Aaaaaaaand switching to Kid's POV now. Gonna try and make it a little less cynical and quirky than Maka. Tell me how it turns out, k? And just to warn you, I'm throwing some serious curveballs in here. See, I had a theory about Kid and Lord Death and… it kinda evolved into the giant world that I created in SE so I… kinda rewrote the whole SE world ^^'. It does create some interesting stuff though if you can stomach it… enjoy .

Part 2

I knew she would want to hear about her mother first. She idolized the woman so much, I couldn't just leave it for last. So that's where I started. "Well... Kami is currently staying in Greece right now."

Her whole face brightened. "Greece? She's finally reached it?"

"That's what I've heard. She's having a very pleasant stay and enjoying it for all its worth."

"That means her journeys nearly over... or at least that's what she told me would happen when she reached Greece..." She looked whole heartedly excited at the prospect, but then her expression fell into confusion "But... how do you know that? Does Lord Death keep tabs on her?"

"Well, partly." I answered honestly. Of course he would keep tabs on one of his star pupils. If his father ever needed her again or she got in trouble, he needed to know where she was at all times. But he was also good friends with Kami, and he kept in contact with her all the time. Those were not the only reasons he knew however. "The real reason is because she's visiting the other half of my family, all of whom live there."

"The other side of your family...?" I could see her soul radiating the excitement in bright waves as my words further ensnared her interest. Her eyes widened at the mention of more members to the Shinigami family. Not surprising as very few regular non-DWMA people –even students– knew it. Another secret of the family, though not quite so well kept as certain others. "I've always wondered about that. Everyone knows your father, but who is your mother?"

Now there was a sensitive topic, but I expected that. It's just... classified information. Well, actually it was more than that. I found myself unable to meet her gaze, instead substituting it with the one in her family photo. Any thoughts I previously had of organizing her mantel were gone now. I was too preoccupied with the conversation at hand. I just stared at the picture frame...

God, how I wished I could have a normal family like that sometimes... without the drama of course. That's not to say I wasn't happy with what I had though, I loved my family. However, there were those times were being a... deity if you could call me that –in my case it was more like a super mega rich kid of the world viewed as a spoiled brat by most– was a bit too much for me to bear. Everyone has moments like that, yes, but for me, it wasn't quite the same. "That's... kind of a tough question to answer. I'm honestly not certain if you would 'classify' her as my mother... but she did create me with my father, so… what else can she be?"

I felt the mood of her presence soften at my words, but the pang of curiosity still throbbed. "What do you mean? I know it's a god thing, but I'm sure I can at least catch the gist of it."

I sighed quietly. She seemed to catch on that it wasn't an easy thing to talk about and went quiet, allowing me to gather my thoughts. I was glad for her patience. I knew she wasn't watching my soul and I knew why, so she wouldn't see my thoughts, but I'm sure she could sense it all the same. She may be temperamental, easily flattered, and annoying sometimes, but she was smart, considerate, polite, and best of all she was pretty good at reading people even if she wasn't looking at their souls. All traits I would guess belonged to Kami since Spirit wasn't exactly all of those... except for the easily flattered, annoying, and the considerate parts. Spirit already knew of course, but his circumstances were special. Kami might suspect it but she had never been outwardly told. It was a secret we kept in the family for a very good reason. It was just that...

Well, it just wasn't something you told to humans. They usually didn't understand and the reactions varied greatly from too ignorant to think any different of me, to disrespectful, to resentfully ignoring me altogether, to outright violent against me. The point is that most just didn't get it and it made things very difficult. Its been that way since the beginning of Father's rule. Many of my friends and allies had abandoned me as a result. Some of the teachers of the DWMA, such as Maka's father and Professor Stein, were just a handful of the few that did understand. Liz and Patty had found out fairly early on and there had been no huge issues, so I knew 100% that I could trust them, and maybe certain members of Spartoi.

But even so, it was still a difficult topic to touch on, so I never mention it to anyone. Ingrained habits from family and bad experiences are hard to kick. But maybe telling Maka wasn't such a bad idea. We already trust the other members of her family, and if she could be honest with me on a subject sensitive with her, I could give her the benefit of the doubt.

But still that little voice in my head urged me to avoid the topic. I tore my gaze away from the picture and forced myself to meet her gaze again as I gave her the only warning I could give. She deserved at least that much. "...Are you sure you want to know? Maka... I don't want to ruin what we have or what could be between us. I... don't usually tell people this, as humans tend to be... well, different around me when they hear it. I prefer to fit in as though I'm as human as they are. I don't want people to follow me because I'm a god or scoff at my name because I'm not, and I don't want servants." As I spoke, my gaze slowly drifted from hers and I found myself staring down at my feet, feeling shame for doubting her yet unable to stop feeling suspicious of her. "I want them to follow me because they trust me, because they value me as a friend and a person, not because of my heritage. I just want to be a part of the world my father built like any other human being, even if I'm not one of them." Curse my habits. Why can't I just let myself trust her?

