aisha: Here is another chapter that I hope you enjoy!
lost: I wish I could have been a little more involved...
aisha: Its ok! We're getting reviews, people like it!
lost: YAY!
aisha: Again we would like to thank all you lovely readers!
lost/aisha: THANK YOU TONS! :D
lost: Lets get on with the story! And our guest for the disclaimer is... STEIN!
Stein:...*Twists the screw in his head* aishachase97 and lostshaddow do not own Soul Eater.
lost: He has a screw loose! Eh? Eh?
aisha: No.
~Chapter 3~
Soul fell to the ground with a sickening thud. Blood poured from his wound, splattering the ground like red paint. It was a disgusting, horrible color, the way it started to pool around him like a lake around the island.
Katana felt sick. There was no way they could beat Crona without their weapons. Katana glanced at Zero, who was shaking, black blood dripping from her mouth. The knot in her stomach tightened at the sight of her weapon partner, her friend, seemingly on thte edge of death.
Maka was calling out to Soul trying to wake him, but he wouldnt wake. Crona was muttering to who ever was in his brain, and it scared Katana to no end. But nothing would scare her more than what was comging.
Zero started laughing. At first it was just gurgleing. But then she managed to get around the blood closing off her throat and laughed. Zero slowly got to her feet, black droplets fell to the floor. The laughter got louder, less gurgly and more sadistic. Zero through her head back barking madly. Katana stepped back from her, terrified.
Crona held onto his fore-arm, watching Zero, looking just as afraid as Katana. Zero stopped laughing and hung her head low, as if staring at the ground.
"Katana... Is...Is this...?" Katana could only nod as she headed to Maka and Soul to see if she could help him. There wasnt anything she could at the moment for Zero.
Zero stood there for a few more moments before holding out her right arm. Her hand and wrist became steely, and sharp, turning just part of her into a dagger. When she looked up her eyes were that dark pink, almost maroon color, and she was giggling. Her eyes were trained on Crona in the most sadistic way.
"Lets have some fun!" She said, before lunging at the pinkette. Crona braught up his swords to block. Zero's daggered hand clashed with Ragnaroks blade with a clang. Another screach sounded through the air.
Katana covered her ears and had to look away from her weapon, and focus on trying to wrap Souls wounds. Zero would be ok as long as she didnt go on for too long, though that cut in her gut was starting to worry her. When the screaching died down, Katana managed a look back at Zero.
Even through the screaming sword she had managed to some how pin Crona down on his back, his sword arm pinned away from his body, making him unable to move at all.
"This is fun isnt it?" She asked him leaning closer to his face. The closer she got, the more he blushed, from a light shade of pink to a deep dark red.
"I...Uh... Don't know how to deal with this..." Ragnarok was being still. Katana wasn't sure why, maybe he was overjoyed about his meisters discomfort, but he was letting things play out.
"I can deal with it..." Zero murmured and leaned down as if to kiss him, but at the last moment she turned her head to the side and licked his cheek, leaving behind a black blood smudge.
Katana's eyes twitched at the strange way that Zero was handling this. Then again that would have been something she would have done without the darkness taking over...
Zero leapt away from him, laughing crazily. She grasped her stomache and doubled over. When she pulled back her hand was stained with the dark substance that flowed inside her. Crona stood up, wiping at his cheek, his face beet red.
"Crona stop fooling around, I want her soul," Ragnarok hissed. Crona just nodded, his face still pink. Crona proceeded to jab at Zero, who dodged them all with skill and grace. She danced around Crona and his blade, giggleing at his face.
"You look scared! Are you scared Crona?" She teased him, getting closer to him, dodging another jab.
"I don't know how to deal with you thats all," Crona murmured quietly. Zero was leaning agaisnt Crona's back. Katana coundn't help but notice how small she was compared to him, her injuries making her look smaller than what she was.
Zero leaned against Crona's lean frame. Ragnarok swung himself around, cutting into Zero's side. Katana cried out as Zero went flying a few feet. She staggered back to her feet, grasping her side, more black blood fell from her new wound. Everyone watched her.
