Disclaimer: Sadly I do NOT own Soul Eater.
Rated M for 'indecent' moments.
Kami fled through the sky, heading towards the city she hoped to bring death to, observing every minuscule detail of the land below as she passed. She paused in her flight. Turning she head upwards until she passed beyond the atmosphere and into the dead cold of space. Her body accepted this new environment without difficulty. She continued her flight upward until she could see all of the world. It has a soul, she realized, looking down. The world has a soul. When the world is dead I will feast on it. The power of such a soul will be delicious. Excitement filled her.
Donna stirred awake, slowly, with reluctance. So warm and comfy, she thought. Then memories of the night before. The two children that had been able to frighten Marie. The weird conversation that those three had had, the one which she could not follow even half of. Meister? Soul Protect? Kishin? Medusa? Asura? Deity? Witch? The last stirred her to full awakeness. She saw brown hair on the pillow across from her. They called her a witch, Donna remembered, and she did nothing to counter the claim. What did they mean by that, I wonder. She reached out a finger to gently move that silky brown hair away from the face it covered. Doesn't matter, she realized, I love her anyway. Doesn't she realize that the reason I don't settle down with anyone is because they can't compare to her. The way her voice sounds, so full of emotion. Those weirdly beautiful eyes that seem to smile. At least when she isn't remembering. Now I know what she is remembering. Poor Marie. One of those weirdly beautiful eyes opened and smiled back at her.
"Morning." Marie's voice broke the silence.
"Morning." Donna answered back.
Marie gazed at those blue eyes across from her, remembering how Donna had refused to leave her during the night, afraid those children as she called them would return. They had ended up here, together. Not that I'm complaining, Marie though, remembering how that had spent the early morning hours. "Thinking about last night?" Marie asked.
Donna nodded. "I still don't know why you are afraid of a couple of kids."
"Perhaps it would help if you stopped calling them kids." Marie stretched, noticed the look on Donna's face, and grinned.
"How old were they then?" Donna finally asked, needing a few moments to get her mind back on track.
"Around sixteen. Either close to it or a little over their sixteenth birthdays." Marie answered without hesitation.
"You called them meister and weapon?" Donna hesitantly questioned, not sure if Marie would talk more about the matter or not. Not sure if she herself wanted to know.
"I did." Marie studied Donna for a few seconds. "You're wondering just what a meister is aren't you and what I meant by weapon? Though I bet you're even more curious about what they meant when they called me a witch."
"Are you actually more than four hundred years old? I sort of thought you were making stuff up to humor some crazy kids. I know you haven't changed in eighteen years, but people don't live to be that old." Donna said.
"Witches do." Marie answered back with a straight face. Donna with that confused look was a very cute Donna.
"What's a witch?" Donna asked with some reluctance.
"Generally a mean person who does evil stuff." Marie answered.
"That doesn't describe you. You are the opposite of that." Donna countered immediately and with some force, causing Marie to smile.
"I did say generally. You remember how they asked if I was affected by the Sway of Magic?" Marie asked and Donna nodded. "Well, as witches mature the Sway of Magic usually corrupts them. They become very destructive. There are a few, very few, exempt from this. I'm one of them. It was a witch that freed the last kishin from where it was imprisoned. Meisters and weapons keep witches, along with Evil Humans and kishin, in check."
Donna stared. "You're not joking with me are you?"
"No. But you can pretend I am if you want to and forget this," Marie answered, her tone serious. "Or if you want to ask questions I will try to answer them." Marie wondered which the woman would choose.
Donna was quiet for a long time. Finally she spoke. "Tell me about her."
"Her?" Marie questioned, her voice quiet.
Donna reached out a hand and stroked Marie's cheek. "Your first lover. The one you weep over so often. What was she like?"
Marie closed her eyes, feeling Donna's hand on her cheek. She began to speak. She spoke of how generous Julia had been. How full of mischief at times, liking to pull harmless pranks on her. The sound of her voice and how she had the energy to laugh even during harvest season. Her blonde hair with the sun on it, her bright emerald green eyes. And then she spoke of the trial, the torture, how she had watched Julia's skin blacken in the flames, the sound of her screams, the smell of her burning flesh as the wind brought it to her, the hissing sound of the fat running from her skin and falling into the flames. She spoke of how those images haunted her dreams each night, and as she spoke she felt the burden lessen, shared by the lover who now held her and listened to her every word.
