Well crap. Year 12 has pretty much destroyed my life.
If anyone who is reading this is South Australian, and in year 11, please, please please heed my advice.
DO NOT TAKE ENGLISH STUDIES.
Okay, so here we are with the final chapter of Symmetrical Hardships! Thank you once again to all of my lovely R&R'ers, hope you enjoy this story more than I enjoy writing it! :D

"Hmpf," the young girl sighed, flicking her fringe over to one side of her forehead.

"Just "Hmpf,", Kaya? Seriously?" Kid groaned, closing down the internet tab he had previously been showing his daughter, and opening a new one. "How about this girl?"

"Mmm-hmm," she replied, resting her chin on her palms, slouching over the table.

"Kay, we need to find you a weapon sooner or later," he told her, grimacing as he opened yet another tab, closing it down quickly.

"Yes, but on a dating site? Really?"

"It's not a dating site! It's Shibi-Kid's Meister-Matching site. You go on here and fill out the requirements, and you can get in contact with them. It's brilliant."

"Can't I just meet someone at Shibusen, like a normal person?" Kaya muttered. She rolled her eyes as her father began to smirk. She was far from 'normal.'

"Yeah, but this is worldwide, so there could be a better match, and we could get them to come to Shibusen to learn with you. I think it's fantastic." Her father said so, matter-of-factly.

"Yes, well, you would- you made the damn thing." She rolled her eyes for the second time.

"Don't shake something loose," Kid warned. He turned back to the computer, and opened yet another tab to show her his next candidate.

"What are you searching for, anyway?" She asked.

"I weapon, I told yo-"

"No," the girl interrupted. "I want to know what you put as prerequisites." She looked up to the screen, where he was back onto the search-page. He continued scrolling through the options.

"FATHER!" she cried, standing up abruptly and slamming her fists onto the table. "Why the hell does this site even have a "Symmetrical" option?! And you're only looking at females!"

"I made the website, of course it has a 'Symmetrical' category."

"I can't believe you!" Kaya yelled.

"I-" he began, but she cut him off.

"You're cutting out half of the population, that's not fair! And maybe I don't want someone 'symmetrical!' Maybe I want an asymmetrical, male partner!" She stormed out of the room, slamming the door behind her as her father fainted out of pure shock at her statement.

/would you look at that, it's time for a line break already! Woooo /

Kaya raced out of the house before her father could wake up, meaning that she had to be up at some unshinagami-ly hour in order to leave before 8am. With her hair swept up in an uneven bun, fringe parted at the side again, and wearing her favourite single-strapped black top and jeans, she was at her best, and ready to make new friends.

Of course, starting halfway through the school year didn't make it easier for her. However, there was a small group on exchange from the Oceanian region that she would be able to hang out with for a couple of weeks until they left, before she would have to make friends with the real E.A.T class and find herself a weapon.

That means Auntie Marie will be back for a little while. She left to go back at the start of term, she must be back with the exchange class.

Taking the stairs two steps at a time- big strides for a little girl- she arrived at the top out-of breath and sweating. Her satchel bag weighed a ton, and she slung it over her head, leaving it to rest across her body without having to carry it on only one side. Luckily, the only audience for her pathetic appearance was her Grandpa- Shinigami himself.

"Hi, Grandpa Shi," she greeted, bending over to rest her hands on her knees and catch her breath.

"It's Shinigami-Sama while at school, Ms. Death," He reminded her strictly, but not unkindly.

"S-sure, Shinigami-Sama, sir," she breathed.

"Where's your papa? I was sure my son would be running up the stairs, trying not to let go of your hand." The huge Shinigami laughed. Kaya joined in, her laughter coming in short huffs.

"Nah, I let him sleep in." She informed him. He looked at her quizzically, but said no more.

"Right. Well, this way, Ms. Death, the E.A.T class is just assembling for homeroom and then you'll be starting with Biology."

Kaya groaned even as she followed her grandfather. Uncle Stein was renowned for his disgusting and awful Biology lessons. Nevertheless, she followed, entering a huge classroom with many wooden rows ascending towards the back of the classroom, a few of the seats occupied by various weapons and meisters. Left to choose one, she chose to sit right at the back, where she figured no-one would want to sit, therefore she wouldn't steal anyone's predetermined chair.

That plan worked for all of five minutes, until the rest of the class barreled through the double-doors.

"Ey. That kiddo's in my seat!" A red-haired boy shouted, to the glee of his friends. He ran up the stairs to face Kaya, and glared at her.

"Ey, what's wrong, Chibi? Did you get lost on the way to the playroom?" His comment was met by snorts of laughter from the three boys that followed him. He leaned over, staring the nine-year-old down.

"Did you get lost on the way to the junk-yard? You look trashed," she retorted quickly, then wishing she hadn't risen to the bait.

"Ooh, look, Chibi-kins thinks she can outwit me." The boy said, laughing to his friends.

"Chibi-kins knows she can, and asks that you politely back off," Kaya growled in undertone.

"Oh! Would you like me to back off?" The boy asked, feigning surprise. "No, bitch. Get out of my seat or I'll slap you one."

