Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater.


Chapter 10

Maka and Soul returned to the village in record time, beating the beginning signs of a snow storm before the thunder began, illuminating the dark clouds which had crawled in from the south and released a cold shower of thick hail upon the earth below. The pair had ran and taken shelter in the main hall where they coincidentally met the others in their soaked states, catching them up on their extermination of the witch nest as the village Elder was also present. He thanked them for ridding them of a possible future devastation, declaring he would hold a feast in honour of their achievements for the entire village.

So despite the chilling weather the villagers set to work on decorating the hall with colourful coppery hues, lining the walls in flowing wall-hangings and magic empowered fairy lights that twinkled when you walked by. The wooden benches were pushed together to form long tables, draped in golden cloths and bouquets of Camellia Blossoms settled in tall white vases were placed as centrepieces.

Maka and Soul were herded to their respective tents to change where spare clothes were handed to them, donated considerately by some of the villagers since they had none of their own. One of the woman had followed Maka into her tent, attempting to peel her wet cloak from her person but the Guardian had outright refused, telling her it was fine where it was. The woman hadn't taken too kindly to her comment and had given her a narrowed stare, huffing as she left the tent. Tsubaki soon replaced her no later after that, a first aid kit in hand with a wide smile on her face. She wasn't too upset about her ruined scarf, but had fretted over Maka's injuries until she'd got them seen to, leaving the healer and her tent with a clean bandage wrapped around her neck and a square plaster on her cheek.

Moving back to the present, Maka now stood by herself beneath the opening of her tent, brushing off a yawn with a quick shake of her head. Her tired eyes followed after the giddy village folk, keen on stocking the main hall with as much celebratory food as they could. They entered the hall with full silver plates and left with empty ones, only to return with more moments later, imitating the act of ants marching to and from their collective nest. The thought made her laugh.

Maka turned at the sound of squelching feet, followed by a simple question of, "How are you holding up?" She didn't answer him, preferring to watch Soul hurry over to escape the thickening hail and take shelter underneath the tent canopy beside her. His grin was off-putting and she forced her eyes to focus elsewhere because it had almost made her blush. As a distraction Maka's gaze lowered to his chest, realising that his bloody and torn clothes were replaced with a pair of crimson jeans that matched his smug-looking eyes and a baggy yellow hoodie, designed with a black mid-section where a yellow orb shape sat stitched near his left shoulder. This time she couldn't hold the blush back, feeling it creep up her cheeks as she found that the clothes suited him rather well. "I-I thought Mizune ruined all of your clothes." She said to break the ice.

Soul shrugged, holding back his scowl at the mention of the reindeer's name. "She did. Blackstar's friends lent me some of theirs." He replied casually, inspecting her own state of dress with raised brows. "You don't look so bad yourself."

Maka scrunched up her nose. "One of the water elementals made me change for the feast and Tsubaki fiddled with my hair," she sighed, crossing her arms over her chest.

Soul could tell she wasn't comfortable with her new clothes, but he on the other hand thought she looked pretty damn cute. She'd been leant a simple black dress which widened out into white ruffles at the bottom, reaching just below her knees and topped with a lacy bow behind her back, showing off her feet clad in grey gladiator sandals, cushioning her lower legs. Tsubaki had added in small black bows to the Guardian's usual hairstyle, styling the pigtails with a small braid plaited in on either side of her head, just above her ears. Although it wasn't much, it cut away her stern look and made her more approachable, fitting well with the light pink staining her cheeks. His grin widened even more, causing a pout to surface across her lips.

Maka stomped her foot, hunching her shoulders defensively. "What if something happens, Soul? How am I supposed to fight in a dress?" She fumed, stiffening her arms by her sides.

"I dunno," he laughed, humouring her. "If you can fight in a skirt then I'm sure you can in a dress, there's not much difference."

There's a big difference. She thought angrily, brow twitching for effect. For starters, her skirt was much shorter and accessible; she could reach for her hidden weapon without any problems. The dress however made this impossible. It dropped too far, hindered her movements and scuffed her legs with every step! If a fight were to break out she'd have to hike it up to get to her weapon, which would waste valuable time by doing so. She'd be dead in seconds!

