Maka and Kid just sat silently, staring across the table in the VIP room, waiting for the blonde boy to explain himself. There was no mistaking it, the collar he'd dropped was the same one that Tsubaki had given Dotew, the same one he'd been wearing like a badge of honor that morning. Maka got fed up with his silence and slammed her hands against the table, "Who are you?!"

The boy flinched at the question, "… I'm…"

Kid squinted, "You are Dotew, aren't you? Your features have been smoothed out a bit, probably using cosmetics, but your face and voice altogether are the same. Unless Dotew has a twin, which I seriously doubt"

The blonde sighed, "… Yeah, it's me", with a wave of his hand, his hair darkened to its natural brown, "I didn't mean to deceive you, it's just that I really need this right now"

Maka tilted her head, "Why?"

"I found a dress for Master Tsubaki, but I can't afford it yet. I've been working ever since I found it, and this is the only place where I can work at this hour. And…"

"And…?"

"When the day of the dance arrives, I won't be in control of myself, my alternate personality, Ares, will"

"You have an alternate personality?"

"That's why I need this tonight that much more, here, everything I say and do is 100% what I believe and think. I just need the control and safety I feel here while I can still get it"

Maka felt bad, she had no idea he felt so vulnerable, even though he was insanely strong. Kid stood up, "I have no intention of disturbing you while you are conducting activities that are good for you, however, I must ask that you hear out my request"

Dotew looked up at him, "Request?"

"Like I said, I need your expertise"

"What expertise?"

"You are the leader of this establishment, are you not? Isn't it true that you are very well-hearsed in the ways of impressing women?"

"Hold up", Dotew ran his hand through his hair, turning it back into a light, beautiful blonde, "I'm sorry, but I cannot be serious unless I am focused"

Kid crossed his arms, "I would politely ask that you teach me how to… impress a girl"

Maka looked at him with her jaw on the ground while Dotew shook his head, "You're already taking the wrong approach, first, if you just want to make an impression, you wouldn't come here. Second, what you really want to do is make an impact, you want this girl to see you for who you are, don't you?"

Kid was stunned, he was by all means, correct, "That's…"

Maka was impressed, it was the first time she'd ever seen Kid sweat over something that had nothing to do with symmetry. Dotew put his hands on Kid's shoulders, "This isn't the time to hesitate and think, if right now, at this moment, this girl was looking at you, what would you say to her?"

Kid's mind was bombarded with things he wanted to be able to say, unfortunately, the best his mouth could perform was, "… Hello…?"

Dotew smiled, "That's what your mouth says, what does this say?", Dotew placed his index finger on Kid's chest, right over his heart, "Don't be afraid, just let it out"

Kid's knees shook and his stomach felt tight, he wasn't sure he had it in him, "I… I…"

Dotew smiled, "There you go, just a little more"

"L… love…"

"Almost there…"

Kid's nerve broke, "… no, I can't say it"

Dotew nodded, "Good job, Kid"

"What for? I couldn't say it…"

"So? You came out to a dirty mansion in the middle of the night just to make sure you didn't mess up. It's not about the words you say, it's how and when you say them. If you said them right now, they'd mean little to nothing, but if you find that one moment, when the time is right, you tell her how you feel, and don't be afraid. With your dedication and true feelings, you can't go wrong, just do what feels right"

Kid was stunned, "But what if-"

"No 'what if's, 'what if's are for cowards. What you need to think isn't 'what if', but, 'it will'. Not, 'what if she hears how I feel', 'she will know how I feel', that's the change you need to make"

Maka thought about it, that kind of advice sounded like an all-or-nothing ultimatum. Maka wondered if that was alright for someone that was so easily offset by a lose of control over small details to attempt. But Kid didn't seem opposed to it, "Make sure she knows…?"

Dotew nodded, "I can't give you a promise it'll work, but if you really do love her, then this is the right way to go", he smiled convincingly, then his expression faded into a distant stare.

Maka tapped him on the shoulder, "Dotew? You alright?"

After a long pause, Dotew yawned and stretched his arms, "Finally, I thought he'd never give out"

"What are you talking about?"

Dotew drew his face into a sharp, wicked grin, "Now, it's time to have some fun"

Dotew turned to leave when Maka grabbed him by the shoulder, "Dotew, where are you going?"

