This will probably be the darkest story I have ever written, but this is a challenge I have made for myself. I have never written a story with this particular plot before, and I wanted to broaden my experience by trying it.
I realize now that there may be something following the end of "Soul Eater", or perhaps something has been covered in the Manga that was not in the Anime. This story is based strictly off of the Anime and what transpired in it. I would like to read the Manga, and I will get around to it someday.
Without further ado, I present: "Light Shine Strong", Black Star x Tsubaki fan-fiction.
Ten years had passed since the vanquishing of the Kishin Asura. The citizens of Death City crawled out of the wreckage and worked together to restore their former home. From the piles of rubble and massive craters from the onslaught emerged towering residencies and wide-open plazas. Crystal fountains dotted the city and provided cool, fresh water, and the gardens offered a beautiful shady respite from the harsh heat. The people worked their hands to the bone, and were rewarded with a new way of life and an influx of knowledge. Medicine, literature, and scientific knowledge expanded day by day, and though they'd found happiness, the memory of where they'd risen from humbled them.
Evil still lurked in the shadows, and reared its ugly head once in a while throughout the world. However, the Death Weapon Meister Academy continued to honor its sworn creed to uphold the balance of things, keeping the darkness at bay and assuring Death City's survival.
The three "heroes" and their weapons that had fought against the Kishin were well received by the community. The people treated them with respect rather than fleeing in fear, and showered them with thanks left and right. Despite men and women throwing themselves at their feet begging to have the powerful meister's' or their weapon's' hand in marriage, Maka, Black Star, and Kidd had married their partners. Kidd, unable to stand the fact of being married to only one of the pair of Demon pistols, married both when Patty was of age.
Soul accomplished his goal of becoming a Death Scythe far before Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty. After that, Black Star and Kidd's competition rose to its fullest. Black Star had won by a slim chance. Kidd's obsessive-compulsive disorder had kicked in when Patty ate one more soul than Liz had, and he spent precious days brooding over the difference.
Since Black Star and Tsubaki's marriage, he had calmed down, and his highly-inflated ego had deflated considerably. After the birth of the twins, he seemed too tired to keep up his arrogance, and hardly declared that he would surpass the gods. The others wondered if Black Star gave up the thought altogether.
In truth, Black Star saw Tsubaki as his goddess, so he decided he was already among the gods.
Black Star and Tsubaki waited outside of the classroom they'd attended when they were kids, waiting for their twins to be dismissed. Tsubaki and Black Star spent months trying to decide on names for the both of them, and finally came to an agreement when Tsubaki explained how their floral counterparts appeared to form a star. In the end, Asagao, "Willful Promises", named for the Morning Glory flower, was to be given to the first, and Shirayuri, "Purity", for the White Lily, was reserved for the other.
Both came into the world well, healthy and strong. It was all Black Star wished for, and he was damned and determined to ensure they led a happy life.
The bell rung, dull and low, like the moo of a cow. Tsubaki's heart leapt, and she stared at the door in anticipation. Today would be the day when they determined who was destined to be a weapon, and who was destined to be a meister.
"Asa" was sweet and gentle like her mother, but headstrong and showed a powerful sense of will like her father. They wouldn't be surprised if she'd been classified as a weapon. "Shira" on the other hand could be rowdy and loud, boasting about her power, often getting into fights at school. She'd follow in Black Star's footsteps, for sure. Their kids would be the youngest meister and weapons of the current class. Perhaps even, in the broad history of DWMA.
Black Star and Tsubaki leaned against the wall, waiting for their children to emerge.
"Who are you calling a pipsqueak? I'll be a better meister than you, no doubt about it! I'll kick your butt right here, right now! Come on, Asa! Let's put this jerk in his place!" They heard a voice bark from inside. Tsubaki and Black Star felt their stomachs drop, and they rushed into the classroom.
An older student had teamed up with another, staring the two smaller, younger kids down with a sense of arrogance that reminded Black Star of himself when he was the young man's age. Young man? He looked about thirteen. Black Star suddenly felt old, though he was only twenty-three, almost twenty-four.
