"Why are you here? Better yet, how did you get here?" Maka asked Kid.

"I can explain this all to you later when you wake up, but-"

"What are you talking about?"

"There's no time!"

"Just tell me!"

"You're dying, Maka!" He blurted out.

Maka backed away.

"What?" She cried.

"You are dying, in the real world anyway."

"What do you mean 'the real world?' "

"This is just your consciousness, well sort of. This is just your mind, but I'm here to collect your soul and set it free."

"I don't understand," Maka cried.

"I. Am. A. Reaper. Reaper's take soul's from people that have died and bring them to a better place. That's what I'm suppose to do but I'm not going to let that happen to you."

"So, what does this all mean. Am I dead?"

"Not yet. I think we might be able to stop you from dying, but I'm not sure how yet."

"How much time do we have?"

"Well, people say destiny can't change, but if we try hard enough we may be able to. I'm guessing we have less than a day to figure this out."

"Wait, go back. Destiny? Was I destined to die today?"

"Not necessarily."

"Huh?"

"Maka, everyone is destined to die but-"

"But?"

"But, you were suppose to die soon after the twins were born."

"What?! How do you know all of this?"

"This is going to be hard to understand. There are these people, they call themselves the Function."

"The Function?"

"Yes. They see themselves as gods, but really they're just very very powerful witches, but they aren't good or bad. They keep the world at a balance making sure good nor evil take to great of a hold on the world."

"So, what's this have to do with me?"

"They don't just keep the balance, they also love to mess with regular people's lives. That's why reapers were put here on Earth, to clean up their messes."

"So, even though they keep the balance off the world, they try to kill people and take their souls. Is that what you're trying to tell me, because it doesn't make any sense?"

"I know it doesn't and it probably never will, but you have to trust me now. If we don't figure out a way to wake you up, you'll die. And your soul won't go anywhere good, the Function will get to choose where it goes."

"Stein, what happened?" Spirit asked.

"I think the cold mixed with the rain made her catch pneumonia, but it's more than that."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, usually when a patient hits their head the way Maka did on the pavement it most likely leads to surgery and then recovery. It's very rare for a patient to go into a coma after that."

Spirit looked through Stein's bedroom window, where Maka was hooked up to various machines.

"But, I have a feeling there's more to her case then meets the eye. From the tests I took she didn't seem to have any head injuries whatsoever, which is difficult to understand. Usually when a person falls they will most likely hit their head and cause some sort of damage, but there doesn't appear to be anything wrong with her."

"Isn't that good though. Nothing's wrong with her. Getting totally off subject. Do you think I should call Soul?" Spirit asked Stein.

"Why wouldn't you?"

"Maka left him earlier."

"Really? Truth be told, I thought they would have lasted longer. Why did she?"

"She thought he would be better off, plain and simple."

"Really? I would've thought it was because he cheated or something Soul like. She would probably be better off without him though."

"You're preaching to the choir, but I can see she loves him, and I can tell she's dieing without him."

"I hope that's not true. Just in case, I would call Soul. You can call the others later when we know something more."

"Yeah."

Spirit peered back into the the window.

"Hang in there baby girl."

"What's happening?!" Maka shouted.

"The light that's keeping us from the dark, as we speak, is dimming," Kid said.

"Why?"

"The light is basically your life source, or in other words your soul. Its dimming tells us that we don't have much time left."

"I thought you said we had a day!"

"I said less than a day, and that was even wrong."

"So, how much time do you think we actually have?"

"By the looks of things. . .I would say three hours, tops."

Maka began to cry.

"What's wrong?" Kid asked.

"I'm going to die, aren't I?"

". . ."

"I'm not going to get to say goodbye to anyone, or tell them I love them one last time," she cried.

"No!" Kid jumped up with determination burning in his eyes. "I won't let you die, Maka. Not today, and not on my watch."

"Soul Eater."

"Death Scythe?"

"Didn't I tell you to call me Spirit?"

"Okay, Spirit, what do you want?"

"Well, if you're going to talk to me like that, I don't see why I called you."

"Wait! I'm sorry, its 5:00 am," Soul said looking back at his alarm clock. "What did you call me for?"

"I brought Maka to Stein."

"Wait, what! You found Maka! Is she okay? Where was she? I'll be there in a few minutes!"

"Hold on lover boy, one question at a time. Maka was at Eita's apartment when I picked her up."

"Why was she there?"

"I'll tell you when you get here. But you need to get your ASS down here now!"

"Is Maka okay?"

"Just get down here!"

With that Spirit hung up the land line phone and walked back to his daughter's bedside.

"I don't know who that is," Maka said.

Kid sighed.

"I think the fall did more to your head than I thought."

"Mm?"