Maka was on the hill once again. The bench near by. The paths in plain view before her. Sitting down she closed her eyes and let the scents and sounds of the place surround her. This is so peaceful, she thought, refusing to give in to the despair that was ripping at her heart. I wonder if Lord Death will show up again? Probably not, he must be pretty busy with my mother. The last word echoed in her thoughts. My mother. She opened her eyes and watched some baby rabbits as they gathered around a bush. The same rabbits as from before? she wondered.
The paths drew her attention. I wonder if there is some lesson I am supposed to learn this time, Maka wondered. She studied the people and saw nothing that she had not seen the last time she was here. Maybe not. She sighed. I wonder if any of them have ever felt like this. So alone. She studied the path some more, focusing on the people, wondering what events had shaped their lives. She wondered what events had shaped her mother's life. Maka stood and paced, walking back and forth in front of the bench. Spotting a small patch of strawberries she stopped and picked one. It was delicious. Like so many things it reminded her of her father. Ice cream and strawberries for dessert at so many meals.
Maka stopped her pacing. So many memories of my father, she thought, but what are the memories of my mother? So few. Before I was ten I can hardly recall her at all. She ate some of the meals with us but then disappeared. Always training, always trying harder, always reaching... The thought bouncing around in her head evaded her grasp. Always reaching... for what? Deity. Kami. God. The three words focused her thoughts. Always reaching for perfection. She was trying to live up to her name, the name her parents gave her and to their expectations of her. Sadness overtook Maka then. It was no accident, she realized. It was what she wanted. She had tried her best and had fallen short of perfection. Stein was still the better meister. She had no fame or glory or power that would proclaim her perfection to the world. Someone trained like her doesn't just let a beaker full of Black Blood drop, and they don't just fall on top of it. It was what she wanted. No, it was what she needed. It was her last chance.
Maka thought of her own life. It's not perfect, she thought, but it is damn good. She thought of her friends. Of Tsubaki. Of Liz and that insane flirting. Maka grinned at that. Of all the others. And of Soul. My mother, Maka realized, never had the types of feelings for Spirit that I have for Soul. To her it would have been all about perfection, calculated to achieve a certain goal. That is where I came from. My mother did love someone, but love wasn't enough. Maka paced some more. A life spent chasing an impossible dream. Which is okay if the fun is in the chasing. But my mother didn't have fun, she sacrificed for her dream needing to reach the impossible, and she must have hated every moment of it. I know she loved me, but each time she saw me I must have reminded her of her sacrifices. And what of the person she did love? Did they eventually find someone and marry, and be happy? How that must have hurt her.
She sat back down on the bench and wept, no longer weeping for herself, but for her mother. Poor Kami, thought Maka, poor momma.
Far above Kami let herself drop, falling towards the earth. Turning she continued on to her destination. When I consume the soul of the world then I shall have all power! I will be perfect! She thought. The atmosphere burned as she entered it. A number of children below, seeing it, made a wish on the falling star.
It was approaching twelve noon when Soul woke. He stretched, careful not to disturb Maka. Watching her sleep he reached out and brushed a few strands of hair away from her face. His nose twitched. Cigarette smoke, he realized missing the familiar smell of strawberries. Green eyes opened to stare back at his own.
"How are you?" he asked, noting she seemed to be doing better.
"Pretty good." she answered back. Maka noticed his surprise to her response. "Well Soul, I am in bed with the guy I love. Things can't be all that bad." She jested with him and pulled him down for a kiss.
"EW!" They both exclaimed.
"Guess that is what they mean by morning breath." Maka stated.
"Guess so." Soul answered. He held his hand in front of his mouth, breathed, and then sniffed. His face went white and he fell from the bed. "I'm never eating extra spicy chicken wings again unless I got a toothbrush and mouthwash handy." He climbed back into his former place.
