Author's Note: Jeez, this took a while. Again, sorry for the delays. Damn you, COVID.

As usual, spacing this out so it looks good on the site version.

Still going to do that Cyberpunk fic, I've just been inspired to do my more fantasy stuff recently.

Chapter 13:

The Ties That Bind

As Mosquito finished his sentence, a shocked, stunned silence fell over the Death Room. Black Star was grinning wildly, his eyes like stars, an eerie look of bloodthirstiness contorting his features into something almost monstrous. Everyone else was utterly stunned, with perhaps the exception of Stein, who was also grinning, though his was a smirk that said "I knew it".

"A black dragon of the old world? You? There's no way…" Maka said, her face a mixture of excitement, fear, and reverence as she looked upon the ancient steward.

"Woah, slow down, Maka," her husband said calmly. "What's the big deal? Dude can turn into a lot of stuff. Turning into a dragon doesn't make him special."

Shinigami-sama shook his head. "No, Soul, you don't understand. In my father's time, legendary creatures roamed the lands and seas. Beasts like the kraken, dragons, sirens, the cyclops. Some of these creatures were captured in the Book of Eibon, but others survived." He turned to Mosquito. "If what he says is true…we may be looking at one of the few uncaptured legendary creatures left alive today."

"Sorry, but you're wrong," a deep, dark voice said from the entryway. "There's only one black dragon…me."

Everyone turned, and were surprised to find the Demon Swordswoman herself standing at the edge of the dais.

"Crona," Maka said reflexively, happy to see her friend.

Then Ragnarok screeched from within her, and black wings sprouted from her back, a snake-like dragon head marked with the demon sword's signature white brand on the face curling over her head, splitting open to reveal a ghastly, bright red tongue. Some in the room instinctively recoiled, while others, like Maka and Stein, simply watched. Mosquito looked over his shoulder, a grim look on his face as he regarded the intruder.

"Ragnarok," Crona said finally. "Be still."

Begrudgingly, her partner complied, retracting his wings and head back into her body with a sickening sound.

"Apologies. That was not the sort of entrance I wished to make."

"What are you doing here, Crona?" Maka asked.

"I sensed a presence in the Death Room that was unfamiliar to me. It troubled me at first, but then I recalled the stories you once told of your adventures, about the foes you had faced, and I realized who it was. Something told me that I should meet him, and now I might understand why."

It was then that she and Mosquito were finally able to look each other over, taking in each other's features. She could see the marks of servitude in him, while he recognized something about the curve of her face and the color of her eyes. The resonance between her and his late charge was strong enough to make him forget that she was dead, his expression becoming mournful and remorseful.

"Lady Arachne…"

Then he focused, and saw the differences; the hair, the posture, the power of her soul.

"No…you are not her."

She smiled warmly, despite what might have been considered an insult. "You have a keen eye, steward. I was once the son of Arachne's sister, Medusa, the Demon Swordsman. Later, after both sisters were slain, I was reborn as a daughter of humanity, the woman you see before you now."

"The swordsman…of course. The late lady spoke of you after she returned from Loew Village. She called you her sister's greatest experiment."

Crona's expression darkened. "That, I am no longer."

"What became of Medusa, then?"

"I killed her."

Everyone else in the room exchanged concerned glances. It wasn't often that Crona-sama delved into her own history, especially where her mother was concerned. Mosquito nodded in reverence.

"I see," he said simply. "I apologize for any harm that came to you by way of my late mistress…and her sister."

She scoffed. "Such things are of little consequence now. As is your being a dragon. I care not."

Mosquito grimaced, but said nothing.

"That said, if you want to know whether or not he is a dragon, there is one way to know for sure."

"But Maka can tell if someone's lying," Liz pointed out. "Isn't that enough?"

"For most folk, it is. But for monsters like him and I…not always."

Maka figured out what Crona was alluding to before she could say it. "You want me to delve into his soul, don't you?"

She smiled. "Yes, Maka. Just as you explored my soul and helped me begin my path to redemption in the temples beneath the city, you can explore this man's soul, lay bare everything he is, and see it for yourself. He cannot hide what he is, not there."

"Would you be opposed to that, Mosquito?" Shinigami-sama asked, surprising everyone and causing even Stein to raise a curious eyebrow.

Mosquito paused to consider his answer, then sat back in his chair and sighed. "No, I would not be opposed. Should my tale not prove satisfactory, the young scholar is free to enter my soul if she wishes. Though, given the circumstances, my approval is not truly needed."

It wasn't a question.

"No, it isn't," Shinigami-sama admitted. "But since you've been so forthcoming thus far, I thought it appropriate to ask."

The aged vampire chuckled. "Very well. However, I should warn you, the depths of my soul are home to every part of me, even the darkest parts. Should she enter, I cannot guarantee that she will emerge whole, nor without some scars, be they upon her body or her soul."

"I can handle it," Maka said defiantly.

