11: In Which Maka Starts Studying with Stein

It was on Maka's off day, while she was reading in her room, that Dr. Stein asked for her help. The witch was curious as to why Stein wanted to see her, so she didn't refuse.

"Ah Maka. Just the girl I wanted to see," he said as she entered. "Come."

He led Maka back into his side of the store. Maka had never been in it before. She took a careful step in and gasped at the sight.

It was dimly lit compared to the cozy café. Candles emitting bluish lights were strung along the ceiling. The building smelled strongly of herbs and ash. Every wall was lined with rows and rows of shelves filled with books and jars. The spines on all of them were well worn. They were lettered in golds, greens, and purples. Maka couldn't help but skim her finger over a few.

Biterwyrtdrencas, one was labeled, another Dolgsealfa ond læcedómas. All of them were in the Old Tongue then.

Maka was interrupted by a cough from Stein. He was beckoning her to follow him into the back room. Maka gave one more longing look at the books before following him.

The back room was separated by a curtain. It was much warmer in this part of the store. Maka noticed there were seven cauldrons on her left, all of which were under the same blue flame that lit the store. Kim, who was stirring a thick green substance in one of the pots, waved to Maka. She waved back before continuing her exploration.

To her right was a wooden counter. It held empty glass bottles and labels. A small pile of brown bags was on the corner. In the center of the room was a large table with a sink that was divided into four sections. One section was made up of colorful spines from various animals.

Dr. Stein was digging through the pile. He pointed to some of the spines as Maka came closer.

"I was trying to make a poultice for one of my regular clients who developed a rather nasty burn on her arm the other day. It just needs a bit of ground lionfish spines, but I'm afraid I've dropped it somewhere in this mess. It's pretty rare and I don't want to waste any of it. I could always use an extra pair of eyes. Do you mind?"

"Um."

Maka swallowed hard. She'd read about lionfish spines, but she had no idea what they looked like. Let alone differentiate between them and the other thin spikey things lying on the table. Dr. Stein noticed her hesitation.

"You do know what lionfish spines look like," he said to Maka. "Right?"

She hung her head and shook it, ashamed.

"How much do you even know?" asked Kim.

She blushed under their scrutiny. "I've never had any formal training."

"So really nothing?" Kim asked. "Which is fine!" she quickly added. "I know you haven't had formal training since your mom left."

Dr. Stein sighed. "I'm sorry for throwing you into this, Maka. That was rude of me to assume. I figured Kami would have been determined to teach you before your coming of age."

"Mama did teach me some things," Maka insisted. "Maybe it's not this, and maybe it's not enough to work with you. But I do want to learn! I even brought her old herbology book with me. I've been reading it almost every day."

That got Stein's attention. He immediately locked eyes with Maka. She felt a chill run down her spine at his look.

"You have an herbology book?"

"It was my mama's," she said quietly. "I've read part of it, but it's in the Old Tongue and I've been trying to translate it. I can't read it well, so incantations have always been my weakest skill."

"An herbology book in the Old Tongue." Stein looked thoughtful. "Maka, would you mind if I took a look at it?"

"Not at all." Maka went to get her book. Blair glanced up.

"What did the strange warlock want with you?"

"I'm not sure," Maka lied. "But he did want to see Mama's book. See, I told you it was a good thing to bring!"

"You don't know that yet."

Maka chose to ignore her familiar. She grabbed the heavy book and brought it back into the apothecary. Dr. Stein took it gently from her hands and flipped through a few pages. He frowned before muttering a few incantations under his breath. There were several things that happened to the book—including it being set on fire and drenched in water, much to Maka's horror—but it came out of his rough treatment unscathed.

"Maka."

"Yes Dr. Stein?"

"Are you aware of just how valuable this book is?"

Maka blinked. "Valuable?"

The doctor removed his glasses, nodding. "This book is old. Anyone can tell. But this one is also protected from all damage, as you just saw. And it was no illusion."

Stein lifted the book. The table underneath it was slightly damp and scorched.

He set the book back down. "There is also information in here I've never seen in my life. I don't know if that means it's outdated or not often taught. But I can tell you that there's definitely power of the oldest form here."

"What does that mean?" Kim asked. She also seemed very intrigued.

"To make a long story short, this book probably predates the Purging."

Both girls looked at him in shock. It was extremely rare to find anything predating the Purging. Most of those books or scrolls that did were left in poor condition. A book like this could possibly be taken from Maka by the Council to keep safe.

"I had no idea," Maka said. "All Mama told me was that this book has been passed down for generations. She left it for me before she left me and papa."

