Episode 20: Phantasmagoria Aftermath

8:16 a.m., the next morning— It was the 23rd, only two days before Xmas Day, and the holiday spirit was in full swing. With last-minute shoppers and rush sales, one could easily feel the tension building up for the highly anticipated Xmas Eve Party.

At the same time, several large loud speakers have been set up all around the city. This was done in accordance to the previously approved Blair's 'Break-The-Soul-Protect-Spell' plan. Despite its unnecessarily long name and dubious architect, the plan was quite simple and complex at the same time.

Firstly, the idea of the Xmas Eve Party was to lure the witches out of hiding by providing them with an irresistible opportunity to land a massive sneak attack. Normally, the witches would send a very select few of highly-trained spies to infiltrate the city and gather information about the school. But now, with everyone using costumes, the witches would be able to send even the most inexperienced of its members and they'd still blend in with the crowd.

According to Blair, the witches would attack during the Witching Hour. So it was paramount that they be neutralized before midnight in order to minimize destruction and avoid any unnecessary loss of life.

This is where the loud speakers come into play. When all the witches invoke their Soul Release spell and reveal their positions, Blair would invoke a unique type of Soul Resonance wherein the Soul Protect spells of the witches would reactivate and seal their powers long enough for Shibusen to counterattack.

All in all, it was a pretty solid plan. There was even an added bonus of a city-wide music bonanza as Patty flooded the airwaves with track hits and top charters.

As a matter of fact, at Maka's place, the upbeat music slowly permeated through the thin walls of the apartment and shattered the peaceful morning of the sleeping girl…

"Stop the music," she groaned. She blindly reached out to turn it off but touched something else instead. It was warm and soft.

"Chrona!" she gasped, a bit surprised to see her sharing the same blanket. But she smiled soon after as she found the face of a sleeping Chrona to be quite a refreshing sight especially after all she's been through.

She stretched her hand to caress her soft cheeks. "So cute," she cooed as the girl groaned at the slightest touch. Out of sheer curiosity, she looked under the covers and saw the girl to be holding something in her arms. It was wrapped up in dark-colored paper. Upon closer inspection, she recognized it to be the Xmas present she was planning to give her. She was hugging it as though it was a pillow or something.

"Not yet," she whispered. There was some resistance at first, but she managed to pull it free from her arms. However, in a strange twist, Chrona unconsciously grabbed hold of whatever was close by.

Maka tried desperately to muffle her own screams as Chrona happily snuggled her new 'pillow'…

At the same time, somewhere along the empty hallways of Shibusen, a forlorn Soul sat idly at a corner. Judging from his disheveled clothes, the size of his eye bags, and the dead expression on his face, he probably hasn't slept since yesterday's incident…

"I can't take it anymore!" Spirit screamed in frustration. "Maka! Chrona! I'm going to get you out!" Spirit turned his arm into a large scythe-blade.

In retaliation, the Shinigami dispatched him with a swift 'Shinigami Chop!' before he could even do anything. "Didn't I tell you to let them settle this out!"

"B-But Shinigami-sama…what if they're hurt or…"

"No, they're not. Anyway, whatever they're doing in there. We can't do anything about it," he replied while calmly sipping a cup of Earl Grey with Azusa. They were seated at the corner with a small table filled with an assortment of tasty pastries.

"Where the heck did that come from!" Spirit was quick to point out the oddity, but everybody was pretty much ignoring him at that point.

"STOP IT!" a sudden cry came from the infirmary.

"What is going on out there?" Nygus went to investigate. But when she was about to open the door, the sound of metal scrapping together stopped her in her tracks.

Before they knew it, the metal cocoon encasing Maka and Chrona started opening up. Everyone watched anxiously as the blades began retracting to reveal the two girls inside. Holding an unconscious Maka in her arms, Chrona supported her with all her might 'til the last blade disappeared before finally dropping to her knees.

"We're alright," she said. Everyone was relieved to hear this as they helped them up…

"Damn it!" Soul greeted his teeth. The thought that Maka had cried herself to sleep in the arms of another…He kept repeating it all in his head and it always had the same conclusion: "Why didn't I do anything!"

He was there at the perfect moment when the opportunity to step up came and…he blew it. He stood there like an idiot until Chrona appeared on her proverbial white horse and swept his dear scythe-queen away.

"What do I do now?" he thought, his shoulders slumped. It was all over. He lost everything. Without Maka as his partner, was there even a point in aiming to be a Death Scythe?

In the meantime, two floors above him, a new development in Death City's socioeconomic world may complicate the upcoming Xmas Eve party…

"He's gonna do WHAT!" gasped Black Star.

Tsubaki was just as startled, "I-Is the Shinigami really going to do that!"

Upon entering the desert sanctuary that is the Death Room, Tsubaki, Black Star, and Marie find themselves confronted with startling news courtesy of the no-nonsense Death Scythe, Azusa.

"No. But according to the rumors, on the Xmas Eve Party, he's going to wear a Xmas costume to celebrate the holidays," she said, monitoring Death City from the various screens.

"So he's going to wear a Xmas costume, what's the problem with that?" asked Marie.

"Think about it Marie," she replied. "In all the years that we have known the Shinigami, have you ever seen him without his mask?" Azusa flashed her glasses. "What will people think if they seem him in person?"

"No way!" the gravity of the situation soon became apparent.

"Wait!" gasped Black Star, "If that happens then—"

"Exactly. Right now, we've only managed to contain the situation and prevented the rumors from spreading to the internet… However, it will be only a matter of time before the whole world hears about it and—"

"I wasn't talking about that!" he interjected, "If the Shinigami shows his face, then everyone won't be able to see the GREAT ME!"

"Black Star…" Tsubaki couldn't help but facepalm.