"Not that this isn't adorable, but can we get back to the fight already?" Black Star asked, earning him a withering look from both his weapon partner and his ex-wife. "I want to hear about how the old Shinigami-sama took you down."

Shinigami-sama sat back in his chair, a thoughtful frown on his face as he laced his fingers. "More importantly, we need to understand how you came to be in my father's debt…and why you later betrayed him."

"Is it storytime?" Ragnarok asked.

"I suppose," Mosquito said warily, seemingly unsettled by speaking to a being he could not see.

The demon sword sighed. "You could serve to be a little more chipper about it, damn. This ain't a funeral."

He cleared his throat. "Very well, then. I shall continue."

As he began again, Crona shaped some of her black blood into a chair so she could sit with everyone, smiling as Tsubaki handed her some onigiri to snack on. She listened closely as the vampire spoke, and when she became confused about some of the details, the others were quick to summarize and help clear things up. Being trained to fight from such an early age, Crona had never sat around a campfire telling ghost stories with friends in her youth, for many reasons…but she imagined that this was what it was like.

Life was funny in that way, giving her a piece of childhood nostalgia she had never had, especially under circumstances such as these.

"It's official, we're doomed," Jenny said sorrowfully. "We've tried everything we can, and we just keep going around in circles."

"No food…no water…no way home…" Lenny added, just as miserable.

"What are we gonna do?" they said to no one, hoping the moon, the universe, someone would answer them.

They were shocked when someone did.

"There you guys are," a familiar voice said.

The twins whirled around to find Specter leaning against a lamp post on the street corner across from them. He was wearing a puffy gray vest and a red sweatshirt, black jeans crumpling over his street shoes. As they rushed over to him, he grinned.

"'Sup?" was about all he could get out before they practically tackled him, sobbing and crying at his feet.

"We thought we were gonna die!" Jenny wailed.

Lenny wrapped himself around Specter's leg, adding, "You've saved us from starving and dying in the streets!"

"Guys, guys, chill the hell out," Specter insisted, trying his best to get the twins off of him. "You're all good, just take a breath."

Jenny and Lenny exchanged surprised looks before finally relaxing and collapsing to the dark cobblestone walkway beneath them.

"Yeah, I found 'em," they heard Specter say. "I'm at the corner of Eighth and Muerte, not far from the fountain." After a pause, he added, "Got it. See ya."

"Who was that?" Lenny asked as he and his sister stood up.

Specter grinned. "The rest of the crew. We made a plan to find you, and it worked."

"Where's Kid?" Jenny wondered. "Is she with you guys?"

"No," Specter admitted. "I dunno where she is."

Just then, something flew by overhead, something vaguely person shaped and standing on some kind of small, flat object. Speeding by at a breakneck pace, it was gone in an instant, a sound not unlike a jet turbine following it not long after. It didn't take the three of them long to figure out what it was.

Or rather, who.

"Speak of the devil, huh?" Specter mused.

"That was Kid! It's Kid! We've got to go after her!" Jenny cried.

"Yeah, let's go!" her brother said happily.

Specter grabbed them both by the shoulder before they could take off. "Nope. Not happening."

"Aw, but why?" they asked in unison.

"'Cause I just found you, and I'm too lazy to freaking sprint all over Death City trying to chase you. Just…chill for a minute, would ya? Kid's probably headed back to your pad anyway, so we'll just wait for the crew, and we'll all go back together. God knows you'll get lost if we don't."

The twins stopped and let out reluctant sighs. They knew he was right. But they needed Kid, needed to be by her side, especially because she wouldn't be around to protect them while they were at school. Without her, they were weapons without a meister, swords without a shield, lost without a guide. It was shitty, Kid leaving them and all, but after what had happened and all the backlash it had caused, they couldn't really blame her.

Could they?

Ultimately, they decided to stay. They stood around and kicked rocks down an alley and pondered their situation while Specter simply leaned against the light post and listened to something through one of his headphones. After a few minutes, someone else dashed past only to return just as quickly, and Jenny and Lenny turned to find their cousin Gray Star standing in the middle of the crossroads, sweating and short of breath.

"Cous!" they cried happily, rushing up and hugging her from opposite sides. "We're so glad to see you!"

"Hi, guys," Gray said tiredly, only barely managing to pull her turtleneck down, her breath becoming mist in the air. "Miss me?"

They broke the hug and nodded furiously, their hands clasped together like they were praying.

Sage transformed beside his meister, appearing in his evening wear. "You two need to sharpen your navigation skills," he said flatly. "You had Gray Star and Alicia worried sick."

"We know," they replied, their eyes on the cobblestones at their feet.

His harsh expression softened. "Fret not. It is something that can be learned."

"We're going to be doing a lot of learning," Jenny said defeatedly.

"To get our grades up," Lenny added.

"So you two really did get put on probation," Specter said as he approached. "That sucks."