I felt the wavelength of her soul scrutinize me with a gentle scorn for just the same thing. "Kid. Seriously. You really believe that I'll think differently of you if you were to tell me your, for example, perfectly human or a lot older than 14? Come on, Kid. Put some faith in me. We've been friends long enough and I've already seen some screwed up shit throughout my time in the DWMA. This isn't going to change my opinion of you."

Just hearing that was enough to calm my anxious heart, but my mind still wouldn't settle. So I asked again. I needed to be absolutely certain for my own peace of mind. "...Are you sure?"

I watched the little wings of her tiny soul unfold and flutter forward as if to embrace me protectively and knew immediately that she was more willing to listen than I had anticipated. "You forget who you're talking to. This is Death City, my hometown, remember? I'll never be as strong as you and Black*Star, but I'm still the first one of us to make a Death Scythe and I still have my Mama's Demon Slayer wavelength. I'm aware that gods are very different from humans and that you'll tell me things I never thought were possible. I'm prepared for that." I engaged her gaze with mine as she spoke and was met with that determined iron resolve and a gentle smirk that I'm so familiar with now. "Thing is I trust you, Kid. We all do. God or not, no matter what you tell me or what happens afterwards, your still our friend. So hit me with your best shot."

I stared back at her for a long moment, letting these words sink in and put me at ease. She gazed back at me, willing me to chill out and take the leap of faith with her. So I sighed, leaned forward in my seat, and took it.

"I'm... kind of unique." I replied after a moment of silence. She waited very patiently for me to go on. Even though the shine in her soul was still there, I felt no pressure. She could be a harsh judge, but she knew that there was a time for judgment and a time when you just had to sit back and take a neutral perspective. I was grateful for that. "It's a long story, so... guess I should start with explaining what my dad is."

She gave me a confused look as though she'd never thought of my father as anything more than what people usually thought of him: A Shinigami, a God of Death, a God in general. To the students, he was also the guy who kept the world in balance, the ultimate authority figure. To her, he was the World Ruler that her parents worked for. She considered him a part of the family in a way as far as I could tell. Whenever she thought of or saw him, there was a flicker in her soul that spoke of familial attachment. But even she never second thought what he might really be. This could be tough... I wish there was an easier way to say it, but there just isn't.

Well, here it goes.

"You see... he's not actually a god, per se, as everyone thinks he is."

I saw the incredulous expression on her face and hurried on. I didn't want the reaction which resulted in the human no longer respecting the one they followed.

"He is a Shinigami though, we both are. It's just that Shinigami are not... well, death gods, as everyone thinks. That's just an ancient word they came up with to call us long ago. In Father's case, as he is a true Shinigami, he is actually more like a being that is god-like but less than divine. Like a demigod, a half-god, a divine death spirit, but on the mortal scale, like a higher level of superhuman. You see, divine beings like gods cannot be killed or harmed. Father can. That's not to say that he's not divine in a way though. He still did all those remarkable things that saved this world. Its just that his power, however impressive it might be, is not truly on the god scale. It's actually more superhuman than godly. It just seems that way because no human can possess as much as he does. In reality, gods are far, far more powerful than can be comprehended by the human mind. In the end, Father is merely an ultrahuman with power over death, not a god."

Unlike most others, Maka willingly listened to my explanation, drinking my words in and taking it all into perspective as calmly as she could. I'm glad she let me get everything out without making a fuss and interrupting me. Others would inevitably get upset and not want to hear anymore, so they would jump the gun and get on the angry betrayed follower band wagon like the fact that their leader was not who they thought he was somehow ruined all the good he had done. That was the problem with people who worshipped Father and the reason the DWMA made the effort to beat blind faith out of its students. They wanted guidelines and solid ground under their feet, even though they believed in something that wasn't there, and so when someone undermines that mindset, the tiniest insult, the smallest inkling that something is wrong with their beliefs, they fell out of line like ants and become hostile to the party they deem offensive.

But then there were people like Maka, who patiently sat by and let me finish to the end until she was sure she understood, and then let it sink in before she would let herself react. Even though I was fidgeting in my seat, trying to distract myself with that old symmetry obsession, nervous about what she would say, trying not to watch the thought processes going on in her wavelength... I can't tell you how glad I was for her patience.

Eventually, after she had thoroughly thought it through, she looked up at me with those big, honest, fern green eyes, and with just a gaze, let me know that she was just fine with what I had said. "Somehow I'm not surprised. Mama and I always thought it was a little farfetched to call Lord Death a god. He just seems far too human."

