//------------------------------//
// Interlude Chapter 
// Story: "I don't know how to deal with this!" 
// by Dirty Bit 
//------------------------------//


Interlude Chapter


Lord Death's Hidden Technique! Crona gets a second chance?


Out in a vast wasteland laid a city. A large and architecturally eccentric mass of buildings known as Death City. At the top of it rested the pinnacle of the city known as Death's Weapon Meister Academy. A place where children are taught to become meisters to defend the world and reap evil souls to turn their weapons into death scythes. Many students hone their skills and grow up to be expert warriors to their academy's cause. One of the best students, however, had the worst day...

A girl wearing a black coat and a plaid skirt ran in the hallway with her tears marking a trail behind her while carrying a wrapped blanket. She had blonde hair with two ponytails that flowed with the speed she was going.

Catching up behind her was a boy with white hair, wearing a yellow and black jacket and a headband. On top of said headband was a sticker that said 'Soul', and an emblem with a set of teeth-bearing lips with the word 'Eat' shown in an endpoint pattern. It didn't show on his face, but he was entirely concerned as he pursued the girl.

"Maka, come back! You shouldn't be worked up over this!" He called out.

His words went ignored as Maka continued to run. She couldn't believe what had happened, and she tried hard not to remember what was said and done earlier.
_____

Maka had just came back to Death City from defeating the kishin Asura, feeling invigorated from her victory and sharing it with her friends. She wanted to see if her friend Crona was recovering from their fight against Medusa. She walked with Soul on her way to the infirmary, eager to check on Crona and possibly talk about what to do next now that the kishin was defeated.

As she reached the door down the hall, she noticed a little girl with brown hair walk out, and smiled at Maka the moment she laid eyes on her.

"Hello!" She waved happily. This caught Maka's attention as she approached her.

"Hello, Rachel. I see you're doing fine!" She returned the greeting, smiling back at the little girl. Rachel nodded.

"Mhm. Dr. Stein said that I was healthy enough to go back to my mommy and daddy! Ms. Marie and Ms. Azusa were gonna take me home, but I wanted to thank you for helping me!" She said as she looked up at Maka.

"It was nothing, kid." Soul walked up to his meister's side and smirked "Maka here is just an experienced meister, and I'm lucky to be her partner." He laid a friendly jab on Maka's shoulder, "Pretty strong with that punch of hers, too. Didn't think it'd be enough to take down the kishin." Maka lightly blushed and looked away 

"Stop it, Soul." She looked back at Rachel "It really is nice to see you again. I was just on my way to see Dr. Stein and Crona!"

"Crona?" Rachel blinked "You mean..." She paused, then looked down in thought "That pink-haired person?" Rachel guessed.

"That's the one!" Maka nodded.

"I haven't really seen that person. That and Dr. Stein looked sad when I asked about Crona." Rachel said innocently with a frown. This made Maka curious.

'That seems unlike Dr. Stein...Why would he act like that...Unless...' Her eyes widened for a moment before she shook off her grave thought. If there's anything she knew about the academy's staff, it was that Dr. Stein was both the ultimate meister, and one of the most brilliant scientific minds in existence. He managed to save Soul, even though he has a small trace of Crona's black blood.

The infirmary door opened to show a woman with golden hair, wearing a black outfit and a black eyepatch to compliment her attire. As she walked out the door, she noticed Maka and smiled warmly.

"Oh, hello there, Maka. Congratulations on taking care of the kishin!" She said cheerfully. Maka nodded and returned the smile.

"Hello, Miss Marie. I was just about to make my way into the infirmary to see Crona. May I step inside please?" She asked politely. Maka noticed the look on Marie's expression shift from kind to bereft, causing herself to grow confused.
_____

Maka did not stop, nor did she wish to. She was already close to reaching Lord Death's halls. After bursting through the doors and running under each guillotine arch, she finally reached the center of the room. The walls and ceiling were vividly similar to that of a bright sky, save for the windows, and the ground decorated with many crosses surrounding the platform containing Lord Death himself. She caught her breath while holding the blanket in her hands tightly as more tears streamed down her eyes. The large shroud of darkness containing a kid-friendly skull mask looked down at the worn meister.

