Lacrow's Notes:

Hello everybody! For those that don't know me, my name's Lacrow. Scar and I go way back, and I've been given the honor (and challenge) of helping her finish this story. A lot of people have been asking for it and I totally agree with them, so the remainder of this fic will be taken up by me. Scar and I have discussed where we want the story to go from here on out so rest assured this isn't me just making things up as I go. I also realize we have different writing styles, but I will do my best to write a satisfying story for you nonetheless. Stay tuned for future updates, and thank you for sticking with this fic for so long! (Also you should blow up Scar's PM's and ask her if she's still alive. She'd LOVE THAT .)

Scur's Notes:

Hey. Hi. How's it going? I know. I suck. It turns out I'm still alive and, yes, I do read all the reviews that are posted and sent to my FFN account. I have trouble letting things go, and this fic has always haunted me because it's the only story I've never finished. I did have an outline finished for it and, like Crow said, although he is writing it, he does ask me for suggestions and critique on how I imagined taking this story and he does have all my notes and outlines. It only took six friggin years for the fic to be updated but, if anyone still follows it or is interested in it, at the very least it'll be finished this time for sure. Thanks to those of you who still check in on this fic and reread it despite it being unfinished; it truly is appreciated.

How to Train Your Soul

by. Lacrow

A cloud veil sea masked the waters below, making it impossible for Maka to see where they were going.

Originally she figured that the cold-season winds would let up at some point; it wasn't even winter proper yet, though she should have taken the blizzard earlier as indication that this year would be colder than most. At least, that certainty seemed to be the case at the moment. Maka struggled to remain composed as frigid winds bit at the exposed parts of her body, mainly her face and ears. She ducked her head to hide behind her drawn hood and Soul's hulking form. It's not like she was navigating at the moment, anyway. How could she?

No, this was all on her dragon. How on earth he knew where to go through this thick haze of grey, Maka couldn't say for sure. Maybe it was instinct that drove every wing beat, or maybe Soul just had a natural compass to point him back to his former home. She wanted to ask him, but it wasn't the time or place for conversation. The high-winds howled around them, calmer than usual but deafening all the same. Maka could barely order him in an emergency if she wanted to, let alone ask him any drawn out questions that would impair his senses. At the moment, all she could was play the silent passenger and let him focus. The last thing she needed was to distract him and have a repeat of before, the memory of Soul getting hurt again causing her to flinch.

Maka immediately shook herself loose from such ill thoughts. They addressed everything in the cave. They were partners, with no room for doubt or guilt between them. Still, Maka couldn't help but to slink just a little bit at the wreath of scars that covered Soul's neck; like a shark-tooth necklace that some of the fisherman would try to peddle to her whenever they made their way into town for drinks and stories, the markings were more apparent in Soul's dragon form than his human one. Even then, Maka could still tell the difference. To her, it was obvious.

She said nothing to him about it. To acknowledge them would bring up old wounds, literally, and they both agreed to stop dwelling on things like that. Maka wasn't even sure if he knew about them, but supposed it didn't really matter much to him, anyway. If he mentioned it later, then she'd discuss it with him. Until that time came, she'd focus on the mission. Soon they'd be arriving at their destination, or at least that's what Soul's sudden rumble indicated to her. She felt him bank underneath her, the tips of his wings scratching cloud tops as they started to descend. It took Maka by surprise, and she wrapped her arms around her dragon as vision became zero. The cold got even colder as her clothes became soaked, but Maka held on firmly.

White wisps rushed past them as their speed picked up. Soul let gravity do most of the work as they dove downwards, his wings furling to let the wind rush over them like a giant bullet. He continued to rumble, and at that point Maka knew he was laughing. They were going so fast now that Maka had no choice but to hang onto him with all her strength, but even she had to admit that the ride was rather enjoyable. The wind buffeted them harder and harder and under normal circumstances Maka would have demanded he pull up, but Soul was in charge right now. She was at his mercy, something she knew he took pride in at the moment. There was no other reason why he would start to spin slowly so that she hung upside down.

