Soul Eater: Blood of Youth- Continuation (Private for thelonegrunt and Sami-Chan)

Upon finishing the change and patting at her handiwork, she noticed Stein walking into the home. She hadn't expected him to come in and directly want to speak with her. Something was obviously grating his mind, as the look in his eyes could simply indicate it.
Agreeing with the mad doctor, the woman turned back to the now freshly-padded girl. "Alright, sweetie. Mommy will be right back, so be a good girl and play with your toys, okay?" The woman requested of the girl, smiling down to her and kissing her forehead. Before addressing Stein, however, she threw the heavily soiled diaper away and proceeded to wash her hands thoroughly, tickled inside at how fun she had simply changing her "daughter".
By this point, Stein was gone, but the door to his laboratory was wide open, a sight rarely seen by the woman considering his secrecy and the nature of his experiments. Very slowly, the woman walked into the darkened room and closed the door behind her, a dim light in front of a desk being the only brightness in the tight space. Seated- or more standing anxiously- in front of the desk was Stein, the same look in his eyes as he had before.
Marie's attitude slowly shifted. She was no longer happy or bubbly but growing concerned with how Stein's face told all. "Stein... is there something wrong?" She asked, her arms now crossed in front of her torso.

This was not going to be easy to say. Out of everyone, Marie would most likely be one of the ones to react extremely should she not take the news well. So far, however, everybody took it calmly yet seriously about Medusa's return, and what she brought with her. As his stress went up, Stein quickly lit a cigarette and smoked a fourth of it to calm his nerves enough to actually speak. He would be prepared to Marie's response now. "Medusa isn't dead."

Marie froze. Those three words simply didn't sound real to her: "Medusa isn't dead". It was if it knocked her into a trance, a self-induced yet short lived break from reality. She had seen it with her own eyes: Maka destroyed the witch Medusa and the witch faded into nothing. Nothing indicated the end of existence or the lack thereof. So really, that should have meant Medusa had died where Maka had swung her blade at the wretched woman.
Marie was now trembling. She didn't even need to ask if Stein was joking; Stein was never one to joke around. The woman was actually scared. Not as much because of the woman being alive again, but the people she could once again hurt: the students of the academy, Lord Death, the students, the poor boy Crona, and the biggest thought in her mind, her precious Eruka Frog.
"No... it can't be... she... Maka killed her... she can't be alive! She can't!" Marie clutched the sides of her head, her free eye watering and her teeth clenched to show anger and a display of internal pain.

"There was never a soul that appeared after Medusa's supposed defeat." Stein indicated. He would try to explain everything to Marie, but was afraid it would be too much. He was informed to tell everyone who needed to know the full details, however, so he couldn't back out now. "Her motives are not clear yet, but we have a theory; we recently discovered Medusa living in a shack in the middle of the woods, but she wasn't alone. She had given birth to another child. The baby had an immense amount of madness radiating from it, so that can only mean one thing; Medusa's child is a Onikijo. It's half demon, half witch. We have no idea where she has gone to, though, so everybody is in grave danger until we discover her again. Lord Death had ordered all of the Death Scythes to begin a search for her as soon as possible, so you must be prepared once that has officially began. Do I make myself absolutely clear on that?"

Stein's words were so deep and so absent of emotion or sympathy, and that's saying a lot for Stein. Marie wasn't scared; she was absolutely terrified, consumed with fear. Not only was she still alive, but now a mother of a child with more deadly capabilities than she herself had. It was detrimental that the closest associates to Lord Death help him with this endeavor... but Marie didn't even know how she could handle it, especially considering someone else...
Then something else came to mind. Marie looked back up to Stein, her face not ridden with anger, but simply sadness. "But... but what about Eruka? What will... what..." Marie couldn't finish her own question as the thought of having Eruka harmed or even possibly killed or coaxed into doing Medusa's bidding once more horrified her more than anything else.

Stein knew Marie would worry about Eruka, and he honestly did not know what to do if Medusa chose to come back for her and Free. He figured the witch wouldn't begin her next plan without her former allies if she needed them again. This was hopefully the case. "She will be fine. I'm sure she is more than capable in taking care of herself for a few days. Although, has she been given her magic back? Having it can at least give her some protection should she ever need it while we're both away."

