"Your wings can't save you from your weakness…"

If Maka Albarn had anything resembling wings on her soul, she believed they were nothing but paper, crafted to cause her grief. After the incident with Lord Death, Maka hadn't bothered to return to Stein or Kid for training. In fact, during the time Maka was supposed to be preparing for battle, she had forced herself into seclusion. Quiet days and the maddening silence of night were permanently etched into her being by the time she had to face the people she considered family. So much had changed in so little time….

And the dense, unmistakable air of madness was sickening.

"Hey, doofus…. Long time no see." Maka's voice was hoarse from lack of usage. Her throat burned at the sudden stressed, but she managed to produce a weary smile none the less, the faux happiness unable to reach her dull green eyes. She stared at him, waiting for a response and grieving when she earned none. It couldn't be… He couldn't have changed.

Black Star. He looked exactly the same as when she disappeared. Unruly blue hair, same attire…. But with the most unnerving frown written across his face. Slowly, he opened his eyes and broke his cycle of meditation, his shoulders easing slightly. He blinked, shifting on the DWMA steps. "Maka…?" he breathed. Maka flinched. Such a quiet, calculated voice. This wasn't her Black Star…. It couldn't have been-

A small, strangled yelp escaped Maka's throat as Black Star threw his weight against her in a bone-crushing hug. "You idiot!" he screamed, trembling against her. "What does time mean to you, huh!? You think disappearing for a year is a joke!? All this time… wondering where the hell you went. You abandoned your weapon, Maka! You left us all!"

Maka's body rocked with intense emotion. Tears brimmed at the corners of her eyes and sobbed. "I gave in…" she cried, hiding her face in Black Star's shoulder. She howled in distress. "I gave in to fear! I'm no meister… I'm a coward!"

Black Star grabbed Maka's head, forcing her to look at him. "Shut up." He snarled, tightening his grip so it caused slight pain. Maka sniffed and wiped her face clean of tears with her sleeve. The dark fabric of her cloak was torn and tattered, coming apart like the seams of her mind. A year… she'd run from her own life for a year. She gave Black Star a painful, but reassuring nod.

No more running away. No more waiting for death to come for her soul.

If the Grim Reaper wanted her life… he'd have to fight her for it.

Maka raised her hand and Black Star instantly clasped it in one of his own. "Today's the day." Black Star said, turning to gaze at the large doors that towered over the two meisters. Maka sighed. "Soul is…?"

"The most loyal weapon in the history of weapons. He's in there… waiting for his meister."

Maka would have loved to smile, but she felt she didn't deserve to wear such an expression, not yet. Instead, she settled for a nod and advanced toward the doors… The two entered to their fate.

"This is the ceremony?" Maka questioned with pang of irritation. Black Star scowled. "There's nobody here."

"It's not exactly a crowd event, you know, Black Star." Maka turned her head, her eyes widening at the sight of Soul and Tsubaki. Tsubaki's soft eyes brightened at the sight of Maka. She scooped the shorter girl into a gentle hug. "Maka! You're alive!" she practically wailed, swaying from side to side in the embrace. Maka returned the gesture, desperately trying to hide her unease. Tsubaki, like Black Star, seemed… different. They looked the same, but a subtle change was there. She hesitated to look. If they had changed… had Soul?

She snuck a glance.

Soul "Eater" Evans was as collected as always, hands in his pockets, red eyes glowing calmly. He looked at Maka for a long while before smiling. It wasn't a beaming smile, like that of Tsubaki or a bombastic gesture like that of Black Star, but it was enough. His shoulder stiffened and his fingers twitched. I knew you were still there. He didn't need words.

Maka wrenched herself out of Tsubaki's hug and approached Soul. "Soul… " she began softly, blushing in embarrassment. "I thought you'd take a new meister… I am unfit to wield you as a weapon-"

Soul lifted one hand out of his pocket to stop Maka. "That's something only I can decide." He cut in, shaking his head. His gaze flashed with cold bitterness for a moment. "And as miserable a meister partner you are… I'm just as pathetic a weapon partner for not being able to bring you back. I didn't know where you went, Maka. " He extended his hand. "What do you say? Can we resonate like before?"

Maka grabbed her weapon's hand. "We'll have to." She answered strongly. "This time… it's life or death."

