Prologue
Four years after Asura's death
Her bag was on the bench, as usual, as she changed into her dress, hanging up her towel as as she did so. The change rooms were full of girls, and they would absolutely FREAK if they happened to see Black Star in the rafters. But that wasn't why he was there, of course.
Tsubaki started to leave the room. That's when Black Star pounced.
'TSUBAAAAKKKIIIIIII!' he yelled.
Tsubaki turned around.
'Oh, hi Black Star!' she said pleasantly. 'Why are you in the girls' change rooms, may I ask?'
Black Star's expression darkened.
'I have just found out a crucial piece of information.' he replied.
'Crucial to WHAT?' Tsubaki asked.
'Crucial to everything.' Black Star answered.
'Can it wait until lunchtime? We have a test now.' Tsubaki pointed out.
'No, it can't wait! I'll chain you to a chair if you won't listen!'
Tsubaki crossed her arms, smiled and cocked her head.
Why is she so damn hot?! Black Star thought, trying to distract himself from the way her chest stood out when her arms were crossed over her perfectly flat stomach.
'Well?' Tsubaki said, waiting for her meister to speak.
'Today I was looking at the noticeboard...'
'And there's a mission available in Spain to catch a very powerful witch!' Maka told her partner enthusiastically as they sat in their apartment.
'All of us can work together! That's four teams, which is half of eight, a very symmetrical number!' Kid finished with a flourish.
'Wow, that's great, Kid.' Liz said unenthusiastically as she studied her nails.
Patty played with her stuffed giraffe, paying no attention whatsoever. She left a scratch on the lovely crystal table with her newly-manicured nails.
'Liz, Patty... Did either of you hear ANYTHING I just said?' Patty looked up.
'Hm?'
Kid face-palmed.
'So, are you up for it?' Black Star asked the shadow weapon.
'Of course!' Tsubaki agreed with the sweet smile only she was capable of.
'Are you sure it's actually a witch? We don't want a rerun of Blair. That would be so uncool.' Soul asked.
Maka whacked him in the head with her book. Maka-Chops had become a lot more common in the past month.
'Of course I'm sure!' she replied. 'I'm going to go tell Crona!'
After the group's first class, they met in the cafeteria for lunch.
'Hey Tsubaki, did Black Star tell you about the group mission in Spain?' Maka asked.
Tsubaki nodded.
In the four years since Asura had been killed, Tsubaki had become even more attractive, if that was possible. Her dark blue eyes were even sparklier, and she had grown until she was taller than Liz.
She was more curvy, if possible. She'd cut her hair so it was up to her chest. She always wore it down, and it hung in sleek, shiny black waves.
Her dress was similar to how it used to be, except it was shorter and she'd added a belt.
Apart from Tsubaki, Maka had changed the most. She wore her hair in a single braid down her back, and it was a lot longer. She was a little less flat-chested, and a bit taller. Her fighting was even more amazing.
Crona nibbled on it's lip. {author's note: Since Crona is genderless I'm calling Crona it.}
'I don't know how to deal with witches in Spain.' it said innocently.
'You don't know how to deal with anything.' Liz snapped. She was in a bad mood because Kid had gotten into one of his 'I hate myself because I'm asymmetrical' states.
'I'm despicable! I don't deserve to live!' Kid wailed.
'Do you want me to kill you then?' Soul asked rudely. He had decided recently that he disliked Kid.
'Yes, please do.' Liz replied huffily.
Both Soul and Liz found themselves with dictionary-width dents in their heads.
Crona started to freak out.
'I don't know how to deal with book shaped dents!'
Black Star arrived at their table holding a tray.
'Aww, you bought lunch! That was sweet of you!' Maka gushed.
'I'm a GOD! I don't need to buy my friends lunch!' Black Star replied hyperly.
'Then whose food is that...?' Soul asked.
'Tsubaki's and mine!'
Tsubaki smiled. 'Thank you, Black Star.'
Liz groaned.
'I'm going to get some salad.' she declared.
'May I have an iced tea?' Maka asked.
'Whatever.' Liz replied over her shoulder, walking zombie-like to the counter.
Black Star handed Tsubaki a bento box.
