I stood up quickly and turned around. A pair of giant, round eyes flashed.

"Who's there?" My tied up hair swished behind me. Slowly, I reached down and grabbed my shoe.

"Take that!" I threw my shoe at the bush.

"Ow!" A familiar voice called out in pain. I grabbed my other shoe and walked over.

"Professor Stein?" I said. Stein was sprawled out on the ground, wearing what he always did, only without his lab coat. My shoe made an imprint on his forehead. "O-Oh! I'm so sorry!"

He sat up, groaning. "Not to worry. Excellent aim, I must say." He cracked his neck. I stared at the screw coming out of his head as he turned it.

Click

Click

Click

"So, what are you doing here, Alice?" Stein stood up and looked down at me. Compared to me, he was massive.

"Oh! Uh… uh…" I looked down at my bare feet. "I thought it would be a good idea to come up here and meditate, you know. To clear my thoughts." I chuckled and raised my head. "What are you doing here?"

"I do my personal training nearby. I sensed your soul, so I came to investigate. I see that medicine has been working properly?" He pushed his glasses up. I nodded. Taking my pills completely slipped my mind, but despite the headache I had before, I didn't feel sick at all.

"Yes, they have." I replied. "Thank you for the medicine." I bowed slightly, my hair falling down my shoulder. When I straightened, I brushed my hair away, revealing my shoulder.

"What are those tattoos?" He pointed.

"W-What…?" I whispered, shock freezing me. I turned my head to see that almost all of my arm tattoos were completely exposed.

"The pattern, it seems… familiar. Mind explaining?" Stein's voice went cold. My eyes were as wide as quarters. Not thinking, I clenched my shoulder with my hand. I stepped backwards.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" I yelled angrily.

"I was just asking… Alice?" He reached a hand out to me. I stepped another step, my back brushing up against the trunk of a tree.

"Leave me alone!" I yelled, my knees buckling and landing on my butt. I sighed. I felt like crying. "I can't trust you… not anybody… except for Shinigami. And…" I whispered. "Her…" I released my shoulder and looked up at him. He was kneeling over me, worried. Stein carefully patted my back as if to calm me.

We stayed like that in silence for quite some time. I breathed deeply. This was not what I was expecting for.

"Might I propose an offer?" He sat next to me. I wiped my eyes.

"What might that be?"

"How about you train with me for today? Your soul is out of whack. Could you tell me what you know, then as a personal lesson, I can teach you what you need to know." His voice was soft, as if he was talking to a mouse.

"You'd do that for me?" One thing I do know, Stein doesn't look like one who'd just go around helping people.

"Sure. So, tell me…" He crossed his legs. "What do you know? Shinigami told me that you're a rookie, despite being a three star ranking meister."

"Let's see…" I crossed my arms. "I know how to use Soul Drive, and Soul, Perception, I think."

"You think?"

"I've only used it once, right now, to sense your soul."

"What did you see?" He asked.

"A gray soul, one that thinks before fighting, usually sarcastic and calm, and…"

"And…?"

"Insanity. I felt a lot of insanity in your soul, Stein." I frowned at my lap.

"Good. You got it right." He smiled.

"What?" He stood up and pulled me up by my shoulders.

"Come now. I'm a scientist with a screw coming out of his head. You don't think I would have even a little bit of madness?" I gawked at his grin.

*-.-.-.-*

We were up, higher on the hill, where it was really rocky and steep. We were on a flat area when Stein finally stopped. I looked at the city. It looked so tiny.

"So, what are we going to work on?" I asked, tossing my shoes to the side. Stein did the same, placing his glasses in one of the shoes before placing them aside.

"Well, why don't we warm up?" He raised his fists and struck. If I hadn't been paying attention, he would've hit me right in the face. I did a backflip, landing on the flats of my feet. I was crouched down. I stared at the tattoos that spiraled down my thigh. Sighing, Stein lashed out at me again.

This time, I was ready. I shoved my foot out, tripping his ankle. He balanced himself on his right hand before jumping back.

"This is insane… literally." I panted. He straightened and clicked his screw.

"Well, so are we, Alice." Yellow and green electricity formed around him.

"I'm not a mad-man, Professor." I clenched my fists, and naturally, purple sparks flew around them.

"You're Soul Drive is not focused. It's not to its full extent."

"What?" He lashed at me, punching me in the stomach. An unfamiliar energy filled me, burning my insides. I flew, hitting the rocky ground. Like stop-motion, I got up onto my knees, panting hard.

