AN: This... Is a lot longer than I was expecting. Oh well. Not sure if it could have been split up, but I wanted to achieve at least one thing, and that was allowing Natsumi to be incorporated into the school before I began making things tense. Oh well. Enjoy~

Thunder crashed in the distance. However, Natsumi could hardly be more distracted from her new home. She wandered through the empty room, as none of her possessions had arrived from where she had lived before, and discovered that his flat similarly had two rooms, a living room and kitchen fused to one, and single bathroom. As she explored her new den, life carried on.

The sun laughed as the day wore on. As day gave out to night, the moon replaced the sun. Most of the shops were closing now, and Natsumi decided to stare at the cityscape of Death City from her balcony.

She sensed a sudden surge of soul-wavelengths. Looking into the distance, she saw a figure flying into the city. It was difficult to see from the sheer distance, but she could make out three souls, one red soul with three white stripes on one half of it entering the city, and two pinks souls, both extremely close. The figure appeared to be heading towards Death Academy, dashing with speed. Soon, she realized that it was Death, Liz, and Patty flying in the sky, but she couldn't figure out how. She smiled when she realized that she was already starting to recognize people.

Soon, after Death's figure vanished from her point of view, she watched the moon. It gave a chuckle to some unknown joke. She pondered on the meaning of the sudden laugh.

"Watching the night sky?" Soul's voice startled here. Natsumi looked from her balcony at Soul leaning over the railing of his balcony backwards. "It's a cool way to relax."

Natsumi nodded. "Y-yeah. It is. I just saw Kid not too long ago. He was flying…" She said in both awe and confusion.

"Oh, you've met Kid already? When'd'ya do that?"

"He was at the gathering. I accidentally bumped into him during the confusion of everyone moving around." Natsumi explained.

"I didn't know that Kid was doing that 'sponsored partnerships' thing. I thought his plate was full with Liz and Patti…" Soul sounded exasperated. "I mean, I wouldn't imagine having two Meisters. I mean, I worked with Black Star for a bit awhile ago, but that turned out to be a total failure."

Natsumi giggled. "It's tough seeing the two of you together. In a Meister-Weapon relationship, of course."

"You don't have to tell me. I bet he still has a scar from when I split open his head." He chuckled. "He's a bit strange, but around here, everyone has a quirk or two which makes us unique. Maybe your quirk is… Well, as you are now."

"As I am?" Natsumi paused. "Oh. Yeah. I suppose. It's strange though, would they even let me accept missions from the bulletin?"

Soul scratched his head. "One way to find out."

Natsumi yawned. "I'm getting kinda tired. I think I might be going to sleep in a bit."

"I'm not that boring to talk to, am I? I mean, it's not even nine o'clock!" Soul teased.

Natsumi, oblivious to the joke, shook her head. "It just feels like there was a bit too much excitement today."

Soul twisted to look at Natsumi directly. "Too much? Today was pretty ordinary, nothing too cool happened today."

Clouds began to cover the sky. "Huh." Natsumi sighed. "I've never really had many people to associate with. I've usually always just been by myself. Not that I've ever had a problem with it." She slumped over her rail.

Soul raised an eyebrow. "Don't ya think that might be why you weren't able to find a partner at the mixer?"

Assuming the same pose on her back like Soul, Natsumi shrugged. "Never thought about it that way." She smiled. "I'm so introverted that I don't want to meet new people? People avoid me because they can somehow sense that I don't want interaction?"

Soul straightened up. "Whoa, I didn't imply that." He raised his hands cautiously. "I meant that you're just used to being alone?"

Natsumi smirked. "A question? Ugh…" She frowned again. "Maybe Lord Death is right, I just haven't found anyone who can sync up with my own soul yet." She yawned yet again.

Soul smiled. "That's a good way to look at it. Anyways, it looks as if you really are tired, you should probably go to sleep. Being tired isn't cool."

Natsumi nodded, and the two exchanged farewells. The passing night brought rain, and storms severe enough for lightning to develop. The desert heat from Nevada seemed to amplify the storms further. The unusual amount of rain was becoming more common within the last few weeks, but this storm's potential stuck around as it stagnated. When Natsumi awoke in the morning, the cloud cover intimidated her.

The sky was extremely dark, not quite to the level where it seemed like a starless night sky, but the clouds were threatening with lightning racing in the clouds. It had temporarily stopped raining, but as Natsumi set up and turned on her TV, which had almost conveniently arrived to her door overnight, she found that it was a dry spot in the unusually large storm.

