Stein swiftly removed Spirit's blade from the kishin and the kishin's body shattered like glass before it can hit the ground below it. Marie helped Sid up onto his good foot, supporting him with an arm under his armpit. Spirit transformed back and Stein rushed over to Kid's side, checking his pulse. The group watched him with worried eyes for a while until Stein looked back, holding a thumbs up. He stood back up with Kid in his arms, Kid's body hanging there like a battered rag doll.
"Spirit, take Kid back. Sid, does your ankle still hurt?"
Sid's eyes bugged out and he smiled sarcastically.
"Um... What do you think, Doctor?"
Stein sighed, handing Kid into Spirit's arms.
"I need help digging up Kid's grave to get whatever is left of that Ancient blood to experiment on. I need to see how old this Ancient may be and see if it is still living. I've been told that if it still breathes, it's blood doesn't stop glowing once it's released to oxygen."
Marie raised a polite hand shyly.
"Franken, I can help. If Sid isn't hurting too bad, that is."
Sid sighed irritably.
"It's as if I'm talking to two walls of air..." He muttered.
Stein chuckled a bit, looking at Sid out of the corner of his eyes.
"Well, I have a pain killer and a few disinfectants in my lab coat... wherever the hell it is... If you can't last that long, then I'll stay here and dig by myself while Marie helps you back."
Sid shook his head slowly and looked at the ground with his blank pale eyes.
"Pain killers aren't enough for me. I'm sorry Stein."
Stein smiled reassuringly and shrugged.
"Hey, This isn't like that time in second grade, Sid-senpai. If you need rest, i'd recommend that you'd go get it while you can."
Marie frowned a bit and nodded as Sid looked horrified by the memory Stein mentioned.
Spirit picked Stein's lab coat from off the top of Kid's grave, laying it gently over the body of the boy himself in his arms.
"I suggest we leave now. It's getting dark, and students are just getting out of school-"
Stein turned his screw a bit before speaking.
"-It got canceled, remember?"
Spirit mentally slapped himself.
"Damn it all..." He grumbled. "Then I suppose the faster we leave, the better, no matter what."
Stein nodded, Marie handing him the shovel she brought.
"That would be the best option."
The group nodded and began to walk away while Stein took a cigarette out of his back pocket and propped it in between his lips. His slate eyes flickered over to the ground in front of him, where Kid's coffin lay deep under. He straightened up and began to dig.
"If Kid reacted so negatively about there being something around his burial ground, Why didn't Sid when his was disrupted by the students a while back?"
His eyes trailed over to his former students' gravestones and quickly looked away.
"Was it because Kid was more sensitive than Sid was? Or did he have an instinct in him that said he was going to be harmed?" He shook his head and stomped his foot on the side of the shovel, forcing it down. "No. They both just have different blood is all... Different blood have different reactions."
All of Death City's meisters and weapons sensed the kishin's deaths as well, and it was only natural that they'd be pulled to the souls. As Maka ran on, she heard the feet of meisters and weapons running behind her, along with Patty who kept frantically calling out her name. She grit her teeth in determination, her heart beat a rapid tune in her chest, her ankles screaming as if they were on fire.
"I... will get my answer!"
Spirit, Marie, and Sid sensed the wavelengths of those who were approaching the cemetery and they quickly hid from view behind an abandoned building.
Marie gasped.
"We need to tell Stein! He's gonna get caught if they find him!"
Spirit shook his head, furrowing his eyebrows.
"Marie-san, there is no time for that anymore! Kid and Sid are severely injured, and Kid can possibly die of blood loss out here!" He snapped and Marie's eyes widened.
"Spirit..."
Sid chuckled a bit.
"Stein is a strong man. They don't call him the best meister to ever graduate the academy for nothing..."
Kid stirred in Spirit's arms and the three adults looked down at him, noting the expression of horror on his face as his eyes frantically moved beneath his pale eyelids.
Marie gently pressed a hand to his forehead and kept it there for a while.
"He's... burning up. I think he's getting sick."
Spirit shook his head and sighed, meeting Sid's eyes.
"Still, it doesn't sound good at all. We should hurry. Or we can lose him."
They watched as Maka ran by and Spirit heard Kid whimper as she ran out of view, the other shibusen students running after her.