'Ramen, shrimp sashimi, onigiri and miso soup with a cup of green tea, your favourite.' he said.
There were still three boxes of fries, a garden salad, deep fried shrimp, two burgers with the lot, a bowl of fried chicken and a can of Dr Pepper on the tray.
'Are you going to eat all of that?' Kid asked, starting to feel sick just thinking about it. Or that could've been the sushi Patty had made without washing her hands. It had been totally asymmetrical. Oh well, you can't expect much from two American girls who'd grown up on the streets.
Black Star nodded, already shovelling food into his mouth with his bare hands. He only paused to reply: 'I'm going to surpass God with this lunch feit!'
Maka rolled her eyes and looked around the cafeteria. She spotted Liz walking back with an iced tea, two (totally symmetrical) hot chocolates and two coffees. She started to hand them out.
'Maka, here's your iced tea. Kid, hot chocolate. With eight marshmallows, half pink, half white. Patty, giraffe hot chocolate. I got you a coffee, Soul, I hope you don't mind...' she said with a wink and a smile. She was eighteen and INCREDIBLY hot.
Soul chuckled. Each of the girls were different. Blair included, he reluctantly told himself. Liz was the hot one, Patty the childish one (which was kind of cute in his opinion), Tsubaki the cutEST one, Crona the he/she, Blair the mischevious one... And then there was Maka. Maka was an awesome friend and Meister as well as definitely pretty... But not jaw-droppingly gorgeous like Tsubaki. She was a bit seductive... But not a flirt like Blair. Maka was the smart one, he finally decided, and left it at that.
At that moment, an announcement came over the speakers.
'Maka Albarn, Death the Kid, Black Star, Crona Gorgon and your weapons, please go see Lord Death immediately.'
Liz rolled her eyes as she put down the coffee she had only just started. Her stomach let out a huge rumble.
'I guess we should go see Lord Death-Sama then.' Tsubaki sighed. 'Would anyone like some onigiri before we leave?' she asked as she placed her chopsticks on Black Star's tray.
Maka nodded. 'If you don't mind.' She plucked an onigiri from the box and placed it into her mouth as they left the cafeteria.
The next day, the gang were waiting at the airport.
'I'm so glad we were chosen to go on the mission!' Maka squealed as she checked the departures board for their flight to Barcelona. Soul smiled sheepishly. He was only going for her, anyway.
Patty sat on one big suitcase, while Liz struggled to drag about a thousand.
'Do you need some help, Liz-chan?' Tsubaki asked politely.
Kid answered Maka after nobody else did.
'Me too. It shall be interesting, and we will get much stronger.'
Maka smiled. She liked Kid, and sometimes felt that he and Tsubaki were the only people that really cared about her.
She immediately felt guilty for thinking that. Blair obviously cared for her. Spirit did too, in his own strange way. And Soul.
Of course Soul cared for her. He was her weapon... Her protector.
'Flight 78202 to Barcelona is now boarding at gate twenty.' an announcement said.
'Yay! Finally!' Black Star let out. Each Meister was sitting with their own weapon (except for Liz, who would be sitting with Crona). He couldn't wait, especially as all eight of them would be in business class.
Everybody in the gate lounge stood up and started boarding, the gang following closely.
'Tsubaki, we're seats A and B in row eight.' Black Star told his partner after checking his boarding pass. Tsubaki smiled and nodded.
Maka and Soul boarded first, as they were the furthest back in row eleven. They were followed by Crona and Liz who would be in row ten. Row nine was Patty and Kid. Tsubaki and Black Star followed them onto the plane. It would be a loooong flight, and Tsubaki was prepared to sleep the entire time.
Tsubaki was walking down the corridor of their hotel, admiring the thick carpets and crystal chandeliers. As she passed Kid, Liz and Patty's room, Kid emerged into the corridor.
'I didn't think you'd come.' Tsubaki said in an alluring tone, taking in every inch of the boy in front of her. All the way from his black shoes, up his symmetrical suit, his Shinigami chain, up to his amber eyes. Oh, those eyes. Kid's gaze was locked on Tsubaki.
They stared at each other for a second, and then Kid leaned in and pressed his lips against the shadow weapon...
But that little voice in Tsubaki's head just had to ruin the moment.
