Thanks for all the reviews! :D Those last few made my day. It's really encouraging to know that people actually wanna know what happens. :3 *Hands out digital cookie to all reviewers, followers and favorite… ers…* My friend ~Adlez~ supplied another idea for this, and I thank her for that. I was seriously at a loss.
Define "Normal", Chapter 7
Diamond Sword and Silver Scythe
Many people enjoy a good twist of drama into a plotline. Some don't, but it all depends on your opinion. Sometimes, however, dramatic events need to be soothed, eased, or lessened to not put too much stress upon the reader. When such is the case, there's a theatrical element that many authors and playwrights put into play. The aforementioned theme is referred to as "comedy relief". You have probably heard of it. And now, cue such comedy relief.
"Hey! Who stole my camera?"
Soul picked his head up. He had been resting it against Maka's, much like his meister had done when he had been rendered unconscious.
"That bird stole my camera!"
The scythe turned to face the creature, a dark being that stole the voices of its victims. "Sokka?" He murmured.
The parrot sat atop a small digital camera, balancing perfectly on the upright piece of technology. He then imitated perfectly the sound produced by the camera when it successfully captured a photograph.
"You took a picture with that thing?" Soul asked, not moving from Maka's side, but more than a little interested in the bird's antics.
Sokka proceeded to produce the same sound repeatedly, indicating that Soul was partly correct.
"Lots of pictures?" The teen questioned as Sokka picked up the item in his talons and dropped it in Soul's hand. He looked over the system's contents, and first discovered pictures of a couple be didn't know. "On a stolen camera." He sighed. The silver-haired weapon continued to scroll through the various pictures, and froze when he encountered a certain collection.
"Maka? What's happening?" Sokka chirped Soul's words.
The scythe stared rigidly at the images before him. Most were of Maka's weapon transformation, while a few were of the back of Black*Star's head.
"I can't find the snake!" The blue-haired ninja yelled. "But there's a sewer grate back here. She might've crawled in there. Hey, a dollar!"
"Black*Star, you need to get out of the bushes!" The boy's weapon partner reprimanded him.
Soul's red eyes gazed around the cobblestone street. It was small, and deserted save for their small band of meisters and weapons. The area was walled on two sides by the backs of stores and apartment buildings, with a few hedges. The other two ends of the lane were open and lead to more populated walkways, but the citizens of such a bizarre city had learned to treat chaotic battles as normal, but still potentially dangerous, so they didn't stare but avoided them, and no one had seen the fight against the possessed boy as anything out of the ordinary. That fact eased his mind; no one had witnessed Maka's transformation save for their selective group.
"S-soul?"
Soul's gaze jerked down to the form of his meister. "Maka?" He sighed with relief. "You're awake."
"Of course I'm awake." Maka mumbled. "Were you expecting me to not wake up?"
Soul stiffened. "Don't talk like that." He snapped.
"Sorry." Maka murmured. She then smiled warmly. "I meant it as a joke. No need to cry over it, softy."
"I wasn't crying." The scythe muttered. "I was worried about you. That was a really bad wound. And you're still bleeding. I pressed your coat to the injury, and I think it helped a little bit."
Maka smiled a little. "That's good."
"But you still need proper help." Soul told her. "I can only do so much. We need to take you back to the academy; Naigus can help you."
Black*Star finally pulled his head out of the bush, the boy's blue hair covered with small green leaves. "Oh yeah. We need to get Maka healed, don't we?" He said, standing and stretching as Tsubaki's form changed back into that of a human.
"Black*Star, you've got leaves all in your hair…" She sighed, picking them from his hair one by one as Soul picked Maka up. The young ninja grinned.
"Well who cares about that? Maka's awesomeness in that battle nearly outshone my own! I have some competition!" The boy exclaimed, pounding his left hand with his right fist threateningly, but was still grinning at his jest. Maka, however, looked confused.
"What does he mean? I didn't fight at all." The young meister murmured. Soul glared at his blue-haired friend, silently telling him to not bring up the matter.
"Until she's more stable." The scythe mouthed, and then turned back to the blonde. "We'll tell you later. Right now you need to get healed up."
"What about Crona?" Maka asked as Soul picked her up.
Soul glanced down at the aforementioned boy, the latter still curled up. The young Gorgon was shaking uncontrollably, his bony hands gripping his head as his eyes stared, wide and pale, at the ground.
"My ocean… She took my ocean…" He murmured incoherently. "She's at my beach… She's going to hurt me…"
Maka looked sympathetic. "We can't just leave him."
