Thinking About The Past... That One Witch...

Tear was taking a break from all of the calamity going on at Shibusen lately.. There were new students left and right, and naturally, a lot of paperwork to go with it... He, Justin and Shinigami were swamped with stuff... Especially with Medusa's arrival.

Tear needed a place to take it all in... With his work at Shibusen as well as his Taijutsu training, he was actually starting to feel the wear and tear of the present life. He sighed heavily, eyes closed.

"... The Pale Forest... The petrified trees and dull atmosphere are rather soothing to my soul and to my eyes..."

Even though his eyes were closed... But, anyway. He traveled deep into the forest, trying to escape whatever he could see or feel of the Dusk Village... He wanted just a little bit of time to himself for a while. He walked for about an hour or so before he finally felt it was time for him to stop. He was far enough. With that, Tear sat down, leaning on the trunk of a tree.

"... It has been quite a long time since I've actually had a chance to sit down..."

He really did mean a long time. He was usually standing from the time he woke up (if he slept) from the time he went back to sleep. Powerful legs...

Regardless, Tear hadn't been to sleep in days. The wear of that and his already tired body were getting to him... And he started to drift off... into slumber...

Immediately after falling asleep, Tear was in a new place... It was gigantic. An industrial city of some sort, he could tell... Somehow, the industrial city seemed somewhat familiar to him... Wonder why?



"... This place... I have finally come for that soul..."

Odd. He couldn't control his speech or his actions.. He could clearly see everything that was going on from a third person view, but could not control the actions of himself. It was like he was watching a movie... Reliving a moment in his life in his head... And there is no rewriting the past while in the present time. Could it really be a flashback? A glimpse of... Tear's past? It was starting to come back to him...

Regardless of what this was, Tear started to walk through the abandoned city in a sort of controlled fashion... He couldn't tell himself where to go and walked a set path. It was definitely a retelling of his past because he remembered every step he took... He was looking for a specific soul in this dilapidated place and was using his Soul Feedback to find it. Naturally, back then, it wasn't as finely tuned, so it was hard to pinpoint the location of his target, but he surely did realize that it was close.

Tear searched through many, many houses looking for the soul... Houses that were falling in... Unkempt houses... Some which were buzzing with dim, almost fizzed out fluorescent lighting... Factorial sounds could be heard all around... Whirring and clanking of metal... Hissing and sizzling of steam... Weak revving of motors... It sounded very much like the city was dying... It was a depressing sight. The depressing atmosphere soothed Tear's soul... such depression was very nice to intake, how the beauty of the grim atmosphere made it feel so... dark.

"... A mighty fine city, if I say so, myself... Wherever you are, you surely know how to keep yourself hidden..."

Tear continued the search... for quite a while, actually. In fact, he had been looking for quite a few hours, yet still persisted... It felt like he had been going in circles, yet got no closer... Like the soul he was looking for was always as near as it could be, but just out of his grasp... Why was this? Was it moving? Was he not doing something right...? Maybe it was just the fact that he wasn't as advanced with the Soul Feedback as he was with Soul Perception, yet... No matter. He was going to find where she was... But what was he looking for? Tear couldn't remember. He would just have to watch the little image of him until he finally found out what it was...

Finally, he came to a large factory... It was larger than any building in the city and yet somehow, not the most obvious thing here. Otherwise, he would have already checked there. He looked it up and down with half open eyes.

"... This definitely must be the place... Must be a big one..."

He entered. The factory was just as any factory would be.. However instead of a dark and dank floor, it was a dirty checkered tile floor. Everything else was dirty and unkempt, like the entire city was... Stained with pollutants. The whirring and hissing was louder than normal in this place... As if a high amount of activity was going on, yet at the same time, it still sounded like all of the running machines were slowly failing... dying... no matter how hard they tried to work... Tear excavated the factory. He followed the sound of the whirring and metal... Until he viewed a large mass of metal and machinery compiled into one wide, open space... This collection of parts seemed to be connected to the entire factory to make it run. The most noise was coming from hear, yet it sounded the weakest and the most tired...

Once Tear was close, his eyes widened for a moment as his signature, deadly, nonchalant smile was swept across his face...

