Black Star silently looked down to all the little people in the room below him from his perch on the chandelier, waiting for the perfect moment to unleash his awesome presence upon so many of the unsuspecting and deprived with a barely contained anxiety. Not that a man who would surpass God Himself would feel anxious over people noticing him – in the typical Black Star fashion, he was never worried about other people watching – it was because he couldn't let himself fail in such an important mission. A mission so important, so titanic, so grave, so climatic, that the very course of the life of Black Star himself hung in the balance.
So he contained his great self, and waited for his target, for the perfect moment to strike.
A few weeks ago…
Sid was now in a deep thought. A difficult position had found him again. Certainly infiltrating Medusa's home in Shibusen felt less dire than this situation. For, sitting before him now, was his apprentice, Black Star, with a deeply troubling request.
"Sid-sensei, what do you think?" Black Star looked at his teacher expectantly.
Sid brought a hand to his chin as he appraised his student. Certainly, the years that had passed since the kishin revival had been tough and challenging for him, but he had certainly gained far more in his trials for his suffering. Maturity now tempered him far more than before, when he was simply a loud-mouthed assassin-in-training..ish. Surely now this type of undertaking would not be beyond him. Only one obstacle remained prevalent in Sid's opinion.
"Black Star, you are certain of this course of action?" Sid asked with a solemn face.
"Yes, Sid-sensei, I am." Black Star said with the face of sincerity and earnestness that he wore with an unnatural ease.
"At least that is settled in your mind. Now, about your plan to go about it…" Sid began.
"What about it?" Black Star sat up, eyes wide in interest.
"It's a foolish plan." Mifune said from the doorway. The samurai walked in and sat cross legged next to Sid, facing Black Star with his sword tucked against his shoulder. "The way you described it, it'll fail even before you decide to do it."
Black Star narrowed his eyes at his one-time rival, "What could possibly tell you that? What could you know about this kind of stuff anyway?"
"Because, young meister, a long while back you were faced with two choices involving your path in life, and despite having those two well-traveled paths laid before you, you decided to follow your own path, in your own way. You eschewed the easy solution to aim higher, and better. And this plan of yours does not ring true to that." Mifune stared straight back at the blue-haired ninja, unblinking and stern.
Black Star held the other's gaze for a handful of moments, before he dipped his head and sighed. "What should I do then? Tsubaki is usually the one who helps me with plans, but I can't ask for her help here – obviously."
Mifune and Sid glanced at each other. Sid spoke first, "Black Star, if you are to remain true to yourself, then you know that it is only you that can carry this out. The best any other can offer you is advice and support."
Black Star ran his hand through his hair, then raised himself up and squared his shoulders. "Alright then. I know what I need to do."
Sid crossed his arms, while Mifune simply raised an eyebrow.
"However," Black Star continued, "I would appreciate any of that advice you have."
The two teachers smirked at their student, "I guess I can't abandon one of my students in the face of a quest such as this; that's just not the kind of man I was."
Present Day
After those few weeks of preparation, the self-appointed task that had been keeping Black Star awake at night was finally coming to a climax. He knew the layout of the area, the actions of his target, and the right time to reveal himself was approaching quickly. Swallowing against the rising feeling of giddiness that he hadn't experienced since his times as a student, he held his breath as the kids below him mulled about, finding their seats. It would be any moment now.
There. His target walked in the room, heading for the front of the class, binder of loose papers in hand. Walking behind the podium, they put the binder down and began calmly sorting through the papers.
This was it. This was the moment. Black Star coiled himself, waiting for the right moment to spring into action. His target always put her papers in a coherent stack before the start of her class. That is when he would strike.
Remember, Sid-sensei had told him, that the most important method in winning an engagement is to use the element of surprise to command the situation. Wait for the right moment to reveal yourself, and then take control through confusing your targets.
He heard the bell start to ring, signaling the beginning of class. It was here he would begin, and he knew what he would do.
He'd just do what came naturally to him, of course. He'd take the spotlight.
The bell's silence came, and before anyone could speak, he revealed himself.
"GOOOOD MORNING CLASS! YA-HOOO!" Black Star thundered from his high vantage point in the classroom. Those diction and toastmaster classes on the side were certainly paying off. "IT IS I! THE GREAT BLACK STAR!"
He leapt down and landed with a dull thud on the wood floor of the Crescent Room. He looked around, seeing the mild interest on the student's faces as their gym/combat assistant teacher made another spectacle of himself. Tsubaki, from behind the podium, gave a sigh as a smile of amusement worked its way onto her face.
Remember, Mifune said to him, that the entire reason that you got this far is because of how you have carried yourself. Declare yourself, and remind everyone how much you have accomplished.
"Today," Black Star said, "We will be doing a special lesson concerning history, because it is important to understand the great accomplishments of those who came before you, such as me!" He emphasized the point by placing his thumb on his chest and grinning wildly. "For example, I myself faced down an entire mob of gangsters and managed to elude all of them without a scratch when I was only your age!"
A muffled giggle escaped from behind him, where Tsubaki was covering her mouth in an attempt to remain unnoticed.
Good, Black Star thought, I've got her attention, and theirs as well.
