Chapter 4

Welcome to Spain

My Comments :

More stuff with our favorite Weapons and Meisters! Sorry if the format is a little, ahem, screwy on this one. I was writing it on my Ipad... and well... my laptop didn't like the switch over. Regardless, here you go!

The Story :

Maka glanced around the beautifully lit cabin, two chairs in each section. There was easily enough room to everyone to lean back all the way, put their feet up, and still not bump into the person behind them. The group had been the last on the plane, but even then, her and Asura were the only ones in First Class. Apparently, not many people wanted to take a plane to a small city and pay extra for luxury. At least the academy didn't.

From behind her, in the regular seating, she could hear the rest of the group. Black Star was yelling about how he was a God and shouldn't be so far in the back. Soul was complaining about the 'God's' yelling. She could practically hear Liz moaning in response. Patty was obviously ignoring everyone, playing with Garfield the stuffed giraffe. And despite the lack of sound coming from him, Maka was pretty sure Kid was freaking out over something that wasn't symmetrical.

"Hey. You're zoning out."

Maka jumped. "O-oh. Sorry."

It's alright," Asura said with a small sigh. "Just sit down. I want to get this over with."

The Meisters watched him toss his bag in the overhead compartment, plopping down in his seat and closing his eyes. "Hey Asura?"

"What?" he sighed, lifting one eyelid to look at her.

"Are you afraid of flying?"

"No," the Kishin snapped, crossing his arms and closing his eyes once more.

Maka chuckled lightly, putting her bag with Asura's and taking the seat next to his. She leaned back, buckling in when the light flashed. An attendant checked on them before returning to his area to strap himself in.

"Asura."

"What?" he snarled through clenched teeth.

"Relax a little," Maka replied, putting a hand on his. "I promised I'd do whatever it took to help you. And I promised to keep you safe. Nothing bad will happen on this flight. It's when we arrive at the area with the Kishin Eggs that we have to worry."

"Right," he said with a sigh, visibly relaxing.

Maka leaned back, but kept her hand on his until they retrieved the signal that they were free to roam the cabin. "See," she said reassuringly, smiling, "we're perfectly fine."

Asura raised an eyebrow, retrieving his arm and grabbing a sketchpad from under his chair. A pencil was stuck in the wire binding.

"When did you put that there?"

"When you were zoning out," Asura replied with a shrug, grabbing the pencil and flipping to a page.

"What are you working on?" she questioned, leaning closer.

The Kishin angled the pad so she couldn't see. "It doesn't matter," he said back, sending her a glare. "Why don't you read? I know you brought a couple books."

"Fine," Maka mumbled back, a little peeved he wouldn't tell her. She stood, grabbing a book from her bag and beginning to read. For about ten minutes, the duo sat in absolute silence.

"Maka!"

The Meister sighed, snapping the book shut. "Great," she muttered as Soul burst into first class.

"Come on," her Weapon growled, grabbing her arm.

"Excuse me?" Maka ripped her arm back.

"You're coming with me. Back where everyone else is!"

"Why?"

Asura laid the sketchpad upside down on his chair as he stood. "You shouldn't force a woman to do things she doesn't wish to. Do you have any manners?"

Soul smirked. "At least I've never tried to kill her."

Asura's small smile disappeared. "How many times have you saved her in the last week, Weapon?"

The Scythe's own smile faded, his grip on his Meister's arm tightening. "We're going." He started to drag her to the others.

"What do you think you're doing, Soul?!" Maka pulled back. "Let me-!"

The woman was cut off by the plane suddenly shaking, a scream sounding from the other cabin.

Asura's head whipped to the front, his eyes narrowing. "Not possible," he growled, clenching his fists. "Soul," Asura said, turning. His eyes blazed. "Do me a favor, alright?" He asked, pushing past them and towards a few windows and the door.

"Why would I do anything for you?!"

The rest of the group glanced at them, wondering what the hell was going on. Other than Crona, who was curled up in a ball and crying.

"Because we have a mutual goal," the Kishin replied, laying his hand on the handle of the door, and causing a gasp of alarm to sound from everyone else on the plane. "You will do this favor for me."

"Mutual goal?" Soul snarled, subconsciously pulling Maka closer to him. "What the hell are you talking about?"

Asura smiled slightly, tightening his grip on the handle. "There's something that's almost a Kishin outside," he stated simply, earning him a few surprised looks. "I can feel it. And it won't stop until it gets what it's after, whatever that may be. It will tear this plane apart. So I need you to do me a favor." Familiar bandages emerged from under his jacket as he glanced at Soul, both eyes burning with determination.

"What?" the Weapon finally asked glaring at the Kishin.

"Hold on," he answered with a nod as the bandages writhed around him, anxious to start fighting, "and keep Maka safe for me."

Kid was the first to realize what he meant when he said, 'hold on'. His eyes widened, and suddenly, the symmetry of the plane didn't seems as important. "Everyone grab onto something!" he shouted, causing everyone to do so without question.

"I'll try my best," Asura said, slight fear lacing his voice, "make sure the pilot keeps going. I will not let this plane go down." Two a his bandages latched onto whatever was screwed in place next to him. With that, he gave on reassuring smile towards Maka before pulling the handle down the rest of the way and flying out of the plane, the bandages going taut as they kept him from flying off.

The pressure created from the air in the cabin rushing out caused everyone to quickly lower their heads and grip onto whatever they were holding onto with, quite literally, their life. Maka lifted her head slowly, watching the bandages retreat and close the door. Just like that, their only connection to Asura was cut off.

"Asura!" Maka yelled, lunging away from Soul and towards the window. She spotted the Kishin standing in the wing of the plane, wind whipping through his hair and clothes. Two of his bandages were wrapped around the wing, shaking from the wind and pressure they were under. His eyes were dead set on something on top of the plane. Whatever he was yelling was lost in the wind.

