"Miss Albarn, you look very confused… and very frightened. Yes… fear is a horrifying thing." For such dark words, Lord Death sounded strangely calm. Maka felt a bitter resentment in her heart. What face lied behind that mask? What emotions flashed in his concealed eyes and had a scowl ever creased Lord Death's lips? Stein stood behind Maka like a prison ward, his gaze focused on her and her alone. He was patient, unmoving. Maka didn't want to know what ran through his mind. Shinigami seemed to surround themselves with creatures of all types. Maka had yet to see what Stein truly was.
"Do you know why you are here?" Lord Death's voice was still soft as he questioned Maka. Maka shook her head. "No, Shinigami-sama." She whispered in reply, green eyes wide with curiosity and caution.
Lord Death persisted. "May I see your hands?"
Maka hesitantly lifted her hands, slowly unclenching them so her palms were there for all to see. Lord Death was silent for a moment, as if pondering some subject she had yet to understand. Red flashed in the darkness behind the mask. "You've got a grigori soul, my dear, but these skulls on your hand tell me that you are as susceptible to death as any other. Your wings can't save you from your weakness… but you can save many others from their weaknesses."
In her peripheral vision, Maka saw Stein shift, a small giggle escaping the older man's lips. Maka felt her body stiffen at the sound. It was twisted, eerie. Maka prayed she wouldn't hear it again. "What do you mean?" she asked Lord Death, still watching Stein from the corner of her eye. Lord Death nodded toward Stein. "I see you watching him… he is an example. You see, Maka, there is madness in this world. As a young meister, I'm sure you know this. Humans are weak toward it and give in too easily. Stein has been fighting this madness for years. He is more sensitive to it than others. I've had one of my death scythes, Marie, help mellow out his wavelength with her own as she naturally has a calming effect. Unfortunately… It's not a permanent solution. I'd hate to see Stein's soul reaped before his time."
Maka inhaled sharply, suddenly even more uncomfortable with Stein's presence. She could hear his teeth chattering behind her and her soul perception told her that his soul was fluctuating with madness. Maka almost always refrained from randomly peering at people's souls, but the more she knew about Stein, the less she was able to ignore his presence.
"What does this all have to do with me?" Maka choked. Lord Death lowered himself so he was closer.
"Maka…" he began slowly, eyes glowing an eerie shade behind the mask. "Do you think my son is cruel?"
Maka's eyebrows furrowed. "Lord Death, I cannot answer that-"
"You can. Tell me the truth. Do you think Kid is cruel?" Death's voice grew stronger, lower in octave. Maka bit her lip before responding. Could she really tell Death to his face how bitter she was towards his son? Would he kill her before she even got to the battle? Maybe that would be a blessing in disguise! No fighting her friends, no consequences waiting impatiently for her to make a mistake, waiting to rip at her soul if she should falter for a moment…
"Answer me!" A loud rumble of a voice where a soft, kind tone once was.
"Yes! He's cruel! He's put my friends' lives on the line! My life on the line! He will be the end of me and my family away from the disconnected family I've had! He's a monster!" Maka screamed, huffing by the end. Lord Death stood upright, clapping his oversized hands together. "A monster, huh?" he repeated, voice back to its usually soft and cheerful state. "If he's a monster so am I… and so are you. Madness has corrupted my son, Maka Albarn. He's confused more than ever and soon he will take my place as Reaper. That's why you will fight and win these battles. He wants you by his side and he doesn't even know it. Your angelic soul will save him."
Maka found herself unable to respond to Lord Death's expectations. She stared, stunned, at the Shinigami. Kid wanted her by his side? She would save him?
Why should she? It's his fault she's in so much pain anyway.
Maka found some courage to speak. "No."
"No?"
"No!" Maka hissed, balling her hands into fists. "Why would I help him!? Weren't you listening!? He's sentenced me and my friends to death-"
"What would a human know about the affairs of a Shinigami?" Lord Death inquired. "Your friends will feel pain in this tournament, no doubt. They will fight each other, send each other to the grave. But, they will also learn to find strength in fear. There is a fate worse than death…"
"That! That… I don't want to hear anymore!" Maka turned around and shoved her way passed Stein, ignoring the fright he once gave her. Lord Death and Stein both watched as she walked away. Stein shrugged his shoulders, trying to shake away the fit of madness he was just in. "Do you think she'll take your words to heart? Do you think she'll understand why Kid did what he did? He's already marked her, though I believe it was an accident."
Lord Death stared at the retreating form of Maka Albarn and sighed. "Don't know… I can only hope." He breathed. "But I know Kiddo loves humans and she'll see that if she allows herself to. Young people are so strange. She doesn't actually believe he'd allow her to be alone, does she?"
Stein shrugged. "They've only just met. Humans and Shinigami are so different that she probably can't see his feelings at all. I doubt she'd able to see her own."
"Hmm~ I suppose you're right… but I can see them together. Please, Maka Albarn… save my son…"
(A/N: Woo! Next chapter. Short, but meaningful. It's a transition chapter~ I hope you enjoyed it and continue reading! Thanks for all your reviews and support! I'm truly grateful and hope to see you all next chapter. It's a large time skip, but the battle finally begins!)
