Panda: Hello, everyone! It's me, formerly known as Rin!
I know a lot of you have been looking forward to the update for A Witches Help? and for once, I finally can appeal to you all, because here is an extra long chapter, just because I know I've been a douche canoe, and owe you this!

Kid glances over towards Soul and Black Star before glancing over towards Mizune and Blair. From where they were, it would be easier for him and Black Star to just take on the two witches, while Soul went on with Stein and Spirit, but he knew that it might also not work.

"Black Star!" Comes a startled cry as Tsubaki transforms herself into a sickle and chain.

Not another noise is heard though as, with one step forward, Black Star vanishes, already thinking up his own plan in his mind. Sure, he didn't seem as smart as the rest of them, and usually was very brash, but he was still smart when it came to battle strategies. Especially when the thing on the line was one of his friends. Especially Maka.

She was the one girl in their group who made everything fun, despite the fact that she usually would hurt one of them if they made a bad comment without meaning it. But she was also the one girl in their group who loved everyone, and always took care of them, because they were her friends.

And like he knew she would do if something like this ever happened to her, they were going to fight to get back what they cared about.

"Patty, Liz!" Yells Kid as he begins firing shots off at an alarming rate, fingers alternating between triggers as he shot little soul bits towards Mizune first, and then Blair, and back again.

They mostly want to focus on Mizune, who they knew would stop at nothing to kill them and keep them from interrupting Medusa's plans.

A glance to his left side shows Soul charging up at Blair, fury so clear in his crimson eyes, as Black Star reappeared, blades slicing through nothing but air as Mizune transforms quickly, mouses darting off to avoid the meister and his weapon partner.

When she found a safe enough spot, she transforms herself back, but she doesn't expect the blade that pierces through her leg, cutting off the limb.

"Stein!" Gasps Kid, surprised, though not enough to be taken away from his shooting, which he now aimed at the injured witch.

"Kids, get going. We can hold these two off. You need to find Maka and rescue her." He says, glancing at the six of them out of the corner of his eyes, before giving a quick little smile.

But that smile was soon wiped clean as an arrow pierced through his leg; the same right leg he'd cut off of Mizune just seconds ago.

Pain lances through his body, and he nearly falls, but with the handle of the scythe being used as a bit of a crutch, he stays standing, pained green eyes looking up to the witch that had just used a Vector Arrow to slice off his leg.

He wasn't sure if he could remain standing long enough to ensure that anything good was going to come of this.

...Most likely, he wouldn't be up standing for much longer. And that would mean it was all over. They wouldn't be able to rescue Maka, and it all would have been for absolutely nothing.

"Oh, Stein," clucks Maka, as she shakes her head, sitting on her little arrow of a tail, Free and Eruka standing at her sides. "Why should they go find me when I'm right here? It's too late, kids. Your precious Maka is gone. It's all me."

Cue a cackle from the witch as she spread her arms, dirty blonde hair billowing out beneath the snake's hood.

"Poor, poor Shibusen students. Thought you could save your little friend from her demise, did you? She gave in, let go of her soul, and let me right in. It was almost too easy."

Spirit made a little choking noise, eyes watering through the reflection as he stared at the girl that was once his daughter- no, still is his daughter. He knew she was still in there somewhere, and dammit, he was going to find her and save her and get rid of Medusa once and for all.

"Stein-"

"Spirit, whatever you're thinking, it won't work. Medusa's soul has nearly fully consumed Maka's. Even if we did somehow manage to save your daughter, she'll never be the same person she once was. She may not even survive, if we manage it. And if she does, well, you'll never get to see her again. Lord Death will make sure of that." Rasps the gray haired man, becoming weaker with each passing moment, blood pooling below him from his bleeding leg.

"But Stein, that's my daughter! We can't just let Medusa have her!" He whines, flailing around in the reflection as he looked up at his partner. What he saw in those green eyes was nothing other than despair- Stein had watched Maka grow up. He'd been there for her, her entire life, though she'd never really known of him until the battle between them.

"I'm sorry, Spirit. There's just no way. . . Unless we can somehow manage to infiltrate her soul with another, one that knows hers well enough to wake it from its despair and bring it back out, fighting. But we've got the immortal and three witches to worry about before we'll even have a chance of getting to her. Spirit, we're going to need more help. And I don't know who can help us.." He glances around, to the kids, the witches, Maka, and then at himself and his bleeding stump. This was not going to end well. At all. They needed help.

"I'll help," murmurs Kid, appearing next to the two.

"We will too!" Cheer Patty and Liz.

"And us!"

"Don't forget me; that's my meister," Soul says, giving a lazy grin. "And we all know that she'll respond best to me. I need to get close to her though. Close enough to the point where injuring me will injure Medusa as well."

Though injuring Medusa meant injuring Maka.

And all of them knew that. So Soul would have to hurry and get their souls to connect- before Medusa realized what he was doing and struck them both through the heart.

She could heal herself. He couldn't heal himself.

"Are you guys ready? We've got a fight to win, a meister to save, and a girl to bring home!"

And thus, they all readied themselves, weapons raised for a fight. Black Star and Tsubaki, Kid, Liz, and Patty, Stein and Spirit, and Soul, with only his bladed arms to use.

Panda: Okay, so maybe not really long. But this is all I can really give you right now!
I've decided to start updates biweekly, so hopefully I can stick to that schedule! Work with me though, guys!
I've got school and stuff besides this, but I'll be trying!
Thank you for sticking with me! Reviews are appreciated!