This is my contribution to Reverb 2015 with tilliquoi, who created fantastic artwork that I'm so glad to have worked with. Also check out Unfamiliar by Twin-Lupis who also made her contribution with her own story based off of the same artwork. So glad to have worked with these magnificent people! Well, I hope you enjoy my little souls!
This time of year, the desert was blistering hot. The echoes of baritone laughter from the ever-gleeful sun beamed his scorching heat across the cobblestone streets of Death City. Upon those streets, meisters and weapons as well as humans and the occasional magical cat wandered up and down these streets. However, hardly a soul would even dare to leave the coolness of their homes during this skin-burning heat. Hardly, except for the partners that could be heard bickering a mile away, stomping down the street irritably for different reasons.
"For the last time Maka, I said sorry! For fuck's sake, it wasn't even my fault-"
"So you just so happened to be groping Blair's breasts this morning? You know, the definition of groping is-"
"Then don't use the fucking word grope, cause I know what the hell it means and that's not what I was doing to Blair's boobs!" Maka's cheeks flashed red and she grinded her teeth, the sides of her red, plaid skirt crinkling in her death grip. She glanced around, even more embarrassed as she noticed a little old lady shaking her head in sheer disappointment, muttering about kids these days.
"Fine, fine! If you weren't-" Maka curled her index and middle finger in air quotations, "'groping Blair's boobs', then what were you doing to her?!" Maka stopped in her tracks and stomped a foot down, unknowingly onto Soul's toes until he yelped and stumbled back to cradle said foot.
"For crying out loud women, stop harking on me!" Soul growled out, favoring his other foot now as he heatedly glared at his partner. "It's bad enough that Death had to call us down to the school on a Saturday of all the fucking-" Maka poised a book above her head (where the hell did that even come from?!), eyes narrowed at Soul's cringing frame; apparently, she doesn't like him swearing, but if it's her, he didn't do a fucking thing about it. "Of all the days," He continued on exasperatedly, "he chose the day we didn't have to be at school. To top it all off, it's fucking hot," she held her book up again, but he just pretended it wasn't there, "there's fucking stairs, we're getting called in for a mission, and my meister thinks I'm sleeping with our cat and is punishing me for it!"
WHACK!
"And she's hitting you for being a disgusting pig and an ignorant moron. Now come on, we're going to be late at this rate." Maka spat, turning heel and walking with a fast pace. Soul struggled to get up, the heat and thanks to Maka, a blistering headache blooming at his temples making the day all the worse. Giving up for the moment, he rolled onto his back to wait out the thumping against his skull.
CAW CAW CAW
Soul snarled and peered up the side of the bricked flat, though a bit disoriented, glared at a black crow perched upon the rain gutter with beady eyes curiously staring down at Soul; strange beady eyes that Soul apparently didn't give a fuck about as he narrowed his eyes further out of anger.
"What the hell are you looking at?" Soul grounded out before staring up at the cackling sun, his meister racing ahead to the school. The raven watched the interaction between the two and it could only find it mildly amusing.
"Lord Death. Maka and Soul are here." Kid said as he stared into the black abyssal holes that were apparently his father's eyes.
"Good, good! And Black Star and Tsubaki?" Death inquired, bouncing bubbly as he crossed the room towards the guillotines to greet the arriving guests.
"Arriving soon father."
"I see."
"Maka's coming?!" A voice shouted happily, coming from the unmistakable man-whore, the Death scythe Spirit Albarn.
"Spirit, settle down. This isn't time nor the place-"
"Morning Lord Death! You have a mission for us?" Maka called as she walked side-by-side with her weapon partner who couldn't help but sneer.
"On a bloody Saturday of all days…" Soul commented, regretfully as he barely had the chance to notice the quick and sudden movement by his meister.
"MAKA CHOP!" Maka shouted, slamming a book between Soul's eyes and efficiently silencing him, additionally knocking him out onto the floor.
"Ah, Maka and Soul! So good to see you both! I'm so glad you could make it down." Death nodded, motioning them to come in. Kid smiled and welcomed with a small wave before proceeding to stand beside his father.
"Darling!" Spirit shrieked with glee, unable to hold back any longer.
"Silence papa." Maka deadpanned, not even sparring a glance over at her father.
"But my little munchkin-" He started, tears brimming up in his baby blue eyes as he groveled down to the floor before Maka.
"Spirit, don't you have other tasks at hand to attend to? Like filing your paperwork?" Lord Death cut in, the holes narrowing into slits. His tall, cloaked body leaned over the huddled form of Spirit.
"Ah- Yes… B-But I'm almost done-" Spirit stuttered unconvincingly, followed with an even more unconvincing smile.
"I suggest you go and finish that if you want to have any time to talk with me before we leave for our mission." Maka breathed out, her voice heavy with regret, but having no other choice in quickly dispatching her father who yet again was causing more mischief than necessary. She watched as his posture relaxed and his eyes grow wide with new tears.
"Right away my little angel!" He exclaimed with a sudden salute and his chest puffed out proudly, Maka sighing at the childish and very embarrassing gesture. She noted the small smile from Kid as well as Death's large hand covering over his non-existent mouth and his body bounced slightly with a quiet laughter. Spirit spun on his heel and with a mad-dash, left Death's room in a cloud of dust.
"Well… It seems that Black Star and Tsubaki are running late, but we can brief-"
"YAHOOOOO!" Emanated a very loud and very familiar voice from the guillotines. All heads swiveled to the deadly arches to take notice of the obvious guest; Black Star had arrived with Tsubaki in quiet tow.
"Ah! Soul!" Maka hissed out, now feeling guilty for hitting him down as she noticed that Black Star's signature stance, one hand on his hip and the other pointed to the sky, was standing on her partner's head. Soul continued to lay face down, his fingers twitching slightly as Black Star stepped harder while he laughed loudly.
"It is I, Black Star; the God which you have summoned!"
"Black Star!" Tsubaki croaked, kneeling beside Soul's form as she tried her best to pull one of Black Star's feet off of Soul. "You're stepping on Soul!"
"Ha! This wise peasant just knew that I was just about to arrive and claimed as a tribute for my godly feet to walk upon!" Black Star said with a cackle, both fists on his hips as he beamed a cocky grin. Soul must've heard the comment as his body suddenly came to life, pushing himself off the ground and toppling over Black Star, followed by a deadly flying book at Black Star's face that sent him collapsing backwards a few feet. Tsubaki, utterly shocked and worried for her partner, quickly moved over to his unconscious form and hesitantly shook him.
"Call me a peasant… I'm far too cool for that." Soul sighed out as he dusted himself off, moving over to his partner. Maka smiled, pleased as Soul stood beside her and Black Star were efficiently silenced. Kid sighed and shook his head, rubbing both temples with his hands as he felt an oncoming headache. Patti and Liz suddenly appeared at his sides in a pink light, leaping out of their weapon forms to formally attend the meeting.
"Well, if we're finished goofing off children, I think it's time that we discuss your mission today." Death stated, obviously ignoring the prone mass that was Black Star and the worrisome dark arm weapon.
"Right." Kid agreed with a small nod of his head, turning to face the mirror with his father. Maka and Soul did the same as the mirror flashed and instead of the room's reflection, a dark scenery of woodland appeared. Bare trees whipped in the wind, though the branches hard to see. The location looked like night, but as Maka examined closer, she noted the thick and tall coverage of trees over the bare ones, creating a very ominous forest. The mirror was silent, not a sign of life within the forest as it panned around slowly. Maka felt a chill run down her spine and for an unknown reason, became very uncertain about the mission's location. She's been in the forests in Japan, lush and big forests where it felt like you were being swallowed whole by Mother Nature itself. The forest was so dense, even the brightest light wouldn't shine a few feet through the dark, let alone the sunlight's usually penetrable light as they continued to watch.
"Maka?" Soul questioned quietly, feeling close right against Maka's side. Assuming she zoned out in her own thoughts, she shook her head, accidently whipping Soul's nose with a pigtail to which he pathetically grumbled an "OW".
"Japan? Why a mission all the way out there?" Maka questioned, knowing full well of other DWMA students that lived there, including a post of a Death scythe there.
"Well, it seems that other DWMA students who have taken this mission have come back unsuccessful on multiple occasions." Death spoke, though his voice still bubbly, there was a serious tone to it. "Reports of students coming back changed."
