I'm assuming Maka has all the abilities thus far chronicled in the manga and anime. This means she has the Grigori soul and that she should theoretically be able to fly on her own because she is a weapon too. She's also destroyed Asura, but there are other kishin too. As such, because of her abilities, she's been made a three star meister well before time, and is being sent on dangerous missions to further develop her abilities. But, all the stress, and the weight of expectations is taking a great toll on the teenager and she's just about had enough. The first few chapters will be mostly flashbacks, to try and give a bit of background. I'll probably use this device a lot as the story goes as well.

Many characters may seem inconsistent with the manga/anime, but I introduced a 2 year time skip right at the start, and well, things change.

Oh, and I've used Grim Reaper, Lord Death and Shinigami-sama interchangeably.

- Enough! Part 1 -

Maka was at the end of her tether. She had had enough. Enough of the missions, enough of being overworked to the point of tears, enough of fighting witches, monsters, Arachnophobia, and fighting her own all consuming madness.

It had been over two years since Maka had stopped Asura, the kishin. They had all believed he was the only kishin in their world. But, it turned out that he wasn't. He had shown her before he had perished, that at least three others existed, and that he believed she would replace him one day. She'd thought that he was trying to play with her head, but she knew that what he said was at least partially right when she confronted Shinigami-sama with what he had shown her, and the Grim Reaper's silence had been enough to confirm it.

Since then, they'd discovered that she had a Grigori soul, and that, coupled with all the other rare abilities she possessed, had made her even more important in the eyes of Shinigami, in their seemingly never ending battle to bring order to the chaos of the world.

And so, Maka had been sent on mission after mission, paired up the different Death Scythes of the DWMA. Though, credit to the Grim Reaper, he had always sent someone along to watch over her, most commonly Professor Stein and Marie. Marie had always been sent along, and Maka had only recently realized why. Twice, during the last two years, Maka had almost fallen to the madness, just as Stein had before. Once, she had been with Yumi Azusa, and the other time, she had been paired with Spirit Albarn, her father. Both times, Marie had had to step in to save her with her Healing Wavelength, before Maka completely succumbed to it.

It hadn't been all bad, though. One good thing about the previous two years had been finding love in Tsubaki's arms. Tsubaki had finally become a death scythe and had separated from Black Star to be at Lord Death's disposal. That meant that they had been paired up on a few occasions. Thinking of her girlfriend…no, her soulmate, always made Maka happy.

She knew that she had become extremely withdrawn, pessimistic, emotionless and cold ever since the destruction of Asura. Her friends had all noticed it, and they'd commented on it, tried to make her feel better, but they knew as well as her, that it was not her fault, not really…But, somehow, Tsubaki had been able to prevent her from becoming completely apathetic and shut off. Maka certainly wasn't the same bright, friendly teenager she had been two years ago, but vestiges of that girl remained. And, she had been improving. She felt happier than she had in a long time.

She reflected on the events that had brought them together. It had happened when Giriko of Arachnophobia had ambushed her on that day, about three months ago.

-Flashback—

Tsubaki and Maka were walking back home from a late night at school. Of late, Maka found herself avoiding Tsubaki more and more; she was afraid of the reaction her body seemed to have when it was in close proximity to the death scythe. It felt a lot like how love originated in all those romance novels she read every once in a while and rather detested.

The problem had been compounded by the fact that they had become flatmates ever since Black Star and Soul had come out of the closet with their relationship. Maka had been the one to suggest they move in together, something that she rather regretted doing now, three months later.

-Flashback within a flashback-

It had been a long day for Maka. Yumi and Spirit had been trying to help her gain control over her weapon form. They had made progress, but with everything else Maka was being put through, it hadn't been nearly as fast as they wanted. Her instructors had smiled and encouraged her as much as they could, but Maka felt like she was failing them. So, they'd let her off early, to get some rest, re-energize for the next day.

On the way out, she had run into Tsubaki, who, being the kind-hearted girl she was, offered to go along with Maka to her house. Maka had gratefully acquiesced – she liked Tsubaki; she was easy to resonate with as a weapon. She enjoyed going on missions with her, even more so than Soul, her original weapon.

They talked of various things on their way to Maka's apartment, which was on the way to where Tsubaki lived with Black Star. Maka opened the door and entered the living room, Tsubaki following, as she had decided to stay for a spot of tea. They stopped at the entrance, Tsubaki shocked and Maka mildly surprised by what they saw.

Black Star and Soul locked in a firm embrace, kissing passionately.

Maka, who'd always sort of suspected this, was the first to react. She asked, "Soul, Black Star. What do you guys want? Tea, coffee or hot chocolate?", and went into the small kitchen.

She called, "Tsubaki, would you mind helping me out? And you two haven't told me what you want yet." Tsubaki walked into the kitchen.