"He wants to know what it's doing here," Kid said to her right, looking through the same window.

Maka shivered slightly. "Where is it? What is 'it'?

Kid shook his head. "Asura seems to know it," he said with a frown. "He's saying if it leaves now, he can get it what it wants."

The plane shook again as a large figure lunged forward, shrieking. Its stitched wings widened as it shrieked again. Stitched wings. The entire creature looked like a rag doll, strange stitches covering its body. Two claws protruded from under it, digging into the metal of the plane. It turned to the side long enough for them to see its face, with an immense beak and beady black eyes.

"A Phoenix," Liz muttered in awe, her eyes widening.

"What are they saying?" Maka asked, worry lacing her voice.

"I can't read beak," Kid said, frowning. His fists clenched. "And I can't see Asura's face."

The plane shifted under their feet as the almost Kishin screeched again.

"W-what's going on?!" Liz gasped out, grabbing onto a chair to support herself.

"We're in a nosedive!" Maka yelled back, her eyes widening in fear.

Soul grabbed his Miester's arm. "Come on! We need to help the pilot!"

Maka took one last, forlorn glance at Asura before nodding. "Right!"

~ Break ~

Asura felt his hair whipping around him, fear of falling and leaving everyone behind tightening his chest. And the giant rag doll Phoenix in front of him wasn't helping. The voice it spoke into his mind with was vaguely familiar, and he knew what it wanted. Him. Honestly, what creature wouldn't want to eat his soul? He was once a full blown Kishin; one with almost enough power to destroy the world. And would have, had it not been for Maka. Regardless, his soul could probably turn a brand new Kishin Egg into a full Kishin.

Death had warned him of this, saying that whoever he traveled with would be put in danger. Something about his soul giving off a very specific wavelength that, if anyone focused enough, they would find. If only he had a way to hide it; then he wouldn't be putting Maka, Crona, and everyone else in danger just by being here. Asura grit his teeth. Not like that was going to help now. Maka was already in danger, and it was his fault.

"I won't let you hurt this plane or its inhabitants! I'd sooner die!" Asura caught a glimpse of Kid in one of the windows, his eyes intently watching. 'He's reading my lips,' the Kishin thought with a grimace.

The beast shrieked, "then so be it! You were once powerful, the Ruler of Madness. Us nearly complete Kishins would have gladly served under you!" It beat its razor sharp wings, getting dangerously close to the bandages he was using to hold himself in place. "You have failed the eggs. Now, you shall be the fuel for the next generation of Kishin!" The rag doll lunged forward.

Asura released one of the bandages, bracing himself as the wind tore him off the plane. He registered a barely audible scream from inside as the one tether he had left snapped taut, causing him to swing around the bottom, momentum carrying him over the other edge and back onto the wing. He flew over the top, angling himself so he kicked the rag doll right off the plane. The now free bandage whipped widely in the wind, catching one of his arms and tearing a few pieces of skin off. He hissed as the skin around the cut turned pink and a mixture of red and black blood dripped from the wound. But he couldn't pull the bandage back yet. Not yet.

The Phoenix flew back up, screeching, "how dare you try to injure me! You are no longer the Kishin that everyone fears! Pass the torch!"

"I don't care that I'm not an all powerful Kishin anymore," Asura hissed back, noting a look of surprise cross Kid's face from his spot in the window. "My only goal now is to protect my new friends and the ideals of Lord Death!"

The beast screeched again, sending his claws straight for Asura. The teenager smirked, using the wild bandage to wrap around the rag doll, starting at his claws and working up. After the creature was wrapped by one, he used the other two free bandages to strengthen the wrappings. He grit his teeth.

'What now?' he thought to himself with a frown, struggling to keep his bandages together. 'I can't hold him forever, and if I just throw him, he'll fly right back up.' He glanced towards the direction the slightly stable plane was flying. 'Land is close, but I'd be cutting it close. I can't endanger the civilians. I have to drown it. I don't know enough about my new abilities to kill it on my own, and the weapons can't come out here. It's too dangerous.' With a resigned sigh, he turned towards the window of the plane.

Kid was still watching intently, his eyes studying Asura. One of his hands was against the window, clenched so tightly his knuckles were turning white. He wanted to help, but he knew he would only make the situation worse.

Asura smiled slightly at Kid, earning him an odd gaze. "Tell Maka I'm sorry." The Meister's eyes widened, and he started shaking his head wildly. "It isn't her fault."

With those last words, Asura released his only grip on the plane, feeling the plane start to leave him behind until there was nothing under his feet, and gravity began to take its course.

~ Break ~

Maka sighed quietly, leaning back in the chair. "Soul?"

"What is it, Maka?" her Weapon asked curiously.

"Kid hasn't been telling us what's going on. Shouldn't we at least check? I mean, the plane is stable and everything now. The pilot even said we're approaching land." She looked to the window, a little upset that it was on the wrong side of the plane.

"Kid will tell us if something happens," he answered simply, studying her.

"Yeah," she said with a sigh. Her eyes lowered, landing on the sketchpad in Asura's seat. With a frown, she picked it up, flipping it over to see the image. Her eyes widened as she studied the image.

"Maka! Soul!" Kid's worried voice flowed in from second class. "Asura jumped!"

Maka jumped up, dropping the sketch pad picture up as she ran. Soul ran to follow her, pausing to glance at the drawing.

The background was a completely accurate drawing of the DWMA. To the left side of the drawing were Black Star, Tsubaki, and Crona. To the right were Kid, Liz, and Patty. Patty even had her giraffe at her feet. Maka was in the exact middle, Soul to her right, grinning as usual, and an unfinished Asura to her right. Everyone was smiling.