So I had planned to have this posted a week ago, but it wasn't done yet. But hopefully, the fact that it's a huge chapter makes up for it.
We are starting to get into more of the plot now.
Reviews, favorites, and follows are always appreciated.
Chapter 4: Presence and Perspective
Soul was pulled from sleep by the sound of ringing. His alarm clock bounced against the far wall, but the ringing continued.
Grunting and sitting up at the side of the bed, he was finally awake enough to recognize the sound as the phone. As he shuffled his way out of his room towards the still irritatingly loud phone, he wondered why Maka hadn't answered it. The sound of the shower running answered that question. He lifted the receiver to his ear while scratching his head and yawning.
"Yeah?" It was way too early to be polite.
"Hello." An overly perky voice responded, "Is this Soul Eater?"
"Yeah" Just his luck, a fan girl at… 8 am, fuck. The first Monday in forever that they didn't have to be at school and some ditsy fan girl calls at the crack of dawn.
"It's been so long. How have you been?"
"Fine…?" now he was confused. Usually, the fangirls jumped right in with their requests.
"Well, obviously you've been good. Maka made you a Death Scythe! That's so exciting! I was so proud of you both when I heard. Are you still sharing the same apartment? Do you know what you're going to be doing after graduation? It's on Saturday, right? "
OK, what the hell!?
Now, fully awake, all his Weapon protective instincts were screaming at him that something wasn't right. He didn't recognize the voice. They knew entirely too much about them. They were way too nosy. "Who is this?!" he snapped.
The woman the other side of the phone paused then laughed, "Oh I'm sorry, this is Kami, Maka's mom."
He nearly dropped the phone.
He owed Maka an apology for all the times he'd spent trying to convince her they should get a new number. "Where are you?" he wasn't about to let the opportunity to ask THE question pass by.
"I'm just renting a car," she said as if that was supposed to make sense to him.
"…and you thought you'd give us a call?" he frowned.
"Yeah. I just landed in Vegas. I should be there in about 4 hours. What's the address again?"
Maka emerged from the bathroom, wrapped in her bathrobe, as a stunned Soul finished giving directions to their apartment. She looked at him questioningly.
"OK that's perfect, bye!" she chimed from the other side of the phone.
"Wait! Don't you want to talk to Maka?" Soul looked at his curious partner, who was mouthing 'who is it?' Before he could respond, the overly perky woman on the phone answered.
"No, my rental car is ready. Tell her I'll be there by one." And the line went dead.
"Soul?" Maka asked him approaching cautiously.
"uh…your Mom will be here by one." He relayed to his shocked Meister.
Maka opened the front door before her mama even had a chance to knock. She wrapped her in a fierce hug that was readily reciprocated.
"Hi Sweetie"
"Hi Mama"
Maka took the opportunity to memorize her mama's wavelength. The nagging fear of not being able to find her demanded it. They eventually released the hug and her mama stepped away, looking past her to address her partner.
"It's nice to see you again Soul" she grinned exuberantly as she held out her hand to shake his.
"Nice that you've decided to stop by, Ms. Albarn. What brings you to Death City?" Soul shook her hand, the picture of rigid courtesy.
"Please call me Kami." She instructed. "and I'm here for my job. I was recently hired as a liaison to the DWMA for a medical research company"
"Are you moving back?" Maka blurted out excitedly. Delighted at the prospect of her Mama living in Death City again.
"No, my job doesn't require frequent face to face interaction with the DWMA. I have a meeting with the new Lord Death on Friday to request permission for a research project." She answered brightly.
Maka attempted to hide her disappointment, grinding the conversation to a halt.
"What kind of research project requires permission from the DWMA?" Soul broke through the silence.
"The kind that involves Weapons and Meisters," she responded without missing a beat. "The company I work for wants to research the difference between how the general population and Weapons/Meisters form scar tissue. It's been noted that Weapons and Meisters frequently don't develop scars, even from serious wounds. The researchers want to determine if there is a way to extend that ability to average people."
Soul looked at Maka in her shorts and tank top, not a scar on her despite all her injuries over the years. In doing so, he caught her eyes drifting to his chest. He changed the subject quickly.
"Hungry? I can make something for lunch." So, it wasn't exactly smooth, but it got the job done.
Maka's line of sight moved away from his chest as she eyed him suspiciously "You're willingly cooking lunch?"
"No, I'm putting whatever we have in the kitchen between two slices of bread. Do you want some or not?" He grouched, trying to cover that he really had no idea what to make and sandwiches were always a safe bet.
"Sure. Mama would you like some?"
"Yes. Thank You" she beamed.
Soul headed to the kitchen as Maka led her mama to the living room.
