"Maka, we need to talk… weapon to meister." A startled Maka lifted her head as a large textbook fell on the desk in front of her. She looked up to see her partner leaning onto the library table, his crimson eyes holding a dim glow. He looked unnerved, the exact opposite of his usual 'cool' mask. Maka tried her best to play dumb, smiling lightly. "Sure, Soul… what's wrong?"

Maka knew exactly what was wrong. It was a shame how quickly news spread, especially when it was a mystery how anyone knew in the first place. The story of Black Star and Maka's 'late night confrontation' with Lord Death's son had spread like wildfire through the DWMA. Unfortunately, like any orally told story, the actual events that occurred were twisted around. Maka had tried her best to prevent invoking any sort of wrath from the Shinigami. She'd apologized for her and Black Star's rudeness while maintaining her dignity as a meister. Death the Kid hadn't seemed vengeful. In fact, other than his offended expression at the beginning and his venomous tone towards the middle, he didn't hint towards any punishment to come.

And regardless, Shinigami or not, who was he to punish the two meisters for a misunderstanding? They were only human.

Soul sat in a wooden chair opposite to Maka. He took a deep breath before speaking, watching Maka warily. "I heard some stories about you, Black Star, and Lord Death's son. They aren't true, are they?" he questioned or rather, interrogated. Maka thought that it was just like Soul to be straightforward with his curiosity. It was something that actually made her and Soul Eater compatible despite their many differences. When it all boiled down, they could talk to each other.

"What did you hear?" Maka asked, closing the book she'd been reading.

Soul sighed and crossed his arms. "Forget what I've heard. I want you to tell me what happened. I'll believe you, not that crowd of gossip-guzzlers."

"At least give me the gist of it."

Soul shook his head with disapproval, but began to tell his meister anyway. It couldn't hurt for her to know what people were saying if it involved her. She'd definitely have a more realistic approach to it than Black Star had. When Black Star figured out that everyone was talking about him, he was ecstatic. Tsubaki could barely control him that morning. When Soul came to visit Maka and found only Black Star and a worn-out Tsubaki, he'd figured Maka had been repelled and fled to the library. Here she was. Just as he thought.

"People say that you and Black Star went into the Dining Hall after hours looking for a fight. They think Black Star's combative attitude finally got to you and you both went to the restricted library to find a higher up. "Soul paused to glance at Maka's expression. She looked genuinely shocked, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open. "And then Lord Death's son beat you both to a pulp."

Maka's eye twitched. "That's so far from the truth." She claimed softly. She briskly rubbed her right arm. ""How could it be!? Are people blind? I don't have a scratch on me!"

Soul shrugged. "People don't always care for what they see." He muttered, shaking his head. "And others don't bother to look. As long as they hear what they want to hear, they don't care."

"So, I'm just the good girl gone bad then…" Maka sighed irritably, slamming one clenched fist on the table. She stood, kicking her chair into the table as she began to walk away. Soul rounded the table and followed her, not bothering to bring the textbook he'd used to get her attention. He matched her quick pace, turning to face her as he walked. "Maybe so." He said with a calm tone. "But that's not the real story. We are partners and a partnership requires trust. If you tell me, we can find a way to get through it… you don't have to confront it alone."

Maka halted in her walk. Soul jumped a bit, stopping his movement as well. He pushed one hand into his pants pocket. "So…?'

"We are partners. I trust you. It's not like it's a big secret anyway." Maka stated, her features lighting with a grin for the first time that day. Soul offered her his own laidback smile. Without hesitation, Maka began to tell the story of the previous night, not skipping a single detail. When she finished, Soul's eyes were wide, though Maka could tell her weapon partner was trying his best to stay cool and collected.

Soul swallowed the lump of air in his throat. "So… you encountered a Shinigami." He coughed, covering his mouth with his hand. He sniffed, watching Maka with concerned eyes. In his scarlet irises, Maka could see the reflection of herself. She saw what appeared to be a confident girl, the girl Maka truly was. However, inside herself, Maka realized that as she retold the story, she felt a bit nauseous. It wasn't the best memory. Shinigami had a natural, overwhelming aura around them. She'd read about it, but only last night had she actually experienced it.

Maka nodded. "Yes." She motioned toward the exit to the library and the weapon-meister duo left the room. They stayed silent for a decent amount of the walk to evening classes. Occasionally, Maka could feel Soul's gaze on her. His lips would part as though he was going to say something, but they'd close before any sort of words escaped. As the two stood outside the classroom for Mythology, Maka placed one hand on Soul's shoulder.

"I'm fine." She insisted, tightening her grip by just a bit. She stared at the classroom door for a moment. "What's the worst that can happen?"

Before Maka could open the door, it swung forward, nearly hitting the meister. Tsubaki stood in the doorway, covering her mouth with both hands. "Oh, Maka! Soul! I'm sorry, I didn't know you were there!" she apologized, waving one hand frantically. Maka laughed nervously, shaking her head. "It's okay, Tsubaki." She said. Tsubaki smiled. Soul moved to pass the older girl, only to have Tsubaki place herself between him and the classroom. Soul looked up at the girl. "What's the deal, Tsubaki? I need to get to class."