"Maka? This was an unexpected visit." Lord Death said in a jovial tone as he tilted himself to the side, "Are you trying to get your exercise by running around the academy?" He asked absentmindedly. Eventually, Soul caught up to Maka in Lord Death's room and caught his breath before he spoke up.

"Lord Death, we can explain. It's just something that has to do with-"

"Crona." Maka interrupted as she brought her head up to face the grim reaper, "Please, Lord Death, can't you do something to bring Crona back?" She asked with a look of sheer sadness. Lord Death stared ominously at the blanket resting in Maka's arms, feeling two familiar presences inside of it.

"...I see. So that's why you've ran all the way here." He said in a serious tone. Lord Death turned around and drifted away, "Maka, you realize that there isn't much I can do about what you're asking of me. This is a very serious matter, but not something that you should dwell on."

"But Crona's our friend!" Maka cried indignantly "If it weren't for Crona, I-" She choked up as she hung her head, staring down at her blanket with trembling pupils, "I wouldn't have made it..." Maka whispered.

'...Maka...' Soul frowned at Maka's sadness, feeling sorry for losing a friend to Medusa. Lord Death turned to face Maka.

"Be that as it may, my point stands. I'm sorry, Maka, but it cannot be done. I can't bring Crona, or Ragnarok back into this world. It wouldn't be right at all." Two large hands popped out of his body in a shrugging motion "Besides, I doubt you'd want a zombie living in your home, right?" He said in a comedic fashion.
_____

In another part of the DWMA, zombie professor Sid Barett sneezed while he was giving a lecture to his students.
_____

"Please, Lord Death! There has to be a way..." Maka furrowed her brow despite her sadness. She carefully unraveled the blanket in her arms to reveal two glowing wisps, one blue and one red. Her eyes leaked more tears as she stared at them 'Crona...You shouldn't have gone out like that. You had so much to live for...' Lord Death had one of his large hands under his supposed chin.

"You're really not going let this one go so easily, are you? Is there any other way I can convince you about this?" Maka tightened her grip on the souls in response, making the grim reaper sigh "It seems we may be at an impasse..." There were footsteps heard in the hall's corridor, and the three looked ahead to see two men running towards the platform.

One man had red hair and a black suit with a cross-shaped tie. A serious expression was seen on his face. The other was a man with glasses and a large screw lodged in his head. He had noticeable stitches on his face, as well as his lab coat, though his expression was hidden beneath his glasses.

"Ah, Spirit and Stein! Good to see you both. Looks like we have a full house, don't we?" Lord Death quipped lightheartedly.

"We came after we heard the news..." Spirit looked down at Maka with concern "Maka, why would you do such a thing? You know this is overstepping your bounds as a meister..."

"Who cares what you think!?" Maka snapped harshly, not facing her detestable father. She looked down at her souls, "I came home from my fight and expected to see Crona in good health. I just can't believe that this happened..."

"I'm sorry you had to hear about this, Maka." Stein said as he held up his arms "I've done all I could, but as it turned out, Crona was wounded beyond comprehension, Medusa's blow had proved to be fatal. There was no point in leaving a corpse for you to look at, so I made it to where both Crona and Ragnarok would reside as souls. I never expected you to take it so hard..."

"Look, Maka," Soul held out a hand to Maka, "It's not worth it to act like this. You know that. Wouldn't Crona think the same way?" He asked, hoping to reach his meister. Maka didn't face her weapon as she looked up at Lord Death.

