Chapter Three
Witchcraft and Kishin Eggs
That afternoon I had a meeting scheduled with Doctor Stein. Being the extremely nervous person that I am, I was having a hard time coaxing myself into attending.
However, soon I found myself climbing the steps to the door of Stein's creepy looking laboratory. As I knocked quietly on the door, Blade stood protectively at my side, being the only one with me. Stein had insisted that Blade and I be the only ones to attend the meeting with him, so Kid had said goodbye after school and headed home with Liz and Patty.
Suddenly, we heard a screeching sound inside the laboratory that continually increased in volume until it seemed very close. Blade pulled me away from the doors just as they opened, revealing Stein hurtling towards us on a wheeled desk chair. Just as he crossed over the bump where the doors rested when closed, the chair fell over, dragging Stein to the ground with it.
Stein laid there on the ground and twisted the giant screw in his head and looked up at us, "Ah yes. Blade and Kukuru. Come in, come in."
Stein got up and pulled his chair into the laboratory, Blade and I following in silence. As we entered what appeared to be the main room that held stitched couches and all manner of other stitched furniture, Blade smothered a crooked smile and a small laugh. I looked at him suspiciously, Stein still turning the screw in his head.
Blade leaned his head down and whispered in my ear, "Looks like somebody's got a screw loose."
I rolled my eyes and he snickered softly.
Stein turned and tilted his gaze creepily towards Blade, his glasses catching the light of the luminescent and ominous lights in the room, "I heard that. Maybe you would be happy if I'd dissect you, hm?"
It was a bit weird to see Blade, being as tall as he was, look slightly down at the creepy teacher as he said, "Er, naw. I'm good, actually."
Wow, he was already getting cocky. And it wasn't even a week yet.
Stein just gave Blade a creepy smile and turned to sit on the stitched couch, pushing his wheeled chair into the corner of the room. He motioned for Blade and I to sit down and we obeyed.
Stein stared at us a moment then said, "Nygus has informed me that there is something peculiar about your soul, Kukuru. She said that it was... that Maka described it as… broken. Is this true?"
"I don't know. I apparently don't have soul perception." I answered truthfully. Recently, I had been tested to see if I had soul perception, but apparently not.
"I see. Well, I will confirm Maka's analysis for you. I am looking at your soul right now, and it isn't pretty, I'll give you that." Stein said, destroying all hope I had for having a whole soul.
I remained silent and Blade leaned forwards next to me, "Is there anything at all that can be done for her?"
Stein looked out into the recesses of the laboratory, thinking and turning his screw again, "I'm not sure. Kukuru is a rare case. Oh how I'd give anything to dissect her…"
I pulled in my shoulders close to me self- consciously and shook my head vigorously.
"Damn it…. Isn't there ANYTHING? Even maybe a guess?" Blade asked in frustration.
"For the time being, all I suggest is that she is well cared for," Stein said, straightening up in his chair, "until I can gather more information on the subject, I'm afraid not much can be done."
Blade leaned back against the couch and sighed in frustration. I looked over at him and his brown gaze met my blue one. Worry and frustration currently engulfed his eyes and I guess my eyes were swimming with uncertainty. Out of all the people that could have a broken soul, I, of course, was the one to actually have one.
"Kukuru, I would like you to go to the nurse's office tomorrow during my class and go see Nygus. I want her to record data from you so that I can compare them to data from those who have normal souls." Stein instructed.
I nodded quietly, still very nervous.
"Wait," Blade said, right as we were about to leave, "what about soul resonance? Will Kukuru be able to use hers?"
Stein shook his head doubtfully, "Not while her soul is in three pieces. Well, you probably could try if you wanted to, but I'm positive that it will cause a negative effect on Kukuru's body."
Blade and I breathed a sigh of disappointment. Stein showed us out of the laboratory and Blade and I walked back to Kid's mansion in a depressed silence. We, or should I say I, were already weak enough as it was, being new students at the DWMA, but now we couldn't even use soul resonance, extinguishing our one glimmer of hope for some amount of strength. This was a fairly bad disaster I had gotten myself into.
