Chapter 14: Memory Lane
I do not own Soul Eater.
Although I wish I did.
~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ Telephone Call
"Maka, are you and Crona free today?"
"Yes. What is it, Kid?"
"Well… As I have said yesterday… We planned a party."
"For real? So, when's it going to happen?"
"I just said today."
"No. I meant the time, idiot."
"Can you be ready for about 8 hours?"
"Of course. But we can make it for half an hour."
"Don't you still have to… take a bath, pick your clothes, comb your hair, eat some more, watch TV, read a book or magazine and walk to your destination?"
"Kid, the first three things you said can be done by 15 minutes. Then, I don't eat much. About the TV, the book or the magazine, I'd rather go to a party with you guys and I can walk fast, you know?"
"But since you're a girl…"
"What has being a girl got to do with this? Besides, if I come to the party 8 hours after now, that will be in the middle of the afternoon, which is an inappropriate time."
"Are you sure? If you are to be compared to Liz, she'll be hours late."
"Really?"
"OY, KID! IT'S YOU WHO'S ALWAYS LATE SINCE YOU TROUBLE YOURSELF WITH THE CANDLES AND STUFF!"
"Liz, what I'm doing is reasonable. What you are doing isn't. Make-up? It doesn't even fit you."
"It's part of being a woman!"
Maka found herself listening more intently to the two persons arguing from the other side.
"How about Patty?"
"I'm not like her who only cares about food and action."
A voice behind them laughed.
"Well then, shoo. Go decorate the party venue. Shoo."
"Shoo? Besides, why are you holding two telephones?"
"It's symmetry," Kid said in a matter-of-factly voice.
"There isn't even someone speaking from the other telephone! You should be crying now that only your right ear hears something!"
"Well, since you fill the left ear, it's fine now."
"Whatever, Kid! Patty, we're going to the mall."
"Haaaaii!"
Kid cleared his throat.
"So Maka, as I was saying… 8 hours and we'll give you a good party!"
Then Kid wondered why the other side was laughing.
"Maka? Is someone there?"
"No, no…" Obviously, Maka was trying to stifle her laugh. "Cr- Crona is still sleeping. No, you guys are so funny!"
"What? We just stated our priorities, something like that."
"Do – don't worry… hehehe… Just- just wait for me and Crona."
"Okay. Prepare yourself for this moment and go to the basketball court later."
"Basketball court?"
"You'll see."
"But… a party there?"
"I told you, you'll see. Goodbye, Maka. Have a nice day."
"Kid, make sure Crona and I will not be standing there for nothing!"
"I assure you. In the name of me being The Shinigami's son."
"That's kinda…"
Maka realized Kid had already dropped the phone.
Phones, in his case.
"Big."
Yet, she was still smiling.
"I'll hold on to that statement."
She dropped her own phone.
"Maka…"
Maka looked around.
"Oh, Crona."
"Wh- why are you smiling?"
"Is something wrong with that?"
Crona showed a scared expression. "No- no! Don't get me wrong…"
"Joking… Joking…"
Maka stood up.
"Come on. We'll be going to a party."
"Pa… Pa- party?"
"They have planned one for us. Isn't that sweet?"
"Sweet? I thought sweet is just the taste of food? Does sweet mean other things?"
"Fool." Maka chopped him on the head softly.
"Oh, it's becoming my habit."
She laughed softly.
- . - . - . - . –
For half an hour, the two of them prepared for the party.
Then they went out of their apartment to go to the basketball court.
"Isn't that a weird venue…"
Crona muttered as they walked.
"You know? I said that to Kid, too! He said we'll just have to believe them."
"But the place is too open. I hate crowds."
"Aren't you already friends with the people here?"
"Uhmm… I just don't know how to handle people…"
"Well, I think you're a good friend! If someone doesn't see that, that would be unbelievable!"
"Thank you, Maka…"
They continued walking along the road.
Maka would always try to prolong a conversation over a topic.
And Crona would reply cheerfully, grateful for her effort to lighten his world.
That was it, actually. She was his light and he wouldn't want to lose her.
He blushed at his own thoughts.
But Maka noticed the color on his cheeks.
"Crona? Are you thinking of someone?"
"Ahh… Tha- that's not it! It's…"
"It's what?"
"Let's le-leave it for later…"
"You're liking someone from your friends, right?"
"Uhhmm…"
"Hmm?" Maka insisted for a reply. "Stop walking for a while. We can sit on a bench and walk, right? We went out from home early enough."
"Maka, it's…"
Maka mumbled something.
Crona asked what was wrong.
Maka raised two hands. "I think it's going to rain."
"What?"
"Let's find a cover. Waahh! It's starting!"
Indeed, rain was beginning to fall and it quickly became a heavy downpour.
"Why haven't I brought an umbrella?"
Maka yelled as she ran, with her hands above her head.
"Maka, wait!"
Crona held her shoulder and stopped her.
Maka looked back for an explanation.
Crona just looked down and closed his eyes.
Then large black wings sprouted from his back.
"Maka… I'll cover you."
Maka silently went under the wings, quite amazed and touched.
