This is my first story on Soul Eater and first fic on this account. Criticism (and reviews) are greatly appreciated.
I've been thinking about this type of dark story about the dark life of several characters before, although for a different anime, but I think Soul Eater would work better for it, especially in Maka's case. I'm not sure where I'm going to go with this plot, although I need to make sure I include plot holes scattered here and there within at least 10 chapters. Advice please!
It was always dark, even if it was light. The Darkness followed me everywhere I went, like a pet; no, it was more like I was its master and it was my servant. Or maybe it was the other way around, for that Darkness soon consumed me. It went against everything I ever believed in and it took control of my life.
We thought we all knew each other. We joked around, fought for our lives together, grew up together, but we never learned anything about each other. We just knew what we wanted each other to know. Everyone has their own secrets, but no one wants to let go of them.
I, too, have my own, and I was determined to keep all of my secrets locked up inside my soul, only to be released when I was alone and desperate.
That was reality. We know nothing about each other at all.
The Secrets Within: Maka's Story
Chapter One
The water rushed down the drain, becoming a deep crimson color as it descended. My blood was dark, I noticed somberly. It suited a monster like me. Narrow cuts aligned my wrist as I hung my hand over the sink's faucet. I enjoyed cutting myself; the pain of a blade entering my skin throbbed only for a few dull seconds before it drizzled out into content. Cutting myself made me feel alive.
I was a masochist, someone who enjoyed feeling pain. My nasty habit started years back, although I can't pinpoint the exact day. It was around then when I realized that no one cared about me, no one loved me. Nothing was ever going to change. I was worth a nickel at the junkyard. My life was dull, bleak. I was tired of bawling my eyes out, waiting for someone to do something to fix my damned life.
I was sick and tired.
There were firm, hasty knocks on the door, causing me to snap up to attention. My eyes were wide in alarm.
"Hurry up in there, will ya? What's taking you so long?" Soul's deep, baritone voice emerged from outside. His voice was comforting to my ears.
"Hm?" I hummed to signify that I was alright. I was reassured that I was safe as I heard his feet shuffling away. As he did so, he muttered something about "girls and bathrooms" and "taking too long."
Sighing at his antics, I stared at my drenched lower arm. Multiple scars and the most recent cuts marred my pale skin at that area, although the wounds were already trying to close up. The wonders of being a weapon, I suppose. "I guess it's time to stop today," I muttered to myself. I turned off the tap, dried my skin, and pulled down the sleeve of my black blazer, which I made sure to keep dry.
I stared at my reflection in the mirror, and it stared back. The dark lines around my dull, sea green eyes were evidence of my sleepless nights. My dirty blonde hair draped around my face, which was filled with sweat and stress. My lips were cracked and dryer than my blazer and I licked it hurriedly before cautiously unlocking the door and quickly treading softly out.
I spotted Soul flicking through channels via remote of the small flat screen television we owned, Blair not far from him. "Why isn't there ever anything interesting on?" he grumbled to himself.
Looking away, I walked briskly to my room, collapsing onto my bed. Reaching for the picture frame on my nightstand, I stared at it. It was a pictures of years ago, when I was six—back when my family was whole and complete, when it was something that could be considered a family. I was wearing a cotton pink picnic dress and my hair was flowing with the wind, my parents sitting lovingly not far away.
I think back to then and wonder what had gone wrong. We were a picture perfect family: beautiful, unified, affectionate. Closing my eyes, I slammed the photo frame on the floor and it shattered into numerous pieces as I continued lying on my bed. Tears started to streak out, and I hated myself for that. It seemed like the only thing I could ever do was cry and cry. I was weak and useless. Weak and useless.
"Hey, Maka, you okay in there?"
I didn't bother wiping away my tears, since I knew Soul respected my privacy and wouldn't barge in without permission. However, I did try to not sound like I was straining when I replied. "Yeah, I just…dropped something." I paused for extra measure. "I'll clean it up later."