"I think the Function has been erasing your memory since the fall."

"Why would you think that?"

"Because Maka," Kid waved his hand and pictures surrounded by black smoke appeared. "You don't remember any of these people anymore."

Kid pointed to a picture of Kami, Maka's mother.

"Who is this?"

". . .I don't know, but if I don't know the that person can't be very important to me!"

"This is your mother. True, she wasn't around for very long, but she is your mother after all is said and done."

"It can't be!"

Next, Kid pointed to a picture of her and Soul.

"Who's this guy?"

". . ."

"Maka, you have to do this for yourself, for everyone who loves you. You have to remember!"

"Maka!" Soul yelled as he burst through Stein's front doors.

Spirit held his hand out, he was hidden behind one of the walls in Stein's house.

Soul didn't see Spirit or his hand so, he ended up smacking his face right into Spirit's hard palm.

"Are you awake now?" Spirit asked, walking out from behind the wall.

Soul rubbed his red cheek.

"Ow. Where's Maka?"

"She's in Stein's bedroom."

"WHAT!?"

"Ewe no, not like that! I brought her in after she hit her head on the pavement, Stein did some tests and now she's resting; in a way."

"What do you mean 'in a way?' "

"I don't want you to freak out again."

"Tell me!"

"Maka is in a coma."

Soul clenched his eyes shut. He walked to Stein's bedroom without another word. He shut the door. He sat down in a chair beside the bed. He noticed that everything had stitches, even the glass of water on the nightstand. Soul wrapped his hands around one of Maka's. He buried his face in the sheets of the bed.

"I'm so sorry."

There was a knock at the door.

"Knock knock. Can I come in?" Spirit asked, opening the door.

Soul raised his head to stare at Maka's cold, pale face.

"Soul, this isn't anyone's fault."

"What happened out there, before?"

"Soul-"

"Its time you tell me the truth. We have more than enough time now."

"Eita was the first to find Maka."

"I'm going to kill that guy," Soul said in his angry voice.

"When he tried to. . .rape her, Maka kneed him in the crotch and called me. We were out on the street when she slipped on the pavement and hit her head."

Soul shot up out of his seat, "Now, I really am going to kill that guy!"

"Stein thinks it's strange that Maka didn't need surgery. She had no head injuries whatsoever."

Soul stopped dead in his tracks. "That is strange."

"And whats stranger is before Maka fell she coughed into her hand. It was too dark to see what it was at the time, but when we got here Stein checked it out."

"Yeah, and it was?"

". . .Black blood."

"We're running out of time! You're so close, Maka, you can do it!"

Kid waved his hand again and revealed many pictures of familiar faces that he could quiz her on, but this time they were surrounded by white smoke. It was too dark for the black smoke.

"Tell me who these people are!" Kid demanded.

Maka shut her eyes tight, she scrambled her brain trying to remember.

"The one with blue hair is Black Star, right?"

"Right!" Kid pointed to the next person. "Now who is this?"

"Aren't they twins, or something?"

"Sisters, but close enough. What are their names?"

"Patti and Liz."

"Correct again!" Kid pointed to a picture of Tsubaki. "Who is she?"

"Tsubaki! She's my best friend!"

"Ouch, but correct." Kid pointed to an old picture of her papa and mama. "Who are they?"

"Kami and Spirit, they are my parents."

"Maka, you're doing amazingly well. We should have you up and moving in the real world in no time. There's two more." He pointed to the last picture he had conjured; it was of Soul. "Who?"

Maka searched her brain. "I-I can't-"

"Maka, you have to know who this is, or you can't be free. You'll die! Think!"

Maka rubbed her stomach. She closed her eyes, trying to concentrate on the thought. Suddenly, her eyes shot open. "Soul!"

"Yes!"

"Wait, didn't you say there were two left?"

"Yes. Now you need to tell me who I am."

"That's ridiculous, I know who you are. You're um. . .Um."

"C'mon Maka, you know me!"

Maka cried. "I'm sorry I don't know your name. I don't want to die. Please Kid don't kill me!" Maka begged.

"You did it! You did it, Maka!"

"What?!"

"I'll see you back there."

Kid waved and vanished into thin air.

"Kid? What happened? Where did you go? KID!"

"KID!" Maka screamed, jolting up.

Soul raised his head in shock.

"Maka!"

Soul jumped out of his chair and ran to her side.

"It's okay, I'm here," Soul said, soothing Maka.

Maka turned her head to see Soul.

"Where am I?"

"Spirit brought you to Stein, it's a good thing he did."

"Who are Spirit and Stein? And. . .Who are you? I'm scared, where's Kid?"

Soul backed up to the wall. He could see true fear and sorrow in Maka's emerald eyes.

"Stein!"