Soul Eater - A Soul That Feels

Giriko's Appearance?

Stein was sitting alone when he reached into his pocket. He pulled out the pendant again.

The crystal shone in the light. It reflected everywhere, but the core had a figure of a witch. She was hold herself and a cat tail wound around her legs while her arms wrapped up her torso. Her hair seemed to float about her in it's three, long ponytails and the long parts that framed her face.

Stein had kept it all those ten years.

It had been her birthday present before she'd vanished after the Kishin Hunt. It was the last thing she had ever given away.

"Stein?"

He took hold of it and turned his head. "Mm?"

Spirit came up beside him and watched the sun going down. "Is it true? That you found out about the miscarriage?"

Stein nodded. "I wasn't lying when I said Torrent had been brutally assaulted. She had lost the child because she's unable to bear children. Her body will automatically reject the child and kill it when it begins to have a heartbeat." He put the crystal away. "It's one of the faults of being born to a Meister and Witch. Her genes won't allow her the joy of having children of her own."

Spirit leaned over to look at Stein's face. "Did you ever wonder?"

Stein nodded. "She even asked. There was no way I was going to perform surgery on her."

Spirit stood up. "Why is it that only now I hear of you having such an affliction with her? I thought the two of you hated each other. What changed?"

"I did." Stein touched his chest and breathed. "I found a reason to finally open my eyes to something different. She reigned me in. Brought me to my knees one day. But the next day, she would lift me to the sky. I felt something and I wasn't sure what it meant."

"Your heart quickened," Kami said quietly. "Stein, we want to reunite the old team. Reunite under one cause."

Stein was about to answer that when something startled him.

He turned his head, throwing his chair aside.

That feeling of blood thirst... it was drawing in Stein's special madness. He could feel it pulling and tugging at him. He was being drawn into that soul! It was coming up the stairs, slowly, unsure of itself. It was coming towards Shibusen!

Stein felt his fears suddenly double when he felt no madness in his soul. He gasped.

To had been the only one who'd ever done that! She was the only one who'd ever made the madness vanish like that!

Suddenly, a man came into view. He stood at the top of the steps. An off-gold shade to his hair was from the setting sun. His stark brown eyes and clay-colored skin were offset by his white jacket and dark jeans. His boots were flaking a thin layer of mud. There was a bracket pierced to his nose and one earring on the right ear with three on the other side. He smiled kindly, showing just a jagged bunch of teeth. His five o'clock shadow was made darker by the light coming from behind him.

"Oi, who's Stein?"

Stein could feel a calm coming off of this man's soul. Why was he calm if he had jagged teeth like that? "Who are you?" Stein asked, rearranging his soul's wavelength.

He smiled with a wide grin. "You must be Stein. I've got a proposition for you, if you'll hear me out."

"Answer me, who are you?"

The man touched his chest. "I'm the man of the Enchanters called Giriko Sou. I'm here to cut you a deal if you'll have it."