I do not own Soul Eater
:::CHAPTER ONE:::
Fear the Dark Soul
Kid awoke slightly disoriented. Sitting up he felt something slide from his shoulders, a blanket perhaps, while aches made themselves known in his neck, back and shoulders. He'd…fallen asleep...on the table? Again?
"Glad you're awake." A voice to his left said. "I was just about to go to the kitchen. Want anything?" He turned his head and stared blankly trying to comprehend what exactly she was offering.
"Liz? What? Uh. Wait…" He held up a hand and tried to get himself together ignoring Liz's sigh and Patti's laughter. They always thought his struggle to wake up was humorous, despite it being anything but.
"I think- I mean sure. Something with-I mean water would be nice." He sighed and looked down at the table noting that the stuff he'd been working on had been neatly put away and organized. He approved of the symmetry they'd managed even having gone so far as to retrieve another pen to complete it. Crossing his arms he smiled and nodded.
"Mmmm! Nice symmetry!"
"I figured you'd like it." Liz shouted over her shoulder as she left the room. His smile twitched into a frown however when he realized that to resume his work he'd have to destroy what he'd just complimented on. Reaching for a pen, hand trembling, he sighed relieved when he heard the doorbell ring saving him from the inevitable task. He made a move to get up but Patti slapped a hand on his shoulder a big grin on her face.
"I'll get it Kid!" He watched as she bounded from the room seeming in better spirits then usual. He wished he could join her but his research had left him not only exhausted but slightly despondent. Staring at the symmetry before him he extended his hand and closing his eyes quickly snatched the pen away.
"Ah. I'm pathetic." He sighed taking a few deep breathes and getting back to work dimly wondering who'd be ringing the doorbell to his house this late at night. He paused and blinked. What time was it? The last time he'd checked the clock it'd been only a little past midnight.
"Morning Kid!" A cheerful voice chimed announcing her arrival into the room. He turned slightly in his seat narrowing his eyes when Maka, Soul, Black Star and Tsubaki entered all four seeming slightly out of breath.
"Morning. Did you run here?"
"Man!" Black Star announced looking around the room that Kid always kept not only spotless but symmetrical. "This room is too small for one as big as me!"
"It's bigger than most apartments." Kid said tonelessly knowing that Black Star had only spoken up to bring attention to himself.
"What are you working on?" Maka asked genuine curiosity spreading out on her face.
"Not sure." Kid replied glancing back at his work. "I'm trying to piece something together here but it's not going over so well." Soul and Black Star instantly lost interest and glanced at each other sharing a look Kid couldn't interpret.
"He's been working on that for the past four days straight." Liz sighed entering the room and placing his glass of water onto the table. "And why is Patti running around with a baseball bat?"
"Didn't she answer the door?" Kid asked glancing at the group who'd just arrived frowning when they shook their heads. "I wouldn't know then." He watched as Maka picked up two of the many books he'd been reading through looking at their covers.
"Let's see. 'The casting of human skin, shedding of the snake and shaving of the sky' written anonymously by someone over three hundred years ago and 'Bade of stars and blood' also written anonymously around that time." Maka hummed and flipped through the pages before quickly closing them and giving him an odd look. "What are you researching? This looks grotesque."
"That's because it is grotesque." Kid assured her noting the elevating impatience of the rest of his 'guests'.
"Ugh! Just ask him already!" Black Star shouted finally running his hands furiously through his hair as though he was going insane.
"Ask me what?"
"Well," Maka began sheepishly returning the books to the table. "We were wondering if you could tell us anything on Soul Equations."
"Soul Equations?" Kid repeated wondering where the hell they'd heard of such a thing.
"The witch we encountered on our last mission mentioned it. Her name was Kanisha." Soul explained crossing his arms and looking at him as though gauging his reaction.
"Well. What makes you think I'd-"
"We know you know!" Black Star shouted pointing an accusing finger at him. Tsubaski gave him an apologetic look while placing a hand onto her meister's shoulder.
"That's not how you convince someone to part with information Black Star."
