CJM- No, that works, too! Thanks, I'll use your rhyme instead (and give you the credit of course).
TheAUWalker- Thank you ^^
Confetti108- Thanks, I really like Ophelia, too =) She's fun to write
Imaginefun- That's alright, and I'm glad you think this one is going to be good, too!
I'm happy this is getting such a positive response ^^ I know a lot of people don't like OCs (myself kind of included as long as they are well developed), so thank you to those who are giving the story a chance!
I do not own Soul Eater, only Ophelia! (UPDATED: 2/4/15)
"You know, you've been doing this for three weeks now." She placed a cup of tea in front of him.
He pointed his scythe at her throat threateningly. "Are you patronizing me?"
She gently nudged the scythe away from her. He had done this too often for it to have any effect on her now. "No, not at all. I'm just wondering how come you haven't taken my soul yet."
He didn't know why. It seemed every time he tried, he couldn't bring himself to slice through her body. That didn't deter him from going to her home every week to at least attempt to kill her. They had fallen into a schedule, it seemed, and now she had tea waiting for him when he showed up. Her name was beginning to fade off his list. He didn't know what that meant, but he doubted it was a good sign.
"I told you, wrong human."
She rolled her eyes. "Death doesn't make mistakes, especially twenty one times. And then you hang around here drinking tea and asking me about my flowers."
Death huffed indignantly and stood up. "Why do you want your soul to be taken? Humans don't want to die."
"Not this human." Ophelia pointed to herself.
He blinked. "Why?"
She sat down and looked at her hands. She shrugged. "It just seems...interesting. What is there after life?"
He could tell she was lying, but decided not to call her out on it. She looked at him expectantly. Surprised, Death shrugged. "Even I don't know. I only collect the souls."
"Oh." She seemed somewhat disappointed with his answer.
Death shook his head. What was he doing here, sitting and speaking to this human? He had much more important things to do than listen to a silly human. Like hunting down that damned Arachne. He had been so close to finding her after a fairly quick battle, but she disappeared. In fact, now that he thought about it, her soul wavelength had completely disappeared. He could only assume one of the witches finally caught her. Well, at least it made his job a lot easier, only issue now was dealing with all the weapons she had created. None of the ones he had met were malevolent, resulting in them keeping their lives, and most of them were only able to work with a meister, like Vajra. It would be burdensome to find them all meisters so they could work properly, not to mention finding them a purpose. He supposed they could live normal lives but doubted some would be keen on the idea.
"Mr. Death?" He looked at her.
"Just call me Death. It's ridiculous that you add an honorific in front of my name." He said with distaste.
Her face flushed with embarrassment. "Sorry. What do you look like behind that mask?"
The question shouldn't have surprised him, but he cringed nonetheless. "Nothing."
Her brow crinkled. "'Nothing?' That isn't an answer. Are you just a blob beneath your cloak and mask? There's nothing human at all?"
"Of course not!" He snapped and backed away. Speaking about humans was suddenly a touchy subject for him. Especially since he began to notice the good in humans. It brought out an uncomfortable sensation he had yet been able to identify, all he knew it was something he hadn't felt in a long time.
"But-" He silenced her with a cuff to the head.
"If you don't stop asking me questions, I'm going to split your head open!" He warned.
Ophelia rubbed her now sore head and glared at him. "Don't you think you should have warned me before you hit me?"
Death rolled his eyes and turned his back on her. "I've more important things to do than speak with you. I will return next week for your soul."
He always parted the same way, confused and a little frustrated, and she always answered the same way. "Alright, Death. I'll be sure to prepare myself for Elysium."
He left her house, ignoring the townspeople backing away from him cautiously. Despite his constant presence, they had not adjusted to him yet. It didn't necessarily bother him but he did find it to be annoying. When he got to the outskirts of the town, he sensed a familiar wavelength. It was hiding behind a tree at the beginning of the forest. He paused in the road and turned his head to look at the tree. Eibon stepped out from behind the tree, his robes rustling with the movement.