"Soul!" she tried to shout over the winds in a halfhearted attempt to make him behave. Whether he heard her or not, it didn't work.

He let out a roar as the clouds started to thin. Like a light at the end of the tunnel, they erupted out the other end and suddenly found themselves in calm, clear skies. Soul corrected his position, and let his wings unfold like a parachute. The air caught them and immediately they slowed, allowing Maka to finally break away from Soul. She pulled her face up, and was instantly greeted by the sight of new lands. The towering silhouette of a massive mountain reflected in Maka's sunlit eyes, and she couldn't help but gawk. Really, the entire scene mesmerized her.

Soul halted. Part of it seemed to get his bearings, while the other part was to allow Maka time to look. They hovered above the ocean waves, still a ways off from land but close enough for them to see the tiny movements of figures in the distance. Maka's breath hitched at just how different things looked from how she'd envisioned; she didn't really know what to expect, specifically, but the idea of a country run by dragons carried with it the connotations of a savage place. Maybe that was still true underneath it all, but it would have betrayed just how amazing the place looked on the surface. Maka continued to stare as Soul began to fly forward, albeit it much slower than before.

Clean-looking buildings of white stone were clustered together at the base of the mountain, encircling the main plaza of what Maka assumed was a city. Dead center of it all was an imposingly large aery, its construction strikingly similar to her village's arena. Cobblestone walkways connected everything, and a trail led from the town up towards the twisting spire of what she assumed was Mt. Grimm. More buildings sparsely littered various heights of the mountain, but it was its peak that really intrigued Maka; a summit palace, too large and far away to discern any finer details other than it was big. A roof of what looked like gold reflected the light of the day, giving the impression of a second sun in the sky. Specks of flying dragons off in the distance topped everything off beautifully.

It was the most picturesque thing she'd ever seen.

At that point Soul must have read her mind, because he grunted in what sounded like annoyance. Maka narrowed her eyes at him; just because he was pissy about returning home didn't mean she couldn't enjoy the sight. She kicked his sides and instructed him to make for land, which he seemed eager to comply with. The sooner they got there, the sooner he could fix the script that surrounded the land. Once that was done, he'd flip off his dad and head back home with Maka. His real home. Not this place that had abandoned him long before he abandoned it.

Soul dove down low. He wanted as little attention as possible, at least until they landed. In the meantime he kept to cloud-cast shadows, his ghostly form skimming just above the ocean waves as sea spray splashed him and Maka from all sides. She huffed and complained he was getting her wet again, though Soul was too distracted to find amusement out of that. His eyes were fixed upward as he scanned the area for any territorial dragons that might not care he was from the royal family. They existed, supposedly. A rumor, perhaps, but not one he wanted to confirm or deny.

Once they came within a distance Soul felt comfortable with, he ascended quickly. The towering cliffs that guarded the city proper from all manner of attack for almost a century shot straight up from the seas below, and Soul used every ounce of strength he had to pull up fast enough. Maka held on for dear life as they took off like a rocket, and she shouted at him one final time that she was going to kill him when they landed. Another chortle from her dragon is all she heard, and before Maka knew it rock turned to open skies once more. Like a geyser they erupted. They'd made it.

Eager feet finally touched terra firma. Soul landed, and his rider eagerly hopped off her hellish ride. The dragon looked back and gave Maka a devil-toothed grin, but his smugness was silenced with a bitter smack to the back of his head. Immediately, it caused him to shift. Maka blinked, and when she opened her eyes again Soul was human again. He hissed at her.

"I got you here safe and sound, and this is how you repay me?" Soul glowered as he rubbed his head.

"Mhm," Maka smiled. She started to walk past him. "It is when you love to mess with me. Remember that before you try it again."

Soul growled. He watched the backside of his rider as she made her way towards the thing he knew she'd be interested in seeing up close; the script that surrounded Grimm was composed of large symbols that were etched into the very earth itself, and they were noticeable even from far away. The only reason Maka hadn't seen them was because she was too busy looking at all the buildings. That, and Soul didn't give her very much time to notice before descending. Now that they were up close though, Maka marveled at the strange print. She walked closer towards it, but Soul stopped her.

