Black*Star: Of course. A weak attack like that can't hold me down!(he tries to get up again, but his knee gives out, the same knee that gave out in the battle, and he falls again. His skin opens up again, and blood started soaking the cloth around the wound. )
Tsubaki: Black*Star! (starts running towards Black*Star, because he stopped punching the air. Placing her hands around him, she flips him over onto his back. Black*Star has his eyes half closed, whether in pain, anger, or if he's using his willpower to not hit Tsubaki, she couldn't tell.)
Black*Star, if I help you stand, can you make it into the school? We need to get you some help for your knee.
Black*Star: I don't need help! A big star like me can walk on his own!
Tsubaki:(smiling and rolling her eyes) Of course you can, Black*Star.
Slowly making their way into the school, with Black*Star able to walk more and more as he goes, he finally gets to the dispensar and get a little treatment for his knee. Niagus also gives him a calming drug to let his muscles heal without too much pain or anything else. In another part of the school, Raina is eagerly following Soul and Maka as Maka shows her around. She's quiet and calm, and a good listener.
Maka: So, Raina, do you know where you're going to be staying while you're here?
Raina:(her head down) My parents thought of everything when they sent me here. Yes, it's a nice little place only a few minutes from here. Very close to school.(her head bows even lower and she grits her teeth) They wouldn't want their daughter to get a poor education, now would they?
Soul: You sound like you don't really want to be here.
Raina:(looking up, almost scared) Oh no, I absolutely want to be here. It's not that. (looking around, searching for another topic) Oh, hey, what's that board for?
Maka and Soul look at each other, then Raina, then they look at where she's pointing.
Maka: Oh, that's where Lord Death posts new missions for meister and weapon pairs to take on for extra lessons.(she looks happily, then sad at Soul) So many memories in those, aren't there, Soul?
Soul: We've made a lot of progress since then. Let's not dwell on the past. That's not cool.
Maka:(lowering her head, then realizing that Raina was still there) I'm sure you want to know what this is about.
Raina:(staring at them, not hard, but as a poker face) I understand that everyone has secrets. I myself am no exception. If you don't wish to dwell on the past, then I don't want to be the one to dredge it up.
Soul:(he looks at her with a surprised expression, then he smiles) Heh, never meet a girl who doesn't like some form of gossip. That's pretty cool.
Raina:(smiling) Well, if you don't tell your secret, then I don't have to tell mine. It's fair enough, isn't it?(losing the smile, letting her mask of a face regain control again)Anyway, I think I've seen enough for one day. Could you show me to the dispensary?
Maka:(her eyes dilate in surprise) Why the dispensary, Raina?
Raina: (smiling slightly with the knowledge.) Well, Tsubaki would have brought Black*Star there out of fear, and I think the nurse would want to keep him there for a while, so she knows exactly what happened. Why not give her a first person explanation?
Soul: That makes sense. All right then, this way, Raina.
Maka and Soul quietly whisper to each other about Raina. Though they don't know it, Raina can hear every word they say, because she has amazing senses. Her eyes, ears, and nose can do things most people's can't. Her sixth sense is also extraordinary. She can sense what her opponent will do in battle, so she almost never loses. Yet she nevers overestimates herself. Every battle is heart-pounding, because she knows it could be the one where she finally loses.
When they enter the dispensary, Maka and Soul step back, scared and amazed at once. Raina however steps forward confidently.
Tsubaki:(who had been standing near Black*Star's bed, looks up) Oh, Maka, Soul. And Raina.
Raina: Looks like the nurse reacted the way most people do.
Soul: Tsubaki, how did Niagus get Black*Star...
Tsubaki: She told him to take a certain drug. She told him it would strengthen him even more than he was already. It was a sleeping drug instead. She wanted to numb everything in him up, so he doesn't feel anything as he recovers.
Maka smiles. She had never thought she would see Black*Star lying quietly for more than a few minutes, until the day he died.
Maka: So when will it wear off? How long will we have some peace and quiet?
Tsubaki:(smiling at Maka) Niagus said it would wear off after a few hours, and he's been here about a half an hour.
Raina:(lowering her head and gritting her teeth) Heh, nobody ever trusts me when I say there will be no damage. Everyone is always scared of this ability that I have because they've never seen before. Nobody ever thinks that I don't want to hurt the people I battle permanently. They never realize that I had to practice the technique tirelessly on my friends and family. Why would I ever want to hurt them? I know my own strength. I know what I can do. So why does nobody ever believe me?
Maka:(placing a hand on Raina's shoulder) It's all right, Raina. I'm sure she just wants to know for herself that Black*Star's ok.
Raina:(raising her head) Yeah, I know. I just feel so horrible, that I put people through this worry and everything turns out alright every time. (She looks up and makes eye contact with Tsubaki.)
Tsubaki suddenly feel as if time has stopped. She looks around. It really does seem to have stopped. Maka and Soul were looking at Black*Star, a surprised expression frozen on their faces. Tsubaki looks at Black*Star. He seems to be fine, yet she can't see his chest rising and falling.
Raina:It's ok, Tsubaki. I won't make you stay longer than you want.