Soul Eater - A Soul That Feels

Life For Change

Marie was running up when she felt a hand on her arm and she turned quickly to see those steel eyes watching her. "Oh, hello, Torrent."

"Just be ready when we do finally get into the fight. I don't go easy, I learn hard and fast. I hope you do as well." She released Marie and turned away, facing the entire school's student body. She was hidden well along the wall with the shadows.

Giriko came over, shoving his hands into his pockets. "So, should I be concerned?"

"Be whatever you want. I don't care."

Giriko glanced at her sideways. "Do you know they talk about you behind--"

"Yes." She had cut across him and her eyes stared blankly at the sky beyond the students' heads. She narrowed her eyes. "All the Death Scythes believe I would've been better off being left underground. It was your fault I was brought to the surface. I heard you and Justin and Aracne calling me. I couldn't ignore that much concentrated madness." She lifted her arms and crossed them. "I think I'll go back there right after the fight. Justin already knows how to bind me."

Giriko sighed and looked up at the sky overhead. "I wouldn't do it, not even if I was paid."

"This isn't your life, Giriko." She reached over and touched his shoulder as she turned to go back inside. "Just remember, when it's over, you've got someone with eyes on you."

Giriko was about to ask, but when he turned his head to say something, his eyes met Justin's. His soul was reaching out to Giriko. He smiled and took one hand out, waving. "'Sup?"

Justin smiled, his face softening greatly. He walked up to Giriko. "How are you?"

Giriko looked at Torrent's back as she vanished inside.

Stein followed Giriko's gaze and he sighed. Taking the cigarette out of his mouth, he finished speaking to the kids and went inside to find her.

He found her.

Torrent was practicing with a foam tonfa in the sparring room. She wasn't used to it and was trying to figure out how to use it properly. She stopped and noticed Stein. She tossed him the tonfa and walked right by, not even stopping. Her hair swirled behind her, like smoke in her wake.

"Hey!"

She didn't turn around or stop. Torrent vanished up the stairs.

Stein put the tonfa away and followed her at a brisk pace. He didn't get it. He didn't understand what was going on with her.

He found her on the roof. She was sprawled out, staring at the clouds over Death City.

"Why are you following me?"

Stein stayed in the hatch and propped his elbows on the edge, his arms crossed. "What's wrong? I haven't heard you say anything to anybody besides Giriko. What's making this change in you?"

Torrent sat up, looking down at the dispersal of students. "What's wrong? Hm, you'll see when we finally get into combat." She touched her arm as if touching a pain or a bruise. "For now, just have fun and enjoy the time we've got."

There was a loud, shrill horn and the two looked up. Kami came down as the others smiled and waited for them in the back of the motorcycle.

Torrent looked away and got to her feet. Dusting herself off, she threw her hand out and her broom appeared. She hopped on and took off, leaning forward on her broom to get enough speed so she could stand. She waited for them, circling the tallest tower of the school.

Kami watched her. "Did you find out why she's acting strange?"

Stein shook his head. "She just said to have fun and enjoy the time left. It sounds kind of morbid coming from her. Still, she's got a point. We don't know when we're set to leave this world, so, make the most of it."

Torrent was staring over her shoulder when she heard them coming and she leaned, turning away from her circle and followed them. She didn't look at them, but kept right up alongside them. She knew where they were going and was going to have to take the lead when they got closer.

Finally, she crouched down, and zoomed ahead of Kami. She eased up to guide her down to where she felt Noah's presence and madness. Torrent slowly guided them down and had them land in the dense forest. She released her broom and held her hand out to Marie.

Marie blinked and then reached out, transforming.

The moment Torrent's hand gripped Marie's handle, she felt it. Madness was all around Torrent. It was inside her soul, circulating around her soul, it was even in her heart and crawling all over her skin. It was integrated into her, it seemed.

'Wow.'

"What?"

'Nothing. It's just amazing you're still sane.'

"Whatever." Torrent reached out and connected souls with Kami and Spirit first. She then helped them connect to the connected Sid with Nygus and Stein with Giriko. When they were all connected, she spoke up again. 'Everyone ready? We have to do a surprise attack.'

'Who made you team captain?' Marie chimed up. 'We'll do it like we planned.'

Torrent silenced herself and waited.

They all agreed and she decided to hang back with Marie because she didn't know what they had planned. Still, she waited for Marie to tell her to jump in. At the same time, Torrent was trying to find Marie's resonance level and match it.

Finally, she found it and she realized that Marie was trying to cleanse her soul of madness.

'Marie, Torrent, now!'

Torrent followed her instincts and plowed through a whole wall of servants. She held Marie so she was holding Marie as a shield. With a quick swing, she brought Marie around like a short sword.

Marie noticed she wasn't moving smoothly, that Torrent really had no ability to wield a bulky, heavy weapon. But Marie smiled kindly and reached out to meet Torrent's level of skills.

"Don't do that." Torrent changed direction and used her physical ability as a fighter to take out more of them. She was running when she suddenly brought her legs up and curled her toes as Giriko's rotating blade narrowly missed her, only shaving off her hair ends and a small piece of her coat. "Just worry about being a good weapon and I'll worry about the rest."

'Right.'

Marie knew that she also had to reach out and rid Torrent of the madness. But she heard Torrent calling for Marie to try to extend herself around both of them.

Torrent turned and used Marie to block a rather heavy blow in oder to get Kami that much higher into the air. She then turned and flung Marie out, striking the nearby servant.

She was doing okay, but Marie could feel that she was still struggling to be so close instead of being far or moderate length.

And it became clear when she turned and a was narrowly struck by a sword. When she took that guy out, Marie sensed danger.

'BEHIND YOU!'

Torrent was turning when the bang of a rifle went off.