A/N: Sorry if this is depressing. I wrote the title and the story rolled itself out after that. I'm glad with how it turned out.
Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater.
The battle grounds were in complete ruins of a city no longer recognizable. There weren't any indications or signs as to what the place was once named nor if it were recently inhabited. Maka could only go off of memory to remember it
Ashen buildings crumbled to the ground, nothing distinguishable. The air too felt melancholy, lonely from the abandonment of it's citizens. How long had it been since people happily walked among the sidewalk? To school? Work? Or up the long stretch of stairs that led to the DWMA? A day, week, month, year?
"What happened?" against the barren city she grew up in, the meister's mutter sounded almost as powerful as a yell. It reverberated off of every empty building and bounced around.
"What happened?"
"What happened?"
The city echoed almost mockingly.
Then it hit her. Memories of a long forgotten fight abruptly shoved their way into her mind. Flashes of an enemy whom's face wasn't visible, a red scythe, her favorite black coat, and a few other familiar meisters wielding their weapons. Flashes of black, blue, and blonde weaved upon her thoughts. A shock of white splashed it's way through along with ruby covered by frightening crimson. A breath hitched in her throat.
'My hands.' she looked down at her pale hands and cried when she saw how clean they were.
'No, they're stained! Don't mess with me!' she searched for the red liquid but found none. Turning her hands over and rubbing them roughly did not prove successful.
Maka cried out and fell forward onto her knees. A chill crept down her spine and the wind played with her hair. She buried her face into her hands and cried.
"We'll make it Soul, I can feel it!' the weapon nodded and smirked showing off his shiny sharp teeth. Determination swirled in his ruby eyes.
"Heck yeah. The DWMA won't be able to thank us enough once we're done." Maka laughed in elation.
"Alright, Scythe mode!" Soul's body quickly changed from that of a human to a scythe in a matter of seconds. Maka caught him midair and spun him around as if testing his durability.
"Let's go Soul Eater!" she rushed head first into battle without a second thought not knowing that it may be their very last.
"Symmetry, this has to be done symmetrically you insignificant girl. You're blind to the true beauty of a parallel world!" Kid shouted. He held Liz and Patti straight forward and aimed carefully at the enemy.
"Don't you dare doubt the powers it holds!" Kid shot and did some damage. Maka smiled in approval.
"Of course not Kid." she lined up beside him ready to deal her blow.
"We'll finish this in symmetrical glory." she promised.
"I'm the star, I'll defeat you!" Black*Star bounced off of a building. He swung Tsubaki at the enemy getting a hit in as it was forced back.
"Yahoo!" Black*Star cheered lifting his fist into the air.
"The shows only just begun!" Maka called out. Black*Star nodded, a humongous grin stretching across his face.
"You said it Maka. Black*Star will put on the best show anyone has ever seen!"
Maka cried more, tears slipping with ease down her pale cheeks. Her hands felt heavy and her head pounded and ached as memory after memory crashed her sanity.
'No more,' she thought. The meister remembered blocking out the grotesque images and burying them in the furthest corner of her mind. Now apparently they decided to leap from their assigned spot and haunt her with their terrifying images.
She stood up and walked over, the world blurred by the tears that refused to dry. Each spot seemed to glow with a ghastly light reminding her of the terrible thing she'd done.
"Maka don't!" Soul called. The meister did not comply to his shouts and instead did the exact opposite. She left her post and headed straight for the sour soul.
"I'm the star, not you!" she pushed Black*Star out of the way and took his position.
"You promised to do this symmetrically!" Kid yelled out.
To the three, she ignored and continued on. A pride erupted within her and refused to extinguish it's over powered flames. She followed it's wild call deciding that she liked it. Finally she could prove to Soul that she was stronger, show Black*Star she could be a star too, and let Kid see that perfect symmetry wasn't needed to destroy the enemy. She, as Maka and only Maka, could destroy this enemy on her own without any help.
She was absolutely foolish. Letting something like pride overshadow her. Overpower her. Never before did she let it. But why then? Why not during a stupid basketball game or training? At least then she could have lost and straightened herself out without harming anyone. Instead she ended up doing the exact opposite.
Something went wrong. She aimed incorrectly and didn't make a gash deep enough to split the rogue soul in two nor did the red orb that her partner loved to devour appear. Instead it surprised her, swatting her away like a fly. She flew and made contact with a hard brick wall, the red scythe clattering a few feet away. It transformed then into her best friend, eyes narrowed in anger at the enemy.
"There's something not right about him." Soul muttered. Maka coughed and Soul helped her stand putting her arm over his shoulder.
On the other end, Black*Star and Kid were still caught off guard. This quick break in their plan caused them to be a bit confused on what to do. The enemy saw the opening and went for it. In one swipe he threw the blue haired boy back and the black haired boy in the opposite direction. The rogue soul's retaliation was just beginning.
After a long battle, the three meisters couldn't handle it anymore. Kid fell first in defeat to the cold asphalt beneath him. Black*Star ran to help him but the bad soul overpowered the boy and defeated him too. Their weapons changed from their fighting form to their human bodies and stood up for their meisters. It wasn't enough as the three also fell to the ground, battle long forgotten.
"Who's next?" he turned maliciously to Maka who panted in tired fury. Her friends. Tears flooded her eyes. They were done because of her.
"Soul, let's go." Maka choked out. She lifted the scythe and ran aiming straight for it's weak spot. Unexpectedly he disappeared. A few moments later Soul transformed and shouted a "Look out!" to the pig tailed girl before pushing her out of the way.
"Run." the last thing she heard from him was a strangled warning. She felt like puking as realization dawned upon her. She was alone.
Maka awoke from the painful flashback. The enemy's gleaming eyes frightened her. She couldn't remember afterwards. If she escaped or not. Obviously though she was free from him as she returned to the very battle grounds, only the memory of it beating her. Nothing else.
"Sorry." she uttered. She grieved, knowing an apology would never be enough for what she did. Pride. She allowed it in and gave it permission to overpower her. Now because of her stupid decision, her hands were stained and the future her friends once grasped within their awaiting hands was now and forever would be indefinite.
A/N: Please review with any tips or corrections. They are greatly appreciated. Thanks!
