Okay, my very first story! I'm not sure if it's good or not, but you guys be the judges :) Oh... and I don't own Soul Eater! It wouldn't be nearly as good if I owned it...

Stand by Me

Soul POV

The boy's shaking hands gripped my handle much too tightly, barely lifting my wobbling blade. Oh, brother. This kid wasn't cool at all… And it was obvious my soul wavelength didn't match with his at all. I didn't even need to see souls to know that.

He rushed forward to attack the dummy, pulled me back, and swung…

…And I went clattering to the ground. I immediately growled and shifted back to human form, rubbing my bruised arm in annoyance. I threw the stuttering kid a withering glare before turning on my heel and leaving the training room. Right now, it just seemed like no one in the world was cool enough to match me; to wield me correctly. I'd been through so many meisters it wasn't even funny: there was a few who were like this boy (I think his name was Ginji or something…). They were shy, nervous, and they didn't have anything to fight for. Some were rude and treated me like an inanimate tool made just for them, and all of their grips were either too soft or too hard. One, who I hated immediately, had kicked me just because he couldn't lift me, meaning we weren't even close to being on the same soul energy plane.

That or he was a loser; I definitely wouldn't count that option out…

I couldn't wait to go home, but I would probably have to go out to eat tonight again; I'm really not a good cook, despite how cool and talented I am at a lot of other things. I didn't want to go to the training room and go through a ton of other worthless meisters tomorrow, just like today, but I need a partner. I can't exactly wield myself, as much as I would like that.

The next afternoon at DWMA

I'd only been trying to find a partner for an hour or two, and I was already fuming. I'd been dropped numerous times, gotten a bruise on my face (which does NOT look cool at all, by the way), and my arms were red from how hard that last meister had grabbed me. I mean, he was incredibly strong, but he didn't feel right. None of them did, and no one would. I was about ready to ditch the partner selection and make an excuse the next day, because not only would it look pretty cool, but I was absolutely sick of this.

I was so wrapped up in my anger that I didn't notice as the door swung open.

"Hello…" A quiet, soft voice murmured.

I looked up, a little ashamed. Just great; I was going to have to hurt a girl's feelings. It was a shame, too; she was actually quite pretty. I liked her ash-blonde hair and the way her olive green eyes shone intelligently. Something felt a little odd with her, though. She felt… different. I couldn't put my finger on it for some reason. She walked up to me, bowed politely, and took my hand.

"Hello, Soul Eater-san. M-my name is Maka... Maka Albarn…"

I grinned, but I was a little surprised that she didn't flinch at all when she saw my sharp teeth like the others had. I mentally scolded myself for getting too attached to this girl. There was no way we could be partners; she was going to fail just like the others. But… maybe, even if she did fail to wield me, I could possibly ask for her mirror number and go on a date or something...

I forced myself to focus. "Are you ready to go?" I asked patiently.

"Yes, sir."

I transformed into a scythe, skin tingling pleasantly as it melted away. Maka's grip on my handle felt a little shaky, but still pretty nice. As we gazed at each other, her eyes suddenly gained a new quality: determination. She wanted to prove something important, that much I could tell. Her hands grew steady, and a deep, calm aura surrounded her. This wasn't the same girl as a minute ago…

Maka's grip tightened firmly, but it was still incredibly gentle. She quickly rushed at a practice dummy, and I felt a deep excitement welling up. Something about her wavelength made me feel so powerful!

I sliced through the mannequin like it was warm butter, but she didn't stop there. Her quick pace grew even faster, and she pounced at the wall. My eyes widened. What the hell was this girl doing?! Time seemed to almost stop as she pushed off the wall, carrying us high into the air. She back flipped three times, and, at the last second, flicked her wrist, which sent me spinning like a disc. I found myself embedded in the practice dummy, in the exact center of where the heart would be. Maka landed gracefully and pulled me out of the dummy's torso. I transformed back into human form, and it was all I could do to keep myself from laughing in sheer joy. I had felt so alive!

"Yo! Well done, you two!"

None other than Shinigami-sama himself was standing in the doorway, making the girl and I gasp in unison.

"Well, Soul, Maka, I do believe you are perfect for one another! I could practically feel the energy waves around the whole school. There's nothing like a perfect union, I always say. So? Would you two like to be partners?"

I glanced over at her. She really was a cool meister, and I finally realized what that feeling she had about her was.

"I would like to be her weapon, Shinigami-sama," I nodded firmly.

Maka's eyes widened in awe. "I-I would love to be your meister, Soul Eater-san! I-if you'll have me…"

I took her delicate hand into my own and looked at her confidently in the eyes. "It's a deal, then. I think you're pretty cool. But it's just Soul, all right? Or Soul-kun… I don't really care."

Maka tested the words. "Soul… Soul-kun…" She regained that same, determined expression I thought was so cool. "Okay! From here on, we work together, Soul!" Shinigami-sama laughed.

"It looks like that's settled, then! Our newest team is the Scythemeister Maka Albarn and the Scythe Soul Eater. I expect great things from you two! Work hard and you could be my Death Scythe, Soul!"

I nodded firmly, and looked fondly at my new partner. I couldn't wait to fulfill my lifelong dream. And the thing I had sensed about her earlier… It was her heart, I was sure of it. I can't see souls, but I don't need to, to see her intense inner strength. My time with her would bring about many cool adventures; I was absolutely sure of it.

Well... that was also one of my very few shots at first person... Please review and tell me what I can do better! I love constructive criticism! (But don't flame me... I might have Crona and Ragnarok stalk you if you do. Mwhahaha!)