Chapter 35 – Pandora's Cliché

Sai Summers

Wednesday

With the chaos of the last few days having drawn to a close, things were slowing back down to a normal pace for Kid and me.

This meant it was time to deal with Stein's test "punishment."

This is not to say I didn't try to get us out of having to take it. Earlier this morning, following lecture, I asked him if the previous week's activities would be sufficient "practice" and if he would consider them a suitable substitute for the written exam. He laughed sadistically, and then patted me on the head in front of the remaining students. He then reminded me the exam was being held on Friday morning...and that being late was an automatic failure.

This left me trying to study. I planned to study on my own, but Kid asked if he could join me. When I asked him why on the way home to Soul and Maka's apartment, he had no real answer for me. I just assumed he had something on his mind.

I hadn't grown used to him not saying whatever he thought.

Our "study session" was not without its problems. Kid retorted every so often that being a Shinigami meant studying was necessary. I debated about that concept for a moment and made a quick decision after looking at the study guide he gave me. I must not be enough of a death god, because I was sure I couldn't pass Stein's test without studying.

We found the apartment empty, yet I opted to have us study in my room. I assumed that at some point Maka and Soul would return home for the night. Or at least Maka – she was strict about being home early and going to bed at a reasonable hour.

Sadly, this meant no late night parties at the apartment.

During what little free time I had had over the last two weeks, I had moved a small floor table from the living room into my bedroom to use as studying table. If I was ingenious and determined enough, I could turn it into a kotatsu(1) in my spare time. Ironically enough, when I was at home alone it got little use. Likely a sign I don't do enough studying.

Kid didn't appear to have brought any textbooks related to Stein's exam. They appeared to be some of the books I had found him reading from the day I had met him in the library last week. Books about Independent Weapons. I presumed he had read them all once already, but was still looking for answers. I'd already given up on trying to pry the questions to whatever he wanted to know out of his mind.

We sat in silence reading for a while. I was intent on passing this exam, whether or not I could get Kid to act with the same conviction.

Kid broke the silence. "I wanted to let you know I'm going to be gone for a few days." He said quietly, still looking over his book.

I looked up from a chapter summary on Resonance skills. "Where are you going?"

He flipped several pages in the book before answering. "Some little town along the Baltic. Shouldn't be a big deal."

I looked at him in curiosity. "This is the first time you've mentioned leaving the city ahead of time."

He shrugged and didn't look up from his work. "Eh. I figured you might wonder where I was if I was suddenly gone for two or three days, unannounced."

I didn't know what to make of his statement at first. I wasn't used to having to worry about someone being gone.

Kid pulled out a piece of blank paper from under his reading material, and a pencil. He started to draw and shade something.

So do I tell him that's really cute, or refrain…I wondered.

I gigled. "Oh…um, thanks for telling me. I would have started to wonder after a day or two…"

That came out wrong. Why did I tell him it would take a day for me to start worrying?!

He didn't respond, and there was a gap in the conversation. There was only the sound of the graphite pencil scratching against the paper.

The silence bothered me, especially if he had plans to be away under less than ideal conditions. "So…what's in that town?" I asked, trying to act nonchalant.

He laid the pencil down on the paper and looked up. His eyes were soft. Asking him more about the situation must have been a good idea. "There's talk of some dragon harassing the people." His gaze seemed distant at the concept.

I raised an eyebrow. "Uh, a dragon?"

He grinned. "I have plans to do something investigating when I arrive. It has to be part of some local legend." He paused. "Despite some of the strange things I've seen lately, I've never seen anything close to what I consider a living dragon." He blinked and pointed behind me. "What's that?"

I turned half-way around and looked in the direction he was gesticulating. When I had reorganized the room I placed the desk on the wall that was behind me behind me. This left it on the outside wall opposite the door. He was pointed at something on the desktop.

"That box?" It was about a foot long, but only eight inches deep. It was wrapped in a plain brown shipping paper. "I found it this morning on the kitchen table. Maka left a note that said it came last night, I guess. I haven't had a chance to open it yet."

In a blink of an eye Kid was standing behind me examining the box from multiple angles. He picked it up and held it out in my direction at full-arms length. "You need to open it."

I turned around fully and looked up at him from the floor. "Um, I will. Don't worry about it." I waived his concern off with a hand gesture.

"Open it." He repeated; his attitude towards the box appeared unwavering.

