Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, its characters, or it's concepts!
Note: Sorry for the slow-coming of events! There were certain things I wanted to accent on, and a limit I wanted to cap on my chapter length. We should be back on par with plot now, though!
Chapter 20: Battle of Mind and Soul
The Practice field was halfway what the untrained weapon expected to arrive at. One section contained a series of obstacles, another filled with dummies to hack and dice at, and a spot with a circle painted for close-quarter practice to set a line one had to push another across. Lastly, and largest, was an open field, suited for groups and without anything to bar the way of action. This was the space Kidd led them to as he came to a halt under the endless sky where the sun seemed to laugh, wide teeth grinning downwards at them.
As Soul looked into the clear sky, he couldn't help but to notice a figure of some sort, growing larger. The shape was unrecognizable, but then he began to hear a voice. "YAHOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" It grew louder as it came closer towards them, and Soul couldn't help but to wonder how in the world this person's (if it was a normal person, he questioned) lungs could handle such a long-winded yell. Didn't people usually run out of breath by this point?
"Aaaaaaaaand here's our final party members…" Stein said, tossing a cigarette and rubbing it into the ground with the sole of his shoe in a twist. Suddenly a loud thud shook the ground as Soul raised his arm to cover his eyes from the spreading dust. Other's coughed lightly, but was able to catch their breath fairly quickly.
"TSU! That was the BEST EVER!" Black Star laughed boisterously. When he finally managed to calm down and pay attention to the remainder, he greeted Stein immediately. "Yo, Doc, we training already? We went higher than we've ever gone before, and I'm not even warmed up yet!"
"Welcome home, Soul…" a soft angelic feminine voice spoke from a traditional looking samurai sword in his hands. The loud blue-haired meister shut up when he heard his weapon speak up. Sure, he was generally loud, but for her, he was willing to quiet down for anything she wanted to say. Somehow over the years, the assassin had grown fond of his partner and developed a deeper trust than ever.
Soul answered with a wavering voice, unsure about greeting another stranger who'd claim to know him for a life time. "Uh… yeah, thanks."
"SOUL! Dude, where've you been?!" Suddenly the hyper assassin instantly reappeared behind Soul. Before Soul could turn around, He jumped on his back, latching on like a woman in distress piggybacking her rescuer, but his arms were so strong they nearly strangled him instead. The man's face was near inches from his as he squealed strange indefinable noises into his ear.
Soul's defenses shot up immensely as he swung Black Star around back in forth in a semi-circle, jabbing and working to eventually loosen his grip and drop him to the ground violently. "Seriously! Who are you to jump strangers like that?! Geeze!" Now he stood back in more distance, stanced to stop another jump.
"The heck, man? That's not cool! You disappear, forget who I am, then throw me to the ground when I give you my warm welcome?! Nobody treats a GOD like that!" Black Star smacked his hands about his pants to clean the dust from the catch off.
Soul looked dumbfounded, blinking unsurely as he stared at the blue haired assassin, keeping a distance after such an awkward loving hug. This was a 'warm welcome'? If it was, then what was a harsher one?! His claim of identity was even more alarming, as well as his name, though he mentioned nothing of it. "Wait, so there are TWO Death Gods?"
Maka came to the rescue before they ended up on another long-drawn explanation, or more so before Black Star could continue gloating and give her partner the wrong idea. She smiled in amusement in both Black Star's usual never-ending pride and Soul's silent look of shock. "No, no! But he's strong enough to challenge one! Soul, this is Black Star, by the way, and his weapon partner, Tsubaki." Tsubaki transformed back into her human form, her long black hair falling down once again.
"Believe it or not, he's actually one of your best friends here in the academy… Sorry, Black Star, he hasn't really regained his memory yet…" Maka continued. Now leaning over close to Soul's ear, she whispered 'Don't worry, this is completely normal.'
The boy completely overlooked the well-being of his friend's memory, though, in defense of his pride. "What are you talking about 'strong enough'? I've SURPASSED GOD, exactly like I said I'd do! AH HA HA HA HA!" Star bragged, hands on his wrists, standing tall and proud with a voice that once again went over everyone else's and insistent to reinforce his traditional image on Soul.