"Then how about we make a deal?"

A deal? Maka looked up at the doctor, who was staring at the book.

"I could teach you a bit of what I know. In exchange," he added as Maka's entire soul lit up before him, "you will let me read your book. I would like to have it during your work days. I will return it on off days."

That was a sacrifice she was willing to make. "Deal! When can we start?"

Stein looked at the clock before shrugging. "How about now?"

マカの宅急便

"I won't have you crushing any herbs or mixing any potions today." His eyes glinted with mirth as Maka's face formed a pout. "I think it's important to start with a history lesson. If you are to learn about magic, you should know where it comes from and how it works.

"Let's get started. Maka, do you have any idea why warlocks are so feared?"

The girl shook her head. "It's because they're so rare and powerful, right?"

She looked up when Stein failed to answer her. He was staring pensively at the brewing potion. His eyes fell on Maka's curious face.

"I think it's time I told you what I know about the origin of magic. Come."

Dr. Stein got up and walked towards the door that lead to his office. Maka had never set foot in the place. From what she'd gathered the only people who'd ever seen the inside of it were Stein, Mr. Shinigami, and Marie. Even Kim and Jackie were banned from it.

The room was dark, but Stein closed the door behind them. Once Maka heard the lock click Stein said, "Onbyrhtest."

The room lit up. As in the walls began to glow orange. Maka stared in shock.

There was magic so thick that the air felt harder to breathe. The doctor seemed completely unaffected by it. He went to the bookshelf in the room and began to pull out a book that was even bigger than the one Maka was cradling to her chest.

Maka looked around the room with interest. It was cut into a hexagon. There was a bookshelf on one side filled with very ancient looking books and scrolls, two walls which housed various trinkets and herbs, a wall with a mirror, a table, and the door behind her. In the center of the room was a table with something on it, covered by a cloth.

Curiosity getting the better of her Maka reached over and pulled off the cover. It was a large crystal ball. Maka was intrigued; she'd never seen one in real life.

There was a thick white fog in it. Maka stared. She saw a blue light, much like a soul, that gave way to black. Soulless. Maka shivered, but looked even harder. The darkness only consumed the fog. The feeling that she should reach for it began to overcome her senses. Something needed to happen.

I need to purify this soul.

Maka reached for the ball…

…and was stopped by the doctor. Once she met his perplexed gaze Maka's head began to clear up.

"Many people have lost their way in the crystal ball. No future is set in stone, and no past—no matter how good it was—should be relived.

"As great as they can be, a crystal ball can only show so much." Stein waved a hand over it. Maka could see the images were beginning to go hazy. She tried to lean in further to see, but the doctor's hand was on her shoulder. He covered the ball again.

"It's best not to go down that path. What matters is the present. I'm very skeptical of the benefits of Seers sometimes."

He set down the book he was holding beside the now-covered crystal ball. He flipped to a bookmarked page before speaking.

"Like I said before, no one knows where magic comes from. Some say it came from spirits, others gods. Others believe it had to do with the elements. Eastern theorists say it does more with the soul rather than the physical body. There's even a theory that the earth and the sky gave two different forms of magic: healing and destructive respectively.

"Whatever you choose to believe there's no denying that magic is an otherworldly force, and it's a force to be reckoned with."

Maka nodded.

"Now, magic is passed down from generation to generation. Due to this, I believe that magic is tied in with genetics."

"Genetics? Like the science about pea pods?"

"Yes. I have come to think of magic as something hereditary, like a person's eye color or their likelihood to have certain diseases. Does that make sense?"

Maka nodded some more.

Dr. Stein gave nod. "It was my focus in medical school. Medusa and I did many experiments to see if magic could be passed from other organisms with blood transfusions."

"Lady Medusa?" Maka asked. The woman she'd met not too long ago? "She did magical experiments with you?"

Stein nodded. "We have the same blood type, so we tried a few transfusions on each other to see if my magic would deplete or if she would gain some magical abilities. It ends up both came back negative, so it must be more than just blood. All the effects were temporary for her. Mostly with healing and a slight obsession with dissection."

"So Lady Medusa temporarily had your madness?" asked Maka.

"Yes. But like I said, the effects were not long-lasting. It meant that Medusa did carry the capacity to have her own magic, and could not accept magic as well.

"There was a lot more to explore with this, but we both decided it would be best to stop experimenting and go more deeply into our own focuses in the medical field. I got a license to make medicine, and Medusa continued to do research in genetics. About ten years ago she said she thought she'd found a new way to prove magic with DNA, but the results came back negative. She quit soon after and became a nurse at the hospital.

