It had been nearly a month, and Stein still had nowhere to go with Soul's mana results. Aside from becoming a bit stronger, as would be expected as he'd gotten older, his magic was basically indistinguishable from its previous records. Despite his general appreciation for a difficult problem, Stein was at a loss, and therefore, so was Maka. Soul's episodes were becoming more frequent, more obtrusive, and more often than not his responses would trail from a conversation, replaced by that look. Supposedly, his destructive attacks were getting worse as well, and if the state of his house was any indicator, it was happening a bit too rapidly for anyone's piece of mind, let alone Soul's. Stein had put him on medication to dull his magic until things were figured out.
Soul had refused to elaborate on what his visions entailed, leaving her with only half-strung ideas of a little demon talking about power. It honestly seemed more like the plot of a psychological thriller to her, but even though she had yet to see a full attack, she somehow knew better than to mistrust Soul. Besides, the destructive evidence was too telling. There was no way the damage could have been done by anything but magic, and even though Maka felt that Soul was a powerful wiccan in his own right, hardly anything but a witch could cause that kind of destruction, especially as often as Soul apparently was.
Still though, Maka found it difficult to get caught up in all of that. She was doing all she could, and besides that, she knew that Stein was as well. And Stein had literally brought back the dead. They could handle this. In the meantime, Maka thought she was really making progress with Soul as...well as a person.
She had no problem admitting he had gotten on her nerves more than once. But the more she nudged, the more she opened up to him, the more she was just there for him, he started to do the same. And she was noticing more and more, as Wes had indicated from the very beginning, that Soul really was someone special. Below his rough responses and red-eyed glares (and below his semi-regular jabs at her 'nerd' status), he had a beautiful soul. Maka could sense it.
They had taken to spending quite a lot of time together, as Stein would have recommended. Sometimes they would have lunch at a nearby cafe, or go to Soul's favorite music store, and Maka had even dragged him off to the library a few times, but more often than not, they would just hang out at Soul's apartments. Despite her many invitations, Soul had always avoided going to hers. Maka suspected that it had something to do with him only feeling safe in places he considered his turf. She hoped though, that once the hole mess with his attacks was cleaned up, he'd feel a little more secure.
Maka turned the spare key to Soul's apartment in it's lock, opening the door herself after a short knock. He had given it to her just a few days ago, tired of having to open the door when she stopped by earlier than he felt like waking up. Which really, as Maka had learned, was rarely much before noon.
After calling out to him, and determining he was likely still asleep, Maka sat down on Soul's couch and picked up the book that she had left on his end table the night before. Soul would definitely want food when he got up, as he always did, and she felt waiting for him so they could get some breakfast (well, lunch for her) when he got up sounded like a good plan.
Maka hardly noticed when Soul entered the room, as uncharacteristically quiet as he was. Still, she kept her eyes trained on her book for a moment when she greeted him.
"Soul, you're finally…" He was standing in the middle of the room, posture straight, staring at her. No, not at her. In her direction. He had that look in his eyes. Maka put down her book and took a step towards him. "Soul, hey, listen to me, it's just in your head. It'll be fine if you just-"
Before Maka could reach out to touch him, Soul's arms shot forward, and a violent black essence burst forward, sideways, all around the room. The entertainment stand shook. Maka barely caught herself on the back of the couch when the initial smoke faded, and long streams of an almost...blood-like substance came streaming out of his body, the scar from the attack, every bruise and cut he'd sustained in the past month. But it couldn't be blood, it was too dark, almost...black.
Maka didn't have time to think though, because the substance was thickening, hardening, and it shot out at her. It nearly hit her arm before she could jump out of the way.
"Soul, What's happening? Listen to me!"
He was moving now, a mad grin baring his sharpened teeth, aimless intent filling his eyes. He lunged at her, as quickly as the magic had, and again Maka was almost hit.