Soul and Black Star stood there, shell shocked. Soul recovered enough to say, "Er, yeah, hot chocolate for me…and Black Star too."

"Cool, we'll be out in just a moment."

Soon, Maka and Tsubaki came out holding two cups each and set it on the table. Soul and Black Star hadn't moved an inch.

Maka calmly took a seat at the table, Tsubaki next to her. She looked over to them.

"Well, the hot chocolate's gonna get cold, guys. You planning on moving from there at all?"

Soul and Black Star slowly made their way to the table, heads down, blushing slightly.

There was an uncomfortable silence while they sipped their drinks.

Eventually, Soul, seemingly having had enough of the rather pregnant pause, said, "Look, about this…"

Maka waved her hand. "There's no need to explain, Soul. You and Black Star are together. It's good. I won't tell anyone. And I'm certainly not gonna judge you two. Love is love – as long as you're happy, it doesn't matter who you find it in."

Tsubaki remarked, "My sentiments are similar. Though, I'd advise you guys to come out of the closet. It's not good to keep this stuff hidden, and well, you have nothing to fear, really. Soul's a death scythe, and Black Star's a two star meister. You don't have to prove anything to anyone."

Something suddenly seemed to strike Maka. "Yeah, and if you guys wanna move house so you can be together, I'd be open to that…you guys can be closer too."

Tsubaki considered this and nodded. "I'd be fine with it too…the rent's are almost the same and it'd just be a straight swap."

"How about the kitty-cat?", chimed in a new voice. Blair.

"You're mine, of course", said Maka, grinning, a rare occurrence these days. Blair immediately jumped on to Maka's head and said, "Okay. Blair will go wherever Maka goes."

"So, what about it?", asked Maka.

Soul and Black Star seemed overwhelmed. Where they'd been expecting a cold reaction from their friends, they'd instead gotten a better reception to their situation than they could have ever dreamed. Maka and Tsubaki had accepted them, and were even offering to let them be closer.

Both of them cried tears of joy, and jumped toward the two girls meaning to hug them. Maka and Tsubaki smartly moved their chairs sideways so that the two boys landed in a heap on the floor. Maka commented, "Yup. That ain't happening." Tsubaki nodded, agreeing. They continued drinking their tea.

"Of course, you guys will be doing the moving", said Maka.

"And, if you dare break any of our stuff, we'll subject you to torture so horrible that you'll be begging us to murder you within the hour", added Tsubaki, nonchalantly.

Soul and Black Star nodded happily and embraced each other. Tsubaki and Maka looked at each other and shared a smile.

-End of flashback within a flashback-

Tsubaki and Maka decided to take a shortcut through a dark alleyway. Just as they entered the path, without any warning, Giriko attacked them with his chainsaw legs. Tsubaki leapt to shield Maka, and got hurt in the process, just as Soul had before, when they'd fought Crona and Ragnarok.

She hadn't been that badly injured, but Maka was blinded with rage to see blood drip from the nasty looking gash Tsubaki had been given on her side. And she gave herself to her rage so completely that she went unconsciously into her weapon form and brutally assaulted Giriko, cutting off his chainsaw legs with two quick slashes.

"Not so tough, now, are you?" said Maka, mockingly.

Giriko growled in anger, "You BITCH. I'll kill you and then I'll ravish your hot little girlfriend there before I kill her too."

Maka felt inordinately angry at the threat. She felt the intensity of her rage mount. "You are gonna pay for that, you bastard…and nobody threatens MY girlfriend like that…"

And she'd lopped off his hands. "So, how do you plan on carrying out your plan now, huh?"

Giriko yelped in pain – he couldn't move, he was limbless, and Maka had used a technique she had learned from Crona, that prevented him from regenerating immediately. Maka spat at him and gave him an maniacal smile, commenting, "Hmpf. Foul mouthed assholes like you aren't worth my time. You aren't even worth a burial, so I think I'll just rip your body apart."

So saying, she slashed Giriko at lightning speed, seemingly energized by his screams of agony.

She then ate his evil soul, and turned back to look at Tsubaki, who wore an expression of horror.

"That's a wrap", Maka had commented, and then she had giggled, similar to the way she giggled when she'd been in the thrall of the black blood passed on to her by Soul and Crona. Then, her adrenaline gave out, and she collapsed, exhausted.

She woke up in her room the next morning, a cold towel on her forehead. She knew it was morning because of the sunlight streaming in through the window. She felt extremely tired. She realized that her head was on someone's lap. Tsubaki. So, she'd watched over her through the night. Maka felt a well of regret rising up within her. She wasn't worthy of this sort of affection, not after her actions the previous day with Giriko. The thought at the forefront of her mind was the fact that Tsubaki had looked so scared. And, it hadn't been because of Giriko, but because of her. Maka Albarn. The bloodthirsty little kishin-in-waiting.