"I think Medusa was on the right track. Unfortunately, there's not enough advancement in DNA research to formulate anything. I continue to work with scientists both in and outside of Dödenstad to see if magic is encoded on a person before they're born. It would be revolutionary to find proof of it."

Maka was very confused, but nodded enthusiastically. Dr. Stein noticed her confusion and waved it away.

"Enough about my research. We're here so you can learn about magic." Stein clapped his hands together. "We know that witches and warlocks are born. And we know that they each have different abilities.

"Now, every witch has this ability which enhances their magic. For warlocks, this is called their madness. It usually consumes the warlock's sanity in return for power. This is the major reason why warlocks are so feared."

"Dr. Stein?"

"Hmm?"

"What is your madness?"

"Dissection." He chuckled. "I showed you my scars the first day. These are all from my madness, my need to find the pure medical truth. It was a rough ten years where I did this to myself. Medusa was the one who helped me focus my madness into my work rather than on my own body.

"Marie was the one who helped me learn how to control my madness instead. With her I found out how to control it, keep it from affecting my life. She went through a lot because of me, and not all of it was good. I've hurt her by accident in the past, but she never gave up on me. 'Because there's nothing to fix,' she said. To be honest I probably wouldn't be here if it wasn't for her."

"Where would you be?"

"Either imprisoned by the Council, or dead."

After the grim ending of that topic, Stein sighed.

"Do you have any specific questions, Maka?"

"I've been thinking… I don't understand is why there aren't more warlocks. Is it because it's less likely for men to have that trait to carry magic?"

Stein nodded. "That's an excellent question. Why aren't there more warlocks? What do you think, Maka?"

The young witch thought for a long minute. "Because the magic is too strong?"

Stein gave her one of his rare genuine smiles. "You're on the right track, that's for sure. As I mentioned before a warlock is indeed powerful. More powerful than witches today, without a doubt."

"Right. It's because a witch's magic is slowly diluted over time. That's why it's possible for witches to have non-magical children today."

"Exactly. So why are warlocks so different?"

Maka didn't have an answer to that.

"It's because our magic doesn't dilute." At Maka's curious expression, Stein continued. "A witch keeps all of her powers until her death. She does not get any stronger once she reaches her maximum potential, but that magic doesn't wane. Her children, if they are females who possess magic, will too have magic, but of a slightly lesser degree than her mother. It's not a noticeable difference until several generations have passed. Today, it is very rare for a witch to have magic strong enough to do something like heal all injuries or kill someone by casting a curse. And like you said, it's even possible for a non-magical child to be born to a witch."

Maka nodded. It made sense. Not every daughter born to a witch is guaranteed to be one herself, just like not every boy born to a warlock will gain magic.

"Unlike witches, warlocks don't lose magic from one generation to another. All the magic is passed from one male to the next. Once a young potential-warlock reaches maturity, he has what is called an Awakening. This is usually a day long process by which the warlock's body will absorb all of the magic he can have.

"Now I haven't been able to find a link genetically, and this is mostly because warlocks are so rare. It's often impossible to get samples between two generations. Usually warlocks are long dead before the next warlock is born in the bloodline."

"How can a person know if they'll be a warlock?" Maka asked. "I mean, they could be living perfectly normal lives and suddenly wake up off one day."

"Often the warlock will have no idea. Sometimes they're driven to madness by their Awakening alone." Stein shrugged. "Usually a potential-warlock's wavelength differs a bit from a regular human. It's highly likely for them to be sensed by those with soul perception, but because it's so rare it's unlikely they'll notice."

Maka frowned. "Dr. Stein, what would that person's wavelength feel like?"

"Depends on the person. Most of the time it leaves the senser feeling very awkward. They may jerk away, often as a defense mechanism. Why? Is something bothering you?"

"Is Kid a potential-warlock?"

Dr. Stein looked surprised. "You were able to tell?"

Maka nodded. "When I first met him his wavelength seemed…off. It wasn't anywhere near as powerful as yours or Mr. Shinigami's, so I wasn't sure if he was completely human. Now I know it means he has the potential to have magic."

"About that."

"Yes."

Maka swallowed. "You said that all the magic is passed from one generation to another with warlocks, right? Then that means that Kid would take all of Mr. Shinigami's magic once he hits maturity."

"That's right."

"But I know that magic is tied in with the soul. Because a magic-user's wavelength is different."

"Also right. Soul perception is a skill that actually developed among witches and warlocks to sense the magic in others. The soul is the center of where a person's magic is concentrated, it's source so to speak."

