Author's Note: So this takes place following the anime. There is no references to the manga at all, I think. *squints into the distance* Anyway. I've wanted to write for a while now. There is some stuff in here that doesn't 100% correspond with the anime either. I want to stay as true to it as I can though. Anyways, this is going to be something new to try out. Let me know what you think!
Disclaimer: I own nothing, except maybe the story.
Warnings: Nothing much, maybe language.
Word Count: 3,611
Maka is so excited when the mail comes in. Another letter from her mother. Perhaps a letter isn't the correct word. The better word would be postcard. Much like the one with "bravery" written on it. Just a simple postcard with a simple word written on it. This time, it's "love". Maka always enjoys these times. It allows her a moment... just a single moment of peace and connection to the mother she hasn't seen in a very long time. Maka presses the postcard tight to her chest and closes her eyes, feeling the love of her mama. The woman who she aspires to be like and to make very proud.
"Thank you, mama," Maka whispers under her breath, smiling. She finally lowers the card and drops the remaining mail on the table. She walks into her bedroom and over to her desk. Over it is board decorated with pictures of her friends and parents (pre-divorce), along with some of her greater achievements; first perfect score, her assigned partner's name, so on and so forth. Even the postcard she had on her when she battled Asura.
This new postcard gets pinned on the wall, next to a picture, one of the few really good ones, of all her friends. She steps back for a moment to appreciate all of the colors and the controlled chaos. To the untrained eye, it would look like a pallet strewn with pictures, achievements and letters from her mother, but there is a method to Maka's chaotic board, probably the messiest place in her entire room. House even, excluding Soul's room.
But to Maka, it's a story. It tells her life from the moment she began her escapade to being the best, most powerful meister out there, even better than her mom. the woman she admires most, and to create the most powerful death scythe than even that of her own father. Going through all of her most influential achievements; good grades, aced exams, renown soul huntings, power kishin defeated and the amazing people that she befriended along the way. The ones that, even today, she would be nothing without. The people that, no matter all of the achievements that she has, are nothing compared to the wisdom and hope she got from them.
Yes, there was a strength inside Maka that she never knew of, but it wasn't always there. It was a pitiful little thing given to her at birth that has only over time matured and grew in power by the nurturing hand of the people around her. The friends, and even the enemies, that shaped her into the person she is now. Her mama, papa; regardless of her outwardly expressed feelings toward him, Soul Eater Evans, Black Star, Tsubaki Nakatsukasa, Lord Death, Sid, Fraken Stein, Marie Mjolnir, Justin Law, Azusa Yumi, Mira Nygus, Death the kid, Liz and Patty Thomson, Crona. Even Medusa and Asura and Lady Arachne helped Maka find the type of person she wants to be.
Yeah, it wasn't always fun, nor was it always easy, but nothing about life should be. Not if you want to live to the absolute fullest. At least, that's what Maka believes. At least, that's what Maka has come to believe. Nothing worth fight for, or living for, is going to be. The only way to distinguish something's worth is by what you are willing to sacrifice in order to protect it.
And for those special people in Maka's life, the ones that made big impacts and small, Maka would sacrifice anything and everything to keep them all safe and just by looking at them, she knows they would too.
"Whatcha doin', Maka?"
The blond girl lowers her gaze to see the black cat, Blair, looking up at her, hat nearly falling off by how far up she's looking. She meows happily when Maka scoops her up, looking back at the board, smiling.
Okay, Blair helped Maka too.
"Just taking a moment to appreciate the people I love," Maka answers.
Blair looks at the board blankly, head tilted to the side, then back to Maka. "By looking at this board?"
"Yup," Maka laughs. "A little silly, huh?"
Blair's tail swooshes back and forth behind her, the thin black extremity curling around Maka's right forearm. "Yeah, it is a little weird. It would be better if you went straight out and told the people that you love, that- well- you love them! Meow!" She grins up at the younger girl. Purring when Maka gently runs her fingers over the cat's fur.
"Maybe you're right," Maka says softly, eyes falling half lidded. "Maybe I will. I guess it's important to let those that you love know exactly how you feel about them. Thanks, Blair."