Seeing as the storm would be starting again in her area soon enough, she decided to take advantage of the little to no rain outside, and after dressing herself in the school outfit she donned for herself, she made a mad dash to Death Academy. Just reaching the foot of the gargantuan flight of stairs to the school, it started to sprinkle. Within seconds, it was heavily pouring rain down on Death Academy. Now completely drenched, she gave up on the aspect of being dry, and made the grueling climb.

Panting, she finally made the top of the stairs, disgruntled and irritated at the rain. She could just barely make out the laughter of the sun, but she wasn't sure if she wasn't just imagining it. Walking into the school, with at over an hour before classes even began, she created a small stream of water as she waddled to a restroom. It seemed that others had tried her idea as well to try to take advantage of the lightening in the rain, but some had ceased caring. Annoyed that she was wearing a white shirt, she locked herself in a bathroom stall, and tried to wring her cloths dry.

After removing most of the moisture out of the cloths, she exited the bathroom, accompanied by a sneeze. Sighing, she picked at her cloths as she wandered the halls to Crescent Moon. She passed by the library on the way there, but decided against entering for now. Eventually reaching Crescent Moon, she noticed that the lecture hall was virtually empty, save for the lustrous presence of Professor Stein, who had been distracted by reading a rather thick book. Excusing herself in early, she caught Stein's attention from his distant mindedness.

Listening to the rain pour from outside, Stein lowered his book slightly, and twisted the screw in his head. "This storm, from what I've heard, is supposed to last for three days." He stated casually. After getting no initial response, Stain continued. "I thought I'd mention it in case you decided to wear white clothing again." He said, his eyes falling back to his book.

Natsumi wasn't sure of how to respond. "Erm… Thanks… I guess?"

Stein, blissfully ignorant or cleverly dismissive, kept his composure. "Don't mention it." He twisted his screw again. "Say," He paused, working on his wording.

Natsumi tilted her head. "Yes, Professor?"

Stein reclined on his chair. "I have this tendency to want to understand things."

"I… See?"

"To understand means I must examine, and test."

"Is this why you became a teacher? Is it because you want to learn?" Natsumi asked, unsure of where this conversation was going.

"I'm curious about something related to you." Stein's eyes hooded over, and he began to slowly smile.

Natsumi edged backwards. "I… I'm not sure what you mean…"

Stein stood up hastily. "I want to examine you. Your soul, specifically. Since it's still before classes begin, we have plenty of time if you wish to have an extracurricular study." He pulled on his gloves. "It's nothing painful, I assure you."

Terror ran amok through Natsumi. "I-I think I might consider passing up this oppor-" She slowly stopped midway as she turned around to leave, only to flinch as she found Stein blocking the way. Weakly, she finished her sentence. "…tunity…"

Lightning illuminated the lecture hall. "Now, don't be unreasonable…" In her mind, Natsumi screamed 'There's no way in hell that you're being reasonable!' "After all, it's just a simple visual test."

Natsumi hugged her still-damp cloths. "A visual test? What are you even talking about?"

Stein twisted the screw in his head once again. "After all of the people in the gathering, you were the only individual who was not able to find even a single compatible partner." He paused, still screwing with his head. "The others you saw were able to find at least two or more individuals to whom they could have been able to become partners with, but ended up being singled out. You though, I heard you were different."

Natsumi flinched. "J-just what do you mean? And how does this relate to your strange visual test?"

A cheerful aura plastered the scene. "Why, I want to observe your soul's reactions."

Natsumi's eyes hooded over. "Wha-what?"

"It's just a simple examination. All you have to do is let your soul expand. I'll take care of all of the rest." Stein explained. "If I notice any irregularities in your soul, I'll note it, and we'll discuss them." He looked at a clock on the wall. "Time's ticking."

A vein appeared on Natsumi's head. "F-fine." She took a deep breath, and relaxed as her soul's visibility increased.

Stein stared at her soul. It was cyan, and tremored slightly as his Soul Perception fully registered its target. A relaxed cyan soul, with what appeared to be a scar on the side of the soul, and a small blush, stared back at Stein.

In a now serious note, he crossed his arms. "Do you have any scars? A large one, in particular?" Natsumi shook her head. "I assume you know what a soul is, but do you know all of its functions?" Natsumi swayed unsure how to answer. "It doesn't matter. I'll be going over it briefly in class. Basically…"

After he finished his explanation, he addressed her soul. "I can see using even basic Soul Perception that you are unusually reserved. But the eyes of your soul are also unusually detailed. There are no coincidences between souls and their vessel's abilities. You can see souls yourself, can't you?"

Natsumi nodded. "Of course. Isn't it a universal ability for Meisters? That's why I was enrolled, no?"