"Changed?" Kid questioned in turn, tilting his head to one side before tilting it to the same side for balance. The screen changed to a school setting, looking very similar to our own.
"This is one of the schools located in Japan for DWMA student, a smaller school with about 115 students. Out of these students, about 11 partners, or 22 students, have gone on this mission to only return unsuccessful and altered." Death said before the screen flashed again and a horrifying image of a girl screaming came into view. Her skin was pale and her blue eyes bulged out of her eyes at the pressure she was putting behind that blood-curdling screech, veins popping beneath the skin of her neck. Maka flinched back into Soul who put a comforting arm around her shoulders and turning her partially into him. Soul grinded his teeth, a twisted feeling starting in his gut as they watched the brunette yank at her hair furiously, chunks falling out between her shaking fingers, to which Soul took notice of the skin and blood stuck under her fingernails.
"Oh my God..." Liz whimpered out through her fingers that had spread to cover part her face, even Patti silent with her own hand raised to her mouth as she watched with wide eyes. Maka's heart pounded with dread quickly, the girl whirling on her partner who stood outside of what seemed to be a caged hospital room. He tried to call out to her, hands clenched around the bars, hot tears spilling down his face as he was cursed to watch his partner fold in more and more on herself. The girl continued to wail, eyes screwed up towards the ceiling as she completely ignored the boy.
The screen flashed white again and another weapon and meister showed upon the screen, both enclosed in their own cages. One of the girl's arms were pinned behind her with a thick strap of rope, muttering to herself in a corner with a slight rock on her heels as she stared at blood-smeared concrete beneath her feet. The other girl in the cage was obviously a weapon, her bed, desk, and chair provided in the room slashed to bits. Her wild eyes darted around, this way and that, her skin clammy as she sweated so much that it looked like someone had just dumped a bucket of water on her body. A man in a coat, who seemed to be the doctor, tried to speak to her in a foreign tongue, however the Japanese clear to Maka. His pen tap tap tap tapped on his clipboard as he leaned close to the bars, asking her questions about herself, her partner, the mission. She just continued to shit herself as a blubbering mess, looking like a mouse caught in the paws of a cat as she continued to shake with her distraught eyes roamed the room.
"The c-crows… They tease and cackle, tease and cackle… They took her away. She's dead. I'm dead. The crows, they're eating her, eating me… They tease and cackle, tease and cackle… The crows…" The girl muttered, over and over and over till it was obvious she was a broken record now.
"These are just the most recent students to come back, all three star meisters and weapons. The other students that have returned previously are in no better condition. Only a couple students have returned the same as they departed, though shaken, or have changed back to their original, sane state of mind after rehabilitating them within the school. Otherwise, students that couldn't overcome whatever has consumed them only became even more unstable and were causing not only harm to their partners, but to themselves." Death said, motioning back to the screen again.
Soul's eyes grew wide as he held Maka closer, who didn't seem to protest as she clenched her fingers into his leather jacket. The image was then changed into a student crying out, trying to push his way through the arms of faculty as other doctor's were currently huddled over a different body in a cage. One of the doctors squeezed past the struggling student who demanded on deft ears to see his partner, tears staining his cheeks. Maka could hear Soul's heart hammer against his ribs, the fabric of his jacket and shirt doing nothing to quiet the fear that grew inside, as it did in her own. Eyes trained on the doctor, he knelt down and withdrew a black square, unfolding it with another doctor inside, their foreign voices obviously tired and grief filled as that square unfolded into a rectangle and puffed up to a bag; a body bag.
"Enough self harm to kill themselves. Only two students, including this young girl, are victims of the insanity that seeped into their minds and pushed them over the edge." Death added, his eyes turning away to the students in the room, just as unsure about this mission as they all looked. As the doctor's shifted around, Soul caught the face of the young girl who was being shuffled stiffly into the bag. The girl's eyes were dull; a blank brunet almost faded gray as they laid perfectly still and trained to the ceiHer ashy blonde hair spread around her head, framing her sliced open neck for all eyes to see, the red rich color still wet and fresh. Soul's back went ridged and his skin prickled with bumps, the eyes of the girl flashing into a dull green, every dimple and freckle that he's seen graced on Maka's face appeared on the girls face instead, leaving a gut-wrenching feeling in the pit of his stomach. It wasn't that girl laying there, but Maka instead, lifeless and being zipped up into that black bag, the same bag that was bing lifted between the two doctors, past the screaming boy that only turned to look more and more like himself, white hair disarray and bloodshot eyes evermore so as they were trained on that comatose body that travelled further and further away from him.
"Alas," Death started with a sharp voice, effectively drawing Soul out of his own illusions and helping him ignore the chuckling demon within who couldn't' seem to resist feeding off of Soul's most terrifying nightmare. "We no longer can leave this to meisters and weapons at this level. It is believed we are dealing with a very dangerous kishin. Thus, the DWMA in Japan has turned to us to seek help." Maka's mouth slowly opened, but Kid noticed the question approaching.
"The Death scythe stationed there is currently attending to another matter at hand concerning witches. We need someone else who is of that caliber, or very close." Kid stated, a nodded gesture towards Maka and Soul. They looked at each other, though worried, not so much afraid to face what was laying in wait in the forest. Maka breathed out, only three kishin souls away from reaching 99 once again. Soul was almost a Death Scythe, to the point to where they already felt that he was, that they were, at that level. Defeating Asura proved what they were capable of, despite the struggle through that battle; nothing could be worse than facing madness itself.
"Understood." Maka agreed, looking towards Lord Death with that steely look in her eyes. "When do we leave?" Soul swallowed down his own fear, setting it aside to face later and glanced down at his meister. He could change skin into steel in a heartbeat, but his eyes were never steel for what was to unfold, even behind closed eyelids as he blinked; and Maka's lifeless eyes stared back.
Her skin turned pale and cold, as if running my fingers over a frozen lake's surface. My fingers prickled and tugged at the touch, the once viridian eyes staring to the sky. I tried by my best to ignore her chest, open skyward, ribs slashed into and her beating heart pumping out blood sporadically, the thick, red liquid splashing over my knees. I knelt over her, screaming her name, her own screeching voice still ringing through my head. I still felt her bones snapping through my fingers like twigs, the sound almost like popping knuckles. Then, the beating ceased.
"M-Maka!" I croaked, my voice hoarse and broken. Suddenly, her fingers slipped between mine and I eased at her touch, but she didn't react any further. I questioned her name again, leaning closer as I noticed the twitch of her lips, the vocal chords shuddering beneath the thin skin of her throat. Suddenly, her grip snapped my hand, bones ripping through my flesh as she death gripped my fingers together in her own. I shrieked out in pain, Maka's head lolling to the side to look at me, the cold stare of her eye boring into mine. I tried to yank my hand away, my bone suddenly splintering up my forearm, my own blood splattering across my cheek as my mouth gaped open to scream.
"Soul… Why?" Questioned Maka, but her lips didn't move-
SHINK
Black and grey ripped through my back, the bones in my spine like jelly to… to…
"Tell me why Soul? Why kill your meister?" Came Maka's voice behind me and as my head peered over my shoulder, the pain rippling through my entire body as my vision faded in and out. Maka's scythe arm to black to her shoulder to her black to her grinning face, the skin stretched to her cheekbones to black. Yet, the feeling of her fingers brushed my cheek as she questioned for me, her voice echoing in the back of my head once more.
"When you take your scythe out of me, I'll take mine out of you."
Soul jumped with a start, panicked eyes darting around himself, oblivious to the green, live eyes of his worried meister who's hand slipped away from his cheek to grab the lapels of his leather jacket. The roar of the jet rushed through his ears and replaced the blood-curdling screams of his dying meister, the sound of crackling bones and metal ripping flesh. Maka whispered Soul's name a few time before his glassy, fearful eyes focused in on Maka.
"Soul? Are you okay?" Maka questioned, her hand reaching up to his hairline and pressing her palm against the warm skin of his forehead, brushing back the white locks of his bangs away from his slightly sticky face, obviously scared enough in his dream to sweat. Soul eased against Maka's touch before relaxing back into the uncomfortable fabric of the passenger seat. Glancing down, he noticed the arm rest was drawn up between him and his partner's chair, Maka's legs curled up close against her and leaning close against Soul, who must've been asleep against his shoulder before he starting terrorizing himself behind closed eyelids, he assumed.