"We know," they said again.

"But, hey, if you ever need study tips, Max and I can help you out."

Gray Star gave the twins a reassuring smile. "I'll pitch in, too."

"We all will," Sage added.

The twins nodded happily, and quickly set about entertaining themselves while they wanted for the rest of the gang to arrive.

Not one to sit idly, Sage tried to teach the twins how to use the Academy as a reference point in order to help them improve their navigation skills. Specter simply opted to show Gray Star some memes on his phone and make smalltalk. By the time the twins learned the importance of knowing the cardinal directions, Allie and Flint appeared, quickly followed by Max and his sister Rose, then by Valor and Stanford.

Jenny and Lenny made to run and hug their cousin the moment she arrived, but her cross expression stopped them in their tracks.

"Do you have any idea how much trouble you two are in?" Allie said with a hand on her hip.

"We know," the twins answered, more reverently this time.

"Was a hell of a goose chase y'all put us on," Flint said with a smirk. "But at least we found ya."

Jenny let out a relieved sigh. "Thanks, guys."

"Yeah, we would have been toast without you," her brother added.

Val grinned. "No sweat."

"Yeah, you'd do it for us," Max reasoned. "That's just what friends do."

It was then that Rose cleared her throat, prompting everyone to turn their heads in her direction.

"Not that this reunion isn't sweet and all," she began, "but Stan and I should probably head back. It's freaking cold out here" she added, shivering as another October breeze blew past.

Stanford folded his arms and nodded as everyone muttered something to the effect of "okay".

Rose looked at the twins. "You guys get home safe, alright?"

"We will!"

She turned to Allie. "And give Kid a kick in the pants for me, would ya? Ditching your weapon partners is not cool in my book."

Allie smirked. "Oh, don't worry. I'll do more than that."

The twins exchanged nervous glances and gulped, knowing that Kid couldn't get into a fight without getting expelled. But, nonetheless, Rose and Stanford departed, everyone sending them off with a wave or something similar. The twins turned back to their cousins.

"Can we go now?" they asked hopefully.

"Yeah," Gray Star said with a sad smile. "Let's get you home."

Castle Stoker lay in ruins, its towers turned to slag, its walls reduced to rubble, its courtyard destroyed. In the space where the gate once stood lay Dracula, bloody and beaten, reaching for any kind of weapon, trying to use the moonlight to guide him. He found no weapons within his reach.

A short distance away, Shinigami-sama, also beaten, but still standing, shambled toward him, Orcus in hand. Dracula turned over, hacking up blood and bile as he crawled for his life, his torn and shredded limbs doing little to carry him away. He only barely touched the onyx footstones of his courtyard when he felt the reaper's blade hook into his shoulder and pull him onto his back, sending a searing pain all through his body.

Shinigami-sama held his scythe down low, his breathing heavy, standing through sheer force of will alone.

Dracula looked on, but said nothing, knowing what was coming.

"Die," the Grim Reaper said simply, done with formalities. He then brought Orcus up to bear, swinging down with all of his remaining strength. "DRACULA!"

Time slowed as the blade surged down, its tip aimed at the vampire king's heart. Dracula could not defend himself. His body would not allow him to.

The only thing he could do was make a desperate wager, one he never thought he would have to make.

"WAIT!" he cried.

For a moment, he believed that would be his final word, that his own cry of helplessness would be the last sound he'd hear before he was slain. Then that moment passed, and he found himself to be alive. Looking up, he saw the Grim Reaper's blade, inches from splitting his skull, and watched as it was slowly retracted.

"Why should I?" he asked, still tense and ready to cut their conversation short with Orcus. "Do you wish to speak some final curse to me as you perish…to utter your last words before you are slain?"

Dracula hacked up a gout of crimson before continuing, the light in his eyes fading. "I wish…to strike a bargain with you…"

Shinigami-sama chuckled darkly. "What could you…possiblyoffer me in exchange for all the damage you've caused? The lives you've taken? The laws of nature you've made a mockery of? You are an abomination. Beyond saving. Not worth sparing."

"No…I am…of use to you…"

"In what way, heathen? I've laid waste to your forces, and your occupying armies will be dealt with in short order by those you sought to govern. Your castle is in ruins, and soon, its prisoners shall be set free. You are broken, and beaten, and I have no use for broken and beaten things."

His eyes narrowed dangerously.

"Worse still, to allow an abomination like you to live would be both foolish and disgraceful." He readied his scythe. "Now, be still, and die with whatever dignity you have left."

"Please…" Dracula pleaded, "Hear me…my blood curse…you…can benefit from it…bind my soul to yours…"

"Oh?" Shinigami-sama said mockingly. "Is that so? Tell me, heathen, by what magic would I do such a thing, and why?"

The vampire king choked on his blood, coughing and spitting it to one side so as not to draw the ire of the reaper. "By defeating me…you have earned the right…to sire me…as your servant…through a blood oath."

