Soul Eater: The Night Before
…:SoulXMaka:…
"Happy Birthday!"
Maka smiled at the sight of all her friends sitting at the large dining table with her. The table that sat in the middle of Kid's dining room. They all were there. All of her close friends: Soul, Black*Star, Tsubaki, Kid, and both of the Thompson sisters all smiling back at her. It was one of the most important days in a girl's life. In almost every story she read about a teenage girl, when ever their big day like this one was coming they'd always make a big deal about it. And today was the day she was going to make a big deal about it. It was her birthday and she was turning sixteen.
"Here! This one is from me and Tsubaki!" Black*Star exclaimed as he handed Maka a gift from the right. She tried hard not to correct on his grammar and smiled as he continued. "Tsubaki couldn't think of anything to get you, so we both decided on this!" He smiled with a blasting laugh before Tsubaki reached over, grabbed his shirt, and yanked him back down into his seat.
Maka laughed while nodding and opened the present. Everyone was watching patiently except for the blue haired boy to her right. Then finally she got the wrapping paper off and examined what was inside. A small box with a traditional Japanese looking pattern printed on it. She opened the lid after admiring the design and she soon was looking at a ninja star set. "Wow…thanks…"
"Black*Star insisted" Tsubaki told her with a small smile as Black*Star next to her gave Maka an enthusiastic thumbs up. "He said you can throw them at Soul if he irritates you…" She then said trying not to laugh at the memories of always throwing ninja stars at Black*Star's forehead. "Just make sure you don't go and kill him." They all laughed, but Soul on the other hand quickly looked at Maka.
"Wh-what?!" Soul gasped before looking around the room. They all kept laughing at him. "S-stop laughing!" He yelled at them, but they kept going at it, making his lazy crimson eyes twitch slightly. "That's not cool, or funny in any way whatsoever!"
"Oh please Soul, calm down" Maka said to him after the laughing died down. She shut the box and looked at Tsubaki and Black*Star. "Thanks guys…but I think I'll stick to Maka-Chopping him." Soul let out a sigh of relief but then looked at her again when he realized that a 'Maka-Chop' wasn't at all that much better. "But, I'll make sure I use the ninja stars during battle one day."
"Great!" Black*Star then yelled as he stood and pointed to her with his right hand while both his left hand and knee rested on the large table. "Just don't lose them!" He then yelled. Maka smiled slightly as she noticed Kid's reaction to Black*Star's behavior. "Those things cost a lot out of my savings!" Tsubaki blinked and looked at him with a blank stare.
"You mean 'our' savings…"
"Black*Star!! Get off my table!!"
"S-Sorry Kid…"
After the blue haired boy sat down Liz and Patty passed over their gift. They gave it to Soul, since he was closest to Maka and he handed it to her. "Here," Liz said as Maka took the gift from the white haired boy's hands. "Patty and I combined out gift like Black*Star and Tsubaki." She then said as the gift now rested on the table in front of the blond girl.
Maka nodded and unwrapped the gift wrap. There was a box with a lid with a card on top. Maka smiled and, before opening the box, she took the colorful card and opened it to read. The inside was just as colorful as the outside and she could tell that it was Patty who was the clever artist. Of course she had drawn a Giraffe on one side. And next to the giant "Happy Birthday Maka" banner there was a picture of Liz, Maka and Patty holding hands as little stick figures; the giant laughing sun doodled behind them all. Maka giggled and looked up to the sisters. "Thanks. That's a cute card guys" Both girls nodded and answered:
"Thanks~!"
"Heh. You're welcome"
After that, Maka set the card down on the table and opened the box that lay patiently beside it. Inside was a whole new hair tie set of many designs and colors. Some were green, red, blue, white, and black…you name it. And some also had Shinigami's mask printed on some beaded ones. Once again Maka looked at the sisters with a large smile. "Wow! Thanks you two!"
"No problem" Liz said; smiling back to the other blonde. She then pointed to the box while leaning an elbow down on the tabletop. "I noticed that you wear tones of different kinds of hair ties." She then said. Patty nodded from behind her and pointed to the box as well.
"And I noticed that you said you were losing some!" Patty then yelled after remembering Maka mentioning that she couldn't find any of her hair ties. "Soooo~ I told Nee-Chan and we both decided to get you more!"
"Thanks" Maka said again before taking out her favorite new pair. She reached up and took out the ones she already had in and set them in the box. She then held up the new pair for the sisters to see. "I like this pair," she said; showing them the Shinigami-beaded pair. "So, I'm gunna switch them."