There's something bothering him about the box…I decided.

I took it from him and examined the box, turning it around and over. The shipper appeared to have had trouble wrapping the box. The ends of the paper on the box were closed differently.

"Kid…" I laughed lightly, ripping off the paper. Kid returned to the other side of the table looked less irritated now that the paper was being removed.

Inside the paper was a brown shipping box. I popped up the flaps and found a second, slightly smaller box inside – this one a matte black.

I couldn't come up with a logical reason to pack something in a box twice.

Or there was for the safety of the item in said boxes, and I was simply becoming more like Kid in my desire to have things neat and extremely organized.

I tried to tone down the concept of being irrational about shipping boxes in my mind. The idea that I would be genuinely bothered by it disturbed me.

I picked up the packing paper and looked at the shipping label. I noticed it had come from Connecticut, and my brow furrowed at the information. "That figures. It's from my mother's house."

Kid's eyebrows lifted. "And that means?"

I sighed and started to open the inside box. "It's probably something random that I don't need. I don't know how she even got my address."

I popped open the second box and found a third box inside, but this one was the actual contents. It was a jet black, lacquered box that stood on four, short feet.

A note attached to the top of the box read:

I found this in your father's things and thought you could use it. - Mom

I set the box down on the table, and I lifted the top. It was lined with red velveteen, and appeared to be both a jewelry box and music box combined. There was a mirror lining the top of the box, and a small, silver winding mechanism in the lower right corner.

I shut it abruptly, picked it up, and started to look at it from various angles.

Kid appeared confused. "Why are you turning it over?"

I answered him without looking. "My father was supposedly an eccentric, who knows what this thing really does."

There didn't appear to be anything unusual about the exterior of the box, so I set it back down and reopened the lid, and wound the silver key mechanism.

Nothing happened.

I sighed and dropped my shoulders. "Ah, it doesn't work anymore."

Kid raised an eyebrow. "Why would your mother send you a music box that was broken? That's not a proper gift."

I couldn't help but be disappointed. "Err, my mother's got some problems…so anything's possible."

He tried to sound positive while looking it over. "Maybe we can fix it. Now where's the gear box?"

I stared at the box. "I would guess it's attached to the bottom board. This doesn't seem to be a complicated piece of machinery."

He studied the music box. "Alright, so he question is, how do we get it open without breaking it?" Kid lifted the front left corner of it, and then set it back down. He eyed it with the look of an inventor or investigator.

When I noticed that look, I eyed him and then my books – in concern. "You know, we should probably be studying."

He acted snide. "I believe you mean, you should be studying. I don't need…"

I pushed the box into his hands, cutting him off. "Then you can fix it. I'm working."

"I wasn't being serious…" He started, and then cut himself off with a sigh.

I stuck my tongue out at him, and returned to my reading.

Kid blinked in mild confusion, and then proceeded to study the box. The inside was lined with blood red velveteen, and there were several inserts to hold various jewelry pieces. He started to remove it piece by piece and line them up on the table.

I went back to reading; this time about Weapon forms.

It's keeping him busy and actually lets me study…can't complain, I guess.

Several minutes went by, and the silence returned.

It was broken by a clacking noise. Kid was holding the top of the box in the air to the side of his head, and it appeared that the bottom had fallen out. He was looking down at the bottom of the box, and my assumption was correct – the gearbox was glued to the bottom.

Stuck in between several of the gears was a folded piece of white paper.

Kid set the top of the music box on the table without looking. He yanked the paper from the gears in one swift motion and began to unfold it. He inhaled quickly. "Sai…look at this…" He started, holding out the piece of paper.

There was a loud, rapid knocking at the outside door and I looked up towards the door. I rolled my eyes. Oh, come on! Go away…

There was a brief pause, and then the knocking started again.

"Sai!" A voice yelled. I could tell there was a woman at the door.

It was a voice I recognized.

"Coming!" I yelled back; the knocking then ceased.

As much as I didn't feel like rising from the floor, I did so and jogged to the front door. Kid languished in the bedroom doorway.

I unlocked the door and held it open. I was surprised by our guest. "Tsubaki! What are you doing here? Where's Black St…?"

Tsubaki's dark hair hung forward, and there was sadness in her face. She bit her lower lip while speaking. "Sai…it's Soul, he's been hurt."

(1) A heated table.