Stein smelled the blood before he opened the door to the room. Opening it, he stared at a scene of blood and gore that would rival any horror movie's darkest nightmare. It didn't bother him. What bothered him was that Chiyumi was sitting in the middle of it all, giggling quietly, three souls held in her small hands. It looked as if she was trying to juggle them, and each time one fell she broke into more giggles.
"Chiyumi?" Stein asked quietly, taking a couple steps into the room.
"Papa. Bright shinies. Want one? I share." She smiled at him with a childlike innocence.
This was not his Chiyumi. He knew that immediately. Something had happened while he was outside, and that witch must have been the cause.
"Chiyumi, what did you do?" The young woman looked around the room.
"I wanted something to play with. They were being mean. They said bad words about you, Papa. I had to punish them." Her eyes flashed when she said that. "So I got toys to play with and punished them at the same time!" Her grin was frightening.
"Chiyumi," Stein started quietly. "Can I see your toys, please? I think they may be dirty."
The young woman looked at him thoughtfully. "You won't break them?"
"No." Stein thought to himself desperately, 'Death, let her give them to me. The last thing we need is for her to eat a human soul.'
"You promise?" She held the three souls protectively close to herself.
"I promise, Chimi."
A spark of recognition flashed through her soul. "Don't call me that."
"Chimi."
"That's not my name!"
"Chimi." Stein could see her growing angry, but he could see the ripple each time he said that. 'It makes sense.' Stein thought to himself. 'She's always been upset when I called her that. It's what her sister called her.'
"I've told you not to call me that!" Her anger got the best of her and she threw the souls at him. "Why do you keep doing that?!"
It was only then that her eyes focused on the carnage around her and the three souls that he barely caught. She collapsed backwards on the bed, seizing again. Once again, Stein could only watch helplessly.
The seizure was a short one, and much less violent than the last ones had been. At the end of it she lay on the bed, tears streaming down her cheeks; her breathing ragged and broken.
Stein didn't know what to do now. Chiyumi had just killed three men. Had admitted to murdering them in cold blood. He couldn't leave her here, but the only other option was to take her to Lord Death, which would be just a swift death sentence as here. He stood there mutely, twisting the screw in his head.
"P-professor…" She sobbed out. "I… I know what I've done… please… please take me to Lord Death…" He looked down at her.
"Alright, Chiyumi…" He said quietly, gathering her small frame in his arms he stood and left the hospital with her.
"What a surprise, Professor!" Lord Death greeted them when Stein simply walked into the death room carrying Chiyumi. "Is everything alright?"
"No." Lord Death titled his head as Stein continued. "We have a rather large problem-"
Chiyumi, standing unsteadily beside Stein now, interrupted him. "Lord Death, I lost myself. I killed three innocent men who were doing nothing but try to help me." Her voice was small, but firm.
Silence.
"Oh, my." Lord Death turned to look at the mirror. "Oh, dear. This isn't good. I need some time to think on this. Stein… I'm sorry, but she's going to have to stay here down below."
"We figured as much, Lord Death." Stein replied.
"I'll have Sid take her down. You can stay behind for a moment, please." Lord Death never turned around.
After Chiyumi left with Sid, Lord Death turned back around to face Stein.
"You have their souls, Stein?" Stein blinked for a moment. Lord Death's voice was… wrong. It was sinister and deep.
"Lord Death?"
"The souls of the ones that she killed, Stein? Did she eat them or do you have them?" His voice was back to its happy, cheerful self.
"Erm, yes. I have them." He handed the souls to Lord Death. "What will happen to her?" Stein asked.
"She's killed three innocent individuals. While she didn't consume their souls, there will be those who lobby for her death."
"What about your opinion?"
"I didn't have you killed when you slipped, Stein, even if it meant that you had sided with a witch." Lord Death flashed a Victory Sign with both hands, the souls already released to their final resting place. "I'll do everything that I can to help her, but if it does go the way we hope, you'll have to watch her closely. The madness that you fought off so long ago seems to be welling up all around us again."
"I understand." Stein turned and left.
"Oh, and Stein? Guard yourself."
"Yes, Lord Death."
Chiyumi sat on the small bed, her arms wrapped around her legs when she felt the ache grow larger and larger inside her. She didn't know what was causing it, just that the only time in the last couple days that she hadn't felt it was when she had held those souls in her hands. As she held her breath trying to fight it she saw a small bird land on the window of her cell, and she shuddered. Something about the bird felt wrong... and the way it constantly watched her definetly was.
A/N: I'm not going to lie, I'm pretty dry on where I'm taking this, so updates will be slow for a while, but they'll come.
I don't own Soul Eater.