"Don't touch it," he warned as he trotted up next to her. "It's designed to keep everything but dragons out."

"What would happen if I were to touch it?" Maka asked, intrigued. She carefully held her hand out to see if the air around it felt any different than normal. It didn't.

"You'd catch fire," Soul growled. He snatched Maka's hand away over-protectively, anxious she might accidentally trip into it or something. She huffed.

"So then how am I supposed to...?" Maka began to ask. She trailed off, however, when she noticed that they weren't alone out there. "...Ah, uh...Soul?"

They appeared out of nowhere. At least, that's how it seemed to Maka. In truth, they'd probably been there the whole time and she'd just failed to notice until just now; several onlookers of all sizes, both dragon and human in form, stared at them from across the other side of the script. Those in dragon form were farther away which was probably why she hadn't seen them. They looked uninviting, and even from far away Maka could tell they didn't seem all that friendly. Those in human form were much closer, and seemed more curious than anything else.

Soul walked out in front of Maka. She trusted he knew what he was doing and elected to simply follow his lead. The last thing Maka wanted to do was have the dragons of Grimm hate her upon arrival, though she secretly feared that might already be the case. Luckily Soul seemed to have things under control, or at the very least he did a good job of making it seem like he did. Coolly, he ignored the staring and pretending like him and Maka were the only ones there. He flashed her a glance before kneeling down. He reached for the script on the ground, and touched it.

The gesture freaked Maka out. She grabbed his shoulder, thinking for a moment he might immolate, but then just as quickly remembered that he was a dragon. He seemed immune to the ill effects of the barrier, and he even flashed her a teasing smirk over his shoulder in amusement. Maka retracted her hand with blush in her face, and growled at him to hurry up. Soul complied obediently, albeit it with a smug look on his face. He muttered some words in a harsh language, guttural and biting, for the better half of a minute. The entire time, onlookers watched silently from the other side.

The words eventually stopped. Aside from that, nothing seemed to change besides Soul standing up. He looked back to Maka and imitated a butler as he bowed and motioned for her to go on. Maka hesitated, not particularly convinced that she'd be safe in approaching the barrier. Soul looked up and, when he found her unwilling to move, reached for her hand. Soul silently took the lead, and this time it was Maka who became obedient. She followed behind him despite the fear of burning up, and together they crossed the threshold of the barrier. Their feet touched script and...

...no burning.

No fire. Just a simple stroll into dragon lands. The symbol they traversed was large, and it took them a moment to clear. As the seconds ticked by and they came closer to those gathered at the other end, Soul pulled Maka in closer towards him. Likewise, Maka readied herself to reach for her ax; she wouldn't draw it, not yet. She feared that if she were to brandish a weapon first it would cause an incident. The point of their visit wasn't to fight, and she wanted to avoid any conflict if she could help it. Soul felt the same way. At least, Maka hoped he did, anyway.

Before they knew it, they were fully within the borders of Grimm. With one final step, the script was now behind them.

Soul and Maka stood side by side. They held hands tightly, both giving the other a silent signal to be ready for anything. They remained still and waited to see what the human onlookers would do, though Soul kind of had an idea of what to expect. He said nothing, though. His attention wasn't even on them, but the full-dragons that waited off in the distance. They made no move, and simply watched intently. They were the guardians, Soul recounted. They answered only to his father, and like the village patrol back home they kept the peace and defended Grimm from threats.

They didn't know if he was one or not yet, even though he knew they knew who he was. Soul grinned to himself darkly at the thought; was he truly so outcast that his royal blood amounted to nothing? Not that it really mattered to him anyway, but he at least assumed his status would afford Maka at least some protection. He'd lay down his life for her regardless, though hoped his job would be made easier with help from dear old pops. Of course, that would have been asking too much. The only thing Soul could rely on was his master, and she him. They both seemed to come to that realization at the same time, as they both looked at each other amidst bated breaths and stares. The human-form dragons still remained silent. All they could do was wait. Watch. Pray.