He brushed her hand off, "I ain't the kid, I'm Ares, and I say we get this party started"

"You're Dotew's alternate personality?"

Ares scoffed, "I hate it when he calls me that. Listen up, runt, I'm Ares, the embodiment of battle, and if you're gonna keep playing me down, I'm gonna show you how it feels to have every bone in your body broken at the same time, chapice?"

Kid pointed at him, "Maka, look at his soul!"

Maka took a quick peek to find that his soul was completely different from when she'd seen if before, the strong and gentle had now become arrogant and violent, "What the?"

Ares ran his hand through his hair, "Get it through your thick skulls, I'm not a part of this kid's brain, I'm a spirit that got sealed in his soul"

"How would that happen?"

"A little black magic and a whole lot of patience can get you farther than you'd expect. I only get as much time as I can take, so if you'll excuse me, I haven't had a good party in quite some time, so I'm off to have a VERY good time"

"Wait! What about Dotew?"

"The kid? He exhausted himself, mentally and physically, working himself to the bone to try and buy some dress for his master. I really don't care, so I'm gonna take my time while the getting's good"

"And what about Tsubaki's dress?"

"Like I said, I don't care"

"So, what, you're just going to force him into not getting it because you're bored?"

"He could get it whenever he wants, just a wave of the hand, and he could make one, easy"

"He said it meant too much for him to use magic to make it"

"… He said that?"

"Yeah, he said that it would be meaningless if he just did it that way"

Ares sighed, "I swear… the kid's a charmer, I'll give him that. Fine, where am I right now?"

"The Venus café"

"Why doesn't that surprise me? Do either of you two know what time it is?"

Kid answered swiftly, "It is eight fifteen"

"Damn, well, there's only two things to do at a time like this"

"And those things are…?"

"Give up and party like there's no tomorrow"

"Or…?"

"No, that's it"

"You're a special kind of stupid, aren't you?"

"Hey! I was joking! Get a sense of humor, anyway, the best thing we can do is go down to the fighting ring"

"Fighting ring?"

"Yeah, there's a special martial arts dojo about ten miles away from Death City, it's a small place, but they only accept world-class fighters. If we go, make some bets, win some fights, we'll get the money in no time"

"We are not exactly average fighters, I don't think we'll be fighting fairly if we enter"

"You and your conscious… don't worry, there are seals all over the place, so no magic can be used on the inside. It doesn't matter what you do, if it's a spell or aura of any kind, it dissipates the second you walk through that door. Same goes for special ability, even if I walked in there, I would only have the strength that this body can provide, not that that's anything to sneeze at"

Maka gave Ares a dirty look, "What's with this 'we'? I don't know any special martial arts"

Ares bared his fangs, "If you think you're getting out of this, think again. I'm good, but I can't win all the cash we need, the two of you are coming with me to help win the money, even if I have to drag you"

Kid got right in his face, "And if we refuse?"

Ares held up a reciete, "Then you can pay for your fees as a customer here, along with the personal counciling"

Kid looked at the bill, "You… can't be serious!"

Ares shrugged, "This place wasn't built on cheap dirt, Dotew has to set the bar high, or it'll all come crashing down. Normally, he'd let the two of you off the hook, but since I ain't him, you've got to pay"

Maka walked over to look at the bill, "How bad could it be?", she reached the bottom numbers, "… This is more digits than my phone number…"

"If you hadn't used the VIP room, it would've been cut in half, but you pushed for both the privacy and an explanation. So what'll it be? Are you going to come quietly, or…", Ares flashed a red aura, turning his hair the same color and effectively intimidating the two of them,"… is this gonna get messy?"

Kid and Maka looked to each other, then nodded, the choice was obvious…

Blackstar stared angrily out his window, he'd given up on being bored, now he focused his attention on the rumors swirling around the school. None of them had to with him, if it wasn't a rumor about Dotew, it was one about some weird mansion, or some fear-using miester, or something that had nothing to do with him. Well, enough was enough, he dove out of his window and started walking towards Tsubaki's place.

He'd settle who was really the best assassin ever, by killing Dotew. At least, that's what he was thinking, whenever he heard Tsubaki calling out from behind him, "Dotew! Dotew! Dotew, where are you, please come home!"