Frost rolled his eyes, combing back his hair as one of the white strands fell out of place and irritated his eye, causing him to curse as he swept it to the side before fishing out a light grey sweatband from his pocket. "You know," he said, stretching the band over his fingers, "you don't have to stay for the whole celebration. The Elder is only trying to be considerate, Vix. You might as well give it a try and when you're fed up with it I'll escort you out. You've had a busy day so they'll understand if you want to head to bed early." He said, pulling the stretched material over his head to hold back the longer strands, running his tongue over his pointed teeth. "Plus, the dark bags under your eyes are not cool, they'll get worse if you don't rest."

Maka raised her foot and brought it down hard, stepping on Soul's toes in annoyance. "Thanks a lot," her voice dripped with sarcastic venom. He was lucky she wasn't wearing heels as she shot him a displeased glare and moved out from the dry shelter, stalking towards the main hall and not caring about the cold hail hitting her skin. Her cape would have helped in weather like this, but she'd left it in her tent on the wooden wrack to dry.

"H-Hey, Vixen!" Soul called after her, probably confused as to why she'd purposely stomped on his foot. Maka shook her head and quickened her pace, glad for the welcoming glow of the hall as she hurried to enter into the warmth.

The Guardian had had a busy day, starting from scouting the completely wrong area for the witch nest to Mizune's then Blair's arrival, and the extermination of the real witch nest not long after. Sure, the feast was a nice idea but her body was exhausted from all the exercise and she wasn't in the right state of mind for socialising with groups of strangers. She would stay for a short while and then leave once the spirits were brought out. Everyone would be too drunk and she could slip away unnoticed.

Rubbing her arms to fight off the cold, Maka brushed past the curtain, finding the hall packed with people she didn't recognise. Her eyes widened at the mass of food spread out across the tables, overwhelmed by the enticing smells of cooked meat and sweet deserts that made her stomach rumble. Thinking back on it, she'd hardly eaten all day, functioning off the nutrients of a single cereal bar to keep herself going. "Scratch the previous plan," she told herself, wiping away the drool from the corner of her mouth. "Food comes first," she said, manoeuvring her way through the crowd. She'd eat her fill and then leave. Nodding at her decision Maka let her feet carry her past the laughing villagers and dancing couples, hearing the faint whimsical beat of the folk music in the background. There must be a band somewhere, she thought, unable to see over the moving stream of people, even on her tiptoes. She found it was easier to walk nearer to the wall, using her hand to sweep away the ends of wall-hangings from her path and ducking under someone's arm every now and then when they asked her to dance –to which she'd shake her head and hurry on with an embarrassed blush.

When she reached the closest food stand her eyes were unfortunately drawn to Padern at the far end of the table, sipping a clear glass of purple liquid while he chatted to a group of women, hearing him mumble about the Guardian system as if he were one of them. Feigning ignorance, Maka took more interest in the large roasted chicken mounted on the bench, sat in all it's glory. Licking her lips the Guardian grabbed a plate and cut off a thick slice using the knife provided, adding a couple of dumplings and carrot sticks along the way. She found herself a vacant stool and sat down, tucking into her food.

An hour passed and Maka grew bored, scanning the crowd for familiar faces for something to do. Soul must have lost her in the crowd for he was now at the other end of the room, stuffing random combinations of fruits and meats onto his dish. Blackstar stood beside him, pigging out on a turkey leg. She couldn't find the others, presuming Blair to be with Mizune and Tsubaki and Kid to be preoccupied elsewhere. Feeling a tad bit lonely, Maka scoffed down a dumpling, finding her throat dry from all the pastries.

"Here," a glass of water was handed to her and she looked up in surprise, accepting the cool liquid with a smile.

"Thanks," she took a sip as Kid sat beside her, his black suit covered in clumps of wet snow that also dampened his hair. "From the looks of you, I'm guessing you've just arrived?" She tilted her head, causing one of her pigtails to slide against her neck.

"The hail has turned to snow, it's coming down quite heavy." Kid curled his arm up to his chest, flicking off a piece of white from his suit. "If it continues any longer we'll have to leave, there's at least six inches of snow, Vix."

Maka crinkled her nose. "Already? But the ground is still wet from the hail, I didn't think it would stick that much," she frowned, poking at a stray carrot stick on her plate.

The shinigami sighed and met her gaze, his forehead lined deeply in frustration. "We'll be in trouble if it does pile up, I don't want to risk it, Maka." He leant closer, saying her name only loud enough for her to hear. "Can we leave early?"