"M'fine…" Soul responded back, his hand reaching up to cover Maka's as it slid down to his cheek again. He ignored the twist in his gut and the echo of nightmare Maka, leaning against her small, gloved hands with exhaustion. The creases between Maka's brows told Soul that she didn't believe him, not that he believed himself. The nightmare seemed all to real, and with what Lord Death presented to them just three hours ago, it seemed like it could become all to real.
"Was it another nightmare?" Maka asked, knowing what the black blood could do behind the scenes when she wasn't with Soul. Her own sleep and dreams, whether wonderfully bliss or nightmarish, stole her away from protecting Soul, allowing the guilt to reach up and knot in her throat with a sour taste. Her jaw turning sore from clenching and her eyes prickling with salty tears at the thought.
"…Yeah, but I'm fine now…" Soul responded hesitantly, but hoped to pass it off as tiredness. Maka frowned, unconvinced slightly, but didn't push it any further when Soul slipped a small, rare smile at her and leaned his temple against hers. "I'm sorry for waking you. Please, go back to sleep." Maka breathed out and snuggled up closer to her weapon, dread washing over her soul at the thought of what may be waiting for them in the forest.
Her eyes flicked around the cabin, Kid sitting between the Thompson's who evenly leaned against his sides, sandwiching him between. Black Star lay across his own chair and Tsubaki's lap, thankfully not snoring obnoxiously as usual. Tsubaki's fingers were intertwined between his light blue hair, but her eyes weren't closed, neither were they trained upon her resting partner. Tsubaki's eyes locked with Maka's, a worried blue meeting unsure green, only lasting for a few seconds. Soul shimmied in his seat closer to Maka, dragging her conscious towards him to check on him. He seemed to be resting better at her presence, easing Maka only in the slightest. When Maka's eyes turned back to Tsubaki, her head was downcast and eyes closed, almost seeming as if Tsubaki had been asleep the whole time.
Maka allowed her own eyes to close slowly and she dreamed of a never-ending forest where no light touched the ground and she was forever alone.
When the plane finally landed after a near 12 hours, leaving the cabin's passengers groggy and sore from sitting in the chairs for too long. Despite it being a private jet of DWMA and having the service of a first class flight, the students strolled down the stairs out of the jet with jet lag and an energy lag.
"YAHOO!" Well, excluding Black Star who practically jumped all the stairs and 'shined' his godliness to everyone on the runway mat.
"In approximately 8 hours, we're scheduled to take our mission underway. Good luck to you each." Kid addressed with a slight nod. Maka thought back to the rest of the meeting with Lord Death, walking hand in hand with her weapon towards the vehicle assigned to take them to their respective hotel.
Lord Death looked across the faces of his top students, somber at their worried and frightened mission. Not the fear of failure of the mission, but of the fear of losing someone dear. He cleared his throat to catch their attention, all eyes moving to him as the he waved a hand dismissively at the screen, it fading out.
"Alas…" Death started, explaining to them why they were needed and why it couldn't be someone in Japan, Kid helping him along when Maka seemed confused at one point.
"Understood." Maka confirmed, more determination burning in her eyes that brought a grin to Lord Death, but she would never know. "When do we leave?"
"There is a flight scheduled for you all in two hours, so I suggest you all return home and pack. This mission shouldn't last more than a few days. You'll need half a day to rest in hotels already booked for you each."
"Hotels booked for each?" Kid questioned, now feeling out of the loop with his father.
"Precisely. The forest in Japan is quite large and after a bit of charting by the DWMA of Japan, they've narrowed down their results to the location of the kishin. However, it is still quite the large area, so we've divided between you three different stretches of land where the kishin is more than likely to roam."
"So we won't be all together?" Liz asked timidly, obviously frightened at the idea of not only entering a dark, more than likely haunted forest, but with less people anticipated.
"No, I'm afraid not for this mission." Death replied, steadily bouncing back to imply that the students should take their leave soon, there briefing almost over. "Continuing on, once you have rested in from the flight, you are to immediately set out into the forest to search for the kishin and take its soul. The DWMA there will have a mode of transportation to get you to each of your destinations. With that, I wish you all good luck." Death finished with a wave of his hand. Quietly, including Black Star surprisingly, nodded in acceptance and turned on their heels out of Death's room, going their separate ways to prepare their gear, their minds, and their souls for the mission.
Maka's hand was covered with a clammy palm, the long, slender fingers attached to it squeezing her knuckles, the cartilage uncomfortably rolling beneath her skin. However, the gesture of her weapon was more than comforting as she looked up into those burgundy irises, ignoring the small twinge of concern etched upon his face and turned her palm up against his to return the same comfort.
"We're here." Soul pointed out, Maka turning her head to peer out the tinted window of the taxi, noting the setting sun that casted an eerie glow to the small village they were sent to. Only a few villagers were outside, either working on fields or staring at the car, and more than likely at them. Maka breathed out, the air thinner and cooler despite being in the car. Soul stared at his partner a moment longer as she continued to look outside in silence. He sighed tiredly and gave her palm a small squeeze once more before letting it go and sitting forward in his seat, speaking in basic Japanese to their driver. Maka listened idly, sliding her hand across the car's sleek leather to the car door, pulling on the latch and gently pushing it open.
"Thank you for the ride." Soul said in Japanese, Maka making it out clearly.
"You're welcome. Please, be careful. There are many deaths within that forest and despite what you are DWMA students, you cannot win every battle. Sometimes, you must let whatever hides within the darkness stay in their own darkness." The Japanese man spoke, halfway turned in his seat to only glance timidly at Soul, but never look into his eyes. The look on Soul's face told that he only understood a few terms, the way his eyes blinked a couple times and that the corner of his lip quirked down in confusion; yet, only in Maka's eyes was this seeable. The Asian man couldn't tell and gave a meek smile at Soul's small nod. A very somber, meek nod.
Soul smirked slightly and moved his way out of the car, stepping on over to the back of the vehicle and opened the trunk to pull out the two duffel bags. He slung his wine red duffel over his shoulder, the black strap biting at his hand slightly at the weight. Maka's mossy green duffel felt lighter in Soul's arm as he decided to sling it under his arm and elbow down the trunk. Soul watched his breath flutter in front of his eyes in a white mist, like a ghost dancing in the frigid wind. Despite it being summer, even in humid Japan, only in this area was the temperature near 32 degrees.
"Guessing that's our hotel." Maka said as she walked from her side of the car, around the back of Soul, to his side with her eyes moving up the two-story looking house. Both meister and weapon have traveled the world in both urban and rural areas, including Japan more than once. However, this rural area felt almost deserted the way the empty eyes of the villagers watched them eye the more than run down cottage than hotel.
"Kinda looks like a piece of shit." Soul commented, cringing slightly at the dread of the book that would surely follow for the rude comment. Yet, it seemed like Maka agreed as she tilted her head down to hide her smile, heading in with Soul grinning in tow.
"Kore wa anata no o heyadesu. Tabemono wa gozen shichiji de teikyo shite imasu." The little Japanese lady said with a small bow, her eyes dull and tired as they found more interest in the ground than the new arrivals. Maka took notice of the wrinkles in her face, reminding her of a postcard from her mother.
"Within each wrinkle is a story folded in time; timeless in those wrinkles are the most momentous or stressful memories of their life. So when someone lets one of those wrinkles open up fully, they grin or laugh or scream or cry, and rekindles the memory within." As Maka looked upon the aged face, she would've sworn she saw dust collected between those thin lines. That told her enough; here, there was no emotion. Everyone was solemn and quiet, drained from something. As she watched the retreating figure of the lady down the hall to the nine-step stairway, she realized how lifeless everyone here seemed here.
"Soul." Maka questioned, closing the door to their small room and turning to face her partner.
"Yeah?" He replied, his voice just as tired as Maka's as he tossed out clothes from his duffel on the dresser, his back to his meister. She stepped on the rough tatami mat to him, the coldness seeping into her toes and making them curl in. Soul listened to the crunch and slap of Maka's small feet as they closed in. He set down his boxers and tilted his head to the peeling crème paint of the wall, feeling Maka's soul resonance with his own. He felt the front of his shirt tug on the front of his chest, a painful twinge from the scar across his chest; the permanent reminder of his loyalty, and his unknown love, to his meister. He glanced over his shoulder, Maka's fingers fisted in the back of his shirt as she pressed against him.
