looked at her for second hen shrugged saying "Sure.' And trotted out the door as a cat. Maka climbed into bed, trembling in her pajamas even though it was 70 degrees. "It was only a dream, only a dream." She kept repeating to herself. As she drifted, a pulsating red covers more of the pure blue.

{Run! Don't stop! Keep running! That's all that was filtering into her mind. She wasn't even sure what was following her, but she knew it was something terrible would happen if she slowed. "Maka! This way!" Soul's voice called her. She turned in the darkness, following it. Suddenly she saw a figure in the distance. Soul! His arm was outstretched toward her. She ran hers outstretched as well, closing the gap. When she was finally close enough to reach him-PAIN! Everywhere, starting from her chest. Like webs feeding the pain out to her fingertips. She looked down at her chest pulling her hand away, there was blood gushing from a gaping hole. As Soul pulled his out from it a dim blue light was in his grasp. There were no words for the excruciating pain she felt. All she could do was scream in agony.}

Maka was drenched in sweat, while a shrill scream filled the air. It stopped when she realized she was the source. Suddenly her door swung open and hit the wall with a loud BANG! Soul was blocking the doorway, one arm a scythe and in his boxers. Even though she knew it wasn't the Soul in her dream, seeing him standing there with his fierce expression on his face, she couldn't help but shiver. Once he assessed that there was no immediate danger his stance relaxed. It was then he caught sight of her terrified expression that she was trying to mask.

"Sorry if I startled you, and that I broke my promise." He apologized with a sheepish grin scratching the back of his head. "It's weapon instinct." He walked leisurely over to her bed and sat down next to her. Maka was trying to suppress the growing fear inside her. She was so focused that she flinched when Soul attempted to put his are around her. He lowered it. "It was that bad huh?" he asked solemnly, no trace of comfort in his face anymore. He waited for a reply and only realized when he heard her gasp for air that she was crying. "Maka, come on." He tried to give her another comforting hug, this time she fell into it. Hugging his tightly while her body shook violently. "How can we get through this if we can't even trust each other?" He asked as he rubbed her back.

"It was dark," she started barely in a whisper. "I was running. I don't know what from but I knew I had to keep running or…or" She paused trying not to break down into sobs again. Soul gave her an encouraging squeeze. "I don't know exactly just something bad would happen. Then I heard…You…Calling my name and I ran towards it. But-" she stopped herself. How could she her best friend, her brother, and now what? That he killed her in her dream? "Then what Maka?" Soul pulled her away but held onto her shoulder looking her square in the face. "It's ok. You can tell me…Even if it's bad." She took a deep breath. "You- Pulled my Soul out." She said, trying to say as little as possible. Her hand reached up and put a hand on her chest, she could still feel a dull throb where the pain had been. Then she began to trace where she knew his scar would be from when they fought Crona for the first time. Then the atmosphere changed.

Her hand slid up his chest to his face. Then she shyly brushed some of his hair out of his eyes, but it fell right back. "Hmm, your hair never would cooperate would it?" She smiled slightly, daring to look into his eyes. She found surprise but also…what? He placed her face in his warm hands. She closed her hands letting the warmth sink to her toes. She leaned into his embrace, her hands resting lightly on his chest while he held her letting his head rest on top of hers.

Maka felt herself starting to slip away into sleep when her dream hit her bring the pain with it again. She practically leaped out of Soul's embrace. "Sorry." She said looking down. "I need to get some rest." She stated heading to the restroom. She turned on the light and shut the door.

Listening until she could hear Soul sight and walk back into his room and shut his door, she finally walked back into her room and shut the door. Leaning against it, she sank to the ground. How was she going to keep from dreaming. "Don't sleep." She whispered. Standing up she began to pick up her clothes that she had dumped on the floor. Clang! Her new switch blade fell out of the pocket and landed on the floor. Flinching and the sound and its touch she wondered why she had even bought the thing in the first place and set it on her nightstand. Deciding she would read a book to keep her awake, she grabbed one that was summer reading for school next year that she had started.

It took only twenty minutes for Maka to begin to nod. This wasn't going to work as she set the book down on the nightstand the blade once again caught her attention. This time, in a hungering way. Now she knew why she had gotten the blade. She fumbled with it, pulling out the glowing edge. She pulled her sleeve up to her elbow and stared at her exposed wrist. Then placed the blade on her skin. Just enough to wake me up and that's it she told herself to control the hunger that was festering inside of her. Closing her eyes and pulled the blade hard across her wrist. Wincing at the pain that surely must have produced a large cut she peeked down.

There lied a small, semi deep cut on her wrist. No blood was produced from the wound save a small black line. Oh, right. She thought remembering her new body fluid. Her wrist stinging to keep her awake, she began to read again. But no sooner had she begun when she started to dose again. Pausing, she grasped the handle of the blade and once again pulled the blade across the same wounds making a small drop of blood appear this time. And so the routine continued throughout the night. Little did she know that these marks would haunt her for the rest of her life.

.oOo.

She was about to pull the blade across flesh once more when her alarm went off, startling her. She had made it through the night. She quickly got ready, placing her knife in her jacket pocket then went to take a shower. When she entered the bathroom, her reflection startled her. There was a crazed look about her; her eyes were wide and frightening, outlined by large circles under them. Deciding a shower would definitely do her good she turn on the water.

Once she was ready for the day she took another look at herself. She looked normal beside the spots under eyes. That's when she did something she thought she would never do. She took one of the million foundations from Blair's make-up bag and took it to the bathroom. In the mirror she saw herself dip her finger into the foundation and rub it underneath her eyes. All signs of sleeplessness gone from her face. Slipping the make-up into her pocket, she walked down the hallway to wake up Soul.