"...Master Vhalgaryus?" A faceless voice called out from the crowd, and Soul narrowed his eyes. "Is it him? Has one of the princes returned?"

A discarded name, but it was the only one the people knew him by. He didn't care for it, not normally, though Soul supposed it came in handy this one time. Immediately whispers erupted, and soon the whispers turned to loud comments. Maka looked up at her dragon and saw this discomfort in his face at the quickly growing attention he was getting, and she couldn't help but to smile; if it were all coming from a bad place that'd be one thing, but the sudden cheers that started to erupt among the human-forms sounded anything but. They were happy to see him. He was welcomed.

Maka squeezed his hand, and he looked down at her. Her face was bright, and it illuminated the apprehension in his own. At least to a point, anyway; he still seemed uncomfortable with all of this, but relented with a tired sigh. He silently admitted it was better to be loved by the people than marked as an enemy. All he truly cared about was that it was safe to bring Maka in, a thought reaffirmed as he looked back up at the full-dragons. They laid down, no longer on edge. The large guardians would come no closer, but seemed pacified at the moment.

First obstacle, cleared. "Well, time to show you around. I guess."

Maka looked at her dragon and grinned. "Lead the way!"

Soul nodded and started off with master in tow. He cut through the assembly with the singular goal of making it to the city proper, even as several hands reached out to touch him and confirm that he was indeed the son of Balerion. They mostly belonged to women, and Maka narrowed her eyes in disapproval. Soul pretended not to notice, though a tiny smirk formed as he hid his face from her. Vaguely he considered taking the scenic route through the city, if only to allow for more opportunities where he might make his master jealous.

Maybe coming here wasn't such a bad idea after all.

"This is going to be a delicate mission," Kidd explained stoically, eyes closed. "I can't afford to send anyone but my best."

His eyes were closed in order to keep a straight face. Otherwise, if he could see the ridiculous, starry-eyed expression of his friend by the same name, Kidd probably wouldn't be able to keep this charade up. He'd let a stray, misplaced smirk spread across his face and unintentionally reveal how little he actually believed his own words. Not to say that Black Star of all people would take notice or even really care, but instead his new companion. The raven-haired woman who stood a head above them both, who stood faithfully next to her newly chosen rider.

The less she knew, the better. Kidd peeked out from shuttered lids, and found his friend getting pumped up from being called the best. He fisted the air (as Kidd assumed he would be doing), while his half-dragon Tsubaki simply waited patiently with hands folded in front of her. She had a pleasant face painted on, as was usually the case, though Kidd wouldn't let his guard down around it. He knew nothing of her, of Soul, aside from their backgrounds. A servant. A prince. Dragons, in both name and body; the very thing his village sought to fight.

Kidd narrowed his eyes before quickly relenting. He forgot he had an appearance to maintain.

Though, his trepidation started to seem a little overkill the more Kidd thought about it. He wasn't outright lying to Black Star and Tsubaki, he was actually telling them the truth; there was no one else who could accept this mission besides them. Of course, that had more to do with Tsubaki than it did his friend. She was the reason he needed to send them far away, or rather the combination of her and Black Star together that Kidd needed to worry about. So long as the two of them remained, only a stone's throw away from Mifune's final resting place, there would always be the possibility Black Star exacting his revenge. Bloodlust, Soul had called it. He stated their friend reeked of it, though just looking at him now it wasn't at all apparent.

He looked just like a child being picked first for kickball. He was ecstatic. "Yes! When do we head out?! I'll go sharpen my axe!"

"Um, Black Star?" Tsubaki cheeped. Somehow she looked smaller than her rider, despite being taller. "Kidd hasn't told us anything yet."

"Right, of course! My mistake!" Black Star grinned elatedly. "I just got pumped up knowing that I'm finally being recognized for my awesomeness!"

