The Undertow Devours

Rating: T for mild swearing and minimal adult topics

Summary: Maka had lived alone on her island her whole life. It was strange but it was hers. But the sea is calling and it sure looks more like a snow storm than any hurricane.

It was one of the nicest day's Maka had experienced in her young life. The sun was shining, enough to kiss her skin with it's warmth but not so strong as to leave the blazing red marks of a burn. The grass felt cool under her toes making for the best kind of contrast for her task.

Which at the moment she wanted to drop in exchange for enjoying the fantastic weather while she still could. However, Maka was never one to slack off and a quick peek at the storm clouds rolling in behind her was enough to discourage anymore lollygagging. They seemed far off now but the storms around here had a way of blowing in faster than she expected. Grasping the rough woven basket in her right hand she supported it against her hip while her left hand picked at the bright red berries.

The bushes grew everywhere on the island and really there should be no berries left on the branches. However, while delicious, the berries had a uncanny habit of only growing next to very similar red berried plants that were decidedly not delicious and would lead to a week's worth of violent vomiting and wishing you were dead. The trick to it was using the wrong berries to find the right ones. If there was a patch of the poisonous ones there was likely a small bush of the edible berries growing in the center. Differentiated only by a small white dot on the bottom it was easy to pick out the good from the bad.

After visiting a few patches Maka had filled her basket of berries which would have otherwise been lost to the vicious winds of the storm. Popping one in her mouth she continued towards home thinking that she should stock up on some water, just in case. If anything Maka Albarn was always prepared.

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Soul missed the sea. It was something he would have never thought he would say out loud after being stuck on board for so long but after a few hours on land he had already begun to miss the steady rocking of the waves and the promise of adventure.

When Ox had spotted land Soul had nearly screamed in excitement. On the inside. To the rest of the crew he looked just as bored as he usually did. But of course he was excited, this is what they were here for! New lands and adventure were in their sight. The glory he could bring to his family name as the first one to discover an untouched place. He briefly wondered if there would be natives and if they would be friendly but quickly tossed the idea aside. They had all the gunpowder they could need, surely no savage with a pointy stick could chase them out. Not with the excitement of exploration running through their blood.

Or at least that's what he had thought. As soon as they had pulled into the cove Soul jumped in the landing boat and slouched into his seat as if he had been there all along. The small raft pushed off from the main vessel leaving Ox and Kilk to watch over it. However, as soon as his feet had hit the sand all the men were called to order.

"Gentlemen," The captain was a tall, slightly gangly man with dark black hair and amber eyes. The way the sunlight made it shine it seemed like 3 bars of white were painted across his forehead. "Before you go gallivanting off like a bunch of raving mad men, I will remind you that you are not to leave this beach. We are in uncharted territory and have no idea what lies beyond that tree line."

Soul had started to inch away, eager to see exactly what was beyond that treeline. "Eater! You dare defy the order I just gave?"

Never one to respect authority Soul took a step back towards the group and swallowed the witty remark on the tip of his tongue. Kid was a good captain and treated them all much better than any other officer Soul had run across in the military. In a way Soul knew he was right as well, anything could be out there, which is why he had to find out exactly what.

"No, Captian. I simply thought I saw something moving on the beach but it was only a crab." It was a lame excuse and both parties knew that but Kid also knew what he was getting into when he called for men who were ready to throw away their lives for a chance of adventure and the promise of an early death. But if anyone could pull it off it was Death the Kid, who never let anyone get away alive.

"The for the love of the queen, catch it next time. We're going to need something to eat on this barren hell hole." The captain said turning away from Soul to monitor the landscape. "Right then. Star. Patti. You two set up the tent's we need a command center on the beach before we go anywhere. Liz you find the nearest source of fresh water but do NOT extend beyond that tree line for even a foot or God help me I will make sure that this island has never seen and will never see a beating like yours again, is that clear?"

