Thank you so much for reviewing! I'm glad I didn't lose my entire fan base, haha. I'm afraid this chapter is pretty short, but next chapter (out by Sunday morning) is going to super long and action-packed to make up for it. Plus, next chapter has a guest appearance! Hope you enjoy.


A little over two years ago…

"Maka, it's a sync rate of 67%. You can't ask for better than that from a new partnership."

Maka didn't spare a glance at the papers her father proffered as she sunk lower into the sofa, lifting her book higher in front of her face. "Papa, I can't take on that weapon. It's just not possible."

"Of course it's possible," the death scythe argued. "Why, even Stein and I only had a sync rate of 62% when we were first partnered, and we had the best score in our class!"

"I don't care!" Maka snapped, closing the book and standing up. "I'm going to be a scythe meister. My weapon has to be a scythe!"

"But—" Spirit never got to finish his thought because Maka had stormed from the room, slamming the door as she went. Spirit sighed, muttering something about kids being too picky.

Later, Maka would find a scythe to call her partner, but despite their initial anticipation, the pair achieved an initial synchronization rate of a measly 47%.

Maka was still annoyed at Soul as she prepared for bed. Sure, he meant well, but she wished he would let her handle something on her own for once. As Maka picked up a book to place in her backpack, her elbow ached slightly, and she corrected the thought, I wish he would let me handle this on my own. It has nothing to do with him!

Maka dropped her loaded backpack onto the floor beside her desk. Then she noticed her mother's most recent postcard and her pink earmuffs (which she had dug out of the closet last night, just to make sure they were still there) sitting next to her lamp, and she picked up the two precious items. It made her smile, thinking of the two people who had given them to her.

Perching on the foot of her bed, Maka reread the postcard, fingered the fluffy earmuffs, and began to think. What was her role as a technician? A weapon protected his meister at all costs. A technician... made all final decisions for the team, acted as the primary combatant in battle (primary because weapons occasionally fought in human form), and, of course, fed ninety-nine prekishin souls and one witch soul to her partner. She knew that, but there was something more, something just beyond her grasp…

She only had one more day to figure it out. Tomorrow, she had to write the essay.

Before she fell asleep, she slipped the earmuffs and the postcard into the front pocket of her backpack, just for luck. When she fell asleep, she did not dream of bloody telephone wires, but she violently tossed and turned as, in her mind, she searched an infinitely huge library for answers that did not exist there.


"I can't believe we ate cake for breakfast," Maka complained the next morning.

Beside her, Soul shuffled with his head turned away. "Sorry. I didn't sleep well."

"Hmm?" Maka followed Soul's gaze and noticed that he was staring at a paper posted outside of the gym. "Oh, are those the mock duels for today? It looks like there are only a few left."

"Cho and Hero?" Soul asked, smirking.

"Poor Cho. Man, I'm glad I have one constant partner," Maka said, ignoring the twinge of guilt that rose with the statement. "Can you imagine pairing up with anyone who just happened to match your wavelength? It'd be so frustrating, and never advancing because you could not achieve soul resonance… What? What's with the funny look?"

Soul raised an eyebrow. "Nothing… but do you know what her weapon form is?"

"Of course. She's a swordbreaker. Don't tell me you don't remember!"

"But what is it?"

Soul suddenly flinched when he saw Maka's lips twitch in irritation. "Makaaa… Chop!"

"Inner cranial bleeding… that's a cool way to start the morning," Soul grumbled, cradling his head with both hands as he followed Maka toward their lockers.

"Soul, we just read about medieval weapons last week! You should have seen it in the reading."

"I forgot."

"Or you didn't read it!" Maka ignored Black Star as she opened her locker, but Soul bumped fists with him and told him to save him a place on the gym bleachers. "Honestly, Soul, do you ever study?"

"Nope." Soul smirked as he dumped his bag into his locker on the opposite side of Maka's. "But you're going to tell me what it is, right?"

"No-pe." Maka walked toward the gymnasium without even glancing at her partner. "You're going to have to wait and watch the duel like everyone else!"

"What's your problem?" he growled, and only later would Maka hear the two meanings behind the question.