"Hmph. He's not going to say anything anyway. Spirt said Soul Equations were amongst the Shinigami's most guarded secrets."
"Guarded?" Kid heard himself say before quenching the laughing fit that had suddenly risen in his throat.
"What's so funny?" Black Star asked his eyes narrowed.
"Heh. It's just that Soul Equations…they don't exist."
"What does that mean?" Maka asked her eyes picking apart his words.
"It's just like I said. They don't exist. They're just there to lure in witches."
"I don't understand." Black Star admitted gaining an agreeing nod from Soul.
"I think I get it." Maka said and Kid nodded glad that at least she was intelligent enough to realize what he meant. "So you'll tell us what Soul Equations are?" Maybe not.
"There's no such thing." Kid said grabbing one of the books he'd been reading through before he fell asleep. "They're made up!"
"That doesn't make any sense!" Soul complained while Black Star seemed ready to beat the shit out of him.
"Soul Equations don't exist." Kid repeated flipping through the book and trying to find where he'd left off.
"But you acknowledged that they exist." Maka protested. "You said that they're used to lure in witches-"
"Yes. That's true." Kid said glancing at the young girl. "I won't take that back."
"I am so confused." Soul groaned.
"Soul Equations don't exist but still have a very significant influence over those that believe they do. Understand?"
"No!" Black Star shouted while Maka was staring at the floor in thought.
"I'm confused." Liz sighed finally speaking. "What's the point? What are they?"
"They don't exist." Kid repeated trying to keep his voice composed and smooth.
"But, what do those who believe in them think they are?" Tsubaki asked kindly making him once again wonder how she and Black Star got along so well.
"Shinigami secrets." Kid answered finding his spot in the book and placing it down while grabbing some paper and beginning to write.
"So why did that witch seem so intent on them?" Soul asked frustrated and irritated.
"Because that witch likely believed they existed. Will likely seek out a Shinigami to discover what they are. To which they're then, in most cases, eliminated."
"Ah! You're pissin me off!" Black Star shouted glaring at him. Kid didn't seem to notice as he absorbed himself in his work. The only thing that stopped him was a very loud, very audible crash upstairs. Everyone looked up and Kid felt the pen break in his hold as the ceiling began to darken indicating that it was becoming wet.
"L-Liz I think Patti's broken the-"He moved a book out of the way when a drop of water fell missing it by inches. Maka grabbed some of the books he'd been using as he hurriedly grabbed his papers he'd been writing on.
"I'm on it Kid!" Liz shouted darting from the room urgently calling her sisters name. She had only been gone a moment though before the ceiling gave way dumping buckets of water on where'd he been working only moments before. Everyone stared as Patti landed on the table, soaked, yet holding up a rat her face victorious.
"I got it!"
…..
"So you're housing yourself with Maka now?" His father concluded after hearing the story and Kid nodded his hands in his pockets, eyes downcast.
"The symmetry is ruined and will take time to be repaired. I can't concentrate. Even now… even now I'm on a strong sedative. The only one that really worked. Ahhh, what should I do." Kid fell to his knees and Shinigami turned his eyes to Patti and Liz.
"Please, take care of him."
"We'll try." Liz said sighing.
"I'm Sorry." Patti said again grabbing the brim of her hat and brining it down over her eyes.
…..
"We don't have a lot of extra space like you're probably used to." Maka admitted as she unlocked the front door. "But until now we've been using the spare room only for storage. You can use that." Maka swung open the front door and entered with Soul bringing up the rear. This wasn't Kid's first time in the cozy home and despite its lack of symmetry there was a certain charm and warmth that his home lacked. Though he couldn't quite put his finger on what that was. He was startled out of his musings when Maka excitingly grabbed his hand to drag him to a back room. Smiling broadly she flung open the door and flicked on the light. "Ta da! Soul and I spent all day yesterday cleaning it out!" It was a small room but it seemed that his hosts were entirely conscientious of his inability to sleep in an asymmetrical setting. All that was in the room was a perfectly symmetrical bed.