The two younger members of the party had already started unloading the boats and constructing the tents that would serve as a post for those on land. Liz was the older sister of Patti and was fiercely protective over her, often making her the most reliable member to not do something that would get them all killed. The captain had picked up the two as stowaways in Barcelona before setting off for the long voyage. Kid's ship was well organized but the two were excellent at hiding. It was 2 weeks before they were found and it was too late to turn back to land by then. They proved to be rather useful, with Liz carrying enough weight for three good men and her sister being rather useful at navigation...usually.

"Eater." Soul lolled his head away from the elder Thompson sister to look at his captain. As usual his "standing at attention" was slouched and his gaze lazy. With a grin his captain threw him a shovel and assigned his task. "Latrine duty"

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Maka thought she had a few more good hours before the storm hit but as usual it blew in with an almost supernatural speed. The dark gray clouds blocked out the sun that she had so enjoyed earlier. There was a noticeable chill in the air from the dropping temperature and Maka had very little time to spare. The spring by her home was nearby but she had barely had time to fill her last cantine and was now rushing back. The leaves of passing vines had curled in on themselves as if to cower away from the incoming danger. The grass was no longer cool or soft but instead very nearly pricked her feet with the sharpness. Her time was running out.

Picking up speed she ran through the forest deftly, dodging fallen trees and briar bushes covered in thorns. The trees had seemed welcoming and playful before were now shadowed giving off a deep and menacing vibe. She grasped a branch and swung over a small ravine which ran adjacent to her home. She was back with time to spare.

There was a sudden snapping sound as the thick branch gave away sending Maka tumbling down 6 feet down into the fissure. Due to her quick reflexes Maka crouched and rolled away from the fall where the branch crashed after her. Standing upright, she examined herself for any serious injuries only to find the momentum of her roll had taken most of the fall. Quickly she examined the branch she had swung from since she was 8.

"I have not gained that much weight." Jumping over the thick wood she examined the broken end. The center of the branch was will green which meant the tree had not died and rotted without her notice. The edges were also snapped and frayed indicating that it was neither sawed or chewed off by some wild animal. With a sigh she rolled her shoulders to verify they were in good working order before taking off at a brisk run down the ravine towards her home.

"I swear, sometimes this place is just trying to kill me." She was nearly there and quiet nearly out of time when the dark gray stone of her home drifted in view. Unfortunately she was a good 7 feet below it and had very little options as to ways up. Before finding the branch she has climbed the rocky surface using vines and foot hold but there was no way they would hold her up now.

With a sigh she jogged further down the ravine, passing her home. Another 5 minutes down she saw a collapsed pile of loose rocks leading to a steep slope up the sides. Landslides were common in the area and for a moment she prayed to the island for helping her out. Even if it was the reason she was running behind in the first place.

Quickly and gracefully she ascended over the ridge. Only taking a moment to orientate herself towards her home she broke out in a sprint. The clouds above her were rumbling and the temperature had dropped even further causing goosebumps to rise on her arm. She could almost feel the tension in the air, like watching water added to a cup bit by bit, until it spills over.

For the second time that day and for the second time in 6 years Maka found herself falling again. There was no stopping this one as threw out her arms to break her fall. She winced as the skin of her hands ripped and stung, small pieces of the earth implanting themselves into the flesh. In exchange, the rest of her body was slowed enough that no real damage was done.

Maka cursed herself for being so careless. She was so used to knowing the way she hadn't bothered to watch her feet on her new path. With a sigh she lifted herself to glare hatefully at whatever root had tripped her only to find a large tuft of white fur between a patch of bushes. Briefly she worried she had stepped on and killed some poor animal, until it groaned much louder than any noise an animal that small could make. Slow she pushed the bushes aside ready to run at the first sign of trouble only to find the last thing she thought she would ever see on this island. A sleeping boy with a shock of white hair. She looked up briefly at the sky and the impending storm before glancing back at the boy.

"You really are trying to kill me aren't you." The island responded with a boom of roaring thunder and Maka could swear it was laughing at her.

AN: Hey all back from the dead, also known as nursing school.

Well really just visiting, I was struck with inspiration and just had to get this out of my head. For those of you who want Strings, sorry. Maybe one day. This won't be a long epic tale, just something fun maybe 8 chapters.

Feels good to be back snacklets, feels good.