Maka put down her plate as her shoulders sunk dejectedly. She also wanted to leave, but she had yet to speak with the Elder to thank him for hosting the feast. Kid felt out of place just as much as she did, so she understood his need for an early rest. The least she could do was agree since she too was tired. "...OK," she sucked the carrot juice from her fingers. She could hold it off until tomorrow. "Can we say goodbye to Tsubaki at least?"

Kid nodded and helped her stand, wrapping his arm around her back in a friendly manner. "I saw her over here," he led her through the throngs of people towards a small group of elementals, locating Tsubaki knelt down in the middle speaking to an excited Blair.

"Tsu! Blair!" Maka called, drawing their attention. "Over here!" The pair wandered towards them, both dressed differently to what they usually wore. Tsubaki had swapped out her pale yellow dress for a sleek green one-piece, designed with a high split up the side and a v-neck. Her hair was pulled into a high bun to suit her dress, quite similar to Blair's whose hair was tied into two side buns instead. Her cat ears flicked in response to the echoing buzz of voices as she glanced around the hall, twitching her tail which was adorned by a large purple bow. She wore a plain navy top that wrapped around her neck and had long open sleeves, revealing her small hands underneath. A matching skirt covered her lower half, lined with a white frill.

"Vixen, are you enjoying yourself?" Tsubaki asked as Blair threw herself at the Guardian with a squeal, speaking over the healer's voice.

"Mak-!" Maka's hand shot forward and covered the child's mouth before she could finish, face pale and fearful, hoping Tsubaki hadn't caught on to what she was about to say. The girl merely pursed her lips, passing her gaze over them both in confusion.

Thank Kami, she thought, relieved she'd acted as quickly as she had as Blair wiggled in her hold. Kid looked at the cat with a hard stare, motioning for her to stop her squirming unless she wanted to get scolded by a Death God. Blair seemed to get the hint and stilled in Maka's grip. "The feast is very...crowded, Tsubaki." She finally replied.

"Yes," she giggled, "it's really busy in here. Have you and Kid danced yet?"

"D-Dance?" Maka blinked, glancing back at Kid who portrayed a similar expression. "No, we came to wish you a goodnight, we're thinking of turning in early." She smiled sheepishly, scratching the back of her head. "It's been a long day, Kid is worried the snow will pile up and confine us here."

Tsubaki's joyful expression slackened ever so slightly as her eyes grew wide. "Is it really that bad?" She asked, and Kid nodded grimly.

"I thought it would be best to leave while we can, as a precaution."

"Oh, yes, you're right." Tsubaki nodded, gaze growing distant. "I-I should inform the Elder, it might be a good idea to finish for the night." She hummed thoughtfully.

"We could have a snowball fight!" Blackstar butted in loudly, pumping his fist in the air as Soul stood next to him, holding him at bay with a strong hand on the assassin's shoulder.

"No, Blackstar," Tsubaki shook her head. "We're not dressed appropriately for that." The blue-haired boy's expression deflated at her words, reminding Maka how much control the healer's voice could have over him. "Even if we did the teams would be uneven, Kid and Vixen are turning in for the night," she supplied kindly, boosting his esteem through the roof.

"Ha! You two are chickening out, is that it?" He bellowed, pointing a finger at Kid. "Don't you want another rematch?"

"I don't, no." He batted his hand away from his face.

Soul pulled Maka aside while the pair bickered, ignoring the shinigami's death glare over her shoulder. "Why are you leaving so soon?"

"Because I'm tired," she retorted with a shrug, not understanding why he was standing so close to her.

His hand tightened around her arm, frowning at her expression. "Can't you stay a little longer, Vixen?" He pressed, eyes swirling with an odd emotion –one she couldn't decipher. It made something in her chest flutter.

"W-What? No," she imitated his frown, pulling her arm away. She took a step back towards Kid, taking in a deep breath. "I don't want to stay any longer, leave me alone Frost." She growled with heated fervour. What was wrong with him?

"Hey, why do you and Tsu keep calling her by her Guardian name?" Blackstar interrupted before an argument could spark, earning a confused look from Soul. Blackstar noticed this, overtaken by a bout of smug understanding. "...You don't know her name."

"And you do?"

Blackstar grinned before Maka could intervene, staring at Kid in mock horror. "Of course I do! I heard shig call her by it back at the cabin, her name's-"

"Blackstar!"