A couple of weeks have passed since I came to the DWMA. I've has seven check-ups with Nygus, under Doctor Stein's orders. And guess what they've found? Nothing. All they know is that my father broke my soul, but they don't know how to mend it.
Over these long periods of time, I've received five more pain spasms. They keep getting worse and worse and more frequent. The last one I had was a couple of days ago, and I blacked out for THREE WHOLE DAYS. Three freaking days. Blade is really worried, and so is Kid. They're all worried. And me? I'm flat out scared to death.
Aside from all the stuff going on, Kid tried to teach me how to cook, but I failed miserably. I should've expected that I guess. My dad cooked for himself and never let me watch him cook. I guess he thought that if I ever ran away than it would be good because I couldn't make food for myself. In the meantime, I also learned a lot of other things. I've learned how to make a fire, what the requirements are to create a Death Scythe, and I've also learned what basketball is and how to play it. I'm kind of bad at it, but Maka says I'll get better!
Also, I've been having so much fun at the academy! We have been training our physical strength in P.E. now, and I realized I have more strength than I thought I did. Probably thanks to my dad who made me work so hard. Well, at least that's one thank-you he deserves.
Not only did my true abilities come to my attention, but Kid surprised me today with a mission he signed us up for. He said it was just a kishin egg, very easy to kill, and was in an abandoned mining site just north of Las Vegas. I am so nervous, but excited too. Well, more nervous than excited, but still, it's my first ever mission (I don't count when we rescued Blade. I barely did anything!). I'm just glad that Kid will be with me, and Blade, Liz, and Patty of course.
"Alright then, are you all ready?" Stein asked as Kid, Blade, Liz, Patty, and I stood on the steps of the DWMA in the front.
I nodded my head enthusiastically. Blade smiled subtly along with Liz, and Patty beamed happily.
"Kid, may I have a word with you?" Stein asked as Patty and Liz transformed into weapons for the travel, and Blade into his shield which I found out I could strap on my back, and my clothes changed into my fighting garb.
I met eyes with Kid and he nodded at Stein, who walked near the entrance of the DWMA, talking seriously with the reaper. Watching quietly, I noticed Kid's expression growing terribly concerned looking and it seemed for a fraction of a second that the weight of the world was on his shoulders.
As Kid walked back, I raised an eyebrow at him, but he shook his head and muttered, "Beelzebub."
His flying skateboard instantly appeared and he stretched out his hand towards me, just like the very first time I flew with him and smiled.
I warmly accepted and hung onto his shoulders, leaning into his chest. Don't get me wrong, flying with Kid is amazing, but I'm still terribly frightened of falling.
As we took off, Stein's glasses flashed and he watched us until we were out of sight. Pursing my lips, I wondered why he had done so. No matter, I thought. Oh no, what mattered was the here and now. Me, above the ground, flying higher and higher into the sky with all of the people I enjoy. Off to go kill some evil monster, guy…. Thing? I don't know just yet. All I do know is that I was pretty damn nervous.
"How are you doing?" Kid yelled as we passed over the noisy city of Las Vegas.
"Fine," I lied, my thoughts a complete utter mess and my heart pounding, "hey Kid, I've been wondering. What is the kishin egg doing in a place deserted of human souls? I thought kishin's tended to live in cities or towns where people are abundant?"
"Well, this one is lost apparently. And we've got to make sure it doesn't find its way south. I bet you can guess what happens then." Kid answered.
"Las Vegas gets a kishin egg for Christmas. That's not something I'd want in my city either, I see your point." I said a little quickly.
"You sure you're all right?" Kid asked again, this time looking me in the eye.
"Yes." I lied again.
"Liar."
"How do you know, huh?"
"You're close enough to me that I can feel your heart beat. Your heart rate is really high right now. You're nervous aren't you?"
Defeated, I stared off into the distance and mumbled, "Fine then, you caught me. I'm scared. Happy?"
"Kukuru, it won't be as bad as you think. And besides, I'll be there to help you so stop worrying." Kid said, trying to convince me.