"You'll sink as low as hitting a girl four years younger and eight years smarter than you?" Kaya rolled her eyes, standing up. "Didn't realize anyone could be so pathetic about a seat. I'll go sit down the front with the more intelligent students, shall I?" She didn't wait for a response, launching herself over the row of desks and down two more, not bothering to use the stairs, manipulating her way past the other bewildered students to plonk herself down in an empty row.

She glanced up to see that Uncle Stein had been there, and watched the entire scenario unfolding without intervening. Part of her was shocked that a teacher could ignore such a scene, but another, larger part of her was grateful. She was nine- she could fight her own battles. She barely noticed when a brunette girl wearing glasses sat beside her- one of the Oceanian girls, no doubt. Instead, she opened her black notebook, grabbed a pen, and waited for Biology to begin.

/well yeah that guy's a dick./

"Hey! Hey, Chibi-kins! Wait up!" The grating voice called from behind her as she began the walk down the staircase towards her apartment.

The mix of the Japanese and English derogatory terms made her clench her teeth, but nevertheless, Kaya turned to face the red-haired boy.

"What?" She questioned, pretending that he hadn't just walked up and gotten right in her face.

"You gon' apologise?" He demanded.

"What for? Sitting in an empty seat? Or lowering my standards enough to talk to a low-life such as yourself?" Kaya quipped.

There was no warning, only blinding pain that erupted from the right side of her face, just below her emerald eye, as his fist came up and struck her. Rolling with the force of the punch, she allowed herself to fall back, swinging her legs around to knock his knees out from under him.

It would have been a perfect, crippling blow if they had been evenly-matched. However, the thirteen-year-old boy had a staggering advantage over the nine-year-old girl. He noticed this with a sadistic grin.

"What is it with people getting bashed up at this school," Kaya muttered to herself, as the boy landed an overhead shot on the top of her cranium. Stars flittered their way across her field of vision. She'd read in her mother's journals that she personally had almost been eradicated in a Shibusen-set fight between her mother and a psychopathic bitch named Jacqueline.

The boy kicked her in the side and she began to roll, tumbling down the stairs, attempting to brace herself with her arms but failing to do so. He gave chase, attempting to land more kicks as he followed the falling child.

She eventually reached a platform that was wide enough for her to stop rolling, and stopped, splayed out flat on the concrete, only the thought to get away running through her head. Unfortunately for her, a niggling sensation at the back of her head struck up a beat, one calling for her to fight back, to stand up and not back down. Struggling, she made it to her knees before she was winded again, this time by a fist to her chest.

"Giving up yet, Chibi-kins? Learning your place in this world yet?" The boy half-snarled, half-laughed. From where she lay, she looked up into his eyes and saw nothing but fury there. She couldn't help it- she grinned, and pushed herself up to a -sitting position. He struck again, hitting the flat of his fist to the back of her head as a voice rang out from the top of the stairs.

A chord struck.

Leaping to her feet, Kaya spun herself around, finally provoked into taking action. Ignoring the bruises that she knew must have littered her body, she swung her fist around in an arc towards her attacker.

Her blow landed, holding firm before the obstruction stopping her fist from progressing vanished completely, and she fell forwards with the power of her own strike.

Then she stopped and stared as the adrenaline left her, finally processing the gradual crescendo of yells coming from the top of the staircase, and the screams of the boy who attacked her.

The boy was bleeding- no.

The boy was missing his left hand.

White with shock, she took a few minute steps back, forgetting where she was and falling back down the stairs. This time, however, she was caught, and she stared up into the blood-red eyes of the person who broke her fall.

"Uncle Soul?!" She gasped.

"Kaya, it's okay now, I've got you, you can change back now," he was saying. Or so she read on his lips- the ringing in her ears was nearly deafening.

"I saw you being attacked from the top of the stairs, I came as quickly as I could. It's okay, the boy's going to get into trouble, you can change back. It's okay," the albino informed her quickly.

"Change back?" She mumbled around her tongue, which had swollen from where she'd bitten it during one of her falls.

"Yes," he said, his tone urgent. "Then we'll get you hom-"

"KAYA!" An even louder voice shouted her name, she winced. That was her father, no doubt running up the stairs to where she sat, being carefully supported by the man she knew as Uncle.

"Papa..?" She inquired, reverting back to the childish version of his name. She was scooped out of Soul's grip, Kid nodding to his wife's former partner by way of silently thanking him. The gesture did not go unnoticed, and Soul smiled.

"Oh my-" Kid began as he saw the damage done to his precious daughter- until he saw her right forearm.

"-GOD, KAYA?! WHAT THE HELL?!" He shouted, Kaya wincing again at the proximity of the loud noise.

"Sorry, Kay, but just- when did this happen? Why didn't you tell us?!" The male Shinigami asked, holding up the arm to inspect it closely.

It was only then that Kaya realised what had happened, and suddenly, everything fell into place.

He wasn't just holding her arm.

He was holding a blade.

