Soooooooooooooooo meant to get this up earlier today. School kind of has taken over, but the important thing is that I'm ahead in math. Now, I just need to write 250 words of a journal for Creative Writing. That assignment will be on WordPress. I only opened the account for the class but for anyone who's interested, I'm fairytalefly. (I am on WAY too many sites. Ugh! Stupid teacher. JK, he's the best. He was my Shakespeare teacher last semester. He talks about Hamlet a lot in CW. A little too much. Can we just kill the titular character yet?)

For those who are wondering: Yes, I am still doing my math notes in pen. What? I like pens. Besides, I'm really sort of just learning these lessons as I go. Anyone know anything about Euler? (laughs) No, seriously. I have no idea what I'm doing.

In other news, I've joined an RP group and I may have a chance at reserving the character I want! ^3^ Please ignore me, I feel a little chuffed right now. This has been a rather good day. You know, despite me not posting this in the afternoon like I wanted.

For those who read the annotated version on my dA, it will be up tomorrow. I need to tweak a few things and add a few more notes. Great way to spend a Friday, if you ask me.

I don't think I mentioned it in the last chapter, but the cover for this story? I found the picture on Google. I edited it myself. The full version is available on my Tumblr. Just browse through my "out of the blue ioc" tag. You don't have to have an account to do so.

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.


Out of the Blue

by iOc

Chapter II

Belonging

"It's not easy

To be me…"

—"Superman (It's not easy)" by Five for Fighting


They were talking about her.

She could hear them. Their hushed voices and curious glances at her small form leaning again the cool brick of the school. She did not much care to be outside for recess, finding it a complete waste of time. She would rather be in a classroom, learning something valuable.

It was on this particular day that she was bored and decided to connect with someone else for once.

She looked around the playground. Her peers were running around, chasing each other during a game of tag, a soccer game was going, and some others were on the swings. One girl, however, was standing around, looking quite frightened. It was that girl she decided to befriend.

The tiny blonde strode over to the timid girl, a bounce in her step and her ponytails swaying back and forth as she marched to the possible new friend.

Something about that, she liked the sound of "new" and "friend" ringing gleefully in her heart. Oh the possibilities! There was a definite thrill at that thought.

"Hi." she said cheerily, looking upwards only slightly to meet the other girl's eyes, which were a startlingly dark blue-violet hue.

"Hello." the other girl said, much less optimistic.

"My name is Maka Albarn. You're new here, correct?"

"Oh, it is nice to meet you Maka-san. My name is Nakatsukasa Tsubaki. Yes, I am new here. My family and I just moved here from Japan a few days ago."

Maka looked her over. What was with the "-san" thing? She shrugged it off. It must be something people did in Japan.

"Do you want to be friends?" she said.

"Sure!"


Maka hopped onto the cushiony chair that sat next to the many beanbags, inflatable chairs, and plush pillows. She liked the chair and how it made her feel important.

"Hello, Miss Albarn, how are we this week?" the tall, dark-haired woman said.

"Fine." the girl said. "I made a friend this week."

"Oh, did you?"

"Uh-huh. Her name is Tsubaki. Her family is from Japan. She has an older brother and both her mama and her papa. I haven't met her papa yet, but he sounds like a nice man. Her brother is already in high school. He picked her up yesterday. I think he was trying to be funny, but I'm not quite sure. He's jokes were all old knock-knock jokes. After this appointment, I'm going to spend the night at their house."

"Your first ever sleepover, correct?"

"Yep."

"Are you excited?"

"Why wouldn't I be? Tsubaki's mama promised me a traditional Japanese dinner and she's going to teach me to make onigiri. I looked up what onigiri are, they're rice balls. I've never had one. Ms. Azusa, have you had one?"

"I have."

"Are they good?"

"They can be."

Maka smiled. Every part of her was humming with excitement. She simply could not wait for later. She was going to enjoy sleepovers with Tsubaki.

"Now, let's get on to more serious business." Yumi Azusa said, clicking her pen. "Last time you were telling me about the last day you saw your mother. Let's continue from there."


The two girls were giggling like madwomen.

No matter how many times they wet their hands, grains of rice were still sticking to their fingers and palms. Despite this, they made several onigiri. Pickled plums were hidden between the grains, a surprise for anyone who found the little treat (1).

Tsubaki's mother, Saiyuri, watched them as they carefully scooped out the rice and formed them into rounded triangle shapes and then into odd shapes (for example, a bunny rabbit, a rectangle, et cetera). She was amazed at how they were able to make a miniature version of the Taj Mahal. A few pictures later, it was covered with saran wrap and put into the refrigerator to set until it could be eaten in the morning.