"Mm… Nothing." She said after a moment, her eyes downcast and face lightly blushed in pink. Soul couldn't help but smirk at his shy meister, leaning against her before turning sideways, swinging his arm over her head to wrap around her shoulder. He noticed the cold goose bumps under his palms, pointing out how chilled the room was as Soul tried to chase the bumps away with small circles on her arms.
"Can't be nothing if you tried to catch my attention." Soul snarked with a chuckle, his face tilted just right to where Maka couldn't help but notice that if she tip toed a little bit more…
"We just… We just should relax." Maka replied light-heartedly as she forced her head down instead of the first idea, a small smile gracing her lips.
"I guess so. We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow." Soul mumbled, unhappily drawing his arms away and overlooking the reluctant pull on his t-shirt still, but was able to move back to his clothes. He listened to Maka as she moved back to her own bag, which was on the one foot raised futon on the ground, kneeling down to be a little more level with her duffel. She pulled out her pajamas, disappointed that she packed ill equipped, having most of her lighter clothes. Yet, what was she to expect? It's mid-summer in Japan and she expected for more humid weather, not almost freezing temperatures. She had packed her old uniform over her Spartoi, not wanting to deal with the humid weather with the thicker jacket and leggings; the rare moment that Maka wasn't prepared.
"Mmm… What was that little lady saying earlier?" Soul inquired Maka, glancing over his shoulder sheepishly, cheeks dusted in an embarrassed shade. Maka looked up in thought to remember exactly what their host had said.
"This is your room. Breakfast will be served at seven." Maka recalled, easily translating the Japanese into English for Soul.
"Oh… Alright." Soul said, tucking under his arm his pajamas as he zipped up his duffel. "Well, I'm going to go get changed."
"I'm surprised you're going to turn in so early." Maka grinned, pulling out her own sleep clothes. Soul just shrugged and padded over to the smaller than small bathroom, flicking on the light.
"We've got a long day tomorrow. Better safe than sorry." Soul half smiled at Maka before sliding the door closed. Maka didn't miss the hesitance behind that smile, almost unsure. Although, she wasn't any different. She wasn't neccessarily afraid, but she was very concerned. From the images in Death's room to the disturbance in Soul's black blood on the plane ride, the darkening sky made it no better. She stood up slowly; the floorboard's shuddering with a small groans beneath her feet, tingling the bottom of her toes. Moving to the window, she undid her pigtails slowly as she watched the sun disappear behind the mountain's side, casting a darker glow across the forest and village. No one was outside like before; cottage's lights were dim and the only sound was the whistling wind and Soul shuffling around in the bathroom.
CAW CAW CAW
Maka's eyes flickered off to the side of a dead tree, thin and blackened from the unfertile soil in the area. A lone crow was perched to the edge of a branch, as close at it could be to the window. Its attentive eyes watched her, not straying once. Maka's eyes stared back, not thinking much of the bird. At least, not until she noticed one of its eyes. The left eye was charcoal, entirely normal for a crow; however, the right eye was strange. Its right eye, upon first glance, appeared just the same as the other. Yet, the longer Maka stared without blinking, a tinge of red engulfed the iris. A ringing sang through Maka's ears, high and loud to the point where it reminded her of a continuous fire alarm, setting a pounding sensation against her temple. No matter how loud though, she didn't blink or look away. The dark surroundings around the bird melted and swirled like painted watercolors before a very sickening feeling curled in her stomach, such as guilt, shame, and distress all curled up into one ball and rocked around in her soul.
"-ka-" She stared at the bird still, opening her senses to see its soul. It appeared normal, just as any other soul Maka would see bobbing around her perception. Yet again, the longer she 'stared' at its soul, the more the soul changed.
"He- Ma-" The sounds around her were short and choppy, as if trying to listen to someone whisper while they under the propeller of a helicopter. The blue glow of the soul shimmered harmlessly before the color tinged itself with purple, it zapping in and out like a static television. The crow's beak parted slightly, revealing a tiny, slender pink tongue as it bent up as if to start spilling out words-
"MAKA!" Soul bellowed, snapping Maka out of her reverie like a rubber band. She didn't even realize his hands as they squeezed her shoulders hard, painfully digging between her shoulder blades. Maka swiveled her head around, her wide eyes no longer glazed over as Soul had seen it. His own eyes were wide and Maka didn't miss the evident fear this time, no longer just worry or concern.
"S-Sorry." Maka stuttered out, brining up her hands to her chest to cradle over her throbbing heart, the veins in her neck thumping just as hard as her blood raced. Soul licked his lips, looking out the window as the once silent crow Maka stared at was now cawing loudly, feathers ruffled with a few flaps. He reluctantly let go of her shoulder with shaky hands, anchoring those hands through the thick tuffs of his hair.
"What was so interesting about that bird that you ignored me?" Soul questioned irritably out of panic as he tried to hold back a foul slip of the tongue with a tight bite to the inside of his cheek. He looked at her as if she had grown a second head, to which Maka looked at him incredulously.
"I wasn't ignoring you Soul. I-"
"Couldn't hear me? I called your name for five fucking minutes and you just stared out the fucking window like some possessed cat." Soul snarled, startling Maka as well as sparking her own anger.
"I wasn't possessed! Where would you even come up with a stupid idea like that?" She snapped back, stepping up to Soul where he staggered back a step. She huffed loudly, stomping past her partner to scoop up her clothes set on the futon before taking her turn in the bathroom with a slam of the sliding door. Soul's lip curled down slightly with a growl, chucking his clothes on his duffel irritably.
"Well, sorry for being so fucking worried about my meister…" Soul grumbled under a heated breath, flipping back the pale blanket and flopping heavily down onto the futon, realizing how uncomfortable their 'hotel' bed was. (He mused for a minute whether the rest of the gang got anything better…) Soul yanked up the covers to his chin, glaring towards the window to see the crow still inspecting inside their small room. Sitting up on an elbow, Soul threw the pillow at the wall to startle the bird away. It cawed loudly and flapped its wings, but dug its talons into the branch to keep hold. Soul growled lower as he turned on his side to have his back face the black creature, burgundy irises glaring at the wall. Soul listened to the splash of water and the creaking of the house before his anger turned into fatigue, lolling him into slumber.
Maka emerged from the bathroom, steam rolling around her body like waves across a sandy beach. The heat of the shower eased her body and soul, as well as giving her some private time to think. Guilt bit the back of her throat and knotted her stomach as her eyes flickered over to her sleeping weapon, which she just had to snap at. She didn't mean to, knowing that if it were the opposite, she would've been extremely concerned. Tiptoeing across the floor, she removed her duffel from the edge of the bed and set it next to Soul's, setting her dirtied clothes next to the bag. Her fingers reached out and slipped over the single light switch, turning off their little room's light out.
She stood there, listening to the quiet breathing from Soul and the faint whispering of the wind against the window the only sounds around her. So quiet, unlike earlier with her feathered friend; speaking of which… She turned her head to the window, that same friend gone now. The empty branched fluttered with the wind and she waited a moment longer, reaching out her soul to perceive others around hers. Soul's was by far the closest and the most comforting, followed by the little Asian lady that had welcomed them earlier now a calm soul downstairs. A couple others in the run-down hotel and a few other souls scattered amongst the town's small abodes. Yet, even as her perception reached to the edge of the forest that was to be explored tomorrow, she couldn't sense the crow anymore.
Maka breathed out, weariness nipping at her body and setting weights on the lids of her eyes, signaling that is was time to turn away from the window to the futon. She eyed her partner, a small blush crossing her cheeks as she just realized that her and Soul were going to share the bed; again. It seemed DWMA didn't mind the partners sharing a single bed on missions, despite gender differences. Yet, it was okay to Maka, as it was for Soul; they surely didn't mind the comfort nor the hope it gave them. Maka breathed out and crawled her way next to the sleeping mass of Soul, noting the smoky-metallic smell that rose from his skin, tickling her nose and sending tingles up and down her spine. She gently lay down with her front to Soul's back, laying as close as possible without being pushed up against him. Soul breathed quietly, his ribs rising and falling like music's crescendo, just as beautiful too.
