Letting Go
by That Girl With The Hat
Pairings: One-sided Crona/Maka, Soul/Maka. There's also some Crona/Tsubaki if you wear 3D glasses.
Crona: Gender-neutral
POV: 1st person (Crona)
A/N: This is based on a dream I had shortly after completing the anime. It was one of those dreams that was so perfect, I had to write it down. It just needed a bit of fleshing out before I could publish it. I hope you enjoy reading it (and then go have Soul Eater dreams of your own).
Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater. I'd be rich if I did, and I am definitely not rich.
The noise blasted me as I entered the dance hall. The music playing, the people talking...it was all so loud. I could feel my legs start shaking as I looked around for a friendly face. I didn't know if I could deal with it on my own. Fortunately, Ragnarok had agreed to stay silent for the night after I managed to get him some cake, so I at least had that going for me.
"Crona! It's good to see you!"
To my relief, Maka was just inside. She immediately walked over to me and gave me a hug. My face burned, but she managed to miss it. "It's good to see you outside of Shibusen work," she remarked, a sweet smile on her face. "How are you?"
"Oh, I'm fine, Maka. How are you?"
"Right now, I'm just glad to be home with my friends. Soul and I only got back from Osaka yesterday."
I nodded. I remembered hearing about Maka going to someplace very far away to do battle with a very strong Kishin egg. I had sat up a lot of nights, worried that she wouldn't come back. Knowing that she was a strong meister who had faced down a Kishin did little to stop my fears. Now that she was here in front of me, I struggled to keep my tears back. "I'm...happy you're home, too," I replied. "Maka..."
"Oh, Maka! Welcome back!" said a cheerful voice. We both turned to see Tsubaki walking toward us. The two hugged each other tightly. "I'm sorry I didn't get to see you earlier. How was the mission?" Tsubaki asked.
Maka waved a hand. "It was fairly simple. Soul and I both got some scratches while collecting the Kishin egg, but nothing major happened."
Tsubaki nodded. "I'm glad you're both all right," she said.
"Um, me too!" I said loudly.
They both stared at me. I felt my cheeks burn as I looked down at the floor. "Oh, um, sorry," I mumbled.
Maka looked concerned. "Crona..."
"Oi, Maka."
Maka turned to see her partner standing behind her. "Oh, hey Soul," she replied. "Enjoying the party?"
"Pff, the food's ok, but the music's so uncool."
"Well, you could play something, you know. It wouldn't kill you."
Soul rolled his eyes and made a snorting sound. "You wish," he said. "I don't play for just anyone. You wanna dance or something instead, Maka?"
Maka's eyes widened. "You...want to dance?" she asked, sounding shocked.
"Well, if you don't want to..."
"No, I do!" she declared. She then looked worried and turned back to me. "Will you be all right?" she asked me.
I nodded. "I'll be fine, Maka. Go dance with...Soul."
She still looked worried. "I'll be back, Crona," she promised.
I watched them walk onto the dance floor, feeling some pain in my chest. After a few moments, I could see how happy she had become as she danced with Soul. He was the only person who could bring out that kind of joy in her. Slowly, a small smile formed on my lips as I felt my insides grow warm.
Tsubaki looked from me to Maka, and then back to me. After a moment, she said, "Crona, you love her, don't you?"
I just nodded. "It's ok," I replied as I continued observing them. He told her something that I couldn't hear, and she giggled in response. I couldn't help but grin at the sight.
Tsubaki looked troubled. "Are you sure?" she asked.
"Yes, I'm sure," I replied, not taking my eyes off of my friend. "Maka was my first friend here, and I love her. But you don't take the one you love from the one they love. And I know she loves Soul more than anyone. I feel a little sad, but I'll be ok as long as she remains my friend."
Tsubaki blinked, then smiled as a few tears began to roll down her cheeks. She reached over and gently hugged me, not saying a word. Blinking, I felt my cheeks grow hot once more. "Um, what is this for?" I asked.
"That was lovely," she answered softly. "Maka's lucky to have a friend like you."
"Thank you, Tsubaki," I replied.
Tsubaki pulled back and smiled at me. "Would you like to dance, Crona?"
I blinked in surprise before finding myself nodding. Tsubaki quietly led me out as a slow song started and guided my steps. She was very patient with me, murmuring encouragement each time I messed up. She didn't even say anything when I accidentally stepped on her feet. Slowly, the remaining sadness I felt inside vanished, my steps grew more confident, and my smile grew.
Yes, I would be ok.
This is the part where you say nice things. Please say nice things. Pretty please?
