Raina:(smiling) Go on, if you don't trust me, come and take my weapons.

Maka and Soul exchange glances, but before either of them can make a move, Tsubaki steps forward, picks up both of the swords, and, after a moment's hesitation, holds them out to Raina.

Soul: Tsubaki, what are you doing?

Tsubaki:(turning around and looking at Soul) I'm showing Raina that I trust her. Something you have yet to do.

Raina:(smiling happily) Thank you, Tsubaki. (with that, she twirls the swords and sheaths them)
Now then, I needed to talk to you.(she looks up at them, and locks gazes with all three of them, Then she looks at Maka) Maka, what did Lord Death tell you about me, exactly?

Maka:(looking surprised that Raina knows about her meeting) What do you mean?

Raina:(patiently talking, as if to a child) I mean what I said. What did Lord Death tell you about me?

Maka:(sighing) Well, he said you were a meister, you were joining the EAT class, and you were from Japan.

Raina:(waving her hand at Maka) All stuff I knew. But what did he tell you about my partner?

Maka:(her eyes wide) Nothing much. He only said that she was having family issues, and she would be coming to the school later in the year. What's... what's so funny?

Raina:(who had started laughing out of spite of herself, then she calms down and starts frowning) I wish that was true. (Maka looks at her, surprised and confused. Raina looks up at her) But that's a lie. Lord Death told you that so you would treat me like a normal student.

Soul: I don't understand. If that was a lie, what's the truth?

Raina:(smiling at Soul) Right to the point, I see.(looking down at the ground) The truth is... I... I... I don't have a weapon partner.

Tsubaki, Soul, and Maka gasp in surprise. Raina looks up sadly.

Tsubaki: But why were you admitted to the Academy? Why did Lord Death let you come?

Raina:You sound so angry at me. It sounds like you don't want me here, just because I don't have a weapon.

Maka remembers what Lord Death said about Raina. 'She's a bit... different. I'm sure you'll understand when she tells you.' Maka lowers her head. 'I understand what you meant now, Lord Death.'

Maka:(raising her head again) We're not angry, we're just confused.

Soul: How are you supposed to learn to fight without a weapon, with resonance link, if you don't have a partner?

Raina: Because I knew it wouldn't be easy to find an ideal partner, I found other ways to strengthen my soul wavelength.

Maka: How do you do that? You aren't like Black Star. He does that by muscle conditioning and bragging about himself all the time. But you seem really quiet and withdrawn. Tell me, what do you do to strengthen your soul?

Raina: I meditate. I find a nice quiet, empty place, somewhere that usually has meaning to me, and it's almost like I resonate souls with myself, if that makes sense.(she looks around) Now that you ask, I think this might be my place to meditate while I'm here. It certainly now has some special meaning.

Tsubaki:I've never heard of someone meditating in order to strengthen their soul.

Raina:Well, it seems that I'm one of the only ones to do it, because I don't have an ideal weapon partner.

Maka:You keep talking about an 'ideal weapon partner?' What do you mean, 'ideal?'

Raina: (Raina unsheathes her swords again) Well, as you know, I usually fight with dual swords, either as one (she puts the swords together. The hilts are both smooth on one side, and rounded on the other, so they can be put together evenly) or separately (she separates the swords, and the rounded edges give her a steady grip.) But of course, weapons can only transform into one weapon at a time. Even you, Tsubaki, can't be two weapons at once. But this is the way I learned to fight, and I can't learn another way. I've come too far along with these to start with a new weapon now.

Soul: (lowering his head and closing his eyes) So it's checkmate, then. You can't give up on your weapons you've grown up with, but you can't gain a partner and resonate souls, or anything like that.

Raina:You're right. I'm stuck. I'm a meister without a weapon.

Tsubaki:If you're without a weapon, why did you come to the Academy?

Raina:(closing her eyes, lowering her head to the ground and smiling) Isn't it obvious? I came here because I didn't have a weapon.

All Three of them: HUH?

Raina:(looking up) I came here to find myself a weapon. I need to find a partner, or else my parents won't let me be a meister at the DWMA, or anywhere anymore. I'll have to work at this family business we have back home. But I can't settle into a life like that. I have to stay on this path. I have to find a weapon partner, otherwise I'm.. I'm...

Tsubaki:(coming closer to Raina and putting a hand on her shoulder.) It's ok, Raina. I'm sure you'll find a partner soon enough.

Raina:(closing her eyes) Thank you, Tsubaki. But I'm not sure. I thought I would be able to feel something once I got here. Some connection, something telling me that I would find someone here. But I feel nothing.

Maka:What do you mean, you feel nothing? Can...can you sense souls too?

Soul:(smiling at the ground) Looks like you and Professor Stein have another competitor now, Maka.

Maka:(almost yelling) It's not a competition, Soul. (her expression softens.) Though it is interesting. Besides the Professor, I've never met anyone else that could see souls.

Raina: Speaking of that, who is this Professor Stein you all keep talking about. He sounds like an interesting guy, at the least.
Tsubaki: You guys didn't take her to see Professor Stein on her first day. (small laugh) Heh, I can't blame you.

Maka: Yeah, we kinda left him out of the tour. I figured Raina could go through her first day without Stein talking about how good of a specimen Raina is.

Raina: Umm... What?

Soul: Well, she's got to meet him eventually. Come on, let's go. Class is ending soon, it'll be a good time to see him.

The group runs back up to the school, and the bell rings just as they arrive, panting, at the door of Professor Stein's classroom. The class starts filtering out, and they run into Kidd, Liz and Patty.

Kidd:Hey Maka, where were you in class today? (looks past Maka towards Raina. Kidd gets a really weird look, the one he gets when things are perfectly symmetrical.) Oh wow, so beautiful!

Raina lowers her head slightly, smiling and blushing fiercely. Then she looks up and clears her face of emotion.

Maka: (gritting her teeth and hitting Kidd on the head with a book) Really, Kidd? Do you have to embarrass our new student?

Kidd: Oh wow, such perfect symmetry! (Kidd specifically looks at the sheath on Raina's back, where the handles are sticking out completely symmetrical.) Amazing! What is your name?

Kidd walks up to Raina, who stares at him and backs away. Maka, who had a completely embarrassed expression, walks to the back of Raina and takes out one of her swords from her sheath.

Maka:(Holding the sword out to Raina with a straight arm.) Here, hold this.

Raina: Ok, sure.

Kidd:(suddenly looks horrified, at Raina, then at Maka.) How horrible!

Raina stares at Kidd like he's completely crazy, and Liz and Patty turn up behind her.

Liz: Sorry about that, new kid. Kidd has this issue. He sees anything that's symmetrical as beautiful, and anything that's not to be disgusting. But he usually doesn't look at students symmetry.

Patty: Kidd's a little crazy, right sis?

Liz: Yeah, and he's our meister.

Kidd:(who had gained back his dignity) So, new girl, what's your name?

Raina: I'm Raina. And you are?('Crazy,' Raina thinks.)

Kidd: I'm Death the Kidd, Lord Death's son.

Maka:Are you done freaking out and scaring our new student, Kidd? We were going to introduce her to Professor Stein. Come on, let's go.

The group make their way through the thinning crowd into the classroom. Raina doesn't flinch when she finally catches sight of the Professor.