Sid stood between the two of them, and Tsubaki ran to their daughter's side, trying to hold her back.
"Where's… Shira?" Black Star asked. Asa held up a small, purple-handled ninja sword, casting a sideways nervous glance at her father . It all happened in a flash. She wasn't sure if this was good or not.
Black Star and Tsubaki blinked. This certainly wasn't what they'd been expecting.
Seeing an out, the kid tried to bolt past Black Star. There was an audible thud and the boy made a slight "oof" sound as Black Star held out his hand and snatched the kid by his shirt, holding him up into the air.
"Don't think you're getting away from this so easily, kid. At least be a man and apologize for whatever you said." Black Star growled, glaring up at the boy. The boy feverishly nodded and Black Star set him down.
He scrambled to face Asa and Shira, bowing to them.
"I'm sorry! I'm sorry! I take back what I said; I'm sorry!" He repeated, trembling. He wanted to piss himself, but he didn't dare, and clenched his fists tight to ignore the feeling.
"Yeah, well-well, don't do it again!" Shira barked, transforming back into a human and standing up to him. The boy stood up, terrified. He looked to Black Star, hoping their father was satisfied. Black Star snorted and stepped aside, allowing passage. The boy didn't waste it, and took off.
Sid chuckled, shaking his head and smirking.
"I was never one to laugh at other's fear in life, but… that was pretty funny." He stated. Black Star laughed, and knelt down as Asa ran up to him.
"Thank you, papa." She whispered. He nodded and stood, bringing her with him. He hoisted her up on his shoulders, and began to walk out of the door, stooping down so she didn't hit her head on the top of it.
Shira and Tsubaki followed, holding hands.
"You know, your father and I weren't expecting you to be the weapon. We thought it would be your sister." Tsubaki admitted. Shira looked at the ground, sheepishly.
"Are you guys mad?" She worried. Tsubaki stopped and rested on her knee to look Shira in the eyes. She softly stroked her blue hair and squeezed her cheeks, making Shira giggle.
"No, not at all, my dear. We're proud of you both. You have no idea how proud we are." She smiled.
"Oh. Well-well, of course! We're too awesome for you to be upset!" Shira bellowed, laughing loudly. She took off, trying to catch up to her father. Tsubaki sighed. She was exactly like her father.
They roamed the halls of the academy, winding their way lazily to the front, Shira and Asa sharing stories of the day's events as they wandered.
A man in a black cloak approached them, and they stopped, smiling at they realized who it was. Death the Kidd hadn't changed much, still wearing the black suit and skull-faced neck pin. The three stripes along the left side of his hairline tossed back and forth as he waved at them.
"Hey, guys. And how are my two favorite symmetrical students doing?" Kidd asked, greeting the twins, patting their heads. Asa giggled and let him, and Shira shoved his hand away, hiding a smirk. They both had blue hair and black irises, though Asa's star was around her left eye, and Shira's was around her right. Asa was right-handed, and Shira was left-handed.
"I'm a weapon! Yuss!" Shira boasted, puffing up her chest and beaming proudly.
"I'm the meister." Asa admitted, a shy smile on her face.
"Oh, really? What a twist. Though… you are twins. I wonder if it would work in reverse." He asked aloud, tapping his chin in thought. It would make perfect sense, considering they both potentially held the correct genes for it, being fraternal twins. Asa and Shira looked at each other, nodding. They'd give it a shot later. They ran off to play with Liz and Patty, leaving Kidd, Black Star, and Tsubaki.
"I am thinking about having a celebration tonight, if you, Liz, and Patty would like to join us. Krona is welcome, too. I'm going to stop by Maka and Soul's to invite them as well, so don't worry about contacting them." Tsubaki started. Black Star smiled, excited. She was a wonderful cook, and his mouth watered as he imagined what she'd be making.