/DUN DUN DUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUU N. o.O/

Kaya dried herself off after her soak in the bathtub, carefully rubbing over the bruises, but not once complaining or crying. Slipping into her pyjamas, she padded barefoot out into the living room, where sat her father and her grandfather, each nursing a cup of tea.

"Hello, Grandfather," she greeted the newcomer, sitting down to her own mug of the caffeinated beverage.

"Hello again, Kaya. I expect you're wondering what happened to Daniel?"

"Who's Daniel?" Kaya asked, taking a sip of tea.

"The red-haired boy, the one who attacked you."

"Oh." It hadn't really occurred to Kaya that she didn't know the boy's name. "Yeah, I guess so."

"He'll be facing fines and will probably be charged with assault, even though he's only a minor. And, of course, he'll be removed from Shibusen. While we tolerate supervised fighting, unfair bullying is unacceptable."

"That's hardly punishment at all!" Kid cried, wrapping an arm around his daughter's shoulders.

"Father, it's fine." Kaya said flatly, gulping down some more tea. She noticed it had a slightly distinct flavor- lemon? Maybe lime? Some kind of citrus.

"Well, we figured he'd already been punished enough," The Shinigami said evasively.

"What?" Kid asked.

"…Kaya sort-of cut his hand off."

The silence was deafening in Kaya's ears.

"Now. Usually, there would be some kind of repercussion for Kaya, but given the circumstances… well, the staff agrees with me that it's sort of deserved. That's what you get for picking on a girl half your size, you know?" Her grandfather smiled, before draining his tea.

"I'd best be off. We can't exactly put that in the paperwork for the incident report, and I have yet more work to do." Dropping a hand on his son's head and a kiss on his granddaughter's, he left. Kaya made to depart for her room, but her father's hand extended to catch her wrist gently.

"I'm proud of you, Kay, for holding your own. Shibusen needs students like that. Mama would be proud too if she'd known." He told her quietly. She nodded, and kissed him on the cheek before resuming her path down to her bedroom.

He watched her go, filled with a surge of pride at his daughter's strength.

"Neh, Father," She turned around as she reached the doorway.

"Yes?"

"Well… I was just wondering…" Kaya dragged the sentence out. "Are Auntie Marie and Uncle Stein doing sex to each other?"

Kid spat out the dregs of his tea, choking on the substance. The response was enough for the young girl, and she turned away again, bearing a smirk.

"Where did you-"

"I didn't. I guessed from Mama's old journal, she wrote about two teachers and I guessed it was them. Seeing them both teaching together… and seeing their souls… it sort of clicked."

"I…. I-"

"Good night, Papa," She called, retreating into the bedroom and shutting the door.

Locating her mother's journal, she turned to about half-way through the book, where Maka had finished writing. Kaya had taken to writing her own experiences in the book, as a continuation of the family's story.

Jotting down a few lines about her first day at Shibusen, the boy, and the fight, she searched the archives of her mind for a couple of sentences to sum up her feelings about her most recent discovery.

I need no weapon nor meister. I can be myself with no-one to change or affect me. Alone, like most Shinigami. And strong, like them too. The boy hit hard but I hit harder still.

I'm going to wear the bruises of my first fight. I'll not go to Naigus for help. I'm wearing these injuries with pride, but also as a reminder not to let my wit exaggerate my abilities. Keeping my mind sharp as a tack, yet remaining as careful as a doe- that's a hardship I'm going to have to bear if I'm going to become the Shinigami after my father.

The nine-year-old sighed as she closed her book and laid her pen on the table beside it, flicking the light switch off and crawling into bed.

In the next room, Kid lay on the sofa, re-reading his latest letter from Maka. The general "Hello from far away, I'm fine, I saw this, No luck so far" was practically ignored as he scanned through for his favourite part of the letter- where she said the bump was showing, that she was definitely pregnant, and that she'd be home soon.

Grinning to himself, he placed the letter by his side, thinking of his precious wife. Undoubtedly, they would be facing more hardships along the way, but they were beginning to develop what each craved- a family.

Well! Hopefully that chapter was long enough for you guys! 2,800 words! Wow, I'm on fire for once. And considering that only took me from 7.05-9.15, that's pretty cool.

Once again, thanking loyal readers and greetings to all newcomers!

THERE WILL BE AT LEAST ONE MORE STORY IN THIS SAGA. I will be attempting to have the first chapter up within five weeks. I know that is a hell of a long time, but unfortunately, my Year 12 exams are very important and they take preference. (Hell, they affect the rest of my life!) I'll be back to (hopefully) regular updates around the end of November

However.
As a celebration for my second birthday, I'll be posting more fanfictions in November and December, and I will be taking requests at the end of November for one-shot fanfictions (2000-5000 words) within a group of fandoms and pairings (any that I'm not averse to.) . I won't be taking requests for a month or so yet, but I'm letting you guys know early, because you're awesome and you've read my Saga.

Please, please, pretty please drop in a review (they've made it super-easy now!) and let me know what you think about the story, the characters, the saga- anything! Feedback is awesome.

'Til the next installment of the Symmetrical Saga,

~Ellie xx