I watched the NOT anime this summer, and thoroughly enjoyed it, despite it being totally different from Soul Eater. Then I saw that there was like no fanfic about these three, so I figured I could write something short for them and then be done with it. It kind of got away from me.
Huge thanks go to my wonderful artist, TheApatheticKat, whose work I will link to as soon as it is posted. I can't wait to see your fic!
The whole Asura business had been difficult for everyone at the DWMA. The teachers and EAT students had all been pressed into the fight, which made things hard for the NOT students. They'd tried to keep having classes as usual, but between the teachers vanishing at a moment's notice and the atmosphere among the students it was eventually decided to be more trouble than it was worth. By the final battle, the NOT students had all been evacuated from Death City.
At the time, this decision had been met with much grumbling. After all, either Asura would be defeated or there would be nowhere on Earth that was safe. It seemed like a lot of trouble for nothing.
The complaints mysteriously stopped after Lord Death charged the entire city into battle.
But at last, it was over, and things could begin settling down. The city had suffered a lot of damage in the fight, but its citizens were used to collateral damage. The cleanup efforts were treated almost as a festival, everyone filling the streets to gossip about what had happened.
Classes didn't reconvene immediately, what with the damage to the school and the desire to give students time to recover, but the dorms were open and people were flooding back in. The girls' dorm was already settling into its version of normal. Kana was shoving cards into people's faces, Misery was smiling vacantly and threatening people with hammers, and Eternal Feather was stubbornly pretending she was above it all.
As far as Tsugumi was concerned, all that was missing was her partners. She'd already gotten their room back in order in a fit of nervous energy. It was probably the cleanest it had been in months, without Meme to forget where things belonged to Anya to buy useless junk to add to the clutter.
In other words, it felt empty. Tsugumi almost wanted to laugh at herself: it had been less than a month since she'd seen her meisters, and she already missed them desperately. A near-apocalypse did that to you, she supposed.
It wasn't like she was sitting around moping, either. She joined in the parties and the laughter and the cleanup, letting herself get swept up in the joyous atmosphere. If it felt like something was missing, she shoved it to the side. They'd get here soon enough.
Meme was the first to arrive. In typical Meme fashion, she'd walked through the doors with a confused look on her face. "Which one of these rooms is mine again?" she asked.
Tsugumi rushed to her side, unrepentantly abandoning the person she was talking to. They'd probably forgive her, right? The important thing was that her partner was here.
She swept Meme up in a hug. "Meme!"
"Tsugumi!" Meme said, enthusiastically returning the hug. "It's so good to see you, it's been so long!"
"I know, right?" Tsugumi said. "Come on, let me take you back to our room." By now, accommodating Meme's forgetfulness was second nature. It had been hard right after Shaula's defeat, when they'd been expecting Meme to become "normal" and stop forgetting things all the time.
While breaking the mind control had helped, she still had a habit of losing minor details such as birthdays and when she'd last eaten. "I'm so sorry," she'd said after a week of missing assignments and thwarted hopes. "I think I've just always been like this, and it's terrible, and I'm so sorry."
"It's not your fault," Tsugumi had said, wishing she didn't feel like such a hypocrite. "We can handle this, because we're partners and that's what we do."
"Did you really think we'd blame you for something that's clearly causing you so much distress?" Anya had added. "I can't believe you have such a low opinion of us."
She sniffed haughtily, and Meme laughed. If it was a little watery, no one said anything.
That hadn't been the end of it, of course. Meme still got frustrated by all the things she forgot, and Tsugumi got frustrated with how little Meme seemed to care, and Anya got frustrated with any number of things, but particularly with how often it felt like their conversations were going in circles.
But as Tsugumi had said, they were partners, and they adapted. It was no different than accommodating Tsugumi's indecisiveness or Anya's tendency to get distracted by so-called commoner activities at the worst possible times.
So as Tsugumi led Meme to their room, she didn't press for details about the time they'd been apart. Meme would talk about it if she remembered, and if she didn't, it wasn't a big deal. Neither girl had been able to go home during the evacuation anyway; Japan was evidently too far for what had optimistically been treated as a temporary arrangement.
