A/N: Thanks for all who reviewed the first chapter! I know that not much action has happened so far - I'm still working on the character introductions. I'm glad we think alike, Anon! SilentDeath, good to see you again! :D It's really been forever. Oh, and sorry for the 3 or 4 grammatical errors in the 1st chapter (just saw them after re-reading)- I'll be sure to take more time to proofread this chapter and the next few to make sure it doesn't happen again. I'll correct those mistakes in chapter 1 once I get around to doing so.

I try to be as historically accurate as possible with the details of the ship (not counting the majority of the real life passengers, of course), so please tell me if you see any mistakes. I've studied the Titanic for quite a long time, but I can't help bent twist reality here and there to make the story flow smoother. I may considering adding footnotes for addition information- I know that I'll probably have to do that for the food the characters (will) eat. There's one in this chapter, so look for the little ₁ , and find its matching note at the bottom of the page for more info.!

I do not own Soul Eater.

Distant Lights

"YAHOO!"

A young, muscular man with spiky blue hair was heard shouting at the top of his lungs near the street connecting to the boarding dock of the Titanic. A few people near him stared at the blue boy and his African friend. Luckily, even the sound of such a scream was muffled by the thousands in the crowd eagerly awaiting the ship's departure. Irritated that he didn't quite get the attention that he hoped he would, Black*Star gave a yawn and stretched his arms.

"Ah, your God has finally come to bless this ship!"

That certainly seemed to get people irritated. He gave a hearty smirk, and grinned as he adjusted the collar of his white coat, with an accomplished flair.

"Alright...! Let's hurry on and go already!"

Close behind Black*Star stood a well-built man of the same age, albeit a little taller. His dark complexion, coupled with his hairstyle of several dreadlocks and cornrows made him a very unusual sight on the streets of England. He wore a baggy white shirt underneath a simple tweed jacket, with a matching hat, over-sized pants, and dark black boots. His dark eyes beneath his black-rimmed glasses and his slouched pose made him look much more laid-back than the energetic idiot standing before him.

"Hmpf. Easy for you to say. Look at all the attention you're getting from other people! What about me?"

"It's not like I appreciate the attention, you moron!" Kilik let his hot-blooded nature seep through. "Aren't you watching the clock? It's already past eleven! If we don't hurry now, we'll never get on board!"

Seeing his friend motion at the crowd of hundreds of other third class passengers waiting to board the ship, Black*Star realized he had a point. Easily pushing through the people gathered near the dock, Black*Star stopped one last time to look up at the ship. It seemed like an entire city was docked near Southampton. Suddenly, a wave of emotion spread through him. For once, Black*Star felt... small. He didn't like it one bit. Was this ship really so important? Turning around, he saw tall towers made of white wood and steel meant for passengers to reach the higher decks. They were stationed near his own gangway, and Black*Star saw that he would be walking directly beneath them in order to board.

Do they really think they can just walk right over me, as if I'm some ant?

Feeling Kilik's hand pushing him forward, he looked back for a while.

"Let's go now, alright?"

"Alright, alright!" Black*Star carelessly tossed their luggage aside to a White Star Line crew member, knocking him right off his feet.

Black*Star sighed. He really wasn't having a good day.

I clutched my fist. What was that idiot doing? I must have looked really angry then, as Tsubaki immediately noticed my mood change.

"Do you... know him?"

We were on the upper decks of the Titanic, looking down at the many passerby who took the time to stop and wave at the passengers on board. Some of them left after a while, but most stayed, and probably would stand there until we left the dock and were beyond the distance that their sight could cover. Tsubaki and I have been there for more than half an hour now, waving at people that none of us knew about. She already told me that nobody from her family was there to see her off, and I wasn't sure if papa had come or not. He probably did, being the overprotective father that he was, but I couldn't see him today, even though I was unusually good at finding specific people within large crowds. Who I did see however...

"Yes... although I'd prefer not to have ever met him." I folded my arms and leaned against the white steel railing that bordered the deck of the ship. Tsubaki looked at me, confused.

"You see, we grew up together," I twirled my hair as I spoke. "We lived very close to each other. His adoptive father, Sid, were friends with my parents."

"Oh, I see now." Tsubaki straightened up, and I watched her face take a more serious expression.

"You don't need to worry about him!" I giggled. "Luckily, he's in third class, so we hopefully won't be bothered by him too much during the trip!"

"He seems so sure of himself... I wish I could be like that too."

"What?" Tsubaki had suddenly gotten quiet, and I wasn't sure what to say to her. Over the cheer of the people that stood near us and the shouting crowds below, I couldn't exactly make out what she was trying to say. Her eyes had a sad, distant look in them, and I felt that this wasn't the right time to respond. We stood there, silent, she looking downwards and I beginning to lazily daydream as I leaned against the railing.

It'll be a difficult journey, I know that. Sometimes though... I wonder if I'm really strong enough.

The sound of the foghorn startled me, waking me from thoughts of mama and of old songs that she used to sing to me at night. Looking down, I couldn't see any more passengers, and was left with the sight of the staff members scurrying about the dark wet pavement, some boarding the ship and others making signals to the workers. Beyond the white picketed fence, the crowds had suddenly burst into a huge cheer at the sound of the horn, jumping and waving to us with an energy that I've never seen before. Tsubaki gently reached my opposite shoulder, and gave me a slight nudge. The ruffles from her dress' sleeves tickled my neck, and I laughed and looked up at her. Her face was smiling happily once more, as she pointed below, her voice bubbling with excitement.

"Look! We're finally moving!"