"Thank you." He said sincerely trying not to think about his unsymmetrical house and bedroom back home.
"And you two will be sharing a room with me!" Maka announced turning to Liz and Patti who immediately shared a quick glance with each other. Maka's cheer instantly evaporated when she noticed the exchange. "W-What's wrong? If it's about space. Soul put together a bunk bed for you guys."
"No, it's not that. It's just-" Liz sighed trying to word it correctly. "It's just that-"
"You built a bunk bed?" Kid asked turning and staring at Soul who held up his bruised and splintered hands.
"Not without a sacrifice on my part."
"You should've given me a call. I'm fairly good with assembling things. Most furniture holds symmetry so it really wouldn't have been a problem."
"Really? Hey, now that you mention it-"
"Listen!" Liz shouted interrupting their conversation and drawing the attention back to her. "It's not that I'm ungrateful or anything! It's just that the three of us… we sleep together." There was a moment's pause before…
"You three…sleep together?" Maka repeated her stare, now solely on Kid, wide and startled.
"Hmm?" Kid gave her a flat look before blinking. "Ah. I think you've misunderstood."
"No! Not like that!" Liz shouted face beat red. "I just… I just can't sleep without Patti."
"And I can't sleep without both Liz and Kid." Patti chimed grabbing an arm of each of the mentioned people.
"I don't sleep often." Kid said flatly but rolled his eyes sighing when his partners glared at him. "But when I do I find a certain comfort in knowing that they're there to bother me. What with Patti's sleep talking and Liz's nightmares."
"Heh. Have fun Maka." Soul laughed a big grin on his face. Kid meanwhile had given her a sympathetic one.
"If it becomes too much to bear just come and get me."
…..
"Break yar friggen…ass hole suckin. Pucker." Patti mumbled in her sleep listlessly tossing and turning the sound of moving fabric somehow becoming magnified in the dark room. Maka sighed sitting up and looking in the direction she knew Patti to be. Wasn't there anything she could do to make her quiet? It was four in the morning for crying out loud!
"Get Kid if you really want her to stop." Liz said suddenly making her jump.
"You're awake?"
"Nightmare." Liz casually said as if it was an everyday occurrence. "It was the one where we boarded a haunted ship and I nearly got eaten by it."
"That really happened?"
"Yeah." There was a thoughtful silence and then. "Travelling with Kid has always been rather... horrifying. I don't know if it's been like that for you but the things I've seen..." she trailed off with a shiver.
"Well, I can say I've seen some pretty gruesome things myself." Maka admitted thinking back.
"Kid warned us you know. Before we officially became his partners… But I don't think we realized what we were getting ourselves into."
"You regret it?"
"No. Never have."
"Come ere ya pucker."
"She's saying pucker correct?" Maka asked when Patti finally lapsed into a rare moment of silence.
"Heh. Why would she be saying that?"
…..
Soul hadn't wanted to get up for another three hours but he really had to go to the bathroom. Groaning and cursing slightly he quietly got up and headed straight for the toilet not taking note of anything along the way. When he'd finished relieving himself he sighed and exited thinking about grabbing an early morning snack when his body froze a chill creeping up his spine. Holding his breath he slowly shuffled to the light switch his eyes scanning the room his heart going into his throat when he saw two glowing yellow eyes staring at him. Screaming bloody murder and jumping to the light switch he flicked it on his other arm ready to decapitate the monster that had snuck inside. Only there wasn't any 'monster'. Just Kid with a slumbering Blare curled up on his lap.
"Are you alright?" Kid asked tilting his head from his spot on the couch while closing the book that had been in his hand. Blare had slowly opened her eyes while Maka's bedroom door slammed open allowing Maka and Patti to race inside. Liz, not courageous enough to face the unknown, was as a pistol and grasped tightly in her younger sisters grasp.
"Soul!?" Maka shouted her eyes darting around the room. "Soul what's going on?"
"I just... It's Nothing." Soul ignored Maka's questioning gaze while Liz transformed back sighing.