As they walked, Tsugumi chattered about her experiences with her host, a former NOT weapon who'd gone on to become a baker. He'd been nice enough, if a bit stressed by the situation. He'd even tried to teach Tsugumi how to bake bread. She quickly decided to stick to omelets, in large part because he got up at four each morning to bake.
It had been nice to see more of the United States, even if she hadn't gone that far from Death City. It was a reminder that there was more to the country than desert, no matter how difficult that was to believe some summers.
When Tsugumi was done, Meme chimed in with what information she could remember. She'd stayed in the desert, though not in the state. Her hosts were also ex-NOT, a weapon and meister team. They'd gone on to become police officers together, reasoning that their skills while they couldn't handle pre-Kishin they could terrify the heck out of mundane criminals.
"That sounds pretty nice," Tsugumi commented. She didn't want to have to split up their team, but it seemd unlikely that they were going to become full-time DWMA employees. As it was, they were probably going to have to separate when Anya took on more official royal duties.
But thinking about the future just made her sad, so she tried to focus on what Meme was saying. This plan worked a little too well, in that they passed the room twice before she remembered that Meme still hadn't unpacked her things. She turned around as casually as she could manage, heading straight back to their room.
They unpacked together, on the grounds that having two people doing it would force them to finish the job. Then they flopped onto their respective beds.
They'd hit a lull in the conversation, so they just laid there, enjoying each other's presence. It would have been perfect, Tsugumi thought, if only Anya were there.
She was about to voice this thought when she was interrupted by the girl in question. "Are you two really just lying around? Honestly, you haven't changed a bit." Her harsh words were undercut by the massive smile on her face.
"Anya!" Meme launched herself off the bed to hug her. Tsugumi ran after, though she couldn't quite achieve Meme's exuberance.
"Okay, I missed you too," Anya said. "But we don't have time for this right now. You have to pack!"
"Wait, I thought we just unpacked," Meme said. "Did I forget something again?"
"No, it's only just been decided. I'm taking you both back to my country with me!" Anya delivered this news with all the excitement of a game show host.
Tsugumi's reaction was not what she had hoped. "What? But we just got back to Death City! And who decided this, anyway?"
"I did. It took me forever to convince my parents, too, so you better be grateful."
"Why do you even want us to come?" Meme asked.
"Well, after the Kishin incident, the people are understandably nervous. I believe it would be beneficial to have DWMA students there as a symbol of security and protection." Anya blushed and looked away. "And maybe I was getting lonely without you guys."
Meme giggled. "Aww, we missed you too!"
"Yeah…" Tsugumi paused. "Wait, but what about our classes? They're going to start soon, I think. And we should probably tell our parents, too."
"I've already informed our teachers, and they've agreed to count it as an extra credit mission. Officially, you're going to be ambassadors of the DWMA." Anya put her hands on her hips. "And I'm sure your parents won't mind. After all, you're already on a different continent. At least now you can stay in a castle."
Well. Anya may have glossed over it, but Tsugumi wasn't sure how she felt about representing the DWMA to an entire country. Honestly, what she really wanted to do was relax with her friends and not have to worry about anything more taxing than her lastest assignments and whether they'd blown all their money for the week.
But Anya was making those unintentional pleading eyes at her, and Tsugumi couldn't say no to that. If her meister needed her, she would just have to suck it up and go.
"Okay," she said. "But this is your fault, so you get to help me pack."
"I agree to your terms," Anya said. "Well then, let's get to it."
As it turned out, having three tired and excited girls trying to pack one suitcase was not the most productive way to go about it. They had eventually managed it, but not without multiple giggle fits and at least one impromptu karaoke session. Tsugumi was still sort of expecting to arrive in Yngling and realize that they'd brought some of Anya's dresses instead of Tsugumi's own clothing.
Honestly, she was kind of hoping for it. Anya had said that their DWMA uniforms would be fine, but they were going to be meeting royalty. She didn't want to make a bad impression by looking too lazy or too ignorant to dress up properly. They were Anya's parents, and Tsugumi really wanted them to like her.