I breathed so deeply in relief that I think I almost passed out. I know, what was I so nervous about? It was just Maka, of course she would react this way. It was probably her family ties with my father more than anything though. I've come across people like her who seemed trustworthy before and instantly turned on me the minute I said anything. So you can imagine how I felt once she assuaged my fears... but we weren't out of the dog house yet. There was still a chance she could react badly the more the idea built up in her mind. Only time would tell. "I'm glad someone understands. But maybe that's just the DWMA beatings speaking through both of you."

She grinned easily, somehow completely unfazed by how 'sabotaging' my story was. "What can I say? Mama and I were always oddballs. Even Papa always said so. Speaking of him, does Papa know? I get the feeling this isn't something many people know about in the open."

I had to smile. I still felt a little nervous about what might happen later, but for now, I felt at ease. "Yes, of course he knows. They couldn't resonate as well as they do if he didn't and still felt devotion to him as a leader and meister."

"I thought as much." She said as she leaned forward and grabbed what was left of the crackers, taking a thoughtful sip of her tea before she spoke again. "But Papa can be such an idiot sometimes. I know he's the most powerful Death Scythe there is, Soul and I still have a long ways to go... but the idea that he could accept such a story so easily makes me wonder if my foundations on his pig-headedness are wrong."

I had to chuckle. If this story actually brought a family together again, I would be so surprised I'd have to tell the world about it just to see what happens. Could the reason that people reacted badly be because we were being too secretive about it? "Heh, well I don't know. A guy can be a better man than you first believed and still be pig-headed at the same time. It's just the way the world works. Maybe you should give him just a little more credit."

I watched her go silent as it sank into her head, then stood up murmuring a "be right back" and disappeared into the kitchen for a refill, and also to give her a little private space to think.

As I opened the fridge and spotted the yellow-orange container, I remembered Soul telling me how much he loves his orange-peach sunny delight. Upon first taste, I understood why. Hope he wouldn't mind me taking a little more. I took a long refreshing swing, calming my pulsing nerves, then leisurely returned to my seat and saw that she was still working her thoughts around the idea that her father may not be such a bad guy after all. I tried not to laugh. She seemed to be really struggling with it. She had probably been living with this issue for so long that having it derailed like this was crippling her thought processes a little.

But she was strong, and she had a hell of a support beam under her in the form of friends, family, allies, and colleagues. I'm sure she could manage to figure it out.

She looked up at me as I came back, her eyes glancing at my glass as she undoubtedly noted that I had more of Soul's sunny delight, probably calculating how much was left and if she should get more before her partner returned home, and watched me sit down with a calm expression that made me wonder just how calm she was on the inside right now. "Maybe your right... but I bet Mama won't feel the same way." Her tone as she spoke up first was even softer than her expression. That confirmed my suspicions that she was still working on the conflict, and I instantly recognized the hidden plea for my opinion, even without looking at her wavelength.

I shrugged as I took a sip of my new refill. "And what if she does? I know you idolize her, but you did say you wanted to be your own person too. You shouldn't let what happened between your parents come between the bond of a father and daughter... even if he is pig-headed... He does love you, Maka. I'm sure you know that. It's ok to let yourself feel the way you want to about him. As you said, he's your father. I admit, he's a bit... weird sometimes... but he is a good person, and he does deserve the love of his daughter to a degree. I think you can see that now."

She didn't reply, but there was no need to say anything else on the matter. I'm not sure what kind of effect my words had on her, I could still see it swimming around her head as were many other things, but I hoped it would help her come to a conclusion eventually. She seemed a little more at ease now at least. No doubt she would be discussing it with Soul tonight though. She looked at me then, her gaze much softer than it had been all night, and nodded as if gesturing me to continue with my own story. "So a Shinigami is not really a god, hm? So then I have to ask... how did he do all the things he did?"

I gave her a gentle smile and set my drink down. "That's where my 'mother' comes in. This is another thing we don't tell humans often, as they don't usually react very well to it. The only other humans I've told are Patty and Liz, so... I guess I'll make a third exception. You see... this world was not always like this."

She gave me a blank stare and I knew I needed to elaborate. But how do I explain it? Mother had shown me once in her mirrors of time, but I didn't have any godly power to help me. I had only words to give Maka, which severely limited the impact of first seeing the world before this one. How best to show it to her...? Wait...

Paper scrying.

I jumped from my seat, nearly knocking the coffee table over and scaring the hell out of her. I quickly apologized and continued on my way to search for a clean sheet of white paper and a pencil or something to write with.