Tsubaki knelt down next to the pink-haired meister. "We'll get him back to your house." She reassured her friend. "And I'll give him a hot chocolate and a blanket. Try and calm him down." The Dark Arm smiled sweetly.
Maka nodded. "Thanks, Tsubaki." She whispered as her head drifted to its exhausted position against Soul's chest. The girl's eyelids closed once again as she passed out from blood loss. His own eyes wide, Soul rushed his partner to the Academy.
Soul stroked his meister's hair from her face a few hours later. The girl was sleeping calmly, a side effect of the painkillers she had received.
The living scythe stood from his position on his couch. He had requested to take Maka home and let her rest there, believing she would be more comfortable at her own apartment. In addition, it was much easier for Soul to guard her while she was here. He had to fight to stay with her in the dispensary before, and he didn't feel like repeating the scene.
Tsubaki walked in from the hallway. "I put Crona in his bed in the closet with a warm blanket, and he already finished the hot chocolate." She waved the empty mug. "I think he'll be okay."
"Yeah, if 'okay' means he keeps talking about oceans and snakes." Black*Star huffed, emerging from behind his weapon. "I can't make any sense of that guy."
"So he's still muttering." Soul sighed. "Maka's not going to be happy."
"She won't be happy if she hears the stampede coming this way, either." Blair stretched from her position on Maka's lap.
"Stampede!" Sokka repeated, sitting calmly on a blade of the slowly rotating ceiling fan above their heads.
"What stampede?" Soul muttered, grabbing a can of soda from the fridge.
"I can hear a stampede with my kitty ears!" Blair purred.
Soul rolled his eyes. "Yeah, right." He said, sipping his drink. Then the stampede of perfectionist reapers busted through the door, causing Soul to spit his mouthful of soda at Black*Star in shock.
"Kid?!" The scythe exclaimed, staring at the seven Shinigamis.
"Oh, hey Soul. You haven't seen another me have you?" One spoke up as the others scoured the apartment.
"Uh… No…" Soul's eye twitched. "But there are six others here…"
"Oh I'm not talking about them. I know where they are. We're looking for the eighth one." The Kid explained. "We don't know where he went and we're afraid he might've been kidnapped."
"Well he's not here." Soul mumbled, but then stiffened as two Kids attempted to pick Maka up so a third could look under her. "Don't you dare!" He swatted the small group away. "She's hurt, and why in the heck would we be keeping another Kid under her?!"
The Kids looked thoughtful. "True. But why is she unconscious on the couch?" They asked, causing Soul to sigh.
"Long story." He began. As he told the listening Kids what happened, he conveniently left out the part of Maka's transformation to discourage future questions, saying instead that Medusa fled because she deemed Crona's body too weak.
"I took Maka to the Academy to get her injury wrapped up, and then I asked if I could take her back here." The scythe concluded. The Kids nodded.
"Good. But I think that we should discuss a battle strategy." They said as they stood from their symmetrical positions on the floor.
"Battle strategy?" Soul wondered, following them to the kitchen table.
"It seems as if you need help bringing down Medusa." One Kid pointed out.
"So we'd like to help you." Added one.
"And in addition," Yet another continued, "We have reason to believe that it might've been Medusa who kidnapped Number Eight. Therefore it would be beneficial to us to aid you."
"Fine." Soul sighed as he pulled a map of the city from a junk drawer next to the kitchen sink.
"Excellent." The Kids all smiled in unison, laying out the map.
"Now, there are a few strategic locations for Medusa to hide in." A Kid began. "One, the Academy. If you say she slithered into the sewer, she might climb in through anywhere."
"It might be a good idea to ask Dad to hire an exterminator." One Kid proposed.
"Good point." Another said. "But another place she could hide would be the abandoned warehouse on 5th street. Plenty of snakes live there."
"Yes, but she might go and try to influence Stein again." Pointed out another. "We should go make sure he's okay."
"I say we burn down the village!"
All heads turned to Black*Star. "What?!" They all exclaimed, including Tsubaki, who had been observing the Kids' plan.
"I said burn down the village!" The young ninja repeated himself. "If we burn down the village, then the zombies can't turn the villagers into zombies!"
"He's gone mad!" A Kid pointed accusingly at the boy, while Soul stormed over to the blue-haired narcissist and stood directly in front of the television.
"Black*Star, get off my Xbox!" The scythe yelled. "We're trying to hunt down a deadly witch and you're playing Minecraft? On my account?! How'd you even get on?"
