The fourth of July...I really don't know the significance of the day, so i did a little research. It's for independence, and it's very important to American citizens. That's great for you guys [:

for those of us in other countries...yeah, it's not too big a deal. It's just a giant party [:

I still found it funny that when i checked out google, they were celebrating the building of the world's longest covered bridge xD

all jokes aside, though, this was really hard to write. I give myself a month for these oneshots so i'm not pressured too much. That way, the ideas can flow a lot easier. However, this was so out of my element that i had to do research and stare at my computer for hours before writing something. Being Canadian makes it slightly harder to identify with Soul and Maka for the mere fact that they are (at least i'm pretty sure they are) American.

Ah, but Maka's half, and I can identify with being 2 different races.

please enjoy anyway [:

Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater


Independence Day:

Soul was very sure of many things. He was sure that the sky was blue and that Back Star was his best friend. He was sure that colouring for more than 5 minutes hurt his hand and that reading was definitely overrated. Above all, he was sure that school was for chumps and that Maka Albarn had the magical ability of never knowing when to shut up.

But now, with the pair of them sharing a picnic bench, he realized he wasn't sure of much of anything. It seemed like she was feeding him endless amounts of useless information just to rub in how much he did not know.

Even now, as he was trying him best to ignore her, Soul was sure she was prattling on about the significance for July 4th or about the correct star alignment that signalled the winter solstice (whatever that was).

He supposed this was his punishment, though. He had chosen listening to Maka instead of Black Star and it had gotten him bored out of his mind. Even though the alternative would have been his egotistic friend, he thought that perhaps he would have found at least one thing interesting in Black Star's speech. He silently prayed for the fireworks to erupt about the night sky and light up the darkness like it always did.

"Soul!" His dark eyes snapped to hers at his name, before narrowing.

"What?"

"Are you listening?"

"'Course not," he said causing Maka to gasp, "You're so boring."

"Wha- Am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am not!"

"Are TOO!"

"Am NOT!"

"Are TOO!"

"Alright, kids, break it up." Soul looked up to see Wes standing over them, hands on their shoulders. "We shouldn't be fighting about this."

"He started it!" insisted Maka, while Soul just snorted.

"Of course he did," said Wes soothingly, placing himself between the pair. "It's summer time, and neither of you are in school. Can't you lay off your feud for one day?"

"No!" they shouted together, before glaring at each other around the 10 year old's body. Wes sighed, rubbing his face tiredly.

"I take you out to see fireworks and what to you do? Get into a fight with your classmate. Wonderful, Soul."

"Hey, it's not my fault," he grumbled, huffing at his older brother. "Why do you always take her side?"

"She is a young lady, Soul, and we must be respectful to them. That's what being an Evans means."

"Well, why can't it mean something else?" he cried, standing up from the bench. "Why do we have to be nice and polite and plastic."

"We're not plastic, Soul," said Wes, exasperated, "We're just different. As men of the Evans household, it is our duty to-"

"Well, I don't want to be different!" He he threw himself into the crowd, pushing and shoving his way in. He was just fed up of everything; piano, Wes, Maka's ramblings. Perhaps he could lose himself in these crowds and never look back... The dream of letting go of his troublesome past seemed tempting but-

"Soul!" He froze, instinct telling him that he was lost and needed to be found. But he started moving soon after, trying his best to ignore the shouts for his name. "Soul, come back!" Wes sounded scared- as he should, thought Soul. The older boy had never paid too much heed to him in the first place. He wanted him back so Mother could always compare and always compliment him. But Soul was tired of always being tested and compared. Soul was tired of everything being an Evans had forced upon him.

However, the new voice that called out to him seemed very different.

This voice was high pitched and girly and nervous.

This voice was Maka's.

"Soul!" she called, "Where are you?"

"Go away!"

"No! Soul come back! Please?" He heard murmurs from the people behind him, and realized that he had not caused them. On the contrary, someone else was working their way through the tall legs of adults.

And they were fighting a losing battle.

"Soul!" shouted Maka, "Please come bac- excuse me, sir- SOUL!- excuse me- Come back. This is hard for me. I can't- sorry about that- Soul!"