"Soul, Listen to me! It's in your head!" Another dodge, Magic and Soul becoming all too lethal together. "It's me, it's Maka! I'm right here." The end-tables snapped under the pressure of Soul's magic. "Soul-" A piece of his magic grazed Maka's face as she parried to the side, her own blood bright red against the dark still streaming from her friend. "-Damnit."
She couldn't try to calm him down like this. Maka grabbed her purse off the couch, dodging Soul's strikes, as well as his magic, as she dug around for the pre-made spell that she kept in a ziplock back at the bottom. He father insisted she always keep it with her, just in case. Despite he constant disagreements though, she was glad for it now.
Soul dug his hands into her neck as she stepped close, but it was too late. Maka had thrown as much as the spell into his face as she could, had already uttered the incantation. He dropped her within a moment, and fell to the ground a heartbeat after. Maka touched her own neck as she leaned next to Soul, and turned him on his back. The wound from the attack in the alley was closed again, just a bit red around the sides, and all of his other wounds were healed as well as they had been the night before. He was breathing.
Maka stood up quickly, barely assessing the damage to the room around her. She knew the episodes were getting worse, but this was the undeniable truth. Whatever this was had been by far been the most destructive. She picked up her purse from the ground and grabbed her phone, dialing Stein's number. It was Marie who picked up.
"Maka, how are you?"
"Marie. Where is Stein?"
"Oh, he's working on one of those experiments of his. I think the work on Soul's mana is putting him in a bit of a slump. He can't make heads or tails of it from a wiccan point of view. He's thinking of using traditional science to-"
"Marie, listen. I'm at Soul's house now. Stein needs to get here as quickly as possible. It's absolutely urgent. And tell him to bring his things."
Marie's voice transformed with a tone Maka had heard few times throughout her life. "Are you safe?"
"I...yes."
"Alright. We'll be there in ten minutes." Marie quickly hung up, would surely be here in five. Marie was generally quite mild-mannered, but when the people she considered family were endangered she was a force to be reckoned with. Maka depended on that.
Trying her best to keep him away from the shattered glass from the furniture, Maka pulled Soul onto the couch. Physically, he seemed fine, as if nothing that had just happened had actually happened. But the state of the room around her and her own pumping blood told a different story. Besides, she had no way to gauge the state of Soul's mana, or his mind. She wiped at the cut on her cheek, which was drying by now. If the spell worked as long as it was intended to, then she should be fine until Stein and Marie arrived. Though, the spell was rather old. It didn't exactly have an expiration date, but she also wasn't sure exactly how long it had been sitting at the bottom of her purse, fraternizing with whatever else she had happened to throw in there. She looked down at Soul, who she had laid on his back. She couldn't even connect him to what had just happened.
Maka brushed his hair out of his eyes. They needed to figure out what what happening. They needed to help him.
There was a hard knock on the door. Undoubtedly Marie and Stein. Maka shot up and walked briskly to let them in. If she wasn't there within ten seconds, she was pretty sure Marie would break down the door, and Soul's house had seen enough damage for the day.
Stein was carrying a duffel bag, and As Maka expected, Marie did look just about ready to break in. Maka led Stein to Soul without a word. Marie gasped as the state of the living room, while Stein simply knelt down next to Soul on the couch. "What happened?'
"He had an episode. His magic was black, and it was pouring out of basically every part of him. He was destroying the whole room, it was like he wasn't even there, he…" Maka glanced towards Marie for a moment, gauging her reactions. "He...attacked me. He was completely out of it."
Marie, rather than explode as Maka had expected, only tightened her jaw. The look in her eyes was something between concern and suspicion. "Did you get hurt?"
Maka touched her cheek again. "Just a scratch."
Marie turned towards her, noticing the small cut. Really it was nothing to be concerned with. Marie didn't seem to think so. "Oh, Maka- Stein, do you have-"
"Priorities, Marie." Stein was looking over Soul, checking his vitals, as well as his mana. There was quiet for a few minutes as Maka relayed everything that had happened in more detail. Stein slowly put away his equipment. "He seems normal." He stood up, running a hand over his face. "Mana levels are the same as when I first tested him. His blood pressure is a little high-"
A groan came from the couch. Soul.