Crona walked up to Zero carefully. She watched him, smiling slightly. They lunged forward again, blade hitting blade. Zero pushed against Ragnarok, laughing maniacly and loosing more of herself to the darkness. The more she laughed the more recless she got. She was slammed repeated into the ground or the wall. They were getting closer to the door, moving quickly.
Katana grabbed a hold of Soul and dragged him away from the door, Maka scooting along with them. Katana tied off the sweat-shirt Soul was wearing to try and stop the bleeding. Maka watched as Zero was slammed into the door and slid the the ground. Crona went to slice her in half when something came through the door, piercing him in the chest.
"Whats heppening? How did that get there?" Katana jumped up and grabbed Zero and pulled her away from the door as a foot broke through the door, kicking him off the blade that was stook in door. Stien had arrived.
Zero noticed that there was no more danger and that the new comer could handle Crona, calmed down. Her eyes shifted to a light pink again and she stopped laughing. Katana held her gently, as to not hurt her any more than what she was. Black blood seeped into her clothes.
Stiens weapon stood not to far way muttering something about "Papa.." and seeminly trying to be protective as Stien went to the students. Katana laid Zero down next to Soul and wiped her red hair from her pale face.
'Oh Zero, Im sorry... We'll figure it out...This black blood thing...' She thought, trying her hardest not to cry. Stien shrugged off his lab coat and laid it over Soul and Zero. Maka voiced her questions.
"Professor Stien! How are they? Will they be ok?" Stien pulled the coat up to the two weapons necks to try and keep them warm.
"Their wounds are very serious, if we dont give them treatment soon they may not make it," Katana gasped and covered her mouth. She wouldnt cry just yet, not infront of them.
"That wasnt much of a fight though," Stiens weapon, Spirit, said, pocketing his hands. Katana watched as Crona stood up shakingly, still holding onto the arms that held the Ragnarok. She could hear Ragnaroks hard voice.
"I hardened the blood around your wound to stop the bleeding. Do I get a thank you?" The sword grew an upper body and Ragnarok took on what seemed half human-ish form. Crona shivered slightly.
"Uh... Yeah... Thank you,"
"Thats a thank you very much!" He rounded back at Crona and started picking on him, and pulling on his face.
"ARE YOU GOING TO MAKE ME HURT YOU?" He shouted. Katana cringed at his yell. She was tired and her head hurt. She was too worried about Zero that it was having a physical affect on her. Maka watched them also.
"Professor Stien, who are those two? Or..What are they?" She asked. Katana ran her hand through Zero's hair. It was knotted with her black blood. She was know out of it, not awake, but not asleep. Zero purred slightly, but it gargled a little. Blood was starting to fill her lungs. They needed to get to a hospital, fast.
"That is the reason the Acadamy was created," Katana glanced at him.
"The reason the Acadamy was created?" She whispered.
"Does that mean he's a Kishin?" Maka finished. Stien held his ciggeret in his hand.
"Technacly, not yet. But he's one step away from it," Katana didn't think it was news. Crona was crazy, and he had black blood just like Zero. How many times did she try and pull her weapon out of the chaos? How many scars adorned her body from Zero's rampages? How many times was she going to have to see that pain on her friends face when she saw them? How long before her friend became one of them? A Kishin? Katana let out a single tear. Nothing that would be noticed. Or so she thought. Stien glanced at her as she wiped away the tear.
"Alright then, lets take care of this," Stien stood up. Spirit grinned slightly.
"Yeeaah," He transeformed into a scythe. Raganarok was still picking on Crona, pushing on his nose.
"Crona! Stop staring into space like an idiot. If you dont get it in gear we're going back to the sleep deprivation again!" Ragnarok growled.
"No! You'll start waking me up every hour again! I dont like it! The dark circles under my eyes will come back, and I don't know how to deal with the dark circles!" Ragnarok continued probbing at Crona's face. Stien and Death Scythe took on a stance that clearly stated buisness.
