"Hey Soul?" Maka looked up and stared into my eyes. I could feel myself starting to blush so I quickly shot out a "Yeah?"
"What would you do if I had to leave for a very long time?" She asked.
"I'd stop you of course" I smiled at her and I noticed a thin film of tears gathering in her eyes.
"What's wrong Maka?" I asked.
"I'm moving Soul." She said softly looking away.
"Why?" Why would she leave now? We're so close to 99 souls again. Why now?
"I miss my mother and she sent me a post card saying she misses me too and she wants us to be a family again Soul. I want to be near her again. I want to be able to run to her with my problems and talk to her. I want her to hug me and kiss my forehead and say it's alright. I want to see her again. S-soul I just wanted to tell you before I leave. I love you. This is goodbye." She said to me. I noticed she was crying now. Small thin tears as she looked at me. She was waiting for my reaction but what do I do?
"Maka I always loved you. Since the day we met. Don't leave. You can run to me with your problems. If you miss her you can cry and I'll hold you till you let it all out. I'll hug you and kiss your forehead and say it's alright as many times as you need to hear it. If you want to see her we'll go on a cross country road trip and track her down for a mother daughter's day. I love you too and I never want to say goodbye."
She just cried harder and buried her face in my chest.
"I-I Soul!"
"It's fine it's fine just let it out until you feel calm again then tell me what you're going to do because if you're gonna go with her I'll go too afterall what's a weapon without a meister?"
She cried for a long time. It's alright though she can cry in my arms however long she likes because she's here with me.
After a while she sat up and stared at me with her red and puffy eyes from crying so much.
"I don't want to leave but I do want to see her again. What should I do?" She asked me still staring into my eyes as if I had the answer but I guess I do.
"Let's go to where she is right now then. You could see her again and we can come back here. After all we're 42 souls to go!"
I grinned at her and she gave me a small smile. She leaned into me and placed her forehead against mine and closed her eyes. I tilted my head and we kissed. It wasn't rough or passionate but a soft gentle kiss. She smiled against my lips and said against mine.
"You always know the answer Soul. You always find me when I'm lost. Thank you."
"You give me the answers to my problems too Maka. You find me when I'm lost in madness and always pull me out. Thank you Maka. Now go on Maka. Meet your mother. When the time is right I'll join you again."
She didn't hear the last part because she was already gone. That's right I let her go. It's been a whole year and after months of research I found out how to release her soul. She was a ghost because she held regret for our argument that caused her to run to her mother. It was a lie though, her mother was killed by the witch and that witch tricked Maka and wanted to kill her too. She came back as a ghost because she couldn't get over our argument when she told me she wanted to go. The book said it was simple. Jut make it right. Fix the moment the ghost is holding on too and the spirit will be purified and go back to the after life.
How uncool. My selfishness caused her to suffer for a year. It even got her killed. Way uncool.
"Maka I'll see you again when my time here is done. I'll always love you though. No one can replace you tiny-tits." I smiled at the nickname. I'll always remember.
I'll never forget. I'll also not live in the past though. But everyone finds it. Their place in the world where they are content and no longer want to move forward. Sure I'll still move I just won't go further then I already have.
Because I have found that place. In loving her.