"-Maka-"

The ground shook with a tremendous rumble that overpowered the assassin's voice, shaking the earth beneath their feet in strong vibrations as a chorus of gasps and yells erupted throughout the hall. The group stumbled apart and Maka's heart plummeted to her stomach when someone bumped into her, pushing her further away and into the crowd. The panic bubbled up inside her as the rumble shook the ground. She had never felt the earth move like it did, watching helplessly as people were violently thrown from their feet. A whimper slipt past her lips and she reached blindly for a foothold in her fit of panic –for something to hold onto– but she only grasped thin air. Objects fell from tables and Maka forced her eyes to fixate in one place, hoping that by doing so the earthquake would miraculously righten out her surroundings.

Screams tore through the air when the roof of the building suddenly groaned in an ear-shattering shriek, shaking the decorations from their places on the walls. Blackstar's yell came from somewhere behind, and Maka realised she was no where near the others; the earthquake had pushed the group into separate corners. The overhead lights flickered dangerously, causing Maka's head to pound. She felt disorientated, covering her ears from the piercing cries of the elementals that shoved past her. A white vase smashed near her feet as well another vibration rocked the earth, spilling dyed water and Camellia Blossoms everywhere and staining her shoes. Before she could react a high screech flared out from the building as if a sudden weight had latched onto it before the windows lining the walls shattered on impact.

Maka felt arms wrap around her before she was roughly tackled to the ground as the figure above her shielded her from the flying shards of glass, yelling at her to protect her head. The floor rumbled whilst the earthquake continued, reeking mayhem everywhere she looked. The fallen flowers lay trampled beside her from the mass of screaming people trying to leave through the single exit, covered in shallow cuts from the broken glass and smearing blood wherever they went. People were shoved while others pushed their way through the crowd, and the Guardian could only watch them flee in anguish, noticing clusters of elementals cowering underneath tables.

It was complete and utter chaos.

Her heart lurched as she looked around wildly for her friends but the figure was still holding her down, and from how heavy he was, Maka wasn't going to be let up any time soon. So she sought out a different method. "K-Kid! BLAIR!?" She tried calling out to her friends, but she was unable to hear her own voice over the sounds of thudding feet. The figure above her whispered something in her ear but she couldn't hear him, too distracted by the rumbles tearing across the floor to concentrate. The only thing she could hear was the pounding of her own heart echoing in her ears.

Yet as quickly as the earthquake had came, it was gone by the next minute as a loud thump reached her ears that sounded like something heavy had fallen. Maka rubbed her hazy eyes until they refocused, flattening her hands against the floor tiles to help steady herself. Her fingers scraped against the glass shards littered around them, drawing her gaze to the open windows in shock.

The weight from her back disappeared, replaced by warm hands around her waist before she felt herself being lifted. The warmth disappeared when she was settled back on her feet before a 'tch' noise came from behind her and the hands returned, brushing glistening dots from her hair that she presumed to be glass.

"Are you OK?" Soul spun her around, inspecting her face for any injuries. Maka glanced away, finding that the windows had darkened dramatically in the time space of when she'd been pushed to the floor. They were filled up completely with white snow.

"...I'm fine," she heard herself say, focusing back on his face. "Thanks," she went to place her hand against her weapon out of comfort, only to grumble when her fingers met the cloth of her dress instead of the familiar cold steel of her pipe.

"I think we're trapped."

"What?"

"Vixen!" Kid staggered to her side as Soul drew back, looking more dishevelled than she'd ever seen him. "Are you OK?" He asked and Maka simply nodded, patting his shoulder in reassurance. Tsubaki groaned behind them, laying sprawled out on the ground and clutching an unconscious Blair to her chest while Blackstar lay over her, presumed to have protected them both from the flying glass. Maka was just glad they were safe, however the line of blood dripping from Blair's head was worrying.

"Oh no," the healer gasped once she was standing, eyes cast on something terrible behind them. Maka turned and let out her own gasp, barely loud enough for Soul and Kid to hear as they turned to follow her gaze, staring at the main entrance of the hall. It had been completely blocked by snow, just like the windows.

Panic kicked in as Maka's mind registered Soul's previous words, realising he was right. Her hands trembled by her sides while her emerald orbs shone with a desperate emotion, settling on the blocked entrance. Her feet moved without warning and she shot off, dodging around flipped chairs and unconscious elementals to reach the door, jumping over a broken table leg.