"I'm guessing you were initially enrolled due to the fact that your soul was strong enough to be considered for enrollment." He paused. "But they never expected that." He pointed at Natsumi's soul scar in his mind. "Technically, not everyone can see souls. The ability of Soul Perception requires the individual to be sensitive to soul wavelengths I the air and is able to concentrate on those sparse waves." Adjusting the screw in his head as per habit, he waved. "You can retract your soul now. We won't have time to do the experiments I want to do right now if I'm still supposed to hold class. But why don't you use your Soul Perception on me?"

Natsumi nodded, and instantly saw Stein's stitched up soul. It was carefree and floated around him. Stein noticed that she was tracking his soul. "Impressive. I had not expanded my soul yet. Your innate ability of Soul Perception would be useful in a battle. Of course, it all depends on how you use it." He walked down to his desk, and began to write something on a piece of paper.

Following Stein and looking curiously, she indulged her curiosity. "What are you writing? Notes?"

Stein shook his head, still jotting down words. "It's a recommendation that you can begin Extracurricular activities without a partner to help develop your Soul Perception. It's also a request to add additional courses to your schedule," at which Natsumi moaned in displeasure, "And I'll be overlooking these new classes."

Groaning, she complained. "But I'm already filled out in as many classes as I was allowed…"

"Quite the studious one then. Don't worry, these courses will not strictly add to your workload." He slipped the note, which had multiplied into multiple slips, into an envelope. "These are called Extracurricular for a reason. Go deliver this to the receptionists at Student Assistance. Don't dawdle too long, classes start in twenty."

Sighing, Natsumi made her to change her class schedule. After waiting the tedious duration it took to add the classes, she was given a new schedule. Regular classes took place for her from eight in the morning until four in the afternoon, with two hour-long breaks between the noon hour and two. She had only fifteen minutes before the newly added extra classes begun, which lasted until Seven Forty-five at night.

And so her classes passed. When four came along, she stayed behind to attend her after-class classes. She joked with Maka and Tsubaki as they left, then sat around as two other students came in. One wore what appeared to be white robes, the neck and legs frayed, worn, and torn, with a purple sash around his waist and a purple bandana currently around his neck. The other was a girl who was dressed closely to an informal butler with black slacks, a white shirt under a black waistcoat and a white cravat, which had found its way to a loosened state.

Almost immediately, the girl sat in a seat and lifted her legs up onto her chair and leaned back. The boy took a seat in between Natsumi and the girl, but was the most composed as he closed his eyes as he waited. Stein had left to prepare for his next class, and as the minutes ticked by, the three in the room were the only ones who showed up.

Stein walked into the room as four-fifteen hit the clock. Instead of walking onto the center stage of the lecture hall, he sat on the steps. He stared at the group of three, sitting near the front. "This class is a special class that I've been placed in charge of this time around. Welcome to Soul Compatibility Rehab. I will be your instructor here. You may call me either Professor Stein, or just simply Stein if you wish. You should introduce yourselves to each other."

Without loosing composure or even moving a muscle, the boy in the robes spoke. "My name is Suzuki Eisen. I am a Weapon. That is all."

The girl straightened out a bit. "What's the point of the formal introductions? It's just us four." She paused when Stein's expression remained the same. "Fine. My name is Fumihiko Sayoko. I'm a Weapon too. Jeez, was this necessary?" She finished, muttering.

Natsumi stood up. "I-I am Tsushima Natsumi. I am a Meister…" She quickly sat back down.

This is not going to be an easy bunch. Stein thought. "That'll do, I suppose. Now, between us four, there will be no secrets kept from each other. Your souls are each unique in the fact that you were unable to find anyone who was able to match your souls wavelengths."

Fumihiko interrupted. "Of course they couldn't! Someone like those people wouldn't possible be able to even conceive such a thought of being able to match a soul wavelength like mine! I'm a weapon of such intense beaut-"

Stein carried on, apparently uninterested in Fumihiko's speech, or had completely ignored it to begin with. "Therefore, the purpose of this class will be teaching you how to modify your own soul so you can achieve at least a basic soul connection.

"Normally, Soul Modification is considered to be impossible without changing the character and personality of the individual. However, for unique cases such as yours, we will not be performing actual S-Mod. You will be assigned, throughout a period of time, to a Meister and Weapon group, and you will carry out any mission they are given, as well as well as undertaking Extracurricular activities involving sparring.

"This class always seems to have at least one student who fails. This class is particularly small this term, so let's try to avoid that." Stein finished. "For now, your assignment will be to find a group of Meisters and Weapons you prefer to assist in our project, which is to help create compatibility in your soul's wavelengths. We will be meeting in two days. Make your decision wisely, and make sure that at least one representative of your circle will be able to make it with you. Dismissed."