"I know what happened here." She announced pointing a finger at Kid. "You were reading in the dark again weren't you?"
"A bit." Kid reluctantly admitted looking away from her.
"Well there you go. Soul, what you saw was Kid doing his freaky glowing eye trick that allows him to read in the dark."
"I don't intentionally do it." Kid sighed opening his book again. "It's just that I still have my research to get done and didn't want to wake everybody up by turning on the lights."
"It was the sudden chill more than anything that freaked me out." Soul grumbled and Patti laughed.
"Kid's a Shinigami; you're on his turf when you're in the dark."
"Patti. Don't say unnecessary things." Kid lightly berated not looking up from his book he'd once again turned his attention to.
"No wait." Maka said holding up her hand and bringing even Kid to look up from his book. "I forget since you're always so low key about it but… you're really a shinigami aren't you."
"Last I checked."
"But what does that mean? What makes you different from a human?" Maka took a seat and, as if from out of mid-air, produced a note book and pen. Even Soul seemed surprised about the suddenness of it.
"Does it matter?" Kid asked slumping back into the chair.
"He only needs twelve hours of sleep a week." Patti shouted volunteering information. "And he doesn't like things without symmetry."
"I don't know. That might just simply be Kid." Liz grumbled before she soon blinked and snapped her fingers. "Though now that I think of it… His father does seem to have a preference for symmetry as well. Look at Shibusen."
"Ah! good point!" Maka exclaimed writing down notes furiously. "What about food?"
"Nothing different there as far as I can tell." Liz replied running a hand through her hair. "Same can be said for drinks."
"Fears?"
"Asymmetry. But beyond that…" Liz blinked and looked at Patti who shrugged to which all eyes turned to Kid who glared at them over the rim of his book.
"Nothing I guess." Soul said taking a step back.
"Kay! Oh his stripe, line thing. What do you call that?"
"Who cares!" Kid snapped standing up and sending Blair sprawling to the floor. He marched past them all to his room and slammed the door behind him making them all wince.
"Ah. I guess that wasn't too bright of us." Liz mumbled reaching over and quickly tearing out the page of Maka's notebook. "I know I wouldn't like to be examined like an animal." Maka stared at the floor for a moment before standing up.
"I should go apologize."
"Not yet. Give him his alone time." Patti advised. "Kid just doesn't like to be reminded that he's a Shinigami sometimes."
"There's a lot of responsibility and stress that goes along with it." Liz sighed ripping up the paper. "He rarely complains about it but sometimes you can tell." Liz went to the trashcan and tossed it out. "This research he's doing for instance is another one of those responsibilities. Since he's the only mobile Shinigami alive there's a lot of stuff he's had to handle where, I'm sure in the past, shinigami his age have had the leisure to ignore. He does so many things for everyone else without them even realizing it. I find it a bit tragic." Patti nodded and looked in the direction Kid had disappeared.
"That's why we intend to stay by his side and protect him. Using our last moment if we must." Patti's look was grim but resolute while Liz could only sigh in agreement. Soul stole a glance at Maka before closing his eyes in complete understanding.
…..
Kid gave himself a good look down in the mirror making sure everything was in place and symmetrically correct before exiting the bathroom and making his way to Maka's room. He softly knocked on the door before carefully opening it hoping not to be interrupting anything that might get him into trouble. He slowly peered around the room half expecting to catch someone changing only to smile to himself when he spotted Patti and Liz sleeping rather fitfully in the same bottom bunk. Looking to the bed that sat in the opposite corner of the room he stifled a laugh at seeing Maka. The young female meister was sound asleep but with her alarm clock clutched tightly in her fist and unplugged from the wall. Entering he went to Patti and Liz and shook them gently awake before kneeling by Maka's bed and blowing in her ear. She immediately awoke with a shiver her eyes wide and disoriented but clearly awake.
"You better get up now or you'll be late for class."
"Huh?" She bolted upright and looked to the spot where her alarm clock had been only to realize that it was in her grasp and unplugged.