Internally, Kidd sighed. It was almost depressing how easy it was to get Black Star to do something if you gave him the right motivation, which most of the time was simply playing into his narcissism. Still, even he had to admit it was nice to see his friend genuinely excited about something for the first time in weeks. Aside from somewhat convincing smiles he afforded him whenever he and Tsubaki returned from training, Black Star seemed distant. Up to his old antics; frequenting the bar, staying out late, though to a lesser extent now that he had a dragon to care for.

Kidd smirked. He figured there was no harm in it. "Alright, listen up."

"Yo," Black Star called back. He stood straight and flashed a crooked smile.

Tsubaki mimicked her rider, save for the attitude. She smiled politely, "what's our mission?"

"Conveniently, the same one you've had this whole time," Kidd informed them. "That is to say, your mission, Tsubaki."

Indigo eyes widened. Tsubaki's pleasant face fell, as did her jaw. "Are you by chance referring to Viseryus?"

"I assume that's the name of Soul's brother?" Kidd clarified, which only made Tsubaki's heart beat faster. "If that's the case then, yes, I am."

"You've found him?! Where?! Is he well?!" the half-dragon practically bounced with excitement. Black Star, meanwhile, blinked in mild confusion next to her.

"No, we haven't." Kidd's words dropped Tsubaki like a rock. She immediately reigned herself in. "That's why I'm sending the two of you out, in order to locate him."

"Another reconnaissance mission?" Black Star growled, throwing his arms behind his head. "I thought this was something interesting! Like an extermination or something!"

He had hoped this meeting was in regards to the thunderous nightmare. Signs of the beast had eluded him for weeks, even after mixing up the training grounds he and Tsubaki visited. If the bastard was anywhere within a hundred miles of the village he would have seen at least some signs of its presence, though if there were any he hadn't stumbled upon them yet. All the more reason why anger started to well up in Black Star's chest; his time was better spent focusing on building up him and Tsubaki, not chasing after Soul's runaway brother.

Black Star looked away, already over the conversation. He wouldn't accept any mission that didn't have anything to do with training or slaying, and nothing Kidd could say would convince him otherwise. Kidd realized his mistake almost immediately, as he recognized that expression on his friend's face. Like a child being told something they didn't want to hear, he acted as if there was nobody else in the room. Kidd sighed in frustration and shook his head; he knew he should have just held off on telling them the details and just sent them out blind.

The meeting seemed destined to end there, though help came in the unlikely form of a slender woman with the presence of a mouse. "...Black Star?"

"Mm?" Black Star's eyes darted to the side, far enough to catch Tsubaki from his peripheral vision. He didn't turn to face her. Not yet. "What is it?"

"I-I know you're upset," she piped up, looking to the floor. "But...can we at least listen to what Kidd has to say first? I'd really appreciate it."

"This mission has nothing to do with my mission," Black Star shot back coldly. Tsubaki flinched. "Why would I waste my time with it?"

"...Please? It's...very important to me." That last bit came out no louder than a hushed whisper. Kidd could barely even hear it.

Black Star's eyes narrowed. He let his arms fall to the side as he turned to finally give Tsubaki his attention, and was met with the scrunched up form of his partnered dragon. Nervous red dusted her face, and she gripped her own arm tightly in front of her. She managed to meet his eyes though, and Black Star leered into them with all the strength she'd come to expect from him. He was overbearing. Suffocating at times, even. Now was no exception, whether by design or not, and Tsubaki found herself deflating in his presence with each passing second.

She knew what he wanted to say; no. It didn't benefit him in any way, and thus he wouldn't be a part of it. In the short time they'd been together, Tsubaki knew his personality well enough to predict as much. She prepared herself for such an outcome, as likely as it seemed, and held her breath when Black Star finally opened his mouth after what felt like an eternity.

"Fine," he muttered. Tsubaki's lungs emptied all at once, and she stared at her rider in shock. "I'll listen."