"I think I will be skipping them too from now on." Maka added.
"Love huh?" Soul finally said.
"Yes." Maka didn't hesitate over her response.
Soul grinned at her. "Remind me when we get back to play the song I'm writing. It's called 'Maka'."
"A song? About me?" Maka was pleased.
"It's just half finished. I can't seem to get it right. But it's so much fun trying." Soul looked at her. "Maka, are you sure you're alright?" His voice was filled with concern.
"I am." She answered after a pause. "I haven't seen her for years Soul. While I love her I've already mourned her loss from my life." She reached out and took his hand, studying it. "It hurts, but so long as you're with me I can manage. Eventually they will kill her. And there will be a ceremony. And I will cry. You will be with me right?"
"Of course!" Soul simply stated. "I love you." Maka smiled at his response, content.
Silence descended upon the room. After several minutes relaxing peacefully beside his meister Soul asked, "So what's the plan for today?" He toyed with her hair.
"Hrm." Maka thought. "First we both need a shower." She sniffed. "With me being the first one in. Then some food. After which we brainstorm on the Deity problem." She thought some more. "Then tonight we try to get into another club."
"So you liked the club?" Soul asked with a grin.
Maka nodded. "But this time Soul we don't stay out until six am." She mimicked his cool face and said, "Waking up at noon is so not cool." Soul laughed at her.
Maka left to take her shower. Briefly she wondered what it would be like to invite Soul in with her. Not today, but one day not too far off. She smiled at the thought. We are not ready for that yet. We haven't even resolved the boyfriend/girlfriend stuff yet.
"Eat out or order room service?" Maka asked an hour later.
Soul considered. "It's not often we're in a city this size with time to sight see. Let see what sort of malls this place has and eat there."
Maka nodded and leafed through the pamphlets they had on the city. "The Galleria, she finally stated. Three hundred and seventy-five stores! One of them has to be a place we can eat at."
"Did you say three hundred and seventy-five?" Soul asked. Maka nodded. Soul grinned. "So glad we're not here to hunt witches anymore Maka. I think even searching the malls would be beyond us."
"Well, it certainly has restaurants," Maka commented after a twenty minute taxi drive. "Any idea which place would be good to try?"
"Can't be too expensive. We do after all have to turn in the receipts for our meals. Let's see." He scanned down the list in the booklet he held. "Well, since we know nothing about most of them." He closed his eyes, held the booklet out in front of him and pointed blindly.
He and Maka, sat at their booth, quietly eating. Soul with a massive steak in front of him, Maka with some sort of salad he didn't recognize. Something Mediterranean. It looked interesting. He reached out and grabbed a forkful from her plate. He ignored her glare as he tried it. "Good," he commented.
"How's the steak," she asked as a reply and he pushed his plate close enough to her that she could cut off a piece to try. "Not bad." It must be love if he's willing to share his steak with me, Maka thought grinning.
"I should have tried ordering one of their wines," Soul commented.
"It's not dark here Soul. No way it would have worked." Maka chewed on her salad. Different, but good, she thought. Stretching she reached across the table and sliced off some more of Soul's steak. Soul stole more of her salad. Not perfect, but damn good, Maka thought, considering her life once again.
She felt a tingle that seems to tug at her soul. She paused, confused. Looking at Soul she noticed he too had paused. "That way," he pointed. "Something in that direction." She heard the confusion in his voice.
Then she felt the bliss. Pure ecstatic feeling flooded through her. The rapture. She resisted the urge to follow it, knowing what it was. "Kami is here!" She stated and Soul nodded at her. He too was having trouble resisting the siren's call to death. "Scythe now." And he obeyed even before the command was finished. Resonating souls helped to block out the nearly irresistible call. Looking around she saw the restaurant had nearly emptied, the people flocking to the call like sheep.
