For once, I woke up in a hospital bed because I was sleepy, not because I passed out. I woke up but kept my eyes closed sorting out what I was going to do. 1. Ride with Kylie on my Harley Davidson. 2. Give Maka a giant kiss. 3. Call Ma. 4. Apologize for not inviting Ma to my birthday party that I didn't want to have.
I felt someone move on my bed, and I opened my eyes. And there, right in front of me, was Maka, her hair in ponytails and her big olive eyes looking directly at me.
"Hey." Maka smiled.
"Hey." I smiled. "I got to keep all ten digits."
"I noticed." Maka said, giving me a quick kiss on the lips. But, Maka lingered for a moment and asked "Why did you jump off a bridge?"
"I was afraid of hurting someone." I said.
"Why do keep worrying me?" Maka asked, tears in her olive eyes. Tears in her olive eyes were the last things I wanted to see right now.
"Maka, what's wrong?" I asked.
"You keep e-ending up in h-hospitals, and I-I keep worrying about you." Maka sobbed. I never saw her cry like this.
"I'm okay. I'll always be okay." I said.
"You can't promise that." Maka said. "Stop hurting yourself for others."
"Maka, I-"
"Please, Riley, just promise me that you won't sacrifice yourself for others." Maka said.
"I promise." I said, and Maka lunged forward, giving me a giant hug, crying. I hugged back, just feeling her against me.
After a few minutes, Maka let go of me. "Riley, you should get ready." Maka said.
"What for?" I asked.
"We're meeting Shinigami-san soon." Maka said.
"Why?" I asked.
" Kylie's being made a Death Scythe." Maka said, smiling.
"Huh? Kylie and I have, like, one afreet egg and one witch soul." I said.
"Two, actually. Shinigami-san says that after you've given so much for the DWMA you deserve to be recognized." Maka said, laughing she was so happy.
"Before we go," I said, "you need to tell me your story. I told you mine."
Maka nodded. "It all started when we fought Jack the Ripper..."
Later, in the Death Room
"Heya! Hiya! Heya!" Shinigami-san said, turning to look at Kylie and I. All of our friends and some of our family (Ma and Grandpa Murphy, who, as it turns out, was the Death Scythe of Ireland) were standing behind us. Kylie was wearing a black dress while I was wearing a suit and tie (Ma wouldn't let me leave in my Ireland Rugby, which angered Grandpa Murphy. So we compromised and I wore a four-leaf clover tie. Kylie actually wanted to wear her dress.)
"Hello, Shinigami-san." Kylie said.
"Hey, Shinigami-san." I said.
"Feeling better, Riley?" Shinigami-san asked.
"Yeah. I feel great." I said.
"Good to hear. So, Kylie's gonna be a Death Scythe, right?" Shinigami-san asked.
"If you want me to be." Kylie said.
"And you're going to be her Meister?" Shinigami-san said.
"Yeah." I nodded.
"Alright then. Congratulations!" Shinigami-san flashed a peace-sign.
'That was quick.' I thought.
"If you want, Riley, I could get Stein to give you some wavelength lessons." Shinigami-san said. "It'd be better than carrying around a butcher-knife."
"I would like that, Shinigami-san." I said.
"I would gladly teach him." Stein said, walking in with Ms. Marie. Stein put a hand on my shoulder and smiled.
"Thanks, Dr. Stein." I said.
Stein looked surprised. "Why are you thanking me?"
"You taught me, patched me up several times, and helped me out after the Medusa-fight." I said. "I'd have died without you." I turned to the small crowd of my friends and family. "Thanks to all you guys!" I smiled. Kylie took a modest bow. I walked over to Maka and held her hand. "I got a hot girlfriend that beat the crap out of the Kishin, I'm Kylie's Meister, and I can still walk. How could this get any better."
"I'm gonna be stayin' with ya' fer a bit, Riley-boy." Grandpa Murphy said in a very, very old-timey Irish accent. He had dark, leathery skin, emerald eyes, and long, grey, blown-back hair, and a scraggly grey beard.
"That's great!" I smiled, shaking my Grandpa's hand.
"Eh...Riley, did you catch a word of that?" Maka asked. Judged on everyone's face in the room, I was the only one who understood my Grandpa.
"He said he's staying for a bit." I said.
"Oh." Everyone, even Shinigami-san, said.
"That's cool." Kylie said.
"Yer such a cute teensy weensy thing, ain't cha'?" Grandpa Murphy said, smiling. "Wish I could see ya' mer often, but my job's lot harder than people think."
"Eh...sure, Grandpa." Kylie said.
'Oy.' I thought. 'This might get a bit complicated.'