Black Star couldn't recall tasting something of hers that he didn't like, and he loved when she tried new recipes. Spaghetti with Bolognese, for a "taste of Italy". German sausage, sauerkraut, and dumplings, for a "German Exhibition". Even a lobster dinner she'd made on their anniversary one year had been an amazing addition to his palate, though the lobster had made him sicker than a dog. He later discovered he was intolerant to large amounts of shellfish.
Kidd smiled and nodded, eager to celebrate the victory with them. Through the years, Asa and Shira became somewhat of his "nieces", though he wouldn't admit it. They'd think he'd become a softie.
"Do you need a bigger kitchen? You could use mine; it's too big for the three of us, anyway." He offered. They readily nodded, appreciating the gesture.
"Come over whenever you like. It's…" Kidd glanced at his watch, and his eyes almost popped out of his skill. The meeting with his father was in five minutes.
"Liz, Patty! We're late!" He barked out to them, summoning his board. Liz and Patty ran over to him, and transformed. He caught them and took off, leaving them in the dust.
"Sorry, gotta run!" He called over his shoulder.
"Whoa! That was super-cool!" Shira exclaimed, bouncing around with energy.
Black Star picked up Asa again and snuck behind Shira, picking her up as well. Carrying both under his arms, he smiled at Tsubaki.
"Come on. We better go, otherwise we'll be late." He suggested. She smiled and walked beside him, tickling Asa and Shira in turn. Black Star almost had a difficult time holding on to them.
Dinner served, and guests full, they sat for a while, chatting with one another. The food had been excellent; Kidd's kitchen offered a wider variety of spices than they had at home, and they'd all been arranged alphabetically which had been a big help, since Tsubaki could easily find what she needed.
"Hey! Hey! We're gonna try what Kidd said! Aka's gonna try to transform this time!" Shira yelled, catching their attention. The adults turned, waiting.
Asa looked at her sister like she was the epitome of evil.
"Shira, no! I'm not-
-You can do it! Come on, everyone's waiting!" Shira persisted. Asa looked at her mother, who nodded, and then her father, who grinned and gave her a thumbs up.
"Go ahead and try. We won't laugh. If you can't, that's ok. Not everyone can on their first try. I couldn't." Soul commented, trying to give her support. She nodded, and closed her eyes, focusing.
She felt a tingle in her feet that rose through her legs, and then spread through her torso. When it engulfed her whole body, nervously, she opened her eyes. She couldn't see anything but a blue orb. She crept closer to it. It seemed familiar.
Asa, you did it! Yuss! I KNEW YOU COULD DO IT! Her sister's voice bellowed in her mind.
AH! Wow! I did it! How-how do I go back? She panicked.
It's hard to explain. Just think you're a human again. Shira guided.
Trusting her sister's instinct, Asa focused, and soon enough, she was a human again. She looked at her hands and feet, checking to make sure she'd transformed in one piece.
They all clapped for them, cheering. Asa smiled brightly and crawled into her mother's lap, and Shira crawled into her father's.
"I'm so jealous of your kids, man. I wish they were mine." Kidd complimented. Liz looked at him with an irritated frown. If your OCD didn't get in the way, we would already have kids. She thought to him, hoping it would reach him. Since she was in her human form, it probably wouldn't.
"You can join the bandwagon anytime, or better yet, take them with you! Give Tsubaki and me a break! Gotta warn you, though, Shira's a handful at times… and when those two are quiet, all is not good. They are up to something." Black Star joked, taking a drink of milk.
"You're not going to really give us away, are you, papa?" Asa asked, sitting in his lap. Black Star chuckled and shook his head no. He couldn't think of it seriously.
"Good! Cuz, cuz that wouldn't be nice, you meanie!" Shira argued, blinking away tears and trying to keep a straight face as she acted tough.
"Speaking of kids, when are you two going to get started? It's been what, six years since you married?" Tsubaki joined, staring Maka down.