A short distance away Marie felt the same tingle, the same siren call of bliss. Immediately she reached inside of herself, touching her soul, using it as a shield. That is the Deity, she realized, fear in her thoughts. Where is Donna? Panic filled her. The call is coming from that way, she turned to face it. The store Donna was going to is in that direction. She moved in that direction, carefully scanning the area. Where is Donna? She sent out her mind, searching for the soul that was so familiar, and found it. Though it seemed fuzzy. Then the soul vanished from her sight. The power of the illusion is blocking my ability to scan for her, Marie realized. And in this place there is no way I can find her. Not among the tens of thousands of people that will soon flood this area. The witch moved towards the call.
This is not good, Maka thought. Can I face my mother in a battle to the death? She focused on the call, moving towards it. Maka twirled, surprised, acting on reflect as she felt a witch's unprotected purple soul behind her. Soul was raised in front of her, between her and Marie, before she realized who it was. "What are you doing here?" Maka hissed, considering it unlikely pure chance had brought the witch here.
"Donna is in there somewhere." Marie replied, frozen still as she stared at the scythe in Maka's hands.
Maka stared at Marie and understood. "The witch would get Donna out of there safe and sound, or die trying." Maka nodded and lowered Soul.
"Don't supposed you have any ideas on how to fight her?" Maka asked.
"No. From what I sense she must have consumed nearly a hundred thousand souls from all those towns she preyed on. I doubt even Lord Death would be much of a match for her now." Marie felt sad, yet happy at the same time. This time I will die in the flames too, she thought. "I take it the trick or whatever it was you used on Asura won't work on her?" She asked Maka.
"Doubt it, but it's all I got." Maka's voice was soft. She wished now she had invited Soul into the shower earlier. Wish I had known him that way before we died, she thought. "Getting close enough to even try is going to be nearly impossible," she added.
Marie looked at the meister, thinking. I can't find Donna in all this. But I can find the Deity. There were thousands closer to her than Donna, it will take time to eat all those souls. If the Deity can be killed quick enough then Donna will still be alive. "I can help with that, use Chain Resonance and link me in." She told Maka.
Maka hesitated. She felt Soul urging her to accept the offer. Trusting Soul's judgement she did so, surprised at how easily she linked her and Soul's soul with that of the witch. Marie began talking again. "I'm not much for destructive magic so no help there but at regenerative and warding magic I'm the best there is. It's why I'm still alive even though most other witches hate me. But this is no witch so I doubt my wards will last long. My advice, hit fast and hit hard before I'm out of energy."
Maka nodded. "It what we always do," she said. "Now lets get close. Those people are moving slow in that dazed state so we should be able to get ahead of most of them before she has a shield of them surrounding her."
The three moved quickly, moving at a quick jog. Soul carried by Maka in weapon form. She's just outside the building, Maka realized. She's calling the people out. Outside Maka scanned the area in front of her. Too late, there's already a crowd around her. Marie pointed up. Maka looked up and nodded. "Start playing Soul." she commanded and climbed the telephone pole.
Start playing? Marie wondered. Then the sound of the piano filled her soul and she understood, sort of. A way to enhance our powers. Maybe instead of five seconds protection against that demon I can give her ten.
Maka stood on the wire next to the pole while Marie stood on the pole. "You stay here and keep me shielded as best you can," Maka told Marie who nodded. "No need for all three of us to be out there as targets," Maka added. She turned and looked down at her mother no more than eighty feet up the road. Either she doesn't know we're here or she doesn't care, Maka thought. More likely she doesn't care. We can't seem like much of a threat to her.
Maka hurled herself along the wire, closing the distance in seconds. Just a few feet from her mother's location she leaped off the wire. Before she could fall the twenty feet to the ground her mother turned, looked up at her, and flung four balls of energy of some type Maka didn't know straight at her. In mid air, unable to dodge she had no choice. Winching, Maka held Soul in front of her. She felt the shudder as the first ball of energy impacted him, Marie's wards flaring into full power, directing the energy away. As it did with the second. The third ball shattered the wards, but not before it was itself dissipated. The fourth ball impacted Soul and Maka felt him scream. Yet he held his weapon form, even as several cracks appeared within the blade that had took the brunt of the attack.
Still falling Maka felt the Black Blood within Soul combined with Marie's regenerative power, enhanced by the music, heal the cracks nearly instantaneously. Her mother looked surprised as Maka landed on her feet beside her and swung Soul at her. Maka focused. Recalling the fight between her and Asura. Courage, she thought and made herself believe this would work.
