Disclaimer. I own no rights.
AN. I love the love I've received for this story. Thanks goes out to all who have reviewed, added this to their favorites, and/or added this to their alerts. Love you guys! STORY COMPLETE 7/3/2012

Author-to-Reviewer. Katfosel - thanks again for the terrific suggestion. Dummy Perception - I'm chalking Maka's bravery speech up to adrenaline. You may also enjoy reading my other fiction titled "8th Time". KanjiofRai - I am only writing what I believe each character would think and feel during this type of situation. I personally believe that this whole mess isn't Maka's fault, but I also believe that she would put the blame on herself. Oh, and a review consisting only of ... doesn't tell me whether I did something good or something horribly awful. It only increases my worry and paranoia. dark shadow400 - thanks for the review and encouragement, but this is the last chapter. couchraisin - thank you.

The Three

Once everyone was well enough to return to classes, Patty was excited.

Things would return to normal.

Though, as it turned out, they didn't.

Patty watched as they all joined up at the front of the school, but no one said anything. The day continued that way. The only noise heard from them happened when lunch came; Kid mentioned something about symmetry under his breath. No one responded. Patty would have, but since no one else did she felt it wrong to say something.

Days passed.

They didn't speak.

Patty was concerned.

What was wrong with everyone?

She asked Liz about it one night.

Her sis didn't know either.

So Patty did the only thing she thought was right to do in this kind of situation. She continued as the six others continued.

No more basketball games. No more jokes. No more talking. Just each other's presence during school.

If this kept up much longer maybe Patty could get use to it.

Maybe.

They were back to where they started.

They were their own team again.

Just the three of them.

Liz never voiced her questions.

She never asked Kid when he decided he'd leave.

She never asked Kid if he hated Blackstar.

She never asked Kid if he regretted his decision.

She never asked Kid how much his wounds from Asura hurt him.

She never asked Kid why he hadn't discussed his thoughts prior with her and Patty.

She would never know the answer to the first one.

She could presume the answer was yes for the second.

She wouldn't know for certain his answer for the third, but she could presume sometimes he did and sometimes he didn't.

She wanted to know the answer for the fourth when she thought it up, but as days passed she thought it wrong. That question was too personal. She now knew she'd never know the answer to the fourth, and she was alright with that.

For the fifth question Liz had an answer. So what if the reasonable part of her brain doubted it was the reason sometimes? The part that had a say was the part of her that couldn't get rid of the thought, and that part wasn't reasonable.

Why hadn't Kid discussed with her and Patty what he was feeling and thinking concerning their 'team' prior to his, scratch that, their desertion?

Simple. It was because he didn't trust them.

He didn't trust Patty.

He didn't trust her.

If he did, he would have confided in them.

It was interesting. He went off on needing trust to be a functioning team. How could they, now, keep functioning if he didn't trust his own weapons?

Liz didn't know.

What she did, was this: She would do anything she could to gain her meister's trust.

She never inquired him with her questions.

She quit nagging him as constantly about his obsession with symmetry.

She worked harder on every mission they took.

She would become what weapons were supposed to be.

A person their meister could trust.

Patty stared at the ceiling above her.

So much had occured in the previous three weeks.

Her te- old team had fought and won against the Kishin Asura.

They each spent their fair amount of time in the infirmary.

They stunk at team resonating.

They split up.

She was no longer in a group with Blackstar, Tsubaki, Maka, and Soul.

She was now only with her sister and Kid. Just like old times.

Liz got in the bed by Patty's.

Patty listened as her older sister began to talk.

"Patty, we failed as weapon partners. You know that, right?"

"No, I don't."

Liz sighed.

"Patty, we didn't protect Kid when we fought Asura. Our duty is to protect him and gain souls. We didn't hold up to that."

"But Liz we were waiting for his instructions. That Kishin was just quick."

...

"Big Sis?"

"Yes?"

"Why do you think we failed Kid?"

"I said why already."

"There's more, isn't there." It wasn't a question.

Another sigh.

"Patty, don't tell Kid I said this."

Patty nodded.