"So you're graduating on Saturday?" her mama asked as they sat down next to each other on the couch.
"Yeah, I'm top of my class," she shared, unable to contain her pride.
"That's wonderful! I'm so proud of you.".
"Would you like to come? There's a big celebration that evening. There will be food and music. I know it's after your meeting with Kid...and Papa will be there..." Maka trailed off. She didn't want to assume that she would be staying after her meeting or that her mama would want to be anywhere near her papa.
"I'm sure your papa and I can get along just fine for an evening. I'd love to come."
"Great!" Some of Maka's concern was momentarily relieved. She would worry later about everything that could go wrong with her parents being in the same room.
"So what are your plans for after graduation?"
"We are going to join the DWMA as agents."
"Of course, you are. Obviously. How did your Evaluation go?"
"Our what?" Maka cocked her head.
"The Evaluation," she repeated. "The testing that potential agents go through."
"We had our final exams last week," Maka replied hesitantly, not sure what her mama was talking about.
"No. The Evaluation is different. Never mind." She waved her hand in the air as if she could physically shoo away the subject. "The DWMA must not do them anymore, you would have had one by now."
Soul entered the living room carrying a plate stacked with sandwiches. He set the plate on the coffee table and grabbed a sandwich before slouching in the chair adjacent to Maka.
Ms. Albarn took a few bites of her own food before addressing him. "Congratulations again! The Last Death Scythe, that's quite the title. When I was at the DWMA just being a Death Scythe got a Weapon a lot of attention. I would imagine you have quite the following."
"I guess." He shrugged, focusing on his lunch. He had the distinct impression she was evaluating his response.
She stared at him expectantly for a moment. When he didn't elaborate, she carried on as if nothing had happened, turning her attention back to Maka. "So Sweetie, what have you been up to since I left? I imagine you have some great stories. You did make this boy into a Death Scythe after all."
"That's a bit of a long story, we had to practically do it twice."
"I want to hear about everything." She leaned forward giving Maka her full attention.
"…everything?"
"yes everything! Right from the beginning." She focused intently on Maka.
Soul listened as Maka started to recount their missions having to explain how they lost their first 99 pre-kishin souls. She told her mother about Blair and how she had somehow been listed as a Witch when she was just a cat with an incredible amount of magical power.
Maka explained how they first met Stein. Telling her about the first time they were truly successful with soul resonance and used Witch-Hunter. Then having to explain; he's a teacher now, yes he's still weird, no they have never spent the night in his lab, and, he's married to Marie now and they have a son.
Ms. Albarn's loud and sudden laughter made both of them jump. Between gasps, she said how she always knew they were meant to be together.
It hadn't taken Soul long to notice that Maka was telling a carefully edited version of the truth, skirting around serious injuries and near fatal attacks. Stressing how, together, they came out winners in the end. But he knew what happened next and he wondered how she was going to shine this turd of a mission.
Crona in Italy. It was the crappiest mission, only second to fighting Asura on the moon. At least, on the moon they won, even if it was at a cost. It's still hard for Maka to talk about what happened in that church. She feels guilty about him. Now, it's compounded by memories of Crona.
She shouldn't feel guilty for him, though. It was his choice and he'd never regretted it. When Crona started to swing, he'd felt her lock her elbows. She wasn't going to block, idiot, protecting HIM. If he hadn't acted she'd be dead. There was no doubt in his mind. Nightmares, where she lies in an expanding pool of blood as her bright green eyes grow dim, have solidified that for him.
She told her Mother a nearly truthful version. She did it in the formal manner of a mission debriefing, but she did it. He was impressed.
Her mother reached over and placed a hand on Maka's clenched fist, but she looked past Maka towards Soul and mouthed the words "Thank You".
Uncomfortable, he helped move things forward. "When we got back, Stein stuck us in a room with a bunch of stinky candles"
Maka took the prompt, sending him an appreciative smile before she continued.
About the time Maka started to explain the Blackblood, Soul started to tune her out. Instead, he turned a critical eye on Kami Albarn. He's not sure how he feels about the woman, she is Maka's mother but she's been gone for years. He's met her only a handful of times. The first time was when he'd first partnered with Maka, during which he was sure she was judging his suitability as her daughter's Weapon. The last time was when she helped Maka move-in to the apartment, during which she was definitely judging the suitability of her daughter's new accommodations. He'd seen her testing the lock on both Maka's bedroom and the bathroom door. Then, almost overnight, she was gone.
He can understand her wanting to get away from Spirit, but it aggravates him that she never bothered to stay in contact with Maka. The extent of their contact since she left is the automatic deposit that arrives in Maka's account monthly to help cover expenses. Maka doesn't like to talk about it, but Soul knows that recently her mother's absence has started to bother her.