"As much as I'd love to continue this little meet and greet chat, there are more urgent matters here. I've gathered you all here today so we can work together on re-training Soul." Kidd started. The white-haired weapon blushed upon hearing his name in such importance. Such attention, why did Kidd have to have so many people here just for this? Maka smiled his way, and he returned a shy half-smile back, red eyes veering back to the ground again.
"In all honesty, I… have no idea when the enemy could attack again or what it will cause us to do to ourselves or to others, so I'd like your help on getting him back up to par as quick as we can. It's extremely important in defending this place against whatever is causing it. Your examples are some of the best I could gather. Especially since you're close friends of his."
-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.-.
Moments later they chose Stein and Spirit due to the fact that Soul might want to see how a ballad of his own weapon classification would appear. The cloaked meister swiftly turned and shifted in grace, pausing to swing another way, easily gliding in the air as if they had no weight to him. The black scythe spun in the air, in front of Stein, handled almost like a single end from a set of nun chucks, back and forth between his left and right. It was as if Stein didn't even have to move his hand.
Now with a circular swing above and around his head, the scythe shifted shape into an even wider blade, and possibly even longer. The blade emitted a dark light around it, like an aura of power. Soul stared in admiration of the change as fancy foot work danced patterns into the ground before he could even detect it happening. Suddenly their motions came to a stop as Stein held the blade vertically by his side and bowed.
As they began his official re-training, transforming was one of the first parts of Soul's retraining. Apparently, the trick to transformation was as easy as imagining the image of the weapon embedded in your soul, and focusing your inner magic with desire and will, as explained by Spirit. Weapons knew and felt the form of their blade, or any alternative variation because it was something that was a part of them, something they felt most connected to within their heart and soul.
"Alright, are you ready, Soul?" Maka asked her reunited team mate, her jade orbs gazing confidently into his ruby ones. He just nodded nervously, not ceasing the eye contact. "Don't fret. I believe in you! Just try to feel what's in your heart and go with it, okay? I'll be able to catch you just fine!" She stepped back, holding a hand out to guide him to his landing spot.
He let out a breath and closed his eyes, trying to fit in minute and exact details into the form he'd pictured. So many ideas and possibilities racked his mind, but he stuck with the first ones that showed up. Maybe gut feeling would get him through this! Feeling the magic flow through his veins, he focused his intent on transforming, and the light he expected enveloped him. But something just wasn't happening right. He focused on the picture he'd created, but just didn't feel any different. Soul opened his eyes and looked down, only to find disappointment. He was still human…
"I just can't get it!" Soul exclaimed in frustration after a countless number of tries. Irritated in his failure, the image grew foggier and more faded as he persisted and changed the image various times of what he'd been aiming to turn into just hoping his guesses were right. Memory, least to say, was not serving any better than it did before he arrived.
Now tired and frustrated, it was clear they simply weren't getting anywhere, even after the number of displays that the other weapons provided. The Death God decided that a change in the agenda might do some good. They would now take a break and try resonating. Maybe she could find answers to the changes in his soul, that odd unnaturally red hue it held now that bothered them so much, that they couldn't get by looking from the outside.
"Let's do this instead. We're going to practice resonation. That's another important thing you'll need to know if we want this to be successful," Kidd instructed.
Maka smiled with gleam. A chance to resonate with her weapon again! Ahh, this was a sensation she missed dearly… the intimate bond between them when they put their minds together! There were so many thoughts she wanted to share, so many memories she wanted him to remember through her, and this was the perfect opportunity. It was an answer to give everything back to him that he'd lost in this misconstrued mystery.
"And what is resonation?" Soul asked warily, completely unsure of how difficult it would be based on just the term alone.
Maka answered eagerly, knowing Kidd would forgive her butting into his teaching and anxious to reconnect with the partner she cherished so greatly. "It's the bond between a meister's and weapon's souls. They can communicate better, predict each other better, and strengthen each other greatly! It practically double's a team's efficiency and power, which is why it's pretty much needed for more powerful attacks!" Soul just silently answered an 'Oh'.