"Night Soul…" Maka mumbled, mostly to herself than her partner as she brought up her arms to her chest to give her a small bit of warmth. There was a heavy sigh from Soul and suddenly, his body turned to face her, chest in her face and legs tangling with hers. Maka breathed in sharply through her nose, the close proximity setting her senses alive. His arms wrapped lazily around her waist, warm fingers brushing against the prickled skin of her sides as Soul snuggled his face against her hair, eyes still shut.
"Night Maka." He hummed against her skull, the rumble in his chest not helping what-so-ever to Maka's anxious predicament. Obviously, Soul was not asleep, as Maka had thought. Slowly, her arms slid away from her to smooth over Soul's t-shirt, the ridges of his chest apparent under the soft fabric as she felt the steady rise and fall. The steady breathing from Soul eased her soul, but as she watched him, dread filled her heart and soul. She imagined his chest slowing in its pattern, shuddering once in a while. She then remembered that she saw it happen once before, and she knew it could happen once again. She knew that she could see his blood on her again, see the organs and bones that she had never wished to see, not in anyone and especially not in him. The way his eyes had lolled to the back of his head under his headband, casting a murkier red as his eyes unfocused towards the ceiling. The way his clothes became drenched in his blood, eternally staining the fabric to the point where they had to throw it away; mostly because looking at the dark red brought Maka to tears and Soul couldn't stand that.
"Maka…" Soul mumbled questionably, pressing himself even closer against her. "Stop thinking about it. We'll be okay." He droned heavily in her ear, soft and quiet that relaxed her considerably. He could always tell when she was thinking about that day where he earned his scar, her trust, and unknowingly, her love.
"I know." She answered back after a moment, leaning her nose into the crook of his neck and let her eyes close.
"You always say you know."
"I know." His chest rumbled with a dry chuckle, vibrating against her nose.
"Goodnight Maka." Soul said, letting the darkness seep in to take him back to sleep, but not before he heard the five words that set a faint smile across his lips that Maka couldn't miss as she peered up to Soul through weary eyes.
"Night Soul." A pause. "I love you."
As dark turned light, as night turned morning, Soul woke before his meister. The early light cascaded upon her cheek under his neck, her nose lightly pressed against his wrinkled shirt with small puffs of warm air between her lips. His arm had moved to cradle the back of her head, his fingers intertwined with her wheat-colored locks as he ran them through, his lips slowly pressing against her temple.
"I love you too." He wouldn't know how short lived their tranquil life would be.
"Ke-Ke-Ke… DWMA sent more fun."
"Not done with fun brother?"
"Not even close."
"Soul, you ready?" Maka asked, slightly hesitant, as she looked the forest's tall tree line up and down before looking over at her partner who looked just as skeptical. Aokigahara; also known as the Suicide Forest. The name didn't ease them either. This forest was known for its many suicides, the numbers increasing year after year. Many people say that it just became a popular spot of people to commit their conclusive acts, others tell of old folklore wander the forests to spark fear and caution in young hearts, while others believe an unseen force resides within the forest to haunt the living.
"Oh yeah Maka… Totally ready to enter the Suicide Forest let me tell you." Soul drawled sarcastically, hands shoved into his pocket as he eyed the forest wearily. Yet, he stepped forward with Maka right beside him, being just as ready. She opened her perception, sensing for the souls around her.
"Aokigahara." Maka corrected, not liking the ring the English translation gave it. She then looked down as branches and leaves crackled under her feet as she noticed the dead foliage covered most of the ground. She set forward with her loyal weapon right beside her, reminding her of a faithful dog.
"Aogigahama." Soul joked, sounding terribly foreign with the language and a roll of his eyes. Maka lashed out her arm, a book magically in hand as it knocked against Soul's skull. "Ouch! What was that for?!" He growled, cradling the side of his head as he glared at his partner.
"Aokigahara." Maka annunciated slowly, swinging her book for every syllable for emphasis. "Get it right Soul, it's rude to mock it."
"Just trying to lighten the mood…" He grumbled, looking around as he rubbed the now tender spot on the right side of his head. "Speaking of light…" He stopped in his tracks, looking back the way they had come. It was like a dark abyss, no light touched the ground. Blackened trees stood naked in the dark, just dark shadows that already started to play tricks on their eyes. Above those trees were much taller ones, so high that the color of the leaves didn't stand out and not a single shred of light slipped through.
"Wow…" Maka said quietly, thinking to herself that it was dark. Even though it was only eight in the morning, to which Soul angrily grumbled about waking up just after six with jet lag, it was pitch blank. While they were walking, they're eyes dilated to the dark, but for only a few feet in front of them. Abruptly, Maka growled and snapped her hand out to soul, an easily detectible gesture that had Soul flashing flesh and bone to metal in a heartbeat. Maka surged ahead with her scythe in hand, slightly stumbling over overgrown roots and woodland debris under her combat shoes that blended in the dark until she was just upon the wooden claws that tried for her. Yet she sped ahead with sheer determination and adrenaline, the steeled look in her eyes foretelling they found their target. A kishin.
Maka started to slow, her footsteps lighter as they swept through the heavy forest floor, leaves crunching and fluttering under her movement. She darted tree to tree, gradually becoming quieter and quieter till she sounded like nothing more than the wind. Growls and snarls emanated ahead, the sound closer and closer as Maka weaved her way in the shadows, Soul silent in her hands. She quickly dug her heel into the moist dirt, stopping herself quickly as she used her momentum to dart behind a thick tree. Cautiously, she peered around the dark bark to the back of the kishin, the ridges in its spine rolling with a sickening pop, like someone was constantly cracking their knuckles.
It hovered over a deceased body of what looked to be a deer, but the poor victim was gruesomely tangled in its own flesh, the gut of the animal open for all eyes to see with intestines circling around its shredded legs, fur scattered everywhere. The eyes were yanked out, one currently being licked by a tongue far too long to be animal, let alone human, as it circled around the white ball before the tip dug into the hard ball of the pupil. Yanking out almost delicately, the tongue whipped back into the open jaws of the kishin with a satisfied sigh, the sound like the hiss of a car's engine.
Its head jerked towards the hiding pair suddenly, flattened nostrils flaring intensely as it sniffed in and out repeatedly. Even more sudden was how the kishin moved to all four legs, running away with its deformed body, looking more like a person attempting an animal's run on four limbs.
"After it Maka!" Soul growled out, his voice having a metallic ring to. Maka quickly followed in close pursuit, amazed at how fast it was running with its disfigured body. Her feet edged closer and closer with each stride, her arms setting back with Soul, ready for the strike, up until it took a jerk off to the side to dodge an oncoming tree. Surprising Maka at the tree's too fast approach, she spun the opposite way of the kishin to dodge the still tree, sliding slightly in the leaves to a partial kneel. She reached out her perception, panting lightly at her small exertion, but was fazed when she could no longer sense the kishin.
"Maka, why aren't you going after it?" Soul asked loudly within the reflection of the blade, eyeing Maka with both concern and slight irritation.
"It's gone." Maka breathed out, straightened her stance as she brought Soul's scythe blade to her face, ignoring the dazzling black and red and concentrating on Soul's face.
"What do you mean it's gone?" He questioned disbelievingly, the middle of his forehead furrowing down in confusion. "He couldn't have gotten far, so just use your percep-"
"I am." Maka bit back at him, anger washing over her not only at the kishin getting away, but also with Soul's attitude.
"Well, are you doing it right? He couldn't have just upped and vanished like thin air!"
"I can't sense it anymore Soul, so back off. We'll follow in its tracks, alright?" Maka commanded more than requested, trudging after the kishin's foot-like trail. Cold air seeped into her bones as she continued to walk, Soul not saying another word as he remained in his weapon form, Maka resting him on her shoulder after a few minutes of walking. As they wandered further and further into the forest, Maka could no longer sense the kishin's soul. Yet, an ominous feeling creep up over Maka that sent shivers across her body.
CAW CAW
Maka slowed in her pace, glancing over her shoulder as she could hear the cries of the black bird, the sound echoing off the dark trees.
"Hey Soul…" Maka started, looking left and right. Soul was zoned out and just barely caught his name.
"Hm?" He hummed back in question, the metal in Maka's hand vibrating the slightest.
"You get the feeling we're being watched?" The eye upon the scythe glanced down at his uneasy meister before it darted left and right. The dark swallowed everything around them, the forest silent now. His reflection shinned upon the blade of the scythe, a heavy exhale sounding from him.