"Ugh, my head. What-" He opened his eyes, noticing the small party in his living room. Or perhaps the state of the room itself. "What are you guys- what happened?"
Maka was the one to answer. "You had another attack. I think it was the worst yet."
Soul sat up. "Were you there?"
Maka bit the inside of her lip "Yeah."
Soul's eyes widened. "Are you o-" His gaze zeroed in on the cut on her face. His own expression wasn't that far off from Marie's. "Did I do that?"
She pursed her lips "You were out of it Soul. Just a little accident."
Soul didn't answer, unwilling to brooch the topic around the other adults. "And you brought Stein and Marie here?"
"The attack seemed worse than usual. I wanted Stein to examine you."
"And I did." the doctor interjected, stepping towards Soul. "Have you been taking the medicine I gave you?"
"I…" Soul looked away. "I don't remember. I think I forgot last night." Maka internally cursed herself. She had stayed later than usual, distracting him at the time he was supposed to be taking it. She hadn't reminded him.
"Well, I think this is a clear reminded that you need to remember in the future." Stein looked around. "Though I had never expected something of this magnitude." He looked back to Soul. "I also need a blood test."
"What? Why?"
"I've not been able to find anything wrong with your mana. But the problem may be your blood. You did have a transfusion at the hospital after the attack, am I correct?"
Soul's face darkened. "Yeah."
"Then the issue could just as easily be in your blood."
Soul rubbed his temple, shifting on the couch. "Fine."
Stein pulled out more tools, because of course he had the equipment with him. "Is now alright? I'd rather take care of this as soon as possible."
Soul sighed. "Sure."
Stein pushed a needle into Soul's forearm as soon as the younger man had laid down again, and drew the blood within a matter of minutes. It was red, to Maka's relief.
"Alright." Stein said, packing up his tools. "I should have the results tomorrow. I'll call you if we find anything."
Stein left with barely another word and a final look around the room. Marie pulled Maka for a tight embrace, wishing both Soul and Maka well, and left with her husband. Soul and Maka were left in a silence that was not uncomfortable, but terribly, terribly heavy. He would not look at her.
"So…" Maka started. "Wanna get some breakfast?"
Eruka scampered back to Medusa, the video chips from the experiment's abode grasped tightly in her hands. The destruction she had seen there...even by a witch's standards, was severe. She wondered if Medusa knew what she was getting into. It wouldn't be long, at this rate, before Soul's magic completely surpassed her ability to control it, if need arose. Eruka didn't have to be a 'scientist' to know that.
She slowed as she neared Medusa's lab, passing Free, another 'contracted employee', as she entered. He gave her a solemn nod and a look of sympathy, as she passed him, recordings clutched tightly to her chest. She didn't know what was worse, being sent out into the world, where she knew Medusa's abominations were, to run her lethal errands, or staying here, with her, overshadowed by the constant fear that she might snap. Eruka thought that maybe she already had. To someone as dumb as Free though, she supposed there was no difference in either task.
Eruka stood in the back of the shadowed room as Medusa watched the footage on the monitors. She watched every attack, from the smallest sparks behind faraway eyes, to the outright destruction of the room around the subject and his companion.
"Hmm…" Medusa smiled. Not out of pleasure with the results, but perhaps pleased with the processes of science itself. Eruka shivered. "It seems his wiccan blood has made living things a preferable target for the witch's destruction."
The smaller witch did not answer. Like hell she was going to draw attention to herself. She wouldn't feel safe until she was miles away from Medusa. Even then.
But Medusa turned away from her screens, towards the frog witch.
"Eruka...I want you to keep an eye on that Doctor as well. I don't want him determining our involvement."