After Asura was sealed, Maka had confessed to him that she missed her mother. She was also starting to worry about what the lack of contact could mean. She'd never come right out and said it, but he knew she was worried that something may have happened to her. They had set about trying to find out where she was.
They'd inquired at the DWMA, but no one knew how to contact her. They'd reluctantly asked her dad, but he was even less help. They tried to track her down through the bank deposits, but that was "confidential" some snooty desk jockey had sneered. Eventually, he'd suggested that they resonate and she could use her soul perception, it was worth a shot. She'd quietly admitted to him that when her mama left, she hadn't developed her Soul Perception yet. She didn't know what to look for. Then, she'd thanked him before retreating to her room, claiming she was tired even though it was mid-afternoon. When she still hadn't emerged by noon the next day, he'd coerced her out of the apartment with the promises of going out for burgers and a milkshake at the diner that just happened to be next to her favorite bookstore. Neither of them ever brought up trying to find her mother again.
Maka had finally reached the point where they're on the moon. Her version is heavily edited. Considering her choice so far to downplay dangerous and serious missions, he's not surprised. The stakes were high that day and the risks huge. He listened to her gloss over the fight, stressing BlackStar's and Kid's roles and downplaying their own. She included going to try and retrieve Crona and her guilt about not being able to, but completely omitted Asura's near fatal attacks on her that proceeded it.
He didn't like hearing her minimize her role in probably the single most important battle in the last couple hundred years. She was awesome. They were awesome. She helped save the fucking world! But, he wanted to respect her choice about what to share with her mother. She always respected his boundaries when it came to his family. So he gritted his teeth and stayed silent, slouching deeper into the chair.
He hoped that after Maka had taken the time to explain what they had been doing that Ms. Albarn would return the sentiment. He, for one, wanted to know what had kept this woman too busy to contact her daughter. Maka deserved an explanation.
After a few minutes of recapping the years since the Moon, which were significantly less eventful than the years proceeding it. She was finally done.
"So, That's pretty much it.." Maka concluded.
"Wow, you two certainly have been busy, haven't you?"
"Yeah," Soul saw Maka shift uncomfortably "I guess you've been busy yourself..." The unspoken question hanging in the air.
"Oh, I guess so." She brushed off. That got his attention and he perked up turning his attention to Maka, waiting to see how she would react.
Maka hesitated, " So, what have you been doing? Travelling? Working? I'm sure it must have been very...engrossing" she prompted.
"It's not really important." Her voice was still light but there was an edge to her words. She rose from the couch "Maka. Do you have your dress for graduation yet? Can I see it?" She asked in the overly perky tone that Soul was really starting to get annoyed with.
"Umm yeah, ok." Maka moved to stand, disappointment radiated from her. He couldn't believe it. Was she really going to let the subject drop just like that? There was no way. Maka wouldn't do that. Right?
He leaned forward and casually touched her shoulder before she could move away. As soon as he made contact, he practically jabbed her with his wavelength. She physically jumped and glared at him, but she reciprocated resonance.
Out loud, he said the first thing that came to mind to stall her "Would you like some tea first?" through the link he said 'What are you doing Maka? You aren't just going to leave it at that are you?'
Out loud she responded "No...thank you" between them she said 'Look, just leave it alone Soul, it's not important.'
'Yes, it is' A wave of frustration slips through the link from him, matched by her own irritation. Neither of the pair doing a good job controlling the intensity of their resonance at the moment.
'No, it's not!' She glared at him
'Yes, it is!' He glared back
'No, it's-'
The sound of Ms. Albarn clearing her throat pulled their attention to the woman. They turned to look at her in unison. "I'd love some tea." She smiled at the pair settling herself back on the couch.
Through the link, Maka can feel Soul's determination. Soul can feel her resignation.
She's right. It IS rude to have a complete conversation between them while her mother sits there completely unaware of what's going on.
Her head snapped in his direction.
'Yes, I heard that' he looked between her and his hand still resting on her shoulder. Reminding her that the link remained very much active.
"I'll give you a hand, Soul." Her smile is forced, voice strained "I'll be right back Mama." They stood in unison, moving to the kitchen.
They worked together to make tea, close enough that their shoulders touched to maintain the link. It wasn't as if their apartment was big enough to have a discrete conversation out loud.
'So.' He prompted.
'So?' She tried to play dumb.
'What's going on Maka? What's with the G-rated version of the Moon? Why are you letting her get away with dodging your questions?'
'I don't know what you're talking about Soul. You're never paying close enough attention, just like in class. I'm always-'
'Maka stop trying to pick a fight to change the subject.'
'How did you...'