Blackstar turned to see that Tsubaki was running in his direction, and she only stopped when she needed to catch her breath. She hadn't even noticed him until he spoke, "Something wrong, Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki spoke between pants, "Dotew… café… curry… girl…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, slow down and talk"

"This girl… at Uncle Bob's café… made curry… just like Dotew's… and he hasn't come home yet…"

"I thought he had to do whatever you told him to? Why isn't he coming to you?"

"I don't know. I'm worried about him, Blackstar, can you help me find him?"

"Well, he's a dog… so where do dogs go when they run off?"

"I don't know, chasing cars, digging through trash, dogs usually stay close to their owners"

"Well, is there anybody who is supposed to watch him, other than you?"

"No, I can't think of anybody…"

"What about Lord Death?"

"Lord Death?"

"Yeah, Lord Death knows him pretty good, right? Wouldn't he have an idea where Dotew went?"

"Good thinking, Blackstar!", Tsubaki walked over to a window and wrote the numbers on it, opening up a line to a very sleepy-looking reaper.

Lord Death yawned, "Tsubaki? Is that you? It's getting late, shouldn't you be getting some sleep right about now?"

"Lord Death, Dotew hasn't come home yet, I've looked all over for him, but I can't find him anywhere, do you know wher he could've gone?"

The reaper sighed, "Hm… that's strange, as long as I've known him, Dotew has never been out longer than he's supposed to be. But, there are two places he might be at this time of night"

"Where?"

"The first is a special martial-arts dojo not too far out of town, it's a dangerous place where even the strongest of fighters can be brought to their knees in mere seconds. If I had to bet, that's probably where he is now"

"What about the second place?"

"Oh, don't worry, around this time of year, Dotew doesn't visit there very often. It's a wonderful place, but if his heart isn't in it, Dotew won't go. Just take a quick look at the outside of the dojo, if his name is upside-down on the plaque near the door, it means he's inside"

"Thank you, Lord Death!"

"Good luck!"

Blackstar cracked his knuckles, "A martial arts dojo, huh? Finally, a place where I can show off my ultimate assassin skills!"

Tsubaki felt sweat run down her forehead, "Just don't do anything too crazy, okay?"

Ares kicked the door open, and the inside of the dojo became silent, of every tough-looking fighter in the room, none of them had the guts to say anything to him. Maka and Kid followed him slowly, both of them extremely mad, but the cloth in their mouths and chains around their arms made it hard for them to complain. They had no idea Ares was skilled enough to subdue them without hurting them, and now, they realized that Ares was more serious about helping Dotew than they were.

Ares held his left hand up, "Alright, listen up! Ares is here, and he's accepting challenges!"

One of the tough-looking guys stood up, "How do we know you aren't Dotew?"

Ares pulled Maka and Kid's chains, "Because I brought in a better bet than Dotew would, a first-class meister and Lord Death's son, if I had to guess, I'd say they have at least… fourteen objects on them, maybe thirty, including clothes, all worth about maybe ten times more than what you can find at any store. That, and every cent I've got in my pocket, and trust me, I have PLENTY"

The big guy rubbed his chin, "Show us the cash"

Ares flashed a huge stack of bills from his pocket, "This what you're looking for?"

The entire club let out a sigh of relief, "You really are Ares. Alright then, you go change, we'll get you an opponent with a bet to match yours"

Ares smiled as he dragged Maka and Kid behind him, "Pleasure as always", once he reached a big, empty room, he removed the chains and cloths from their mouths.

Maka chopped his head, "What the hell are you doing?!"

Ares brushed the book off of his head, "Getting cash, the only way that Dotew can't"

Kid rubbed his wrists, "Why can't Dotew fight here?"

Ares shook his head, "That kid is one crazy fighter, his martial arts are entirely based off of his incredible tolerance for pain. The only person that hurts worse than he does when he fights is his opponent. Best part is, he only beats them badly enough so they can't fight back, he's never sent anybody to a hospital, ever"

"Could he really fight so unpleasantly?"

"He once broke his arm when he tweaked a punch, he didn't even bother to pull or dodge any punches the entire match. His opponent in that fight refused to fight here ever again, becuase he never wanted to face something like that ever again. The regulars here used to fight against him, train with him, but at some point, he just was too strong for them handle, so he isn't allowed to fight here anymore"

"And you are?"

