Story Title: Eat My Soul

Rating: T for Teen

Genre: Romance/Drama/Action/Slice-of-Life

Synopsis: Maka's mission is to transfer to Shibusen Academy in order to find the whereabouts of an Evil soul. But the thing is…it's an all-boy's school.

Chapter Twenty Six

My Samurai Showdown!

It took Professor Shinigami approximately ten minutes to shut us all up. He ushered everyone from the room, leaving only me. Soul and Kid had argued all the way to the exit but Professor Shinigami wouldn't have it; they had to leave. Though, I didn't mind being alone during Professor Shinigami's talk.

The great death God sighed and strode back to me, looking weary from the strength he had to use to get rid of everyone. "I'm sorry about that, Maka."

"It's okay," I said.

"Your friends care very much about you." He eyed me.

"Yeah…they do." I found myself smiling at the thought of them all. "So I assume you wanted to talk about the Evil?"

"That, and something else."

"Something else?"

I must have looked worried because he then said with a light wave of his giant foam hand, "It's nothing serious. I just wanted to ask you how you were doing at Shibusen. So…how are you?"

"Oh! I'm doing very well! Shibusen was a bit difficult getting used to but after a while, I found it was no different than Meister."

"Good, good, very good. And how are your classes? Classmates?"

"I'm at the top of my class," I said with a bright grin. "And everyone treats me well. Well, I have a little competition going on with Ox Ford but…" I chuckled, scratching my check.

"Do you like being here at Shibusen, Maka?" His question was a general one but the way he said it made me feel like something was at stake.

"Yes, I do," I answered firmly. There was nothing to it: I liked being at Shibusen with everyone.

"Hmm, that's good, that's good."

"Sir…is my liking Shibusen affecting my mission in any way? Is it affecting the Evil?"

"No, no, you're fine. What's affecting the Evil isn't you. It's someone else."

My eyes opened a little more. "Do you know who it is?"

He shook his head.

"Will I be able to find this person?" I asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. Maybe you already know this person, or maybe you do not." Right then, I remembered the vision I had when the Evil soul passed through me those many months ago. "There are too many possible causes and I cannot find the correct one. Though that fight the Evil's torso was very stupendous!" he added in happily. "Though I couldn't see it, I could sense your soul. It was very powerful, like a blast! You and Soul make a great team."

"Y-you're not angry?" I asked tentatively.

"Angry?"

"W-well…b-because Soul's my partner, I didn't want to lie to him so I…kind of…sort of…"

"You told him."

"Yes, I'm sorry!" I clapped my hands together and bowed to him but he simply waved my gesture away.

"It was inevitable that, as partners, you'd want to tell him. I'm not mad, and I don't blame you for anything."

I breathed out in relief. And then as I remembered my list of questions, I shouted out, "Ah! That's right! How did you know about the kidnap? And you're Kid's father?"

"Er, um, yes, I'm Kid's father. I never told you because the subject was never brought up. The same goes for Kid as well…probably."

"P-probably?" I repeated. "All this time…he knew I was a girl all this time!"

"My child has a way of sneaking into my room and listening in on my conversations…. That being said, he's known you for a long time, Maka."

"What?" I blinked. "But we met after I transferred to Shibusen."

"Yes, officially that is. But enough my son's past. If he hadn't called for me, both you and Soul would have been trapped in that Portal forever." He shivered at the thought.

"Kid was the one who brought you to help?"

"Yes. It was the first time I've seen him panicked. He said he wasn't strong enough to help his friends…and that I should do this one thing for him." Professor Shinigami sighed. "It's been a long time since my son has asked for my help. Too long in fact…"

I didn't say anything. He seemed to want this moment for himself….

"Anyway!" said Professor Shinigami brightly, straightening up again. "Although you didn't destroy the torso, you managed to injure it and I daresay it'll take more than a few weeks for it to fully recover, maybe a month at most. Until then, I wish for you to track it down and get rid of it. That mirror…has a way of showing us what we fear most but what's even worse than that: what we want the most."

"What about the hands, Professor? It's been alive for far too long if you ask me."

He chuckled. "Hmm, maybe it has. But since the torso is the injured one, we'll have to focus on it instead."

I nodded. "Yes, sir."

He turned around so that his back faced me. "That is all. You may leave to be with your friends again. I'm sure they're all dying to ask you what we talked about."

I laughed. "I'll make sure to only tell Soul." I bowed to him. "Well, then, I'll be going now." I straightened up and made to leave but he spoke again.

"Ah, I almost forgot…."

I turned over my shoulder.

Professor Shinigami was looking at me again, his skull mask concealing his real emotions. "Keep an eye on Kid."

I hesitated. "Is something wrong with him?"

"No, but I fear something may go wrong with him. His powers…they're not as strong as before."

I smiled at him. "Don't worry, Professor Shinigami. I'll make sure to keep him safe."

When I exited his office, everyone was there and promptly began barging me with questions about what we talked about and if anything happened. I shook them off, saying that I was tired and they reluctantly let me slide. Tsubaki and the girls went back to Meister Dorms and I, along with the guys, walked back to our house. The entire walk there, I kept silent. I was thinking about Kid.