"Vixen! Wait up!" Frost caught up with her. "Don't just go rushing off!" He tried to draw her back but Maka pulled away, instead throwing her hands at the wall of snow blocking her way to try and dig a way out. However her fingers met with a hard cold and she quickly retreated, staring at it in disbelief.

The snow had iced over. It was as rigid as a rock!

"Vixen!" Tsubaki arrived along with Blackstar and Kid, each looking out of breath. "It's no use," the healer shook her head, worry evident in her usually warm eyes. "The climate is too cold for us to shovel our way out, we might even make it worse by trying to break through." She mumbled helplessly, gesturing at Blair. "We don't want to make anything worse."

Maka stared at the unconscious child, understanding Tsubaki's point. She drew out a long sigh, biting her lip. One wrong move and the roof would come tumbling; they'd be buried alive, and she didn't know what to do.

"C-Children," the Elder shuffled awkwardly towards them, clutching at his limp arm. His face looked strained, flecked with spots of red. "I'm glad you're all alright," he croaked, forehead layered in sweat. His arm was twisted at an odd angle, presumably broken.

"Elder!" Tsubaki gasped, running to his side with her hands covered in a purple glow. "Let me-"

"No child, we do not have time for this," he grasped her slim wrist. "You need to save your energy to help the others once we've escaped from here. We need to prioritise the wounded," his voice hardened, drawing them all in. "I need you and Blackstar to round everyone up," he took control, "take them to the farthest corner where the structure is sturdier, it will help calm them down. And hand the child to the Guardian, she'll be safer with her."

Tsubaki was too caught up in the moment to focus on one thing, finding herself overwhelmed as she complied with what the Elder said, passing Blair over to Maka who held the cat tightly, wiping away the blood from the small gash across her forehead. She nodded at them all once before departing with Blackstar to help the wounded.

"Is there anything we can do?" Maka asked but the Elder shook his head, his broken arm was bothering him.

"This building is old, my child. The roof is rotten beyond repair and with all the snow piled on top, it won't last for much longer. With my age, I won't be much help." He sighed, looking withdraw with his clouded eyes. "We should join the others, we can't afford to waste any more time." He patted her shoulder in an act of comfort.

They neared the group of elementals as the building creaked above, echoing throughout the hall. There were at least thirty to thirty five members including them, and Maka was thankful that Padern's obnoxious face didn't pop up, presumed to have escaped with the others. A majority of the elementals were injured while others were simply unconscious, unable to withstand the fearful nature of such an event. The Elder settled himself amongst them and they moved to give him space, resting himself painfully against the wall. Maka handed Blair to Kid so he could assess her injuries, but he seemed reluctant to part with her to which she shook her head with a withered sigh, ushering him towards Tsubaki to help.

Maka nervously wrung her hands. There was nothing she could do. My powers are useless, she thought miserably, moving her gaze skyward at the sound of something shifting above her head, emitting from the roof as it lurched with a sudden shudder. Her eyes widened as she watched the wooden beams shake out of sync before one loosened, slipped and dislodged from its place, going unseen to the others. The beam twirled chaotically in its free-fall, heading towards the earth with a plummeting defiance that made her hackles spike. The heavy snow clinging to the roof seeped through the hole left behind as more beams shook, bringing forth Maka's fears that they too would fall.

Her heart lurched in her chest, hearing Frost call her by her Guardian name, but before the panic could return a flurry of green tendrils shot towards the falling beam, wrapping around the rotted wood and pulling it higher to cover up the gaping hole. For a moment, Maka's worries were ceased with that small piece of hope and reassurance they would be safe. But it was short lived.

There were so few earth elementals and their magical vines weren't enough to hold back the weight of the snow as even more beams shook, threatening to slip out of place much like the first. Soul tried to freeze the vines to hold them in place, but they reached too high for his powers to work for his magic was only limited to a short range.

Maka backed away, feeling weak and incapable of doing anything. She had done nothing but watch, clinging tightly to the slither of warmth in Soul's eyes as he'd called out her name, wanting her to stay back. Something inside of her reacted to this, reminding her of who she was. What she was. She wasn't like them, she wasn't. Her blood belonged to the heavenly Guardians, she was a being with incredible power. She had another advantage up her sleeve for her other magic could help. Releasing it would have huge consequences on her status as well as the other Guardians, but in a situation like this, she didn't have time to wait for another solution. She had to try.