"How long have you been there?" Death asked.
"Not too long. Death, why have you not taken that human's soul?" Eibon joined him by his side and the two continued to walk.
Death felt a small twinge of dismay. He had been hoping Eibon would know. After all, Eibon seemed to know everything. "I am not sure. Every time I try, I can't. It's almost like she's a witch."
"She is only a human. You would not show mercy to a witch just as you have never shown mercy to a human. Death, your lack of action against her will have dire consequences."
"Like what?" He couldn't keep the challenging tone out of his voice.
Eibon paused. "Humans, without exception, must die. You are Order, you know this. They are not meant to live forever; they are very fragile creatures. They cannot even comprehend our existence without titling us as gods."
"You think I don't know that?" Death grumbled.
Eibon continued, ignoring Death's interruption, "If one human does not die, the balance is tilted. Not to mention...the psychological effects."
Death looked at his old friend curiously. "'Psychological effects?'"
"Yes. For the sake of hypothesis let us say a human who lives about three hundred years more than they should have. Currently, humans live to be about forty three years old. They, if they are fortunate, do not witness the deaths of all they cared about. On the other hand, a human who lives three hundred years would watch every person he or she ever cared about—and then some—die. Do you follow where I am going with this?" Though he could not see the wizard's face, he felt his sharp gaze on his mask.
"They would succumb to madness." Death finished for him.
Eibon nodded. "That is correct. This human, Ophelia Thioren, is fading from your list. When her name disappears completely she will be similar to a death god. She will be immortal, in a sense. Or, so is my hypothesis. I have no definitive theory about this as I don't recall a time it had ever happened before. Your father, Shi, was not merciful toward humans nor did he ever make exceptions."
Another emotion settled over his dismay like a blanket. Disappointment. No, he was definitely unlike his predecessor. Even now, nearly one and a half centuries after Shi's demise, Death could still feel his foreboding soul wavelengths, bathing the earth with their hateful aura.
"Is this why you have seeked me out, Eibon; to tell me what I already know?" He murmured.
"Yes...and no. I have concerns about Asura." Death looked at him sharply. A fatherly protective feeling filled him.
"What concerns?"
"His erratic behavior, for one thing. Vajra has also disappeared, which is peculiar. Asura never lets him out of his sight. His wavelengths are...different." He could almost see Eibon frowning behind his mask.
"Do you think he is straying from the path?" Death prompted. It would be a shame if he was.
"It is only a fear of mine, but yes. I think he is on the way of becoming the first Kishin. Death, you know what we must do. I know he is your apprentice and you hold him in high regard, but-"
"My feelings are meaningless." Death cut him off. Eibon looked at him. "If he is straying from the path, he must be put down. I will keep your concerns in mind. Have Black Mass follow him; see if he can find Vajra."
Eibon nodded. "Yes."
The two froze when they suddenly felt an overwhelming wavelength. Death had never felt anything so potent and for minute, had trouble identifying it. It was distorted, but one wavelength washed over him that felt recognizable.
"It seems my concerns have been reported too late." Eibon said regretfully.
Death ignored him and ordered, "Gather the others."
Eibon disappeared and Death rushed toward the wavelength. It was coming from Ophelia's town and he paused at the top of the hill overlooking the town. His eyes widened.
"Oh, no."
The town was desecrated, leveled by an unseen entity. What remaining houses were left were smoldering, thick black plumes billowing up into the sky, darkening it. Even from where he was standing, Death could hear the painful cries and moans. The very human feeling of loss startled him, but he put it out of his mind. He needed to help the survivors.
He couldn't wait for his warriors; they wouldn't get there in time. Death hurried to the town, looking for any survivors. He spotted a woman and a child and gently pushed them in the direction of the forest, the air thick with the smoke.
"Get to the forest and hide." He said, ignoring the woman's frightful gaze.