"Whoa, whoa, Kid, what the hell are you doing?" She panicked as she watched me tear apart her dorm room in a very orthodox manner, without actually tearing it apart and organizing as I went. No need to not fix things as I went, some places in here really needed the touch up.

I turned to her, my eyes excited. "Pencil. Paper. Scrying."

"Wh-Wha-?" I pushed her before she could ask. She took the hint and hurried into her room to grab what I requested and bring it to me back in the living room. "Mind telling me what this is about?"

"You'll see. If I can do it that is..." I kneeled at the coffee table and immediately started sketching the world my mother had shown me.

She watched me work very diligently over my shoulder, every stroke of the pencil graceful, elaborate, and as symmetrically perfect as I could get it. As much as it pained me, I had to leave that touch of imperfection that made the world before this one so much more beautiful than what my father had made. Yes I know. How could I think of an imperfect world as beautiful? Well... it was the balance. Imperfect symmetry can be made up for in perfect balance and harmony in the function of a thing or ecosystem. I did my damned hardest to capture that, but art was only an imitation of the real thing. Only the best artists in the world could recreate the reality of something they saw. So I spent at least two hours trying to put in as much perfect detail as possible, with Maka watching me the whole time. I couldn't color anything in, but I didn't need to. I just had to be sure it was shaded well. Once I was finished, I sat back and admired, critiqued, and edited, until I was sure it was perfect and done.

"Uh... Kid...?"

"Hang on." I stood up and kept her behind me so that she would be protected if anything went wrong. "I'm gonna try something, but there's no guarantee it'll work because of how young I am. My mother taught me how to do this, and so far I've only be able to do it once. Just stay behind me where it's safest, ok? Here goes attempt number one..."

I felt her trying to lean forward to see, her hands on my shoulders for balance, but she stayed where she was, so I ignored her for the moment and concentrated. I took a breath and counted to twenty, letting each number take me deep into a kind of meditative trance one notch at a time.

But immediately after I reached five, my concentration broke itself, and I almost fell into Maka from the force of it. "Dammit..."

She caught me and held me up. "You ok? What happened?"

"Attempt number one failed." I said, my breath slightly labored. I wanted to try again immediately but I needed to rest. I needed my full energy reserves for this to work. So I gave myself a few minutes, and once I was ready again, I made attempt number two. That failed at ten. I tried once more and got to eight before it failed a third time. "Shit..."

"What's wrong?" She asked as she supported me from behind once again.

"I... I guess I can't do it. Once was all I'm going to get." I sighed in defeat and took my weight off her as I stood straight. I turned to sit down in dismay, but she grabbed me and forced me to stand back in my spot.

"Well don't give up yet, you only tried three times."

"Maka, it doesn't work like that-"

"I'm serious, don't you dare give up now." I fell silent at the force in her voice. Now that I think about it, she wasn't the type to just give in, was she? "In fact..."

I felt the wings of her soul unfurl again as she offered me a resonance link. "Maka, I don't think that's a good idea."

"Do you want it to work or not?" She demanded, and when I was silent, she didn't hesitate to nearly force the link into me. "Then shut up and accept me."

So I did. With some hesitation, I accepted her link. One tiny graze of each other's wavelengths created a serious of sparks that grew into a fusion of our souls together. Wow, this is weird... We've never resonated just the two of us as meisters before, not even for battle. We always had our weapons or Black*Star and Tsubaki involved. It felt so strange to feel just her as we blended together. She was a hell of a lot stronger than I first thought, and that demon slayer wavelength really packed a punch, even by itself. I can only image what it feels like with Soul's power enhancing it. Mine alone made it flare until it engulfed the whole dormitory apartment room, and that wasn't even the max of our power. I hoped our partners wouldn't mind, or that when people felt this they didn't think... well I just hoped they wouldn't think something stupid.

I felt her max herself out against me and realized just how much power she had by herself. I didn't need to max myself out against her, it would happen gradually as I made attempt number four.

"Now... try again." She challenged me. So I did... And it failed at 15 this time. That was both our fault. She had no idea of what I needed to do which sabotaged my effort, and I heard her murmur an apology. This time, it also had a lot of impact on both of us. But still she refused to let me give in. "You're trying to make it absolutely perfect when it isn't, Kid. Try it another way. We need it to be balanced, not perfectly symmetrical. Now one more time, go, you lead this time."

She was right. So I tried again, slowing down this time so that she could figure it out and follow me. We both straightened and she fell into the trance with me as I breathed and concentrated, starting the countdown one last time.

1... 2... 3... 4... 5...

My breath slowed to a deep rhythm, my hands held up palms down over the sketch I just made. I had to concentrate on what my mother had shown me and will it to become real.

