Chapter 1 – Reunion
Hi there! This is Harudori Tsugumi, aged 14, and partner of Maka Albarn, today I've finally returned to DWMA. While I really enjoyed seeing my family again over the winter break, is it weird that I'm even happier to be making my way back up Death's Staircase once more? It's a new year of my savage but super fun life!
Tsugumi jogged up the famous Death Staircase with a wide smile, "Finally I'm at the top!" She declared, spinning in place. She felt proud realising that just this time last year she couldn't walk up these stairs without getting exhausted, guessing that keeping up her training over the break had helped. She remembered why she had come here in the first place, a day before term began. "Right, I better go meet up with Maka now, we have so much to do in order to get ready for the new term!" Tsugumi said pumping her fist.
She began making her way to the place the two had agreed to meet over the phone. It felt like it's been so long since they last saw each other, Tsugumi wondered how much Maka had changed in their time apart. At the least it seemed that she and Black*Star had made peace again, since they managed sharing phone calls to her in Japan. Tsugumi made her way through the gym doors, shoving both doors open, eager to see her partner again. "Maka, I'm back!" She said waving to her partner.
"Oh, Tsugumi welcome back-Hey watch it Black*Star!" Maka said her eye twitching as she narrowly dodged being hit in the face. Tsugumi looked at the two in shock, the scene before her sinking in. Maka and Black*Star were sparring, though rather than hand to hand they were using staff's. Maka, red in the face now from having their reunion interrupted, was trying to beat Black*Star over the head with hers, as the boy jokingly swerved away at the last possible minute.
"It's not my fault if you look away Maka!" Black*Star said with a smirk, "You should have expected Tsugumi would come here early." Maka looked ready to retort as she began opening her mouth.
"I'm glad you two are getting along and all, but really why do you two only get along when you're hitting each other?" Tsugumi said as she stamped her foot, bringing the two's spar to an abrupt halt.
"Tsugumi I...!" Maka began saying, holding up her hands and staff hidden from sight. Tsugumi puffed out her cheeks and stared Maka down.
"Just once, can we please meet up go do regular student activities and get along without the standard banter? In fact that's what we're doing today!" Tsugumi said nodding to herself, walking up to the two meister and grabbing them each by the hand. "You two are coming with me, we are getting our equipment and uniforms at the school shop right now and you two are going to go the whole time without taking a shot at each other." That said she began dragging them out of the gym to their destination.
"Hey who said I was coming, I don't need a new uniform!" Black*Star said, trying to slip his wrist free of Tsugumi's hold. His staff dropping to the floor as Tsugumi gave him a hard tug.
"So you're going to go on missions dressed like that huh?" Tsugumi said, drawing out her words, turning a raised eyebrow at him. Looking down she could see Black*Star's shoes were worn down, smooth soles sliding across the floor as he tried to pull away. "You're clothes are all worn out, you two must have been at this the entire break to have managed that." Black*Star and Maka flinched, so Tsugumi figured she'd hit the nail on the head.
"Hey Maka..." Black*Star said, keeping his voice low the moment Tsugumi turned to face forward. "The death happened to Tsugumi while she was gone, she's gotten really big. Was she replaced by an alien?"
"Aliens aren't real Black*Star. I don't know what's gotten into her." Maka said, scrunching up her nose, eyebrows drawing together. "She did say she'd been keeping up with her training but she sounded normal over the phone..."
"I can still hear you guys!" Tsugumi said, taking a bit of perverse pleasure in the surprised jump she elicited from the two. "I didn't change, I got to recharge after having to spend all that time between you keeping you from fighting. But that's not going to happen again right?" She said, giving the two a pleasant smile that made them cringe. "Let's all be mature adults about this, otherwise you are ever going to manage to fall in love one day."
"Love, the death did love come into this?" Maka said, face red as she stuttered. "Childhood friend romances only happen in cliché stories, it definitely not happening between us!" Black*Star began choking desperately on his own spit, face bright red.
