30 Days

Day One: Discovery

For Lynne, Lance, and Spawn, the three writers I can't live without and who make me who I am.

Author's note: First this story is an alternative to my much darker romance story "Love Game" these stories are separate and not connected. Second, the song sung by Soul at the end is "Wonderwall" by Oasis and is property of the writers and not me. Enjoy!

For the second night The Red Man came again, dancing to the poor quality jazz music. You know why you're here, so just give in." He said holding out his hand.

Soul sat in the high backed velvet chair and smirked, "No way am I falling for this bullshit a second time. I'm too cool for that, so just go back to hell with Medusa and Kishen." Soul said as he got up and walked across the checkerboard floor.

"Stop denying it, you're one of us, or at least you will be." The Red Man said.

Soul looked at him, "Go away damn it! How do you change the record on this thing?" He said trying to pull the needle of Gramophone. Shrill screams filled his ears and then he heard her voice, the voice of his love.

"Soul, why, why are you doing this?" He turned and saw Maka, her body covered in blood, her eyes dead, soulless. Soul let out a scream and found himself in his bedroom. Posters of sports cars and beautiful women filled his vision in the dim moonlight. "Damn, second night in a row, what does it mean?" He said and cupped his face in his hands, that's when he felt the warmth, sinister and slick on his palm. Looking in the mirror near his bed he saw he had a nose bleed, and this one wasn't from seeing Blair naked. Streaks of black lined his upper lip; grabbing a handkerchief he tried to stem the flow. "Calm down Soul, stay cool, it's just the moonlight playing with you. " He said flicking on the lamp on his nightstand. It wasn't the moon, it had returned.

Maka woke around six to make breakfast; she had gained her mother's cooking skills but not her father's lechery. Her father was in Prague investigating something with his former partner Stein, he'd be back in two weeks, just enough to have Shinigami-Sama tell him he had to chaperone the Defeat Day Dance that Friday. Defeat day was the day where everyone at Shibusen Academy celebrated the defeat of Kishen and the years of peace Death City had enjoyed for the past two years. Maka was fifteen, same age as her weapon Soul and a sophomore. Soul recently had the recent honor of becoming a Death Scythe something she always wanted for him, it took a lot of work to get to this point and she knew somewhere her mother was proud of her. Her father could give two fucks less, all he cared about was pussy and by that she meant both figuratively and literally. He had been going out with the cat witch Blair for two years; marriage couldn't be too far off. The idea of her as her stepmother made Maka shiver, reaching into the refrigerator to pull out the eggs and bacon, she heard the familiar sounds of footsteps in the hall. "Morning Soul!" she shouted, as she sat the food on the counter and prepped her pans. Soul grumbled back a hello and went to the bathroom. "Breakfast should be ready in a few minutes. I hope you like Bacon and Eggs!" Soul walked out of the bathroom and rubbed his white hair. "What time is it?" He said stifling a yawn Maka looked at the digital clock radio under the cabinet her mother had got her. "

Fifteen after six, how do you want your eggs, dippy as usual?" She said Soul smirked,

"You sound like that chick from the movie with the wood chipper. Where did you get that word, dippy?" Maka looked at Soul,

"The movie is called 'Fargo,' Soul, and I heard my mother say it when I was younger." Soul flashed his pointy teeth, in a wide smile and turned on the radio to KDPK the classic rock station in Death City. Eric Clapton was beginning the opening riff on "Cocaine" Soul smirked;

"Now there's a cool guy, Slowhand himself!"

Maka laughed, "With Black Star its hip hop, with Kid its alternative, why classic rock?"

Soul smiled, "Why not? Half the shit Black Star listens to I can't stand. It's always bitch this, ho that, no real groove you know?"

Maka turned over a piece of bacon, "Well I tend to listen to all kinds of music, best to keep my mind open." The music transitioned to AC/DC's "Back in Black" Soul cringed, not a good song for a time like this. Soul sat down and Maka placed his plate in front of him. "Eat up, tiger; we got a comprehensive exam in Sid's class."

Soul stopped nibbling on his bacon, "That's today? Maka, why didn't you tell me?" Maka laughed.

"He has said after spring break we would have the comprehensive in History of Kishens for weeks now." Soul finished his bacon and moved into the eggs.

"I didn't study, shit, not cool!" he said his mouth filled with egg, yolk running down his chin. "Well if someone didn't stay up and watch the 'Top Gear' marathon last night they would have studied and been prepared." Maka said handing Soul a napkin.

"Easy for you to say miss I don't have a life!" Soul said as he got up from the table and walked over to his room.

"I have a life, Soul!" Maka said following him leaving her plate behind.

"Bull, Maka, total bull. All you have is your studies and that's it. You don't watch TV you don't hang out with me and the others and when you do, you're a total Debbie Downer! Face it Maka you don't have a social life!" Soul said rummaging through his closet looking for his favorite polo shirt.

"Oh and I guess being the first Death Scythe, post Kishen makes you the grand master of having a life. You are going to flunk out, then what? I focus on my studies so I can get something out of this school, how about you?"

Soul pulled on his socks. "Maka we've had this conversation before, I have an image to protect, and you are just a titless wonder." Maka growled.