"Wait! I'll do it!" Kid gasped just as Maka was about to redo her hair. He jolted up from his seat and began making his way around the table to the other side. "I'll make sure that I get it done nice and perfectly symmetrical!" And before Maka could say anything else in response, Kid's gift was on the table in front of her and he was behind her, inspecting her head. "Now, try not to move…I need to make it perfect…"
Liz let out a heavy sigh as Patty laughed not-so-silently to herself. Across the table Black*Star laughed a little as well while Soul and Tsubaki both shook their heads with small smiles. Maka didn't mind though. After so many years with that group, she had gotten used to their faults.
"Ok then," She reached down and unwrapped the perfectly symmetrical gift as Kid fondled with her hair from behind. The wrapping paper made her giggle though. How the mini Shinigami masks were lined perfectly down the paper. Kid had to have been sitting in his room for hours cutting the paper so that the masks wouldn't be asymmetrical on the paper. There was just no way that there was gift wrap so perfectly symmetrical like that. Inside the small box within the paper there was a picture frame and a gift certificate. "Hm? Kid?" She asked. "What's this?"
He leaned over her shoulder and smiled at the certificate that she was holding. "That is a gift certificate for the Barber down the street!" He said happily as she looked at him in the corner of her eyes. "The woman down there always does my hair perfectly! I thought that maybe one day if you wanted a hair cut or a trim that you could go there"
Maka lightly laughed. "Thanks Kid." She then said after he leaned back to start on her hair again. She set the certificate down on the table by all her other gifts and picked up the picture frame. The photo made her smile. It was an old picture their group took together awhile back. Tsubaki had her hands on Black*Star's shoulders as he gave the camera a thumbs up. Next to them, Kid, Liz, and Patty were all smiling at the camera in their own symmetrical like hug. And next to them was Maka and Soul. Both of them had their arms on each other's shoulders. Soul was giving his infamous crooked grin while Maka, slightly blushing, was smiling in her usual sweet and small fashion.
"How long have you had this Kid?" Maka asked after a long two minutes of staring at the old picture. It was an old one. It was back when they all first met with Kid and the sisters and became friends. When Soul still wore his red jeans and yellow jacket with the tan sweatband that said his name. Back when Tsubaki was still learning to tolerate Black*Star's behavior. She was getting better at it but she still got angry and threw ninja stars at his forehead. And back when Kid and the Thompson sisters were still getting used to the rest of the gang and their quirks.
"I got it a couple days after it was taken." Kid answered as he finally got the parting in her hair right. He fondled with it a little more before continuing. "I decided that I'd save it but when you mentioned your sixteenth birthday I decided that I'd give it to you."
"Thanks…" Maka muttered as she set the photo down, feeling her eyes beginning to water up. She missed those days just as much as she wished for a wonderful future. Then with a small sniffle, she reached up with her right hand and wiped the tears away. When she looked back up, another gift was being handed to her. It was from Soul. "W-wow, you actually got me something?" She then asked with a small laugh. The morning before when she had mentioned her birthday coming up, he only shrugged it off with a 'buying things for people even if they're not going to use them is so uncool' comment.
"But Maka…" Soul said as she took it from his hands. "This is 'your' birthday were talking about," He lightly laughed and leaned back in his seat. "Besides, I'm your friend. And being a cool friend and all, I'll get you a present on your special day." Maka smiled. He may have had his rude and obnoxious moments, but he was really sweet and – dare she think it – cool. And those sweet moments were what she had come to love about the Evans boy.
"Thank you Soul…" She muttered before looking at the wrapped gift. She then with a flushed face reached down and tore the paper away, only to reveal to her a large book. Her eyes widened. "S-Soul!" She yelped, making the said pianist jump off his seat slightly in surprise. "You actually got this for me?!" It was the book she had been looking for. The book that every library she could find didn't seem to have.
"Yeah Yeah, calm down" Soul muttered as he waved his hand near his face. "It was hard to find it so don't lose or ruin it ok?" Maka immediately nodded after this but soon stopped when she heard Kid whine about her moving too much. She blushed a little more and looked at the book with a large smile. Soul was just too kind sometimes and she found it adorable. It was just like all those other times he did something sweet and kind for her. He'd always brush her excited comments away and mention something about her being 'uncool at the moment'. She blushed even more and held the book even closer. She wanted to hug him. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to love him.