He gently tapped her on the forehead. 'No filter. Remember.'
She blushed, 'Fine! Might as well tell him the truth he isn't going to leave me alone.'
'Not this time.' He confirmed.
'Stop that!' She scowled at him, 'Look, she obviously doesn't want to tell me what she's been doing.'
'And you're alright with that?'
'I'm sure she has her reasons...'
'What about not bothering to contact you?'
'She said she's been busy.' Maka tried to excuse.
'The Moon turned black Maka. You'd think that she'd make time for a phone call.'
'It's not as if she could have known we were there.'
'She was a Meister. He knows the job.'
'Yeah, but Soul, what we've done is way beyond what most students ever do.'
Ok, he'd give her that.
'NOW who lacks a filter.' she grinned at him triumphantly, 'So you agree then?'
'No.' He sighed, 'Maka, I know, she's your 'Perfect' Mama. You look up to her. You're a Scythe Meister because she was. Not that I'm complaining about that' He smiled down at her.
She responded with a smile of her own.
He continued, 'But you really need to take her down off the pedestal now. Stop making excuses for her. She's hasn't contacted you in years. You didn't even know if she was alive. Maka, she owes you some answers.'
She abruptly moved away from him their resonance fading with the loss of contact but before the link completely disintegrated the words, 'I shouldn't have to force her to tell me' slip through. He was sure he wasn't supposed to hear that, but he had.
He's towered over her for years, broader and taller, even with his perpetual slouch, but he rarely notices. Her personality and her soul generally counteract any thoughts of her being petite, but as he looked at her, turned away from him and hunched in on herself, he's struck by how small she appears at this moment. It's wrong and bothers him right down to his core.
This was not his Maka.
He wrapped his arm around her shoulder briefly giving her a reassuring squeeze. "You're way too cool for this".
Just as she had physically compressed in on herself, he lengthened, gaining nearly two inches as he stood to his full height. This is what they are. This is what they do. They're souls compliment each other. She's right after all. She shouldn't have to pry answers from her mother. So, he'd do it for her. He strode back to the living room where the source of her unease was currently attempting to watch them discretely. Her eyes follow him as he passed by and took a seat directly across from her.
He strode back to the living room where the source of her unease was attempting to watch them discretely. Her eyes followed him as he passed by and took a seat directly across from her.
"Tea?" She asked.
"We're out," he stated flatly.
"Oh, that's a shame." She replied without missing a beat "Maka dear, I saw a Deathbucks on the corner do you think you could run out and grab us something. I always get their green tea and of course, you two can get whatever you'd like. My treat" She gave Maka an overly bright smile while fishing some money out of her purse at her side.
Maka's indecision was clear. Her eyes moved between him and her mother.
Ms. Albarn turned and addressed him. "Soul, what would you like from Deathbucks?"
"Nothing."
"OK, Maka, get yourself something nice." She chimed, apparently completely unaffected by his abrupt answer.
Maka looked between them and suggested "Maybe Soul could go. I should probably stay here."
Ms. Albarn laughed, "Oh, Don't worry, I'm sure we'll be fine for a little while. Go on now." she encouraged.
Maka looked unsure before finally relenting, "I'll be right back". She slipped into a set of sandals she kept by the front door. Before turning to leave, she sent a glare his direction that was clearly meant to convey the message "be nice".
As soon as Maka was out of the apartment, Ms. Albarn turned and spoke to him plainly, without any of her previous joviality.
"She still as fast as she used to be?"
"Faster."
"Then let's get right to it. What do you want to say to me?" She squared her shoulders, maintaining eye contact, her whole being adopting a rigidity previously absent.
Now this was the Three Star Meister he'd heard about.
Soul took a few deep breaths, attempted to formulate a line of questioning. He'd intended to confront her with Maka but if he could get her to tell him then she'd have to tell Maka. He decided to start at the beginning. "Why did you leave Death City? Why didn't you keep in contact with her?"
She paused before answering, "After the divorce I needed space… to find myself," she offered.
"More than four years without even a phone call or birthday card. You must have been pretty fucking lost," he kept his tone neutral but the words were biting.
"Watch it!" She warned him, her eyes hardened.
"She's your daughter. She idolizes you and you couldn't be bothered to pick up the phone. Do you have any idea what she's been doing?"
"Young man, I was a Meister before you were born, I know what's involved. Besides, I contacted the school for progress reports."
"So you had time to contact the school but not call her?"
"I tried the number for here too, no one ever answered."
"And you didn't bother leaving a message? A call back number? Did it even occur to you that she might need a way to contact you? " he had to work hard to keep his tone neutral.
"I moved around a lot, but I'm sure she could have tracked me down if she needed to" She dismissed.