"You're awake! How do you feel?", asked a worried voice. Tsubaki, nice as always, kind concern shining through.

Maka started crying. She'd been feeling funny around her new flatmate of late, and she didn't know what it was. That, and finding herself in her lap, plus the events of the previous night, and the general way her life was going – it was all too much for her, and the way Tsubaki had just looked at her, it had been the final straw. All her frustration, her anger, her sadness, everything just poured out in one unstoppable torrent, and all Maka could do was sob as it overtook her.

Tsubaki immediately lifted her up and hugged her, rocking back and forth."It's okay now, Maka…Everything's gonna be all right."

Maka smelt Tsubaki and found that she liked the scent. Too much for it to be healthy. It calmed her down, somehow. Just as she realized this, her eyes went wide with horror. She flew off the sofa, away from Tsubaki and landed on the floor.

"Stay away from me, Tsubaki…I'm dangerous…You don't want…to be near me…and I'd never forgive myself if I did anything…" Maka put her head in her hands and curled up into a ball, and began crying softly. Tsubaki ran to her side, uncurled her and lifted her up on her shoulder. She carried Maka to her bedroom, and put her down there, quickly pinning her arms in to the side, and straddling her.

"Now, Maka…Tell me what's bothering you. I won't leave until you do."

Maka looked at Tsubaki, and the situation they were in. Her heart started beating faster. She started breathing heavily and broke the gaze, turning to face away to the right, struggling weakly against Tsubaki.

"Maka, no point in struggling. You're weak, and I'm heavier than you. Now, tell me what's wrong", she said gently.

Maka didn't look at her. Finally, she said, in a distant voice, "Yesterday, I terrified you with how I treated Giriko…I don't know what came over me, but nothing can ever come close to explaining or justifying what I did…I'm disgusting – I'm becoming exactly what I'm supposed to be fighting against, and I can feel it, I'm almost at my limit…Soon, the madness will take over, and when that happens, I don't know what I'll do…if I ever hurt anyone, especially Tsubaki-chan, I'd hate myself, and I'll probably become a kishin like Asura said I was meant to…Just like the weakling that I am."

Tsubaki suddenly slapped Maka. Maka turned to look at Tsubaki, surprised. Tsubaki seemed almost in tears herself. "When did you become like this, Maka? Why? You're the strongest among all of us – we may not say it out loud, but it's what we all truly believe. You have so many unique abilities, and you've achieved so much already, I mean, come on, the youngest three-star meister ever? And you were the one who defeated the kishin. And we all know how hard they're working you at the academy. If it'd been anyone else, they would have broken down long ago, but you just keep enduring it. You've become so cut-off, withdrawn…and it makes me so sad, Maka. It makes all of us so sad…Why are you doing this to yourself, Maka? I see you bottling it all up and being brave, and it makes my heart ache with sadness. You can trust me, you know…I just feel so sad that you don't let me help you, that I can't seem to do anything to let me help you…" Tsubaki had started blabbering by now, and so she trailed off, tears streaming down her face. Maka used her free left hand to wipe Tsubaki's tears. "Don't cry, Tsubaki. I'm sorry; it's not your fault, its mine."

Tsubaki slapped Maka again. "I told you, nothing is your fault. You need to stop blaming yourself, Maka Albarn. You're not alone…can't you see?"

Maka felt herself get inordinately angry. "What am I supposed to do then, huh? I can't undo what I did yesterday, what you saw me do. I can't become the same girl I used to be before, it's just not possible. Things have changed so much…", she shouted, frustration spilling over.

"Yes, Maka. Things have changed. Things will keep changing. But, you need to rely on other people more, trust them more...especially if they're your girlfriend…Or did you forget what you told Giriko yesterday?" Tsubaki looked at Maka, something like hope and longing entering into her gaze.

Maka frowned at Tsubaki. She replayed the events in her mind. Then, she realized what Tsubaki meant. Could she really have meant that though? Her eyes widened, a fact that did not go unnoticed by Tsubaki. "Ah, so you do remember! I'd have preferred a proper confession and all, but I guess that'll do." So saying she bent down and lightly kissed Maka on her lips. It was a gentle kiss, much like the girl who initiated it, but Maka could feel the love and affection and concern shining through the all-too-brief contact.

Something seemed to occur to Tsubaki. "Of course, if you still want to, that is…", she said, slightly apologetic.

"Want to what exactly, Tsu-ba-ki-chan?", asked Maka, smiling impishly. For the first time in a while, she felt happy. The anguish she had felt just moments before had evaporated the moment Tsubaki had kissed her. She felt energized, somehow, that her feelings of affection, the feelings she had buried so deep, much like her frustration and anger at life, were returned. But, this was a positive emotion, capable of uplifting her when released, rather than exacerbating her already fragile mental state.

Tsubaki flushed slightly. "Come on, don't tease me, Maka. You were the one who suggested it."

