Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater, its characters, or its concepts! This is strictly a fan-based work.

Chapter 24: In Love All Over Again

Amazingly enough, as soon as they walked into the institution, Soul seemed to remember exactly where he was regularly scheduled to go for duty and where it was at as well. Every new site and body they ran across brought more and more of his memories back, information flooding into his mind quicker than he knew he was capable of handling. It was like the information had never disappeared. Everything felt so familiar, like he could make his way around alone again and still manage to return to this exact spot he stood. The information was there as though it'd never disappeared. The connection still felt somewhat off, but he felt he'd eventually get it all back in due time at the rate it was already going.

When they noticed the time and realized how little they had left to report to their responsibilities, Maka had to make sure he would be alright on his own, giving him a speedy quiz containing questions like "what's your schedule," "where do we eat lunch at regularly," and "where do we always meet at the end of the day?" She needed to know in the case they were separated. The girl jumped into Soul's arms unexpectedly with an excited squeal, but this time her embrace was a little more welcomed. Somehow, Soul began to feel more comfortable with these random outbursts as he saw more connections revealing themselves, connections that tied their lives together in ways he'd yet to understand fully.

And separated, they were, when Black Star stole Soul away, insisting they needed to play a one-on-one game of basketball again to catch up. "YO! BRO! I heard you're finally coming back good again! What took you so long?!" Black Star inquired in his rather vigorous greeting upon seeing the white-haired weapon, aware it wouldn't be as much of a shock. When the ninja first spotted his albino buddy, he'd ran to knock Soul down on the floor with a fancy wrestling move and playfully punch him in a way they knew they wouldn't get hurt. How Black Star had found out before Maka even said anything to him, she wasn't sure. She'd simply assumed it chalked down to Soul calling him before they left, since they were best friends after all. No matter, though, they seemed to be enjoying the reunion.

"Dude! Black Star!" Soul replied, laughing, wrestling back just as harmlessly. "Seriously, man, we're in the middle of the hallway! Totally not cool!" Although admittedly, he enjoyed the little toss between them quite a bit. He just wasn't willing to show it in front of so many people, watching as they walked by staring down at the ground where they lay with questioning looks.

The blue haired man jumped up, posting with both closed fists upon his hips, and Soul followed, dusting his clothes off a little. "Aw, don't be a wimp, Soul!" Now he pointed at soul rigidly enough to poke anybody's eye out. "I challenge you to another B-Ball game… one on one! You know, so you can't cheat on this one! YAHOO! AH HA HA HA HA!" This was laughter of someone with too much pride, pride that needed to be knocked down a few more notches again.

"What! I… I do not cheat! I'm just better than you, that's all. Accept it and cry!" Soul retorted. Although really, they were quite on par with each other in that field. Sure, Soul wasn't a nimble assassin like Black Star, but with enough practice he'd managed to nail down keeping up with him on the court.

At this notion, Maka could only sigh and smile as she witnessed the connections between two best friends bloom beautifully. Who was she to deny Soul this simple pleasure after all the stress he'd been through? Winning a good game of basketball might even make Soul's day even better! Besides, the meister accepted that she would be fine finding Kidd on her own whim.

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Now Maka brushed through crowds of fellow students making way in the midst of their course changes. Not caring how many shoulders she'd nudged, there was no room for concern. Traffic kept them later than she'd intended for them to arrive this glorious morning, and she wasn't about to miss one of the few opportunities of the day she had to find their obsessive compulsive Shinigami. Kidd was a rather busy body, having much on his plate of management.

Room after room, she'd failed to locate Kidd. Now she tried one last place, the Grand Death Room. Bursting through the door, she shouted, a smile on her face as wide as could be. "Kidd!?" The room was silent without a body to be seen. "Strange, I wonder where he's at. I guess I'll have to wait for him after school hours then…" Backing up to shut the door again and continue her search, she was stopped abruptly when her back bumped into somebody. "O-Oh, sorry!" the ash-blond exclaimed, turning to see who it was she'd owed an apology to. The girl gasped when she found out who it was.