"You're welcome, Maka!" Blair salutes, purring pleased.
Carrying Blair in her arms, Maka makes her way out the door and into the living room, listening to the sounds of the Soul whistling to himself in the kitchen. Occasionally, he would hum out a loose tune. Maka sits down on the couch and smiles to her self before grabbing one of the many books she has strewn about the house, ready and willing to be picked up and read at any given time.
"I think it'll be ready soon," Soul says, sticking his head into the room, looking at Maka and then to Blair, who has already curled up comfortably on her lap. Maka nods to show she heard him and Blair opens her eyes, smiles, and closes them again. Soul disappears back into the kitchen to finish up.
Maka looks over at Soul's back, shifting around the kitchen. Stray strands of white hair lofting up into the air before settling back into their rightful places. He jerks toward something on the stove, letting out a low curse and rushing to pull it off the burner and move over. Then he opens up the oven and peaks inside, laughing jubilantly to himself.
Peaking a single red eye over his shoulder at Maka, he says, "Looks to me like the bread isn't going to be burned this time, Maka." He sounds pleased at this personal victory.
Maka feels the smile work it's way onto her face. "That's good. What about the sauce?"
"Ehh, probably not as lucky."
Maka laughs, shaking her head as Blair rolls her half lidded eyes before they close again. "You're always burning the food, Soul," Maka says with mirth.
Soul pulls the bread out of the oven and sets it down and keeps moving about the kitchen, setting the table. Maka finishes up the page and half of the next one before Soul declares that the food is officially done. Maka lays Blair down on the couch to continue napping and makes her way into the kitchen and sits down. The beginning portion of dinner is met with silence.
The sounds of their forks swirling over their plates, picking up as many noodles as possible. Soul, slurping a mouthful and getting a bit of sauce on his cheek, only to grin charmingly, and wipe it away on a napkin.
"School is going to start up again tomorrow," Maka finally says, breaking the silence.
Soul nods. "Yeah, it'll be weird to go back so suddenly. We've been off for over a month now. With Asura gone, everything is slowly falling back into the usual routine. Which I guess isn't all bad. It could be cool, you know? Normality?"
Maka nods, swallowing the food in her mouth before saying, "It'll be nice to see everyone again." A pause. A few more moments of eating before Maka looks up again. "I got another letter from mama."
"Oh?" Soul says, raising an eyebrow. "What was the picture on this one?"
Maka considers. "Stonehenge, I think."
"Cool. And the word?"
Maka smiles to herself. "Love."
Soul snorts, grinning broadly. "Didn't peg you for being all girly, Maka."
Maka scoffs, giving Soul a look of affectionate annoyance. "It's not girly. Everyone wants love, Soul. And besides, even if it was considered 'girly'." Maka puts the word in air quotes, "it wouldn't matter all that much because contrary to your belief, Soul, I am a girl."
Maka and Soul both stare at each other for a long time. Just staring. Taking each other in for a long drawn out moment. They haven't much gotten to really bond with one another after they returned from the battle. It's mostly been about healing and seeing their friends. Helping rebuild the school and city and waiting for life to finally return to normal. It was all just a matter of time before Soul and Maka finally looked to each other and see the friendship that they've put on hold and the secrets that very few know of.
Maka is a meister.
Maka is also a weapon.
Spirit was unbelievably happy to hear that his daughter was also a weapon. A scythe none the less. Just like her papa. That was just another thing for them to bond over, in Spirit's opinion and he made it well known. Maka does appreciate it. It's nice to know she has her weird papa's undying love and support always at her back but it's also a little scary. As far as Maka knows, she is the only of her kind. She is the only person out there that is both weapon and meister and it's a little scary.
For so long she has been contemplating writing her mother about this, perhaps even urging her to come home. Maka hasn't seen her mother in almost two years. She understands that her mama had to get away from her papa and the divorce settlements. But now Maka needs Kami, and really wants her to come home. So, after dinner she will write a letter back to her mama, and hopes she gets it.