"Exactly! You also have me, Blondie, and don't forget it." I heard Blade remind me, his reflection appearing on the shield.
Breathing slowly, I nodded my head, "You're right, you're right. I need to stop overreacting…"
"And if you look over there," Kid took a hand out of his pocket and pointed down to a huge hole in the ground with tents all around it, "that is where we are headed."
"Wow," I said, breathless, "that hole is HUGE!"
"Hole? Another cave thing that's dark and creepy and scary?" Liz moaned.
I heard Patty laughing again and Blade said nothing, but I could guess that he shook his head and rolled his eyes.
As we descended, I got a better look at the tents. There were cobwebs and debris from the mine all over them, spiders abundant. Hopping off the skateboard to get a better look at the hole, I noticed a glowing blue light on one side of the walls of the cavern.
"Hey Kid! Do you think that that could be a human soul down there?" I shouted back at him, without taking my eyes off the light.
I heard Kid's shoes scrunching against the dry desert ground and soon he was at my side looking across the wide span of the hole at the other side where the light was, "Yes, that definitely looks like one."
"Then maybe the kishin egg is here still!" I said.
"Well, come on then!" Kid said, pulling Liz and Patty from his pockets and wielding them.
Deciding I'd better equip Blade, I pulled him off my back and he transformed into his sword form again. As I followed Kid down the side of the hole, I realized that he held Liz and Patty upside down. Not only that, but his pinkie finger was on the trigger, not his index finger.
"Do you always shoot like that?" I asked before thinking.
Kid gave me a sideways glance, "What, you don't like it?"
"No, I was just wondering. Doesn't that make it harder to fire them, though?" I asked curiously, unaware of a moving shadow to my right amongst a small cave in the wall.
"Not really. I've gotten used to it." Kid said, not noticing the movement either.
Suddenly, we heard a loud scrunch! on the ground to our right. My head whipped around, but I was a bit too late. The kishin egg shrieked and launched itself towards me, pushing us both over the edge of the stairs and into the deep pit. I was winded but still had Blade clutched in my right hand. About to strike, I wasn't prepared for what happened next. The kishin egg let go of me and flew off. Flew. With wings. Slimy, black, torn bat wings. I finally got a good look at it. The kishin egg was a half black half white imp looking creature with the wings I just described. Except, its face… It looked out of place (ha-ha, rhymes). It was a cat's face with a little golden halo hovering above its head.
Out of nowhere, I suddenly realized I was falling, and falling fast. Butterflies filled my stomach and I was so completely scared that I shrieked. I looked behind me at where I was falling and could see the bottom of the mineshaft coming up fast behind me.
"Kukuru…" Blade said as we plummeted to our doom.
The world seemed numb and cold as I passed within thirty feet of the floor below me. Just as I thought I might die, Kid swooped down under me on Beelzebub and caught me. The force of the impact knocked the skateboard closer to the ground, but not enough to hit the ground. I shivered and breathed a sigh of relief, clutching Kid's suit in my fists and burying my face in his shoulder as we began to ascend towards the top of the pit.
"You all right?" Kid asked, "Your trembling like there's no tomorrow."
"Well for a second there I defiantly thought there was going to be no tomorrow!" I squeaked pitifully.
"Me too." Blade said, letting out a relieved breath of air.
"I owe you again. Thank you." I said to Kid, smiling.
Kid returned my smile and said, "No need to owe me anything. A life is always worth saving."
As I looked up towards the mouth of the pit, Kid let my legs go so I could stand properly on the skateboard.
After a moment, Blade burst out, "How far does this mine go down?"
"Almost a mile. You and Kukuru fell about five thousand feet, and so quickly too." Kid said in a matter-of-factly voice.
Utterly astonished, I gasped, "F-five thousand f-f-feet?"
"Yes, quite a fall," Kid commented and then stayed silent a moment longer before asking, "that kishin. Did you get a good look at it?"
Nodding, I recollected the hideous appearance of the kishin egg and described it for Kid, Liz, and Patty.
"A naughty kitty?" Patty asked giggling.