"I... I don't think he trusts us. He seemed to have thought about leaving the group prior to today, and if that's so then why weren't we told? I think... I think Kid blames us, maybe just as much as Blackstar, for getting injured. How then can he possibly trust us? And... and if he doesn't trust us, then that means we've failed."

Liz was silently crying now.

Patty was hurt. She couldn't believe her sister thought all that. But she promised; she wouldn't tell Kid.

All she could do now was try to comfort Liz.

"You'll make things right with him, Liz. We'll make things right with Kid, and we'll make things right with Maka, Soul, Tsubaki, and Blackstar, too."

The team disbanded that day in Prof. Stein's class.

None of the seven looked back.

Kid and the Thompson Sisters swiftly climbed the ranks on their own. They no longer attended classes; classes not being required of them.

Blackstar and Tsubaki left the DWMA at the end of the year and went rogue. Blackstar lost contact with people back in Death City. Tsubaki called a few folks now and then. She visited even less.

Maka Albarn and her scythe partner Soul Eater joined the team of meisters Ox, Kilik, and Kim. No one spoke of the group the pair was originally a part of.

The unsymmetrical ceiling tile was what greeted Kid when he finally opened his eyes.

I'm lying down. This... this feels like a mattress, and this feels like a sheet.

Ah.

I'm in the infirmary.

He lifted his right arm. It was connected to tubes that led to a machine by his bed. He checked his left arm and saw that it was free of any medical equipment.

How unsymmetrical.

Kid groaned, but winced as the action hurt his chest.

Hurt?

How was he still feeling pain?

Shouldn't it have healed by now?

It? Wait, what it?

When was he injured?

How was he injured?

Kid shut his eyes, trying to recall his actions previous to waking up here.

Madness... Blood... Invasion... Yes! It was coming back now.

The DWMA had attacked Baba Yaga's castle. He, Liz, Patty, Soul, Maka, Blackstar, and Tsubaki had ended up fighting against the Kishin. Soul had fainted and Maka tried to revive him, so he prepared to hit the Kishin with all he had. He told Blackstar to watch his back.

Blackstar!

Blackstar, being self-centered Blackstar, refused and went on about him beating God and this being his show. That was when Kid was stabbed through the chest.

It was a perfect, symmetrical circle.

He'd fallen, he was sure, but had already lost consciousness before impact.

As the day progressed Kid learned of the others' situations.

Maka was still out of it. Blackstar had an arm sling. Soul had to apply some type of lotion on his back each morning. Liz and Patty had a few scratches. Tsubaki needed rest.

Kid also learned about his own condition.

He was the next to last to wake up. He was going to have to wear a bandage across his chest for about two more days. He was lucky he was found when he was. Five or so more minutes untreated and he wouldn't be alive.

That comment surprised Kid.

He could have died.

He, son of Lord Death, could have died from his chest injury.

Add exhaustion and your body just couldn't handle it.

Kid's body couldn't handle it.

Kid couldn't handle it.

He'd been injured before, sure. Sometimes just as bad as now.

But this time is different. No matter how similar past experiences may seem, this one is different.

Why? Because it could have been avoided.

Blackstar was there the whole time. He was right there the whole time... and did nothing. He stood and sid nothing.

That son of a...

It was Blackstar's fault.

His narcissism had put his life in jeopardy.

Not to mention Liz and Patty's! Does he even know when a weapon gets to their limit they morph back? They're defenseless then! Liz and Patty's lives aren't worth his ego!

Kid was fuming at the ceiling above him.

Everyone was already gone for the day. Maka was still unconscious in her infirmary bed. Liz and Patty visited earlier and informed Kid of the power his white stripes held.

I'll have to inquire my father about that later.

As Kid began to fall asleep in the medical bed, a question and answer swiftly appeared and disappeared among his plethora of thoughts.

Do I want to stay on a team where I have to constantly wonder whether Liz's, Patty's, and my own well being will come second to someone else's pride?

No. No, I don't.

AN. Please visit my profile and vote on the poll. (has nothing to do with this or Soul Eater) -Lem

UPDATED 6/22/2013