"And allow you the opportunity to betray me the moment I turn my back on you?"

"No…I…cannot betray you. Only if I am sired by another…can my bond to you be broken…" Dracula smiled weakly. "And you see…you are the only one on this earth…powerful enough to defeat me. You alone…hold the right to claim my soul."

"You would choose dishonor and endless servitude over death?" Shinigami-sama asked, skeptical. "I do not believe you."

"I became what I am…to survive…I have already endured…endless dishonor…endless servitude. I vowed to get revenge on the world for its crimes against me…but my only goal…is to live…and die…on my own terms." He reached out, causing the reaper to tense, but his arm faltered and fell to his side.

"This…is how I survive…" His eyes grew somber. "Perhaps, under you…I can undo…a lifetime of mistakes…"

Shinigami-sama stood back for a moment, contemplating what he had just heard.

"How would we strike this bargain?" he asked after a few moments had passed. "By what sorcery would your soul come to be subservient to mine?"

"All I need…is a taste…of your blood…given willingly by you. This creates a contract…a covenant between you and I. A blood oath."

"This contract…am I the one who sets the terms?"

"Your will…is carried…through your blood. I cannot stray from your will…nor go against your wishes. Your desires will be my desires…your commands, my undertaking…until you or I perish."

Silence consumed the mountains and the ravines as the Grim Reaper measured the weight of the vampire's words, the verity of them, and considered what he should do. He had come to slay a monster of the dead, but had emerged from their battle with an opportunity to turn him into a weapon that could be utilized for the good of the living. Still, if Dracula did break free from his control, it would be disastrous.

Ultimately, he knew what had to be done.

He lifted Orcus high above his head, the curved blade glinting wickedly in the starlight, the eyes of the gods looking down upon him through a clear night sky, then swung down with all his might and a feral roar. The impact rattled the earth and sent a great plume of dust curling into the air, stones and bricks from what remained of the castle raining down and shattering in the courtyard. Stillness was all that followed, the old world heeding the death god's decision with reverence.

When Dracula opened his eyes again, he saw the blade of Orcus. It was buried not in his chest, but halfway into the dirt beside him, a sign that he had been spared. He turned to the Grim Reaper to thank him, but found him to be inches away from his face, the voids of his eyes infinitely deep and terrifyingly dark.

"Hear me, Dracula," he said. "I shall strike this accord with you. But should you stray from my path for but a moment, or betray my trust in any way, I shall tear your soul from your body…and send you screaming into the abyss you were spawned from."

"Of course…I understand…"

Shinigami-sama stood up sharply, looked at his right palm, and dug his claws into it with his left, tearing away his shadowy skin and allowing himself to bleed. That same dark mist spilled from the wound, and drifted from his hand like a serpent. Dracula waited until the tendril of deathly smoke was close enough, then touched it with his tongue.

At once, the world was consumed by darkness, and he found himself in a black expanse. There were no walls, only a cold floor of what might have been obsidian, but souls swirled in the onyx glass, a sign that he was in death's domain, not his own. Then he realized that he was not alone, and turned to find the reaper there with him, his form the only thing visible, his voice the only thing he could hear.

"With this, your fate is sealed, vampire king."

Dracula stirred and stood up, only to kneel before his new master.

"I understand. What is my fate, master? What would you have me do?"

"For your crimes against humanity and the natural order, you shall seek penance in hunting the forces of evil and madness for the rest of your days."

"I shall, my lord." He looked up hopefully at Shinigami-sama's mask, his cold, deathly visage. "In binding my soul to yours, I am dead to myself. The vampire king Dracula is no more. You must now decide who I am to be. What…is my name, master?"

His answer came swiftly.

"For having spent your worthless life slaughtering the innocent, your new name shall reflect your new mission to undo your past transgressions. Furthermore, it shall be a symbol of our covenant, a reminder that your old self is dead. For this, I dub thee…

…Alucard."

Shinigami-sama stood up immediately. "No…that's not possible! You…you are Alucard!?"

"You struck a deal with Shinigami-sama?" Maka added, just as shocked.

Black Star scoffed. "You're lucky he didn't dust you right then and there, gramps. Though I must say, knowing that I've bested someone Kid's old man barely beat gives me a goddamn flagpole."

Tsubaki smacked him upside the head for that, which of course, he did not feel.

"So you are Alucard," Stein said with a grin. "I had my suspicions, of course, but I couldn't be sure until you mentioned the blood oath."

"How the hell do you figure?" Soul asked flatly. "I'm lost."

Stein adjusted his glasses as he began to explain. "Vampires are supposedly beholden to those they deem worthy, striking contracts with them in order to gain companionship and enemies to drain of life essence. A solid plan, in theory. Apparently, a vampire can also be forced to make a contract when they are on the brink of death, which explains how Dracula became Alucard."