"Well, at least we'll know what we're looking for. No doubt the kishin egg is on its way to Las Vegas." Kid said, as we ascended out of the pit and the vast desert landscape of Nevada greeted us. We sped forwards on Beelzebub towards the neon lights and never ending noise of Las Vegas.
"Any sign of the kishin egg yet?" Liz asked through Kid's pockets.
"Not yet. I haven't seen it since it attacked Kukuru at the mine shaft." Blade shouted over the wind.
"Wait…. What are those?" I asked, some dark movements on the walls of a casino catching my eye.
"Probably just shadows." Blade replied.
"No… No I don't think so. Look closely." Kid said as his eyes seemed to zero in on the bug-like shadows on the casino.
As we all watched, I felt tension and a sense of foreboding around us all. The shadow suddenly seemed to part itself from the wall of the casino and stretch like goo across an alleyway to the side of the casino.
"Fly closer. See what the heck they are." Blade said.
As Beelzebub lowered, I became nervously aware of a large shadow being cast onto the earth below us.
"K-Kid?" I said, my voice trembling.
"Shhh I know. Stay quiet." Kid whispered, slowly and discreetly pulling Liz and Patty out of his pockets.
We waited with bated breath as we descended lower and lower, the shadow following. Suddenly, an ear-splitting shriek emanated from behind us and Kid spun Beelzebub around and began shooting at the kishin egg we had been looking for. I slung Blade off my shoulder and jumped up towards the kishin egg, jamming the massive spikes of the Blade's shield form into the gut of the kishin egg.
Then, I realized I was falling again, and landed hard on my chest in the alleyway next to the casino wall that was crawling with shadows. Upon closer inspection, I realized that the shadows were in the shape of some weird Trilobite-type creature.
"Kukuru, look over there," Blade said, his reflection nodding towards the rope-like strand of goo between the casino and the building next to it, "what do you think that is?"
"I have no idea." I said honestly, inspecting the green tinted black goop. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before.
Suddenly, I became aware of an innocent bystander on the other side of the line of goo. I waved and shouted, "Hello! You might want to get away from here!"
Then I realized, as she came closer, that she was holding a weapon, a spiked mace to be exact. She had black hair pulled back into a pony tail and her eyes were as red as fire.
"No need. I'm from the DWMA too. I was just passing through here when I noticed you and your friend up there," she nodded towards Kid, "isn't that Lord Death's son?"
"No time! Would you be willing to help us?" I asked.
"Of course!" She replied.
Her black jeans were tight and her white tee-shirt stood out against the dark as she jogged over to where Blade and I awaited. But something totally unexpected just had to happen, didn't it? As the girl ducked under the black goo and began to straighten up, her back brushed against the gooey stuff. Suddenly she shuddered.
"Are you all right?" I asked her, as she randomly drew her weapon.
"I serve the Dark One. All non-kishins must be erased from existence!" She yelled at me.
I barely had time to change Blade into his sword form as the girl lunged at me with her mace partner. As she struck, I blocked with the body of Blade's hooked sword, my hands trembling. Didn't she just say that she was from the DWMA? What the hell just happened?
Looking above me to see if Kid could lend me a hand, I realized that he was still busy with the cat kishin. Fine, I thought, as long as he's close at hand… he told me I'd be fine.
"You WILL serve the Dark One! Obey me, Light Bringer!" the girl shouted at me.
"Fat chance!" I countered weakly, and then performed a powerful (that's surprising) leap into the air, drew Blade up above my head and the hilt came crashing down on the girl's head, knocking her to the ground. However, she instantly recovered and gripped my throat firmly. I pushed off of her chest with my feet and landed a few feet away from her.
"Blade, this is too evenly matched! Doctor Stein said that we probably could pull off a Soul Resonance, but at the cost of my physical well being, right?" I asked as the girl lunged at me again, only to be used as my launching pad as I placed a foot on her head and pushed off from her head and into the air.
"Kukuru, I don't want to risk that!" Blade argued as the girl recovered and jumped up at me, striking my arm and leaving a few good scraps as I shrieked.