"On a level playing field, me and Dotew are about on the same level, however, if all our normal powers were taken out of the equation, Dotew's skills alone surpass mine"

"Isn't that… strange?"

"For a kid to surpass a god at his own game? Normally, yeah, it'd be impossible, but for that kid… nothing's impossible", Ares stared at the wall for a moment, letting his comment ruminate, "Anyway, you two should go watch the fight, I like a bigger audience better"

"Wait, what happens if you lose?"

"I won't"

"Okay… but in a parallel universe, what would happen if you lost?"

"Then the two of you would be walking home in bath robes and I would lose all of Dotew's hard-earned money. But like I said, that'll never happen", Ares looked them in the eyes, "I don't know how to lose, that's why I need the kid"

Maka saw the seriousness in his eyes as he spoke, "Come on Kid, if he loses, we'll let him handle it, let's just watch the fight"

Kid followed Maka out the door as Ares sat down. Ares closed his eyes, and thought really hard, "Hey, kid, it's me, Ares"

Ares heard a faint voice in his head, "Ares… I need to…"

"No, kid, you've run yourself into the ground, you get some rest, I promise I'll take care of it"

"You… promise…?"

"Yeah, kid, I promise, no matter what, I'm gonna get you that cash while you rest, alright? You just rest, and let me finish this"

"I… have to… get the… dress…"

"Damn it, kid, that's what I'm doing! I'm gonna fight for it, alright? No magic, no help, just me against the other guy"

"I… have to… earn it…"

"Kid, you can consider this earned, since you… let me see"

"That wasn't… for a reward…"

"And that's why you get one. So shut up and get some rest, if I don't win this, I'll make the dress myself"

"You hate… sowing"

"Do I suck at it?"

"No"

"Then I can do it"

"Thank you… Ares…"

Ares stood up, wrapped his knuckles in bandages, then wrapped some around his mouth, "Anytime, kid"

Blackstar looked at the sign next to the wall, "Yep, that's his sign, upside-down"

Tsubaki was worried, "Why is he here?"

"I think the real question it, why haven't I been here?! This place can't be that great, otherwise, I'd have heard of it! I'm going inside!", Blackstar stormed in, kicking the door open, "Hey, where's Dotew?!"

The fighters, who all were bigger than Blackstar, shivered at the mention of Dotew's name, only one of them had the courage to answer, "He's not here, but Ares is"

Blackstar waved his hand, "Ares, Dotew, whatever his name is, I wanna fight him, now!"

The large fighter pointed to the hallway on his left, "Second door on the right is a changing room, the fight starts in ten minutes, wear the clothes in there"

Blackstar strutted down the hallway, "Finally! A place with a decent crowd!"

Tsubaki looked around nervously, "Ares is here?"

The fighter looked at her, "You know him?"

"Well, not very well, but I know Dotew…"

"Ah… you must be Tsubaki, have you ever seen Dotew fight before?"

Tsubaki shook her head, "No, I haven't"

"Come on, you should watch this fight. Ares is fighting for Dotew tonight, so in a way, I'm sure Ares would appreciate it if you would watch"

Tsubaki let the man lead her to a circular fighting ring, surrounded by several seats, where she sat a seat or two away from the front, "Ares is fighting for Dotew?"

"In his own way, Ares sees objects that are nice, like money or good food, as a sign of affection. So when he comes here, and bets those things, he isn't doing it because he wants more, he's doing it because he needs more. He wouldn't come here unless he had to, either, because when he comes in here, Ares doesn't have the same power he has anywhere else, he's more vulnerable"

Tsubaki thought about that as more people started walking into the room, sitting down and getting ready to watch the fight. The lights went dark as a loud speaker spat out a booming voice, "Honorable ladies and gentlemen, let us begin the martial-art elitist match! First, the challenger, a miester from the DWMA, a dark comet flying by silently, the assassin, Blackstar!"

Blackstar walked out into the ring, looking very please with his introduction, "Oh, yeah! Let's do this!"

"And now, the reigning, eight-year champion, the side that burns with a flair for the fight, Ares!", Tsubaki watched as Ares walked out calmly, his red hair making him look very sinister.

