"I'm glad you're awake again, when professor stein said you weren't going to live through the night, I was afraid you would give up. I think Ragnarok might have, he hasn't come out or-"

"He's probably just really tired, it takes a lot outta you to be sick like this, maybe he's trying to rest." Soul said weakly. He had been slipping in and out of consciousness for four days after waking up two days after his illness had progressed. Soul's strength was for the most part gone. He struggled constantly to be awake. Crona would leave his bed and sit beside Soul, talking to him and hoping that his friend could somehow hear him.

"Soul," he would say softly.

"Soul, you have to get up, I know we keep telling you that, and I know you're tired in more than one way. Everyone mentions Maka and how much she needs you. I'm not going to tell you that tonight." Crona paused briefly.

"Maka would want the best for you too,she wouldn't like knowing you have so much pain, it hurts me because you're my friend, you always put everyone first when you have to and you're the strongest person I know. We can't expect you to keep this up for us. You do a lot for her, I just want you to know that I see you trying to come back to us, you're struggling with this but I'm glad you're still here. I'll keep my promise to you, Maka will be looked after but I know she'll be much happier with you taking care of one can take your place in her life." He was surprised but grateful that Soul had decided that Stein was wrong. Though it had taken a while, Soul had indeed pulled himself back. Now Crona's fears were somewhat quieted.

"It's good to have you back Soul, Maka's going to be very happy to see you when she gets back, that's why you're fighting so much isn't it,for her?"

"She's the only reason, if it was just me,I wouldn't be doing this,sorry about the moment of weakness, but I couldn't handle it and I was -"

"no one can be strong all the time.i can't think of what happened to you as you being weak at all though. You were hurting really bad it's understandable. I can see why Maka tells me that she wants to be strong like you." Crona smiled.

"Did anyone saw anything about Tsubaki?"

"I heard Spirit say she's not doing really good but she's got a firm grip."

"Good, she'll be fine, she knows Black Star needs her, even if he doesn't admit to it." Soul's voice was becoming more faint and his eyes were beginning to close.

"Soul, you're not going to pass out again are you, should I call for professor Stein?" Soul didn't reply

"Wake up Soul, you can't do that again." Crona stood up and took a step toward the bed. He took hold of his bed to steady himself. Crona slowly reached Soul's bed and sat down. He took a damp cloth and began to dab the boy's face and forehead with it.

"Come on Soul, please don't do this open your eyes and look at me, for Maka." For several minutes Crona continued, calling to his friend. Soul struggled but managed to open his eyes as Stein came to check on them.

"Crona,you have to stay in bed, you can't afford to overexert yourself. Lie down."

"But Soul was-"

"if there's a problem, call for me and I'll take a look." He helped Crona back to bed and turned back to Soul. The young weapon was noticeably paler and moaning softly

"Soul, is it your stomach again?"Stein asked placing his hand on Soul's head.

"He did it again, we were talking and he passed out,that's why I was out of bed." Stein nodded.

"Alright, Soul, how are you feeling today?"

"Sick." He said weakly,he seemed to be having trouble focusing.

"Like vomiting sick?" Soul nodded.

"Still in pain?"

"Yeah. Feels worse."

"Alright, let's have a look." Stein carefully moved Soul's shirt and put his hands on the boy's belly. He pressed lightly on the area and allowed the pressure to slowly increase. Soul gasped.

"It's guarded." He said as he pulled Soul's red shirt back into place and covered Soul with the blanket.

"W-what's that?" Soul asked attempting to recover from the pain.

"Your stomach is involuntarily rigid. This can happen when you get a stomach ache and it's your body trying to protect you from the pain."

"It's not doing a very good job." Soul said feeling himself getting ready to vomit.

"Do you need something to throw up in?" Stein asked helping his patient to lay on his side and managed to get the wastebasket over to the bedside as Soul could no longer hold it in.

Stein sighed as he sat beside the ill boy.

"It's best for it to come out now, try to relax." The man soothed, he appeared to be calm but his mind was not. The crimson fluid that was coming from the boy could only mean that he was somehow bleeding internally, something Stein hadn't seen with the illness,leaving him to assume that the students had died before reaching this stage and the ones who still remained, had not yet entered this stage.

When Soul had finished, Stein leaned him back onto his back, carefully resting his head on the pillow. Soul was barely consciousness and his breathing was labored.

"You made it this far, I need you to help me figure this out." Stein told him, he dipped a cloth into the container of cool water and called for Spirit. It was clear as Crona watched that Soul's pain worsened.

"What's wrong?"Spirit asked rushing over?"

"sit here with Soul, as of right now he's going to need you at his bedside as much as you can, when you have to get up, you call me."

"He's-"

"Just sit there." Stein picked up the wastebasket carefully.

"What are you -"

"He's the only one that got this far, maybe with a new approach we can come up with something."

"Queen Rhiannon, I bring you good news." The quiet voice said as the figure knelt before its queen.

"What is it Tsugami?" The cold voice asked.

"The school has responded to your work by sending children, none of which have a weapon. The only one I can foresee being a problem is the young reaper."

"A reaper is no match for me Tsugami. Everything is perfect, go to Yuri and have the guests escorted to me as quickly as you can. The sooner i deal with them, the faster it will be to achieve my goal." Tsugami gave a short bow and then rushed from the room. It wouldn't be long before Rhiannon completed the task.