When they had failed to find a way to contact her mother, he'd had to deal with Maka moping around the apartment. The whole thing had made him feel beyond useless and here she was sitting in their living room casually commenting about how she was sure they could have tracked her down. It frayed his temper.
"She tried," he growled "You couldn't even be bothered to check in after the moon turned black? She was worried you were dead. Why else would her MOTHER not contact her?! Weren't you concerned about her AT ALL?!"
"I called the school!" she defended, "They said she had helped fight the Kishin, but that she wasn't seriously injured!"
"You were a Meister! Do you honestly think she actually fought Asura without being hurt?!" He was on his feet now glowering down at her, his formulated line of questioning abandoned in the face of her obstinate refusal to admit she'd done anything wrong.
For her part, she wasn't one to be intimated, rising to meet him."They said she was FINE! She JUST told me what happened, she was just there to assist. To support everyone with her wavelength." She refused to back down.
"She lied!" He yelled. "We were right in the middle of it."
"I find that VERY hard to believe!" She shot back.
His previous anger deserted him in the face of what he needed to divulge. This was not something he liked to think about. He shoved his hands in his pockets resorting to his old armor.
When it had happened he'd been half lost to madness, focused on playing the piano, activating the Blackblood, thank Death for that. He'd known something happened and understood the implications to the fight in the moment. It wasn't until much later, when he'd asked BlackStar, that he got the details. Asura, elbow deep in Maka's chest. He was glad he couldn't remember it himself.
His next words felt like lead on his tongue and made his stomach clench uncomfortably, but she needed to know. "Maka...she nearly….for a second, he kil-... he got her," he forced out, to this day still unable to say the actual word "If it wasn't for the Blackblood, she wouldn't be here. Neither of us would be."
Neither of them.
Because there is no version of any mission past or future where he comes home without her.
Ms. Albarn's eyes were wide "I didn't… they said she wasn't badly hurt"
"The Blackblood, when it's active like that, it protects her. So yeah, if you weren't there you wouldn't know."
"Why didn't she tell me?" she sunk back down onto the couch, all her earlier fight leaving her.
"I don't know. Maybe she thinks, it's not important" He used her earlier words against her.
She was silent, staring at a spot on the floor, lost in thought. After a painfully long time, she finally blinked and stood. She surprised him by moving to stand directly in front of him, staring at him as if trying to divine some great truth.
"You really care about her, don't you?"
"Yeah…she's my Meister." He shrugged, distinctly uncomfortable with how intensely she was looking at him.
Her face lit in a very familiar smile. Before he could process what she was doing, she'd pulled him down into a motherly hug. He was bent at an odd angle his head tucked under her chin as she crushed him. She was unnervingly strong.
"…and a Weapon protects their Meister. Thank you for protecting my daughter." Her voice shook and he heard her sniffle.
He'd yelled at her and the crazy woman was hugging him. This must be where Maka got it from.
Speaking of Maka, his Maka-Dar was signaling her return. He managed to extricate himself from the hug.
"Maka's back," he stated as he moved to open the door.
Maka practically tumbled through the door hair messed, eyes a little wild. Although, she still managed to perfectly balance the tray of drinks she carried. Freaky versatile Meister skills.
Soul smiled "Took you long enough." he teased. Happy she was back, so he could retreat from her mother. He could still feel her watching him, and it was making all the hairs on his neck stand up.
"There was a line-up." Maka narrowed her eyes at him.
He eyed the drink tray she carried; it held three drinks, one being an iced coffee that was his drink of choice in the summer "I said I didn't want anything."
"Yeah, well...I needed something I could throw at you depending on what you did."
He intentionally leaned into her personal space, "So My Meister." she blushed and he grinned "Should I get ready to duck?"
Maka took one last look between him and her mama before relenting, "No, I guess you're safe"
"Cool." He straightened up and plucked the cup from the drink tray. "I'll be in my room. Thanks for the coffee Ms. Albarn." He called before he closed his bedroom door behind him.
Maka gaped at him as she tried to figure out what his abrupt departure meant. She was pulled from her thoughts by her Mama's gentle voice.
"Maka come sit down with me."
Maka resumed her place next to her on the couch. Setting the drink tray with the two remaining cups on the coffee table.
"Sorry about Soul."
"Oh no. No need to apologize for him." Maka cast a skeptical look at her mama but she received only a smile in response. "He's very protective of you."
Maka fidgeted, "Um I guess. We are partners after all."
"Yes. You certainly are."Her mama's smile faded. "I'm sorry I worried you and I'm so sorry that I didn't leave you a way to contact me. I didn't realize you wouldn't be able to find me."
"It's OK Mama, I understand."