It'd certainly be hard for Marie to break that attachment gained with Eruka, but Stein had a point. The girl wasn't FORCED to act like a baby, it was personal choice. And the girl had the choice to act normally out in the public eye, a decision she made every time she decided to leave with Marie.
With that in mind, Marie started to calm herself down, although a few sniffles and stray tears couldn't stop. "No, she hasn't. Lord Death still has her restricted with her power for safety. But... what happens if Medusa DOES come back for her? That poor girl... she doesn't need to have that happen to her a second time. If she has powers and purpose for her schemes... then she'll just exploit it again..."

"Ah, you have a point. Eruka not having any magic would make her useless in Medusa's eyes should she very so come looking for her. Good call on that one." Stein still didn't think she'd be safe. She needed to be brought somewhere else for the time being. Anywhere but here, at least. "We'll have to let somebody at the academy take care of her for the time being, then. She's in danger should Medusa come back. Now that I think about it, our part of the Blood of Youth will be unguarded while we're gone. We will need to remember to bring it to Lord Death until we return."

"Alright... I'll do my best to try and find that person..." Marie replied, doing her best to regain her composure. It's certainly be difficult to find someone to care for her, or at least serve as her guardian or even caretaker. Perhaps if the girl was independent enough, she could just stay with one of the students. However, it'd be difficult for that to happen considering how much Eruka truly enjoyed being babied, and how much it'd tear her up not only to be telling her the truth but to say that her "mommy" would no longer be able to take care of her anymore.

"If anybody is willing enough to watch the witch, and who will not be on the mission to find Medusa, it would certainly be Sid and Nygus." Stein suggested. These two would certainly be the best choices as temporary guardians for the young witch, as they've come to respect the fact that Eruka has had a change of heart for the DWMA, and treat her now as they do some of the students at the academy even though she isn't one. "While very skilled, Nygus is not a Death Scythe, so she will surely have to stay behind with Sid. That will be her best bet regarding protection. And speaking of Eruka; you have the choice to tell her what I've told you, or you can try to spare any hurt by lying to her. Either way, however, I'm sure it won't be easy for you. I understand how it feels."

Marie simply nodded her head and turned around, now prepared to say what was on her mind to the girl also occupying the home. How would she tell her? Marie wasn't a good liar, but if she opened up by saying that Medusa was alive, it'd terrify her.
When the woman opened the door and took her first step, she immediately stopped as someone was now looking up at her...

Eruka looked up at Marie when after she fell backwards; she tried to listen to the conversation by standing at the door, but their voices were muffled to her. She hadn't suspected the door to open so suddenly. Thinking she would be scoulded for it, she quickly apologized. "I-I'm sorry. I was just wondering what you were...I didn't hear anything, if that makes it better..."

Marie sighed, not mad at the girl one bit but rather upset. It was fairly obvious that the girl was curious as to what they were possibly talking about, and that moment Marie made the decision to tell her the absolute truth. It would be hard, but it needed to be done. "It's okay, Eruka. I... need to tell you something, my dear..." Marie got down to the girl's level, shutting the door behind her and sitting down, pulling the girl up and closer to her. Now would come the moment.
"Medusa..." the woman almost choked on just uttering that name, sure that hearing it would evoke some bad times for the both of them. "Medusa... is alive." She said, her open eye again slightly watering as she breathed in and out with a cold feeling in her chest.

Eruka's pupils were now shrunk as far as they could possibly be. The woman who threatened to kill her if she didn't serve her was still walking the earth. She was more frightened now hearing the witch was alive than the first time Medusa forced her to do as she said with her life on the line. She gulped deeply in terror, unable to contain her emotions now. "Ribbit?"

She suddenly went limp, passing out from the overwhelming news. Stein had come into the room as this happened, not as upset that Eruka could not handle the truth as Marie surely was, but upset nonetheless. "I was afraid she wouldn't handle it well. I didn't think she'd flat-out become unconscious. I don't blame her, though; I was just as shocked seeing her in person."

Marie's eyes widened at the girl's reaction, grabbing her into her arms and pulling her in tightly, now allowing her emotion to let out as she cried into the almost lifeless girl. "Eruka... I'm sorry... I don't want anything bad to happen to you... I love you so much... my baby." The sobbing woman said to the unconscious, babified girl, holding her and rocking her gently.
It was just when Stein stood again behind her, which Marie replied by looking back to him. "What... what are we going to do?"

"It will definitely be awhile until she wakes up again, but this is surely nothing she can't recover from." Stein answered Marie, trying to make her feel better about the situation. "Just put her to bed, and if she doesn't wake up by the time we need to leave, then we'll have to carry her to Sid and Nygus ourselves. Don't worry; Eruka is going to be perfectly fine."