"Not really…" Soul hummed nonchalantly, his eye lazily scanning around.
"Something feels… Wrong. I don't think we're alone." Maka muttered, bring Soul closer to herself.
"I think this mission is just making you anxious Maka." He commented, but Maka responded with a huff and puff of her cheeks, bring down Soul's scythe eye to look him directly in the eye.
"I'm not anxious Soul, I'm serious. I know that someone, something, is watching us." Maka stated, only to be responded with a roll of the eye.
"A figment of your imagination more than likely…" Soul muttered under his breath.
"Tch. Maybe your madness isn't under wraps and it's leaking out to me." Maka muttered with light humor, only to be met with a bright flash of light, Soul shape shifting into his human form again before he whirled around to face Maka. The advantage Maka had with Soul being in his weapon form was that she could be eye to eye with him when she brought him down, but when he was a man rather than weapon, he stood above her. With his eyes darkened from the forest, the red still lit up as anger flared up within them.
"You know fucking well when I'm losing it Maka." Soul snarled, staring down his meister, to the point where Maka shrunk even further. "I would've lost it before you, and you know that. I have no fucking idea why you would even point your finger at my black blood, especially towards me." Soul clenched his fists, more hurt than shocked that she point blame at him.
"S-Soul… I just-" Maka stuttered, timidly reaching her hand out to Soul like reaching out to a snarling dog. Though, the dog thought better than to bite the hand of his owner, turning his back towards her and stalking away heatedly. Maka's eyes grew wide and her heart plummeted to her stomach, stuffing up her throat and twisting her gut. Watching the retreating figure of her weapon, her best friend, her lover, she could hear the gears of their resonance clacking against each other.
He couldn't hear the clacking though. Soul was already several feet ahead of Maka and leaving her in the dark as he seethed internally. His soul stung and left a bitter taste in his mouth, wounded at Maka's blame. He turned within himself, calling out to the demon who only murmured at the bottom of his soul, where it's been since the battle against the kishin.
CAW CAW CAW
"The hell!" Soul shouted as he raised his arms in front of him, black feathers flapping against his skin as a crow took to the treetops, easily blending into the darkness. "Damn bird." Soul looked up and inhaled deeply, a relaxation technique Stein had him practice to make sure he could keep his boiling black blood deep under the skin. Soul turned and opened his mouth to call for his meister, only to be met with a wall of black. He called her name once, twice; her name echoed tree to tree, but that was the only name that whispered back. Chills raced down his spine as he began to walk back, faster and faster until he was running with panic setting off his adrenaline.
"Maka! Answer me Maka!" He shouted, eyes wildly searching for his blonde-haired meister, as the sensation of dread that he had pushed away earlier rising back up again. He was about to call her name against as he turned a tree, but gasped as he nearly ran into so said meister. She stood there quietly, her head tilted down with a disturbing muteness.
"Maka…?" Soul inquired, catching his breath with slight wheezes as he looked her up and down. Then, Maka's body shook lightly as childish giggles escaped her lips.
"Ello!" Maka cooed, her voice bubbly and light, just like her body as it swayed back and forth.
"Soul! Come back!" Maka called, rushing after her weapon. He seemed to walk further and further, faster and faster as his form blended into the shadows. Maka ran after her partner, tears tumbling over her cheeks. Apologizes seemed to fall on deaf ears as Soul completely disappeared into the dark. She continued on anyway, telling herself that everything was going to be okay; he'll forgive and he won't leave, she reassured herself.
Unexpectedly, a long limb lashed out at her and she only had milliseconds to bend back to dodge the razor sharp claws that had tried to strike at her neck. She felt the tips knick the skin of her shoulder lightly, the sensation as if a needle dragged through her skin. She bit back a cry and used her backwards momentum to bend further onto her hands to propel her back to her feet with a few feet away. Despite the black murkiness of the forest, she couldn't mistaken the figure of a kishin hovering back, it's clawed fingers clicking as they rolled up and down against each other.
"Soul!" Maka called out desperately, backing up as she cautiously watched every twitch from the demon, every so often glancing around for a white mop that belonged to the one and only man she trusted; rapidly, that trust was depleting. The kishin growled and inched closer, but stood up tall quickly, it's nostrils flaring as its eyes looked over and past Maka. Maka looked left and was met with the eyes of the night, lifeless and empty. The kishin groaned and swiped at Maka again, who swiftly lunged out of the way. Maka looked to the right, still met with the suffocating darkness. As Maka started the kishin up and down again, a warm breath tickled the hair on the back of her neck. Her spine stiffened and as Maka slowly turned around, ignoring the way the heated breath moved to brush across her neck, as she turned to face a very familiar face.
"H-Hi…" Soul breathed out, internally freaking out at the overly jolly Maka. "Are you- Did something happen to you?" The Maka he faced giggled and lifted her face, eyes wide with craze and a delighted grin stretched her lips wide. Soul's heart pounded against his chest as confusion filled his head as He reached out and gripped her shoulders to still her, looking into those mossy green eyes, only to notice something definitely different. Those mossy green eyes weren't so mossy, nor were they really green. They were a very light hazel, having a red tinge to them almost. Thinking it was just a trick on his eyes in the dark, he reached his soul out to initiate their resonance. He reeled back and lashed out his scythe arm protectively, eyes slanting into a furious glare.
"You aren't Maka." He hissed out, completely lost on whom this person could be. The imposter Maka's eyes widen even more with astonishment before they rested back into a half-lidded dazed look.
"Surprised you could tell." The imposter Maka drawled with a very choppy voice, sounding as if they didn't speak too often. Soul licked his lips, his mouth suddenly dry. Stumbling over simple Japanese words to ask where she was, who they were, what did they want. The imposter tilted her head, a sickeningly innocent look on her face that only seemed to give more fuel to Soul's fiery rage.
"Don't fuck with me! Tell me where she is!" Soul demanded with a roar, and with a single arm, grabbed the collar of Maka's white collar and shoving her against the tree. The gasp of whoever was Maka was far too real for Soul and he almost let go, but he snarled through his doubt and continued to pin her high. Her small hands wrapped around his wrists tightly, a pleaded gesture for release. Soul stared for a moment; doubt seeping into his blood and making his mind scream with protest of breaking his loyalty. Yet, as Maka's pained and scared eyes stared right back into his own (a look he'll never want to see again), he slowly took notice of a red tinge around the emerald irises that seemed to intensify the longer he gazed at them.
"S-Soul…" The now teary-eyed Maka whimpered, her legs wiggling against Soul's knees, definitely leaving small bruises. Soul winced and continued to hold her, feeling the pipe beneath his palm tremble for air, a wheezing coming through her lips as she tried. Soul grounded his teeth and slowly drew up the tip of his blade to her cheek, pressing the cold metal lightly. At first, he thought the red was just because she was crying and she really was Maka, and Soul was doing the last thing he could ever want to do to her. Yet, he took notice that the red tinge seeped into her eyes, reflecting his own red ones. This wasn't Maka.
"Cut the act." Soul hissed through his teeth, keeping whoever pinned.
"..." The fake Maka became silent, head lolling down to touch her chin to Soul's gripping hands. Thinking he may have just suffocated her, he let out a small grunt and eased up his hold to where her feet started to brush the dead leaves beneath them.
"Fuck!" Soul cursed in shock, a smoky burn left on the palms of his hand as he reeled back, his other arm shifting back as to cradle his hand. He could feel the skin of his palm tingle and sizzle, already bleeding slightly as the skin cracked from the sudden intense heat of Maka on fire…? He eyed the imposter as her pigtails whipped the slightest, inflamed wisps swirling around her.
"You no fun. Little meister more fun than weapon. Can you hear her?" The grin on her face spread and suddenly, it felt as if something was lifted as Soul felt lighter.
"Soul!" Maka's voice wailed in the distance, followed by a petrifying scream. Soul wasted no time turning away from whatever was in front of him to head to the cries of Maka, utter terror filling his soul to the brim that set the madness within him into a heavy echo of laughter in his head; fear was something that the demon within him craved. Soul felt his lungs tighten and his legs stab in pain the harder he ran, the faster he ran to his meister's terrifying calls. He stumbled over roots and kicked up slippery leaves in his wake, but it hardly slowed him down. His mind was set on his one unseen target and nothing was going to stop him, even if it cost his life. The screams sounded closer and closer, the calls bouncing off the trees around him and into his ears, forcing his heart and legs to accelerate.