Her extra power supported my efforts and carried me to the next stage so that I didn't need to work quite as hard. I hadn't realized just how pleasant it was to feel her wavelength as support…

6... 7... 8... 9... 10...

Let the paper become a mirror reflecting what was in my mind... let the world turn to reality and flow from inside the mirror and into the room around us...

I felt that familiar tingle as the magic of the blood in my veins began to take control and make my skin glow a faint deep blue. She couldn't go any further. Her support stopped there and let me do the rest. The only thing she could do now was give me the best support she could, reminding me the whole way there that it didn't need to be perfect.

11... 12... 13... 14... 15...

It's filling the room now, surrounding us in what was once real, a mirror of a reality long ago.

Dark green foliage, rich brown soil, clear crystal waters, a bright gold sphere of light high in the sky, shining proudly like a star upon the land, spreading its golden rays of life in the day time... a dark clear night lit only thousands of stars and a beautiful silver moon, letting the gentle light it borrowed from its brighter predecessor spread across the sleeping ground... a great sea filled with undiscovered secrets and animals unknown, fauna that stalked the land as the web of life still went on now... a great civilization worldwide, not quite as magnificent as the one now, but far more beautiful and eco-friendly in all its primordial glory... the people and their foreign languages all around the world with smiling faces surrounded by fertile and safe lands, their clothes flowing and primal... statues of the gods that once lived in this world...

The tingle gradually grew into a full blown kind of resonance with the image in my mind and the one on the piece of paper, making it pop from the page and into the room. I faintly recognized the sound of Maka gasping in shock as the image came to life around us, but I ignored it knowing that she was safe as long as she was close and stayed behind me.

16... 17... 18... 19... 20

The end of the countdown. I breathed it deep again and let go, letting the power in me fuel the image around us with her wavelength supporting mine, and we both found ourselves in the illusion I'd created.

I... no... we did it.

"This is the world that came before the one we were born into, the one my father created." I said as I watched her gaze flicker around in astonishment at the beauty of the world around her. I knew just how she felt, and being connected to her as I was now, I could feel it affected her much more than it had me the first time.

It was an amazing world to look at. The cycle of night and day was on speed dial, day turning to night every few minutes, but all the same, it was breathtaking. It was only my second time seeing it, but the fact that I'd managed to create it just as it was when my mother showed it to me made it all the more beautiful to me. It wasn't going to last long as our power compared to my mother's was merely a tiny drip in the river, but it was enough to make us both star struck.

"This...?" was all she managed to say in response to me. She drank it all in hungrily, too amazed to speak what her thoughts were screaming. I felt her soul pulse radiantly with the shock of the moment...

And then, frail as the image was, it broke and faded back into her dorm room. That was all we managed to get, but it was enough. Gradually we powered down our souls and gently pulled out of the link. Plopping down in our designated seats in silence, we both stared into space as our minds reeled from the experience, trying to pull calm our nerves and pull ourselves back down to the ground. Though we were separate again, I could feel her soul screaming in a turbulent mix of excitement, utter confusion, and apprehension that she had resonated alone with me. I don't blame you, Maka. I'm feeling about the same right now, except I think I was happier about succeeding in paper scrying a second time. Of course I'd had her help, but I still did it, and I felt closer to her now than before.

I saw her thoughts begin to reorganize again until it formed a question, and she looked at me directly before she asked. "What happened to that world, Kid?"

My glee of success faded as she asked the question. The answer to that was not an easy one to hear, but I couldn't deny her after what I'd just shown her. "...It was destroyed."

Despair entered her green eyes, but it seems she expected such an answer. "How? Who would destroy something so beautiful?"

"A very powerful goddess." Her gaze beckoned me to continue. So it seems I have no choice but to reveal another very well kept secret. "Maka... what I'm about to tell you will come as a hell of a shock, so try not to freak out at me ok? We usually never disclose this to anyone because we don't want mass panic. If people knew, there would be chaos and the public would stop listening to us. We're only trying to keep them safe, and this is the best way to do it. Do you understand?"

She stared back at me, mentally preparing herself for the worst, before she tentatively nodded at me.

I took a breath and prepared myself to tell her. It was true that we never ever told this to people, so I was basically breaking a serious rule here... but something tells me she might find out sooner or later anyway, as a few other students have in the past already. "Try to be calm about this, it's not easy to take in, but... Asura... is actually not the first demon god to exist."

"WHAT?" Well so much for calm and easy, but I expected that. "Are fucking telling me there are others out there?"

"No, god no! The others are all long taken care of."

"Why are they always calling him the first then?"