"I should have been here for you." She hugged her.
"Mama it's fine, really."
"No, I screwed up," she said firmly. She pulled her purse onto her lap and began digging around in it. Eventually, she produced a card and pen, writing something on the back of the card before handing it to her. "That is my business card, on the back I put my home address in Chicago, and my home phone number. I'm renting currently, so if any of this changes I will let you know. If I can't reach you, I will call and leave my new information with the DWMA. You call me whenever you want, day or night." She said it with the intensity of an oath and Maka couldn't help but believe her.
"Thank you," she whispered. Whatever Soul had said to her seemed to have cut through her cheerful facade, bringing her mama closer to the surface. She tried one more time "Mama, where have you been?"
Her mama looked guiltily at her before she replied, "Maka, I can't tell you."
"What does that even mean?" She pressed. She'd thought they were making progress.
She sighed. "I only traveled as a tourist for maybe 9 months before I was recruited by...before I started working... in the type of job that a former high-ranking Meister can get."She looked away "I'm sorry. It's almost entirely covered by an ironclad confidentiality agreement..."
"You couldn't even call?"
"I spent a lot of time in remote locations, that made it impossible for me to contact you on a regular basis...I did try to call when I could," she offered, "but there was never an answer at the apartment and it didn't feel right to leave a message after so long. I called the school, tried to stay informed that way and eventually through newspapers and media. You and Soul made the news more than once." She paused here pulling something from her purse and handing it to Maka.
It was a newspaper clipping, a picture of her and Soul sitting next to each other during Kid's inauguration.
She didn't know quite what to say. She respected her mama's commitment to honoring the confidentiality agreement, but she wished she could know what had been so important to warrant such isolation. She had at least tried to stay in contact Maka reasoned, although a small part of her was still hurt that she hadn't made more of an effort.
She passed the newspaper clipping back to her mama wordlessly. Silently observing the care her mama took with folding it back up and returning it to the zippered pocket of her purse.
"I really like that picture." Her mama said smiling at her, her smile fading as she picked up on Maka's conflict. "I'll be around more now" she offered, "My new job is different."
"Mama, Before you were offered this confidential job, you traveled for fun, though?"
"Yes."
"Can you tell me about that?" At least, she could learn about what she had been doing before confidentiality set in. And maybe she could figure out some clues as to the rest.
"Yes!" She beamed. For the next while, Maka listened to her mother tell her about all the travel she had done for the first 9 months away from Death City. She had traveled to every continent. Largely visiting old friends from the academy that had been posted or moved to the different areas. She stopped short of revealing how she had stumbled into the job she'd eventually taken, but Maka could piece together that it had something to do with a former roommate who she'd been visiting in Argentina. She had quickly changed the subject, saying that she really did want to see Maka's dress.
Maka went to the bathroom to change into her dress, leaving Kami alone in her daughter's room. She took the opportunity to look around. It was tidy, but when she looked closely there were books tucked everywhere, not just on the overflowing bookshelf.
Maka had always loved to read.
The top of her dresser was nearly covered in photo frames. There was a picture of herself. It was taken before Maka was born. She's so young in it, the same age that Maka is now. There was a picture of Spirit and Maka, his hair is tied back and a 2-year-old Maka is sitting on his lap while he reads to her. She remembered taking the photo. The images brought up a torrent of memories that made her long for that time in her life. With one last long look, she put the frame down.
There were multiple pictures of young people, only some of whom she recognizes. Thinking over what Maka had told her earlier she began putting names to the faces.
There was a picture of Maka standing next to someone who must be Crona, if the black figure with the white X's for eyes looming over their heads is any indication. Maka has her arm around Crona who is nervously smiling at her. This sad frail-looking child is the one who sealed the Kishin? She better understood her daughter's guilt now.
There was a framed photo of the young man she recognized as the new Lord Death. Kid, Maka had called him. He's flanked by two blonde women in cowboy hats that appear to be sisters. They must be his Weapons, Liz and Patti. She wasn't sure which is which.
In a frame opposite that one is a teenage BlackStar giving a thumbs-up, arm around a tall dark haired woman making a peace sign who must be Tsubaki. She's glad that he managed to find a weapon that could resonate with him. He'd always had such a chaotic wavelength. When she'd watched him and Maka play as children, she'd mused that if Maka ended up inheriting Spirit's Weapon gene that they might be partners. Maka had always been fairly good at getting BlackStar to focus.
