"Maka's gone missing!"
Soul immediately felt sick. He swayed with dizziness but grasped the doorframe as soon as he could.
He took a deep breath. "We need to tell him! Go wake the others!" And with that last statement, he ran down the hall to the teachers' dorms.
Soul frantically knocked on Spirit's door. "Death Scythe?! Spirit! It's Soul! Open up!"
The door opened soon after. The exhausted red head looked down at the young scythe.
"Soul? What's wrong, little guy?"
"Maka's missing! She's nowhere to be seen!"
Spirit had to register it for a moment, before he began to shake. "Shit.. Shit! Soul, get dressed and tell the others to do the same- we need to fully search for her. Go! I'll meet you in the reception in 10 minutes. We have no time to lose!"
He watched Soul sprint off to do what he asked, before frantically knocking on the door where Kami, Megara, and Marie slept. Out of respect, he never opened the door.
"Girls! Wake up!"
Through the door, he heard someone bolt up.
"Spirit?! What's the matter, sweetie? You sound worried!" Kami called back, her voice shaking.
"Maka's vanished! We need to find her!"
"Fuck! Marie! Get up! We have to find her. Meg, you stay! You're still injured!" Kami shouted frantically.
"Okay!" Marie panicked and fell out of bed. The pair rapidly threw clothes on.
Spirit waited anxiously until he heard Kami shout.
"You can open the door!"
Spirit did as she requested and looked at them. A voice appeared behind him.
"What's going on? What's all this about?" Stein asked.
"Maka's gone missing. We need to look for her."
The four rushed down to see the team of students waiting downstairs.
Spirit spoke up. "Who was the last to see Maka?"
"Me!" Tsubaki spoke. "She said at about 11pm she'd be going to bed 10 minutes after standing there for a bit." She pointed to the window. "I woke up at 3 and she wasn't in bed. I came down here to see if she'd fallen asleep here but she was nowhere. I looked everywhere for her."
"No one had her in their dorms?" Kami asked.
Everyone shook their head.
"This isn't good." Marie said. "This isn't good at all."
Stein glanced at Spirit. "What now?"
Spirit sighed. "We make teams. Give ourselves until 8am searching then meet back up. Hopefully, one of the teams will find her. Use your soul perception to the best of your ability. If all else fails, then I'll carry on searching alone. Team Stein- I'll assign Kim and Jackie, Patty, Liz, and Kid. Team Marie- I'll assign Crona, Black Star and Tsubaki, Ox and Harvar. Kami- You'll have Rinko, Hero, Killik, The Pots and Soul. I'll go alone."
"No, Death Scythe, you can't go alone."
"I'll be fine, Soul."
"I'm coming with you." Soul said, deathly serious. "To be alone out there is the worst thing imaginable. We need to stick with each other."
Spirit nodded, discovering that Soul's method had more logic. "I guess it will be better that way."
"Yeah." Kami nodded. "Be careful, though."
"I promise." Spirit nodded. He placed his hand on Soul's shoulder. "I'll protect you to the best of my ability."
"We're gonna find her, Spirit." Soul assured.
"I hope so."
Soul gripped his hand tightly. "We will."
Spirit nodded, squeezing it back. "Okay everyone, let's split! We got until 8am!"
The darkness seemed to envelope the entire range with a deep sense of danger. It was enough to send shivers down your spine.
A lantern glowed through the darkness. Kim, wielding Jacqueline's lantern form, raced down the peak. Stein cautiously made his way down.
"Kid, keep me covered. I'm only a meister, remember? I have the gift of perception but I am vulnerable to attack without a weapon." Stein advised.
Kid nodded. "Alright. Girls! Keep your guard up."
"Okay, Kid!" Patty chirped.
Liz however, didn't sound as cheerful. "Hnnng"
Kid sighed. "What's the matter, Liz?"
"This place is creepy at night. I hate it."
"It's not a good time to be scared, Liz. Maka needs to be found, remember?"
"Yeah."
A sound was heard in the distance. A crunch.
