Chapter Thirteen

Kid and Maka both grabbed a bowl of oatmeal. Maka added honey to hers and grabbed an apple. Kid retrieved two spoons and Maka paused to stir her oatmeal before Kid was rushing her out so they could go back to their tents. The two watched the clouds, as they weaved their way through rushing bodies trying to go back to their tents. The clouds were almost over them and Maka felt the ground shake with a loud crack of thunder after the clouds lit up with electricity.

"My tent is coming up, where's yours?" Kid asked.

"Mine is in the middle of the campground," Maka responded. "Do you think I can-" the rain started. Slow at first. Maka covered her bowl, and Kid shook his head.

"Maka just stay in my tent until the rain stops," he said as the rain started to come down harder. Maka nodded, and the followed Kid as he rushed into his tent. Kid sealed the tent, and the two sat to catch their breaths. Maka heard Kid shuffling and watched as he turned on an oil lamp. There was barely any light with the thick rain clouds above them.

"How long do these things usually last?" Maka asked as she took out her pigtails. She brushed her fingers through her wet hair, and watched as Kid retrieved two towels.

"Well here, I'd say anywhere from ten to fifteen minutes," Kid said as he handed Maka a towel.

"Thanks," Maka said. She felt uneasy. The storm was really coming down. "I hope they're okay," she whispered to herself.

"Your friends have probably been in storms before," Kid said in a reassuring voice. "They're going to be fine, Maka."

"Thank you Kid," Maka said. She squeezed her hair out in the towel given to her, and looked down at her clothes. Her boots were muddy, and Soul's shirt was completely soaked through. She flushed as she realised that her bra was visible, and she draped the towel over her shoulders like a blanket and crossed her arms over her chest. Maka looked at Kid who was removing his shoes and jacket. She took off her boots and cleared her throat.

"I think there's some water in that jug," Kid said, pointing to the jug by the desk. The desk was in the corner of the tent and had two neat piles of paper on opposites sides of it.

"I'm sorry to ask, but do you have any spare clothes I could borrow?" Maka asked, getting up. She grabbed her and Kid's bowls of oatmeal placed them on the desk. "I'm soaked."

Kid nodded and reached into a chest. He pulled out neatly folded clothing and handed them to Maka. "I need to change too," he said with a smile.

"Thank you," Maka said. She took the clothes, and went to a corner of the tent. She placed the pants and shirt given to her on the ground. She kept the towel draped over her as she took her skirt off, the shorts underneath relatively dry. She took the towel on her shoulders and after removing her socks, dried her legs. Putting her hair up in a loose bun, she adjusted the towel under the shirt she was wearing. She pulled off the wet article of clothing, and picked up the shirt given to her. It was a white button up. Pulling it on, she decided that her shorts were dry enough to continue wearing.

"Are you decent?" Maka heard Kid call. She turned slightly and saw that he was facing away from her, scratching the back of his neck in a manner that Maka guessed was nervous. He had taken off his hat and Maka could see the Lines of Sanzu in his hair.

"No," she said with a small smile. "Hold on just a second." She dropped the towel and quickly pulled on the shirt. She buttoned it up quickly, used to button ups from the many years she wore them. "Okay," she said, picking up the towel and wet clothes. "Where can I put these?" she asked, raising the wet clothes.

"You can lay them out here," Kid said, motioning vaguely to the three chests. He looked at the pants still on the floor, and turned his head to not face Maka. "Wh-why aren't you wearing pants?" he asked, face flushed.

"I'm wearing shorts. They were under my skirt, and are dry," she said with a giggle. Maka picked up the pants, and gave them to Kid. She then placed her skirt and Soul's shirt one of the chests, making sure they were flat. She placed her socks beside the skirt and walked over to the desk. "Have you ever been in a sandstorm?" she asked casually as she ate her breakfast to make conversation. Lightning flashed and thunder cracked.

"I have actually," Kid responded. He picked up his own bowl and started to eat. "It was last year when I was staying in a small town. I was traveling from one to another on my way to another campground. It was terrible."

"I imagine so," Maka said. The two fell into a comfortable silence between them, and Maka found that the sound of the rain pounding down on the tent was calming. When she finished her oatmeal she picked up her apple. "Do you want some?" she asked Kid.

Kid placed his empty bowl on the desk beside Maka's. "I would love some," he said. "I have a knife you can use."

"That's good," Maka said. Kid handed Maka the small, clean knife, and she cut the apple in half. Picking the seeds out of one half, Maka leaned against the desk. "Here," she handed the half to Kid. The two began to eat their halves, and Maka decided to take a moment to look around. The chests and desk seemed to be similar to the ones in her tent. There were some bags and books on the floor, but other than that, the tent was bear. The oil lamp sat on the chest in the middle and Kid's clothes were on the chest beside that. The tent was warm and smelled faintly like vanilla.