"Maka?!"
As soon as her name was yelled, Maka jerked her head up, only to see terrified and confused faces. Soul was on his feet looking at her with confusion and concern in his eyes. Next to him, both the Thompson Sisters were staring behind her in horror. Across the table from them, Black*Star looked very confused and horrified as well while Tsubaki held her hands close to her mouth in worry. "What?" She asked as she set the book down. For a moment she thought it was Kid since most of them were looking behind her. At that moment she noticed that he wasn't messing with her hair anymore and it had fallen back down to cup her face. She looked over her shoulder slowly and saw that the young Shinigami was leaning on the far wall looking at her with the same confused and petrified face as the others; breathing heavily as if he had moved there in a quick movement.
"Why are you all looking at me like that?" Maka then asked as she stood up. She felt something heavy on her back and it seemed to drag her down, like something was hanging on her, receiving a piggy back ride. She looked over shoulder again and saw Kid stand up slowly; his gaze fixed on the object. Maka looked even more around only for her forest green eyes to meet grey metal. She gasped. It was a blade curving up out of her back. Her eyes widened and tears began to fall down her cheeks as she took a step away from the table. "Wha-what's going on?! Why is this happening again?!"
"Again?" Soul asked as he slowly made his way over to her. "Maka what are you talking about?" After he asked this, she remembered that he had been unconscious last time this had happened to her. And so was everyone else in that room. In fact, she was unconscious as well, but she could still remember it happening as if she were awake. The blade disappeared and reappeared in the front, curving up from her stomach. She took a step forward from the weight. What was happening? Why then and why was it randomly going out of control?! "Maka calm down!" Soul yelled as everyone else took cover nearby.
"I c-cant!" Maka yelled back; her eyes shutting. The blade once again disappeared and reappeared on both her arms and shot outwards towards the white haired boy. Her eyes opened again as soon as she heard something get cut. She then sighed in relief to see that it had only cut his jacket's shoulder. Soul tore his sleeve away from the blade and cautiously walked over. "Soul stop!" Maka screamed as the blades disappeared again. "I-I don't know where they're going to appear next!" Just as she yelled this, a blade shot forward from her chest, but to quickly dodge, Soul knelt down just enough for the blade to slightly graze his spiky white hair.
"Maka I'm coming over there if you like it or not!" He yelled as the blade disappeared again. He stood up and began walking towards her again. Maka shook her head over and over as another blade shot out of her back, this time curving around and piercing the side of his arm. Maka gasped in shock as Soul stopped walking. Tsubaki went to call out for him, but Black*Star grabbed her arm and shook his head. He was trying to tell her that Soul was fine and that only he could do this. Tsubaki looked at the ground and lightly nodded as everyone watched the blade disappear. Blood lightly trickled down his right arm as he slowly looked up and began walking again.
"Soul please stop!!"
He shook his head as his grabbed his arm like Chrona always did; getting closer and closer. "No way!" He barked; baring his shark like teeth. "That wouldn't be cool of me to leave you like this!" He then yelled before a blade shot towards him from her left shoulder. This one nicked him in the shoulder making him stumble a bit backwards; blood slowly making its way down his chin. Maka began to tremble but the blade disappeared only for another one to curve over her head and down at him. He slowly took a step back and let the blade pierce the ground and then he slowly began walking around it. "Beside's…how else are you going to stop?" He then asked as he came closer to her. Her tear drenched face shook as he looked up and smiled at her. And this time, it wasn't crooked in anyway whatsoever. The blade disappeared as he came close enough to hug her. Her eyes widened.
"Soul! Don't hug me!"
Her screaming was only responded by a shake of his head. She could feel his unsteady breath on her neck and it made her shiver. She could feel the next blade coming, and she tried to push him away. "Maka…" He muttered as the feeling grew stronger. "It's ok…" Her eyes widened greatly as she felt it coming to its peak; screaming at him to go away. "I love you"
The blade came. And it came right out through her stomach and curved upward. She could hear Tsubaki's shriek of horror and everyone else gasp as well; all of them calling out his name. Even more tears began falling down her blood and tear soaked face; the pupils in her eyes shaking in pure horror. She felt Soul's body disappear and the warmth that he gave off went cold. She couldn't feel his wavelength at all either and soon the blade disappeared, making her fall to her knees and into the puddle of the Evans boy's blood.