"Ahhh! What was that?! Kid, I'm scared!" Liz panicked, in her weapon form. Patty giggled beside her.
Kid hissed. "Shush! Enemies will hear us!"
Liz cried quietly. "I hope Bigfoot doesn't exist."
Stein sighed. "Bigfoot prefers forests anyway. Mountains are too much for its big feet."
"That's a relief- and another reason why I don't go to forests!"
"Professor Stein! I found footprints!" Kim shouted.
The footprints were fresh and led down the mountain.
"Let's follow them. Everyone stay close."
Team Marie was very calm. Nothing stirred. No sounds were made.
Until a generic Pre-Kishin attacked.
A large distorted creature possessing a Kishin egg attacked the party at full force, breaking the dead silence.
"Kids! Weapons and partners engage and fight!" Marie ordered, forming her arm into her hammer, resembling Thor's legendary Mjolnir.
The fight lasted for quite a bit, seeing as the ones who fought were vulnerable to the cold.
They managed to kill it, but...
Maka still wasn't found.
Team Kami searched the area.
"Maka?" Kami shouted, in hopes for an answer. Nothing.
Killik, wielding the Pots, turned to Rinko. "Hey Rinko, what happened back there, anyway? When you went missing for a bit?"
"Um... Well, I was just where everyone else was when... I heard a noise and.... I saw these large yellow eyes... Like a snakes... Next thing I know, Hero was there and I was lying in the snow with a cut knee. I can't remember what happened in between."
"Yellow eyes..." Kami spoke. "Meg saw those too."
Hero cleared his throat. "You don't suppose that's what happened to Maka?"
"Yeah. Tsubaki did say she was by the window, right?" Killik added.
"Maybe she saw what I did." Rinko followed on.
"You guys may be onto something." Kami said. "I'll try and look out for that thing. It could have my daughter, and I won't let that bitching snake fuck her up today or any other day."
"Right!"
"Let's keep searching!"
Soul and Spirit had searched all around the peak. After a few hours, they were beginning to grow tired, though neither wanted to give up.
Spirit stopped walking. "Wanna rest?"
"Yeah."
The pair sat on a rock that stuck out from the snow. The sun was beginning to rise.
"Hey, Spirit?"
"Yeah?"
"I feel like I caused this to happen."
Spirit looked at the boy in confusion. "How so?"
"I did something... I think she hates me for it." Soul spoke sadly.
Spirit nodded. "What did you do?"
"Truth or dare... Jackie dared me to kiss someone... I kissed Maka on the cheek and she seemed freaked out by it and I got scared and ran off."
"Oh.... Really?"
"Yeah. Thing is..."
"Go on?"
"I really like her. A lot."
"Soul." Spirit began. "I doubt Maka would run away because of that."
"Really?" Soul asked.
"Yeah. If Maka didn't like something she would make it vocal. Just look at how she treated me. She wasn't hesitating to insult me after I cheated on her mom, right?"
"I suppose."
"Yeah. Maybe she is having the same dilemma as you."
"Maybe."
The snow fell lighter than before. It was more gentle.
"Spirit?"
"What is it?"
Soul sighed. "Maka really loves you, y'know."
Spirit sat up. "She does?"
"Yeah." Soul nodded. He patted Spirit on the arm, before resting his head on it. "She told me the day Kami came here."
"Really?"
"Yeah. Remember when she cried in the Death Room?"
"I do.."
"It was because of you."
Spirit was stunned. He never realised it at the time. "How so?"
"Death Scythe... She regretted so much. She realises how much of a good dad you are and regretted saying all the awful things she said. She was so upset about it." Soul explained. "You're the one person she has always loved and she told me that she'll love you no matter what."
Spirit shook. He was astounded.
"She's still mad at me though, right?"
"Probably, but she loves you regardless."
"That's okay. Maybe I'm not such a failure after all." Spirit said. He stood up, Soul following. "Let's go!"
"Sure thing-" Soul slipped and reached for Spirit, who missed his grasp. "Wahh!" He fell and slid down a hill until- thud!