I fully extended my arms in order to position the upper part of body over the railing. As I watched the edge of our ship slowly separate from the land that had raised me as a child and that I would never see again, I had to force myself to shake away the feeling that maybe I'd liked to have seen papa one last time before I left.

"Kim, honey~"

"Shut up, damn it!"

Kim huffed. What a moron Ox was. She had been on the verge of tears the entire day, being embarrassed that she was only able to afford the third class cabins. The examination of the passengers before arriving inside was bad enough₁, but now Ox had to attract attention to both of them through his continuing adoration of her. How annoying! While many of the passengers were outside on the upper decks saying their goodbyes to their friends and family, she was carefully examining the smallest details on the metal railings that surrounded the third class entrance staircase. Wearing her finest pink lace dress, the fellow third class passengers couldn't even compare to her. She sighed and tugged her white shawl slightly closer to her.

I don't care. At least I'm saving more money.

Her best friend, Jacqueline, stood by her side (in much more plain and appropriate clothing!), as devoted as ever. Ignoring Ox's approaches, she walked down the hall elegantly, her shoes sounding like heels on the wooden floor. The two soon separated from Ox and Havar, thank goodness, in order to search for their staterooms at the stern of the ship. Ox and Havar's were all the way back at the bow, so it turned out that they wouldn't have stayed together as long as Ox had originally planned. Kim sighed, and eventually found their stateroom on 'C' Deck, close to the third class kitchen. She looked at the door questioningly, unsurprised at how dull it looked. It was set slightly ajar, and she hurriedly pushed it open. Of the four bunks that were in the room, the girls were surprised to find two of them already occupied. In the lower right bunk sat a tall, shapely girl with long ashy hair, and the upper left held a shorter, and more muscular girl with short, blonde hair. The shorter girl laid on her stomach, the palms of her hands holding up her face. The smaller girl had on much better clothes than her sister(?), but clearly didn't know how to manage them properly. Jacqueline gave a start and took a small step backwards as the girl looked at them with her big, dull blue eyes, and smiled darkly. The woman on the bottom had a cigar in her mouth, and nodded at them with a deep frown on her face.

"I'm Liz. And the one up there's Patty."

Soul 'Eater' Evans stared long and hard at his brother. The two of them were inside the 1st Class Reception room. Soul laid back on the large white wicker chair, and closed his eyes. Wes was wiping off the strings with a small cloth, and an uncomfortable silence hung in the air.

When did I get like this?

"You know, you could have just come with us."

Hearing his brother speak, Wes peered at him, though still focusing on his instrument. Soul frowned, and spoke again.

"C'mon. The stupid violin can't possibly mean THAT much to you, could it? Or, did you just want dad to make my life a living hell?"

Wes stopped cleaning, and placed the violin on his left shoulder. With his right, he began to pluck the strings delicately. When he was pleased with the sound that he heard, he took his bow and looked at his little brother.

"Maybe you could play the piano sometime during the voyage for everyone," Wes casually talked while gesturing to the large grand piano at the end of the room. "I like your music, and I'm sure everyone else will too."

"Heh, like hell they will." Soul tapped his heels impatiently against the olive-green carpet.

"All these instruments were specially chosen and bought for this occasion, you know..."

Soul grunted, tired of seeing his brother fumble with the bow of his violin- it doesn't have to be that clean. Who's going to care when you're performing?

"...it's a great opportunity to play here."

Soul murmured something under his breath, and looked up to see Wes, whose face was smiling caringly at him.

"Why don't you get some fresh air and talk to the people on board? It's not good to always stay by yourself."

Seeing that this conversation wouldn't be able to progress much further, Soul got up and kicked in the seat with his shoe, and put his hands inside the pockets of his black suit.

"Fine, but the people here are all snobs."

Back in second class, a tall and pale young man looked about his living quarters. A long dark yellow couch was laid on the right side of the room, the same length as the white bed on the other. The symmetrical bed-side table made from a dark, stained wood had a mirror on top of it, and was placed exactly in the middle. This stand seemed to act as a dividing point that emphasized exactly how different the two sides of the room were from each other. He looked again; the lack of balance really threw him off. Reminding himself that he wasn't supposed to attract to much attention, and that it wouldn't be too bad if he just didn't stay in his cabin too often, he forced himself to push the thought to the back of his mind as he nervously tugged the sleeve of his suit (which, to be honest, looked more first-class than anything else). He took a close look at the mirror's elaborate wooden frame, before examining his own reflection. His two-toned golden eyes gave a slight glimmer as he adjusted his wide-rimmed black hat to cover the stripes on his hair. Pulling his black coat closer to him, he walked back out of the door and gave one last look into the room. He still couldn't help but be bothered by the sight.

Don't worry, father. I won't let you down.

₁ - Third Class passengers were forced to undergo an examination before boarding the ship. Their health and general hygiene were checked to see whether or not they would be able to be accepted in to the US. If they weren't healthy enough, the White Star Line was forced to bring those passengers back.

And...that's it! This story isn't so much Maka and Soul as it is... well, everyone. There are different perspectives for different groups; I'll usually dedicate most of the chapter to one or two groups at a time, so you won't see the story divided up into so many pieces as you see here.

I hope nobody seems too OOC. I'm really worried about writing for Kim, since I kind of had to adjust her character to make her seem much more vain than she was in the manga (I wanted to include some viewpoints that some people had in real life on the Titanic - hers is more of a first-class attitude, so I found it funny to put her in third class). Is this alright, or should I tone it down a little?

Oh, and White Star Line... Black*Star must hate the name! xD

Questions, comments, concerns?

Next chapter will be out tomorrow!