Maka and I walked past the multiple guillotines leering above the walkway. No sign they would fall, no sign they'd stay hoisted in the air. I made a mental note to always be aware of them, like I always did. We got past the guillotine blades and to the middle of the room. Lord Death was standing by the mirror as alway, and death scythe stood by him with a slight scowl on his face like always.
"Hiya!" Said the reaper in his typical silly vice. It was incredibly annoying but I dared not say anything in fear for my life. "I'm guessing the two of you are wondering what I have called you down here for."
The two of us nodded in almost perfect unison.
"Well, seeing as the two of you need just a witch's soul for Soul," he let out a slight chuckle. "To become a death scythe, me and Spirit decided it's time for you two to go on a mission for a witch's soul again." I slightly smiled knowing that I'd finally be able to be a death scythe.
"Where is the witch?" Maka asked. I could tell she was trying to hide her excitement for the mission.
"Jackson, Wyoming." Spirit said slightly glaring at me, even though he's the adult between the two of us and isn't supposed to be so immature. Lord Death gave a nod in agreement. Maka looked at me, and I her.
"Alright let's go then." I said with far less enthusiasm as her. She grabbed my arm and ran out of the Academy. Then we started walking out to the train station.
After a some time of silent walking, my meister and I got to the train station. I usually said very little unless there was a point to it nowadays, so my silence didn't stun her. After buying the tickets, we boarded the train. I chose a window seat and maka sat by me.
"You've been quiet." Maka stated. I looked over at her caught off guard. I had thought she found my silence normal. I slightly looked away hoping her glare would break, of course it didn't. Maka was stubborn and obviously determined to get an answer from me whether I liked it or not.
"Have I?" I said then looked at her still off guard. The small spheres in my head trailed over to her again and I was looking at her once again. "I usually don't say much anyways." I said with a hint of a smug attitude. The blonde puffed up her cheeks.
"Well excuse me I was just wondering if anything was wrong." She said and leaned back in her seat. "You've been waiting years to become a death scythe and all you can do is sit in silence as if we're in some fancy party. And asking if your friend is okay is something friends do but I guess you don't even care that I'm concerned about you." She said with an eye roll. I responded with a quiet grunt. I didn't give a response other than looking at the floor of the train not wanting to anger her more.
After a long train ride we finally got to Wyoming in one piece, lately there had been a few train hijackings so arriving without needing to fight was a relief. Black Star probably would've been disappointed, however thankfully this wasn't a group mission.
Once we left I grabbed a map and put on my sunglasses, it may be far less hot here but it seems like the sun sure as hell shines brighter. Something about the map seemed off and I couldn't put my finger on it. I then turned the map around realizing I was holding it upside down like a total idiot.
"Stupid square states." I muttered to myself incredibly annoyed at my foolishness. Maka walked over and looked at the map moving it down a bit with her pointer finger.
"So where is this witch even supposed to be?" She asked and looked up at me. Slowly her joyful expression went a bit dark and she slightly tilted her head with a hint of confusion on her face. "Since when were you so tall? I thought I was taller than you!" She exclaimed then I shook my head no.
"I've been taller than you for about a month now." I said then yawned bored. All Maka gave in response was a slight pout. "I think we should go here." I pointed to the center of the city. "Then we can ask around and branch out from there. Soon enough we'll be able to figure out where the witch is." Maka nodded in approval.
"That's probably the fastest way to find it since we don't have an exact location on the witch." She grabbed my hand and turned to leave.
"Hey I'm supposed to be dragging you around!" I said then chuckled. Maka shrugged and kept walking.
After what seemed to be forever Maka and I finally got some leads on where the witch might be.
"So where is this factory?" I asked Maka.
"It's on the very edge of town. At least, that's what the old man had said." Maka responded. I nodded and started walking with Maka. She started walking ahead, and I watched in a not creepy way, more of an admiring her as a partner way. Her cape flapped in the wind, she looked cute, but dangerous. Any guy would be happy to date her, she was strong and determined, but kind and intelligent. I do tease her quite a lot, but she does it right back, and it's more of a friendly teasing. I chewed my cheek a bit then decided to break the silence.
"So I bet it's exciting to be a death scythe wielder soon." She slightly looked back at me and a small smile got on the crack of her mouth. She looked ahead again.
"Yeah I guess. My scythe isn't too excited so I'm starting to think that it's not as exciting as some make it out to be." I smiled at her obvious sarcasm.
"I never said I wasn't excited. Besides if I wasn't I'd be chilling at home probably eating pizza." I walked up next to her and went the same pace as her.
"Ah huh, yeah sure scythe boy." She started walking faster.
"Scythe boy ? That's a new one. I'd probably go with scythe man because I'm definitely the manliest man." I smirked and caught up to her again.
"There's no way you're even close to the manliest man. Hell, you're barely manly. Have you even seen the bunny slippers in your room?" She started jogging.
"Those don't count they were from Black Star. You saw him give them to me!" I started jogging as well.
"I'm sure it's some conspiracy, you definitely asked him for them sou you could still look cool." She full out ran.
"You know I wouldn't want bunny slippers! I only wear them because they're comfy." I ran after her.
"Soul you're a terrible liar." She ran faster. Agreed to disagree. There are many things I lie about, even to my meister Maka.
"Oh yes, just like how I'm a liar when I say I don't have a thing for lamps. You know, just because I can transform into an inanimate object doesn't mean I have feelings for inanimate objects." I ran up to her once again then ran faster than her, and passed her by only a few feet. Hey, two can play that game.
"Don't lie to me scythe boy, I see how you look at lamps." She giggled and ran up to me and passed me. I didn't give a response other than a laugh because at this point the two of us were sprinting.
It was the mini arguments we had similar to that one is what made our partnership so special. Maka is the light on a dark path for me, she brought the color to my monotone life. She was my other half, as a weapon and meister should be. Someday I will tell her what she means to me, but for now it is time to keep a secret.
After some time of silent running we get to the south side of the city. I slow down to a walk again and look around for the factory.
"There." Maka said. She pointed up to a factory. It loomed taller than any other building. The walls were crumbling and it appeared to be willing to give way any minute. A majority of the windows were completely smashed, and there was shambles of wood around the ground on the outside from the cornice around the top of the building. A majority of the frames around the windows had crumbled over time, making the dreary building look like a place they would put at a morgue.
"So that's where the witch is." I said and looked at Maka. "Nothing like the pumpkin Blair lived in." I sighed and transformed. "Let's go." She caught my handle and nodded. She walked into the factory, both of us unaware of what type of witch we would encounter, nor her abilities or power.