She said a word of thanks.
And it was silence among them as they walked.
"Uhmm… Do you have an idea where we are?" Crona asked, a little louder to be heard over the rain.
"I don't know… But as long as I'm with you… it will be fine, right?"
"I… I'm not sure. But… You're the strong one, the bright one."
"I am still not that good of a weapon!"
"It's not just being a weapon… You have a strong heart."
"Crona." She maka-chopped him weakly.
"Ow…"
"I appreciate the words."
She smiled.
Maka looked behind him then her eyes turned upwards.
"Crona, you have a beautiful pair of wings…"
"I… It's actually my blood. My blood is black."
"Then, you have a beautiful blood."
"But… is there such a thing?"
Crona smiled, getting shy.
"YAAAHHH! WHAT IS THIS?!"
A head appeared somewhere on the wings.
"Crona, I am not your personal umbrella!"
"Ra- Ragnarok! I- I'm sorry…"
"Hehehe…" Maka giggled.
"Ragnarok's head is cute!"
Two fists showed up from the wings.
"No, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no! YOU CALL ME CUTE?!"
"Stop it…"
"Crona, let me punch that brat!"
Sensing Crona's disagreement, Ragnarok grinned.
"Do you want to get her wet?"
"NO! Don't…"
"Punch, punch! Lemme punch-"
That was it.
Maka chopped him with a book and Ragnarok hung lifeless as a toy.
Fortunately, the wings were still out.
"EH?!" Crona said, startled.
"Maka… Why do you still carry a book?"
"I wonder why… Ehehehe."
And they made it to the basketball court.
Just to see nobody.
"It's raining…" Crona began.
They looked around.
Crona continued, "Obviously, people would not go outside."
Maka seemed to have muttered something but he didn't hear it.
"Besides, the rain is strong. I also don't know how to handle it…"
Maka pulled him to a nearby bench and sat.
"You don't have to spread your wings so much. Let's sit here for a while."
Crona sat beside her.
"But the rain…"
"We have a big tree above us. Only drops of rain would come down so shrink your wings for a bit, if you can. I just don't want you to be tired for me."
"Okay…"
The wings became small and Crona willed them to make a circle above them, to quite resemble an umbrella.
"Wow… You can do that?" Maka asked.
"Y- yeah…"
They didn't think about the rain for a while.
Just about that moment.
And then,
"So, there is no… party?" Crona asked.
Maka smiled. "No, there is."
"But…"
"There." Maka pointed a finger at somewhere.
Crona looked at the direction it was facing.
He didn't know what was to be seen but he quickly noticed something different.
On the wall, just ahead of them was an arrow sign surrounded by lights.
It was pointing right.
Then it was followed by another arrow.
By another arrow.
By another arrow.
"They are some crazy friends, eh?" Maka asked happily. "There, there, there… Those arrows will lead us to the real venue."
"Hmm… Why don't we go now? The rain has lightened a bit…"
"We can wait for it to stop completely."
"But…"
Something growled loudly.
"Crona, is that you?"
"No, it wasn't me!"
"You're hungry, eh? Why didn't you say so?"
"It's Ragnarok. His stomach is actually vibrating my back."
"His stomach? Aren't you two connected or something? He can do that?"
"Maybe… Y- yeah. Yeah."
"Okay."
Maka stood up.
She offered a hand to her meister.
"Let's go."
.
"I'm starting to get tired again…" Crona muttered.
"I think we're near enough. We'll go on. Besides, the rain has stopped. Maybe the little sunlight can motivate us."
They walked beside the walls, following the arrows' direction.
Occasionally, some arrows would have messages and logos.
=P Maka and Crona together :3
YOUR GOD IS WAITING! –Black Star's signature-
Tsubaki's food rocks! I'll never leave you some!
I made sure there would be 8 steps for each arrow.
And Maka would laugh.
"They're very nice… I am really happy that I have them as friends."
Crona smiled at the sight of Maka's happiness.
Maka looked ahead of them.
"There are still a lot of arrows."
"A lot? Umm…"
"A lot of them, huh?"
'Sounds scary…'
'Wha-?'
A lot of arrows…
All of them were sinister and deadly black…
A lot of arrows…
Coming from a grinning witch…
Who stands by her snake tail…
A lot of arrows…
She had to pass it.
"Stop it!"
A lot of arrows…
"I can't pass all of them!"
Then the arrows hit their mark.
Her body.
"Maka!"
Maka shook her head.
"Wha- what happened…"
"Maka, are you tired? Don't force yourself…"
Crona was supporting her by the arm.
"I… I saw…"
The witch was grinning.
It was a mocking grin for her.
Crona…
Lying on a pool of blood.
Crona…
Losing her circle, territory.
Crona…
Happy to raise a sword.
Crona…
Muttering things on a corner.
Crona…
Getting mad.
Crona…
Sad, crying, wailing on the desert sand.
The witch was grinning.
It was a mocking grin for her.
Medusa is her name.
Maka slammed a fist on the wet ground.
"Ma… Maka."
She was already kneeling by her two knees.