Maka let out a chuckle. "It's kind of funny, now that I think about it," she said, turning to Mosquito. "In making you swear to reverse all the atrocities you committed, Shinigami-sama reversed your name, too."

"That is not lost on me, young scholar," Mosquito said grimly. "Still, I held that name in the highest regard, and proudly served as one of the Grim Reaper's trusted council members for many centuries."

"You were one of the Eight Guardians…" Shinigami-sama realized. "I can't believe it. You, someone I so vehemently hated and wanted dead…you served my father in ancient times as one of his elite!"

He turned to Maka, but she shook her head.

"For the millionth time, Kid, he's not lying."

"There is only one way to know for certain," Crona said, causing everyone to turn in her direction. "You must enter his soul, Maka."

The Death Room became silent once again as everyone considered the suggestion.

"No," Shinigami-sama said finally, turning to Mosquito. "Not until I know how you came to fall out of my father's favor, and why you came here when you were revived after Arachne's death."

"Of course," the vampire said with a nod. "I shall tell all."

Kid was in the sitting room of her apartment, miserable. She had no energy, no will to do much of anything. She just lay there on the couch, too tired to move, yet too restless to sleep.

Eventually, the front door opened, and people rushed in. People. Why were there people?

Sitting up, she found her weapons there, sniveling and sobbing all over her. She didn't have the strength to repel them, so she just let them do their thing. They were talking to her, but their words fell on deaf ears, as she quickly realized that they had not come by themselves.

"You look like shit," Allie said sourly as she entered, her eyes narrowed.

Kid said nothing. She was not willing to put up with her bullshit. Not now, not after the day she'd had.

"Heard you got suspended," she continued, pacing around behind the couch like a lioness ready to pounce on its prey. "Honestly, I think you got off easy."

The twins, for what felt like the millionth time that night, exchanged worried glances as Kid stood up to address their cousin.

"You done?" Kid asked flatly.

Allie's eyes narrowed. "Oh, no…not even close. You not only tried to kill my sister, but you also dragged my cousins into a fight they wanted no part in. I should kick the shit out of you for that alone."

Again, Kid remained silent, knowing any justification she could make would just make the situation worse, and as her father had been so adamant about reminding her, making things worse would get her expelled.

"But then, while you were busy being a drama queen and…brooding or whatever the fuck, you left my dear cousins to fend for themselves in a city they have no idea how to navigate! You abandoned them! We had to turn the city upside down trying to find them, and I'm pissed about it!"

She was seething with fury now, her hands curled into fists of rage.

"You made your point," Kid said finally. "I don't want trouble. I just want to be done with today."

"No, Kid. I'm not letting you walk away. You're only done when I say you're done."

With that, Allie stomped her way over and grabbed the back of the couch, using all her strength to slide it out of the way, causing the twins to back off out of fear.

"Wait, Allie, don't!" they cried, but she didn't heed them.

"Shut up!" she spat, cracking her knuckles and winding up for a punch. "You need to see this. You need to see what happens when you abandon someone, when you betray your partner! This…is payback!"

Before she could swing, Gray Star was there, her arm blocking her from moving toward Kid.

"Don't," she said softly. "Don't make it worse, please. I don't want this, and neither do you."

Allie shrugged off her sister. "Don't tell me what I want. You should be as pissed as I am. She attacked you."

Gray nodded. "She did. But that's no reason to kick her while she's down." She turned to Kid. "Friends don't do that to each other."

Kid looked away, unable to make eye contact. None of them could tell if it was out of shame, or simply out of sheer stubbornness. But she stood there, staring at the floor, and Allie grew impatient with her.

Angry and unable to do anything about it, she turned and walked towards the door, stopping at the threshold. "If you think Kid is still your friend…then you're in for a rude awakening, sis," she said coldly. "Remember that the next time she tries to stab you in the back."

With that, she stormed off.

Silence fell over the room for a moment, but was broken by Gray slowly shifting the couch back into place. She turned to say something to Kid, to apologize, but the young shinigami was already walking towards her room. The two didn't end up saying anything to each other, but their silence said something, something about their friendship that neither of them had the strength to bring up.

That it was in danger of falling apart.

Kid was too stubborn to apologize, Gray reasoned. That, or perhaps she figured an apology wouldn't do any good. Either way, the shinobi could only assume that resolution would come with time, and left the matter alone.

"You guys okay?" she asked the twins, still looking down the hallway Kid had disappeared through.

Jenny nodded, her hands shaking a little. "Yeah. We're…we're good."

"Thanks for stepping in like that," Lenny added. "If Allie had thrown that punch…things could have gotten bad."

Gray Star let out a sigh as she regarded her cousins. "Are you guys still coming to school tomorrow?"

"We have to," they said in unison. "Or else…you know?"

"Okay. I'll walk you there in the morning."

Jenny blinked. "Wait, really?"

"Well, yeah. Kid's suspended, so she can't take you there. And after today…well…you might need someone to keep an eye on you," she added, remembering how the other students had swarmed her after her fight with Kid.