Maka soon sensed that it was only one soul now up ahead and she saw the cemetery gate approaching.
She pushed through the doors and ran throughout the rows of grave markers; the path representing that of a labyrinth.
Stein reached Kid's coffin and hunkered down, pulling a test tube and a swab from his back pocket. Being a scientist, he always kept things like this handy. He smeared the tip of the swab across the lavender substance that shimmered across Kid's casket. He held it up to the light and frowned slightly.
"Hmm... This isn't quite enough to tell... I need to see if any more seeped inside..."
He gently lifted up the lid and saw that indeed, some had gotten inside. He grabbed the swab and soaked up as much as the Ancient blood as he could, holding it up to the light again. He growled and put it in the test tube, snapping the lid on tight.
"Damn it! It's still living!" He had never sounded so angry yet afraid in his life; even when he had gone insane in the depths of Medusa's little 'game'.
Maka heard Stein's voice nearby and pushed herself further until she stopped at the edge of her love's grave. Her emerald eyes widened in confusion and she looked up at the grave marker to double check that it was really his that she was seeing. She looked back down at the gaping hole, shock written over her features and her legs beginning to buckle.
"H-Hakase...? Where's... Kid?"
Stein flinched and looked over his shoulder just in time to see Maka faint, falling forward into Kid's grave. Stein rushed forward and caught her into his arms. All anger had been erased from his face, but his fear grew.
He had been too caught up with getting the blood that he hadn't noticed the others coming; including Maka.
Patty ran through first and gasped at the sight before her, horror in her big robin's egg blue eyes. She was too surprised to speak. The other students caught up and circled around Kid's empty grave, looking down at Stein with confusion and surprise.
"Professor... Where's Kid?" Patty asked once she found her words.
Stein looked up at all the faces of his students, keeping hold of the unconscious Albarn in his arms. Noting that their faces weren't ever gonna change unless they got an answer, and he sighed, looking away.
"They took his body out... And ran away from our reach." He lied easily, looking back up to meet their gazes. "But. I assure all of you, that we will get him back from them, and return him to his resting spot."
A student; Kim, stepped forward warily.
"Who's they?"
Stein grit his teeth slightly.
"...There were more kishin before the two that are now dead on the ground... The two were left here to put up with us as the others made their daring escape. Why they wanted Kid... We don't know."
Patty looked down at Maka's face and saw that some snow flakes had fallen on her face and melted instantly, rolling down her cheekbones like tears.
"Hakase... Be honest... Do you think Maka will be okay?" She sniffled, her sight becoming blurred with tears.
Stein felt guilt stir in his stomach and looked down at Maka as well. He smirked slightly as another lie left his lips.
"... She'll be fine."
…:oOo:...
Spirit walked into the Dwma and Lord Death had been waiting for them inside by the door, the hood of his cloak pulled down and his mask resting on top of his head.
He studied his son in Spirit's arms and looked back up at him and the other two.
"Kid will be fine. He's just getting sick is all."
Spirit met his gaze.
"Shinigami-sama, There was an instance of Ancient blood. I don't think 'he's just getting sick'."
Death's eyes widened and her clenched his fists.
"What? They still exist?" He growled.
Sid nodded.
"One left. It should be heavily guarded and watched over if the last flourished for this long."
Death sighed, furrowing his eyebrows, and looked back down at his son, gingerly moving a few strands of raven colored hair out of his warm face, the fierce look in his eyes being replaced by worry.
"Get Kid to the infirmary. Quickly. Get Sid there too."
The Death Scythes nodded and made their way as fast as they could manage down the hall.
Death watched after them with a sigh and walked outside just as Stein made it to the top of the steps with Maka dangling in his arms.
Death gasped, thinking she was dead for as still as she was, until he noticed the small white clouds of air escaping her lips into the cold. He sighed relief and noticed Patty sobbing into Stein's arm, clinging onto him tightly.
Stein met Lord Death's gaze and Death suddenly got a bad feeling in gut.
"What happened?" He asked.
Stein flickered his eyes over to Patty and then looked back up, realizing he had to watch what he said if he didn't want the last Thompson sister to find out the Dwma's secret.
