Soul Mix
by. Poisoned Scarlet
Jam 04: Circus by Britney Spears
Maka
"I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break
I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage
Better be ready, hope you feel the same."
Maka picked up her pace, blurring past her peers one at a time, green eyes focused ahead. Her lungs ached for air and her chest was burning, making her steps wobble with exhaustion, but the ripple in her determination steeled at the thought of letting Black Star win, and she was running once more.
She could see Black Star up ahead, laughing triumphantly at being the only one able to surpass his peers.
She barely managed to roll her eyes before closing them again; the track memorized in her head.
This wasn't a competition.
Not really.
So far, she and Black Star were the only ones who were probably worth watching; the rest of the meister's had long since succumbed to their physical debilities.
Maka flashed her eyes open and sprung off the floor with a battle cry.
She delivered a perfect drop-kick to Nygus sensei, who blocked with a cross of her arms. Maka twisted her body around and flipped gracefully back in the air, landing in a cloud of dust on the floor with her heart pounding its way out of her chest.
She barely managed to dodge the kick from Nygus sensei before she was running ahead once more, weaker than before but with just as much stubbornness.
She could hear Black Star cackling victoriously behind her, no doubt pummeling Sid sensei with a flashy move; trying to earn the crowds awe, and succeeding by the way the girls squealed and cheered.
But that wasn't the point of this activity: it was to test a meister's stamina, ability, and skill, all the while trying to understand the lesson the teachers were trying to teach them.
The lesson she had yet to grasp, to her annoyance.
As she ran around the track, coming back to the point of the path where she would have to flash her eyes open again and snap herself out of the unconscious drive forward, she was unnervingly aware of all the sets of eyes on her from the weapons watching in the sidelines.
She was aware of Soul's eyes on her as she skid to a stop and swiped a leg at Nygus, the woman catching it in her hand and twisting her ankle, Maka along with it, although she didn't expect the girl to use this momentum to strike her other foot at her head, hands twisting the earth beneath her palms as she cartwheeled to the side before hightailing straight out of there.
The whole point of the exercise was to run around the track once, attack one of four teachers (Nygus, Sid, and two other physical education teachers) once, before repeating the cycle until they managed to comprehend the lesson.
It would test their capabilities by testing their stamina as well as how they worked under pressurized circumstances.
Eventually they would tire, as Maka felt exhausted now (it being her tenth time around the track), and it was then that their pass or fail would be determined. A lot of students had already failed the lesson, and Maka was adamant on not becoming one of them.
She needed to get the lesson they were trying to teach her! It wasn't a matter of beating Black Star anymore (not really...), it was simply infuriating that she, top student Maka Albarn, was unable to grasp the lesson. Who was she, to not be able to understand a simple concept? It pissed her off that she was coming up with blanks to their riddle-like words.
"HAAAAHHH!" Maka cried fiercely, yanking her fist back and thrusting it forward powerfully, only to have it blocked by Nygus' own hand.
Maka growled in the back of her throat when the woman threw her to the side, a twinkle in her black eyes as Maka continued down the track with a scowl on her face.
She paced herself now.
She felt tired and that would not do, so she jogged this time around, breathing in controlled breaths as Black Star laughingly blurred past her, attacking Sid sensei with an exaggerated battle cry that made a slight grin twitch on her lips.
She had to admit, all things considered, this was a little fun – it would be better if no one else, especially their weapons, were watching, but Maka guessed not everything could be given to her, as she opened her eyes once more when she neared Nygus.
The woman prepared to defend but blinked when Maka merely raced past her.
Maka sprung into the air to deliver a roundhouse kick at her backside.
She was growing tired of this tedious cycle – she wanted to end it once and for all! – as her mind raced with all the possibilities of what they were trying to teach them...nothing seemed to make sense. They ran, fought, and ran again. She couldn't connect the dots - at least, not yet. She would, though, eventually...
Maybe beating up the teacher was the whole point – if so, then Black Star was way ahead of her...
"Well, now!" Nygus shouted, pivoting on her heel to block the attack. It was the first time she had spoken and Maka felt all eyes on them as she hung in mid air for a split second. "Not playing very fair, are we, Miss Albarn?"
"There is no such thing as fair—!" Maka harshly panted, falling on her hands and flipping out of the way in a whirl of color. "When it comes down to a fight!" She was about to go ahead and run down the track again, face hot with exertion, when Nygus' voice stopped her.
"Maka."
She braked to a stop a couple of feet away, panting heavily. "Yeah?"
"You can stop now." Nygus stood straight, and a few teachers turned their attention to them. "I think you understand what we're trying to teach you. You pass." The corners of the knife-weapon's eyes crinkled with what Maka assumed was a smile. "Congratulations. You have a whole week of physical education off!"
Maka stared dumbly for a second. "...What?" She had somehow understood the lesson...without actually understanding what this entire routine had been all about?
Did she have luck or what?
"EHHH?" Black Star jumped between them, pointing accusingly at Nygus. "What'd'ya mean she's got one whole week of PE off?"
Maka just stood there, looking a little lost.
"Well, Black Star." Nygus' voice steeled, no longer soft. "Maka learned the meaning of the lesson. You have not. Therefore, she may leave but you may not."
"But – but – !"
"Black Star! Never take your eyes off your opponent!" Sid careened into the gobsmacked assassin, as Maka's exhaustion caught up with her and she buckled to the floor on her haunches, head hung as she tried to give her lungs the air they rightfully deserved.
Almost immediately, a hand was placed reassuringly on her back, and Maka needn't look up to know that Soul was kneeling beside her.
He was grinning when she rose her head, and she managed a triumphant grin of her own.
"You actually beat Black Star in sports!" Soul exclaimed, red eyes showing more emotion than they had in a whole week of school. It was rare to see Soul so excited within school grounds. She knew the onlookers were shocked to see him so jubilant all of a sudden even though it wasn't anything new to her. "He's never gonna' live this down!" He sniggered.
"It's not my fault I'm just that good!" Maka laughed, as she saw Black Star race around the track in less than four seconds and attack Sid again. "He's never going to get it that way." She sighed.
Soul grinned, crookedly. "Not bad, Maka. It only took you twelve times."
"I'd like to see you try to pass it in less!" Maka snapped, annoyed by his jab.
"No, thanks, I'll pass." He smirked. "I'd rather be the one watching you kick Black Star's ass than be the one doing it. His punches hurt."
"No kidding." Maka muttered, wincing as she stretched out a cramping leg. "You're lucky I don't care how I look like after he punches me, Soul!" She had only gotten punched a few times by him. Even if they were all meant with good intentions, they still hurt and left bruises.
"That's what makes you such a cool partner!"
She only responded with a happy beam that made him roll his eyes and motion for the locker rooms.
"C'mon, go shower already." He wrinkled his nose and leaned away from her. His eyes danced with mirth as he shouted, loud enough for the other weapons to hear: "You stink!"
"You jerk!" Maka hissed, when she saw some girls giggle at her. Soul was holding back laughter at her pink cheeks. "That's it! MAKA CHOP!"
"Wait! Where did you get tha—NGH!"
Maka stormed toward the locker rooms, book tucked under arm as Soul groaned from his place on the floor.
Some things never changed...
A.N: They're pretty young here... Yeah, Soul still has that flashy letterman jacket and Black Star is still obnoxiously loud. He gets better, in the manga, anyway...
Scarlett.