The Deity was surprised. A single one of those blasts, fragments of her soul's energy, would have shattered a normal demon weapon. My daughter, she realized with pride. Too bad I've got to kill her. The demon weapon sliced against her flesh and she felt nothing. The wound closing as fast as the blade slide through her. Not a single drop of blood fell to the ground or marred her flesh. She flung out her hand and her daughter flew away from her, a mass of shattered flesh as another fragment of the Deity's soul energy was pumped directly into her flesh.
Maka knew failure. The attack had no affect on the mother, not even enough to make her blink. Then her mother had reached out and Maka felt pain. She flew away from her mother, tossed thirty feet into the air by the impact. She fell to the ground, her body shattered. Darkness closed in and she closed her eyes. Dimly she heard Soul still playing. And she felt something push against the darkness, Black Blood combined with Marie's magic, enhanced with Soul's music. Pain filled her again as her bones mended and the wounds in her flesh sealed themselves shut.
It was a good try, Marie thought, looking down at the battered meister. She felt her power flowing into the girl, regenerating her death wounds in seconds. Amazing that she kept up the Chain Resonance even through that. No, not amazing. Impossible. And she would have been dead if she hadn't. The witch looked down at the now whole meister, her respect for the girl increasing ten-fold. And for the demon weapon by her side from whom the music kept coming. Black Blood, she realized.
Maka got to her knees and the music stopped. Soul returned to his human form, still lying on the ground, exhausted. Marie stood beside them. People walked past them, slowly moving towards their demise. "Damn it!" Maka exclaimed. "If the same trick was going to work it would have." She turned to the other two. "Asura was a coward, courage was his weakness. My mother is no coward."
Soul thought for a few moments. "Was Asura a coward?" he finally asked.
"Of course," Maka answered immediately. "Why else would courage have worked against him."
"No, he had courage. He was one of Lord Death's best at the time. He was in any number of fights and didn't run away." Soul talked slowly, thinking.
Maka realized it was true. Asura had felt fear, fear beyond belief, yet he had become one of Lord Death's best followers. If he had not walked towards fights, refusing that fear, then there is no way he could have reached that position. "Then how did courage work against him?" she asked.
"Good question," Soul answered. "Perhaps courage was something he had at the start and the fears eventually wore it away. Or maybe he just decided to throw it away."
"Throw it away?" This was Marie questioning the concept.
Soul nodded. "Perhaps Asura, faced with the madness of the world, sacrificed his courage to become a kishin." Soul paused. "What did your mother sacrifice to become a kishin. Nothing. She became one by accident."
"No, she didn't," Maka said. She looked down at the ground. "She wanted it. She wanted the power of a kishin in order to achieve perfection. And to do so she threw everything away."
Marie was thinking. The thing they throw away that was the most important to them is what they become vulnerable to. It fitted with the ways of magic perfectly. She finally understood what Soul was getting at. "Maka, of the things she threw away, which was most important to her."
Maka thought for a few seconds. "Love," she finally answered. "My mother knew love, but tossed it aside in her pursuit of perfection."
The three looked at each other. "Get ready again," Maka ordered the two, wondering if they could survive another attack like the last. The two nodded. Soul shifted to Weapon form and Maka took him. She Resonated her soul first with him and then using Chain Resonate with Marie. The crowd still blocking access to her mother left the same telephone wire as the only route to her. Maka climbed the pole.
"My advice," Marie spoke, "is to try and avoid some of the attacks this time. I'm running low."
Maka nodded. "Music Soul," she ordered and he began to play. One last chance, she thought, if we're extremely lucky.
The Deity looked up, amazed. Still alive? she thought, and still able to attack. She watched as her daughter hurled herself across the wires again. She waited until the moment her daughter was committed to her jump and flung out more fragments of her soul's energy, only to watch as Maka hooked Soul onto one of the wires at the last second, changing her downward trajectory slightly. Just enough that the blasts of energy missed her.