"Hmm, maybe." Maka said dismissively. Not caring how bloated he felt, Soul cut off a piece of meat and chewed it slowly for the excuse not to talk. He jumped as Maka rested her hand on his leg and gave it a slight squeeze under the table. The blush crept to his face.
They'd talked about it, but neither of them felt like they had good role models of parents, other than Maka's mother. All they knew was what not to do.
Asa yawned, and curled up in her mother's lap. Shira saw it, and yawned too, trying to fight it with a grumble.
"I just did it cuz she did! I'm not…" She yawned again, and scowled. "Tired." Her father smirked, and shook his head.
"Sure, sure." He replied. He finished his glass of milk, stood, and tried to use his hip to push in the chair. Patty stood and tucked it in for him, and did the same for Tsubaki.
"Thanks. We're going to go get these two to bed. It's been a day." Tsubaki announced.
"Yup, see ya." Soul waved.
Patty walked them to the front door, giggling crazily as they left.
"We'll jump on the bandwagon, too!" She called out after them. Black Star and Tsubaki chuckled, and continued walking.
"What is she talking about?" Shira asked, confused. Tsubaki and Black Star traded glances. Who was going to answer this one?
"Um, well, they're gonna… chase some wagons, and, uh, jump in them?" He answered, though his statement came out as more of a question.
"That's silly." Shira muttered, resting her chin on Black Star's shoulder. Tsubaki and Black Star kept from laughing.
"I think it's funny. You're so smart, papa. You're the smartest man in the world!" Asa countered. Black Star smiled, pleased with the compliment.
"Heh, well, you know… your dad's strong, but he can be a bit of a dunce." He admitted.
"That's not true." Asa said, reaching out her hand for him to take. He did, and kissed her on the cheek.
"Thank you, sweetheart."
They strolled down the street, watching as the moon grinned at them, illuminating their way with bright rays of light.
"Hey, papa, mama? Why did you two get married?" Asa asked. Shira snorted.
"Cuz they love each other, duh." Shira answered.
"Shira, don't tease your sister like that." Tsubaki warned. Black Star smiled.
"When was the first time you told her?" Asa asked.
He paused, remembering. It'd been a total misunderstanding.
Tsubaki and Black Star had been watching the sunset on the balcony of DWMA. The cherry trees were in full bloom, the petals falling gracefully in the mid-fall heat. It was like a downpour of pink, velvety petals.
Tsubaki had brought him to this place, hoping to teach him some meditation techniques he could use to simmer down his hyper-activity. Regardless of being one of the ones to help beat the Kishin, he still had to pass school to become an "official" meister, and no matter how much he studied, he couldn't pass the tests. Stein was a hell of a teacher.
He'd studied for a week for their midterm, and received a 63 percent. With a 2 percent bonus, it'd been upped to a 65, but… still. It was disheartening, and it crushed him. Tsubaki had seen him gloomy, but not to this extent. She hoped it would cheer him.
"Isn't it pretty?" She asked, smiling and looking around at the view. He glanced at her, scanned the view, and then stared back at the sun. It was desperately fighting off sleep, still just above the horizon. He shrugged.
"Meh. This really isn't getting my mind off of things." He admitted. Tsubaki's smile fell slightly, and her eyes filled with slight sadness. She took a deep breath, trying to think of other ways she could help.
"What would you rather do, then?"
He pondered for a second. For once, he actually didn't feel like strength-training. It wasn't going to help his brain, and he had enough brawns as it was. As the math puzzles she'd introduced him to ran through his head, he decided he'd try them again. They seemed to focus his hyper-active mind.
"Sudoku." He mumbled, shuffling his feet and stuffing his hands in his pockets as he turned away and began to walk. His head was down, and he was thinking heavily.
"Wait, WHAT?" Tsubaki barked, chasing after him.
"Yeah. Since I got a damn D on that test, it's the only think I can think of that will help." He replied, not looking back.
In the next second, she'd thrown her arms around him, hugging him from behind. She was trembling, and crying.
"Don't! Please, don't! I-I can't-I love you!" She cried, bawling into the back of his shirt. Confused now, he turned his head and looked at her.