He headed toward Ophelia's house and stopped. It was ablaze, the flames making quick work of her flowers. He felt a pang and looked at his list. Her name was gone. He didn't know what that meant; whether she was dead or like him now. He was about to turn away, thinking she was destroyed when he felt a pulse of her wavelength. Then, he heard coughing coming from inside the house. Death rushed inside, knocking the door off its hinges, squinting his eyes. The fire roared and he yelled, "Where are you?"
Another cough, weaker than the last, was barely heard over the flames. A hoarse little cry, "H-here!"
He followed the little spurts of wavelengths past her living room and into the kitchen. It hadn't been touched by the fire yet but the thick smoke had filled the room. Death looked around wildly, unable to see her in the smoke.
"Ophelia!" He bellowed. Another wavelength and he turned.
Ophelia was tucked away in a corner, her face buried in the skirt of her dress. Death approached her and scooped her up. She looked up at him in alarm, her face streaked with soot and tears.
"D-Death? What about my soul?" She asked, her voice hoarse.
"You aren't on my list anymore." He answered, covering her with his cloak.
He felt her cling to him and rushed out of the kitchen. The path he had originally taken was now blocked by the fire. He could feel its heat from where he stood and began to scan the room, panic beginning to bloom in his chest. The front door was in flames and the kitchen was at the start of being on fire. He glanced at the bay window. Fire was licking at the plants on the sill.
Tightening his grip on the body under his cloak, he released his Shinigami Jets and put them into full thrust. He bursted through the glass and shut the jets off the moment they were out of the house. He left the town and removed his cloak from around Ophelia. She hugged his neck tightly, still coughing violently. He himself could feel the smoke in his lungs, but struggled to refrain from coughing. He wasn't going to show such an undignified response after he just risked his own life to save her.
He carried her to the forest where the townspeople were cowering and set her down on the cool grass. An elderly woman dragged her closer to where the others were huddled, hugging her and glaring at him.
"Thank you, Death." Ophelia said, smiling shakily at him. She was still crying.
He paid her thanks no mind and looked at the townspeople before looking at his list. So many of their names were on his list now.
"When I am done dealing with this threat, I will return to collect the souls of the dead and dying. If you are dying, I suggest you pray." He turned and headed back to the town. He could feel the wavelength was still present, hiding amongst the wreckage.
"Death!" Four of his eight warriors ran over to him.
"Where are the others?" He demanded, looking around as though he expected them to pop out.
The Black Mass replied, "Asura devoured their souls. He ate Vajra as well, while he was still in weapon form."
Fury burned inside him and he bellowed, "Asura!"
It only took a moment, but Asura appeared before his former mentor. Instead of cowering like he usually did, however, he was smiling lucidly, his body languorous. He had even removed his scarves, revealing his face. His third eye was squinting from his smiling and he tugged at the collar of his shirt like he was warm.
"Hello, Master." He greeted happily.
"You unforgiveable wretch! You have thrown the world out of balance and devoured human souls as well as your allies! This is an act punishable by death." Death pulled out his scythe.
Asura cackled, grinning. "Wouldn't you have done the same? Our existence is enough to drive humans to insanity. You, yourself, have condemned a human to madness! And since when did you care about the human souls you reap?"
Death clenched his scythe tightly in his hands. "The only thing I care about is Order. That is what I am in charge of! As a Grim Reaper, it is my responsibility to ensure all humans follow the path of Order and Justice so that the world remains balanced. You, however, have defied this path and singlehandedly ruined it. Ruined everything my predecessors worked so hard to prevent!"
"This 'order' you continuously preach about. Have you ever truly given a thought about it? You say you are open minded, so think about the possibility that perhaps 'order' is what drives humans to madness. It's certainly what drove me to it." Asura replied, his grin gone.
"No, it was your own cowardice that led you to this point! Kishin Asura, your soul is mine!" Death lunged forward, scythe ready to rip through the first Kishin's body.
"Death, don't!" Eibon's warning came too late.
All Death could focus on was making Asura pay for destroying the balance and Ophelia's flowers.