"Maka, what's… what's wrong?"
Maka breathed shakily.
And she wondered why rain was reaching her cheeks.
Then her mouth.
It tasted of tears.
But there was a pair of wings above her…
"Maka… Why are you sad?"
Crona shook her softly.
"Are you getting wet? Aren't my wings enough?"
"Maka…"
Buzz…
Maka heard something.
It was irritating.
And it was coming near to her ears.
Buzz…
Maka turned to where the sound came from.
And saw a…
She slammed it harshly to the ground.
And she knew it was dead…
Mosquito.
Hundreds of years old.
Servant of Arachne, the leader of the Arachnophobia.
Strong.
Tough.
Sound.
Piano.
Fingers.
Kid.
Black Star.
Soul.
Demon Hunter.
They were all very quick flashes in her eyes.
And they seemed to be making her mind heavy.
A rainbow was nothing compared to the colors that she was seeing.
And by the pool of raindrops on the ground, she saw her reflection.
She saw her shaking green eyes.
'What am I doing here?'
Maka looked up to see the very worried face of Crona.
"Crona!"
She hugged him tightly.
Crona was startled by her reaction.
But he managed to say, "Maka, why do you cry?"
"Crona, I saw things…"
Why am I crying?
"I saw people…"
I knew people…
"They seemed so real…"
And alive.
"They…"
The people.
"Are people that I do not know…"
Know.
"But the colors…"
Bright and dark.
"They're like a rainbow…"
Joy and grief.
"And I believe in rainbows…"
Because they're real.
"But I saw yet again…"
It's impossible.
"A lot of arrows…"
Vector.
"Pointing me to my death…"
Dead body.
"An ugly mosquito…"
A big and strong insect.
"A mass of people…"
All serving one power.
"A circle in the sand…"
In the desert sand.
"I saw you when you were young…"
Sad and lonely.
"Your lifeless body…"
Pool of blood.
"Your mad self…"
My mad self.
"I don't want to think that they're real…"
Perhaps they really aren't.
"But the feeling…"
The feeling.
"Is like diving into a pool…"
Getting deeper.
"To a pool at the back of my mind…"
At the back of my brain.
"Memories…"
My memories…
Then her eyes closed by themselves, and her body slackened.
Leaving Crona to carry her.
Along with his own grief.
It was hard to hold everything at the moment.
But he would do it for Maka.
A crying Maka.
'Maka…'
~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~ Thompson's Mansion
"Why is Maka leaning on your shoulder?"
Kid.
"We're so sorry. We didn't know it will rain."
Liz.
"Ehehehe… Yeah! Fighting!"
Patty.
"Are you two fine?"
Tsubaki.
"I'LL GIVE HER SOME ENERGY!"
Black Star.
"BLACK STAR!"
Almost everyone yelled.
"EH?! Nobody wants my support?"
"Crona, what happened?"
Kid asked as the two newcomers entered the building.
Crona's wings dissolved into his body and he sighed.
"Maka is seeing things…"
Everyone suddenly understood what happened.
"How did it happen?"
"It all started with those flashing arrows…"
"I KNEW THOSE ARROWS ARE A BAD IDEA! We should have just used –"
Although it was rarely done, Tsubaki was the one who punched Black Star.
"And…" Crona continued quietly. "Maka cried a lot."
.
Her consciousness was stirring itself to life.
Her feelings were getting alive again.
She…
Was lying on a sofa.
Somewhere.
She sat up straight.
"Crona?"
She looked around.
"Maka!"
Numerous voices called her.
And numerous people came near to her.
"How are you?"
"We didn't know it will rain."
"Weee! Again and again!"
"We're sorry, Maka-chan."
"Guys… It's okay."
Maka looked at each of them.
"Where's Crona?"
"Maka…"
The boy spoke from beside her.
"Eh? Why didn't I see you?"
"You were looking up at them. I was right here. Maka…"
"The rain beat you hard, eh?" Liz said.
"Come on and eat some food!" Patty said happily. "They totally rock!"
Maka eyed all of them closely.
"Where is Black Star? Soul?"
"Ahh… That." Tsubaki scratched a cheek. "Soul said he's been having bad stomach aches."
Black Star gave a muffled "Mye" from somewhere.
Maka turned around to see him by a table, holding two chicken legs.
And his mouth had a lot of food inside. "Kanyo bilib dhot?"
'I can't believe that…'
Maka smiled as she half-consciously heard someone attempt a joke.
'I can't believe that… those things.'
Maka couldn't help but laugh at Kid' reaction when he saw Black Star holding only one chicken leg.
'This is the real moment.'
Crona helped her stand up.
'This can't be fake.'
I stretched myself for a few seconds.
'It is a part of my life. And it's happening…'
Crona guided me to the food.
I looked down at a variety of cuisines.
'But am I missing something?'
~ . ~ . ~ . ~ . ~
The end of this chapter.
And Maka Albarn sees parts of the other side…
This fanfic would have a number of chapters…
Around 20.
More probably, it would be less than 20.
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All the support is appreciated! =)
- Da Newbie