"Spirit can you take on the Demon sword?" Stien asked, seemingly teasing the weapon.
"Of course I can! What do you think I am, some kind if rusty dagger? Heh, been a long time scence we ganged up together like this," Stien chuckled.
"Yeah, but we're not as old as we used to be thast for sure,"
"Speak for yourself! I haven't aged a bit," Katana's eye twitched. They were goofing off at a time like this?
"Would you hurry up and attack them already? You idiot!" Ragnarok punched Crona in the head and went back into his weapon form. Crona wobbled a little then started running at Stien.
"But I've never seen a guy with a screw sticking out of his head before! I don't know how to deal with a guy like that!" Katana noticed why Zero found Crona slightly attactive. He was adorable with that little saying of his. She wanted to laugh, but found that she was too busy holding back sobs.
There weapons clashed, Ragnarok agaisnt Spitit. The sound was metalic and sickening. Strien tripped Crona, spinning him around. Crona crashed to the ground. Stien pulled his hand back and slammed it onto Crona's stomache, sending his wavelength into him. Katana watched horrified as it looked like the Pinkette seemed to have a seizure. Maka gasped watching everything that was happening.
'The poor girl, she's going to be traumatized...' Katana thought. She turned her attention from her friend back to the fight.
Blood splattered from Crona's mouth and Katana had an urge to jump with glee. Her small sprout of happiness was short lived at Stien was stabbed in the back with a hardened black blood spike. A high pitched voice sounded from the small flauting blood balls.
"BLOODY NEEDLES!" The blood turned into weapons, and went on a striking massacre, aimed for the Professor. He managed to jump away fast enough not to get away from the attack.
"Every drop of blood is being used as a weapon! How is that even possibel?" Spirit asked.
"When souls are over hunted a demon sword is created. We have to stop him here and know, or he will definatly become a Kishin. Whats more, the balance of power between tghe two is uneven. The weapons soul is clearly dominant, and for the moment the meister can still fight him off, but if he is completely swallowed up, things will become very dangerous," Stiens gaze at Crona intensified.
"Theres something else, a snake coiled around them... Whats it doing there...?" Ragnarok seemed to enjoy pulling on Crona's face because he was at it once again. Katana couldn't help feeling sorry for the poor pink haired boy.
"If you let him hit me with that attack again I'll put thumb tacks in your shoes,"
"No! Thumb tacks in my shoes would stick into my feet when ever I tried walked. It would hurt, I don't think I could deal with that," As Ragnarok and Crona talked, Stien drew up Spirit and charged forward. More needles attacked him as he went forward, he dodged all of them. Scythe and sword met in another blisted clang.
"Oh I see...The Professor has a specific fighting style. First he gaurds, using my dad only as a shield, then he uses his own attack, his soul wavelength," Katana listen to Maka as she explained what she saw. She could see it and she understood what she was saying, but was a fighting stratagy going to save them? Katana glanced down at Zero. Her chest rose and fell slightly, with small shallow breaths.
Stien hit Crona away, hard enough to send him outside the castle. Katana grimanced as he slid out the door way, crying out a few times on his way out. Dodging more flying needles Stien followed Crona out the door.
" Damn a time lag attack..." Stien muttered as he watched at the black blood balls floated around. Ragnarok seemed to be getting excited.
"ITS TIME TO DIE SCREW HEAD!" As a needle headed for Stien. Katana's mind went blank as her muscles contracted and moved on their own. She moved faster than she ever thought possible. In a blink of an eye she shoved Stien out of the way. The needle missed him.
"What the hell-" Stien turned around and stared at the orange haired girl he barely knew. Katana sat on the ground, holding her head. The needle barely grazed her head. A light stream of blood fell down her face, but other than that she was fine. Stien seemed to take that in.
"Get back inside, and stay the hell out of the way," He said. Katana nodded numbly and got back to her feet, stepping away from what happened, happy that she managed to save her teacher. Stien turned back to Crona and Ragnarok.
"I think I would like to dissect you now," Ragnarok made a weird noice.