"Oh I have no tits huh?" She said.

Soul put on his sneakers, "That's right, you're fifteen and you have the chest of a twelve year old! I've said it, I'm happy, now I'm going to the library to cram whatever bits of information on Kishens we've covered till now into my head before Sid's class!" He said and slung his backpack over one shoulder. Maka looked at him.

"Fuck you!" she shouted. Soul gave her the bird before leaving the apartment. He said he was going to the library but he was really heading to the Nurse.

"And, how long have you said you've been having the dreams?" Doctor Morrison said as she took his blood pressure.

"The past Two nights, so far, and it's same one too." Soul said Morrison removed the cuff.

"Blood pressure is normal; I just need to take a sample of your blood." Soul cringed, he hated needles.

"Seriously, for black blood and bad dreams?" he said.

Morison took out a lancet gun and pulled out Soul's middle finger, he clenched his teeth and closed his eyes as the gun clicked.

"I just need a drop, I want to run a quick test on it, should take no more than fifteen minutes." Morrison said as she placed the blood in a small vial and set it inside a centrifuge. "If you could go out to the waiting room for a while I will call you when I have the results." Morrison said as Soul walked out of the office and heard the whirring of the machine. He needed some good news, today had gone to shit.

"Maka just relax, I'm sure he didn't mean it!" Tsubaki said as they walked down the hall towards the library, Tsubaki had the most recent Richard Laymon on reserve.

"I know, I just get, how should I say it? Flighty, nervy are those even words? Something like that, whenever he is around me I feel weird." Maka said Tsubaki pushed open the doors to the library.

"I heard somebody call it getting twittepaited, can't remember where though." she said approaching the front desk, "Hi, book in for Tsubaki?" The librarian reached behind the desk.

"I swear that guy has been dead for nine years and he still writes?" The librarian said.

Maka smirked, "Most of his stuff has just crossed the pond from England." The librarian swiped Tsubaki's card.

"Whatever kid, give me good old Steve King, this Laymon guy sounds like a nut."

Tsubaki grabbed the book, "If you think he's a nut, you should try Carlton Mellick the third! Bizarro fiction is where it's at these days." She said and walked towards the door.

"You girls come back now!" The librarian waved and picked up her copy of "The Tommyknockers" and began to read. Maka felt a chill go up her spine.

"Maka, you okay? You look like you've seen a ghost?" Tsubaki said. She wasn't, she felt Soul's wavelength and she didn't like it.

"Something bad is going to happen, Tsubaki, something bad." Maka said. Tsubaki smirked.

"Come on I'll get you something to drink, Coke perhaps?"

Maka looked around for Soul, "No, I think I need to follow this." She said and walked off, "Strange girl, very strange." Tsubaki said and headed toward the vending machines.

"Soul, I don't know how to tell you this? I ran a presumptive test for black blood poisoning and it came back positive," Dr Morrison said, "If you started having these problems two days ago then I guess you only have twenty eight."

Soul looked at her, "Twenty-Eight what, minutes?"

Morrison looked at him. "No, Soul, Twenty-Eight days, somehow your body fought it off for those two days so you now have thirty days to live as a human."

Soul stood up, "Human? What do you mean human, what do you mean?" Morrison placed her hands on his shoulders.

"You will become the next Kishen in thirty days, I am so sorry about this. I suggest telling only a few people you care about, and then quarantine yourself until we can contact Shinigami-sama and have you sealed." Soul looked at the clock.

"I have to go to class. I don't have time for this." Morrison looked at him.

"I am excusing you from all classes. That's not my orders but the big guy's orders. I suggest you be wary of yourself, if you feel madness at all, we need to seal you ASAP!" Soul walked out, "Report home Soul, I mean it, no classes!" Soul slammed the door and began to sob.

She had lost his wavelength somewhere around the senior class lecture hall and the time she reached Sid's class. She had her mind focused on the questions and answers but didn't see Soul anywhere. "He's skipping, that son of a bitch!" Maka said as she handed in her test and walked out towards her apartment. She heard the familiar sounds of a guitar coming from her apartment, Soul was there. "He's never played guitar before?" she said as she walked in and saw him on the couch strumming away. "Soul, you okay? You skipped Sid's class?" She said she hadn't mentioned the small tear forming in Sid's eye as she handed in her paper, or the whispers amongst faculty about a new Kishen. "Maka, I have to apologize for this morning." he said stopping the music. "Soul, I know it's been rough for us these past few days but," Soul raised a hand to stop her.

"I have black blood poisoning. They're giving me thirty days until I turn into the next Kishen." Maka clasped her hand over her mouth, and began to sob.

"Soul, I'm," Maka began as she sat on the couch, Soul made a hush sound as he began to strum. "And all the roads we have to walk are winding," He began to sing, "And all the lights that lead us there are blinding. There are many things I'd like to say to you but I don't know how." Maka began to cry listening to his haunting voice like an angel, "Because maybe, you're gonna be the one who saves me, and after all, you're my wonderwall." He sang and stopped. Setting the guitar aside and held Maka close to him letting the tears soak his shirt. "It's okay."

He said Maka looked at him her eyes rimmed with tears and said four words he wasn't expecting. "Soul, I love you."

TBC