Tsubaki's face immediately lost its pink fluster. The shadow weapon's eyes held a stern gaze, her expression one of determination. "You can't." she declared, holding her arms out at full width. Maka raised an eyebrow. She tried her best to ignore her stomach's churning. A deep, dark premonition told her that her friend was hiding something. An even more sinister thought told her that what her friend was hiding… was something concerning the Lord Death's son.

"Tsubaki… why can't we go through-"

At that moment, the wall next to the trio was shattered, crumbling onto the floor. Laying flat on his back in the rubble was a bruised Black Star. He lifted his back off the ground with a sharp hiss of pain, wiping blood off his bottom lip. In a second he was back on his feet, running back into the classroom with a fierce battle cry. Maka turned to Tsubaki in a panic, Soul now staring in disbelief at the pieces of the wall on the ground.

"What the hell is going on!?" Maka said loudly, no longer caring to control her volume. Tsubaki sighed, glancing at the space where a classroom wall once stood. "When we came to class, a young man with three white stripes on his hair was waiting. Black Star taunted him, speaking of how the 'damned idiot dared to show his face'. It led to a confrontation and now those two are facing off. He's beating Black Star really badly. I've never seen anyone beat Black Star like that!" she said on an exhale.

Soul looked at Tsubaki. "Why don't you help him!?" he growled accusingly. "You're his weapon!"

"I can't enter a fight when I wasn't the one being challenged or challenging. Academy rules, Soul." Was Tsubaki's simple reply. Soul was about to say something snide, but Tsubaki interrupted him. "Another thing… he was looking for Maka."

Both Maka and Soul froze. Black Star, once again, was flung outside the classroom. This time, he skid along the floor, stopping next to the group of friends outside the door.

And he wasn't alone.

Walking calmly through the busted wall, as though he hadn't just beaten someone bloody, was Death the Kid. He stood over Black Star, lifting his leg for a devastating blow to the gut. Tsubaki lowered her head, her gaze meeting the floor in expectation of a harsh impact. However, that impact never came. She looked up.

Maka's body trembled, but she held her position over Black Star, tightening her hug on her friend. "Stay away from him!" she snarled, eyebrows furrowed. Kid's foot was just above her head. If it continued just a second longer, not only would Black Star been forced into unconsciousness, but Maka would had suffered a fearsome blow to the head. The consequences that would have followed would have been terrible. In her heart, Maka knew this. Still, she refused to let anyone hurt the friends she loved.

Kid lowered his foot to the side of the two meisters he'd met the night before. Maka stared at him intently, watching as he crouched next to her. Her friends were all still, too shaken up to move. Slowly, carefully, as though he were touching something precious, Kid moved his hand towards Maka's face. Several images ran through Maka's mind, all horrid and filled with pain. To her surprise, all Kid did was move a few loose strands of hair out of her face.

He lifted himself, dusting off his suit, and shoving his hands into his pockets. "Maka Albarn, Soul Eater, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, and Black Star… you are all wanted in the Death Room by my father." He said coldly. His golden eyes flashed a dark bronze. Maka gritted her teeth as that gaze landed on her. "He can't enter looking like that. Clean him up, he's a mess." He paused. Suddenly, Kid smiled, though it was directed to one person and one person alone. Maka was taken aback by the gesture, curling her hands into fists. Why…? She didn't understand the reason for the gesture at all…

"We'll be discussing your punishment for your actions last night. Because weapon and meister act as one, even you and your friend's weapons will deal with the consequences."

And he left.

Maka, Black Star, Soul, and Tsubaki all saw him leave, their lips sealed. Black Star coughed up a bit of blood, swearing blatantly. Maka helped him up and the group began to go to the nurse's office. None of them dared to speak. Behind them, they heard Professor Stein and Sid talking about the wall, but they thought nothing of it. Whatever was happening tonight was bound to be terrible.

Maka's mind clouded with thoughts. Sure, Kid had sounded chilling when he spoke, but the way he looked at her briefly told a different story. It seemed like there was more to the appointment than punishment, but Maka couldn't figure out what. The feeling of ignorance was driving her insane.

"I'll break his stupid legs next time." Black Star barked under his breath. His weapon sighed. Soul simply scowled. Maka remained quiet, still lost in her thoughts. Whatever would happen next… she had a bad feeling about it.

(A/N: Heller! I'm back with more! So, as I mentioned before, this is a rewrite for Order of Madness. The scene with Kid and Black Star fighting is loosely based on the actual scene where Black Star challenges Kid in the manga and anime. Except… indoors :D With wall breaking! Anyway, thanks for reading this chapter of the story and I hope you'll continue to read! It looks like our favorite meisters and weapons are going to the Death Room…)