There was a picture of Soul. He's a rather nice looking young man, even with his unusual features. When she'd first met him, she'd recognized his white hair, red eyes, and pointed teeth, as genetic markers that indicated his potential to be a powerful weapon. They also made him damn intimidating when angry. She'd learned that this afternoon. But, he is far from angry in this photo. He's sitting on the couch in their living room, one leg propped up on the knee of the other and the whole limb is transformed into a piano keyboard that he's apparently playing. A gentle lopsided smile graces his face and there is a warmth to how he is looking at the camera. No, she amended to herself, he's looking at the person taking the picture and it's a good bet that's Maka.
There were other photos too, of young people she can't identify. Classmates, friends, presumably other members of Spartoi, but she can't even begin to put names to those faces. She doesn't know her daughters friend's. A pang of guilt ran through her. She'd been gone far too long.
She almost didn't see the last picture. It wasn't in a frame, tucked behind the picture of Soul. She carefully took it from its hiding place and examined it.
It was a picture of Maka and Soul. It looked recent, taken at a beach. They are lying in the shade of a beach umbrella on an oversized blanket, both asleep. Maka's bathing suit does nothing to hide a collection of dark bruises that mar her skin, the largest and darkest ones localized to her left side, covering her shoulder, hip, and knee. To Maka's left is Soul. He lies with one arm bent up and tucked under his own head, the other extends across to act as a pillow for Maka. There isn't anything overtly suggestive to the position, but there's an undeniable intimacy to the arrangement. She's nearly certain there's more going on between the two of them than just a partnership.
She tilted her head thoughtfully, wondering if it was intentional or a coincidence that he's positioned to, in effect, guard her injured side. It was probably intentional. She certainly hadn't exaggerated when she'd commented on how protective he was, even if Maka had shrugged it off. There was something on his chest. It's not as blatant as the bruises on Maka, so she hadn't noticed it at first. It wasn't until she held the photo closer to get a better look that she recognized it for what it is. She inhaled sharply. She'd been told this afternoon about the slash he'd taken for her daughter, but being told what he did and seeing the evidence are two very different things. The scar bisects his torso crossing directly over his heart. She owed that boy more than a thank you. She was grateful that her daughter had such a devoted partner.
It's not just him, though. Maka is equally devout. Although she isn't nearly as obvious about it, far more guarded with her words and actions. But she can feel it in the pull of their souls. She'd been aware of it the second she'd stepped through the front door and it had only become more obvious the more time she spent with them. The gravity of their connection was palpable. They are like planets caught in orbit around each other. She wondered if it was possible for two people so young to share a Soul Tether.
She wondered if it was possible for two people so young to share a Soul Tether.
Maka examined herself in the bathroom mirror. She'd picked out the dress the last time BlackStar and Tsubaki were in town. Her and Tsubaki had managed to find the dress relatively quickly. It was dark purple, reaching to just above her knees. It's technically strapless, but purple lace overlays it and covers her chest, upper back, and three-quarters of the way down her arms. There was a matching satin ribbon that wrapped around her waist to define it. Taking a moment to make sure everything was in order, she opened the door and nearly ran into Soul who was headed down the hall towards her room.
"Hey." She greeted him.
His eyebrows rose when he saw her, "Hey, what's with the dress?"
"My Mama wanted to see it. What do you think?" She held out her arms doing a little turn.
He shrugged noncommittally "She staying for dinner?" He inclined his head in the direction of her bedroom.
"I think so" She responded, trying not to dwell on the fact he dodged her question.
"Curry ok?" He asked heading back to the kitchen.
"Sounds good",
Without turning around to face her, he added, "The dress looks nice."
Her face warmed, "Thank you" she called after him.
In her room, she found her Mama digging through her closet.
"Sweetie, have I been sending you enough money?" she asked without looking up.
"Yeah, what you send is plenty, why?"
"Most of your clothing is some variation of a DWMA uniform."
"No, I have other stuff too" She protested joining her mother in her search through her closet.
"I see a few pairs of shorts and sleep pants, some tank tops, and a black dress."
"I think there is a pair of jeans and a skirt in here too" Maka defended.
"You graduate in 5 days, are you planning on wearing your school uniform when you aren't in school anymore."
"Uh, I hadn't really thought about it." She'd never been one to dwell on things like fashion and clothing.
"Well then. It's decided. Tomorrow we're going shopping! I'm buying you a whole new wardrobe" She announced.
"Mama you really don't have to. I'll get my first real paycheck soon. I can buy my own clothes"
"Your closet says differently. I insist." She said firmly before brightening "Now let's have a look at you" She said standing and indicating that Maka should turn around a few times.
Maka completed two revolutions and caught the misty look in her mama's eyes.
"Mama?"
She snapped back to attention."You look beautiful."
Maka smiled and changed the subject worried her mama would start crying. "Soul's making curry. Are you staying for dinner?"