"... You... Mechanica, the Witch of Machines..."

Tear approached her slowly, his footsteps echoing throughout the entire factory. His hands were in his pockets and his eyes gleamed like water. He smiled and licked his lips, ready to taste the soul of the witch... He now realized what this was. His past... When he became a Death Scythe!

Mechanica's head raised slightly to look at Tear, her body seeming to be ever so... tired. Her eyes were blackened so much that they were only sockets now. She tried to speak, however it came out as very tired and sad whirs and clanks... Though she did manage to get out a few words between them.

Mechanica: Khshhh.... I saw... hsssh... come into my city... fshssshhhh... My soul... sssssss... is the city.... tsssssshhhhhhhhhhhhh... Why...? Why...? Why...?... pssssh... Try to... function properly... ysssshhhhshhshhh... but... no avail... slowly... rshh... slowly... shshshsh... slowly dying...

Tear realized that this witch's soul and body were merged with the entire city. That was why he was so confused when trying to find her soul, because technically he was within it all this time.

He gazed at Mechanica's sorry, depressing face and couldn't help but feel bad for her... Eternally trapped within this city able to do nothing but run it for centuries, even if no one lived here or took care of her. A sad sight, indeed...

Mechanica's motors and engines revved up high, then quickly died back down as she tried to push herself further, trying to get out words, "... K... Kill me... I want... tshhh.. So bad to feel... yssshhhh... nothing anymore... pshhhshhhshhhhshhh... I don't want.. shhh... to run anymore... fsssshhh... Please... K... K... Kill me now.... hhhhhhsssssssssshhhhhhh......"

She lowered her head, as it seemed hard for her to keep it up. Her engines slowed... It was hard to keep herself sustained. The engines and motors themselves seemed to let out loud, sickly, pitiful coughs...

Mechanica: 700 Years... jsssshhh... I have run for 700 years without cease... kssshhhhhhhhhhh... Abandoned... 500 years ago.... Running... eternally... efficiency.... sssssss.... exponentially declining... Only.. ksh... only sadness and pain in life... sadnessssssssss... and... paiiiiiiin...

Her tired engines still tried, tears now rolling down her face from her blackened sockets... Many creaks and cracks were heard as part of her face began to rust, but then was repaired again. A horrific sight to behold, indeed...

Tear shook his head at the poor girl. He couldn't find it in him to attack her, even if she was a witch. Despite how cold his disposition usually was toward anyone or anything, this pitiful soul touched him... moved him in a way that none of the others with the sob stories that he had killed could have done... It was so very beautiful to behold... yet tragic at the same time. Tear remembered this moment that he felt sorry for the witch. He knew that he was going to walk away. He remembered it.

"... I am truly sorry, madam, but I cannot bring myself to harm you unless my life is threatened first, even though you so desperately wish to be killed... and even as I so desperately need your soul... It is a shame, really... But your condition has touched my shut away heart and I do wish to see you come out of this alright..."

Tear showed a slight change in expression, his nonchalant smile becoming solemn.

Mechanica's head whirred and clicked mechanically, as if she were trying to process this. With an exhaust of black steam from her back after a few seconds of that whirring, she slowly raised her head to Tear, her face even more pitiful and sorrowful than before.

Mechanica: ... No... I have lived... kshhh... For... for... jsssshhhh... Over 800 years... kshshsh... I have forgotten.. jshjsh... What it is like... shhhhh... To be my own person... pssshhhshhhhh... 700 years... ksh.... 700 years in servitude to this city... rsssshhhhhhhhhh...

Her engines started to sputter... started to shriek a bit. They were starting to give it a newfound might... The power of 700 Years of Anguish.

Mechanica: For 700 years I have suffered in this place... KSSSSH!! Why won't you kill me...?! PSSsshhhhhHSHHH!! Kill me!! Vsssshhhshhhhhh... I guess... I'll have to.. ysshhh... Make you kill me, then? Merc... tshhh tshhhh tshhh tshhhhhhhh... Mercury! MERCURY, Come to me!! TSHKKKSSSSH!!