Lenny breathed a sigh of relief. "Boy, that saves us some trouble. We were worried people would be mean to us once they figured out Kid…was…suspended…" he said falteringly, noticing his sister's glare. "Oops…I wasn't supposed to say that, huh?"

Gray Star chuckled. "It's okay. I get it. Kid has always looked out for you guys. Even when you were little, she would stick up for you, come hell or high water."

The twins smiled. She was right. Those days, those memories, were always fond ones to recall…save for one in particular, and even then, that day could have been so much worse. They'd never forget that day as long as they lived. Never.

Sobering up, the two of them nodded in affirmation and turned to their cousin.

"Thanks for helping us, cous," they said with matching grins. "We owe you."

Gray Star just shook her head, returning their smiles. "Family doesn't owe family. And as Specter would say, the crew always has your back."

With that matter settled and the twins safe at home, Gray left the apartment, a mixture of relief, sadness, and nostalgia in her heart. It made her happy to know that her cousins were back where they belonged, but Kid's apparent apathy in the wake of her defeat made the shinobi worry all over again. Reflecting on childhood memories was great and all, but she would have liked to make new memories with Kid instead of just watching her leave in silence.

Specter must have sensed her lingering anxiety, because after everyone had said their goodbyes and started making their way to their homes, he stuck around.

"Long day, huh?" he said, hands clasped on the back of his neck as he walked with her and Sage.

"Yeah…long day…"

They walked in silence for a while after that, Gray Star giving her weapon a silent gesture that told him to walk a few steps ahead of them, give them space to talk. He complied, and just like that, the two of them were alone. Together.

Specter's heart was in his throat. He knew what he wanted to say, but knew that it wasn't the wisest idea to say it first, if at all. As a friend, he needed to be there for her, but as someone who wanted to be more than just her friend, he was at a loss for words.

Eventually, he did the only thing he could think of, and talked about the matter at hand.

"What happened back there?"

The shinobi let out a sigh. "Allie wanted to pummel Kid for attacking me, but I stopped her. I don't like seeing people fight, and…Kid had been through enough."

He raised an eyebrow at that. "You stood up for her even though she tried to pump you full of lead?"

"It's not my place to be spiteful. Besides, I still see Kid as a friend. She just has some things she needs to work out, that's all."

"Shit…you're a better person than me," he said with a scoff. "I wouldn't have done anything either, but I probably still would've been pissed about it. What about Allie?"

"I understand why she's angry, but lashing out against Kid won't do any good. That's why I stopped her. She just needs to vent, I think…and then things will be back to normal."

"That's fair." Then something came to mind, and he stopped, prompting her to do the same. "Gray…if you ever need to vent…or anything…you can talk to me. You know that, right?"

She paused for a second, then smiled. "Yeah…I know."

He smiled back, and for a moment, everything was fine. Then she took his hand, and his heart rate spiked so quick he knew it couldn't be healthy. His heart leapt into his throat and choked out any response he could have given, so he just stood there and stared at her like a freaking idiot.

Granted, this was everything he wanted. He just didn't expect her to be the one to kick it all off. Something had always told him that he would have to make a move, and he wasn't the move making type.

But here he was, having the moves made on him by the shyest person he knew.

Or maybe she was just being friendly, not more-than-friendly, and he was crazy.

Shit…he was crazy.

But then there was the way she smiled at him as she held his hand…the way she put her other hand over top of it…that wasn't an accident. It couldn't be. His mind couldn't fathom a reason for her to tease him like that.

He and Gray Star had been dancing around becoming more than friends for almost a year, and the rest of the crew had always joked about it, but because they were such good friends, neither of them had felt the courage to take their relationship any further than that. Was this her way of telling him that she was tired of waiting? Was this her way of telling him that it was time?

If so…what came next?

Time froze as he and Gray Star looked at each other, both of them wanting to speak, but neither of them knowing what to say.

What do I do? he thought, his mind a storm of emotions and panic. What the hell do I do now?

Across from him, Gray Star, despite her best efforts to look like this was all intentional and not at all a spur of the moment thing spurred on by the day's emotional baggage, was in a similar state, though her questions were a little different.

What the hell was I thinking? God, what am I, stupid? Now's not the time for this…

Then he saw the way he looked at her, somewhat stunned but seemingly happy, that half-grin she liked so much curling up to reveal his shark-like teeth, and she hesitated.

…is it?

Mosquito took a sip of tea, delicately placing the cup back on its saucer before continuing.

"As I said, I served your father, the late Shinigami-sama, for many years after becoming Alucard. I fought alongside the likes of Eibon, and even Asura, before he became infected with the Madness of Fear and became the first Kishin."

"Where did things go wrong?" Shinigami-sama asked.