"Maka!" Soul panted out loudly, wild eyes searching the wooden darkness as he continued. There was a loud shriek that grated on his ears, like nails on a chalkboard, but it was definitely not Maka's voice. No, this was the sound of a kishin; this sent Soul overboard as he felt the salty water prickle at his eyes. Then, through the darkness and wet eyes, he saw a flashes of silver swipe this way and that, a dark figure tumbling away from them. The outline of a long coat whirled around this figure as they spun, two thin strands connected to the head of the being following suit with gasps, yelps, and screams; Maka.
Without even knowing, he felt his arm shift into cool metal compared to his boiling blood. Rage consumed him as he rushed forward with a pounce upon their targeted kishin, ignoring the resistance of bone and flesh being cut with his weapon arm as he sliced through the joint of it's elbow. He heard Maka gasp his name and reach out for him, but there was a hiss right by his ear and he quickly pushed Maka back with his forearm, his bladed arm instinctively brought up to block the claws of the kishin. Soul felt Maka's soul yearn for him as her hands wrapped around that arm, for his entire body to become a weapon, but before their souls could click like gears and start to roll with each other, a searing bite on Soul's shoulder shattered their resonance. Soul cried out, trying his best to bite back the sound as the arm that Maka had held close flexed out to push her further from the danger that was latched onto him.
"Agggghhh!" Soul choked out in agony, feeling his flesh being torn into like a wolf to a carcass; bone and skin paper thin to the scissor-like teeth of the kishin. He barely heard his name from his meister before he felt an intense rip of skin between his neck and shoulder as the kishin was brutally kicked back by Maka. Without a second thought, he felt himself shift as Maka's soul screamed for resonance. He couldn't help but grin, knowing once he was in Maka's hands, she was going to kick ass.
He felt his muscles relax as his body went through the motions, assisting in spins and blocks Maka dished out. Their resonance soared and he felt it all; the fear, the concern, the anger, and an emotion that he couldn't explain that laid deep beneath their souls. He was sure Maka felt it too; she did. She felt it so much as he, that their resonance rate soared and blood rushed into her ears as the adrenaline made her hit harder, faster. Without needing the real acknowledgement of the other, their souls clicked.
"Soul Resonance!" They shouted in union as Maka swung back, Soul's blade flashing white before manifesting into a crystal-like blade that doubled in size. A smirk crossed his face as, if in slow motion, he moved forward to the face of the kishin. Disfigured beyond belief, Soul stared into the pits of its eyes as they widened as they inched closer. Its claws were spread out to protect itself, but it was no use as Soul felt the metallic fingers shatter against him, the rattling sensation satisfying. He could hear Maka's battle cry distantly through his form as he peered up from the blade, blood and rotten flesh flashing over. They had completed their mission and he couldn't be more relieved. All he wanted to do was go home and lie down, just as he had planned today if it hadn't been for the mission. However, he would be lying down for another reason too. He brought up his hand between his neck and shoulder; feeling the thick, warm liquid. He could feel it roll down his arm and chest like hot oil, the sensation flushing his skin with goose bumps.
Maka couldn't help but smirk as she watched Soul's blade glide through the kishin's body, hardly feeling any resistance. She watched the black blood splatter across the ground in a wave like pattern, the gurgle of pain erupting with a shriek that left a quiet ring in her ears. Maka slid to a stop, flicking Soul to a stop at the end to splash the blood on his blade to the ground; yet, she didn't miss the red mixed in with black as it hit the ground. However, she didn't have the time to fret as she quickly spun out of the way of another attack by the other kishin, claws extended just centimeters away from her coat.
"Damn it…" She hissed low as she eyed the remaining kishin; bringing Soul back up behind her to attack once again. The kishin, looking no different from the one just slain, stood still for a moment, its beady eyes crossing over the DWMA students.
"Too strong for Lucida. Bond strong; cannot break easy."
Maka narrowed her eyes as the kishin slide back quietly, watching Soul's blade wearily.
"Maka." Soul breathed out with concern, the metallic voice a whisper in her ear. She nodded firmly, understanding the meaning behind his tone. Her eyes drew down to its bony feet, her fingers gripping the staff in hand out of anticipation. Like a cat eyeing the mouse, she was prepared to pounce in a heartbeat. Suddenly, just as predicted, the kishin leapt back, but Maka was quicker.
"I won't let you get away!" Maka cried out as her reflexes propelled her forward at the escaping kishin, Soul's resonance right with her. Kishin hunter turned into something more powerful, his blade doubling in size. Despite the distance the kishin put between them with its longer limbs, Maka swung Soul in a downward arc. Their resonance extended out into a bladed arc at the kishin. Its eyes widened considerably, the light reflecting off its dark irises as fear etched in its dark eyes before the manifested blade swiped through its torso like a paper cut.
Ribbon like swirls spun rapidly around the kishin's broken body, the blood and limbs sucked back in itself to turn into the soul of a kishin; or in Soul's mind, his next meal. Maka landed back on her feet, ignoring the protest in her knees and ankles as he landed a little more heavy than intended, but she could feel the fatigue snaking under her skin throughout her body. Breathing out heavily, she let her body relax as their resonance wound down to an easy thrum in the background of their souls. Maka gasped and moved Soul before her, her eyes flashing up to where his blade met the staff, dark crimson blood rolling down towards her gloved hand.
"Soul! Are you okay?" Maka barked out of concern to which Soul replied with a blinding flash of light to return to his human form. Once changed back, Soul bit down on his lip, but couldn't hold back the grunt that slipped from his throat. He couldn't stop the buckle of his knees and felt Maka's hands wrap around his torso to keep him up, the questions of concern muffled in Soul's ears. A hot flash crossed at the front of his forehead, starting up a nasty headache combined with nastier bile in the back of his throat.
"M'fine Maka…" Soul assured through gritted teeth, moving his hands between them to push her away gently, but she wasn't having any of it.
"Soul, you're hurt! C'mon, we have to get out of here and contact Lord Death; you need attention immediately." Maka rushed out, avoiding his tired, yet anxious eyes. He stared through half-lidded eyes at his meister who slowly helped him to his feet and over the floating red souls, swiping them before his hazy vision. She tucked them away for him later and maneuvered around to his uninjured side, carefully moving his arm over her shoulders with rare, gentle instructions. His head hung down, watching the dark forest floor pass beneath his feet slowly. Maka questioned his consciousness every so often, pausing at times too to catch her (and his) breath.
Maka cautiously prodded at his soul and glanced at his face every other moment, not even trying to hide her concern through the wavelength. However, during the other moments, Maka's eyes drifted to the shadows with protective glares. For some reason or another, she couldn't pin it, but… She felt the forest's shadows were watching their every move. Yet, after walking in the way they came without too much trouble, she could see the light of daylight just ahead. Finally, mission complete and home sounding like a nearby dream.
"Tenebris!" Cried a shriek above the branches of Tenebris, alerting the jet-black wolf. Tenebris perked his ears and craned his neck upwards, amber eyes peering at his twin.
"Lucida." Tenebris answered, his timber voice echoing up to the charcoal-colored crow as she noisily perched upon a branch. "You done with your fun so soon?"
"The students defeated my illusion, as well as kishin." Lucida cawed, craning her head downwards in shame. Tenebris breathed out through his nostrils before shaking his pelt, turning his head away from his sister.
"And?" He questioned after a moment, his nostrils flaring as he intake the scents around him.
"And what brother?" She replied, gliding down in a spiral, lifting herself right above the wolf's back to grip onto his fur. He paid no heed to his sister, but his maw opened and pulled back in a sinister grin, padding forward silently through the forest.
"That doesn't mean the fun isn't over my dear Lucida. It's just begun." Tenebris's bright canines stood out from his dark coat, amber eyes flashing a bright red before his form misted away in the wind to appear just a little bit ahead of Lucida, who remained just where her brother stood, in the form of a crow. Lucida cooed hesitantly as she glided over to her brother, circling above him.
"I'm done brother. No more fun for me please." Lucida pleaded, her over casted blue eyes down casted upon him. Tenebris bounced around as he kept his own eyes on his sister, disappointment scrunching down on his eyes.
