2. The Upperclassman and the Child

MINUS.

In the renowned, Elite academy known as Death Weapon Meister Academy; DWMA; Shibusen, it was extremely unlikely for people to end up without a partner. After all, Meisters with two weapons are a thing, and a duo of Weapons can wield each other. 

However, the sheer minority of people void of partners often occurred.

Why? Simply because they were awry. They were strange, irregular personas, and people seem to find them difficult to wield.

Today we talk about one girl who was a halberd too short to be wielded.

-

Miko was never good with heights. She often is petrified at a very small distance-- and sure enough, as you may or may not have guessed-- she absolutely despised the staircase right before her school.

After a year of climbing up every day, Miko had procured countermeasures. 

Take step after step, one after another, looking straight forward. Hold your breath and take steps slow and steady to prevent tripping-- and preferably, take as little breaths as you can. Don't stop until you reach the top. For better distraction, chew a bubble gum.

And so, her fist shuddering and her feet shaking as every other day-- keeping her expressions blank and stoic and in perfect neutrality-- Miko takes her first step up the hellish Death Climb.

-

She breathed out a sigh of relief as she reached the end of the first flight. There was a wider space here, so she took a short break to get her breath back. Looking straight down, she told herself it was alright, it's alright, and reminded herself to not look back. Continue once you've gotten yourself together.

The heat, although Miko wore a sweater, barely affected her. She was too nervous for that now.

She heard the clank of a plastic water bottle tapping the ground.

Instinctively turning toward the source of the sound, she found a young boy.

A boy that couldn't be older than thirteen-- he was probably older or younger, but he just looked that young-- with a head of mellow blond hair.

He was breathing heavily-- almost as if he was asthmatic, but Miko could faintly tell the boy was just exhausted. Sweat soaked up half his shirt and a trickle of water from what he just drank spilled from the side of his mouth. 

The boy wiped his mouth with his sleeve. He tucked the bottle back into his bag-- his backpack, which was a considerable size but looked heavy. Heavy, that Miko wondered if the boy's thin, bony arms could even lift that.

It was still a long way up, but the boy was already terribly exhausted.

"Need help?" the words escaped her lips before she could think it through. 

The boy lifted his head.

He had green eyes, Miko noticed. She was stuck, entranced for a long moment before she realized they were both staring at each other. 

Miko's eyes drifted aside, diverting her gaze quickly-- but a wave of nausea struck her as she realized how high up she was-- she sucked in a sharp breath.

She reached down, scooped up the backpack, and threw it over her shoulder.

Swerving quickly towards the next flight of stairs, she really wanted nothing more than to finish climbing up the stairs. Now.

The boy's calls after her fell on deaf ears.

-

Thank all the gods almighty, they got to the top soon enough. Keeping a good distance away from the staircase, Miko breathed out a sigh.

She was so relieved now, her knees could've given out on her-- but she leaned onto the banister and steadied her breath.

Her eyes drifted to the stairs-- now that she was up here, she was fine as long she keeps her distance-- and she saw there, the little blond boy was struggling up the last few steps.

Collapsing in a crumpled pile at the last step, he choked like a strangled frog before lying on his back,  desperately taking in the oxygen he needed.

Miko eyed him with interest. He's a freshman, she assumed. Since he's thin and bony, is he a Weapon? A Meister would require more strength and skills, after all.

A Weapon, Miko mused. A cute little weapon boy. I wonder what kind of Weapon he is.

"Uhm--" 

It took Miko a while to notice the boy had spoken up. His voice, a squeaky, maybe a tad feminine noise, "Th- Thanks a lot for your help... I really appreciate--"  

He's stuttering, Miko realized.

And so, with all her nerves from climbing those stairs now dissolved, Miko was easily able to give a bright, friendly smile. "No problems!" she assured.

He froze for a second, his mouth agape, taken aback.

"I-" he flushed a faint pink, speaking up abruptly and probably before thinking now, "I'm Ed!" he introduced himself, "Are you a senior in Shibusen?"  

Ed. That was his name. 

"I'm Miko," returning the greeting politely, Miko extended an arm toward him, in lieu of helping him up, "and yes, I'm a senior."

Miko helped him up, deciding that she liked the kid.

"Now, let's get you to the freshman hall, shall we?"

-

It was only after she found the poster, 'Welcome to all Freshman! Orientation Hall Right here!' followed by an arrow to the door directly under it, that Miko's face fell.

A wave of irritation washed over her now.

Why, a thought that hadn't come up in ages, Why did I have to come back here? Here, to retake all the classes I've already had just because I'm physically shorter than most?

"Edward, was it?" Sid repeated the name of the little blond boy, "Weapon or Meister?"  

"M-Meister."

That made Miko lift her head in alarm. That little child was a Meister? With those beansprouts for arms? She knew she couldn't look down on people that seemed weak, but she found herself appalled. This was unbelievable.

"I'm Miko," she spoke to Sid now, "From the MINUS Section."

Taking her tag from the teacher, she stepped toward Ed.