"So if Mr. Shinigami's magic is in his soul, then his soul needs to be gone for the magic to freely enter Kid. So for a warlock to fully Awaken…?"

Maka went silent. Surely not!

"You're right. His predecessor must already be dead."

"Then what about Kid? What will happen to him and Mr. Shinigami?"

"Kid's one of those rare cases," Stein explained. "As you know, both he and his father are alive. At the moment Kid's more of less human. His potential power lies dormant in him. And it's completely possible that they will never manifest. However, if something happens that triggers his Awakening, Mr. Shinigami will die and his full power as a warlock will be transferred directly to Kid. It's very rare, but not unheard of."

"What happens if those powers aren't passed down?"

"The most likely outcome is that Mr. Shinigami will outlive his son and Kid will die after living a normal human life. If Kid manages to have a son who shows any signs of holding the ability to Awaken, then he is next in line to inherit Mr. Shinigami's magic. If no heir is born, then Mr. Shinigami will live out his normal life and die. The next direct male heir born in the family will then inherit all of his power."

Maka decided to steer clear of the darker topic. She instead asked about the negative stigma of warlocks.

"Can you go into more detail about why warlocks still have the negative stigma tied to them? I know the power and the madness are part of it, but a warlock like you is able to control your madness. So why can't all warlocks?"

Stein sighed. "You keep asking complicated questions for a young girl. Very well.

"Magic is very much tied with one's feelings, one's wishes. This is why the selfish use of magic was more or less banned in the past few centuries. This is also where the witching tradition of service stems from," Stein explained. "It was done in a way to allow those who possessed magic to give back in return for what was taken by their ancestors. Thanks to this service witches no longer have such a negative stigma attached to them."

"But warlocks are different, right?"

"Exactly. There was no central gathering of warlocks after the death of Merlin. Unlike the Witches Council. Warlocks have a history of being solitary. On top of that, they don't often meet one another because they're so spread out."

"So warlocks haven't been able to redeem themselves yet?"

Stein chuckled. "I can't believe you used the word 'yet.' You have hope it'll get better."

"If you don't have hope, what else do you have?"

"You do like to look on the bright side, don't you?" the doctor asked. Maka nodded. Stein accepted it. Perhaps this was the mindset the future needed. Maybe Maka would someday sit on the Council.

Well, if he ever wanted Maka to be accepted by the Council she would need to learn a bit more about magic. Stein rubbed his hands together and put away the large book. "Enough of that dull history. Now why don't we take a look at that book?"

マカの宅急便

Five hours later Marie looked up from her afternoon tea as Maka came into the kitchen followed closely by Stein. The girl seemed exhausted, but her green eyes were shining with pride.

"Miss Marie!" she exclaimed. "Your husband just taught me how to finish a potion I've never been able to make."

Marie was shocked to say the least.

"Oh really?" she asked.

Maka nodded. "It ended up I'd been translating a part of it wrong. I always thought beséoðan meant 'to grind' but the word was actually begrindan. Beséoðan means 'to boil.' It's such a simple thing, but it explains why I couldn't do what I've wanted for so long!"

Stein sat down. He too looked more tired than usual. "Maka is definitely one dedicated student. It's a shame she never got any formal training. She's shows a very good understanding of both herbology and the Old Tongue for someone who is practically self-taught."

"So I take it you'll continue being her mentor then?" Marie asked as she set down her tea.

"It would be a shame not to." Dr. Stein looked at Maka, who was happily telling Kim what she'd done. "If her mother is as powerful as I remember her being, then Maka has a lot of untapped potential in her. It may take a trigger to unlock it, but it's there. I have faith in her ability."

Marie kissed her husband on the forehead. "I'm glad to hear that. Now would you like something to eat? You look famished."

"You know me too well," he replied with a smile. "Thank you, Marie."

"Of course."

Marie smiled. It looks like it was a good thing Maka happened upon them. She'd finally made her silly husband open up just a bit more.

I made up all the background about witches and warlocks because I had a lot of thoughts about them growing up.

Translation notes:
Old English: biterwyrtdrencas = drinks of bitter herbs, dolgsealfa ond læcedómas = poultices and salves, onbyrhtest = illuminate, beséoðan = to boil, begrindan = to grind

I also know absolutely no Old English, but since it's a dead language and is studies a lot less than Latin or Greek it would be a safer bet to throw into translation software and make do with.

Next chapter: the obligatory beach episode no one asked for but I wanted to write to develop Crona and Maka's friendship some more.