"Geez, you're such a clumsy little girl…"
As his presence left my proximity, a cold, numb feeling washed over my body. I felt like a puppet, unable to move by my own will without the control of my master. My body was heavy and my head suddenly gained a thudding migraine.
Do you want to die?
Yes.
Then why don't you kill yourself?
I'm a coward. I'm scared. I fear death.
You're such a coward. Your pain amuses me. Perhaps I should help you, if you ever need it, to kill yourself.
What can you do? You're just a voice in my head. I'm going insane, talking to myself. I'm turning out to be just like her.
Kehehehe. I'm not just a voice in your head. I am much more than that and you will soon witness my powers for yourself. I know everything about you. I am everywhere. You cannot run away from me, and one day, you will be ensnared in my talons. I will consume your life.
My mind was blank for a second, comprehending all that I had just heard in my mind. W-what? Who—what—are you?
I am a part of you. I am the subject of scorn amongst you puny mortals. I am the essence of what you call "Darkness." I am in every human, no matter how kind or naïve they appear to be, and when the Darkness inside them rises in strength, I shall be there to overwhelm them, devour them, dispose of them.
I no longer care, for my life was a train wreck to begin with. Why can't you just kill me now, oh mighty one? My sarcasm and cynicism was redundant, but I couldn't help but be bitter at the world, at myself.
Not yet. It's not your time, yet. You will know when it's time, and I will know when it's time. It's not here yet, but when it comes, embrace it. For now, sleep, my child. Fear, hate, grieve for the world.
My eyes felt heavy and they closed once again, except this time, I dwelled into slumber, a long-awaited thing that I desperately needed. Darkness compelled me like a lullaby.
BEEP BEEP BEEP. Groaning, I reached for my alarm clock buzzer and proceeded to rising up groggily. It was seven in the morning, meaning that I had slept more than I imagined I was last night. It was the most sleep I had ever had since a while. Briefly stretching, I straightened my crumpled, disheveled clothes and got prepared for school.
As I approached the kitchen, I noticed that Soul was already up, making himself what appeared to be a sandwich. I rolled my eyes and silently made some breakfast of my own. Sitting down with a small bowl of cereal, I continued to eating it. Soul was well aware of my presence, but didn't say anything until moments later.
"You were out like a baby, yesterday," he commented. "Didn't want to disturb your sleep."
I glanced down at my Corn Flakes, swirling my spoon around separate ones. "Mm. I was tired. Thanks." I didn't want to say much else in fear of saying something wrong. Soul might not appear to be, but he was a keen, observant person. It was a required trait for weapons and meisters, really.
After breakfast, I quickly stuffed books and homework into my messenger bag and headed out the door with Soul not too far behind. We walked in a calm silence, Soul making small comments every now and then with me nodding or shaking my head. In all honesty, I wasn't paying much attention to what he was saying. I was contemplating about the event that occurred yesterday. Who was the enigma called Darkness? Was he a threat to the world? That question in particular, though, was pretty much already answered. This creature, deity, being of some sort was debatable in itself. I wondered to myself if I was just out too hard and imagined him up.
"Maka. Hey, Maka!" Soul's voice pierced through my thoughts. I blinked and turned to him. "We're here already..." I looked up and soon saw Death Meister Weapon Academy's entrance up ahead. "Damn, you've really been out of it lately," he mused.
Before I could retort, Black Star's annoying, high pitched voice rung out. "Yahoo!" As his normal routine—which he obeyed daily, almost like a ritual—he was standing on the tip top of one of the school's turrets. How he managed to get up there was a mystery in itself. "I am the man that will surpass God! No! I am already God! Bwuahahaha!" He continued cackling like a maniac, nearly falling off, and we all chuckled, although we were already all used to his frolics.
Tsubaki soon joined us as she embarrassingly gawked at her partner. "It's amazing I'm still with him," she muttered, much out of character. Then she turned to us and said sheepishly, "Sorry for forcing you guys to witness this every day."
Soul shook his head and snorted. "This boy..."