"I'll reach for you first, so you can feel it a little bit first, and then when you feel comfortable, you can try to connect, okay? Don't worry, it's pretty much as easy as… loosening yourself up and opening your heart and trust, really. Nothing too technical." Again, Soul just nodded in return to her words, still somewhat unsure.
Now she informed him of things that might help; breathing at the same rate, maintaining the same thought, looking into each other's eyes, and holding each others hand. Oh God did the last two feel so good to do again. Holding both his hands in hers, being able to stare into his red irises.
He just didn't know what it did to her. It reminded her of just how much she wanted him, maybe even needed him, in her life, and just how complete his presence made her feel. This was a moment she would relive for the rest of her life if given the option! But this was for training, not admiration! Setting her personal desires to the side, she reminded herself of exactly what they were trying to save themselves from and reset herself to teaching him this essential skill.
Now looking into his eyes once more and not letting loose of his gaze, he did the same in anticipation of what it would feel like to have someone tugging and reaching for his soul of all things. He appeared nervous, anxious, and almost unwilling to let anyone in. She could feel it, even though they weren't even connected with each other yet. "You're too nervous, Soul. You have to calm down and put trust in me without question."
"I… okay..." The weapon let out a breath, closing his eyes once more to settle down his wandering mind. Now Maka silently asked for confirmation that he was ready, and he gave a quick nod. "Alright, I'm good now," he said, looking back up at her one more time a little more confidently.
His meister smiled, and attempted to look into him once more, finally feeling the presence of his soul. He seemed more willing now, so she tugged at it closer to make sure he wouldn't retreat. There was no defiance, though, and he answered with a reach in return.
Now that they were closer to being connected and no longer blocked apart from a faultless mistrust, she could see his troubled soul much better. Although there was one thing the blonde meister couldn't help but to wonder just now. How did she go so long without seeing his soul even once? Perhaps she wasn't paying attention, or maybe she just didn't try? Either way, she couldn't help but to think she would have noticed at some point or another, despite…
What she saw now that she was here, though, disturbed her even more. Why was his soul red? Normally, his soul was a beautiful blue and energetic with positive energy. But this… it was a ruby shade, with an unstable shock about it. Something was wrong, very wrong! Her heart hurt for him, and she felt the need to proceed further. She needed to find out what was happening and why his soul was so… incomplete!
Prodding for a closer communication to unite their souls, he was surprisingly willing to let her in. She could see it in his expression, he wanted help; he wanted to be himself again, and so desperately, too that it hurt. He was fighting a struggle with his identity. The emotions were almost overwhelming in comparison to what she, alone, felt! But as she attempted to complete the union, a sharp pain in her head grew almost instantly.
Trying again, and ignoring the pain it gave her, she became more insistent, but the barrier of his soul wouldn't let up, as though it were made of steel, regardless of how much he seemed willing. No, this wasn't on her partner's end. He was trying just as much as she was to connect with her on this intimate level.
There was something about that red shade that made her suspicious of this reaction… now more insistent than ever to know what it was and fix it in any way she could, she tried with all the strength she had to take his invitation and combine their souls into one.
Instead of forcing her way into his very being, though, she was forced back, the unbearable stabbing pain in her mind and heart. She let go of his hands, held her hands to her temples and bent down, screaming out. The sensation dulled back down as their friends came around her to catch her in the case she was to fall, holding her up in support.
"I…." the meister stated, exhausted from the effort, disappointed from the failure, and shocked from what she found. "It's not going to work…" The girl stared at the ground in disbelief, panic filling her jade eyes.
Everyone let her go now that she was stable on her feet again. Kidd knelt down to meet her eyes, though. Since when were they ever unable to resonate?! This is what they were best known for! "What do you mean? What happened?" he inquired, his voice urgent as could be.
"Something unnatural is there… some kind of barrier, a magic of some sort… like some kind of magic designed to keep me out…"