"I know I'm breaking a rule right now, but this isn't fair to Crona!" She said as she stood her ground, "Before we've even met, Crona had to go through so much suffering under Medusa! I can't in good conscience leave one of my friends behind like this!" She got on her knees, much to the surprise of the trio behind her and she tried her best to bow while holding the souls in her hands "I beg of you, Lord Death. There has to be another way out of this. I only want Crona to live on in a peaceful life. Can't you do that?"

There was silence in the room. Soul and Spirit shared looks of unease over the possibly rising tension between Maka and Lord Death, whereas Stein's and Lord Death's expressions remained unreadable.

"There is...one way."

Maka instantly lifted her head with a surprised expression at the unexpected response; the others, saved for Stein, had followed suit "Really? There is!?" Maka asked hopefully. Lord Death held up his hands in a placating motion.

"Now before you go and peg this as an attempt to bring Crona back into this world, it isn't." Maka's reinvigorated spirits had wavered from his statement "But I can guarantee that Crona will live on. If you may hand me the souls of Crona and Ragnarok, I'll demonstrate what I'm speaking of..."

"You promise? Crona will live on?" Maka stared up at Lord Death cautiously.

'I hope Lord Death isn't going to pull a fast one. I can't risk Maka feeling betrayed...' Spirit stifled a light grunt. While he was well-aware of Maka's disdain towards him, he still cared about his daughter no matter what.

"What are you gonna do? Is this something you haven't done in a while?" Soul said with a quizzical glance towards the grim reaper. Lord Death chuckled.

"You catch on well, Soul. I see that your study sessions with Maka have paid off!" He ignored Soul's scowl from his remark and focused on the meister in front of him "Now, will you hand me the souls?"

Maka hesitated, but wordlessly complied with Lord Death's request, placing the two souls in the palms of his large hands. He held them at a flat level, and he turned to present them at his mirror. The mirror had shined briefly before glowing and covering the once-dark lense into a bright light. As it happened, the two souls in Lord Death's hands levitated into the air before shooting inside of the mirror at bullet speed, leaving no trace behind. From there, the brightness had receded as the mirror went back to its former state. Lord Death turned back to face the group and gave a curt bounce after his actions.

"All done!" He chirped.

"Lord Death? What did you do?" Maka was surprised and intrigued.

"I'm curious, too. Did you send them both to heaven or something?" Soul cocked his head to the side as his hands rested in his pockets. Lord Death scratched the back of his head 

"Well, not exactly, but I did send their souls someplace beyond my trusty mirror. They'll be drifting about in an unknown void for a short period before they'll finally take refuge in a new world to call their own!"

"Seriously?" Soul arched an eyebrow "You’re capable of doing that?" From behind him, Stein smirked after Soul's question.

"Lord Death has several techniques that are unknown to the students in the academy. It shouldn't be surprising considering this is the grim reaper we're talking about."

"So you've actually done it?" Maka clutched the blanket in her hands "You let Crona and Ragnarok be able to live on?" She asked as a smile grew on her face. Lord Death laughed.

"Well, even if I'm out of my power here, I still owe you a favor for taking care of the Kishin and stopping the world from going mad. Consider this a token of gratitude for your hard work!" He said as he gave the young meister a thumbs up.

Maka felt like hugging Lord Death, but decided to take a deep breath and wipe away her tears. She then gave a polite bow to him.

“Thank you so much for this, Lord Death. You don’t know how much it means to me.” Maka said as she looked up with a bright and grateful smile. Lord Death gave a nod.

“The pleasure is all mine. Just enjoy some R&R with your friends. You’ve earned it!” He replied cheerfully, though he inwardly felt troubled, ‘Here’s hoping I won’t receive any harsh callbacks from the world they’ll land in…’ The grim reaper waved his hand in a friendly shooing motion, “Now, off you go. Wouldn’t want to waste anymore time in here.” Maka took the hint and turned to leave the hall with Soul, but stopped to look back 

“Before I go…” Lord Death stared at Maka’s pensive glance “Seeing as how you were able to perform that trick with your mirror, would it be possible to reach any other world Crona and Ragnarok could land in?” Lord Death was lucky not to flinch after the question.