"SCREW YOURSELF! YOU WONT LIVE THAT LONG!" He screamed out. Stien grinned and held out Spirit and started spinning the weapon. The blood balls moved too. They became needles but soon Stien had dissapeared.
"Lets see you stop all of these! Uh where'd screw head freak go? I dont see him! Where the hell is he? Daammit!" Ragnarok looked around, slightly panicked. Stien came spinning down and landed a hit on Crona's head with the heel of his foot.
Crona wobbled a bit.
"Damn! He scrambled what little brains you have left! Hurry up and snap out of it! We cant afford another hit from his soul wavelength!" Ragnarok hissed out grabbing ahold of Crona's head.
"There are stars and planets floating around me...I don't think I can handle astronomy right now..."
"Astronomy is a lot easier to handle than death you moron so suck it up and come to your scences already!" Katana managed to get back to Maka and the other two. Zero was awake again and chuckling slightly, though there was not sign of madness.
"That poor kid..." She whispered as Katana sat next to her, Maka to involved in watching the fight to notice her friend was awake for the moment.
"I feel like I want to help him some how..." Katana's eyes widened as she listened to her weapon. Help him? Wasn't he the enamy? Maybe she was too crazy at the moment from blood loss...
Stien was running at Crona his hands pulled back as if to hit him with both of his palms.
"Double Palms Soul Force," His hands shot out hitting Crona in the stomache and chest. Crona fell to the ground, and all the blood splattered to the ground, no longer a threat.
"Its all over..." Zero whispered before going under again. Crona lay there not moving for a moment before his hand twitched. Just a second later he was jerked and screamed. Something black came out of his mouth and his blood speared out of him. He almost looked like a spider creature... Katana had to look away from the sight.
"Whats happening to him?" Katana shouted over Crona's pained cries. Her eyes were screwed shut.
"He's going through Soul Rejection," Stien answered. Katana tried to block his cries. To much had happened that night and she didn't want nightmares too replay in her head. Something seemed to smack Maka in the face.
"Theres another soul. I don't know where it came from but I can sense it," Stien looked up at the sky.
"I feel it too... Its a Witch," Katana shivered at the word. She just wanted to go back to her dorm and go to sleep, maybe take a hot bath. She wanted see Zero cooking in the kitchen the next day, but none of that was going to happen. Hopefully tomorrow Zero and Soul would be in the Infirmary getting better.
"A witch huh?" Spitit muttered in a way that Katana could barely hear it. Stien nodded.
"Yes... One with a strong soul...Very powerful," Katana felt like her heart was being torn from her chest. Witches were nothing but trouble. They always brought pain and sorrow wherever they go. She reached for Zero's hand, and found it colder than ever.
"My guess is that she's the one who put the weapon inside the kid," Zero flinched, like she was hearing the words Stien was saying, though Katana knew that it was from pain, and her everlasting nightmares. Maka was shaking looking out the door, holding on to the frame.
"Thats the witches soul? How? I should have felt a soul that powerful," Katana let go of Zero's hand and stood beside Maka.
"Its a spell called Soul Protect. Its a barrier that makes a soul look weaker and smaller than what it really is," Katana explained. Maka stared at her, shocked. Before anyone else could talk, black spikey arrow things came shooting from the sky aimed for Professor Stien. He held up Spirit, getting ready for the attack, then spinning him around feircely.
"Lets go, Soul Resonance!" Katana's widened. She was about to witness the most epic thing ever. When Zero got better she would tell her all about this. Spirit started glowing as their soul wavelengths pulsed. Stien flew forward at a blinding speed.
"Witch Hunter," Stien sliced through the magic that came at them. A beautiful demonstration of power. The magic broke off course, shattering in black. Katana thought vaguely that it looked like black blood.
As Maka and Katana watched the skies, a giant snake flew down. He sniffed at Crona's still body before pulling him into his mouth and shooting back up into the night. Zero coughed from behind them, more discolored blood spewed from her lips.