"Vixen-" Soul began but halted as he met her hardened gaze. His heart fluttered in his chest, finding himself drawing back. "...What is it?"

"Stand back Soul," Maka said, pulling back her sleeves to reveal the pair of silver cuffs underneath. "You don't want to be close when it happens."

Soul looked perplexed with his brows dipped down, raising his hands for precaution. "When what happens?" He said. "Stop talking nonsense, Vixen, we have to join the others."

"No," she unclasped the first concealment, letting it drop before moving on to the second. "You have to join the others." The second rosary dropped much like the first, clattering to the floor with a high-pitched shriek. Her power pulsed beneath her skin, flickering to life and warming up her veins. The atmosphere around her seemed to fade out as an orange glow began to emerge around her body, lining her hands with faded wisps that slithered around her limbs. Soul's voice died out with it and she felt like she was no longer there. Not here, nor anywhere. She felt warm, taken in by the comforting bliss of her powers. Her worried slipped away along with her conscience, as well as the unawareness of her powers growing stronger.

"...Vixen?" Soul neared her, drawn in by the warm light surrounding her form. Her skin had taken on a pale glow, contrasting against the orange tinge circling around her, causing his mouth to go dry. The Guardian's hair drifted over her shoulders, flowing with the appearing streams of power that seemed to strengthen at her touch, changing into flickering flames and rolling around her form. The orange glow was surrounding her entirely, more quickly than he could blink. Her image mirrored that of a fire goddess.

During her weightless feeling, Maka felt her arm reach up, running her hand down her face and towards her chin in a light caress. She fingered the rosary around her neck, took a deep breath, and ripped it off in one tug. Her smile faltered when the blissful atmosphere snapped abruptly and she was thrown to her feet as her power rose up, shooting out of her in sharp waves that captured her hands. They flickered against her will, changing the soothing feeling to a painful singe. Her powers were hurting her, blistering the stinging skin wrapped between the coiling flames. They were working against her! Burning her, hurting her! She hadn't used them in so long. Was this the reason why? Was it retribution for locking them away?

"What is she?" One of the villagers cried in steeled astonishment as she felt Soul's presence edge closer. He had grown curious. Fearing for his safety Maka collapsed in on herself, unable to hold back her cry of pain as the fire blazed, burning her body. She couldn't let him get close, she couldn't! She'd hurt him!

"Stay back!" Her head whipped towards him, revealing her monstrous eyes. Soul's foot faltered at the tone of her voice and the sight of her changed appearance, finding that the soothing emerald green was no longer to be seen, replaced by a bitter mixture of fiery reds and scorching oranges. Just looking at them caused an anxious burn in his throat, bringing forth his inner voice that warned him to keep away. "Y-You can't come any closer, Soul. I can't control it." She gasped, desperation blinding her eyes. "I-I don't know how much longer I can keep it at bay. You need to protect everyone! Create an orb of ice around yourself and the others," she spoke hurriedly, keeping her hands clenched to hold the scorching heat at bay. "H-Hurry!" The power flickered with her shortening patience.

"Vixen-"

"HURRY!" Her voice carried throughout the room, silencing the whispering onlookers panic as they watched on anxiously, too afraid to move. The tension in Soul's face slackened when his eyes focused on the burning sweat dripping down the Guardian's forehead, furrowing his brows. The beautiful orange waves had changed; now they were fiercer. Sharper.

His only answer was a silent nod before he shot off towards the huddled survivors, drawing his power out from within him until his hands lit up with a blinding blue. He positioned himself into a kneeling position and began running his hands across the floor, covering the tiles in a layer of thickening ice. Maka watched on painfully, believing her hands would soon fall off from how hot the fire had become in her veins. It felt like it was burning her from the inside out.

The ice merged and stretched, climbing over him into a glistening sheet, however it wasn't going fast enough. His gaze flickered to Vixen, seeing the pain written on her face, making his frustration build with each waking moment. Soul closed his eyes shut tightly, pushing his power out until his hands shook. Sensing his struggle, the nearest water elementals called to their own power, letting it flow around him as they lent their magic and helped strengthen the orb. Maka's painful cry pushed him on, moulding the ice further and further until it curved entirely around them, forming a protective bubble of ice. Unable to hold up the beams any longer, the earth elementals pulled back their vines to take cover beneath the protective orb, hoping they'd be safe.