Minutes later, with much convincing, we safely retrieved Black Star and together, the group walked briskly to class. "I swear, if you make us late again, you're going to feel the scourge of my fists!" Soul threatened.
"That's not cool, bro!"
I tuned them out and pushed ahead of the pair, pulling Tsubaki with me. Practically racing to our respective desks, the bell rang and we released a relieved sigh. Safe!
Not more than 10 seconds later, Soul and Black Star came in tow, still arguing alongside each other. Stein stared at the two while wheeling himself to the front of the class on his favorite rolling chair. "You two are late." He paused. "Again."
Soul groaned. "Not again!" He promptly turned to Black Star. "I told you..." The two then turned and looked at Tsubaki and me and I returned the gesture by smiling and waving innocently. "Traitors..."
Stein cleared his throat. "You know the drill. Go to the tardy room and receive a tardy slip before coming back here."
Black Star had anime tears running out as he headed for the door. "Not the tardy room! Anywhere but the tardy room! I'll do anything, I beg you!"
Soul sighed exasperatedly and shoved his friend out the door. "You're still dead either way, Black Star. Don't think I'll let you off."
The rest of the class observed the scene in great amusement, glad to be shaving a few minutes off class time. I was happy myself, for I temporarily was too distracted to remember what had occurred the night before. As I took out my writing utensils, sharpened to the tip beforehand, erasers, which I made sure to keep clean to eliminate smearing, textbook, and notepad, Death the Kid spoke to me. "Don't you ever get fed up with him?" He sounded peeved and annoyed, but I could faintly spot a smile rising from the corner of his lips.
I smiled fondly. "Well, we're all used to it, I guess. I can't help but be forced to live with that, since we were childhood friends."
We both turned back to the front of the room, the space where Stein occupied. "Today's lesson will be over—" Stein never could finish his statement, for an alarm suddenly blared. Bam, bam, bam! We all covered our ears in shock, confused at what was happening. Stein reacted immediately, and for the first time, we all saw him alarmed and even a bit anxious. "Everyone, listen carefully! This is not—I repeat, not—a drill. Form a straight line and exit immediately and calmly as possible! Head to the gym or cafeteria."
We were all frantic and panicking, but tried our best and do what we were told as Stein ushered the class out the door. Suddenly, the intercom buzzed on and Shinigami's voice came from it. "This is emergency code red-14! Red-14!" No one knew what that meant, but it still sounded pretty dire, by the somber tone of the death God.
As we exited the class and entered the hallway, we were all impacted by the chaos. The line was broken and scattered and we followed the rest of the school population.
"Maka! Tsubaki!" a familiar voice called out to us over the rampage.
Another cried out, "Kidd, Liz, Patty!" The five of us spun around as we pinpointed the source of the voices: Soul and Black Star. "Come here!" We did so.
"What's happening?" Liz questioned, out of breath. While talking, we continued pushing through the crowd.
"We're not exactly too sure, but we overheard something while in the tardy room," Soul shouted. We understood what he meant, since the tardy room was the entrance to Shinigami's office. "One of the security guards come running inside Shinigami's office, and we heard bits of the conversation. Remember that security system that the school had installed a few months back after Medusa infiltrated us?" I nodded in reply, dodging meisters and weapons as we kept on running. The security system was a single device that released a barrier around the entirety of the school. It allowed those with only good intentions to enter the school, and also notified the security guards if something was off. "We think—"
"We think it's about that," Black Star interrupted. Soul shot him a dirty look, but neither of them cared much for it. "The security guard spotted something!"
Kidd looked immensely pissed off. "The tension is killing me! Get on with it!"
Black Star and Soul stopped right in their tracks, forcing us to stop, too. They stared right into all of our eyes. It frightened me, since for all of the years I'd known Black Star, I had never seen him this serious. It was daunting.
He reopened his mouth and the words that we all wanted to know spilled out. "There's a Kishin in our school."
Chapter end! Finally! This thing took me three days to write in between all of school. T-T Read, review, critique, flame, whatever! O:
Edited March 22, 2012.