Maka dropped to the ground just ten feet behind her mother and charged. The woman flung out more of those devastating energy blasts. Maka dodged yet necessity forced her to use Soul to deflect one of the energy balls. She felt the wards around him fade, having only protected him from one attack this time. Maka used the Demon-Hunt Slash hoping to distract her mother. As expected her mother ignored the attack as something not worth bothering with. More energy blasts came her way and Maka used Soul to deflect them. She heard that scream again, yet again he held his weapon form. The cracks as before healed instantaneously. Through the Chain Resonance link Maka felt Marie's energy level drop. Maka screamed frustration. For this too work she need to make physical contact with her mother.
Only one way, she realized, I'm sorry Soul. She charged her mother, ceasing attempts at evasion, hoping her mother would not have time to react. Another blast struck Soul and he healed, as before. Thought slower this time. Maka dodged the next attack and swung Soul. Her mother reacted the same as before, not expecting the scythe to harm her. Yet the dodge had messed up Maka's swing and it fell short. Damn! Maka thought, screaming to herself. Then she saw that the swing had not entirely missed. Her mother had had her hand raised reading another blast when she had swung. Her fingers fell to the ground.
The Deity stared, astonished, as the demon blade sliced through her fingers and she felt pain. Pain? she wondered. And then more amazement as her fingers popped into little puffs of light as they fell and vanished. She looked at her hand, light burned from the tips where her severed fingers had been. Pain? she thought again. Then the light spread and her hand flared and vanished. More pain. Panicked, before the light could spread further, she reached out and used her left arm to firmly grasp her right and tear it from her. Pain, she thought. I can still be hurt. Impossible. How? She let the arm drop and it flared into nothingness.
"Maka, damn it, keep up the attack!" Soul's voice echoed through their Resonance link. Maka, just regaining her balance after the dodge and swing that had cost her mother her fingers, hurled herself forward again just as her mother dropped her arm. Maka swung again, this time her mother stepped back, reflexively in fear. The hand her mother had raised in protection slid off its wrist as the blade sliced through. Maka raised Soul for another swing when her mother's eyes blazed orange and she felt herself flung backwards again, body flung into the air as before.
The Deity watched as her hand fell, flaming into light, vanishing before it hit the ground. It will be okay, she thought. My right arm is nearly regenerated. I can just use it to tear out the left. Then she looked at her chest. The thin scratch there. A line of fire flickered across it. The Deity screamed as the light took her and turned her to nothing. Around the blaze of light nearly a hundred thousand souls raised through the air.
Drained Marie slid down the telephone pole and moved to the body of Maka. She is still maintaining the Chain Resonance, Marie thought. How the bloody hell is she doing that? And how can Soul be still maintaining his weapon form. Impossible. Marie touched the body and poured as much of her energy into it as she could. There wasn't much left. Just heal the fatal wounds, leave the rest for later. Exhausted she fell in a heap beside the meister who was now merely severely wounded. She watched, amazed, as black blood seeped from her wounds and sealed them shut. She still heard the music playing, though more faintly and as though its playing took a great effort. The music and the Chain Resonance ended.
Soul returned to human form and crawled to Maka. "She will be fine," he heard Marie saying. The witch laying on the ground mere inches from her. He still carefully checked her wounds and noted that Marie was right. Though badly hurt she would live. He lowered his head to her chest and wept in relief.
Marie wearily raised her head, trying to find the energy to use her magic to look for Donna. She was far enough away that the Diety shouldn't have had time to feed on her, Marie hoped. Maka moved, drawing her attention. The meister slowly moved her arm and pointed. "That way, around two hundred feet. She's okay." The arm fell back to the ground. "Better grab her and get moving before some meister or Death Scythe arrives." Maka added, barely able to whisper. Marie nodded and got to her feet. The only thing fueling the superhuman effort were thoughts of Donna.
Maka fell back into unconsciousness, only awakening briefly twenty minutes later to see Tsubaki and Liz peering worriedly at her. Soul, as always beside her. Hope Marie is out of here by now, she thought looking worriedly at Soul. He nodded, knowing the question on her mind. Relieved she fell back into the darkness.