Ares sighed, "So you're Blackstar, huh? I'll try not to drag this out"

Blackstar scoffed, "You're right, I'll make sure this is over in a few seconds"

The announcerspooked over the speaker, "Remeber, fighters, no low-blows, no cheap shots, and no weapons! Begin!"

"Should I put away my fists-", if he had another second, Blackstar might have finished that sentence, but Ares had already started with a hard, right hook to the gut.

Ares followed it up with a left uppercut right into Blackstar's face, "Stay focused!", Ares then began to swing wildly, somehow creating a string of unavoidable attacks. After Blackstar finally found an opening, he unloaded an assault of his own onto Ares, making sure to put some heavy damage on his upper body.

When the first ten-minute round ended, both of them were covered in bruises and only a few more hits away from falling over. Ares spit the blood out of his mouth and looked up, seeing Kid and Maka on the edge of their seats. Ares smiled and started laughing, "Ha ha ha ha ha ha ha! You're tough, star-boy, but now, I'm gonna have to end this"

Blackstar smirked, "At this rate, I'm gonna finish you off in no time!"

"Normally, I'd have to agree, but not tonight…", Ares smiled insanely as he slammed his shoulder into the wall, dislocating it, "… tonight, victory is mine!"

Gasps spread through the crowd, and Tsubaki was confused, "Why did he do that?!"

The fighter looked afraid, "That's one of Dotew's moves… he's going to end it here, with one hit"

"By dislocating his shoulder?"

"Just watch, you'll see it"

Ares stood up as the second round began, his right arm unable to move. Black star showed no mercy, persuing him violently. Ares avoided each attack by turning to his right, until Blackstar was swinging like a madman and Ares was spinning like a top, until in a single motion, Ares stopped all of his momentum, relocating his shoulder and putting every ounce of his strength into a single, insanely strong punch that connected directly with Blackstar's chest.

When Blackstar hit the floor, for ten long seconds, there was silence unlike anything Tsubaki had ever heard before. It was eire, like there had been a murder in front of everyone, yet nobody wanted to talk about it. On the last second, the speaker boomed somewhat quiter, "Ares wins!"

The crowd whispered a little bit before they all left, leaving Tsubaki and the fighter, "Tsubaki, that move was one that Dotew used a few years ago, it was the last fight he had here before he stopped being challenged by any of the other fighters. It's one of his less-painful moves, but still, the fact that Ares used it…"

Tsubaki sighed, "Well, Blackstar is strong…"

"I don't care how tough that kid is, Ares wouldn't ever use one of Dotew's moves, he's been beaten down ten times worse than that and still won, even though he could've used one of Dotew's moves to end it quicker. He must be fighting for something that really matters to Dotew… either that or Dotew tricked us into letting him fight. But Dotew doesn't break the rules"

Tsubaki looked at Ares, he'd taken a good beating, but out of every part of his body, he was gripping his right shoulder hardest. Ares left the ring, still holding onto his shoulder, "Hey, do you know if Dotew has a job?"

"Depends on what you mean by job"

"Does he work at Uncle Bob's?"

"I wouldn't know that for sure, but he did come in smelling like coffee today"

"Thank you", Tsubak left to grab Blackstar, hoping he wasn't hurt.

Ares tucked the money away in his pocket as Maka and Kid walked into the changing room, "What's up?"

Maka looked at his shoulder, "That looked really painful"

"Still stings like a son. Sorry I had to drag you out here, you can get home, right?"

Kid looked at Ares inquisitively, "Where are you going?"

"I have to go buy a dress"

Maka smiled and nodded, "We're fine, you go ahead"

Tsubaki sighed as she walked into her living room, she just missed Ares as he dashed out of the dojo, and then she had to carry an unconscious Blackstar home. She was about to lay down on her bed when she noticed him; Dotew was passed out on the bed already, a sticky note stuck on his shoulder.

Tsubaki picked it up and read it, "Look at the closet", she turned to see another note on her closet door. This one read, "Wear me".

Tsubaki thought out loud, "Wear me?", she opened her closet door and saw it, a beautiful, black dress, it shined from top to bottom, and beneath it, two black stilettos that were just her size. Tsubaki looked back at Dotew, whose hair was a normal brown, as he breathed slowly.

Tsubaki hugged him as she laid down to sleep, "Thank you, Dotew"

Dotew's lips folded themselves into a gentle smile as he dreamed gently.