'He doesn't love you...' it told her.
'Then who does he love?' she asked the voice as she started to remove Kid's jacket.
As if on cue, Kid mumbled something in between kisses.
It took a few seconds for Tsubaki to register what he'd said.
Maka.
'Hey, Tsubaki, wake up! We're about to land!' Tsubaki heard a familiar voice say.
'Kid-kun?'
The voice stopped.
'No, it's me! Black Star!' Black Star said, breaking the awkward silence. Tsubaki sat up and stretched.
'I'm gonna go sit with Maka, okay?' she said, standing up. It was just awkward, being with her partner after dreaming about Kid. Besides, she couldn't focus on boys. She had a witch to kill.
Maka stared out the window at the huge city of Barcelona.
'I wonder where this witch is?' she thought out loud.
'You tell me, Little Miss I-Can-See-Souls.' Soul said coolly.
'Don't be stupid, she's probably using Soul Protect.' Maka replied.
'But you would still be able to see it.' Maka crossed her arms.
Tsubaki crept up beside them.
'Hello Soul-kun. Would you mind if I sat with Maka-chan for landing?'
Soul whipped around to face Tsubaki.
'Oh, um... Of course. I don't mind.' Soul unbuckled his seatbelt and went to go sit with his best mate Black Star.
Tsubaki took his place.
'Maka, I need to talk to you. I had the dream again.'
'Again?' Maka replied, shocked. 'That's like... The fourth time this week, isn't it?'
Tsubaki nodded in shame.
'I don't think this is a crush I'm going to forget about anytime soon... I think it's going to be permanent, Maka.'
'You should tell him how you feel.' Maka offered.
'Yes, but it won't seem right if I tell him that I dream of us making out every night. Besides...' Tsubaki swallowed. She hadn't told Maka that he said her best friend's name in the dream yet. 'I think he likes you.'
The plane touched down oto the runway.
'Just try to forget it for now, Tsubaki. We have a witch to kill.'
The hotel was nothing like Crona imagined. It was way worse. It wouldn't be hard to hate a scary place with lots of corners, like the cell she'd had when she first started at the DWMA, but it was totally different. The room she shared with Liz was big, with white walls and several floor-to-ceiling windows. There were two beds, each one queen-sized. It had a thick white carpet.
Crona didn't know how to deal with it. The corners were all furniture-covered, so Amen to Mr Corner. Oh well. She'd just have to hide in her bed.
Liz seemed to be a bit fed up with Crona. She couldn't deal with anything, and she just couldn't stand up to her stupid weapon. If LIZ was that weapon's meister, it would be dead by now.
It was sunset. The group was going to meet in the hotel lobby at dusk to start tracking the witch. Liz wasn't worried; Kid could beat anything. She admired him for that.
'It's almost dusk; I can't deal with dusk!' Crona fretted.
'Shut up, Crona.' Liz replied, fed up. She took a knife from the kitchen drawer (just in case) and retreated into her room for a jacket.
'It's almost time, Soul.' Maka informed her weapon.
'Yes. You'll be fine.' Soul replied.
Maka smiled. 'I know.'
Soul took a deep breath.
'Maka, if one of us dies tonight, I want you to know... um...'
Maka laughed. 'Come on. Say it.'
'You're my best friend who's a girl.' he said as the sun went down. 'And if you die, I will be very, very upset.'
'Hehe, I wonder what animal this witch is! Maybe she's a giraffe!' Patty giggled.
Kid rubbed his forehead. He'd been listening to Patty's non-stop chatter for an hour, and he had a migraine.
'Come on, it's time to meet the others.' he said gruffly as he walked towards the door.
'Okay, maybe the weapons should stay in their transformed states, just in case.' Tsubaki suggested.
Liz groaned.
'That hurts my back!'
Maka rolled her eyes. 'You've been so grumbly today!' she scolded.
Liz scowled and followed Tsubaki's instructions hesitantly. Patty copied, and Tsubaki changed into chain scythes.
'It might be hard for Maka to lug Soul around without any sound.' Black Star said. 'Maybe he should stay human for now.'
Crona grasped Ragnarok tightly, clearly nervous.