There was a huge boom, and Soul felt himself being pushed and shoved in just about all directions. The people were moving, and they weren't stopping for anyone. It was like a giant wave had decided to become made of people and were pushing on Soul to follow the steady flow of people towards the large bon-fire that had started up ahead. He did his best to push his way out of the crowd, dodging legs that threatened to stomp him down. He fell plenty of times, but by the time he threw himself down onto the clear patches of land outside the crazy mob, he was relaxed.

Well, as relaxed as he could be before realizing that Maka had never gotten out; that she was still trapped somewhere in that sea of smelly feet and sweat. "Maka!" he called out, before remembering that with the fireworks strong and vibrant, there was no chance of anyone hearing his shouts, least of all Maka. He went back into the frenzy, not bothering to call out her name, and instead searching for the blue gown and red ribbons she had decided to wear that day. She was hard to find, since he was going against the general flow, sweating terribly from the effort even on a summer night, but he persisted. A man, least of all an Evans, left a girl alone. It just wasn't right, especially since her parents had merely left to buy dessert for her. It wasn't sensible to do such a thing to an annoyingly talkative 6 year old.

It wasn't cool.

He found her going in circles at the heart of the crowd, her ribbons lost with her hair down. She was crying, the tears staining her cheeks and he felt waves of guilt. She looked absolutely terrified. When she saw him, though, the hopeful look was visible in her green eyes, and she ran towards him with an excited look.

The first chance he got, he snatched up her hand, stared into her eyes and whispered something in her ear, before dragging her though the crowd to safety.

It was much harder than it had been the first time, he realized, but it only made him work harder.

Boys protected girls. That was the way he had been taught, and he refused to forsake his principles just because she was annoying to him. Soul held her hand tightly as he fought his way through, and when he finally reached the end, he was gasping for air.

Maka collapsed on the ground, exhausted and took Soul with her. The pair lay there in the dark, nothing for light save the brilliant flashes from the fireworks that graced the night sky. Blues, reds and whites graced the Nevada sky, and for a quick moment, Soul's breath was taken away by the fireworks instead of his tiredness.

He glanced over at Maka when he heard her sniffle and sighed. "Don't be such a cry baby, Pigtails."

"It's all you fault," she sobbed, curling onto her side and cradling his hand to her chest. "It's all your fault for running away that we got lost and separated and hurt."

"I'm not going to apologize," he cut in, but the look on her face made him soften. "I mean, it's not all my fault."

"Yes it is," she said, using a spare hand to scrub away tears. "It's all your fault. You ran away and left me all by my self, so it's your fault."

He frowned, a part of him disturbed by her words. "I didn't leave you alone. Wes was there."

"Wes isn't you," she got out. "You told Mama and Papa you'd stay with me. What happened?"

He tugged on his hair nervously, the guilty feeling coming back to him like a speeding car. "Oh, yeah..." He really didn't want to apologize. Everything inside him detested it, but Maka wouldn't stop crying.

"Look, I won't leave you again, I promise."

"Promise?"

"Yeah, I promise." Soul stuck out his pinkie and held it out to her. "Pinkie promise."

"A pinkie promise!" she gasped excitedly, and it was like the tears had never existed in the first place. "Okay!" She hooked pinkies with him, her face glowing. "You can't break it now, okay?"

"Okay," he sighed, more thankful than anything that she had stopped the water works and calmed down. He felt himself relax, only to flinch at the boom of another fireworks. He'd been so focused on escaping the crowd to realize the fireworks save his small glance. "You like fireworks, right?" he asked softly, and he could see Maka nod out of the corner of his eye.

"Yep," said Maka, squeezing his hand, "We have the best view."

He glanced at her and seeing the awe in her ace, smiled up into the brilliantly lit sky. "Yep," he said, watching another firework spread across the sky, "The best view."


thanks for reading

i've lately been realizing that this story is going to end on january 1st, 2013.

as reader, would you want it to go further? Because as much as i would like to, my summary does indicate that the characters are around the age of 5. Should i change the summary? Add on?

thoughts and comments would be appreciated

sorry this one sucked, but i'll do beter next month, i promise

please R&R