He folded his arms and turned again towards Kidd. Tsubaki didn't; she was too focused on Black Star and his wholly unexpected response to resume her polite stance. Not to say that Kidd minded, though. In fact, the head meister was just as taken aback as Tsubaki. He blinked a little at his friend's (almost) adult response, and mused that was probably the first time he'd seen anyone redirect Black Star from an angry snit like that. Gods know he'd tried on multiple occasions, though Kidd couldn't help but feel like Tsubaki being easy on the eyes must have had at least something to do with it.

"Right, well," Kidd started again. "Getting back to it, Stein and I have used what little information we have on Viseryus in order to formulate some possible routes he might have taken on his way west, or rather our east."

"How the hell did you do that when all we know is his general direction?" Black Star raised his brow, not sure whether to be impressed or not.

"It's actually pretty simple," Kid explained as he procured a map from the desk behind him. "Dragon or not, he still needs food and shelter. There's only so many places he could go that afford him such luxuries."

"He's a dragon. He'd be fine with eating fish from a river and holding up in an unmarked cave somewhere!" Black Star countered.

"...As a last resort," Tsubaki tacked on. Her voice summoned Black Star's attention. She shrunk a little under his gaze, but continued, "Viseryus is royalty. Also he's a bit more...how should I put it...refined than Vhalgaryus."

Kidd nodded, fascinated by Tsubaki's input. "Interesting. That actually corroborates some of the plots that we came up with."

Laying the map flat on the table, Kidd spread it out until it reached both ends perfectly. Even in the midst of a briefing, he was obsessed with neatness and order. The large rectangle was filled with the map of the known world which, admittedly, was still rather empty. It consisted of the lands east and west, all the way to Mt. Grimm, though everything past that remained blank. The same could be said for most of the northern lands and southern cities, though they at least knew where the other allied villages were in relation to one another.

Kidd pointed to Mt. Grimm on the map. He began tracing his finger west. "If Viseryus was smart, which I assume him to be, then he most likely followed this route."

Black Star and Tsubaki leaned in. They followed Kidd's finger as it curved north over the shallow sea and past the eastern coastline. From there it went further south, past a couple of minor towns and nameless rivers before eventually stopping on a village neither had heard of before; Loew. There were some squiggly lines that surrounded it that didn't seem to signal hills or water, and the pair looked at each other with questioning looks before returning back to Kidd. He nodded as if already anticipating their inevitable inquiry.

"This town is known for its nearby swamps, but more specifically for the flowers that grow in them," Kidd explained. "Maiden's Woe, also known as dragonsbane."

Tsubaki gasped. The thought of Master Viseryus being surrounded on all sides by literal poison made the blood in her veins run cold. "Why would he hold up in such a place?!"

"He ran away from daddy, right?" Black Star mused aloud. "What better place to hide from dragons than in a place that could potentially kill them?"

"Well, not kill," Kidd corrected. "Dragonsbane will only incapacitate an individual for a time, unless of course they're sick or weak. But yes, Black Star has the right of it."

Black Star shrugged. "I gotta say, it makes sense to me. But what makes you think for sure he's there?"

"And that he's still there?" Tsubaki piggy backed off her rider. "Perhaps he's already left and headed further south?"

"We know nothing for sure," Kidd replied flatly. "That's why I'm sending the two of you out there to determine as much."

Kidd pushed off the table and folded his arms behind him. He looked to the dragon and rider, as if to allow them a moment to converse amongst themselves. He wanted to at least give them the courtesy to discuss the situation with each other, though ultimately he wouldn't take no for an answer. He was the head meister. He could divvy out missions as he pleased, and any refusal to comply would result in Chief Albarn getting involved. That was very much something Kidd would like to avoid, however. He would much rather give them the illusion of choice.

"...Black Star?" Tsubaki spoke up after a brief silence. He'd stared out in her direction for a time, but refocused his attention at the sound of her voice. "What do you think?"

"Why are you asking my opinion?" he asked indifferently. "You already know how I feel about this whole thing. You're the one who wanted to stay and listen."

Tsubaki became quiet again. She looked to the floor, then back up at her rider. "Because you and I are partners, and your opinion means a lot to me. Why wouldn't I want to hear it?"