She spent their whole time at the airport fighting the urge to fidget. They were at least leaving through the regular airport, rather than taking off directly from the DWMA as she had feared. She was still sort of cowed by the fact that they were taking a private jet. Apparently there weren't any express flights from Death City to Yngling, much less flights that met the standards of the royal family.
It wasn't all bad, though. They were officially travelling as ambassadors of the DWMA, which made airport security much less of a hassle. And the private jet was more comfortable than her flight from Japan had been. And they were going to stay at a castle, which was just ridiculously cool. She could do this. She was Tsugumi Harudori, one of the girls who'd defeated a witch while still in the NOT class. As long as her meisters were with her, she could handle anything.
"Look at this adorable skull keychain!" Anya said from her seat right beside Tsugumi.
Tsugumi squeaked and tried not to fall over. Because they were travelling in a private jet, and she had enough space that she could actually fall over if she wasn't careful. Right.
"I found it in one of the airport gift stores," Anya continued. "It's almost a shame our flight left so quickly. Just think what other wonderful things I missed."
Tsugumi looked at Meme, expecting to share a look about Anya's weird fascination with cheap kitsch. Then she noticed the stuffed sloth in Meme's arms.
Meme noticed Tsugumi's glance. "Yeah, I found him as we were walking to the terminal! I know, he's no skull, but I think he's got character."
Anya nodded. "He certainly is an amiable fellow. Did you not get anything, Tsugumi?"
Tsugumi laughed weakly. "I wanted to save my money for authentic Ynglish souvenirs?" Actually, she just hadn't been able to pay much attention to the shops, too concerned by her own worries. That probably wasn't a good sign. At least now they were on the plane, she could distract herself with one of the game consoles hooked up to the ridiculously large screen at the front of the cabin. You know, standard plane fare.
Still, it seemed better than dwelling. "Wanna play Mario Kart?" she asked.
Thankfully, neither of her companions commented on the abrupt change of subject. "You're on!" Anya said, reaching for a controller.
"I call Yoshi!" Meme said.
It took them a while to figure out how to configure the screen to actually show their games. Once they managed it, though, they settled in for a marathon video game session. They had fourteen hours to kill before they arrived in Yngling, after all.
The flaw in this plan occurred to Tsugumi just as they were landing. She had enjoyed herself thoroughly, even once they got bored and switched to playing other games instead. But now, between Anya and Meme's competitive natures and the amount of time she'd spent cooped up in a plane, she was exhausted. And she was about to go meet royalty.
Tsugumi knew what she was like when she was tired, and she didn't want to inflict that on anyone, let alone people she was trying to impress. Maybe she should just go into weapon form and make Meme carry her. She could claim it was to make sure they would be prepared to protect the country at a moment's notice, and people probably wouldn't try to make a halberd talk, right? And it would hide her disheveled uniform.
… Okay, this was why she was worried about meeting people while tired. She'd probably end up rambling about something completely off-topic and making herself look like an idiot.
But it was too late to fix anything, because they were officially in Yngling. They were greeted at the airport by a limo, because of course they were. Tsugumi couldn't even bring herself to be impressed at that. At least the seats were comfortable.
Seriously, they were really comfortable. She leaned back in her seat. It would be okay if she just closed her eyes for a moment, right? Meme and Anya looked like they were similarly tired, so she hoped they'd forgive her for not making conversation. The castle was supposed to be an hour from the airport anyway, she had time.
Then she opened her eyes and they had arrived. It was only lingering grogginess that kept her from jolting in her seat, so at least being tired was working in her favor for once. It looked like she'd been right about the others being tired; Anya and Meme had fallen asleep leaning on each other. She was trying to decide if she should wake them up when Alfred leaned in and cleared his throat, effectively settling the issue.
Anya really did jump, which was enough to wake Meme up. Tsugumi felt slightly better about her own reaction until she saw how quickly Anya settled into royalty mode. "Thank you, Alfred," she said, giving no sign of lingering exhaustion. "Shall we go in?"
Meme nodded, yawning.
"Excellent," Anya said.