This class is supposed to be an hour and a half! We're out within 15 minutes? What is this? Natsumi grunted mentally. Anyways, who am I supposed to ask to help with this project? Is it a test for us to work together? She thought of her dual Weapon partner fantasy, but disregarded it. She could see from the souls of her classmates that it would be impossible. Fumihiko's soul was haughty, prideful, and eccentric beyond reason. Suzuki's soul was reserved, but even the usually happy expression was solemn, cold, and uncaring. Just looking at it gave Natsumi shivers.

"If we are dismissed, I am leaving." Suzuki Eisen stood up, and almost immediately walked out. Sayoko grunted, following.

Yeah. This isn't going to be the most fun class I've ever taken… With an hour and fifteen minutes before her next class, a simple half-hour Soul Perception class, she decided to wander the halls of Death Academy. She decided to spend her time by visiting the library, and made her way there. As she entered the library, she found familiar faces inside.

Cautiously walking forward, she announced her presence. "H-hey, Kid, Patti, Liz." She found that there was a fourth person she had never seen before. He… Or she, the subject of her inquisition was so androgynous she couldn't make out which. Nevertheless, they sported pink hair and a black dress. Interesting. "And…?"

Kid looked up from a book he had been reading. Patti was still distracted from the manga she was reading, but Liz was unoccupied, and tipped her hat to Natsumi. "Oh, Tsushima. What brings you here at this time?" Kid asked.

Natsumi scratched her head. "My schedule got a sudden upgrade. I have three hours of Extracurricular classes that I'm suddenly taking."

"What, then shouldn't you be in class right now?" Liz asked.

Natsumi shook her head. "Funny story about that, actually. Professor Stein let us go after explaining what the class was about. He also told us our first assignment, which isn't even really homework…"

Kid smirked. "Stein? That must mean… Some sort of remedial course."

Avoiding his eyes, she responded. "You could say something like that. It's more like a… rehabilitation class."

"Soul Compatibility Rehabilitation Class." The boy, Natsumi decided, said.

Kid looked at Crona. "How did you know Crona?"

He pointed at a slip of paper in Natsumi's pocket. Just barely visible from its current position, the name of her class, as well as the time, could be read. "I read the paper in her pocket. Should I have done that?"

Patti, as if she had been in the conversation the entire time, exclaimed, "You're good, but if you didn't tell us how, you could have pretended you were psychic!"

Crona looked startled. "But I don't know how to deal with being psychic! If I was psychic, would I have to read other people's minds? How would I deal with that? I don't know what to do if I was psychic!" He exclaimed.

A small voice piped out of nowhere. "But you're not psychic, punk. Don't worry about it, you won't ever have to deal with it."

"Easy Ragnarok. We can't start something in the library." Liz warned.

"Yeah, fine. I don't care what you guys do. It's a nuisance if this punk gets worried. I might start that again." Ragnarok's voice retreated.

Natsumi's expression was priceless. "W-what was that?"

Kid chuckled. "In time, in time. Anyways, this is Crona." He introduced.

Bowing, Natsumi responded likewise. "Nice to meet you… Crona. I'm Tsushima Natsumi."

Cautiously, he returned the motion. "It's good to meet y-you too."

Patti resumed reading her manga. "Anyways, you said that you had an assignment from this class of yours. What was it?" Kid asked. He stood up, and motioned for Liz and Natsumi to follow. Crona followed regardless.

Natsumi shuddered, remembering how Stein had intimidated her that morning. "W-well… I'm supposed to find a group of Meisters and Weapons." She said.

"Sounds easy enough. There's an abundance of students here at Death Academy." Liz casually stated. "Sounds like a test to get your class together, but that would only be too easy. How many students are in your class?" she asked.

"Just three of us. Our class is so tiny… I thought the same; maybe Professor Stein is going to solve everything by making at least two of us partners. But he said he wanted a representative to come along or something. Someone from the group of Meisters and Weapons I chose to be with. I still have to figure out who I can actually do this with."

Liz looked aghast. "What? Have you never even considered us? We would be more than willing to help with this project!"

Kid froze. In his head, he was doing a head count of the party. Black Star, Tsubaki, Maka, Soul, Tsushima, Liz, Patti, and me. He sighed. "There'd be eight of us, unless Crona is interested." He shot a maniacal look at him. If you join, this beautiful number of eight will be destroyed! Annihilated!

"S-sure, I don't mind helping." Crona replied.