Maka finished her apple and looked at Kid. He was slowly working on his half and seemed to be looking at the papers on the desk. Maka looked at his hair and the Lines of Sanzu. The three horizontal lines were parallel and their stark white color stood out against the pitch black of the rest of his hair. Kid looked up and Maka flushed a little at being caught staring. Lightning flashed and a crack of thunder quickly followed.

"I'm sorry, I'm just looking at your Lines of Sanzu," Maka said quietly.

"How do you know what they're called?" Kid asked.

"When my friends and I heard about you arriving, they said to look for the Lines of Sanzu. You always wore that hat to cover them and for a while, they kept bugging about how they thought you were the god's son," Maka said. Kid looked down to avoid eye contact for a moment. "They thought that about you since they saw us eating dinner. I didn't know and thought they were jumping to conclusions since you were the only new guy." Maka felt her face get warmer with a darker blush. "Until Nygus told me that you were actually here and not just a rumor. Then I figured that you really are the god's son," she said, stepping closer. Kid looked at her. "Death the Kid."

"Were your friends excited to find out that their assumptions were correct?" Kid asked quietly. The wind howled and lightning flashed.

"My friend did his victory dance that he's been doing since middle school," Maka said as thunder boomed.

"What did his victory dance look like?" Kid asked with a chuckle.

"It's a dance from a movie called Mean Girls. It's a funny dance. He once did it in front of all of our grade during lunch. It was quite embarrassing," Maka said.

"You knew him on the Surface?" Kid inquired with a raised brow.

"Yes, he's one of my closest friends. We met when we were little and when we both lived in Nevada," Maka said. "He moved away at the end of eighth grade, and when I fell, that was the first time I'd seen him in years. He fell too, a couple years ago actually."

"I'm sorry you had to meet here," Kid said.

"This place isn't in very good condition is it?" Maka said with a light laugh. Kid chuckled and shook his head. "But it's nice to see him again. What's really silly is that we both lived in Seattle before we fell."

"What a coincidence," Kid said.

Maka hummed in agreement. She looked down at the shirt she was wearing. It was clearly Kid's, for it was too big for her. It covered her shorts and the sleeves needed to be pushed up in order for her to have access to her hands.

"Sorry I couldn't give you a shirt that fits you better," Kid said, causing Maka to look up at him. "I'm not allowed to open Liz and Patty's trunks."

"Liz and Patty," Maka repeated.

"My 'bodyguards'," Kid said using his fingers to make quotes when he said bodyguards. "I believe you've met them."

"Yes, by the stream," Maka said nodding.

"They mentioned that after we bumped into each other," Kid said.

Maka nodded. The two fell into silence before Maka asked, "So when are you planning on telling the campground?"

Kid reached up to touch his hair. "Sometime during dinner. Until then I'll be wearing my hat."

Maka reached up and took a lock of hair between her fingers, inspecting it. "The Lines of Sanzu are really something," she said, releasing the lock. "I think that you're very symmetrical too, Kid."

"Thank you," Kid said. "These used to not wrap fully around my head. Only half of my head had them, but when my father died, they connected."

Maka nodded and gave Kid a sympathetic look. He smiled. Lightning flashed and thunder crashed, and there was a scream. Maka and Kid tensed. The scream had been right by the tent. There was another loud crack of thunder after a flash of lightning lit up the outside and Maka saw the silhouette of a person clutching their middle right beside the tent.

"Kid, there's someone outside," she whispered. There was another flash and crack moments later, and the being had moved closer to the entrance of the tent.

Kid moved Maka behind him and pulled two guns out of the desk's drawer. Maka peeked out from behind his arm as another flash of lightning revealed the person to be in front of the tent's entrance. Thunder crackled and Maka grabbed the back of Kid's shirt. She felt so useless without a weapon.

When she moved to see the entrance better, Kid stepped in front of her and hissed, "Maka, please don't move." Maka nodded and Kid looked to the entrance again.

Maka grabbed the knife which she had used to cut the apple off of of the desk and positioned her feet in a steady stance. She looked at Kid, who was focused on the entrance. He was holding his guns in a peculiar way. They were upside-down, and his pinkies were on the triggers.

"Is anyone in here?" called out a timid sounding voice. It was hard to tell the gender, but Maka thought something about it sounded off. The rain was heavy and loud. Her grip on the knife tightened as Kid lowered his arms. When his arms her at his sides, Maka grabbed his arm anxiously.

"Kid, I don't trust this," she whispered.