"Are you excited for school?" Maka asks instead, not really wanting to tell Soul about her worries about her mom. What if Kami is upset? What if she is mad that Maka is anything like her papa? Maka shakes the thoughts away before they can get too bad. Too worrisome.
"No," Soul sighs. "School is for nerds. Besides, we defeated Asura, I think that entitles us a little more free time than most of those other guys that did nothing." Soul grins, revealing two rows of pointy white teeth.
Maka gives Soul a look. "Very funny, Soul. I remember that when you are begging me to help you with the homework."
"First off, that could never happen because cool guys like me don't beg and secondly, what makes you think I would ever do homework?"
Maka rolls her eyes, laughing lightly. "You're so weird."
Soul grins. "It's one of my better qualities."
Maka taps her purple pen against her desk, staring at a blank sheet of paper, contemplating how to do this. Maka blinks a few times slowly, eyes rising to stare out the window in front of her. If her mama gets this and decides to come home, what then? There's no chance of her, Spirit and Kami ever being a family again, especially considering that her papa's womanizing ways hasn't even lessoned in the time that her mama has been away.
The young blond growls in annoyance deep in her throat. Her eyebrow twitches in anger. The grip on her pen turns her knuckles white. She shakes the negative thoughts away and focuses back on the blank sheet of white paper.
She brings the pen back over it, letting the ballpoint hover over the blue lines for a moment, planning how to do this. She has to tell her mama the truth. If Kami comes home, then they can talk through the entire thing together and maybe, just maybe, her mama and papa can at least be civil about everything they've been through. Maybe not for each other, but for Maka.
Maka has no delusions about her parents possibly getting back together. But it would be nice for them to at least be civil with one another and help Maka through this horribly scary ordeal together. As a broken, yet somehow stable family. In a perfect world.
Dear Mama,
I know that you've probably heard about all of the strange stuff going on in the world since you left. Asura, Death City, and so on. But there is something going on, something with me, that I would really love to talk to you about. I know I got Soul and Papa and all of my other friends here, but still, I'm worried. I don't know how to share with them what I'm feeling. I'm not sure I can share how I'm feeling at all because, I don't really understand it myself. The only people who know is Lord Death, Papa, Soul, Black Star, Kid and their weapons.
You remember them don't you? I sent you a letter back when I first met Death the Kid, Liz and Patty. You didn't write back but that's okay. That's not the reason I'm writing now. The reason I'm writing is because
Maka stops. Closing her eyes, trying to find the words in her head. Her lips moving, the pen hovering, just trying to find the most accurate way to explain her feelings. What exactly does she think is going to happen because of this letter? Probably to get her mother back home. Back to Maka. And Spirit too, if he was good. Bringing the pen back over the place she left off.
The reason I'm writing is because I'm confused. And that's not something that happens to me too often. When it does, there's usually someone I can go to that can explain everything, Mama. I mean, there is now. I have a lot of people I can turn to if I need it, but, I really want to see you. This has nothing to do with Papa, he's trying his best and he's being good- for the most part.
I think it a part of it comes down to, I miss you, Mama. And another part is that, this is something between you and papa. And me, I guess.
Mama, as far as anyone has told me, I'm the only one like this. I'm the only one who is a meister and a weapon. Yes, mama, I turned into a weapon, partially, during the battle against Asura. I'm not sure how and have been going out of my way to avoid it. Not many people know about it, but Lord Death promised to look into it. Same with Professor Stein.
As for how I am? I'm okay. A little excited to get back to school and back to normality. As strange as everything has been, I'm glad to return to something as monotonous as school. Soul seems to be dreading it though. But that's fine. He was never much for school anyway. A lot of stuff has happened since I last wrote you. I would like to say that I enjoy the postcards I get from you.
I know you must be very busy doing whatever it is that you're doing out there, but I could really use you back home right now. Even if you don't come back, a letter or something with some wisdom will probably be enough, I guess. Either way, I hope to see or hear from you soon.
I love you, mama.
Maka Albarn.