His powers weren't as strong as before?

Why was that?

I looked up at his back. He didn't seem any different from usual. Maybe it was because Professor Shinigami was his father and that was why he noticed it. I folded my arms, lost in thought.

But then I suddenly began thinking about the mirror. What it said…wasn't the entire truth…but it was still something that was buried deep in my heart. Ugh, no, don't think about it. It'll only depress you. But I couldn't stop thinking about it. Especially about Soul, too. What it had said about him…was that true? I felt a bit lonely that he hadn't confided in me about his past. But then again, I hadn't either.

I knew we weren't strangers, but how much did I really know about Soul? What parts of his past hadn't he told me yet? And why was I letting my own past hang in midair?

Ugh, this kind of thinking is stupid. Just stop it….

"Maka!" screamed Black Star angrily, right into my ear.

I became dazed from the volume and couldn't focus my thoughts until I shut my eyes and shook my head. Finally, I screamed back, "What the hell, Black Star!"

"I've been trying to get your attention, idiot!" he said. "What? Were you thinking about something?" He eyed me suspiciously.

I sighed. "Not really."

"Is something wrong?" Kid looked over his shoulder at me.

"No, nothing's wrong!" I laughed off my worries though they were still there. "Ah! We're here! Let's go inside, I'm starving! Soul, it's your turn to cook!"

"What? I cooked yesterday!" he complained.

"I want you to cook so you'll cook," I said tonelessly as I opened the door.

He grumbled something under his breath as he walked in behind me but I only smiled at him.

"Thanks, Soul."

A few days later, I was still searching to that darn torso. It hadn't shown itself yet and I was getting agitated at finding it as soon as possible. Maybe there was a way to lure it out…but what?

At the moment, I was in class, listening to Professor Stein talk about the insides of various endangered birds he'd like to see in person. He kept flipping a scalpel in his fingers as he talked, moving his arms animatedly. Behind me, Soul was reading a book but I knew better than to tell myself he'd sit down and actually read; I had caught him numerous times before using fake book covers in order to flip through comic books. Kid was trying to write his name on our homework, looking extremely concentrated. It was always a funny sight to see him try to make things as symmetrical as possible. And Black Star was sleeping, obviously. His mouth was left wide open as he slouched in his chair.

I sighed. Of all people to sit in front of….

When Professor Stein began lecturing about the workings of Portals, the last bell of the day rang and everyone immediately sprang into action though stopped as soon as our teacher gave us the evil eye. The students sat back down.

Professor Stein adjusted his glasses atop his nose and promptly assigned us our homework, though I had a feeling he made the load heavier just because his class got up when the bell rang.

Black Star was still sleeping and didn't wake until Soul nudged him.

"Oi, wake up. Class is over."

Black Star woke up with a jolt and, as if by instinct, punched Soul on the nose. They two boys began arguing after that but I stopped paying them any attention. I had to get to Kid.

Though he was at the door waiting for me.

"Kid!" I said sternly. "Where are you going after this?"

"Hm?" He tilted his head. "Are you going to ask me out on a date?" he whispered slyly.

I blushed as I gaped at him. "No! I'm not! I just want to know where you're going…to…go!"

"Hm, what a shame." He sighed, looking sad though I knew he was only teasing. "I'm going back home, of course. And then after that, I thought I'd go to the library to finish Professor Stein's assignment. Would you care to come with me?"

My answer was yes, but only because Professor Shinigami told me to keep an eye on his son. I opened my mouth to talk but suddenly, Black Star wrapped his arm around my shoulders.

"Sorry, Kid, but Maka and I have to go out today."

"What? We do?" I said, confused.

"Yeah. So come on! Let's go!"

"W-wait! I never agreed to going!" But I might as well have not been talking for all the attention Black Star gave me. He dragged me away from Kid and down the hall.

"So? What do you want with me?" I asked, still being dragging my neck.

Black Star didn't say anything. He didn't look at me either; he just kept walking down the hall with me in tow. Finally, when my neck felt like breaking, he suddenly stopped and dropped me on the floor.

"Ouch! What was that for?" I rubbed my neck as I got up.

"We're here!" he said happily, spreading his arms wide.

I looked in front of us. A familiar sign was hanging above a door and I grinned. "The nurse's office, huh?"

"Yup." Black Star opened the door and revealed a familiar setting. He walked inside and I followed.

"This is where you tried to scare me," I said fondly, looking around. I spotted the green lantern he had used sitting atop a desk and ran over to it. "Ha! It's still here."

"Of course it is. It's my personal light, though everyone keeps telling me it's the nurse's."

I laughed. "So what was the point in bringing me here?"

Black Star closed the door behind him. "You're going to tell me what's been wrong with you these past few days." He suddenly turned serious. "What's wrong?"

"I've been fine," I said, looking at him.

"Are you really?"

I couldn't say anything. He grinned at my silence.

"See? I've been waiting for you to talk but you never spoke a word about your troubles. Soul's been worried too."