"Me neither," Kid said.

"Should we call back?" Maka asked.

"Hello?" the voice called again. Lightning flashed and showed their silhouette reaching out to the entrance.

"Maka," Kid said taking a step back, his eyes wide. "I think they know this is my tent. Call out."

"Hello," Maka called out in a steady voice.

"Oh, someone's in here!" the voice outside said. "I need help."

"What is wrong?" Maka asked.

"I've been injured," the being called. Maka's eyes narrowed. They were being vague, and seemed to be rushing.

"In what way?" Maka asked.

"Just let me in," the being demanded.

Maka's eyes widened. "You aren't giving me a good reason to let you into my home," she called out.

"I know he's in there," the being said. Maka watched as Kid tensed. Their voice had become higher in pitch and was starting to sound layered.

"Who? It's just me," Maka said steadily.

"I know he's in there," the being said. A flash of lightning showed their silhouette had started to blur. "The son."

"A shadow," Kid whispered. Maka's jaw clenched as thunder crackled.

"He isn't here," Maka yelled. Her grip on Kid's arm tightened.

There was a rustling by the entrance of the tent and Maka shoved Kid under the desk and threw the bags in front of him. She opened one and took a book from the floor, placing it open on the desk. She then took one of the bowls and put it in a desk drawer. She did all of these things as quickly and quietly as she could. She rushed to Kid's now damp clothes and threw them into the trunk they were placed on. Grabbing the oil lamp, she walked back to the desk and sat down on top of it.

"Maka what-" Kid bit out.

"Be quiet. If they come in here, don't let them hear you," she whispered as she placed the oil lamp on the desk.

"Okay," she heard Kid whisper back.

The entrance to the tent opened and Maka stared at the being. It was black and wispy, seemingly blurring in and out of focus. Maka felt her heart thumping against her ribs.

"I know he's here," the shadow said. "This is his tent." The shadow took a step, and Maka sat, frozen. She still had the knife. "Where is he?"

"I told you that this isn't his tent," Maka said.

"I saw him come in here," the layered voice of the shadow sounded urgent.

"Then you're mistaken," Maka said. The heavy rain was making the floor of the tent wet. Lightning flashed.

"No," the shadow said, taking a step forward. The tent flap closed. "He's here," the shadow said. It's glowing white eyes stared at Maka. It charged to the chests and threw them open. "No, no, no," it cried. Thunder cracked. "You must be hiding him somewhere. You're only wearing a shirt. That shirt's too big for you," the shadow started to walk towards Maka. It cocked its head to the side in a stiff manner and as it did, it looked as if it glitched. It's appearence blinked and for a moment, the shadow looked like a man. His eyes were wide and bloodshot, and his hair was wild and wet. Maka blinked and he was black and wispy again, no longer looking human. "Your hair is messy and you look flushed." The shadow stopped. "You aren't just a fling, the son isn't like that. You must be a lover." Maka tensed in case she needed to jump off the table. "You're decently attractive, and since you're able to hide him you must be smart."

"I told you that he's not here," Maka hissed. "My hair is messy because I've had it in a bun when I was sleeping and I'm flushed because I'm angry that you've entered my tent. I'm only wearing a shirt because these are my pajamas and it's too big because that's how I found it." She leaned away from the shadow as she felt its glowing eyes stare at her.

"You're a good liar," the shadow said.

"I'm not lying," Maka said. "And I don't even think that the son is here on the campground. There are rumors but as far as I know, they're just that; rumors."

"Then if he's not here," the shadow leaned towards Maka. "I'll come back for you after I kill him."

Maka's breath caught in her throat as she felt something brush her thigh. It felt like water in the way that it was cold and not solid, but it wan't wet. She prepared to stab the shadow, but before she could raise her arm, it darted out of the tent. Maka sat on the desk, watching the flap of the tent open and close, the wind blowing it. She blinked and, slamming the knife on the desk, pushed off of it and ran to the tent's entrance. She sealed it and stared at the water on the floor.

This is the chapter where you really learn what a shadow is like. A shadow is exactly like what the name implies: a shadow of what a person used to be. The majority of the time they're black and wispy, possibly appearing like a blurred image. Sometimes they'll blink into an appearance that is identical of what they looked like while they were alive. Their voices sound like they did when they were alive but usually are somewhat warped or off; whether it be that it's too high or low, or that when the shadow speaks it sound layered like many voices are speaking at the same time (like the shadow in this chapter). So that's a bit about shadows that's good for imagining more of what they're like.

Sorry about the delay. I meant to post this yesterday, but I forgot. Thank you for reading and sorry for any spelling or grammatical errors.

-littlecat