'Don't worry, Crona! Your blood is black, remember?' Maka joked.
Crona let out a shaky laugh, and all of them left the building... Maybe for the last time.
'There she is!' Maka whispered, clutching Soul in her scythe arm.
Black Star followed her gaze and nodded.
'Crona, you distract her. Black Star, sneak up from behind and DON'T MESS IT UP. Kid, you go from the left, and I'll go from the right.' Maka instructed.
Everybody nodded. Black Star clambered up the nearest building, Kid ran to the left side and hid, Maka stayed where she was and Crona ran in.
'A sword meister, hey?' the witch said without turning around. She slowly revealed her thin, pale face.
Crona smiled her insane smile.
'I don't know how to deal with witches,' she said. 'But Ragnarok does.' She ran toward the witch.
'NOW!' Maka yelled from the side.
'SCREECH ALPHA!' Crona yelled.
Kid ran up to the side of the witch.
'Death Cannon!' he, Liz and Patty said.
'Trap Star!' Black Star announced as he swung his chain scythes at the witch's head.
'Soul Resonance!' Maka and Soul yelled. 'WITCH HUNTER!' Maka instructed. She swung Soul at the witch.
The witch cackled and grabbed Soul's blade with her bare hands.
Kid's Death Cannon did nothing, but the witch was stuck in Trap Star.
Maka used a jump attack with Soul's usual scythe form.
'Witch Korra, your soul is mine!' she announced.
'Tsubaki! Uncanny sword mode!' Black Star ordered.
'Right!' Tsubaki replied. Black Star charged toward Korra, holding Tsubaki out in front of him.
'Shadow Puppet!' he yelled.
'Right!' Tsubaki replied.
Crona moved in closer to attack while Korra was distracted by Maka's jump attack.
'We're winning!' Liz yelled happily.
'No, Liz, we're not...' Kid replied. Korra grabbed onto the scythe's blade with her bare hands, stopping it from decapitating her.
A split second later, Maka found Korra's knife at her throat.
'Maka!' Tsubaki yelled. Maka's green eyes widened in fear. 'Soul! Help!' she screamed.
'Maka!' Soul screamed back. Korra laughed and sliced through Maka's neck. What happened in a split second seemed to unfold in slow motion as Maka's throat vein burst and she arched backwards, falling into Korra's arms.
Soul tried to transform, but by the time he was back to human he could tell it was too late. Maka held out her hand. 'Go! Run!' she coughed.
'No! Maka-chan!' Tsubaki screamed.
Liz and Patty watched in dismay. Crona yelped as Korra let go of Maka, causing her to fall into a pool of her own blood.
'Scream Sympathy!' Crona ordered Ragnarok. Maka coughed and blood dribbled down her face as she started to go pale.
'BITCH! YOU KILLED MAKA!' Soul yelled. Kid collapsed onto his knees, and fell down face-first as he started to cry.
Maka took a rickety breath, and then lay still.
'Maka!' Tsubaki screamed, running to her side. Soul swung at Korra with a scythe arm, his blade embedded deep in her chest. He pulled it out slowly.
Korra laughed. Then it hit Soul. He would never again see Maka's green eyes light up as she smiled. He would never experience another Maka-Chop. Maka was gone.
'MAAAKKKAAAAA!' he cried as he swung his blade at Korra's neck.
Her body disappeared, leaving only a dark purple soul.
Tsubaki kneeled over Maka's lifeless body, tears mixing with the blood on her face.
'Maka... You're my best friend! Please! Don't leave me!' she wailed. Black Star patted her shoulder.
'It's too late. She's gone.' he said solemnly.
Tsubaki stood up abruptly, her dark eyes trained on Soul accusingly. Her hands were covered in the blood of her besy friend.
'YOU.' she said just as accusingly. 'This is all YOUR fault.'
Liz frowned. 'It's not, calm down Tsubaki!' she told her.
Tsubaki stepped up to Soul.
'Your fault... Maka dead...' she muttered murderously. She swung her fist at him.
'IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!' she screamed as the punch hit Soul's nose.
'I hate you! I HATE you!' she yelled over and over.
Soul's nose bled down his top, but he didn't move at all. He just stared at Maka's lifeless body.