The witch was just foating in the air not to far away, speaking. Katana couldn't hear it, she was too busy trying to get Zero to get all the blood out of her thoat so she could breath. Stien turned around.
"Lets leave her... We have more important things to deal with right know. Soul and Zero need medical attention," Maka returned her gaze sorrowfully to Soul and Zero. Spirit placed his hand on his daughters shoulder, trying to soothe her. Maka turned her head to look at him, tears gleaming in her eyes.
"Papa..." She whispered. Katana stood up and walked out of the castle. She was so emotionaly drained, and her physical body felt like it was hit by a truck filled with brick driven by a Sumo wretsler, but she didn't want to get in the way of Makas daddy time. Out side the castle Katana cried. She cried of grief, she cried for Zero, for Soul, but mostly she cried because of the past. It would be a fairytail to get rid of it, for her and Zero to finaly have their happy ever after. Their lives were forever entertwined with pain.
Flash Back:
Katana was coming back from the store, arms filled with bags of vegetables and other foods. She hummed happily as she made her way home. On her way she spotted an ally, a way to get home before it got too dark and her father came looking for her. As she turned to walked down the ally a figure jumped out of the shadows. The fugure was female. Her hair was curled slightly, deep red like rubies. Her eyes were an odd shade of pink, and she was really short. Her face was adorned with tiny brown flecks, but she was thin, too thin, and covered in cuts and bruises.
"Give me the bags! Drop them right now!" The red headed girl growled dangerously. It was then that Katana noticed that the girls arm had turned into a knife. Katana had heard of Weapons and Meisters. She had looked up too the DWMA for a long time. And now there was a weapon infront of her? Maybe...Just maybe...
"Wouldn't you like to stay somewhere warmer that this old ally?" Katana asked. This caught the girl off gaurd.
"What?" She squeaked, suddenly looking smaller than what she really was. Katana grabbed the girls other hand, and pulled her out of the ally.
"Lets get you cleaned up! My name is Katana, whats your name?" Katana grinned cheerily. The smaller girl couldn't be more confused. All she wanted was the girls food, not to be dragged along like a rag doll.
"Zero..."
"Nice to meet you Zero! Lets be best friends!" Zero's eyes had widened. Though she smiled up at the taller girl.
"Sure..."
End Mini flash back...
That was the first time they had met. And after that many problems came up. At first they were simple. They'd get bullied on their way home. Thats how Katana found out about her black blood. One of the bullies had pulled out a knife and cut her arm, but when they saw the color of her blood they freaked out, calling her names and ran off. They stopped bugging them after that.
But then the nightmares came. Zero had flashbacks of her past, they pained both girls for two full years before they stopped. Everything was good for about 4 months before Zero's biological father showed up looking for her.
That was the first time that Zero went crazy. The two girls were left alone so that Katana's parents could go on a an all day date. Zero's father came through a window and started beating the girls. He managed to get a knife and ended up stabbing Zero in the shoulder. She went bad; laughing crazily. Zero's father got away after getting a thrashing from his own daughter. But his face as he left was etched into Katana's mind. His sadistic smile. When Katana calmed Zero down enough to talk, Zero explained how she got the black blood, and how her father was a sick scientist and had injected her with that he called "Madness".
At first it seemed like it had failed but then the dreams started, and when she got cut she would bleed black. Her mother left them then. Couldn't take the fact that her family was as messed up as it was. And when Zero turned 7 she left her fathers house to live on her own. She had to figure out she was a weapon in her own.
Zero's first family had been Katana and her parents. They took her in without any questions. They suported her to the end, and when they turned 15 they said they wanted to enroll into the DWMA. They got in. And know the madness was back in more than one body.
"Katana, Its time to leave," She looked up at Stien who held out his hand and pulled her to her feet. She fell asleep on the way back to the DWMA, her dreams filled with Zero and how they were going to defeat the evil within.
~ Later On Back at the DWMA~
Katana woke up in her dorm late the next day. At first she thought that all that happened the night before was just a dream. However when she looked at Zero's bed. It was empty. The whole room seemed to squeeze at her as she got up and looked at the clock. 9:16 am.