"What do you mean… how is it not strong enough…?" I stood up, slowly, and straightened my back.

"It's all in your soul." He bonked his head with his fist. More electricity, and he lunged.

Like everything was going slowly, I closed my eyes. It's all in your soul… I imagined my actual soul forming around me, helping me.

"Need help?" Himari floated over me.

"Himari!" I screamed, happy to see her.

"Long time no see, eh?"

"Yeah…mind helping…?"

"Certainly. But remember, my power is sealed. I can only go so far."

Not knowing, I released Himari's power. A purplish orb surrounded me, wind spiraling. Stein stopped.

"Your soul..." He whispered.

Black spirals winded down my soul, signifying that it was mine. I remember reading- All souls have unique color and a special attribute to show the person. Such as: scars, character items, or auras (color of the soul).

I opened my eyes, completely flooded by who knows what. Sparks flew around me as I controlled my soul to my hands and feet.

"Finally, my own body!" Himari laughed.

"Come at me." I beckoned.

"Alice… have you given into the madness so easily?" Stein shrugged.

"What?" My vision cleared for a moment.

"Well, before you destroy something, I better stop you." His soul formed around him. It was gray, with a large scar across his left, like the one on his face. A large bolt came through his soul's head.

I lifted my hand and slashed, my body moving as if like a puppet. He blocked it, but a small scratch formed on his arm.

We ran at each other, punching and kicking. He kicked me in the thigh, making me trip. I grabbed his ankle and threw him against the wall. I stood up, and he did, too.

"When are you going to give in? You can't use that much insanity for much longer. You're too weak for it."

"Weak? What the hell are you talking about?" Himari screamed through me. She was in action, with me cheering on the sidelines. I felt sicker and more tired the longer Himari was in control.

He eyes flashed. "Ahh, so you're Alice's madness. Nice to finally meet you."

"You knew of me? Pfft, I haven't done a good job hiding my presence, then. I blame Alice-chan."

"I wish you'd stop over-exerting her. She's killing herself at your expense." He kicked me, which Himari blocked by simply raising my arm out.

"Sure, this is the first time we're resonating, but Alice-chan will be fine."

"The first time? See, that's my point." Stein sighed. "No use trying to teach stubborn people." I felt Himari's anger rise. More kicks and punching. "Time to end this. I'm missing Alice." Like a flash of lightning, he punched me again in the stomach, and threw me to the ground.

The breath flew out of me. I laid there, motionless. Inside, Himari shook me.

"Come on, I can finish him off! Just give a little more!"

"H-Himari… I'm sorry… I can't do it… Go back…" I sealed her back into the mirror.

My vision cleared. I tried to get up, but surprisingly couldn't. I stood on my feet, but fainted instead. Falling forwards, Stein caught me. Regaining consciences, I opened my eyes.

"Welcome back to the world of the living, Alice."

"What… happened…" I couldn't move, so I stayed there in Stein's arms. I felt like prey.

"Well, you let madness take over you. And apparently, it's so strong, it's able to take form."

"Hmm…" He picked me up and took me down the cliff, saying it was too dangerous up there. He propped me up against a tree trunk. Getting our shoes, he put his glasses back on.

"Well, from this lesson, I can say this much. You need to learn how to control and use your soul abilities without accidently releasing your madness." He explained.

"I didn't do it on accident." I breathed.

"What?" Stein looked confused.

"I released it all on my own. You were using some of your darkness, too, so I thought, 'I need to have my power heightened to his level'."

"Good reasoning, terribly executed. Yes, I was using madness, but I know how to control it. Your homework is to not use your madness unless you can get a grip on it and not let it take control of you. Another assignment: learn to control your soul so you can use Soul Drive properly." And with that, he walked away.

I sat there for a long time, thinking about what had happened. I needed to get home, but I couldn't. So I sat. Himari's eyes popped out of my shadow.

"Um… sorry. For hurting you." She mumbled.

I chuckled. "It's fine. I'm not hurt, just tired. Remember what Stein said, I'm in control."

"Yeah…" She disappeared before I could talk to her again.

"It's nice to talk to you again, Himari." Struggling, I got up and put my shoes and socks on. (Not in that particular order.) Limping from tree to tree, I eventually made it up to the wall. I retraced my steps and found myself on the stairs of the building, panting for breath. I crawled my way to my door, being as silent as possible.

No one in the living room, good… I thought to myself as I made my way back into my room. I slipped my pajama shirt on and laid down.

All energy drained out of me, I didn't bother covering myself with the covers. I fell asleep, hoping to see Himari.