As soon as the ice covered them whole Maka released the breath she hadn't realised she'd been holding, unaware of the falling beams reigning down from above, and whispered to herself. "Sorry, Death," she gasped before her true power unleashed in a flare. Her vision was overtaken with streaks of white, but to the outsiders, it looked as if an atomic bomb had been set off, blinded by the sheer power flowing out of such a small person. The beams that fell disintegrated at the touch as her power exploded out in one blast, jostling the remaining roof beams that suddenly broke loose and began to fall, breaking the strong holds from the ceiling that caused the weakened bonds to sink inwards, releasing a bout of snow from the cracked hole between them.

Fire collided with ice and Maka could have sworn that she heard a sizzling sound when the two powers met, melting the engulfing snow and destroying the imperilling beams with scorching flames. She reached out in desperation, hearing her blood boil from the extreme pressure. In the heat of the moment she lost herself, submerged by her pain as she sought out Soul's face amongst the horror-stricken faces, connecting with the sorrowful look in his eyes. He was repulsed by this power, and her eyes burned with an agonising intensity.

She tore herself away with a pained cry, meeting a hardened gaze amongst the disarray that belonged to the Elder. The snow continued to fall in a never-ending flurry, and her powers were near their limit. The old man's gaze was what kept her going, sharing his determination as she recalled how he was the first individual to learn of her powers, having spotted them at first glance. She caught the slight bowing of his head, as if he was urging her on from his spot behind the protective shield; a shield that was protecting them from her.

Maka gritted her teeth, feeling her power rise up before it roared and broke through her limits, amplifying her power as she felt her skin bubble up and boil, splitting against the force of the burning heat engulfing her. A high scream ripped itself from her throat before she felt the pain lessen as her power gradually faded. It drew back, retreating into her core until the burning sensation vanished, leaving a raw sting in its place across her arms and torso. Black smoke filled her gaze, blocking her senses long enough to make her dizzy. The Guardian was unable to hold herself up anymore and pitched forward out of exhaustion, collapsing to her knees with a loud thud.

"...Maka...Albarn..?" She heard him murmur, his voice so soft that it made her think she was hearing things. She felt him step closer as the smoke appeared to depart around him in a dramatic effect that tugged at her heart strings, tormenting her fears.

Maka lowered her gaze to his boots. She knew who it was, but she didn't want to look at him. She didn't want to see the disgust he felt for her, for lying to him about who she was. For what she could do. She couldn't cope to hear his voice. His hand reached towards her in a gentle glide as an offer to help her up. "D-Don't-" her voice cracked. She batted his hand away and wiped away her tears, knowing what was about to come next. He'd throw her away, discard her for lying to them. She didn't want to be around for him to do it.

Vixen pulled in a taught breath before struggling to her feet, feeling her burnt skin stretch and creak while the smoke dispersed from her person and revealed the damage. Her throat was too dry to produce a gasp, but her horrified expression said it all. What had she done?

Soul placed his hand on her shoulder, staring at her in disbelief. The cold temperature of his hand should have soothed her –"You're Maka...aren't you?"– but it only burnt.


Original Posting Date: 1st January 2013

Posting Date: 1st April 2016

Symm: So, my long absence has been because of college getting in the way of my procrastinating time. I've been busy like a bee these past few months with my English coursework but I've finally finished it! (๑˃̵ᴗ˂̵)و✧ Only now I'm scurrying to get as much work done as I can for my Art & Photography courses. I've literally got just under 3 weeks before my exams arrive so if you don't hear from me until then, don't worry. I'll (barely) be alive. Updates should be back to normal once everything is over! See you soon ;D

Thanks for reviewing Gothic Butterfly!

Thanks for following Roza Negra, RaspberryDiamonds, RunningWithTheRiptide, Gothic Butterfly!

Thanks for the favourite Roza Negra, InnerJFire, Gothic Butterfly!

Fun Fact - The first person to decorate a Christmas tree was reportedly the Protestant reformer, Martin Luther. According to legend, he was so moved by the beauty of the stars shining between the branches of a fir tree, he brought home an evergreen tree and decorated it with candles to share the image with his children.

You better come back- Or I'll take your Soul!