"Yes, that sounds nice." She hesitated a moment before asking. "So how long has the Soul Tether between you two been active?"
"The what?"
"A Soul Tether" She reiterated as if it was obvious. But at Maka's confused look she prompted. "You know, that sneaky conversation in the kitchen earlier."
"Oh!" She hadn't realized her mama had noticed that. "We figured out we could do that by controlling our resonance a while ago."
"Hmm… I don't think what you were doing was JUST controlled resonance." She frowned, biting her lip, thinking for a moment before continuing."A Soul Tether, it's a type of constant low-level resonance. It wasn't part of the DWMA curriculum. I stumbled on it in a book from the DWMA's library and years later I got to meet a Meister Weapon team that shared one. It felt similar to what you two have. Has anyone mentioned it to you?"
Maka shook her head, "I've never heard of it."
"…Maybe I'm wrong. If that's what you have, someone should have explained it to you. Franken should have picked up on it right away. Do you have a constant awareness of Soul?"
She thought about it, Maka had noticed something to that effect, but she had attributed that to her soul perception being over sensitive because it was him, "I guess so but I have exceptionally strong soul perception, I figured it was just that."
"Hmm…possibly, what about him for you? Do you know?"
"Maka-Dar" she immediately supplied.
"Maka-Dar?" Her mama asked, smiling in amusement.
"That's what he calls it, he says it's like he knows where I am or something….he said it's a weapon thing…" she trailed off.
Her mama's wide smile made her question that assessment.
"No, it's not a 'weapon thing'. It's the most basic form of a Soul Tether and it's very rare, the only one I've ever seen was between a Meister and Weapon that had been partnered for nearly three decades. A Soul Tether only occurs when a Meister and Weapon are extremely close." She smiled. "Is there anything you'd like to tell me Maka?" her Mama winked at her.
"MOM!"
"It's ok. You can tell me. You're almost 18 after all. I just hope you're using protection"
"Ah! MOM STOP! Soul and I…we aren't like that. "
"Oh, are you sure?" She seemed genuinely perplexed.
"YES! I'M SURE!"
"Alright, alright…." She placated but continued to frown at her.
"So, a Soul Tether...?" Maka supplied, trying to get her Mama back on the important subject. She'd known there was something different about their resonance. Whenever she'd mention his Maka-Dar, the person who she was speaking to hadn't understood what she was talking about. Had she been completely neglecting this rare form of resonance? And not just her, but all her teachers that possessed Soul Perception too, apparently. "If it's a Soul Tether why hasn't anyone said anything?"
"I don't know. It could be that it's weak, or, if you're only learning about it now, it might be under-developed. I'm not really an expert. You will probably want to research it. There should be books about it in the DWMA's library."
Maka jumped to her feet, intent on going to the DWMA right away. Single-minded as always.
She made it as far as slipping on her boots at the front door.
"Hey! Where the hell are you going?" Soul called from the kitchen.
"Library," she responded distractedly, trying to get the buckle on the left boot done up.
"Now?!"
"Yes!" Succeeding in buckling her left boot and moving on to the right.
"Really?!"
"Yes!" right boot buckled and hand on the door knob.
"Maka wait!"
"What!?" She turned to look at Soul, hands on her hips. He was standing in the kitchen, holding a wooden spoon coated in curry sauce.
"I just started making dinner" He pointed at the stove with the wooden spoon "your mother's staring at you like you've lost your mind" The spoon was directed down the hallway to her mama, who was looking at her from the bedroom where she left her, "and you're still wearing that dress," he said pointing the spoon at her.
Maka blushed. OK, maybe she could be a little too single-minded at times.
"But if it's that death damn important, just wait a second and we'll take the bike." He switched off the stove and headed for his room where he kept his keys.
He made some good points, but if they had a special form of resonance she needed to learn everything she could about it. Was it actually a Soul Tether or something else? Why would they have it? What was the point of it? Would it make them stronger or could it be a liability? Better to know these things so they didn't just pop up during a mission and get one of them killed. She was about to confirm that yes, they needed to go now when Soul tossed her trench coat at her. "You're going to need this, right?" She smiled up at him, he knew her so well.
"See you tomorrow Mama, love you. Lock the door when you leave."
Kami could only stare and nod mutely from her place on Maka's bed as her daughter dropped a set of what must be house keys on the kitchen table and disappeared out the door.
Note:
I just wanted to mention that, in line with references to the black moon and Soul being a Death Scythe this is largely based on the Manga which means no postcards from her mom. On top of that the conversation that happens near the end of the Manga between Spirit and Maka when he give Maka her mother's ring seems to imply, at least to me, that they haven't heard from her at least since all the craziness began, which if you take into account the time shift is actually quite a while.