"Blade!" I responded, round house kicking the girl square in her jaw.
"… Do you really want to do this Kukuru?" Blade asked me seriously as the girl spun around and used the butt of her mace the ram into my knee. I heard a conspicuous popping noise and knew that I had to try.
"Yes!" I responded quickly.
"I hope this doesn't work." Blade replied, the reflection in the sword shaking his head.
"Let's go…" I began, "Soul Resonance!"
Out of nowhere, Blade's sword form burst into flames and confidence welled up in my heart. A dress of pure fire engulfed my clothes and flaming wings extended out of my back.
A name came into my mind and I shouted, "Phoenix Flight!"
The girl looked at me solemnly, "The Dark One will protect me! I have NO fear!"
She charged at the same time that I charged at her. Unfortunately for her, I struck her perfectly with Blade as the flaming sword he was. As I stood there, back to the injured (I don't know, injured, dead, beaten?) girl, the flames faded and guess what? Bye bye, confidence! My head swooned with pain and I dropped onto the pavement. I looked back at the girl and her weapon, surprised to see two kishin eggs in their places. Hurting all over, I clutched my sides and dropped Blade. I felt Kid's arms keeping me stable and realized that he probably defeated the kishin.
One final surprise awaited me before I blacked out… again. Looking up into the sky, I caught a glimpse of a small girl dressed in a frilly baby pink dress and white witch's hat. She was sitting on broomstick and she looked emotionlessly into my eyes. Something clicked in the back of my mind and I saw a flash of a scene where I was in the woods standing next to a boy. I couldn't see the boy's face but I saw that same little girl, standing there looking frightened, yet also angry and disgusted.
After that, I zonked out.
The world around me was spinning, spinning faster and faster and faster, and I was falling again.
My eyes shot open and I realized with relief that I was in a hospital bed back at the DWMA.
As I looked a little to my left, my eyes met Kid's golden eyes. He smiled down at me and I smiled back. Then I noticed that Blade, Liz, Patty, Maka, Soul, Blackstar, Tsubaki, Crona, and Ragnarok were all gathered around my bed, watching me.
"See? I knew she'd be fine! You're fine, right Kukuru?" Blackstar boomed, pushing his way to my right.
Smiling weakly, I said, "Wha- uh ya Blackstar! I'm just fine! Hehe…!"
"Good then! See, I make everything better! HAHAHA!" Blackstar then began laughing like a maniac again.
"It's a relief you're ok! Kid told us what happened, with the student from the academy and the kishin egg." Maka said.
Suddenly, everything came back to me, "Oh ya… that was so strange. Have any of you seen that before? She looked perfectly fine before, but once she came close, she was all 'I serve the Dark One' and stuff."
"Hmm…" Blade mumbled.
"They could've just been kishin eggs from the very beginning you know." Soul said in a matter-of-factly voice.
"Possibly." Liz agreed.
"I don't know. She seemed so kind…" My voice trailed off.
"What were their names?" Blade asked suddenly.
"I believe the meister was Kora Kleary and her weapon was Sukai Deppuskii," Tsubaki informed us, "at least, that's what I think Stein said their names were…"
Then one more question came to my mind, "Kid? Did you happen to see that witch that was flying near us towards the time where I blacked out?"
"Ah yes. I felt her presence. She wasn't using soul protect. That's why she was able to fly on her broomstick." Kid said looking towards the ceiling in thought.
"What was a witch doing there?" Ragnarok asked.
"No idea. She just vanished after Kukuru passed out." Liz replied.
"And what about those weird shadows? What were those?" Blade asked Kid.
"That is another mystery we have yet to unravel, I'm afraid." Kid replied.
The room went silent after that, but to relieve the tension, I said gratefully, "Thank you all for coming to visit me! You didn't have to, but thanks."
Of course, that started a lot of light hearted chit chat, but the gloom and foreboding of the mention of the unsolved mysteries of the witch, the shadows, and the girls Kora and Sukai still haunted the conversation.
Little did I know what kind of deranged mess I was getting myself into.