Maka laughed, and it was a genuine laugh of joy. Tsubaki felt warm for having caused it, for having made Maka happy. "All, right ,Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, I am a screwed up idiot who had the misfortune of being born with a lot of random abilities that people more important than me think makes me important. I'm moody, I'm withdrawn, I'm cold, and most times, I'm emotionally distant. I'm so close to being broken it isn't even funny. But, despite all that, I love you. Recently, I've found it difficult to be around you because I couldn't figure that out. Just thinking of you lets me keep it together when I'm at my lowest, and being able to protect you from that bastard yesterday, and confessing at the same time, just gave this past few months of struggle some kinda meaning. So, if you'll have me, I'd like to be your girlfriend." Maka looked at Tsubaki, slightly breathless.

Tsubaki closed her eyes. When she opened them again, they were shining with barely contained happiness. She cleared her throat and replied, "Maka Albarn, I've always admired you. Ever since I met you the first time at the DWMA, I looked up to you, because you were always so cool, top of the class, popular with everyone. I guess I got closer to you because of all those times we had to team up to find our esteemed partners when they were getting into trouble or just being the self centered asses they were. I wished so many times that you could be my meister, but then when you said that it was good in a way that we had started out with difficult partners because it would mean we could then partner with anyone else easily later on, I realized that you were right, just like you always were. And you supported me through thick and thin, became my very best friend. Then, after all the stuff that happened with the kishin, they put so much pressure on you, expected so much from you. But, you still remained strong, and you didn't push us away despite your pain. And that's when I started to have these feelings for you...as more than a friend. I was so much happier than I had any right to be, when Soul and Black Star moved in together, because it meant I could be with you, get closer to you, support you when you needed me to…to tell you the truth, even I've been having these weird feelings when I've been near you of late...sometimes, I felt like I'd like just grab you and kiss your problems away...and yesterday, I'll admit you scared me, you were very violent, so much unlike how you normally are...but it was a good kind of scared, you know. You did what you did to protect me, and my heart just went into overdrive when you called me your girlfriend, and I thought, maybe I had a chance with you, that maybe you felt the same…So, thank you, Maka, for being you…and I would like to be your girlfriend, no, your soulmate, support you, be by your side all the time, if you'll let me."

Tsubaki stopped, slightly breathless. She realized that she was still straddling Maka. Maka realized it the same time as her. Tsubaki shifted to sit at the edge of the bed, and said, "I'm sorry, Maka…For slapping you and for…you know…you were tired, and I was thoughtless."

Maka got up and turned Tsubaki to her. "This girl welcomes your uncharacteristic thoughtlessness, Tsubaki-chan. And I do believe we need to...seal the contract." She smiled, and Tsubaki smiled back, as she leaned in to kiss her. Tsubaki moved toward her almost at the same time. Their lips met halfway in a delicate kiss. It was slow and languid, and peaceful. Much like the two felt, after finally confessing what had been on both their minds so long, causing them no end of tension. To finally have it resolved, it just felt so good, so right.

They broke away from each other reluctantly to breathe. Maka suddenly felt tired, her exhaustion again catching up with her. She said, "Tsubaki-chan. If you don't mind, I'd like to rest for a while. I'm still kinda tired…"

Tsubaki looked at her, concerned. "Of course, Maka-chan, anything you need. Yesterday took a lot out of you…Suddenly changing to weapon form and defeating Giriko, you expended a lot of energy, after training with your dad and Miss. Yumi all day too. You really shouldn't do stuff like that, overextend yourself so much…", she said.

Maka replied, "Well, it's a good thing I'll have my girlfriend's arms to wake up to then, the next time that happens…I don't think you know what you've signed up for, Tsubaki-chan, but I really do hope you'll take responsibility", with a slight smile.

Tsubaki immediately pushed Maka on the bed and crawled up next to her. She pulled the blankets over them and hugged Maka tight, trying to be as intimate as possible. Maka leaned into her embrace. Tsubaki whispered into her ear, "Yes, Maka-chan. I'm fully aware of how much trouble you are. And, I don't care. I'll always be here for you, though I will get pissed off if you go do something like that again and get yourself killed."

Maka whispered back softly, "I won't forgive myself either. I've finally found happiness, and I want to experience it…all of it…with you. So, I don't plan on dying any time soon. You're stuck with me, I'm afraid…And don't you dare leave me alone now."

Tsubaki gently ran her hand over Maka's cheek. "I'm too comfortable right now to even think of moving. Besides, I'm right where I want to be...by my girlfriend's side. And it feels so good to finally say it out loud."

Maka searched for Tsubaki's hand and took it. They crossed their fingers and simply lay there, side-by-side, two great friends who loved each other, together at last.

-End of Flashback-

Maka sighed. She'd have to ask Tsubaki what to do. She couldn't go on like this…