He sighed and shook his head. "The last assignment he gave me. I was tasked to kill a creature of legend, one infamous for destroying ships in the waters of the Nordic Sea. My ability to transform was deemed essential in hunting the beast, and I foolishly boasted that I could take it down on my own."

"The Kraken?" Maka said incredulously. "You took on the Kraken? I can see the fluctuations in your soul, and I still don't believe you. Vampires can't cross running water, much less the ocean…how did you fight a sea monster?"

"You'll find that most rumors about the weaknesses of vampires are grossly mistranslated or misunderstood, young scholar," Mosquito said with a wry grin. "Running water, garlic, decapitation…a true vampire can survive these and more. Even sunlight is merely an inconvenience for me, not a way to guarantee my death."

"Explains why you don't walk around with an umbrella all the time," Liz said with a scoff, causing her sister to let out a short chuckle.

"We've also seen firsthand that decapitation doesn't work," Shinigami-sama realized, remembering how Mosquito had severed his own head from his body to escape them during the Battle for Brew.

"Yes. At any rate…the Kraken proved to be more than a match for me. Without the aid of a magic tool provided by Eibon himself, I would have perished that day."

"Brew?" Stein guessed.

"No…another, not as powerful, but still useful. I forget its purpose now, even as I look back on my history."

"Was Brew even around back then?" Maka wondered.

Mosquito shook his head. "No. Eibon had yet to create it when I fought the Kraken."

"Hm…" Maka began muttering to herself, seemingly lost in thought.

"What happened, then?" Soul asked. "Did you kill it, or what?"

"Oh, I slew the beast, make no mistake. But the battle wounded me…grievously. My broken body drifted for days before finally being washed ashore somewhere in Northwestern Europe. Specifically, the Netherlands, if I remember correctly."

Stein adjusted his glasses. "And that's where Arachne found you."

"Correct," Mosquito admitted, bowing his head out of shame. "She brought me back from the brink of death, and in so doing, revoked Shinigami-sama's claim on my soul and forced me to swear a new blood oath. That day…I became her steward, and the rest…you all know."

"So you were in Arachne's service when the incident at Lost Island happened," Maka realized triumphantly. "That's why you didn't know how Brew worked when you fought Kid in Baba Yaga Castle…because you didn't get a chance to see it before Arachne tried to destroy it."

Mosquito tilted his head in curiosity, an impressed frown on his face. "Correct," he said again. "Your perceptiveness, it seems, is rivaled only by your intelligence."

Maka laughed nervously, as she always did when she got a compliment she wasn't expecting. Her husband just rolled her eyes. He was tempted to make a crack about how she could miss what was right in front of her, but he knew that would earn him a Maka Chop, so he stayed quiet.

"How exactly did Arachne save you?" Shinigami-sama asked. "She wasn't a healer. And, more importantly, how did she know where to find you?"

Mosquito grimaced. "Even to this day, the answer to those questions elude me. But Lady Arachne has always been a master of spycraft, from as far back as I can remember. I can only assume that her scouts found me and dragged me to her lair. She spoke of a healing draught years after saving me, but she may also have simply fed me blood or raw human souls until I woke."

Black Star's eyes narrowed. "What did she tell you to do?"

"What else? To abandon the reaper. And to serve and protect her, of course."

"But…you didn't want to, did you?" Patty guessed.

"No, not at all. The first few years of my servitude were miserable. I had spent centuries serving the forces of good, and though I had always been something of a dark horse among the Eight Guardians, Shinigami-sama took great pride in my accomplishments. All of that was washed away by a tide of blood when Arachne sired me. I got used to it, of course, and as the centuries passed…I became desensitized to my own actions and their consequences. I became what I thought I would never be again…"

"Evil," Crona said sternly.

"Yes…pure evil."

Shinigami-sama folded his arms. "And now…what? We're simply supposed to believe that your countless centuries of doing Arachne's dirty work have left you pining for redemption?"

Mosquito shook his head. "As I once told your father…ever since I became a vampire, my goal has always been survival. When I came into his service, I saw fit to try and undo my past mistakes. Then, when I was sired by Lady Arachne, I was forced to undo all of the good things I had done, and worse. My destruction and subsequent revival left me open to forces that would sire me again, and I could not stand the idea of becoming someone else's puppet. It was then I decided to come here and explain my circumstances to your father, hoping that I could reason with him and earn a chance to willingly grant him my fealty."

"You want control," Shinigami-sama realized.

"Yes…control of a life that…for more than a thousand years, has not been my own."

"But father is dead. He cannot sire you. And even if he was here, for what you've done, he would have had every right to do as he promised and rend your soul from your body."

"Indeed," Mosquito conceded, sadness in his harsh eyes. "Had he decided to execute me, I would have accepted it. But my hope in coming here was to become his servant once again…if only because becoming beholden to that black magic practitioner would be a fate worse than death, even at your father's hands."

"This Grimm guy has really got you shakin' in your shiny black shoes, huh?" Black Star said, suddenly curious. "What's so special about him?"