Mechanica started to rise with very loud clanks and bangs, rumbling and whirring throughout the entire factory, as if it were becoming restless and unstable. The anguish was coming over her... As she rose up high, she was only a small woman with all of these mechanical objects attached to and protruding from her body, giving her a good 40 feet of height, now. From the ceiling, an unknown liquid substance seeped down, pooling itself between Tear and Mechanica. The liquid substance was a metal... Mercury, it seemed. It started to take the shape of a woman.. a mechanical woman. One of Mechanica's servants, no doubt.



Mechanica: Mercury... kshhh... Mercury!! Kill him... If he does not kill me... Pshhhkssshhh... See to it that.... Tssshhhhh... He suffers greatly... Ssshhhhhshhhhh... Just like I have suffered... 700 years...

Mercury's eye locked onto Tear, gleaming with intensity and a sort of mellow hate. "... Right away, Madam Mechanica. Silver-haired boy.. I shall make you as mad as a hatter before this battle is done. The mistress has suffered enough without you riling her up so."

Tear's face was unchanging, the solemn sadness and pity still showing, "... If she has suffered so much, why do you not kill her yourself?"

Mercury's buzz saw took form in her right hand, the blade dripping with mercury, though it solidified into a metallic state. "Because, foolish Silver-haired boy... It is futile for Lady Mechanica to be hurt by metallic objects... Machines. Those things are not able to harm her. If we are to touch her, she just consumes us and becomes larger... lives longer... and her suffering continues forevermore."

Tear's facial expression did not change. Instead, he took his hands out of his pockets, changing his right and left into their sledgehammer and belt sander forms respectively. He took some steps back to distance himself from Mercury and Mechanica... Though the various subtle noises in the area were making it hard for him to concentrate. He didn't take his eyes off of Mercury for a moment... and that is how he noticed something about her...

"... You... You are a witch, yourself?"

Mercury smirked slightly, her eye pinpointing all of Tear's vital organs and tissues... As well as the current state of his mind. She licked her lips in a similar fashion as he had done before. "Yeah, I am a witch. What does that mean to you, Silver-haired boy? I keep Mechanica company in her time of need... Like her, I was originally fully flesh and bone with the ability to use Mercury as my magical element.. turning metal into mercury and causing havoc and such, as witches do. This, if you had not noticed, is a city that used to harbor many witches. But slowly, they were all either killed by hunters for Shibusen or salvaged by Mechanica and me... And one day, I almost lost my soul trying to save a fellow Witch. Mechanica took me in and saved me, turning me into the beauty you see before you..."

Her buzz saw started to rev up, spewing droplets of mercury in every which direction.

Mercury: For 700 years, we have all been fighting... We all shared the same anguish as Mechanica has... She has gone almost completely insane and senile and has been through the most severe depression. Without me, she would probably have no sense of reality left whatsoever... I refuse to let her suffer anymore... Kill her now... Or I shall kill you, first.

Mercury dashed at Tear with an incredibly speed for all of the heavy looking mechanics on her body, swinging her deadly mercury buzz saw around violently trying to hack at Tear.

Tear dodged the buzz saw as best he could, knowing both the properties and effects of mercury well enough to realize that if he was touched, it could be fatal to him. Mercury could seep through damn near any substance, and if this was her magical element, then she could control it to seep through everything mercury alone couldn't by itself. He was so careful that he didn't even let the spattering mercury droplets fall on him, either... But he knew he couldn't keep it up for long and wasn't going to touch her... He needed to get out of such a pressured situation... He jumped into the air backward as to avoid her onslaught, taking a breather as he did so. Mercury seemed to let up for the moment...

Mercury's spinning saw was still spinning violently, despite how she let up. She placed her tongue on the spinning blade, licking it, unaffected by the sharpness, the force or the mercury it held.

"Mmm... If only I had your blood to taste.. Hm. Let's see if I can get it."

She took a step forward, instantaneously appearing behind Tear. Her buzz saw was roaring angrily, now looking larger than before. Yes, she had enlarged it. She brought it down swiftly trying to cleave Tear in two on the spot.

Tear, however, could sense her the moment she was behind him with his Soul Feedback. He wasn't sure just how she had done it, but she had done it, and as such, he blocked with his mallet arm. He knew for a fact that no such substance could get through a Soul Weapon's weapon form. And so, they were at a standstill. He threw her blade back and jumped back, panting heavily. He was already tired and she hadn't broken a sweat...