Katana stripped off the clothes that she was wearing. She hadnt changed before she went to bed and black stains had settled into the fabric. She hopped into the shower, washing herself the best she could. When she came out she pulled on a pair of jeans and light pink tee shirt before heading down to infirmary to check in with Maka and Stien.
Everyone seemed to be out at that moment. They all stared at her as she walked down the hallways, weaving through the people. The look of pity on all their faces. Katana held her head high as the crowds lessened and she made it to the infirmary. Maka was kneeling beside the door. Katana sat next to her friend.
"They still in there?" She whispered. Maka nodded and hugged her knees. Katana knew that Maka was feeling guilty about Souls injuries. She was the meister. But its the weapons duty to protect their meisters. Katana wrapt an arm around Maka's shoulder. It was a small act of comfort and Maka seemed to relax slightly. The door creaked open.
"Professor?" Maka asked looking up at Stien. He seemed a little shocked to see the girls sitting there.
"Maka, Katana, have your been waiting here the whole time?" He asked. Katana stood up.
"No... Maka has, but I woke up in my dorm," Stien nodded as Maka got up herself.
"Tell me... How is Soul? Is he ok?" Maka asked in desperation. Stien seemed puzzled for a moment. But he put up the peace symbol and smiled.
"The opperations where a success. They just need to rest up a bit and they'll be back up and moving around soon," Maka smiled and looked like she was on the brink of tears. Katana was beaming. Zero and Soul would be just fine. Never had she felt more relieved. Even that time when she peed after holding it in for 4 hours. Maka reached out and grabbed Stiens hands.
"Thank you! Thank you soo much!" Her smile was wide and happy. She was just as relieved as Katana was that her partner was ok.
"Would...Would it be ok if I check on him...?" Maka asked looking into the room. Stien smiled softly at the meister.
"Sure...That'll be fine," Maka grinned.
"Thank you," She headed inside, leaving Katana with Stien. He stared at her for a moment before grabbing her by the belt loops and stalked down the hall a little ways, dragging her with him.
"You need to explain whats going on with your weapon," He stated sturnly, letting go of her. Katana shuffled on her feet, before looking the professor in the eyes.
"What Im telling you is what she told me, ok?" He nodded his head in understanding.
"When she was little, before I even met her, her father injected some sort of black liquid into her. She said he called it "Madness". It eats at her when something dark or bads going to happen. But it had a different affect on her than it seemed to have on the boy, Crona. She starts laughing... Like a phycopath. And she's able to stop the nerves around the wound from sending pain impulses to the brain. It allows her to fight longer, her father wanted to make an altimate weapon. And he succeeded," Katana stopped talking. That was all the information she was willing to give without Zero there to talk. It wasn't her past, it was her weapons.
Stien stared at her for a moment before nodding. It wasn't a whole lot, but it was enough. All he really wanted to know was if he could experiment on the red headed girl. Katana shifted under Stiens gaze.
"Can... Can I go see Zero?" Stiens eyes widened and he nodded fast.
"Of course, I didn't mean to take you away from her," Katana grinned and headed back down the hallway to go see Zero. When she opened the infirmary door, Black Star was sitting on Zero's stomache staring at her with puppy eyes.
"Hey...Buddy? WAKE UP!" He grabbed a hold of Zero's shoulders and looked like he was about to shake her. Katana sighed and pulled Black Star off of Zero and looked at her weapon.
Zero had gained some color back to her, and her freckles weren't as noticable as they had been the night before. Her breathing was stable and she looked better. Katana brushed Zero's red hair out of her face and sat down in the chair. She glanced over at Soul.
His mouth was wide open and he looked like he had gotten a good thrashing around. She guessed it was Black Star going crazy over his best friend. Katana smiled at her weapon. Everything was getting back on track, maybe this wouldn't be a problem...
~Chapter 3 end~
aisha: Well I just wanted to make sure that lost and I don't own any of Soul Eater! All quotes that where used belong to the creator.
lost: Read and Review!