Chapter Text
Looking out at what little view the small mirror offers presents Lord Death with several conflicting feelings. On one hand, that's certainly Asura, still a kishin. Still liable to be a threat if he was to let him. Yet on the other… that's a child, scared and confused. His child, he supposes, considering he did make Asura in the first place. He never did stop thinking of him as his son, yet he never actually thought of him as his child.
Why would he when Asura was created fully mature? So seeing him like this is… odd to say the least, sparking both apprehensive hope and confusion in the reaper.
“Oh now, don't look so scared, Asura. Maka and Soul won't harm you, but you will have to go with them.” Lord Death calmly states in what he hopes is a soothing voice for Asura. He never was able to tell what exactly would calm him or set him off next when he was an adult, so he certainly isn't sure about what will do so now. Children can be so emotional after all, and even after all this time running the academy, it can still surprise him.
Asura peers at the figure in the mirror, glancing between Lord Death and Maka. He doesn't completely trust Lord Death's words, but part of him trusts his word enough not to immediately retreat again when Maka smiles at him. She looks nice enough, he supposes, though an apprehension he can't name still tugs at him when he looks at her.
“...Promise?” Asura mumbles in a weak little voice, eyeing both the mirror and the meister holding it like he's expecting either to suddenly jump at him. Soul shifting his weight from one foot to the other prompts a squeak from the young kishin and for him to start eyeing the weapon with the same caution.
“I promise. They won't hurt you. You don't have to trust them, I know you would never do that, but you do have to go with them.” Lord Death responds to the child, sounding almost annoyed as he mentions Asura wouldn't trust them. In the back of his mind he feels it's a bit unfair to assume he wouldn't, but this is Asura. He never once trusted anyone.
Why would he trust anyone now?
Asura glances around, first at Lord Death in the mirror, a familiar face that somehow looks wrong from what he remembers. Then to Maka who has a sweet smile on her face, trying to reassure the young kishin, yet for some reason all he can think of are blades. Then finally to Soul, who's looking at him with an unreadable expression, maybe apprehension, maybe just plain confusion.
He hesitantly steps forwards, flinching back when Maka reaches out a hand, locks eyes with Soul for a moment before darting over and attaching himself to the weapons pant leg.
Soul is good enough until they get to Lord Death, Asura decides.
“HEY!! What the- Get off of me!!” Soul yells, panickedly shaking his leg to try and dislodge the suddenly clingy child. All that serves to do is the opposite, he figures out as he feels the sharp pain of little fingernails digging into his shin.
That pain is quickly followed by a new feeling of pain on his head as Maka chops him. “Soul! Stop! Just leave him be! That's likely our best way of carrying him back to the academy since he seems less scared of you than me.”
“WHAT?! Why do i have to- Ugh, fine. This is so uncool, I can't believe I'm playing babysitter for a kishin.” Soul grumbles with a sigh before starting to walk back the way they first came, this time with a bit more difficulty considering the new weight on his leg that's starting to giggle as he's swung forwards.
Maka can't help but chuckle at the sight herself, any doubts about Asura starting to melt away as she watches him cling to Soul. Though this is undoubtedly the same soul that once was intent on spreading madness and fear over the world, now… He’s just a child.
Maka says goodbye to Lord Death and closes the hand mirror, leaving the reaper alone with his thoughts looking into his own reflection. He wasn't exactly planning on raising another kid, not after Kid anyways, but it seems that the universe had other plans.
“Kid… how is Kid going to react to this?” Lord Death wonders aloud to his own reflection. He never exactly told his youngest that Asura was his brother. The thought of how he should've done so sooner idly drifts through his mind as sighs and turns away from the mirror to his abandoned tea.
The more worrying thought of Kid already having an inkling that he is pushes itself to the forefront of the reaper's mind as he reaches for his now cold tea. “Oh well, that's a conversation for later.” He mumbles to himself.