‘Her aptitude is nearly immeasurable! No wonder she fended off the kishin alone…’ He held up a large hand “I can’t exactly guarantee that. For all we know, their souls haven’t found the right place just yet. These things take time, you know.”

“Of course." Maka felt slightly guilty before she nodded "Thanks for the help!” She gave off a wave before she ran off with Soul. The only ones who didn’t leave were Spirit and Stein. The former looking suspicious while the latter intrigued, his glasses giving off a slight gleam of light while his right hand rested on his chin. The silence hung in the room before Spirit saw fit to break it, his eyes narrowed.

“What did you really do, Lord Death? Normally, I’m not one to question your actions, but I don’t want to find out that my daughter’s been lied to.” Spirit warned. Stein turned the large screw on his head as it made a clicking sound similar to a wind-up toy.

“I’m also curious about your little trick myself. I know you’re the embodiment of death, but I never thought that you would be connected with worlds other than our own. You’ve got a lot of secrets kept behind that mask of yours…” Lord Death turned to Spirit first, feeling obligated to answer him and put his mind at ease.

“Spirit, trust me when I’ve actually obliged to your daughter’s wish with my suggested alternative.” He then faced both Spirit and Stein “As for what you’ve just witnessed…yes, it has been almost a thousand years since I’ve performed such a skill.” Lord Death stated seriously “I’m glad that I haven’t abused it for so long here. My influence as the lord of death carries farther than any of you may realize, but that stays between us.”

“You have our word," Stein smirked "but not only do you have to deal with whatever world Crona and Ragnarok happen to stumble in, but Maka as well, seeing as how eager she is to see how her friend is doing once they’re alive.” Lord Death hung his head in defeat, his body slumping forward.

“I have to admit that for a meister her age, she’s quite perceptive. She really does take after her mother!” He said his last sentence incredulously.

“I’m glad she managed to come so far…” Spirit grinned proudly. There was a pause before he found himself at a distant part of the platform away from Lord Death and Stein, sobbing in a corner “If only she could forgive me for what I’ve put her through! Maka~!” Lord Death and Stein sweatdropped at his sudden shift of emotion.

“Well, regardless of what has transpired," Lord Death turned to Stein, "only time will tell when Crona and Ragnarok manage to find their new home. Before that time comes, we’ll just have to move on and carry out the cause of our beloved academy.”

“Just so we’re clear..." Stein stared at Lord Death, then pointed a finger with a seemingly skeptical look behind his glasses "You’re certain they won’t end up in an entirely hellbound world, right?” Lord narrowed his eyes, feeling offended despite being teased by one of his best meisters.

“The audacity, Stein! I would never do such a thing!” He then pointed a finger with a wink “In fact, I’ve sent them to a world that I, myself, have walked in for the longest time other than this one.” He said confidently.

“Oh?" Stein tilted his head "And where would that be?” He said, his scientific curiosity growing at the possibilities of a new world. Sadly for him, Lord Death waved a large hand 

“Well, I don’t think it’d be right for me to show you before the others. I’ll just wait until I get a connection and I’ll call you all in for a meeting when the timing’s right. Just be on your way and get back to your own devices until then.” He turned over to the still-sobbing Spirit and gave a look of pity and disappointment “Erm, and take Spirit with you…”

“Of course.” Stein gave a curt nod, then walked over and grabbed Spirit by the back of his collar, dragging him off as he walked down the corridor leading to the room’s entrance while the death scythe continued to mourn his poor relationship with his daughter.

When Lord Death was by himself, he let out a sigh, and looked back at his mirror, feeling nervous for the first time in a while.

“I’m happy to help my students and all, but Maka really asked a lot from me to perform my hidden reincarnation ability…I just hope they won’t be angry with me over this.” For the first time, Lord Death carried a troubled look on his face “Especially not her…Oh dear…”


End of Interlude