"Because the others were all corrupted gods. Asura is the very first corrupted humans." I said as calmly as I could. "Gods take care of their business and humans take care of theirs, and only when its necessary do they join forces. That's the way it's always been. There are no more gods now to corrupt, but there are plenty of humans. That's why my father created the DWMA in the first place, to make sure no humans become demon gods. I promise we'll be fine, no one has ever come close to Asura. That is the reality now, so we just need to keep doing what we're doing and we'll always stay fine."

I could see her head spinning with this realization. She bent curled into the chair and clutched at her hair as anxiety took over. I didn't need her to freak out, so I reached out to her soul with mine to help assuage the fear making her wavelength tremble so violently. "You see now why we never tell people this?"

She nodded and swallowed hard. She let herself fall into the security I was offering until she was able to calm herself down. "How... how did this happen...?"

"Well... there's actually a pretty good explanation for that..." She met my amber gaze questioningly. I hesitated, unsure of whether she was in the right state of mind to hear the tale, but I decided it was better that she get the full story now rather than later. So I told her the story of Mania, the mother goddess of madness, insanity in its purest form, at whose name every god trembled. "The world you saw was what was made after she existed. It was far more beautiful than that at one time. Mania was born a goddess with the power to infect man, beast, spirit, and god alike. I hear she was fearless and short tempered, and her power was greater than most as she was born to the two most powerful primordial elder gods. Though her powers were difficult to control, she learned to control then at an early godling age, which made her extremely dangerous. She once went to the council of gods and demanded a position, but she was denied because they feared what she would do with her power."

"...And she destroyed everything?"

"Not quite... she went stereotypical villain and took over the world. The sad part is that none were strong enough to stand in her way, and so, when she unleashed her power, it seeped into the crevices of reality, creating a deep orange and pure white world of pure chaos. She did as she pleased, controlled the minds of every creature, created her own manner of beasts, and what today is referred to as Lyssa crept into the essence of all living things, tainting everything down to the soil and even the rocks. She made the universe her playground and ruled for many millennia like that, well into the age of man. But, very slowly and surely, this reality she created began to break. Eventually, her power became too great even for her, and she became a victim to herself. The world knew true chaos then. That was when the world suffered the most, until her power and all her own creations destroyed her. The gods regained their senses then and immediately went to work to put the world back together, and managed to create the world I just showed you."

Event after I told her the events, she still looked uneasy, and I'm sure she knew exactly what I was about to tell her next.

"But even then..." I went on, "Because she had ruled for so long and her power was so great, the madness of her rule remains, tainting the once pure world. Though her body may be gone, a god is deathless and invulnerable, so her power, her spirit, and her will still live on. The pieces of the reality she left behind could not be destroyed as a result, so all the gods could do was toss it into the deepest pit of hell. Even then, madness still exists because of her, the abomination goddess, and so it will never go away. It infected many gods in those days when it was still very strong, and those many volatile battles have destroyed that beautiful world you saw. The very last one happened as gods developed immunity to the madness, and my father, with the help of my mother and the other remaining deities, was able to save mankind by remaking the world... but the madness was so strong that he had to create a world like this one, because the beauty of what it once was would make them destroy themselves. In order to make them feel safe and follow him so that they stay that way, he had to create the world in his image. That's why the world looks the way it does today."

She looked calmer on the outside now, but it still felt like she was in turmoil on the inside. Well I had something to say that might change that.

"Mania's Taint still exists even here, so you can always blame the madness on her, but it's not as strong as it used to be, and so humans are now developing the immunity that gods have, and immunity that you possess. That's why you, your mother, and those few meisters and weapons of Russia who have the demon slayer wavelength are so important, Maka. You can fight the Taint and free those ensnared in it the way you did for Chrona. Your courage will be the deciding factor in whether we defeat Asura or not. You hold the hope for a better future."

Well as it turns out, it looks like I just laid more pressure on her. Now it seems she's in even more turmoil as she tries to let my words settle without the discomfort of knowing everything is riding on her. Oops... Sorry, Maka, I'm doing my best here. "Why did she even exist in the first place...?" I heard her say, and the soft tone of her voice scared me a little.

It was a fair enough question, one I'd once asked my mother when I first found out this truth. She words had been cryptic as always, but I think I understood what she meant now. "That's... a tough one to answer as well. A god is born when there is a need for something in the world. When it comes down to insanity... my mother told me it's because the universe was just too bored with itself, like a teenager whose been isolated all his life and doesn't know any better, so he does some crazy things, gets in serious trouble, and digs himself into a hole he can't climb out of trying to save himself. Eventually he realizes what he needs to do, sacrifices something important, learns some things, and finally manages to get himself out of trouble, but is forever scarred from the experience."

"You make it sound so positive..."

"Well, that's the best way to describe the way the abomination goddess came into being and power. The universe works the same ways we do in that sense."