Eruka croaked. "B-but, he's so dangerous. And that other wiccan he's with, she's…"
Medusa's eyes narrowed. "Did I ask for your opinion on your assignment?"
"N-no ma'am."
"Good. Then go."
Eruka shrank out of the room as Medusa turned back to her screens. To the small, dark cut on the girl's face, to the uneasy posture of the subject.
Interesting indeed.
Soul couldn't remember what had happened after the previous night. It was like he hadn't woken up at all until he was on the couch, surrounded by the doctor and Marie, and Maka.
He had forgotten to take his medication, he was almost certain, but he could still barely believe what had happened. Forgetting one little pill could cause...that. Well, his attacks had been getting worse. But Maka…
He glanced across the restaurant's table, where the woman in question was still talking and smiling as if nothing was wrong. The cut on her cheek was an obvious sign that that was not the case. He didn't want to wonder why that little cut bothered him so much. Why the thought of her getting hurt was so much worse than it would have been a month ago, was so much worse than anything. She was far too full of life for him- she had become his lifeline in all of this.
It was just a cut really, but- ugh this was a mess. Some god damn witches attacked him a month ago, for no reason he could discern, and now he was stuck haunted by some freaky little devil, destroying his apartment, hurting Maka, a person who, faster than he would have thought possible, had become one of the people he cared about the most.
Until this morning, no one had been around him when he'd had a full episode, and according to Maka, it wasn't just some vague flash of destruction as he had assumed. He had hurt her, targeted his specifically, hadn't stopped until she knocked him out with her own spell. If she hadn't had it with her...Soul didn't even want to think about what would have happened. Maka was capable, but the way she had described it, there was no reasoning with that thing. He didn't even want to think of it as himself.
Why was this happening? He knew he was a failure as a son, and that he wasn't always the best brother, or the best friend, but this wasn't fair. People had been assaulted before, people had been assaulted by witches before, and this was not normal. Nothing he'd done justified this.
"Of course you deserve it. This isn't a punishment Soul." Not this god-damn demon. Soul was in the room again. Halfway between the restaurant and darkness. Pieces of his destroyed living room now lay scattered across the checkered floor. "This is a gift. An opportunity." The demon danced around the room, sliding his hands along the piano.
"Like hell it is. Haven't you bothered me enough for today?"
"Oh, you know that wasn't me, Soul. That was all you. Or what you could be." The demon grinned. "I just...gave you a little push."
"Bullshit."
"Soul?"
Soul looked up from his eggs. It was nearly dinner time, as it had taken a while to clean up his living room, but it was his first mean of the day, dammit. Maka's concerned gaze flooded his vision. It was bright, despite the setting sun outside. "Sorry. I zoned out."
"Soul, if you need to talk about this, I'm here. I know you're freaked out about what happened this morning, but we'll figure it out. I'm sure of it."
She was too optimistic. "...Thanks. But I'm good." Maka pouted a bit, but resigned. Soul was grateful.
"Alright. But if you changed your mind, know that-"
"I'll go to you Maka don't worry." Soul smirked a bit. "It's not like I talk to anyone else anyway."
"You talk to Wes."
"Not about important stuff." In fact, he was talking to Wes a little less lately. He couldn't tell him about what was going on with his magic; he would turn into an over-bearing mess of older brother worry, and he couldn't really explain why he was spending so much time with Maka. Wes, as a result, had resorted to horrible, juvenile, teasing every time he called his little brother and Maka picked up the phone.
"I guess." Maka pursed her lips while Soul played with the last of his food. She had already finished hers. "Do you wanna go back to my apartment after this? I know you don't normally like to, but…"
"We can go back to mine." Soul answered, quickly. " If that doesn't bother you. I have other rooms, and I called someone to take care of the mess tomorrow."
"Alright, if that's what you want." Soul simply finished off his eggs. "Are you ready to go?"
Soul wiped his mouth. "Yaeh."