"Huh-- uh, Miss Miko... weren't you a senior?" Ed was purely curious when he asked, but it sounded a tad accusing.

Miko brought a smile to her face. A stale, fake smile that she always gave to the irritating people that gossiped about her to her face--

"Well, guess you could say I got held back a year." A trained lie slipping easily past her lips, followed by a typical awkward chuckle to seem natural.

This kid, she bitterly thought, He's either a hidden genius or an incoming MINUS.  

-

"Well then, I would like you to spend a day to find yourselves a partner." Sid informed the new class, "With that, your orientation is over."  

Miko yawned. This was exactly what happened last year, so she was already prepared to spend this year in the MINUS section as well. She knew the unspoken rules of the MINUS section-- two years alone, and you're invited to excuse yourself from the Academy.

Miko spotted a few familiar faces-- two other Minuses, and she passed them each a glance before they continued to act like complete strangers.

Ed was at the door, and he had on a troubled face. A compassionate face, if anything. 

He was looking at two gossiping girls, and by the brief looks they sent at Miko, it was easy to tell what they were talking about. 

Ah, she realized, does Ed not know what the MINUS section is? Or does he know, but is only now seeing the reputation we hold?

It was the same face teachers often gave the MINUS students, when the normal students would shoot looks of contempt at us.

An oh-so-professional I-care-for-you face.

It irritated her more than anything.

"What's wrong, Ed?" Miko spoke up to him, a stiff smile on her face and her hands a tightly clenched fist in her pockets. 

He jumped, startled by her sudden presence. Or was it that he noticed her anger? "Miss Miko," he addressed, "I...I was just, uh, kinda worried..."

"Worried?" Miko asked, "Why?"

"Getting a partner and all." he answered, "I don't really know how to start conversations and I don't know if I can even make any friends in the new class." His head lowered and his lips curled into a pout.

Miko chuckled falsely, "I think you'll do fine," she did not think that at all.

"Hey, Miss Miko, you're a weapon, right?" he asked hopefully, "Could-- Could you become my partner...?"  

That made Miko freeze. ...What?

This kid-- she was sure he'd heard the rumours about the MINUS. The terrible, terrible partners that would give you nothing but hardships ahead because of how high-maintenance they were to cope with. 

And knowing all that, this kid readily asked her if she could partner with him?

Miko's head did nothing but deny. The screeched and angered screams of I call bullshit! He's lying! No one could possibly want you as a weapon, face it! He's faking it!

Ed's eyes sparkled, brimming with innocence-- then he just blushed beet red. 

"No, no no!" he waved his hands before him, "It's alright if you don't want to, Miss Miko! I mean, I'm not a very good fighter at all so I think I'd just hold you back and--"

My, how adorable, Miko thought, too bad.

There was no way this kid was being serious right now. No way in hell.

  "Sure!" she answered cheerfully, "I'd be honoured as your partner, Ed."  

Once you see my weapon form, she grimly thought, you'll give up quickly anyway.

-

"Take a deep breath, Ed," she told him, standing right before him in the center of the room. "Concentrate-- and visualize. Imagine."

She knew the usual procedures of matching wavelengths. She's tried plenty of times, even succeeded a number of times. It was the weapon usage that turned people away.

"Imagine... what?" Ed asked.

"Me." Miko grinned, feeling playful. "Imagine me."

She could feel it. She could see it. A bright, blue soul, flickering beautifully-- she found herself enchanted by that beautiful, beautiful glow-- 

It was mildly unstable. A shaky flicker-- but nothing Miko couldn't match with.

She closed her eyes-- and took a calm, anticipating breath--

She sunk into her own realm.

She body crumbled starting from the left side of her face-- forming little particles of light that scattered, swirled and spun and coagulated into form right where Ed stood.

Piecing together a long, wooden pole-- her curved, silver blade-- and finally, the brown, matted cloth that held the two pieces together.

Ed held her well. No burns, no worries about gravity pulling the halberd down--

Their wavelengths were harmonizing well.

Miko let it go on.

She felt Ed begin-- a simple swing up, down, left, right-- and that seemed to flip a switch in him.

he began to spin her around, a swirl to and fro the front and back of his little figure-- throwing the blade over his left shoulder and leading it below his right elbow-- 

His eyes remained in an absorbed, focused and faraway look-- and if he was now taking Miko into a dance, a space of universe for them and only them both--

Romantic? Not quite.

It was like an elegant, stately waltz.

It was only after the practice ceased that Miko realized what had occurred. She had been wielded. Easily; Masterfully, as if she was like any other spear in her family.

As if she wasn't a flawed spear at all.

And Ed brightened up as if he didn't even notice what he had done. He was innocent, innocent and oh-so-talented-- and oh-so-oblivious. 

Miko felt tears spill from her eyes as she returned to her human form. This time, she didn't need to fake a smile for her lips to curl upwards and laughter to come from her throat.

"Thank you so, so much," Ed told her.

"Thank you too." was her reply.

From the bottom of her heart, she felt grateful.