"I was... inspecting Kid's grave for any traces of the kishin, and found..." He unclenched a fist and Death saw the vial with the sample. "...This. I must do experiments on it to see the elements it has within it, and how often it reacts to new chemicals."
Death looked at the vial carefully and noticed that the substance on the swab had a dull glow to it.
Patty's cry interrupted them and they both looked down at her. She was shivering against the cold and she looked miserable.
Lord Death sighed and opened his arms.
"Patty, come here-"
Patty jumped into his arms and hugged him tightly, screaming with each sob.
"Please! Help her feel better! I-I-I'm so sick! And tired of seeing her so sad every day!"
Lord Death gently pat her head and returned the embrace.
"Come on inside... you're freezing, Patty. You should drink some hot chocolate and as soon as Maka wakes up, I promise you, we will give her hot chocolate too. Perhaps then, she will smile."
Patty tried to smile, her lips quivering, and nodded, gripping hold of Death's cloak like a small child. Death looked up at Stein and Stein nodded, getting the message, and Death went along inside, comforting Patty.
Stein looked back down at Maka, relieved that the shock hadn't killed her. He walked along inside and headed into the infirmary. When he opened the door, he saw Sid sitting on the bed with his leg propped up and being bandaged up by Marie. On the other bed, Kid lay under heavy blankets, his cheeks red and his expression troubled. Spirit looked up from Kid's bedside and saw Maka in Stein's arms which instantly caused him to snap. He shot up out of his seat and gripped Stein by the shirt collar, shaking him slightly.
"You sick bastard! What did you do to my Maka?"
Stein sighed and rolled his eyes.
"Nothing, Senpai. She fainted from shock. She saw Kid's empty coffin, and couldn't handle it."
Spirit looked down at his daughter and sorrow and worry filled his eyes, his gaze looking similar to Lord Death's when he looked down at his son.
Spirit scooped up Maka into his arms and set her on the last empty bed, next to Kid's.
That's when the four of the adults noticed Kid and Maka were actually in the same room, next to each other for the first time in months.
Sid gazed upon them and chuckled slightly.
"Well... look at that... Kid looks like he's getting better already..."
Marie giggled, went up to Stein, and wrapped her arms around him with a small smile, resting her head against his chest.
"...And Maka, too..."
The four of them watched as the two teens leaned their heads towards each other, the two looking peaceful.
Stein watched in astonishment as Kid's and Maka's souls adjusted to the other's and sensed a deep bond between the two. He had never seen a bond this strong in his life as a meister and a teacher.
Sid sighed and closed the curtain around Kid's bed and the other three looked at him questionably, struck out of their awe. Sid looked at them, also feeling disturbed that the couple was separated despite the two not acknowledging that the other was there.
"When Maka wakes up, she can't see Kid-kun. And Kid seems to be under the worst weather at the moment, so he'll be out for a while."
Stein nodded in agreement.
"I agree. Marie, Sid, Death Scythe and I are going to visit Lord Death and talk to him about the Ancient and how we should track it to it's hiding spot."
Marie shrugged and smiled slightly.
"You know... We can always call Justin and Yumi."
Spirit and Stein got disgusted looking faces and Sid could only frown. Though... Sid always frowned.
"...Nnno." Stein mumbled.
Spirit smiled, trying to appear happy by the idea for he was afraid of the wrath of Marie's hammer on his skull.
"Well... um... Sounds like an awesome idea, but... Don't you think the two are busy with their Honeymoon and such?"
Sid and Stein turned towards him with astonished eyes.
"Those two freaks got married?" Stein asked in a dull voice, which made the conversation almost comical.
Spirit turned to them in confusion.
"Wait, you didn't know? I got wasted at their reception and had the worst hangover ever the next day!"
Sid scoffed.
"I can't believe I didn't know this sooner!"
Marie sighed, rolling her eyes, shoving Spirit and Stein out the door with all her strength.
"Okay you two! Off to Lord Death you go!"
The two were about to speak when Marie slammed the door shut.
"Wow... men..."She muttered, sitting on a chair next to Maka's bed.
Sid and Marie sat there in utter silence.
"Marie... you do know I'm still here, right?"
XD Sorry again that it took so long. Like the part at the end, right? Everything is so warm and fuzzy aside from the part in the beginning, which was the exact opposite. O,O Anyway, Reviews= Love, Minions!