"'Baki? What… what did you think I said?" He asked, wanting clarification. She stopped, and looked at him frightfully, face red.
"Se-Seppuku." She replied. Black Star's eyes widened, and he backed away, shaking his head and making an "x" with his arms.
"No! No way! I'm not going-whoa, I'm not-No! I wouldn't do that! I mean, I've still gotta surpass the gods! I can't do that if I'm dead!" He explained. She fell to her knees, embarrassed and relieved. Black Star stared at her for a minute, feeling extremely sorry for the onslaught he'd just brought on her emotions.
She'd thought he was going to commit suicide? No way, no how. It'd be crazy! He doubted he'd use it as a last resort. The concept explained her reaction, chasing after him like that, and bawling like she had. He felt his cheeks warm, and a small smile on his face. His heart lifted. Was he imagining this, or had she said she loved him?
He knelt down and set his hand on her cheek, wiping away the tears that fell with his thumb.
"Tsubaki… Did you say you love me?" He asked. She sniffled, and nodded, face turning red.
He grinned, and brought her face to his, planting a kiss on her lips. He didn't care that her nose was smashed against his face, or that she was crying. He felt immense joy, he wanted to scream from it.
He buried his face in her shoulder, and hugged her.
"Nobody's ever… said that before." He admitted. Now, it was his turn to cry, and he did, hard. She pulled him in her hold, squeezing him tightly.
"That's a damn shame, because… I love you, Black Star."
"Papa? Are you crying?" Shira's voice asked, bringing him out of the memory. He blinked, and swallowed. Sure, he had tears welling in his eyes, and blinked them back.
"N-no, I was just… sweating from my eyeballs." He said defiantly, shaking his head and sniffling.
"Wow, the uh, flowers must be in bloom." He sniffed, his voice sounding congested. Good, at least he could pass this off. "Allergies." He explained. Tsubaki fought to keep a straight face, chortling.
Ya-huh, sure, Black Star. She thought.
"So why'd you tell her you love her?" Shira repeated the question.
"Actually, it was due to a misunderstanding… and she told me." He replied, smiling. Shira snorted.
"If she told you first, you must be a dunce." She growled. Black Star's smile faded to a frown. When had their daughter become such a smart-ass?
They continued on their way, telling tales of how many enemies they'd vanquished, and when asked what the most difficult had been, Black Star had to think about it. Mifune had been tough, no doubt. He'd probably would have died, but he'd convinced Mifune to convert to their side, assuring there would be protection for the witch Mifune was protecting, Angela.
The Kishin wasn't that bad, he told himself. In the end, he'd been vanquished. He remembered the foe they'd faced roughly eleven years ago on the bridge in London. The man said he was immortal, and he probably would have killed them all if he hadn't slipped up and frozen himself in an ice cube and fallen into the river below.
"There was a werewolf dude in London that your Mother and I fought a long time ago." He admitted, stopping at the corner down the street from their house.
Tsubaki paused, and felt herself frown as well. She looked around. Was it just her imagination, or was she feeling the same heavy aura as she had that night?
"'Baki?" Black Star asked, calling out to her. She straightened herself, and smiled, shaking her head.
"Sorry, my imagination got the better of me." She dismissed. He reached out his hand, and she took it. The memory unnerved him occasionally as well.
Once inside, Tsubaki locked the doors, still feeling uneasy. Black Star made a mental note to distract her. They were safe now. Nothing could harm them; not within the borders of Death City.
They carried their kids to their room, and lay them down in their separate beds.
"Mama, will you sing us a lullaby?" Asa asked, tucking the sheets up under her chin. Tsubaki nodded, and stood up to place a kiss on Asa's cheek.
"Aren't we a little old for lullabies?" Shira grumbled, turning on her side, facing away from them. Tsubaki chuckled and shook her head.
"As long as I'm living, I'd be happy to sing you a lullaby." She promised.