We fell into silence for a long moment as I watched her try to cope with everything she just heard, and I squirmed in guilt for piling it all on her. I guess there really was a reason for never telling anyone, and I get the feeling it should have stayed that way even with Maka. This could ruin everything...

But then something came to me. I knew a way to make this better. Or at least I hoped it was. What was there to lose? "Did you know my father is actually married?" This was also a pretty well-kept secret, and when people found out, it was usually an instant shocker with a nose-spray effect. No one could seem to imagine my father being a lady's man I guess.

Not as I'd hoped, it didn't though her completely off the conflicted path she was on now, but it did make her look up at me with a curious glint in her defeated eyes.

"Yep, and even though he's only around 300,000-800,000 years old, he's married to one of the oldest and most powerful goddesses there are left." I couldn't stop a small smile at her growing look of shock. "It's true, I'm not kidding. He's married to the Lady Themis, elder oracular goddess of The Law of Nature, Divine Justice, The Flow of Time, and Custom. My mother as we may call her."

"How old is she?"

"About a googleplex, the oldest any deity has ever been, way past the retiring age in fact."

"SHIT THAT'S OLD-wait... doesn't that mean your mother is a cougar?"

For a second I stared at her, not sure how to react. But then it just hit me and I burst out laughing. As absurd as it was to think about, it was true in human terms. Now that is hysterical. "My god, your right, she is! Oh man, I've never thought of it like that before!"

She blushed as if she felt she'd said something wrong. "Sorry... I guess goddesses aren't picky."

Once my laughter began to fade and I was able to gather myself, I replied with: "Well, they don't have to be. For divinities, blood, age, race, gender, and whether you have a partner or not, none of that matters. Those are human flaws in reproduction, so they don't need to worry about those."

"Oh..." The throb of curiosity seemed to be returning, and she looked at me with a calmer expression as she asked her next question. "Tell me about your family... Or can you?"

I chuckled, all to glad that I was able to pull her out of the turmoil, at least for a moment. "I already broke a huge rule, might as well keep going. Wanna know how I was created?" She nodded and I went on. "Well, I did say I was unique, which means I wasn't born the normal way. When gods have children, they have about three options. They can do it the human way, they can simply clone themselves, or they can go to the Oasis of life which holds water of pure life essence, and there they receive an egg, which will later hatch into an animal reminiscent of the gender and element the godling will later take on as it starts to become human. I, however, am a clone."

"A clone of Lord Death?"

"Exactly. See... Shinigami are unique beings. Like the phoenix of myth, there can only be one of them at a time, which tells you I'm not a true Shinigami yet. So my father's been around for a long time, as I told you, whereas I'm only about 312-years-old." I got a look of shock there and I smiled, knowing she would react that way. Everyone who assumed I was 14 did. "Yeah I know, I look 14, but no, I'm 312. See, around the time when my father gathered his eight elite warriors 800 years ago, after he married my mother, he started to realize he needed an heir. So Themis, my mother, lent him the magic in her blood, ichor, which gods use to clone themselves, to clone himself with, creating me from both of them. I look exactly like my father, but I have some of my mother's power as a result."

"Wow... now I see what you mean by unique..."

I nodded, a bit somber now that I think about my own life story. "Yes... it's been... troublesome, knowing that I'm my father's heir yet feeling the call to my mother's side. I'll never have the power to rule her position, but I never get to see her much either... it's confusing never knowing just what to call myself." I stared into what remained of my refill, trying to decide with a distracted mind whether to chug the rest of it for save it.

She seemed to notice this, because she asked me something that brought the smile back to my face. "Tell me... about your mother. What is she like?"

I could feel the serenity wash over me as I thought of her face. I'm sure Maka noticed it. Thoughts of my mother always calmed me down and filled me with a tranquility that she just naturally brought to me. I don't know what it is... maybe it's just because she's a part of me. I may be a clone of my father, but was her blood that gave me life. I was just as much a clone of her as I was of him. Either that... or it was because her power had that effect on anyone who knew her.

"She's... very old, wise and powerful, but very kind and gentle. She runs her own organization made of demon demi-goddesses called Furies which keeps the universe in balance while the DWMA keeps the human world in balance. The only difference is that hers is secret because Father needs to stay in power. Her position is important because she makes sure the timeline is smooth, so she's always watching it through her three mirrors of time. In that way, she sees and knows all, and I'm sure she's watching us right now. She often lends her knowledge to my Father when she sees it necessary, we just never know it. Like my father, she can't leave her mirrors, or at least not for long, and so they can only meet each together through the reflective realm, but somehow their love always stays strong. Who would have thought an ultrahuman and a super elder goddess? And well... if I didn't get it from my father, I certainly got my obsession with symmetry from her."