"Naturally. When you challenge a Grim Reaper, you are always at risk of losing your soul." From above the quartet, standing on a balcony with his weapons flanking his sides, Death the Kid stood with the same icy expression he'd held when he first met the meisters and weapons below. Dark bags hung under his dark gold eyes. A dark aura of madness surrounded his body and wrapped around his partners. Maka shivered at the intensity of wickedness that surrounded the son of Death. Her eyebrows furrowed with determination. She was bound to be rusty with her soul perception after striving to disconnect for soul long (and yet being unsuccessful).

But she would see as much as she could. She suppressed a gasp. She'd expected a Grim Reaper to have a massive soul, but Kid's was incredible. More unnerving was the fact that what was once a pure blue was now as black as the midnight sky. Not a glimmer of light shown out of the darkness. Kid's lips spread into an eerie smile, as though he felt Maka's presence intertwining with his.

"Are you getting a good look?" he questioned, gold irises focused intently on the scythe meister. "Thrilling isn't it? The effects of madness… But enough of all that. We can start immediately! What match do you wish to see… well, father!?"

Lord Death swiftly appeared at his son's side. Maka struggled to see the glow of his eyes, hoping to see a spark of emotion behind the mask Death always wore. To her disappointment, she saw nothing. Somehow she knew, however, that Lord Death was displeased by his son's state. Could this have been caused by Maka's disappearance? Lord Death had asked for her assistance.

"I think we should start with a warm up match, Kid." The Grim Reaper replied a bit too calmly. His usual cheery demeanor was lowered substantially. "You four remember Stein? Well, one lucky weapon-meister pair will have the opportunity to fight him. It could be you four… or the other four who are here. Don't worry about them for now… I want you all to say your goodbyes. The outcome of these battles is unpredictable, after all."

Maka sat with her head against the concrete wall, Soul to her right and Black Star and Tsubaki to her left. No one spoke. They couldn't find the proper words to say. Sometimes, they all seemed to agree, silence was the best answer. Maka stood and dusted off her skirt. "I need some water…" she breathed and took off before anyone could protest. She traveled along the stone corridors until she reached a small water fountain. It was rusted, low, and above all unwelcoming. But she needed something to take her mind off everything…

"You seem nervous, Miss Albarn." Kid's voice fluctuated with insanity as he spoke. Maka didn't need to turn to face him to know exactly who he was. She'd felt him following her the second she left her friends in the main hall. His aura was overpowering. "What do you want?" she questioned dryly.

Kid hugged himself, his nails digging through his thick suit and into his skin. Five perfect marks on both sides, symmetry-oriented even in total madness. "My mark… your hands…"

"What is this mark?" Maka said as she turned to look at him finally. Her lips bent into a sneer and she snorted ungracefully. Kid seemed unfazed. "It's nothing really. A bind, if you will. Death is eternal… your soul is mine when you die…"

"My what!?" Maka flung herself forward and grabbed Kid by the collar before she could contemplate what she was doing and what the consequences would be. Kid, still unfazed, let out a twisted laugh. "I didn't mean to do it." He roared, shaking from his giggles. "But I can't do a thing now! Madness just makes you do things… so wonderful, to not think! To not worry… you can't worry in nothingness… When everything is symmetrical…" He paused to stare. "Like you."

Maka threw Kid away in disgust, only managing to send him back a foot or two. He laughed uncontrollably, hunching over and clutching his head. "What good is your soul when it doesn't belong to you!? Are you frightened yet!? Do you feel fear!?"

Maka hissed in annoyance. "No!" she snarled under her breath. "Just severely pissed off! Why the hell would you do that!?"

"Don't know. Don't care!" He continued, his laughs dying down to giggling. Eventually , he stopped all together, now watching Maka with a grave expression. "Or I might know.." he said gently. Maka noticed that a shine of blue peered through the dark of his soul. She felt her hands ball into fists. There was hope after all. What kind of person was Death the Kid really? To find madness even at its brink!

"I need help." He announced, the desperate tone of his words cracking his voice. "You can hate me for eternity for all I care… Help me, Maka. I can't fight forever… and I can't die. The only thing I can do is torture humanity when I'm trapped in madness… I've already tortured you. I can fix it. I can make it right…"

He inhaled deeply and closed his eyes to think. "But I need you Maka Albarn. How much is your soul worth?"

(And that's it for the next chapter! Hope you enjoyed it This is unedited! I hope I didn't make your eyes bleed too badly!)