"You cannot be finished dear sister. There wasn't enough horror, wasn't enough fear, stabbed through their souls." Tenebris raised his wings and took to the sky, bumping his sister upwards with him in gesture to follow, to which she reluctantly did.
"But brother, I do not wish really to-" Lucida begun before her brother turned on her, latching his clawed feet with hers. Startled and pained, Lucida rapidly flapped her wings to pull herself back.
"You want to Lucida; trust me. You want to see their blood on our forest's floor. That girl's screams sounded so lovely, a melodic echo that soothes your ears." Tenebris whispered, his beak tapping against his sister's as they struggled midair, purposefully digging his clawed toes into her skin. "You want to see the misery stare back into our eyes; the despair eating at their souls. You do want to see that, don't you Lucida?" He ignored her cries, piercing his eyes through her to shake her soul.
Maka breathed out and paused once again, feeling sweat roll down the back of her neck. The leather fabric of Soul's jacket rubbed the sweat back and forth, leaving a cool chill down her spine. While walking, Soul had gradually leaned more and more against Maka, who carried more of his weight than his own. His breath was hot as they rolled against her cheek, his cheek stubble occasionally grazing her cheek once or twice when he glanced up to see where he was walking.
"You doing okay?" Maka questioned, helping him stand up more when he started to slouch further down.
"M'fine…" Soul replied, just like the last time and the time before she asked. Maka rolled with the answer before moving them so Soul leaned against the tree with his good arm, inhaling quickly to relieve some of the pain and stress built up in his system. Maka grimaced as she glanced at his shoulder while reaching into her pocket for her compact mirror, guilt and worry nipping at her heart. The flow of bleeding had lightened considerably, only a small trickle from the tear in his flesh. Maka ignored the sudden flip and churn in her stomach as she noted the ivory bone through skin and muscle, turning her back towards him. She flipped open the compact mirror, bringing her reflection close to her mouth and breathed hot air, fogging up the mirror-
CRACK!
"What the…?" Maka hissed, drawing back the mirror to her face split this way and that. Confused beyond belief, Maka examined her mirror like a squirrel examining a nut. Soul lifted his heavy head at Maka's muffled voice, his ear stuffed with cotton and his brain filled with lead.
"You know what they say about breaking mirrors Tenebris?" A voice whispered through the shadows behind the meister and weapon. Soul whipped his head around so fast, he felt his head whiplash with a gruesome headache as a second wave.
"Break a mirror, seven years of bad luck. Everyone knows that!" Cackled another voice through the trees, a slow baritone laugh bouncing around after.
"So then tell me this little meister…" The first voice tinkled closer to the pair, their eyes darting left and right, up and down. Maka stepped back into Soul who quickly grabbed her arm tight to pull her closer, his wounded arm shifting back to cross in front of Maka.
CAW CAW CAW
Maka and Soul craned their heads back slowly, viridian and crimson eyes tracing up bark and playful shadows. Up into the thick, tall branches of the forest before landing upon the tricky shadow of two crows, one with eyes of red and the other blue. The beak of the blue-eyed crow opened slowly, the beady eyes widening as it stared down at the pair.
"Why would you go and break the mirror?" Their wings rose in a heartbeat and darkness swallowed the branches and trees quickly. Soul and Maka didn't hesitant for a second, their gut telling them to turn tail and run like hell. Ten feet turned into five from the sunlit world, their finish line within their fingertips. Yet, not a single shred kissed their skin as the night of the forest engulfed them whole. They couldn't help but scream, feeling ice-cold hands grabbing harshly at their clothes and skin. Soul felt fingers squeeze into his open wound and grip it like a door handle, ripping it open painfully.
Maka felt a pair of warm hands slip and grip across her torso multiple times, trying their best to yank them together again. Soul felt Maka's hands reach for him as well, but with no better luck. Then, they caught a glimpse of each other's face. Maka looked scared shitless in Soul's eyes, sinking his heart straight through his stomach because, for some reason or another, he felt that this would be the last time he would see his Maka; and he couldn't do a fucking thing to protect the only one and true thing he loved. And in Maka's eyes, Soul was just as scared; she couldn't be strong enough to save him yet again.
"SOOUUL!"
"MAAKAA!"
Salty droplets danced down onto the forest floor, silent as gravity brought them down onto the forest's floor. The droplets mixed together, and that would be the closest Maka and Soul would be for a very long time; at least in their own minds.
Soul watched as his blade ripped through her flesh like scissors to paper, gliding easily through her to open he torso and spill out whatever contents rested inside to stain the forest floor red. He would turn and she either hung from a tree, or was stabbed multiple times above the ground into one. Her eyes were always a blank stare and sometimes, she'd be long enough dead to where they had shriveled up and left hollow, empty holes to stare back at him instead. The first year without the real Maka was terrible, but as one turned to two and two turned to three, Maka's death replayed in a far more gruesome and horrifying way.
Raped by past enemies before being killed off before his very own eyes, at times by his very own hands, shattered his soul time and time again. He couldn't call for the madness within him for power and it wasn't the one this time who was creating these nightmares; these all too real nightmares.
And Maka had them too. Her weapon blood would spaz out when she had finally found Soul in the forest again and then he'd be dead at her feet, his blood dripping off her scythe arm. She'd see him all rung up by the neck with rope, body mangled by what seemed to be his own blade as his organs hung down like festive decorations, his blood still warm as it dripped down on her face. Those burgundy eyes that sparked with mirth would intensely stare her down from above, lifeless and dull. She would buckle right then and there; tuck herself into the smallest thing she could be, and scream forever alone.
They knew they were dreams, that they weren't real. After all, once you see them dead once, they couldn't have died again everyday for the next seven years. Yet, when they would see each other's death, they would play it off as a dream and wander the forest to escape to live another day. And when a death didn't occur since the last, fear quietly poured into their soul like sand in an hourglass. After seven years though, someone crushed their hourglass and freed them from their prison.
"Stein, you can't do anything?" Spirit Albarn pleaded, his eyes never leaving the rocking form of his little girl. Stein breathed out as he withdrew his cigarette; smoke trailing out after in a puffy haze.
"I'm sorry Spirit, but there is nothing more I can do." Stein looked over at the meister's partner, who had curled himself into the tightest ball in the corner of his room, despite the pain surely in his wounded and infected shoulder. Other pair's of eyes flickered between the two wrecked souls, the two souls that were the strongest souls in DWMA. However, only being a foot away from each other in the same room, they were the furthest they could be from each other. Their friend's had tried their best to reach out to them, but no words, no slaps of sense, no crying, no praying, not even a single soul could reach the distraught pair.
"It will be a great loss. Time can only tell." Stein added quietly, melancholy draping across the room like a heavy veil. Whatever happened in those four hours spent in the Aokigahara forest was enough to slam a nail between Maka Albarn and Soul Evans; the mission deemed impossible and removed from all DWMA mission boards.
Soul Eater Evans screamed out Maka's name almost constantly, babbling like an over flowing stream after a storm. He whined and cried about Maka being dead, or raped, or slaughtered before his eyes, or killed by his own blade. Yet, Maka sat almost silently beside the heavily distraught boy, rocking on her heels with hush whispers of Soul's name, often with waves of tears down her cheeks. No matter who talked to them, they were wrapped up in their own world; those four hours more like seven years of pure bad luck.
Yet gradually, their nightmares faded and they noticed that they weren't so far apart. They weren't so far apart they realized and they began to overcome their dark dreams together, rekindling their bond with each other and their friends and family around them. Relieved and tired, Maka and Soul relaxed through their weeks of recuperation. At the moment, after a month of exhausting climbing to overcome their mountain of fears, they relaxed on a Saturday morning. Sitting side by side, hand in hand, and almost glued to the hip, they quietly watched a movie together with popcorn. Within a week, they could start taking missions again and set back into their normal life. The forest becoming a chapter in their life that rested on their bookcase of the past, agreed to leave untouched and unmentioned between them. Finally, things were as they were again.
Yet, just outside their window every night, sat side by side were two crows. So close in similarity, the friends that visited Maka and Soul while they recuperated, nicknamed the birds Gemini. They found the pair good luck, a symbol of how close Maka and Soul once was and how they slowly became again.
Inseparable were once Maka and Soul, as were the crows that followed them.