After paying their check, Soul and Maka started on the quick walk back to his apartment. They were quiet in the same way they had been earlier, not awkwardly, but heavy. The reality of Soul's condition was weighing on both of them. Maybe they should go to her apartment instead, where a ruined living room wouldn't be a constant reminder of what had transpired that morning. But they were nearly there already.
They were silent still, as they sat in the newly cleaned living room, Maka picking up the book she had left on his couch. Both Soul's end tables had been destroyed, but the blasted keyboard in the corner was still intact, unfortunately. Wes had gotten it for him for his birthday two years ago, after heavy refusal to own a real piano. Maka eyed it every day, even now, as she sat next to him, not reading her book.
"It's nice that that didn't break, huh." She said when she noticed him noticing her.
"I guess."
"At the very least it'll stop Wes from buying you a replacement."
Soul laughed a bit at that, the casualty in Maka's words as comforting as they had ever been. "It's too bad they your book made it though." He retorted. "All my stuff's trashed and you still have the tools to read."
"Reading is fun, Soul." But she set down the book. "But what would you rather do? Play the piano for me?" It was half a joke. Maka had made the request many times before, and knew it was virtually futile. He had refused her every time.
But Soul was quiet for a beat longer than usual this time, before he answered. "Not today."
Well, to Maka that was better than nothing. She smiled. "Then what? It's pretty late, so we can't really go anywhere."
"Just...let's just watch t.v. or something. I'm tired. I just wanna hang out."
Maka's gaze softened. She hoped that he wasn't as bothered about this morning as she was, but she knew better. Soul was probably beating himself up tenfold.
"Alright." She leaned over him to grab the remote, before settling back in a little closer than she was before. Soul didn't normally like touching, but he didn't move away. It was the closest Maka could get to a hug, she figured. Or anything more. No, she said to herself, before the thought could fully form. Now's not the time for that. Not until all this is over. She hoped that when all of this was over, they would still be friends.
But she didn't have to worry about that, as Soul leaned a little closer to her, both their eyes watching the t.v., but not really. They were tired, from the day and from the weeks, but their souls were alive near eachother.
Slowly, at peace, their souls humming despite the insanity of their lives, they fell asleep.
The next day, Stein summoned the two of them to his office. They did their best, after the soft chaos they had suffered at their own awakening, to show no signs that they had stayed together overnight. "I've figured out why Soul has been having these episodes." Stein was facing them from his swivel chair. Marie stood with him. "It's his blood."
When Stein failed to elaborate, Maka was the one to prompt him. "What do you mean?"
"We suspect that Soul's doctor must have tampered with his transfusion after he was attacked. Much of his blood is that of a witch, structurally speaking."
"You mean someone gave him a transfusion with witches' blood?"
"That's what we believe, yes. Our theory is only supported by the fact that Doctor Medusa seemed to have disappeared as soon as I called the hospital. There really is no other explanation."
Soul spoke now. "So how do we fix it?"
"Fortunately, we have experience with a similar issue." Marie began.
"As you know, I posses witch blood in my body naturally. It was through a transfusion with Marie years ago that I'm able to keep my magic under control."
"So I just need another wiccan transfusion then?"
"Not exactly." Marie answered. "The reason my blood was able to negate the effects is because I have healing mana within it. You would need another with the same ability." She folded her hands. "I would volunteer myself, but we have different blood types."
Soul rubbed his hands through his hair. They were so close to fixing this. So close to getting rid of visions of demons and blackouts and destruction. "So we need to find a donor."
"We already have one." Stein turned towards Maka, and spoke to Soul. "You hand Maka have the same blood type, if she's willing. She has the same healing mana as her mother did. The transfusion would be a bit hard on her, since we would be drawing only from one source, but we shouldn't need too much to correct the effects."
"Of course." Maka answered, before Soul could say a word, before he could even think. "If it helps Soul, I'd do anything."