Black Star stood in the doorway, leaning against the post, arms crossed, eager to hear his wife sing. It'd been a while. Perhaps, this would also help to take her mind off of the things from their past.
She softly hummed the tune to a lullaby she'd discovered in youth and kept close to heart, and her voice resonated through the room. Black Star would have fallen asleep standing if he hadn't kept himself in check.
Finished, she checked on both of them. Asa had fallen asleep, hugging the covers. Shira, on the other hand lay sprawled out in her bed, snoring, foot jutted out from underneath the covers. Black Star chuckled and moved her foot back underneath, tucking the blanket back underneath the mattress.
Tsubaki shut off the light, and they left the room. Pausing outside of the door, she grabbed Black Star and hugged him tightly, like she'd wanted to all day.
"I love our family." She whispered. He smiled and kissed the top of her head, running his fingers through her silken black hair.
"I do too. And, you know, I love your voice, too." He smirked, tilting his head down and kissing her deeply. He lightly traced his fingers down her neck and shoulder, down her side, and rested it on her hip, which he gripped lightly.
"I'd like to hear more." He said. She blushed. His simple motions had her ready to go in an instant, and his suggestion had been smooth as hell.
They tiptoed quickly down the hall and shut the door behind them as they barreled into their room.
Black Star and Tsubaki jumped as they heard an earsplitting screech, and jumped out of bed. Black Star threw open the door, holding out his hand. Tsubaki transformed immediately, and he sprinted down the hall, trying to remain as quiet as possible.
He kicked the door open and froze in shock.
A wolf-like man was standing in the middle of it, one small body at his feet, covered in blood, and the other he held by the neck in a large, claw-like hand. Shira kicked at him, but he ignored it.
"Well, it certainly has been a while. You've grown up!" The voice said. Black Star went to rush the man, but was repulsed and thrown back by a force of some kind. He hit the wall, and slid down. He rushed again, swinging with Tsubaki.
She collided, and a shock of electrical current traveled through her and to him. She was thrown back with him again, forced out of her weapon form. She tried to turn back as Black Star ordered her to turn into a smoke bomb, but found she couldn't. Something was preventing her from doing it.
"Fool. You can't reach me!" The man taunted.
"Let our children go, damn you! Take me instead!" Black Star bellowed, hoping he could reason with the man. The man sniffed at the air, held a finger to his lips in mock-ponder, and shrugged.
"Nope. You wouldn't be tasty enough." He said, readying a sharp claw. Black Star and Tsubaki's stomachs dropped in fear.
"Please, let our daughters go! Please!" Tsubaki pleaded, tears streaming from her eyes. There was nothing they could do; they didn't have an anti-magic wavelength like Maka and Soul did. Even if they did, he'd done something to prevent her from transforming in the first place.
"Shut up, bitch." The man said, as he drove his claw through Shira's chest. They screamed in fury as he ripped out their daughter's heart… and ate it. He licked his claw, sucking off the blood as though it'd been a delicate treat.
The ward dropped, and Black Star rushed again, throwing a punch. Blinded by fury, Black Star didn't notice the claw aimed for his throat, and didn't move out of the way. The man grabbed him, shocked him, and threw him back again. Black Star tried to move, but a shock went through him at each attempt.
"You can certainly do better than that, can't you? Tch. What a bore. Doesn't matter what you do. By the time you can move, I'll be long gone." He said, jumping out of the open window, laughing all the while.
"COME BACK HERE! YOU COWARD! YOU SON OF A BITCH!" Black Star bellowed. He stopped when his throat became raw, and bawled, reaching for Tsubaki. She was weak, too, but together they pulled themselves close and mourned. Tsubaki couldn't bring herself to look at the middle of the floor, not wanting to believe the reality.
Their children had been murdered, and they couldn't do a damn thing to stop it.
Well, please drop a review, or a comment. My father suggested that I be more descriptive. That I "paint a picture". I've tried to do that, but because I am the writer, what I see clearly may not be clear to others. It is a blessing and a curse.
Thank you for reading!