Mercury smiled, "... Cute. You thought that you could simply block an attack and you would be fine. Think again. Look at your mallet arm."

Tear indeed looked down, only to find that his sledgehammer was being encased in mercury, which was encroaching up to his unprotected skin. He still stayed calm, however, for his Soul Wavelength was easily more powerful than hers and he could just purge them all away with a Soul Menace. He shot an explosive, powerful Soul Menace through his arm down into the mercury, but... nothing happened. No explosions, no forcing away the mercury, no nothing...

Mercury started to giggle in a dark fashion, licking her lips once more, "... Mercury is a very good conductor of electricity. Soul Wavelengths may not be electricity, themselves, but they work in a very similar fashion. Thus, this mercury can conduct Soul Wavelength very well and release it easily without any sort of harm to the mercury whatsoever. Face it, Silver-haired boy... You're mine, now."

Tear wasn't going to let this happen to him... Not after he worked so hard to attain 99 souls. He didn't know how to get the mercury off... He tried shaking and flailing, but it just clung to him like... magic. There was no way to get it off. But... Wait. He though about what happened with Mercury's buzz saw... She inadvertently splattered droplets of mercury around when she increased the rotary speed... And Tear surely knew what speed that was just by looking at it. He immediately switched his arm to that of the belt sander, spinning the sander at the same speed Mercury did her buzz saw. Sure enough, the droplets spewed every which way, completely off of him before it actually touched his flesh.

Mercury's expression reverted back to its original scowl, as she was not please. Impressed, but not pleased.

Mercury: Do not think that just because you got my mercury off of you that you are safe now, Silver-hair...

Almost instantaneously, Mercury began to appear all across the field in random places. It was confusing to Tear's eyes, as he couldn't tell when or where she was going to appear, however he could still trace her soul to the positions she was going to go to, and thus, used that to tell where she was going to attack. So far, it looked like she could appear just about anywhere instantly... Or rather, anywhere her mercury droplets were. That's how she instantaneously transmuted herself around. He had to be careful, he was near a lot of them... He kept his Soul Feedback and Soul Perception acute and both his hands as Belt Sanders just in case... She was about to attack.

Mercury shook her head and closed her eye, appearing before Tear, directly in front of him. All he could do was spread around her Mercury, so it wasn't like he could beat her. It was just take her longer and make it more annoying to kill him... This time, instead of using her buzz saw, she manifested and solidified another weapon in her other hand; the sword. It was easier to maneuver and definitely much faster than the damn buzz saw. She slashed at blinding speeds at Tear from a close range, trying to ensure that he didn't escape unscathed. Once he was hit... It would be over for him.

Tear revved up his belt sanders gears very high, both of them releasing a powerful force as they spun. The force that they were omitting would slow down the strikes of the blade a bit to make them definitely easier to dodge and to block... Thus, Tear did exactly that. With both hands, he blocked the sword and slapped it away the the sander, and when he couldn't block with either hand, he would merely dodge. The belt sanders were helping him out more than usual...

Mercury was getting tired of this. She wanted him dead soon. She started utilizing her droplets more and more, now appearing around him about 5 times every 2 seconds and slashing at him with the sword and buzz saw from every direction. One of these HAD to connect sooner or later...

Tear didn't falter, even still. Instead of falling to Mercury's assault from every direction, the belt sanders appeared on his feet, allowing him to spin quickly in a circle in the same spot continuously, blocking easily all of her attacks with his arms or dodging what he could not, just like before.. But she was putting the pressure on him. Tear was getting tired... So, with one massive, forceful rev from his sanders, all of the droplets around him were blown away, and he would again get out of Mercury's presence. He huffed and panted, turning his sanders off. This was more than a workout... One drop and he was dead...

That was it. Mercury wasn't dealing with this anymore. "You're rather annoying, Silver-haired boy... It's gonna take more than just a little magic to get rid of you, I see... But I know that it won't take all of it. Ha. Probably not even a fraction. Just watch me."