"His magic is powerful…and unlike anything I've ever encountered. Such forces can control all manner of dangerous creatures, even ones from my era. I can aid you in defeating him, but in return, I would ask for the opportunity to make a blood oath with the young Shinigami-sama."

"Aaaaand there it is," Liz said flatly. "Knew there was a catch."

Mosquito sighed. "Please understand that I do not wish to hamper your efforts to protect the innocent. If you believe executing me to be the better course of action, I will submit to it. But I am not without guile, and if I had nothing to offer you, you would have killed me the moment I set foot on these grounds."

"He has a point," Maka admitted. "Black Star would have seen to that personally."

Black Star grinned. "You bet your ass, I would've."

"So you see," Mosquito said calmly, "what I said when I first arrived here was true. I am here to surrender. However, my intention in surrendering was to ensure my survival."

Shinigami-sama frowned as he considered what he was hearing. On one hand, killing Mosquito in the here and now would be a brilliant short-term gain, as he was a definitive threat. On the other hand, they hadn't known Grimm's identity or even his state of being before Mosquito had told him, which made any other information he could provide invaluable.

Ultimately, like his father before him, he had a choice to make.

"You would make a blood oath with me to avoid being sired by Grimm?" he asked, wanting to be sure.

"Yes. You have my word."

"Something tells me that I shouldn't believe that at face value."

"The word of monsters is rarely good enough," Crona pointed out. "If we are to know for certain that the witch Arachne has not irreparably corrupted the vampire's soul, Maka should reach into it and see for herself if his intentions are true."

Again, Shinigami-sama paused to think.

Maka turned to Crona. "I haven't used that technique in a long time, not since the battle on the moon."

Mosquito's eyes widened. "The moon?" he muttered. "They did battle…on the moon?"

Surely, it was an exaggeration.

"Besides," she continued. "I need to either have a bond with someone, or sense a way to enter their soul, in order to get in; I can't just jump into people's souls willy nilly."

"I can grant you access to my soul's innermost depths," Mosquito said, "if that is any comfort to you."

"Well…that does make it a bit easier, assuming that's what our dear headmaster wants me to do," she said, looking at Shinigami-sama.

"What do you think, Kid?" Black Star asked. "Should we dust this bastard, or what?"

"I don't know," he said after a while. "Stein? What do you think?"

"If I were you, I would do what your father did a thousand years back, and take while the taking's good."

When Shinigami-sama regarded the mad doctor with a raised eyebrow, he continued.

"Mosquito is a threat, there's no doubt about that. But if Maka can prove that he isn't being manipulated by magical means, I would take his offer. It's better than letting Grimm or anyone else get their hands on him."

"Hmm. Good point," Shinigami-sama conceded. "I can't even begin to imagine how many innocents could die if that were to happen." He turned to Maka. "I guess that leaves us with only one option. Are you sure you can do this?"

"It would be harder if Mosquito didn't want me to…but since he's being so polite as to hold the door open for me, I think I can handle it."

"Very well, then. Mosquito? Any reservations?"

He shook his head. "None whatsoever, though I must reiterate that my soul is undoubtedly a dark and horrendous place to traverse. I advise you to be cautious, young scholar, when dealing with my various forms. Some of them are like me, but some have a mind all their own. The dragon, in particular, is quite vicious."

"Duly noted," she said confidently.

Before she could stand up, Soul put a hand on her shoulder. "You make sure you come back, Maka. Get me? I'm not into the idea of being a single dad."

She chuckled. "Don't worry. I've got this. Now, transform, would you? We've got some soul searching to do."

With a nod, he transformed, coming to rest on his wife's shoulders, his black and red blade pointed at the ground. Maka then turned to Mosquito and motioned for him to stand up. When he did, she walked over and placed one hand on his chest, holding onto Soul with the other, her eyes closed.

"Soul Resonance," she muttered, a bright blue aura curling off of her body and Soul's scythe form like mist as he received her wavelength and multiplied its power.

When she opened her eyes again, they were glowing with that same blue light, the air around her warping from the sheer amount of energy that was being generated.

"May My Soul Reach You," she intoned.

The moment the words left her lips, her body became limp, forcing Shinigami-sama to catch her.

"Is this normal?" he asked, though he wasn't sure to whom.

"It's fine," Soul said calmly, the eyes on his connection ring also glowing, and narrowed in focus. "She's entering his soul now. We should have our answer soon enough."

Everyone else in the room, though concerned, trusted in Maka and Soul's abilities. So they watched and waited, some keeping an eye on Mosquito in case he tried to pull something, others focusing on Maka, who Shinigami-sama sat down in a chair across from the vampire. Despite being absent from her body, she kept a white knuckle grip on Soul, her tether to the physical world.

"Don't fuck this up, Maka," Black Star said after a while. "You better come back for a damn encore, or I'm gonna be pissed."