Grey
Dull
Waiting
Shading
Grey and grey and grey and grey
Rain
Thunder
Storm
x
It's been two months, and Maka still won't wake up.
I don't go back to the DWMA. There's no point, not when she's not there. I spend all day, every day, sitting in this hospital room, staring down at her. I don't always sit here alone. Sometimes Crona comes here too, but most of the time he grieves in his room and so I am left here with just the sleeping form of the girl I love.
Maka Albarn is dead to the world, and I am obviously inadequate if even I cannot call her back. I'm her weapon partner, our soul wavelengths match, so why can I not bring her back to us all?
One night, I get a terrible shock. I'm just sitting in the darkness, Maka's hand clenched in mine, when I notice the yellow glow from outside the window. I get to my feet, my body stiff from not having moved in a long time, and I make my way over to the wall so I can stare through the glass at the square below.
Hundreds of people stand in the square, all in line, organised, all clutching candles. As I watch, they lay the candles on the ground and bow down behind them.
They're thanking the person who saved Death City.
And they're saying goodbye.
SHE'S NOT DEAD YET. HOW DARE THEY THINK THAT SHE'S GOING TO DIE? SHE'S GOING TO COME BACK TO US. SHE'S NOT GOING TO DIE. MAKA WILL COME BACK. SHE'S A FIGHTER.
SHE WILL LIVE...
… she has to.
x
If I concentrate hard, I can sense her soul.
Whenever we performed Soul Resonance, her soul was always a comforting orange colour, quite small by strong-willed, her pigtails apparent as wings. Now, though, it's completely different.
It's so tiny it's hardly there, surrounded by some sort of empty white nothingness. The colour has completely changed, from the warm orange colour to an icy, fairy blue. It still glows, but it is so very cold and there seems to be no way I can reach it. It is trapped in the empty white nothingness, and I'm stuck in the grieving black void. If only our two souls could meet halfway, in the grey, and then the grey would disappear and be replaced by the beautiful colours, shoving the shades aside.
And Maka would wake up.
x
I'm in the black room once more, and somehow he has escaped again. But he's not looking like the normal red little demon with the big hands. He's me, a sick twisted copy of me, the way he appeared to Maka.
'Hello, Soul,' he says, using my voice. 'What's wrong with your precious Maka?'
I ball my fists, furious. 'Is she here? Have you taken her?'
He laughs. 'She's almost gone now, Soul. She's drifting further and further away.'
I grab the front of his black suit in my anger. 'GIVE HER BACK TO ME!' I scream.
He continues to laugh.
'How are you here?' I snarl. 'I consumed you!'
'You have to accept me, Soul,' he says, grinning, sharp-toothed like myself. 'You did at one point, but the moment your dear Maka fell into a coma you rejected the madness. And now it's coming to haunt you.'
'WHERE IS MAKA?'
Still smiling, he reaches into a pocket and pulls out a small blue box where I can easily see 'Soul' and 'Maka' written on it in bubble writing. The place where I was able to lock away the tiny part of me that wasn't consumed by madness during the fight with Asura.
I snatch it from him and sets it down on the table, placing my hand on the lid, ready to lift it open. But then I hesitate. I turn around slowly, my eyes on the demon.
'Well, Soul?' he says, the smile not disappearing. 'You going to rescue her or what?'
'Are you going to consume her?'
'Come on, Soul,' he urges, looking excited. 'Take a risk.'
'I won't need to worry about that,' I say, determined. 'I won't let you take her. I'll rescue her.'
He watches me closely. 'Go on then.'
The key is somehow already in my hand. I stare at the box, wondering whether I should risk it. I have to rescue Maka... but what if it kills her?
I have to try.
I place the key in the lock, and slowly open the lid.
Inside, it's a empty universe of white nothingness. Right in the very centre, I can see the faint fairy blue glow of Maka's soul. But it's so far away... how to reach her?
'Come on, Maka! Come back!'
'That won't work, Soul,' says the demon. 'Perhaps a little music might help?' He gestures the piano over in the corner. I swallow, then carry the small box with Maka inside over to the instrument, setting it down on the cold black surface of the piano. What tune to play? In what key? Is Major too optimistic? Is Minor too pessimistic? Would it even matter.
Then I remember. Maka and I had just decided to become partners. She wanted to know whether I could play anything other than the dark haunting music I usually play. So I played her a sweet melody in A Minor that I created off the top of my head. Maka loved it. I asked her whether I should name the piece after her. She declined with a laugh. The nameless tune. Until now.
'This tune is called Fairy Blue, and it is for you, Maka,' I whisper.
Then I play.
x
'Soul? Soul!'
'Huh? What?'
My eyes snap open, back into the hospital room, and Tsubaki is standing here, a hopeful expression on her face.
'Her hands, Soul! They twitched for a moment! The nurses came, and they said that's a brilliant sign! They think she may just wake up soon!'
'It- it worked?'
'What do you mean?'
'I, uh... nothing. Never mind.' I straighten up in my chair and stare at her. 'Maka? You there?'
I get no reply. Maybe it's just not time yet. Maybe she's just not ready.
x
I go to the black room every time I fall asleep, and each time I play Fairy Blue for Maka. This has to work. I can't think of any other way to wake her.
A few days later, she takes a turn for the worst.
She stops breathing.
The machine next to her bed is bleeping away furiously and the nurses are trying to resuscitate her. I'm clenching her hand so tightly, screaming at her to breathe.
She can't give up-
-she can't leave me-
MAKA!
WAKE UP! YOU HAVE TO WAKE UP!
DON'T LEAVE ME!
YOU CAN'T LEAVE!
YOU CAN'T DIE!
MAKA!
The machine has broken its consistency, with only one long beep now.
Wait-
-no-
-no-
One long beep means her heart has stopped beating-
'MAKA!' I scream, pushing the nurses aside and beginning the chest compressions myself even though I have no clue how. I- have- to- wake- her- up.
'WAKE UP! YOU HAVE TO LIVE!'
Up and down, up and down. Come on, dammit, breathe!
'DON'T YOU DARE LEAVE ME-'
Two rescue breaths. Two breaths. Have to make her heart beat. Gotta save her-
'MAKA! COME BACK! YOU CAN'T LEAVE ME! DON'T YOU DARE-'
Keep going- can't stop...
'I WON'T LET YOU GO! YOU'RE NOT LEAVING ME, MAKA ALBARN! YOU NEED TO BREATHE! YOU NEED TO WAKE UP! YOU NEED TO LIVE!'
Please let this work...
Please...