"I got you a Diamond Sword." The boy grinned as if that answered all the scythe's questions. Soul paused.
"Save, then get off." He mumbled, moving out of the way.
"Darn it." Black*Star muttered. "Your Diamond Sword just got blown up by a Creeper while your butt was in the way of the screen." He said, turning off the system as Soul growled in aggravation.
"Great."
"Why are there seven Kids in the house? Am I delusional?" Maka groaned as she woke up as a result of all the yelling. Soul sighed and went over to her.
"I have no idea why there are seven Kids and I'm afraid to ask. But no, you're not delusional. Just go back to sleep." The scythe told his meister. The girl attempted to sit up as Blair jumped off her lap.
"No, I want to get up." The blonde slurred. "I'm tired of sitting here like a useless lump on the couch."
"Maka, you need rest." Soul told her, trying to gently push her back down, but Maka pulled his hand away.
"Let me get up, Soul." She said in her commanding tone that Soul knew not to argue with.
As Maka stood with her partner's help, Tsubaki turned to Kid. "By the way, why are there seven of you?" She asked.
"Because we're missing the eighth one." A Kid told her.
"Oh…" Tsubaki nodded, but was still confused. "Well… Why were there eight of you?"
"Patty cloned us." Another Kid replied.
"Oh." Tsubaki nodded once again and decided not to ask any further.
Maka looked around at everyone and began to feel dizzy again. "Too many people…" She groaned, pressing her palm to her forehead as if she was trying to physically press down a headache.
Soul turned to glare at the other current occupants of the apartment. "You heard her! She's feeling crowded! Everybody out!" He snapped.
Black*Star grumbled something about Creepers as Tsubaki gently took his shoulder and led her partner into the hallway. The seven Kids followed. "We'll be in the hall." One said as they closed the door after everyone was out. Including Blair.
Soul felt proud of himself for getting everyone out before Maka slapped him in the back of the head. "Your yelling is not helping my headache." The blonde meister muttered as she pushed away from Soul's support and sat down at the kitchen table. The scythe was simply glad that she had no book handy, or it wouldn't have been her palm that collided with his skull.
"Is it the medicine that's making me like this?" Maka wondered. "I usually don't have problems with a lot of people in the house."
"Probably." Soul replied, walking over to the counter. "Or maybe it was the seven Kids. That'd be enough to confuse anybody." He said as his gaze turned to glance at his meister. "You want something warm to drink, like coffee or hot chocolate?"
Maka shot him a cold look. "You don't need to baby me just because I got hurt." She snapped.
"I'm not babying you." Soul retorted. "I just asked if you wanted something to drink."
"Give it a few minutes and you'll be asking me if I want a pillow and a foot bath." The girl mumbled. She crossed her arms on the table and leaned over so her tired head rested in her arms. She glared at the wall for a few seconds like this, until she muttered almost incomprehensively; "I'll have a hot chocolate."
"Yes milady." Soul chuckled, which earned him a book thrown at his head. It was Maka's turn to chuckle then as her partner groaned in pain.
"Quit acting stupid or I'll come over there and hit you." She smirked, but in a joking way, as Soul rubbed his head.
"Where did you even pull that book from?" He winced in pain, and then put Maka's drink in the microwave to heat it up. "You nearly knocked your chocolate over."
"So-ry." Maka mumbled as her eye caught the camera across the table. As she wondered who the item belonged to, Sokka informed her.
"Hey! Who stole my camera?"
"Quiet, Sokka." Soul said, watching the microwave. "You'll give Maka a headache." He added. The scythe simply stood there as he watched the chocolate drink go in circles upon the microwave's turntable. He focused his eyes upon it, not wanting to glance behind him at the girl he had failed to protect. The girl who had nearly died because of him. Unbeknownst to him, he was thinking the exact same thoughts that Maka had thought when her partner was nearly killed by Crona's blade.
"I failed."
"I failed to protect her. I should've been there. It should be me lying in bandages and sulking around the kitchen. I should've been the scythe to scare Medusa off." He thought, watching the hot drink turn in endless circles. Just like his thoughts.
He began to picture himself in that cup, trying to relax in the warmth of his feelings for Maka. But the world began to spin around him, dizzying him as everything turned on its head. All this time the drink grew hotter. His feelings were escalating because of the hardship around him and how much he realized they needed each other. But yet the world continued to spin, and while that meant that life went on for the two companions, it also meant that life would bring new trials. New surprises. Now shocks. Just continual spinning until he wouldn't be able to take it anymore.
"Soul?"
