Stein, Spirit, and Lord Death were gathered in the Death Room. There was an unusually solemn air about them.

"Alright, Stein. What's going on? Is my Maka in danger?" Spirit demanded, panicked.

"When Soul came into class today, I could see that his soul was completely wrong. It was a mix of weapon and witch, a certain witch we know very well. I followed him after class, and when he struck out at Kid I finally understood what had happened. Unfortunately he got away before I could catch him," Stein explained. "Unfortunately Medusa has her soul protect on so I can't track her, and the piece of her soul that is tied to Soul Eater's is so minuscule that I can only detect it when he is in close range."

"I knew that boy was no good! And to think he's been living with my precious Maka!" Spirit dismayed, collapsing to the floor in a fit of anxiety. Death cooly and quickly chopped Spirit on the head.

"Now, now, Spirit," Death chastised. "It isn't really Soul doing this. Medusa is controlling him against his will. We can't hold him responsible for her actions. Stein, do we know what she is planning?"

"Not in the slightest. We are completely in the dark. I don't know why she would choose Soul of all students. With Maka he is very powerful, but he isn't an autonomous weapon. He is weak when he fights alone. All the same, I told Maka not to go home until we figure this out. I believe she is staying at the Death Mansion tonight."

"Here, Maka," Kid set a neatly folded pile of clothes on the chair in the guest bedroom. "These are Liz's. They should fit you well enough." Maka didn't even seem to register that he was there. She sat on the end of the bed, staring at her feet. Kid quietly left the room. He didn't know how to comfort her, and he hated that he didn't know how to comfort her. It was easy after she woke up from her coma, he knew how she felt then. But now? This was completely different. He had no idea what was going through her head.

He set up his easel in the main dining room, the most perfectly symmetrical room in the mansion, and began drawing. He had always loved to draw symmetrical faces, and now he was trying to draw Maka's.

Why can't I get it right? He tore off another paper and threw it aside. Usually this was so easy. He rarely needed a second draft, much less a fifth.

"Kid," Liz poked her head into the room. "It's really late. You should go to bed soon, okay?" She often had to remind him to sleep, otherwise he could easily become preoccupied by his drawings and sit awake at the easel until the sun rose again. He nodded and waved Liz away. He had to get this right.

Maybe I just need to get another look at Maka. Kid hypothesized. Yes, that should help. He tiptoed back to the guest room where Maka was staying and knocked lightly.

"Come in," her voice came so quietly he could hardly hear it. He stepped inside to find her sitting in the exact same spot as before, only she wore Liz's pajamas and her own clothes were folded on top of the dresser. "What do you want?"

"I, um," I can't tell her I'm trying to draw her, she'll be creeped out! "I just thought I would say goodnight before I went to bed. So, goodnight!" He moved back to the door.

"Kid," Maka breathed. He turned back to her.

"Yes?"

"Stay for a bit, will you?"

"Of course." Kid sat down next to her on the bed. He still didn't know what to say to her. She loosed a long, morose sigh and leaned on him, laying her head on his shoulder. Kid let his cheek rest on top of her head. He could only think about how warm her body felt next to his, and how perfectly her head fit into the curve of his neck.

"Kid?" Maka asked.

"Yeah?"

"I'm sorry about today, about Soul."

"No, you don't need to be sorry," Kid told her. "Stein said Medusa is controlling him. I understand that though it was Soul's body attacking me, it wasn't really him."

"I don't understand it," Maka admitted, her chin quivering. "How could she possibly be back? What is she going to do to Soul?" Kid put an arm around her and pulled her a little bit closer.

"I know you're worried about your weapon, but he'll be alright. Stein and Miss Marie will make sure of it."

"You really think so?" Maka looked up at him. Kid nodded.

"Yeah. Soul is going to be fine."

Soul was far from fine. His soul was at war with Medusa's for control of his body.

"Stop fighting it, little scythe!" She laughed. "I'm stronger than you will ever be, especially without your meister here to wield you. Speaking of your meister, I'm afraid she's our next target. She's been troublesome since the beginning, and I won't have my plans spoiled by a child!"

"I won't let you hurt Maka!" Soul shouted from where he sat paralyzed in the corner. Medusa looked at him with disgust.

"Ugh, children are so loud." She flicked her wrist in his direction and his mouth was sealed again. "That's better." She crouched down in front of him, studying the fury in his eyes.

"Oh!" Medusa exclaimed happily. "I see!" She bounced away on one of her arrows, laughing delightedly. Soul struggled against his invisible bonds, but he couldn't even move the end of his pinky finger. "You love her! You love the girl!" She leaned over him with an evil grin. "You love your meister, and I'm going to make you bleed her like a pig!"

No! Soul screamed in his head. I won't hurt her! I won't hurt Maka!

Maka and Kid had sat together late into the night. Eventually Maka's eyelids grew heavy and her body relaxed in his arms. He didn't want to leave now, not when he could hear the rhythm of her heartbeat, when he could smell the subtle lavender scent of her shampoo, and when he could feel her chest move with every breath she took. Finally Kid gave in to sleep as well, and they both fell back onto the bed, Maka still wrapped in Kid's arms with her head nestled against his neck, and their feet hanging off of the edge. It was only a couple of hours later that Liz came knocking to wake Maka up for school.

"Hey, Maka!" Liz banged on the door. "Time to get up... Maka?" Liz opened the door to check on the younger girl and was surprised to see a messy-haired Kid looking back at her. He slowly looked around the room, making sense of where he was. He looked at Maka, at himself, at Liz, and back at Maka.

"Oh!" He detangled his limbs from Maka's and rolled away, falling off the bed and onto the floor. He popped up and looked at Liz, Maka, and Liz again. Liz was doing the same thing, looking to Maka, Kid, and Maka again.

"Um.. School in an hour.." Liz said and slowly backed away from the room. Maka's eyes fluttered open and she saw Kid standing at her bedside.

"Kid?" She asked, sitting up and rubbing the sleep out of her eyes. She looked at his clearly slept-in clothes and at the indent on the bed next to her. "Do we need to talk about this?"

"I don't think so, we just fell asleep. I mean, nothing happened." He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding her piercing green eyes.

"Oh, okay."

"School in an hour," Kid said as he walked out, shutting the door behind him. Maka set her hand on the warm spot where he'd been sleeping, wishing he was still there.