After they made their onigiri, Saiyuri sent them into the bathroom to wash up for the night and tucked them into the futons she had set up in Tsubaki's room. Even though she herself was tired, they were not.

Their voices were soft and they spoke in hushed whispers. They would shush each other when their giggling got too loud, which sent them into even longer fits of laughter.

The mother was happy to see that her daughter had made a healthy friendship with a girl her own age, who was just as intelligent, if not more so, as Tsubaki. She really hoped that the two would remain lifelong friends as they really did need each other.


Over the next few years, Maka and Tsubaki became inseparable. Tsubaki was able to make some of the kids in their class understand that Maka was the way she was because of the loss of her mother. It was because of that, that they told each other everything.

Well, almost everything.

Maka kept Tsubaki in the dark about her being half-ningyo. She was extra careful around her friend and never went into any salt water. Human beings were never to know of the existence on the ningyo people, they were beings of myth, of course. Besides, she did not want to loose the on real friend she had.

It was the start of the summer before their eighth grade year. They were just as excited as anyone else in their class.

"Can you believe it?" Maka said animatedly. She spun around, her skirt dancing high above her knees in the sudden movement and the breeze that drifted off the ocean. "We'll be eighth graders this year!"

The two were walking to the only hotel in town, Maka's home and her father's work. Tsubaki would be staying the night once. Over the years, the two stayed at one or the other's house every weekend. Tonight was no exception.

Normally, they would both be excited. Tsubaki was not, however. Maka sensed something immediately after she picked her friend up from her house. She decided that Tsubaki would simply forget about it after she was cheered up. But her plan wasn't working.

"Tsubaki, what's wrong?" Maka said firmly. "You haven't said much."

"Huh?" the dark-haired girl said, looking up and blinking. "Oh, it's nothing for you to worry about, Maka-chan."

Maka had learned that "-chan," like "-san" from so many years before, was an honorific. It was something that was added to a person's name to keep from insulting the other person. Maka had told Tsubaki she needn't add it to her name, but the girl refused and changed "-san" to "-chan" within days of them becoming friends.

"You're lying." the blonde girl said.

Tsubaki stopped walking. Of course, Maka would and could tell when she was lying, but she would only say something when they were alone. The blonde was the only one who was able to tell these things.

"My family's moving away, Maka-chan."


The next few days, Maka debated whether or not she should let Tsubaki in on her family secret. There was a great possibility that her friend would accept her for who she was, no matter what. However, there was still the chance that she wouldn't. That string of doubt hung heavy over her heart.

Tsubaki wasn't one to treat others wrongly because of the way they look or act or the secrets they kept. She judged them on the goodness in their hearts. But, she was easily scared and she was human. If she saw Maka's other half, she might freak and tell everyone. That wouldn't be good.

A knock at her bedroom door made her jump, startling her out of her thoughts. Her father poked his head in to check on her. He found her on her bed in a white tank top and matching shorts with an open notebook in front of her. Although he could not read what was written, he could clearly see the scribbles of the letters and the line dividing the page.

"Hey there," he said, smiling. "Why aren't you asleep yet?"

"I'm having a dilemma." she said, huffing. She rested her cheek on the palm of her hand and rested her elbow on her knee.

"Must be something big if you still haven't figured it out."

"It is."

"Mind telling me? I may be able to help."

Maka bit her lip. Normally she wouldn't discuss things with her father, things like this would be discussed by mothers.

"Is it about boys? You know what I said about them, they'll only try to use you and hurt you."

I know, she thought, rolling her eyes. You're one of them.

"It's not about boys." she said.

"What is it about?"

"I want to tell Tsubaki about... about the ningyo thing."

He frowned.

"Maka..."

"I know, Papa. I know. But it's Tsubaki. As in, my best friend Tsubaki. She deserves to at least know. She's bound to find out sooner or later."

He sighed. She was correct, as always. Tsubaki was going to eventually find out.

"Do whatever feels right." he said, pecking her on her forehead before leaving the room for the night.


"So, what did you want to show me, Maka-chan?" Tsubaki said. It was her last weekend here and she was staying it at the motel.

The two girls had headed down to the strip of beach hidden from the view of town. It was rather dark and the climb down was precarious, but Maka wanted to show her friend something unlike she has ever seen.

"Tsubaki, promise me that you won't hate me or tell anyone about this." Maka said, pleading. "It's a really, really, really big secret. Only a select few know about it. So, promise me?"

"Maka-chan, of course I promise."

The two locked eyes and Maka saw that she was sincere, as always. Tsubaki was more reliable than Ol' Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. There was no doubt now, no going back.