Her eye gleamed again, locking on to Tear's soul, heat signature, biorhythm, organs and brain flow, making sure that he wasn't getting away from her. She dissipated and took in her two weapons, then raised her hand high into the air. From behind her, a wave of mercury rose... a very large wave. The silvery shine was a beautiful spectacle to behold, but definitely more deadly than could be imagined. Mercury appeared on top of it, now manifesting and solidifying a different weapon in her hands.. It was gigantic and resembled a rocket launcher. With her sights still on Tear and her wave rolling in fast, there was no escape. She shot off round after round of mercury missiles, each locked onto Tear. They would cause grand explosions if hit. Finally, the wave came crashing down all over, threatening to kill Tear if he were to touch even a tiny droplet... She knew that he couldn't survive now. He was done for.

It really did look like the end for Tear this time... He had nowhere to run and no way to defend against the mercury... Even if he somehow felt that he could combat it with his soul energy rather than his soul wavelength, it probably wouldn't do him all that good... Not against a large scale attack like this... Maybe for the bazooka blasts. Tear ran swiftly, the bazooka blasts being combated by a spontaneous shield of Soul Energy. Sadly for Tear, the Mercury could easily seep through even the Soul Energy with little effort. But it did keep him from being hit directly... So when one shield was hit, he dropped it and instantly brought up another one... But then, the wave started to come down... What was there to do? Nowhere to hide... Or... Wait... There definitely was.

Mercury stated before that none of her attacks worked on Mechanica... Because she absorbed all metals and mechanical objects to increase her own size, life span and general power... So, if Tear hid behind Mechanica's massive body and let the wave only hit her, she would just take it all in. Perfect.

"My apologies, Mechanica..." he said under his breath as he latched onto her back... which was nothing but metallic scraps and junked machines.

Mercury's eye widened when Tear did this, as she realized she had just made a grave mistake... The mercury wave hit Mechanica, causing her to scream. Not in pain, but in horrible agony... agony and anguish... to know that her life had been extended that much more.

Mechanica: Mercury...!!!! KSSSSSSHSHHH... MERCURY!!!! YSSHHHTSSHHHKSSSH!!! AAAAAAAAAAAARAAAAGGGH!!! MERCURYYYY!!!!! KSHHHTSHHHPSHHHFSHHHJSHHH!!!

Mechanica screamed hysterically. Tears rolled down her face as this happened to her... She could feel her life extended another hundred or so years... That was more time... More time for her to exist... More suffering... More pain... More agony... More anguish...

Mechanica: MERCURYYYYYY!!!!!!

Mechanica's engines and motors revved up as high as they could go... The noise was horrendous. The entire city started to rumble, as the city itself was controlled and attacked to Mechanica's body. It was an industrial, mechanical city, after all. Mechanica wailed and wallowed, her engines and motors actually starting to scream out themselves with such anguish and strain being put on them. They were definitely all too old to be worked so hard, yet they were... they were... Some of Mechanica's motors screamed to the point where they actually burst. Parts of the city began to rise, then some began to fall... some buildings started to crumble, yet still kept their architecture. More of Mechanica's motors and engines started to burst, and her own screeching and shrieking started to silence. Mercury stood paralyzed, not knowing what to do... Feeling sorry for what she had done.

Mercury: ... Me... Mechanica!

She still couldn't move, but could see Mechanica falling slowly to the ground... slowly... The clanks and clattering of her slowly falling body being the worst sounds in the world... Her entire face began to rust as her black sockets were opened as wide as they could go.

Mechanica: Why...? Why must I endure... More... Anguish...? Suffering...? Pain...? Sorrow...? Life...? Kill me... I want so badly... only to die...

Tear leapt off of her back before she fell, standing beside her, clear of the Mercury. He started to feel a little woozy though... Must have been the fumes of the mercury. He knew how deadly the fumes of mercury were... So he was going to die very, very soon, just like Mercury wanted... His vision was blurred, his body was numb and his senses were fading. He couldn't walk straight nor could he speak. Though, somehow, his arms managed to change into a mallet once more, and he toppled over, striking Mechanica on her bare body with it, managing with the last of his strength to send a powerful Soul Menace into her body... Before passing out. His organs were starting to stop, as was his brain activity... Death was upon him.