Slowly and gracefully a small blue soul drifted to the ground and lie upon the surface of the blood. Her eyes widened even more in shock if all possible and she slapped a hand onto her mouth. Tsubaki fell to the ground as well as Black*Star stared in horror and Kid held Patty as she cried into her knees. Liz fell down to the ground and in her shock she looked at Kid. "Wh-what just ha-happened?" She asked him. Kid, rubbing Patty's back, looked up and sadly looked at Maka and the soul that belonged to their once long time friend.
"I'm afraid…that Maka has just slain Soul."
"SOUL!!"
Maka shot up out of her bed with a blood hurtling scream, breathing heavily and sweating an ocean. She reached up and grabbed her head as if having a headache and looked around her bedroom. She looked at her clock and saw that it said 11:55. She then sighed. 'Just a dream…just a dream…' she then thought as her eyes looked at the calendar. It was the night before her birthday. She was still fifteen. Her eyes drifted back over to the wall in front of her; panting still. She then reached down and touched her heart. It was racing, like trying to win a race with the fastest drum beat in the world. She shut her forest green eyes and dropped her hand. Then she heard footsteps running towards her door and soon the said barrier slammed open to reveal a half transformed weapon boy.
"WHAT HAPPENED?!" Soul yelled, looking around with a crazed face. "If someone was in here I need to know!" He then yelled. She gasped and shook her head. "I'll rip them to shreds and tear their limbs apart—"
"Soul! I'm fine!" Maka yelled holding her hands out to him in an attempt to calm him. He looked at her and immediately his arm turned back to normal. His posture then relaxed as her hands fell back into her lap. "I-I just had a bad dream…" Her eyes narrowed greatly as the images of the dream came back to her. She had killed Soul in it. On her birthday she had killed him! Her eyes began to water, making him immediately walk over and sit near her on the bed.
"Maka?" Soul asked, his hand reaching over to rest on her shoulder. "Hey…don't cry. It was just a dream…" he then said as she began crying even more. "Maka its ok" She began crying even more as the memory of him saying those exact words in the dream came to her. He had said it before saying 'I love you' and then she had killed him. Soul sighed, and with a soft 'not cool' he reached over and pulled her into a sweet and yet awkward hug. "Please stop crying Maka…"
"I-I killed you…"
"What?" Soul asked as he pulled her away to see her face. Her eyes were still staring at his chest which was covered by his T-shirt, and her face was soaked in tears and left over sweat from the dream. Her breathing quivered and she shut her mouth and eyes to swallow a lump of saliva she had let stay in the same spot for the past few minutes. "Maka are you talking about the dream?" Soul finally asked again after a moment. The girl in his arms nodded but kept her eyes shut afraid that his face would be covered in blood like in the dream. His eyes narrowed sadly and he pulled her back into the hug, and then began rubbing the back of her head. "I'm still here aren't I?" He then asked her.
Within the crook of his neck, Maka opened her eyes and smelt his scent. He smelt like he had in the dream when he hugged her. She could feel his warmth radiate off of his skin like in the dream. But this time, she could feel his wavelength and his breathing wasn't unsteady any longer. It was even and strong. It just made her want to cry even more. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed as if he was going to turn into that same exact soul from the dream. "Soul don't leave…" She mumbled into his neck. The blond began crying a little more as the image of his soul lightly floating above the pool of blood came to mind.
Soul smiled. "I won't leave you I swear" He told her; his eyes drifting over to the clock. It was 11:58 at night. He smiled a little more as he kept his hand in an up and down motion. "That wouldn't be cool at all…" She tried hard not to hit him for mentioning being cool and what not, and the crying was only helping. He shut his eyes and set his chin on the top of her head. "Besides, I'd never leave someone I love behind"
Her eyes shot open and she reached up with her right hand and grabbed her chest; afraid that the blade would shoot out and pierce him again. But nothing happened. Her eyes shut again and a smile crept up onto her face as she realized he wasn't going to die like he had in the dream. This time, one single tear fell and it wasn't for sadness or fear, it was because she was happy. She smiled even more and hugged him tighter. "I love you too Soul…and thank you…"
Soul opened his eyes again and smiled. "You're welcome..." He glanced at the clock and watched it turn to 12:00 before shutting his eyes again. And then, after lightly kissing the top of her head, he laid her back down, as she was now sleeping again, and spoke for the last time that night.
"Happy Birthday…Maka."
Soul Eater does not belong to me. If it did, Soul would have attacked Maka and smothered her in "Cool Guy" love by now