"Alright." the blonde said, mumbling mostly to herself. She walked over to where the waves were lapping the sand. Her toes brushed the cold liquid. She shivered because of the temperature and in delight. It had been some time since she had transformed. Years, actually.

God, how she missed that odd euphoric feeling that was actually quite painful. Maybe she was a masochist…

Tsubaki watched as her friend walked deeper into the water. She had always thought that Maka feared the ocean because she lost her mother to it. She was always sad while gazing out at it. Though, now that she thought about it, she was never really sad. There more of a... longing when she watched it. And that longing was being explained right before her eyes.

Her friend's arms glazed over with fishy scales, and her lower limbs slowly formed into a tail. Her pale skin went from pale to an unhealthy hue. A thin webbing appeared between her fingers. She was also quite sure that those were gills behind the girl's ears…

The dark-haired girl did not know what to think. Sitting before her in the cool ocean was a legendary creature of old.

"What...?" Tsubaki said, trying to begin a coherent sentence. "How..?"

"I'm half." Maka said, explaining.

"Half?"

"Half-ningyo, half-human. Mama's a full-blooded ningyo, Papa's a human. Mama and the rest of the ningyo in the area were attacked the summer before I met you and we became friends. They were all taken away, including Soul. I don't know what happened to them."

"Soul?"

"He was... is a good friend. I don't really remember him, but he was nice and warm and very protective of me. I didn't know him a long…"

"He sounds like a wonderful person." Tsubaki said, smiling softly. "Come on, you're shivering. Let's get you inside."

She helped the blonde out of the water and watched as she changed back. The two trotted back up to the hotel, wet and shivering. They quickly changed into their night clothes and wrapped themselves in warm, wool blankets despite the heat of the night. They spent the night smiling at one another, knowing that they shared a very big secret between them.

When they were about to sleep for the night, Tsubaki called to her friend.

"Huhn?" Maka said, half asleep.

"Do you believe that Soul and your mother are still alive?"

There was a moment of silence as Maka thought it over, or so it seemed to Tsubaki.

"Yes." was the soft reply she got.


"Have fun in your new home." Maka said feebly, saying farewell to her truest of friends.

"I will. Oh, don't forget to take care of the garden." Tsubaki said.

"Don't forget to create a new one and to send me emails and pictures everyday."

"I say the same for you."

The two stared awkwardly at their feet for a moment or two before embracing and clinging to one another. They held tightly, not wanting to leave one behind or to let the other go with the wind.

"Tsubaki," Saiyuri said gently, "time to go."

The two reluctantly let go. Tsubaki walked over to the mini van and Maka watched from a distance. The dark-haired girl stopped and turned around.

"Don't forget to keep me updated on the secret if there's any developments."

The blonde beamed in response.

And as the van was pulling away, Tsubaki called out the window, "Don't forget to keep looking for Soul. Let me know if you meet him again!"

"I will!" Maka said, promising and waving goodbye.

"Uh, Maka?" her father said. "Who's Soul?"


1. I have only made onigiri a few times. I suck at making them, by the way. I'm really tempted to ask my friend to make some for me. Hmm... Maybe I should go do that soon.

So, yeah. Not much has changed since the original post. I couldn't think of much that I wanted to change when I was going over everything. That and my sister has been watching Desperate Housewives and I get a little caught up in the plot...

ANYWAY! Tsubaki's mother is named after Saiyuri from Memoirs of a Geisha. Yay for random naming. XD

Now onto the long list of thank yous that I owe all of you wonderful people~


Thank you to darkangel565, seaslug6, hitty-chan, SymmetricalGirl8DeathTheKid, and FanfictionForUs for adding this story to their favorite stories list.

Thank you to darkangel565, Animefreak0321, thefallingout, ToriaPaige, PandaMoeniam, BloodInTheNile, SymmetricalGirl8DeathTheKid, RoraDracon, FanfictionForUs, and JellyRain for adding this story to their story alerts list.

Thank you to BloodInTheNile for adding me to your favorite authors list and to your author alerts list.

SymmetricalGirl8DeathTheKid: I'm glad that you are enjoying this. ^_^

RoraDracon: Here's another update! Hope that it sates your interested for the time being.

FanfictionForUs: Yeah, I wanted to change that part from Maka playing with the others to not playing with them. I really wanted to show the sort of racism purebred have against half-breeds. The original scene, I decided, would contradict later chapters.

Note: If I missed anyone, I'm sorry. My hotmail has been a little weird, so I had to go digging through old files. I know that I responded to people who PMed me and reviewed earlier this year, but anyone one else I'm sorry.

Until next time!

Posted: Thursday, August 29, 2013 at 10.35 PM