This time it was Black Star who became silent. He blinked, genuinely taken aback by Tsubaki's response. Never mind the fact that someone openly admitted to giving a damn about what he thought for a change (Kidd and Maka never entertained his ideas); he was more surprised about his own reaction. The anger and annoyance that steadily fermented during the meeting seemed to bubble away almost immediately, and for a moment all he could do was stare at his dragon...no, partner. That word bounced around the inside of his presently empty head and wouldn't leave him.

Black Star cleared his throat. He failed to notice Kidd's genuine smirk from across the table. "Well, I mean...I guess it would be an opportunity to see some unknown dragon types."

Tsubaki perked at the sudden lilt in Black Star's voice. She couldn't help but to smile, "I agree! And maybe on the way over we can find traces of the dragon you're searching for, too!"

"...Hey, you're right," he agreed after taking a moment to think. Black Star honestly hadn't considered that possibility before, but now that Tsubaki had pointed it out it was obvious.

A win-win situation for everyone. Kidd, however, would come out on top regardless, something he knew very well as he re-entered the conversation. "So? What have you?"

Black Star flashed Tsubaki one final look. He already knew what she wanted, and supposed his answer was the one everyone was really waiting on. She beamed in his direction with that chipper disposition he'd come to expect from her, and compared it to how she'd been only moments before. Like night and day, and it was only because he so much as entertained the notion of going to Loew with her. He honestly didn't know why it meant so much to her, though he figured it was similar to how he felt when she had agreed to become his partner. Relieved. Happy, even.

He didn't want to take that feeling away from her. After all, she'd allowed him to experience it. As her partner, he felt it necessary to extend the same courtesy to her. "We'll do it."

"We will?!" Tsubaki gaped with a smile. She clasped her hands together in excitement, and Black Star turned his head from her. "Oh, thank you, Black Star!"

"Very well," Kidd nodded. His smirk only grew bigger when he noticed the slightest hint of red hidden in his friend's face. "I'll inform the sentries of your departure. You'll leave tomorrow."

Tsubaki nodded, as did her rider. Though normally loud and over-excited, Black Star's muted response was slightly off putting to Kidd. He didn't proclaim himself the greatest warrior in their village, or insist that he and his dragon would finish their mission in record time. All he did was throw Tsubaki a glance and motion for the door. Despite the silence, Tsubaki beamed at him and promptly complied. She acknowledged Kidd, as he did her, before turning to file out the door. Black Star did the same, though stopped just shy of leaving. He paused, then turned to face Kidd.

"Hey, tell me something," Black Star asked stoically. Again, it felt strange to Kidd.

"Yes?" the head meister leaned against his desk and folded his arms.

"Why are you suddenly so interested in Soul's brother?" Black Star prodded. "Him and Maka are already taking care of things at Mt. Grimm. What's with all the fuss?"

Kidd was silent for a moment. "Soul's our friend. If there's a possibility his brother is in danger, don't you think we owe it to him to make sure he's alright?"

Black Star continued to stare at his friend and leader. The two locked eyes, and a stillness fell over them. Internally, Kidd narrowed his eyes; there was no doubt in his mind as to Black Star's obliviousness. There was no way he could know the plan that he had set into motion, as even Kidd admitted that it was still a work in progress. Black Star's gut, however, was something Kidd knew about all too well. He might not have been the brightest in the village, but Black Star's instincts had served him well. Aside from one glaring mishap, it never failed to carry him through any obstacle.

Kidd hoped it would fail him today, though.

His mouth dried as Black Star opened his. "Yeah, I guess you're right."

A smile finally appeared on the man's face before he turned to exit the building. The door swung behind him, though it wasn't until he heard the telltale shutter of it closing completely that Kidd finally dropped his guard down. He hung his head and took a deep breath, suddenly feeling exhausted from the whole ordeal. Kidd glared at the map on the table in front of him and mulled over the fact that he felt more like a spy master than a meister. This wasn't something he took any pleasure in. He told himself as much over and over again, but it didn't make him feel any better.

People's lives were at stake though, and the sooner he could end this whole blasted war, the better.