"That's right; and I also led the way during the assault on Baba Yaga castle, leaving Arachne's traps and troops both useless and amazed in my awesome wake!" He returned his hands to his hips and gave a hearty laugh, "I even stood against the Demon God, Asura, himself! He was witness to the greatness that is me and was helpless against it! And it was my support in the end that allowed Maka to deliver the killing blow, ending his madness and freeing the world!"
Most of the students were smiling now, and a few were giggling at the pompus display that Black Star was giving.
"But there's one very important event in history that is far more great and without its occurrence, the Kishin would most definitely still wreak his madness on the world." He allowed his voice to go to a more human level and his wild grin to subdue to a confident smile.
Don't forget, Stein had walked in then, having overheard the conversation between the three, that having support ensures a victory. Surround yourself with those you can trust to watch your back, and you'll be able to focus on the take before you.
"That date in history was this very day in fact, many years ago. The day that changed my fate," Familiar faces started to silently walk in the doors, from Soul and Maka to Spirit, Marie and Stein. Kid walked in, flanked by Liz and Patty. Sid, Nygus, and Mifune also walked in, and they all stood in front of the students. There was anticipation in the air, as none of the students knew what to make of all these powerful meisters and weapons, their teachers and staff, gathering before them.
Black Star turned to face his weapon, his friend, and began to walk toward her. Tsubaki's face had changed from a look of amusement to a look of astonishment at the sudden appearance of her friends in the wake of Black Star's antics. Black Star held out his hand to her, motioning to her to come out from behind the podium and to him. She walked out tentatively, reaching out to grasp the open hand Black Star held to her. Looking down into her eyes with warmth, he knew that this was right.
Always remember to acknowledge your opponent, Mifune had warned, as understating their worth will sour your victory.
"That was the day," Black Star said, "That Tsubaki agreed to be my weapon. To entrust herself to me and my greatness. She believed in me, and it was this support that allowed me to become the man that I am today. Without her, I would've have lost my way long ago, never knowing the greatness that I would accomplish. It was not a surprise that I would need her to become the man who would surpass God."
"However," Black Star said as he knelt down on his right knee and fished a box out of his pocket with his free hand, "It would be some time later before I came to realize just how much I was glad it was Tsubaki, not someone else, that would agree to be my partner."
Remember, Black Star had looked up as a smiling Spirit spoke from the doorway, it's easy to speak of needs and likings, but to truly win the heart of someone you love, you have to let them know just how much you want them, rather than just a simple need. That you want them to be a part of your life not out of obligation or duty, but because they are who they are. Because she is who she is. Remember that, and you will not fail.
Black Star looked up to Tsubaki, who had covered her mouth as he kneeled in front of her while everyone watched. "Tsubaki, the last year together with you has only strengthened my heart's resolve in the knowledge that I want to be your partner, and your lover, forever."
He felt his heart thump whump in his chest as he paused to look into Tsubaki's eyes as she looked at him in shock. Everyone in the room was silent. This was the moment that he had dreamed, worried, planned, and agonized over for the last few weeks, coming to its climax. The spotlight he felt on them burned so hot that he could see every labored breath his partner made. He opened the box held in his free hand, revealing an engagement ring cast of fine gold, with an onyx spiral swirling around the band and up to a clear white diamond stone.
"Tsubaki Nakatasukasa, will you marry me?"
This was it, the finale, the culmination of the planning, the plotting, the secrets, and the waiting. It was the brief moment on which his very heart teetered. He heard her gasp from behind her hand, as her eyes watered and her legs began to wobble. Black Star waited for her to answer, as calmly as he could, as he remembered something else, from when they went to hunt for her brother together.
You'll tell me when you're ready, He had said, I won't force you to if you don't want to.
Quietly, so only the two of them could hear, he said to her,
"You can tell me when you're ready," He looked deeply into her eyes, "I'll wait for you."
He watched as she took a shaky breath and moved her hand away from her face. Tears running down her face, she nodded as she said the word that Black Star's heart had been aching to hear,
"Yes."
Time began to speed back up as he plucked the ring from its box and slid in onto her hand. He gathered up Tsubaki in his arms as she collapsed against him in a fit of joyful sobbing. Spinning around to face the anxious crowd, he pumped a triumphant fist into the air as the combined tension from the last few weeks built up in his lungs and flew out of his mouth.
"SHE SAID YES! YAAA-HOOOOOO!"
The students leapt out of their seats applauding and cheering, while the front row observers clapped and smiled at the newly engaged couple before them. While all around him the world cheered, he turned his face to Tsubaki, who was still crying into his shoulder.
"I love you Tsubaki."
Turning her face towards his, she gave a red eyed smile.
"I love you too, Black Star."
Author's Note: So I had been kind of depressed recently, and also had just finished the Soul Eater anime version. With all the boo-hooey thoughts I had been having lately I decided that I wanted a break from my usual stuff to write some harmless fluff. I decided to stick to the anime version (sorry manga fans) as I wondered just what would Black*Star's proposal to Tsubaki entail? So, a short time later, this popped out of my head. It might be better suited as a part of a bigger story, but I like it as a scene. Anyway, thanks for reading; I hope you enjoyed it.
sos23