... As Tear did that final gesture, Mechanica's very weak body was struck, then shot with the Soul Menace. She realized it then... Realized that the time had finally come... She was going to be taken away from this place... away from all of her suffering and pain... away from the anguish. She could feel herself dying... that was what she needed. Tear was unconscious now, but she knew that he did that especially for her...

Mechanica: ... Kssssshhhh... I... am finally free of this plague... Silver-hair... If you live, I wish to thank you... With my very soul... I grant it to you willingly... Kssssh... You have saved me... Mercury... My dear friend... kssssh... Take care of the others... Do not let them suffer as I have suffered...

Finally, Mechanica died. Her body transformed itself into a soul that seemed to have a part of a gear protruding from it. It floated lost above the pile of scrap metal below it, the entire city falling at ease. There was no more noise. No more restlessness. No more work. There was only silence.

Mercury had tears rolling down her eyes... Mechanica was now dead... But she was happy that her friend had finally found peace and was no longer suffering. That caused Mercury's cold, metallic heart to be warmed slightly... Just for a moment. She walked over to the dying body of Tear and... well. Placed her hand on his head, taking out the noxious and toxic mercury vapors and fumes Tear had inhaled throughout the battle. With a lot of time in recovery, he would be fine. "Hey. Silver-haired boy. Wake up." She started kicking at his body to get him jump started again.

Tear moaned and groaned, starting to slowly open his eyes... They were still rather blurry, but clear enough to see who was in front of him. Mercury. She didn't seem as menacing as before. Tear was tired, however... and wondered how he was still alive... Must have been Mercury's doing.

Mercury: ... Well. I must thank you for helping Mechanica out. That is all she has wanted for so long and because we have never left this city... mostly because we never could... There was no way to give her that wish because of all of the metal and machines around. It only made her live longer with such anguish... we felt it to, really. But, whatever.

She grabbed Mechanica's soul and placed it over Tear's body, and it would float there.

Mercury: There. That's her soul... She wanted you to have it since you helped her.

Mercury walked over to the pile of scraps slowly...

Tear, finally being able to move his arms again, weakly grabbed the soul and consumed it quickly, a newfound power surging through his body. It made him feel new again... the soul of Mechanica surged through him and gave him the power of... a Death Scythe. But wait, also something more... He could actually feel Mechanica's presence within his own soul, now. It must have been her willingness to give him her soul that allowed this to happen.. Now he not only had a bit of her magic at his disposal, but she as well. Tear immediately got up and walked over to Mercury, hands in his pockets and a smirk on his face.

"... Well. I do commend you on a remarkable battle. Next time we meet, I shall be stronger. And do not worry, I shall not be after your soul.

Mercury turned around and looked at him out of the corner of her eye, smirking, and said jokingly, "Yeah, whatever, Shibusen hound." She started to pick up the pieces of Mechanica's metallic body. Shadows from above dropped down and began to help her... other mechanical girls. That must have been the 'we' that she was talking about.

Tear started out of the factory, ready to leave the girls alone to their memories of Mechanica, but then he stopped.

"... Mercury."

She turned slowly once again, only looking out of the corner of her eye.

"... I have Mechanica in my soul. If you ever begin to miss her, send for me. Are you going to fix this city up?"

Mecury smirked and nodded, "Of course. We will make this place as good as it was 800 years ago. We'll make Mechanica proud."

Tear nodded, closed his eyes, hands in pockets, and started out of the door to the factory, then went on his way out of the city, all the way sporting his signature, deadly, nonchalant smile.

... After such a climactic dream, Tear awoke swiftly, a little bit startled by it. It was definitely a dream out of the blue, but it made him remember the entire experience... And made him realize that he had never really used Mechanica's powers much nor interacted with her much since that day... That must have been her way of telling him that she was lonely and missed Mercury and the rest... Or, perhaps, the other way around. Maybe Mercury was the one that sent that message to Tear... Regardless, he caught the drift.

"... I hope that after 5 long years, that city is back to how it was before... Mercury. We're coming for a visit soon..."

With that, Tear was off in a blur, exiting the forest and planning on a time to find that city again. A well placed, EXTREMELY long distance Soul Feedback should work out, no matter the distance. Well... He's off.