She swept out of the car. Tsugumi scrambled after her, trying not to look too clumsy. Her efforts were doomed as soon as she saw the castle, though. It was as if the Disney logo had been brought to life. The walls were smooth and white, the roof the bright orange of the rising sun, and the towers soared above the already-impressive main building. It was like Tsugumi's first visit to the DWMA all over again.
She knew she was staring, but she couldn't seem to help herself. She took some comfort in the fact that Meme was gawking just as much.
Anya let them stand there for a few moments, then started walking decisively toward the entrance. Tsugumi followed slowly, self-conscious all over again. Did she really deserve to be staying in such a beautiful building?
To her eternal gratitude, Anya didn't lead them straight to the throne room. Instead, they climbed three flights of stairs and navigated a labyrinth of hallways before stopping outside a bedroom the size of one of the DWMA's classrooms. "These are the guest bedrooms," Anya said. "We don't want to keep my parents waiting for too long, but you'll probably want to get cleaned up first. This will be Tsugumi's room, and Meme, you'll be staying right next door. My room is upstairs, but I'll be nearby. If you need anything, call for Alfred, and either he or one of the other servants will be available to help you. I'll be down to get you shortly."
She stood there for a moment longer, watching their faces. Just as Tsugumi was starting to get uncomfortable, Anya turned around suddenly and started back down the hallway. Meme and Tsugumi exchanged looks. "Wait, we each have a room this big for ourselves?" Meme asked.
"I know, right?" Tsugumi replied. "I wish we had more time to check them out." Still, she was very grateful for the chance to wash up. She wasn't sure she'd be able to do much to make herself look presentable, but at least she'd feel better.
"Yeah." Meme pursed her lips thoughtfully. "I wonder what Anya's room looks like…" She wandered away, apparently lost in thought.
"Um, your room's over there!" Tsugumi called after her.
"Thanks!" Meme corrected herself easily.
Tsugumi waited until Meme had made it successfully before going into her own room. Looking around, it was even more ridiculous than her first impression. The bed was larger than all three of their beds at the DWMA put together. Opposite from it was an enormous wooden dresser. The room was large enough that Tsugumi could walk between them with ease. The walls were white and bare, though there was a window on the far wall.
Okay, she thought, step one should probably be to find the bathroom. She needed to shower and change; she could figure out where to put her stuff later. For now she just dropped her bag on the bed, grabbed her nicest uniform, and got into the shower.
Being able to think about an after the meeting actually helped, she thought. It let her think of it as just something she had to get through, rather than the big looming unknown. And she probably wasn't going to be the center of attention anyway, or at least not for long. There had to be more important things than a group of schoolgirls, even if they were from the DWMA. All she had to do was avoid making too much of a fool of herself and it would be fine.
Besides, there was no more time to dwell on it. She got dressed quickly and combed out her hair, doing her best to look like a responsible adult instead of a nervous teenager. She considered putting her hair up in pigtails, but that would feel a bit too much like taking a security blanket, and it wouldn't do her apparent maturity any favors. Instead she went with a bun, which seemed like the sort of hairstyle responsible people had. She kept her makeup simple and professional, or at least she hoped that was the effect, and not "too young to know how to put on makeup".
She smoothed down her skirt for the last time. She glanced in the mirror to make sure she hadn't missed anything major, took a deep breath, and walked out of the bathroom.
When she got into the hallway, she found Meme already waiting for her. Meme was wearing more makeup than usual, and she'd let her hair down for a change. It looked good, Tsugumi thought. Maybe they could pull it off.
Meme smiled at her. "Wow, Tsugumi! We both look great, don't we?"
"You do, rather," Anya said from behind them.
Tsugumi turned to look at her and her jaw dropped. Anya wore dresses rather frequently, but most of them were shapeless and easy to fight in. This was clearly the dress of a princess. It had intricate beading down the front, and the skirt was floor-length and full. Completing the look, she was also wearing a delicate tiara.
Tsugumi was suddenly less confident about her own outfit. It was clearly too late to worry, though. "Are you ready?" Anya asked.
Tsugumi nodded, swallowing. "Yup!" Meme said.
"Then let's get this over with," Anya said. She started down the hallway, and Tsugumi reluctantly followed.