"Oh no! Thank you Kid." He stood and moved out of the way when she flung the covers aside and grabbed a text book before fleeing the room shouting Soul's name.
"What's the time? It feels like I just got to sleep." Liz groaned behind him.
"Get dressed. We're going to Dauff by the eight fifteen train. It's a six hour long ride so you can sleep on it for a while."
"We're going by train? Why? Use Belezebub."
"Can't. Train ride is part of my investigation. I also intend to get some reading done in the first couple of hours."
"What? I though Kid was doing research?" Patti yawned rubbing her eyes with the back of her hand.
"Yes and that research, in order to be complete, needs me to do an investigation."
"Alright, alright." Liz groaned getting off the bottom bunk and stretching. "Lemme get ready."
"Both of you have ten minutes."
…..
It took all of eight minutes for Patti and Liz to get ready, something Kid greatly appreciated for now they didn't have to rush so much to get to the train station. He'd just grasped the doorknob to leave when he heard Maka shout his name to wait. Turning he glanced at the clock hoping that she was going to be quick. They were two minutes ahead of schedule but they might need those two minutes later down the road.
"What is it, we must be going. We've got to catch a train."
"Train?" Soul questioned hopping on one foot to put on a sock.
"Kid's got to investigate something again." Patti explained bouncing on her feet.
"Then I won't keep you. I'll wait to tell you when you get back." Maka said looking at the floor. Kid sighed and glanced at Soul who was giving him a look that Kid immediately understood. The 'give-her-the-opportunity-to-get-this-off-her-chest-or-else-she'll-be-like-this-till you-get-back' look.
"It'd be better If you to tell me now. I may be absent for quite a while or may not return, as is always the risk, so if you would…" Maka blinked and looked up at him before taking a deep breath and bowing.
"I'm sorry for last night. I was being inconsiderate and thoughtless and I will never do it again." Kid stared at her for a moment knowing exactly to what she was referring to.
"Apology excepted. Thank you for understanding." Maka smiled at him as she straightened to her full height and he nodded before leaving saying a quick bye over his shoulder.
…..
They had made it to the train station with just a minute to spare. Kid, as was the usual case, took a seat in the middle and cracked open a book to pass the time while Liz and Patti took seats on either side of him. And it didn't take long, a few minutes perhaps, before Patti grabbed his left arm to use as a pillow while Liz rested her head on his shoulder a moment before falling asleep. Smiling slightly he moved his book to his lap and held it open with his right hand giving Patti his left arm to which she grasped and held tighter rubbing her cheek against a few times before falling into a deeper slumber. Leaning his head back against Liz's he read his book a blissful expression adorning his face.
…..
There were only six more nights left until a new moon. Only six more nights left for her to get everything organized and ready. Only six… And if she wasn't ready by then… Sighing she ran a hand through her hair to sooth herself. She had nothing to fear, the brats she'd encountered, while irritating, hadn't done anything to jeopardize the ritual.
All would fall into place, all would be well… in a week she'd finally be immortal. Striding towards the lone desk in the room she ran her fingers across the three books that sat closed upon its surface.
The first was titled 'Halo of Sky.'
The Second 'Cycle of Skin.'
And The Third 'Coil of Snake.'
"Zya Zee. Zya Zee. Oh, zuu cu Mandra." She murmured to the shadows.
The covers to the books flew open in response.
And somewhere on a train, only mere hours away, two golden eyes widened in horror.
Hey, first real chapter of this story. Hopefully you enjoyed it. As I said I will try for two chapters every month and they'll be, save for three chapters, about this long.
Ummm. Oh! I'm sorry to Black Star fans that he did not show up a great deal in this chapter but if I follow the outline I've written he'll play a greater role later on so don't worry about that.
Not much to say. I'm VERY busy so I better not linger. Ta!
Thank you for Reading. Please review.
Yes, this chapter has errors. Sorry bout that but I've been too busy to fret too much over it. Maybe I'll repost it if it proves to be too distracting.
- Oridance Vance.