I saw her manage a smile. "And now I know how to make your day. She's sounds pretty amazing, even for a goddess. Think I'll get to meet her one day?"

I smiled back. "Well, my birthday is coming up in a few weeks, and my mother is planning to celebrate it where she is. That and Kami plans to stay to celebrate it with us and I want to bring everyone in the DWMA, so don't even ask if you're invited because I want you there."

"You couldn't stop me from going even if you didn't want me." She grinned at me. "So! Any siblings?"

"Three brothers and eleven sisters, one half-sister, one twin, one our mother's Heir, three nieces, and only four out of those fourteen are actually born of the union of my parents together. The rest are clones of my mother. My twin and I are the youngest, and so we're the most... intense... or so they tell me, which means it'll calm down someday."

She almost nose sprayed her tea. "ELEVEN sisters? Fuck me in a damn bag of potatoes, what is with the lack of the male gene in your family?"

I couldn't stop laughing. "That's a question only my parents can answer."

"Do Liz and Patty know all this?"

"Indirectly, yes."

"Indirectly how?"

"Indirectly as in I didn't tell them everything, they found it out or got me to come out with it. They've met two of my sisters, one of my brothers, and all of my nieces already."

"I'm guessing they got answers from them?"

"In a nutshell, more or less."

"Ok, one last question."

"Hit me with your best shot." I grinned, imitating her from earlier.

She smiled brightly. "Am I allowed to tell Soul any of this?"

My grin faded as I thought about it, but I couldn't deprive her of letting her partner know what was going on. They needed to be able to resonate well ,and they couldn't do that if one of them was being forced to keep huge secrets that are weighing on their minds. So I nodded. "But no one else, ok? We don't need anyone loudmouthed to go spreading things around."

"I understand. Only Soul. I won't even tell Sasha."

"Good." My smile returned as I drank the last of Soul's sunny delight.

A sound like a click filled the air and we turned to see the door open to reveal Soul with Blair sprawled happily across his shoulders. He raised a brow at the unlikely duo and it seemed he was questioning just what was going on here. I had to chuckle at him.

"And just what is going on here?" The demon scythe asked as he closed the door behind himself.

"Just getting better acquainted is all." Maka replied as he took off his shoes at the door and walked in.

"And ate all the damn crackers I see." Maka giggled as he grabbed the plate and took it to the kitchen.

Blair jumped from his shoulders and landed with grace on the table as she looked up at Maka and I with curious cat eyes. "Hmmm, seems more to me like you're getting... closer." He gave a cat-like snicker and Maka blushed at the implications of her words.

"We are not! Shut up you stupid cat!"

"Teehee, then tell me why you're sitting here all alone together, hm?"

I shook my head at the cat witch. "It's not like that, we're solidifying are friendship. That's all. It was my idea so I thought I'd drop by."

"Oh, I see! So the Shinigami has eyes for the girl with the demon slayer wavelength, huh? Pretty ambitious, you two would make a cute couple." Blair giggled, and Maka immediately grabbed for her, making her give a cat-like cry of distress that no one paid attention to as she was mauled in punishment.

Soul came back into the room and saw the drawing on the table. "What's this? It's pretty good whichever one of you drew it and I know it's not Maka because hers always look like a kindergartener did it." He received one hell of a glare from Maka as he said this.

I grinned openly. "Thanks. Just a little sketch I decided to do while I was here."

"Speaking of which, why are you here? Liz and Patty called have been looking for you. They contacted me and said you weren't answering the phone."

"Hey, they abandoned me first. I just decided Maka was the better company, and it seems I was right. She let me organize your kitchen."

"Oh GOD, Maka! Seriously!"

Both Blair and I burst out laughing as they went into one of their usual harmless banters. I should probably get home soon, by Patty and Liz could wait for a while. I want to see if I can paint a better image of Soul now.

So… yeah… sorry I got a bit lazy at the end and I forgot somethings I meant to put in there... grrr, I'll have to edit it later *too tired to keep going and not feeling well*

I tried not to get too into the god world… I'll explain all that in a follow up of the party and reunion with her mother where Maka meets Kid's family and Themis explains everything for us. For those who are interested, look for it in the future… if I get to it ^^'. Not even sure what I'm gonna do with it yet... So we'll see, and I'll be sure to edit this later, I promise. I'm just not up for it now... worked way too hard and it feels like i'm gonna hate it later so... again, we'll see.

Anyways, I do hope you've enjoyed this. Let me know what you think. Too crazy? Not crazy enough? Nice and in between for you? Are you confused? Well GOOD 8D. Review and let me now if you feel the need.