He hit something soft. Turning around, all was revealed.
It was Maka.
Her breathing was uneasy. She was freezing cold and unconscious.
"SPIRIT!"
"Soul?! Are you okay?!" His voice, distant and echoey, replied.
"I found Maka!"
Sliding down on his feet, Spirit joined the pair.
"Maka! Crap, she's cold. Take her to the lodge, Soul. Hurry!"
"Ok!"
"I'll find the others!"
It was a couple hours later and Maka was lying on the sofa in the lobby. Everyone else had come back. They surrounded where she sat. Sitting next to her was her solemn father, who was the first person Maka saw as her eyes opened.
"Papa....."
"Young lady, you had us all worried. What's gotten into you?" Spirit was fighting back tears as he spoke to her as calmly as he could stand.
Maka sat up, her wrist stinging as she did so. "I can't remember."
Spirit looked up at her, their matching green eyes met and the unsettled fury and confusion in Spirit's caused unease in her.
"Can't remember? Maka, you could have died!"
"Daddy, please listen to me!" Maka begged, grasping at her father's arms. She looked at him with wide eyes. "All I can remember is standing over there..." She pointed to the window. "And seeing big yellow eyes."
The room stood quiet.
"Yellow eyes?" Kami began. "Rinko, you saw that too, right?"
Rinko confirmed. "I did! Then I woke up in the snow."
Spirit, feeling guilty or snapping at her, hung his head. "I am so sorry Maka. Forgive me." He wrapped his arms around his daughter and hugged her, in which she hugged back- something she never did previously after the divorce.
"Don't apologise, papa."
His hand stroked the back of her head. "Maka..."
"You never knew of it. I'm glad you believe me, now. But it did sound crazy so I wouldn't blame you if you were skeptical." She explained. She pulled away slightly, before pressing her lips to her father's forehead. She looked at her wrist, which shown two puncture holes- resembling a bite.
"What could this be?"
"A snake bite."
A voice echoed through the room. A slender young woman stood and observed the group. Her silvery white hair was tied up in a bun, and black eyes were large.
Although rather pretty, some features resembled that of a reptilian creature.
Even though she was thin, her stomach bulged slightly.
Crona looked on in utter surprise. "Eruka? You're alive! How? Aren't you-"
"Hey. Myself and Free have given up that life. I want to be of use in a different way. I'm sick and tired of being on the villainous side." She explained, wheeling over some medicines and bandages to Maka's side.
Stein turned to Crona. "Herself and Free have signed a treaty with Lord Death and are serving as protectors of the DWMA."
Eruka smiled. "We own this lodge, too."
"No way!" Black Star exclaimed. "That's pretty awesome!"
Kami approached her. She grinned. "I suppose there's another reason for this quieter life?"
"Yes."
"Congratulations!" Kami spoke cheerfully, rubbing Eruka's stomach. "Being a mom is the best, really."
Eruka's laughed. "Thank you. I think this one changed us for the better."
"They do." Spirit agreed. "My little girl saved my life." He nodded before ruffling Maka's hair and standing up.
Eruka observed the bite on Maka's arm. She looked towards the tray and sighed.
"Free!" She shouted. "I forgot to bring in the antivenom. It's on the top shelf of the left cabinet."
"Sure!"
Free's large muscular frame made it's way into the room. He handed it to her. Afterwards, he looked at the students. "Been some time since I seen you kids."
Kid nodded. "Last time I remember I had my head stuck through your body as a hologram."
"Yes, I remember now."
Maka winced as her skin burnt under the antivenom.
Eruka pressed a cold cloth to her wound. "Don't worry. The stinging is from the antivenom drawing the toxins away from the body. Look how it is leaking. That's all the toxins being expelled."
"Right."
Marie spoke up. "Do you know what did this?"
Eruka nodded. "We have some bad news. I didn't know if it was true, even when Megara was bitten, but now it makes sense."
"What?"
"Medusa has returned."