Maka's voice jolted the scythe out of his vision.
"W-what is this?"
Her voice was shaking. It shouldn't be shaking. That meant she was scared. If she was scared, then it was his job to be by her side and comfort her, not daydreaming about microwaveable hot chocolate.
"What Maka?" He asked, striding to his meister quickly and putting a strong hand on her small shoulder. "What's wrong?" He murmured, but froze as he discovered the answer to his question. He wished he hadn't as he stared at the digital camera in Maka's hands. On the screen on the back, for all the world to see, was a picture of Maka's half-scythe form with her blade around Crona's neck.
"Soul." Maka timidly spoke her partner's name again. "Please tell me this is Photoshop." She shook, silently begging for her assumption to be true. Any minute now Soul would burst out laughing at his joke, and the nearest dictionary would hit his head. But no such laugh came as the girl's dread continued to rise.
"N… No, Maka." Soul said slowly. "That really happened." He looked down at his partner's terrified eyes. He wanted to lie to her, to tell her that it was a stupid prank pulled by Black*Star.
But he couldn't.
He wanted to wipe that fear and shock from her face, to embrace her and tell her she was just another human, albeit an exceptionally cool meister.
But he didn't.
"Your Mom's human, but your Dad's a scythe." Soul sighed before continuing; "You're half scythe."
Maka's heart pounded as she stared at the table. At nearly sixteen, she had believed she had herself and her future figured out. She was going to be the best meister in the world. She was going to make Soul a far greater Death Scythe than her Papa. She was going to become a legendary Scythe Meister. She had all her pieces perfectly in place, ready to call out checkmate over her achievements and life.
But all the players on the chessboard toppled over as a new piece was introduced. This set everything off balance, and what she thought was a surefire win soon looked doubtful. She'd have to rearrange her pieces to include the new one, and she wasn't sure if she could do that. She might have to cut one out of the battle plan, but she couldn't do that. Her fists clenched as she turned these agitated thoughts over and over in her mind.
Soul pulled up a chair and sat next to her, putting his hand over hers comfortingly. "What are you going to do?" He asked quietly. Maka shook her head.
"I don't know. I'm just confused." She murmured.
Soul sighed. He was out of options. They both needed comfort, reassurance that whatever they did, it would be together. That they'd never be apart. The scythe leaned in towards her as he gently turned his meister's face to him. He drew nearer, slightly disappointed in himself for doing something so 'uncool and sappy', but he pushed the thought out of his mind.
However, this wasn't a fairy tale.
Soul's fantasy was quickly extinguished as Maka jerked away before their lips met. "What are you doing?!" She snapped. "I just said I was confused!" She pushed him away, burying her face in her arms upon the table once again. "Just leave me alone."
Soul looked hurt as he stood. He glanced at his meister once more before he walked out the door and into the hallway, hoping that he might be distracted from his churning emotions by whatever chaos had been caused by seven symmetry-obsessed Reapers, a narcissist ninja, a Shadow Weapon, and a commonly-undressed cat.
Those that argue that a snake can cough should've been listening in to the sounds emerging from the Death City sewer as a particular snake climbed from the filthy water and out of a drainage pipe near Stein's home.
"Never again." Medusa hissed, still gagging and coughing. Some of the contaminated water had gotten in her mouth, and the Snake Witch betted that she'd be tasting that horrible filth for the next week. Sliding through a crack in the wall, she entered the professor's laboratory.
It was then that she attempted a new spell. A dangerous one, and if she failed it could destroy her soul.
"Oh well." She thought. "It's all or nothing."
Her snake body began to twist as she attempted to transform it. It was an odd sight to witness; thankfully Stein was nowhere to be seen, or he would've probably dissected her on the spot. Because Medusa, despite being a powerful witch, had never fully transformed from a snake to a human, so for a brief second she appeared to be a deformed snake with limbs. But her body continued to change as her scales became skin and the black outfit to cover it. The length of her snout shrunk until it spilt into a nose and lips. All the while her form grew larger. And as her fangs became teeth, the witch flashed the most disturbing and insane grin in history.
Stein strode into his lab, switching on the light dispassionately. His eyes then met with the alluring golden ones of the witch sitting upon the examination table with her legs crossed in front of her.
"Hello, Stein." Purred Medusa. "I'm back."
Yay metaphors XD Sorry this chapter's so late! Blame my Dad and the ever busy month of December. As to Maka's injury being fine in an hour, it's happened in the show, if you may recall, so don't start saying it's unrealistic. Because it is. LOL See ya'll next chapter!