.oOo.

{"I'll never give up!" Soul screamed and the Demon. It laughed. "You don't get it do you?" It said down into the madness. "It only needs to take hold of one of you for the other one to be affected, and I must say it's affecting your partner quite nicely. Why, I wouldn't be surprised if she was a kishen in month or less!" It snickered at the thought. "No!" Soul gasped. The Demon broke out into hysterical laughter. "NO!" Soul screamed.}

"Soul!" Maka yelled. Soul's eyes opened to find Maka standing over him shaking his shoulders looking a little nervous. "Now it's my turn to worry about you screaming." She half joked. "What were you dreaming about?" she asked sitting next to him. Soul knew he should be honest after all she told him last night. "I was trapped in the madness." He said simply. It was true, but it wasn't all true. "Come one!" she said trying to lighten the mood. "Oh! You only have fifteen minutes, so hurry up!"

.oOo.

"Ok as you all know," Sid announced to the class, "There is only one more day of school left." The class broke out into cheering along with high-fives and upcoming plans. "Then the summer training starts." He continued smiling. The cheering died into moans and grumbling. "You will have school 7am-12pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays after the week break between." Sid began writing the lesson onto the board. "So to wrap up the school before training I thought we would do some review." He moved aside to show what he had written. "Kishen" was written in large letters across the blackboard. "Signs of a kishen or one in the process." Sid started.

"WHAT'S THE POINT?" Black*Star jumped up not bothering to raise a hand. "I ALREADY DEFEATED THE KISHEN!" he continued pointing to himself.

"Because a new one could arise at anytime." Sid said sternly. Black*Star sat back down. "You mean a new one could arise just like that?" Kim asked, her hand in the air. "Well, it's a process," Sis answered. "One won't pop up overnight. It would take a little more than a month at minimum for a kishen to form. If all the circumstances were right." Soul was taken aback. "Why, I wouldn't be surprised if she was a kishen in a month or less!" The Demon had said. Looking over he saw Maka completely focused on Sid's lecture and taking notes as always.

"Can anyone tell me what some signs of a kishen are?" Sid asked the class. "Yes, Ox." Ox pushed his glasses up and answered in a confident voice. "The body not being able to sustain normal food. It can only be sustained by consuming souls. Mostly human ones."

"Also" Kid jumped in when Ox had finished. "Kishens are almost always infected with madness and if they are especially powerful they will emit waves of madness that effect other people."

"You are both correct. When the Kishen was revived, many people were severely affected by the madness waves. Dr. Stein was working on a sort of medicine to counter these effects. I believe he still is, but I'm not sure if he has had any success at the yet." RING! "Class dismissed!" Sid announced gather up his things. Students pooled into the hallway and headed towards the lunch room.

"Hey Maka where are you going?" Tsbaki asked. Maka had pulled Soul aside and were walking in the opposite direction. "We have to ask Miss Marie something. Save us a seat and we will be right back." Maka waved to them and continued around the corner.

"This is about the medicine Sid mentioned right?" Soul asked once they had rounded the corner. Maka nodded.. "Were going to have to lie to get it.: she said solemnly. It was hard to lie to anyone at the DWMA, especially Miss Marie because she was so nice and accepting. "Are you crazy?" Soul asked stopping in front of the door to Miss Marie and Stein's office. They both stiffened at realization of his words. "Not yet." She said fiercely and knocked on the door.

"Hang on!" came a frantic cry. The door opened to reveal Miss Marie looking somewhat frazzled. "Sorry I was trying to organize some things. What can I do for you?" she asked trying to straighten her hair down. "We just came to ask you for a favor." Maka stated. "We heard Dr. Stein is working on an antidote for the madness wavelengths."

"Yes as a matter a fact that's why he's gone. He's doing more research on how to make it stronger I believe. Why?" She replied.

"We were interested in conducting some experiments of our own. Possibly create our own antidote. But we were hoping to get some samples of what he has done so far to give us a better understanding." Maka said simply.

"I'm sure that would be fine. As a matter of fact," Miss Marie said disappearing for a moment. They heard shuffling, before she returned with a small prescription bag. "Here are some of the pill prototypes he made. I think." Handing the bag to Maka. "I can't wait to tell Stein you're interested in his science!" She said clasping her hands together.

"Oh no! Um," Maka said startled. "Would you keep it a secret for now please?" she asked.

"Ooooh." Miss Marie said. "A surprise I get it." She smiled whispering.

"Yeah. So um, thanks for the pills. Bye!" Maka said and she and Soul started down the hallway.

"You aren't seriously thinking of taking those are you?" Soul asked Maka. "Miss Marie said they were a prototype. It means they won't cure us, but they could help slow the process until Dr. Stein does configure the real cure." Maka replied peering into the bag.

"Come on. Let's go eat." She said placing the pills in her pocket. "'Kay." Soul said. "How much do you suppose Black*Star has eaten?" she asked starting a new topic. "Knowing him?" Soul said. "Everyone at the table."

Miss Marie waved as they walked off then shut the door to her office. Turning around she saw piles of various things covering every inch of the office. It was then she noticed a prescription bag sitting in a box of other miscellaneous things. She made her way over to it and picked it up. "Prototype" was written in large letters across the front of it. "Oops." Miss Marie said. "If this is the prototype then the other ones must be the ones Medusa made for Maka originally. Oh well! They'll figure it out and make an antidote out of them. It's not like they were planning on taking them or anything."