Maka pulls back, looking thoughtfully at the paper, wondering if it sounds too desperate. Wondering if she is desperate. At this point, she's just a little numb. She's been doing all she can to keep it from her mind. If she doesn't think about it, if she doesn't talk about it. Then she's just like the Maka before. She's the same girl that has been Soul's partner for a long time. And she's the same girl that her mama and papa raised.
Maka neatly folds the paper. She leans back in her chair and stares out the window at the darkened sky. Her green eyes slide closed and she lets out a whoosh of breath. A part of her really hopes to be able to see her mama again.
"All done," Maka murmurs, standing up. She stretches, her arms high over her head, pops follow her spine down her back. She clicks the light off and heads over to the bed. Once she is under the covers, her eyes find her board in the moonlight over her desk. The lament over the postcard glistens in the light.
Maka turns away to face the wall and closes her eyes. Hoping to get some sleep before school starts up again tomorrow.
Lord Death stares at his own reflection in the mirror. Shifting back and forth slightly. Turning slightly at the sound of approaching footsteps behind him. His body, which was like swiss-cheese just weeks ago, is now fully repaired. No signs of any of his wounds anywhere. Almost like nothing happened. Like he wasn't hurt during the battle with Asura. Even the Death room is completely repaired.
"Lord Death," Stein says.
The grim reaper turns around, tilting his head to look at Stein. He moves a little bit closer to the steps, the gray haired man standing at the bottom, waving his hand at the man. "Hello there, Stein! How are you doing? It's late, dontcha know?"
The light reflects off his glasses. "I know, Lord Death. I actually wanted to talk to you about tomorrow."
The white gloved hand disappears into the blackness once more. Lord Death stares down at Stein with a confused look. "What do you want to talk about specifically?"
The glint on Stein's glasses vanishes when he shifts to look up at the grim reaper with half lidded eyes. "You know exactly what I'm talking about. I mean Maka Albarn. The girl who is both meister and weapon. Have you given any thought as to what we are going to do about this?"
Lord Death rubs his chin thoughtfully. "I was considering letting her choose her own path. She's spent so long being a meister. I'm sure she has no interest being a weapon now. So, Stein, really there is nothing to do about her or this. It is Maka's choice on what she wants to do. If she wishes to continue being a meister, there is no one that is going to stop her. If she decides that she wants to be a weapon, well, we will help her with the transition however we can."
Stein sighs. "Are you not even intrigued at how it's even possible?"
"Sure," Lord Death shrugs. "A child born of a weapon and meister isn't uncommon. Perhaps each one has always had the potential to be both but one always came easier to them. That's genetics and not my field of work, Stein. Perhaps there is some explanation for this, maybe there isn't. Ultimately there is no way of knowing unless you can get Maka to let you check her blood, or if you can find someone else with the same circumstances. Maka and the rest of them have been through a lot, with the war against Lady Arachne and then the show down with Asura. She probably wants some time to adjust and I don't blame her."
"I get it," Stein says, twisting the screw on his head until it clicks into place. "I just don't get how it's possible. To be a weapon or a meister is something passed on by one or both of the parents. If both parents are meisters, one is a gun meister and one is a sword meister which ever gene the child got, the would be the meister for one of those weapons. Or in rare cases, some kind of combination of the two weapons or something else entirely."
He pauses, scratching his messy hair. "But, if a child is born of a weapon and meister one of them is going to be dominant, not both of them. That's unheard of. And quite fascinating if I do say so myself." His voice takes on that tone. That interested tone and those half lidded eyes. His mind already racing with possible ideas and theories as to what happened inside of Maka.
Lord Death turns away, making his way over to the mirror once more, staring at his reflection. After a few minutes of silence, Stein finally turns away and leaves. There is a long winded silence that ensues. Lord Death just stares at his reflection in silence, mind trailing to so many different place. No real coherent thoughts, just a jumbled mess.
Lord Death is pulled from his thoughts by something dark and powerful coming up behind him slowly. Something that he recognizes very well, something he would be able to pick out of thin air. Someone he would be able to pick out of a crowd. It creeps around him, cradling him like a little baby. It's tendrils wrapping around him, loving and familiar.
The shinigami turns around slowly, mask blank. "Hello, mother."