"Maka, darling!" Brilliant blue eyes set below crimson hair sparkled in delight. His typically overly-animated voice toned back down, though, as if a bothersome thought interrupted the usual joy he profoundly exhibited when in her presence. "I wasn't expecting you here so soon… w-what's up?" In all truth, he was unsure whether to show up at the school at all. Ever since he'd given the jewel back to his daughter's weapon partner, a single thought replayed in his mind. It haunted his sleep, seeping into his very dreams. 'Should Soul touch this, he'll remember everything he forgot, and know exactly who did it and why.' He could remember the pictures that played in his mind very clearly. As he'd reach for person to person, each would turn and walk away from him. Then he'd see Soul and Maka glaring at him with eyes that could kill. Then he found himself standing in the middle of flames, demons amidst him, welcoming him with open arms. 'You did well, Spirit. Welcome home...'

A rather optimistic voice broke his concentration on recalling the dreadful dreams and the witch's warning over again, though, before he cold break out in a sweat. "Papa! You won't believe it!" his daughter exclaimed as she jumped up in excitement. This time it was her who was so animated today, compared to her father's calm, laid back posture, with his hands his pocket. Spirit raised his eyebrows and smiled back, as to silently inquire what had her so giddy. "It's Soul! He's starting to remember everything again!"

For a moment, Spirit swallowed nervously, expecting her to turn on him like she did at times, but her smile widened even more as she continued energetically spouting off a story about how Soul woke her up for breakfast, answered all her questions correctly with ease, and remembered everything in their little apartment. "He doesn't remember everything yet, but now we can finally retrain him again! And he'll be able to turn into a weapon again, and maybe even resonate with me once more!" Maka's arms flew one way in another, as if she were drawing it all out in front of him on an invisible sheet of paper. Some students ducked to avoid a flying palm, even.

At this very minute, she was essentially an emotional clone of her father, in a state of mind that she'd never been seen in before. Spirit couldn't help but to chuckle a bit as she spoke. Perhaps there was a little bit of him in her after all, when given the right circumstances. On a more positive thought, she wasn't mad after all, or not yet! If she'd known how it all came this way in the beginning, certainly she wouldn't have been so expressive like this with him. Maybe this was a sign that it'd be okay after all, even with things at his fault.

Then again, he couldn't help but to wonder, did Soul just stay silent about it and forgive him already? Or did Soul even figure it out at all yet? He was all too nervous to ask, afraid to ruin this perfect moment. "Maka, my baby, I'm so happy for you guys!" he suddenly shouted in a merry voice again, wanting to share another bonding moment together with the daughter who's love he'd regained and still held onto for the time being.

Maka control and clasped her arms back up close to her chest, her hands held closely and tightly together by her heart. "Oh Papa, I'm just so happy to have him back! You don't know how hard it was. I wanted to cry every day, but now… now I can come home with him knowing he knows who I am again! I'm never letting him disappear again!" she finished, her voice toned down from the previous hyper state, but still joyous. This girl happy, too happy beyond her usual self, happy like… someone who'd just fallen in love all over again…

"Anyways, I've got to find Kidd! And don't forget to meet us at the training ground after school, okay!?" the blonde meister delightedly reminded her father just before running off, leaving no time for him to answer. If Kidd didn't know yet from Black Star's loud mouth, then she needed to find him soon so she could tell him herself! Left behind now, all Spirit could do is smile as he watched her skip off, watching her figure fade away back into the crowd again.

Little to her recognition, though, Spirit did understand the torment she'd been through. His torment was different, though… When was it that the duo would turn against him? When was it that Lord Death would ban him for plotting unapproved deals with a witch he didn't know at all? When was it that he'd lose his daughter's love all over again? And when was it that he'd have to finally pay for the guilt of his sin?