Utter shock coursed through Kid. He looked broken, pale, and his spirit seemed to leave his body. "Oi, Kid? What's wrong?" Liz asked, worriedly.

Barely conscious, Kid muttered intelligibly. "There'll be nine of us… It's not symmetrical… There's no way that you can make the number nine symmetrical… But the shape… There may be hope!" Suddenly life began to blaze in his eyes. "There's eleven lines of symmetry in a nonagon! Eleven is vertically and horizontally symmetrical… In certain fonts… And there would be the same amount of people on either side of me!"

Natsumi backed up. "Wh-what's wrong with Kid!?" She asked in shock.

Liz sighed. "He's obsessed with symmetry. It's nearly gotten him killed before, too." She explained to Natsumi. "KID! Listen up!" She barked. "Before Crona, there were only seven of us! You survived then, didn't you? And even before you met the others, it was just us three!"

Death the Kid raised a finger. "Ah, but in a heptagon, there would be three on each side of me, which is horizontally symmetrical. There's also rotational symmetry in a heptagon…"

At this point, even Patti joined in. "Aw, snap out of it Kid! Just dismiss it like you do with the stripes on your head!"

Blood spilled out of Kid's mouth.

After the symmetry affair was concluded, the group noticed how much time had passed. With little under five minutes to be at her next class, Natsumi bid her friends goodbye. I called them… My friends! She realized, as she rushed towards her next extra class.

Arriving at her next class, she stopped to look at the sign of the room. It read Black Moon. She walked into the lecture hall, remembering that this short class was supposed to be a one-on-one class. Expecting to see Stein, due to prior circumstances, she was surprised to see someone completely new in the room. Or rather, dead. And decayed. Unsure of how to approach the subject, since the zombie-like character had not noticed her yet, she froze at the hallway, her look of mild pleasance etched onto her face.

Behind Natsumi, a clock clicked, and created something of a thud. The zombie looked up to the clock, but instead saw Natsumi, and waved. "You must be Tsushima, correct?" Natsumi was still etched in shock. "You may call me Sid. I was once a man of science, and even to this day, I am a teacher. A longing to help mould the minds of children, that's the kind of man I was."

"HUAH?" Far from a legendary and levelheaded greeting. It took her several seconds for her to recompose herself. "Guh… Uh… N-nice to meet you, Professor Sid?"

Sid clapped. "That is who I was. Now, you have what appears to be a perfect attendance so far. The first day counts, or at least, that's what the man I used to be thought." He paused, setting a stack of papers on his desk. "Now. Franken Stein recommended that you take one of these classes. Do you know why?"

"I have Soul Perception?"

"Yes. Not only, but you have an innate prowess with it as well, apparently. I'm going to test that, along with the one other theory that Franken has given me." Sid scratched his chin. "I think that it might be easier to test that theory out later in a group Extracurricular meeting. For now, don't worry about it as Franken is experimenting with an ability that is far too rare for it to show up on his doorstep."

Natsumi tilted her head. "You can't just tell me, then not tell me. You can, but… Telling me not to be interested makes me more interested."

"Senrigan, or a variant of it. Extremely rare, extremely useful, potential in your blood. This man believes it might be possible." He stopped, and brought out several small trinkets. "Now enough dilly-dallying. Let's begin your lesson."

A half hour later, the class ended. It consisted of nothing but how far along Natsumi's Soul Perception had progressed. In the end, it felt like she had made no progress at all, but Sid had dismissed it, saying that the kind of man who knows where to start is the kind of man he once was.

Her final class was with Lord Death's personal Death Scythe, Spirit. She recalled her previous encounter, although at the time, he didn't know that she would be a student, she still doubted him. Her last class, Class Silver Blade, was smaller than most of the other lecture halls she had been in. Spirit stood behind the podium, his back to the door.

"Excuse me?" Natsumi called, walking in.

Spirit turned around. "You are… The girl that I escorted earlier." He acknowledged. "Sorry, but I actually canceled the class for today. Something's come up. As far as I can see, I might have to keep canceling this class." He seemed oddly serious. Well, at least, more serious than he did earlier. "Have a good evening. If anyone turns up, could you do me a favor and stay behind a couple of minutes and tell them that class was canceled?"

"Sure?" Natsumi said. As soon as Spirit left, she took a shortcut and simply wrote that class had been canceled on a blackboard, and left herself.

And thus, Natsumi was incorporated into the life at Death City. True enough, the rain kept on for two more days, but taking company in Soul and Maka, who also conveniently accepted to be the representatives of her circle, she spent the first week in bliss.

Blinded by distractions of a new semester, only a select few saw the coming disaster.