Soul didn't want to ponder on how such a sentiment made him feel. It made him feel small and extremely full at the same time. In a good way. "Are you sure?"
Maka turned towards him, and took his hand. "Of course. That's what friends are for. We started this together, anyway." She smiled. "It only make sense that we would finish it together too."
Soul thought. With his hand in hers, he was ready to do just about anything. Even accept her help. Even accept her. "Alright."
"Good." Stein's clinical voice did nothing to warm the moment. "We should be able to take care of the procedure today, and the sooner the better. If you're at all busy, clear your schedules. You should head to the hospital as well." Stein turned towards his desk and picked up his phone, officially dismissing them from the room. "I just need to call ahead, but I have my own facility there. It shouldn't be long."
Soul and Maka left as directed, still holding hands. "Are you sure about this?" Soul couldn't help but ask. Maka had been nothing but selfless since the day he had met her, slowly chipping away at his bitterness until she cradled his soul, but if felt like asking too much for her to fix him like this. No one had ever wanted to before.
Maka only held his hand tighter though, and met his gaze. "I'm sure Soul. I'd do most anything for you."
Soul smiled, shark teeth shown, and she didn't cringe, didn't scowl. She only smiled back, glowing like the sun.
Me too.
It had been a week since the transfusion. So far, Soul had had no episode's and Maka was recovering from the blood loss excellently. He knew this, because even though there was really no longer a need for them to spend every waking moment together, they still were. Not doing so would upset his brother anyway.
In celebration of his recovery (or officially, just a celebration in general) Liz had thrown a party at Shibusen. She'd invited virtually everyone he knew and didn't despise, and of course Maka's friends as well. He hadn't missed Liz's sly grin when she had brought up the idea, but she insisted it was only because he had so few friends on his own and she wanted this to be an actual party, and Death the Kid would be a detriment to that anyway.
As a result, Tsubaki had been there, the dark haired girl he had met weeks ago and whom Maka mentioned often. As well as Blackstar. Maka had mentioned Blackstar as well, but he had somehow doubted that he could possibly worse than Patty. He had never been more wrong, and he suffered their combined forces with terror. How Liz dealt with it nearly every weekend, Soul would never fathom.
Music had played all throughout Shibusen, decent music if Soul dared to say, and even though the facility had been closed for the private party, it was nearly as full as usual. Soul tried to escape to the blackroom several times, but was always dragged back to the people by either his brother, Liz, or Maka. He didn't mind too much when it was the latter, as long as she had done so with a smile and a sympathetic laugh. She knew he hated crowds, and at least her presence had grounded him a bit, guarding him from the onslaught of people until they slowly trickled away. Soon it was just their closest friends, entertained by Liz. Patty and Blackstar had fallen asleep in a corner booth, like small children on New Year's eve, and it gave the place a charming feeling of peace.
As Liz told stories and jokes to Tsubaki and Kid, Soul was finally able to escape to the blackroom. Maka followed him this time, not drawing him back to the others, until he sat down at the grand piano that decorated the room. Maka stood behind him, quiet, waiting. In less time than he had thought possible, through trials and turmoil, she had become his friend, his something more, even knowing him at his worst. And she was still here. She would wait, the only person who would wait, and she would listen, despite her lack of musical capability, in a way he knew no one else could. She would listen to what he had tried to convey since he was ten years old and his parents had scoffed at his first composition, had instilled in him a fear of no one ever understanding. But he wasn't afraid for her to hear for her to understand. He wanted her too. He knew she would.
"Maka?" His voice was soft.
"Yes, Soul?"
"This is the sound of my Soul."
I'm not the best at writing romance, but I hope you enjoyed this, as well as all those other amazing fics and art we're all getting to enjoy with resbang! Happy Resonance Bang 2016 everyone! Hope to see you next year!
Moreso, please please please check out this amazing fic by squeeb100 on tumblr here (though I know sometimes gives trouble with links) : tagged/the-magic-in-their-blood#