"Huh? Who said I was talking about you two being together?" Tsugumi said raising an eyebrow. "You'd kill each other within a week!" Tsugumi was sure she was going to have nightmares about it tonight. There was no way her peaceful life would last if you added hormones to Black*Star and Maka's chaotic relationship.
"Oh fair enough..." Maka said her face still, though her right eye was twitching. Black*Star was clenching his chest, struggling to breathe.
As Black*Star's wheezing eased her stared at Tsugumi's face. Tsugumi wondered what could make him think so hard, it couldn't be anything good for her. "Ah! I figured it out!" Black*Star said, voice rising as he talked. "Tsugumi's turned into a pervert now that she's hit puberty!" He said with a nod. Maka's face smoothed out into a frown as she thought it over.
"So that was it!" She said, nodding to herself. "I think this is the first time I'm proud of you for thinking." Maka said, Black*Star returned Maka's grin with one of his own.
"I am not a pervert, what's wrong with considering romance at my age?" Tsugumi said, letting go of the two so her arms could swing in time with her raised voice. "I'm just in love with being in love ok?"
The two ignored her and began walking away. "We'll leave her alone until she snaps back to normal..." Maka said to Black*Star, who nodded enthusiastically.
"Hey wait up you guys!" Tsugumi cried out as they rounded the corner without her. Why did they only get along when they were picking on her? Though she suspected she'd have to give them a pass since they were still a little too young to understand.
Searching the clothing racks of the school store Tsugumi was glad that Maka and Black*Star had managed to get along while getting school supplies without incident, despite having to make Black*Star actually get some for the first time. Tsugumi wanted to know how he managed to get so far in school without trying at all. Now they had separated in the uniform section, having gone their separate ways to find what they needed.
"I still really like the collar I used last time but it was a bit impractical for the desert..." Tsugumi admitted balefully, remembering the sweat puddles wearing black long sleeves had caused her. "Replacing the boots with some basic school shoes is a must. But I guess I'll just stick to the summer variation of my shirt this time around." That decided she dug through the racks to find more copies of her chosen shirt.
"Girls take way too long deciding what to wear." Black*Star said, as he sat slumped against the wall in the corner. Tsugumi turned to glare at him, pouting.
"Don't pout Black*Star!" Tsugumi began, taking a peek at the small pile he'd already found. "Hey you only picked work out gear no wonder you finished so quickly! You need an actual uniform for class Black*Star or you're going to be stuck in sweaty clothes in class."
"Its fine isn't it? If I'm sweat it's my own problem." Black*Star said, with a snort.
"Until we have to smell you since we always sit beside you, boys!" Tsugumi said, throwing up her arms. Why were boys such strange creatures? She walked straight into the boys section. "I'll get you a black gakuen; everybody looks good in them... What were your sizes again? Never mind I remember!"
"Hey, I said it was fine Tsugumi!" Black*Star said, jumping up to follow her. "How do you even know my sizes? I mean it I won't wear it!" He said trying to grab the gakuen. Tsugumi pulled back, digging her feet in to get a better angle against the fitness freak.
"Will you two be quiet you're going to get us thrown out." Tsugumi and Black*Star jumped at the sudden interruption of their fight. Tsugumi took the chance to stuff Black*Star's gakuen into her pile of clothes while he was distracted.
"I'm sorry Maka!" Tsugumi said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly. "Have you had any luck?"
"I've already found everything I need Tsugumi." Maka said with a huff, hands on hips. "I just had to replace my shirt so I went with the summer variant, since I already bought everything else the other day." She narrowed her eyes at Black*Star, frown creeping onto her face. "It doesn't take all girls ages to shop." Black*Star stuck his tongue out at her in response.
"So we can leave already right? I'm getting hungry." Black*Star said, speaking rapidly as he scooped up his work-out clothes and Tsugumi's own pile and made a break for the cashier.
"You're always hungry Black*Star!" Maka said, sighing. Tsugumi sighed as well, guessing that this was as much as she could hope for from these two now, though she was glad they hadn't come to blows.