My heart skipped a beat.

"When you're not there, he talks about you, you know. He's worried that mirror might have affected you in some way."

"He told you about the mirror?"

"Just that it was a mirror."

"Nothing else?"

He eyed me. "Was there something else he was supposed to tell me?"

"…No, there wasn't."

"You're doing it again!" he shouted, frustrated. "Always saying nothing's wrong when something is wrong! Just spit it out! I've been worried about you for days and you won't even tell me what's wrong!"

"What's wrong with you? Maybe I want to deal with it on my own!"

"Stop being so conceited!" he yelled angrily. "We're your friends, aren't we? We have to depend on each other or else we wouldn't be any different from monsters!"

"What would you know about feeling like a monster!" I screamed, my temper flaring. "You're just a stupid little boy who always goes on and on about wanting to surpass God when in reality you're just chasing a useless dream! Just wake up already!"

"I've been awake! I've always been awake!"

"No, you're not! If you were, then you'd stop with this stupid argument!"

"I won't stop until you tell me what's bothering you!"

I've never seen Black Star this angry before. I knew that in a physical fight, he'd win for sure. But this…!

"I don't have anything to say to you!" I yelled back.

"Then talk to Soul! I don't care who, just stop thinking you're alone!"

"You don't know anything…" My voice trembled. "I'm always depending on you guys…always, every single time. I don't want to keep depending on everyone! Besides! You don't know how it feels to be kept in the dark! To know that the person you call your partner has a past you don't know anything about! The feeling of disgust, of thinking yourself unworthy of that knowledge…! You don't know how it feels to be left out!"

Suddenly, there was a blinding pain across my cheek. I realized that Black Star had punched me. I dropped against the floor and he knelt down, gripping the front of my collar. His hands were shaking. "Tsubaki!" he shouted. "For me, it was always Tsubaki! No one else!"

Tsubaki?

"When we first became partners, it killed me every time she said she was okay. Every time she said she was all right, that nothing was bothering her…it killed me every time. Knowing that there was something in her past still haunting her…but not fully knowing what it was…it killed me! So…!" He raised his fist again and I knew what was coming. "Don't you dare tell me that I don't know how it feels!"

Before he could move, I drove my fist across his face and he stumbled backward, allowing me to quickly stand up. We were both breathing hard, as if we had just come out from a full blown fight.

"You love her," I breathed.

He was glaring up at me but nodded his head. "It was always Tsubaki. She's the only one who can bring me down to my lowest level…and not know it."

I looked down at the floor.

What the hell was this?

Black Star and I…were the same.

Why'd it take an argument and two punches to realize that?

"You're really amazing," I said to him.

He blinked and his expression changed into a confused one. The sight was so familiar that it was funny.

It was the first day of school all over again.

"I'm sorry, Black Star. I guess I've been neglecting you. You're my best friend, you know that?"

He looked as if he was still waiting for more.

"And I promise to confide in you more. I'm actually glad you know why now." I stuck out my hand to him. "You're pretty good."

His face slowly changed expression. He beamed at me and took my hand firmly in his. "You're pretty good yourself."

"I think we can become honorable friends after this," I said.

"Yeah." He nodded his head.

And then we burst out laughing.

"We totally just had a samurai showdown right now!" said Black Star, holding in his stomach.

"Yup!"

"Maka, thanks for giving me a chance to learn more about you." Black Star opened his arms wide and hugged me tightly. I hugged him back but I felt him go rigid, as if he had turned into a frozen block of ice.

I pulled away. "Black Star?"

He was looking behind me, dazed. "Just now…"

"Huh?"

And then with his palms opened wide, he pressed his hand against my chest. I screamed and slapped him across his face as hard as I could. He flew toward one of the white beds.

Behind us, the door burst open and Soul barged in with a broom in hand. "What the hell? I thought I heard Maka scream!"

I couldn't say anything for the shock of having been groped paralyzed my voice. I just kept jabbing my finger at Black Star's direction and holding my chest with my other arm. Soul looked between me and Black Star (who was now kneeling atop the bed) and a look of horrified realization set on his face.

"You damn bastard! I can't believe you'd try anything with Maka! And at school too!" He pulled me behind him. "I trusted you, Black Star!"

Black Star held up his hand innocently. "Wait! It's not what it looks like!"

"It looks like you tried to do something with Maka that I won't say out loud because it makes me sick to my stomach!" bellowed Soul, brandishing the broom he was holding in front of him like a weapon.

"S-Soul! Maka's a…Maka's a…!"

"Maka's a what!"

Black Star crawled away from the bed and toward Soul. He then got up to his feet and whispered something into his friend's ear. Soul's eyes popped open and he hurriedly closed the door.

"You just found out right now?" he asked in a sort of constrained whisper.

Black Star nodded adamantly. "Yeah! Just now! When I…!" He looked at his hand and screamed. Soul pounded his head with the broom.

"Shut the hell up! We can't have anyone else knowing!"

"Anyone else? Who the hell knows besides us! And how do you know about Maka!"

"Forget about how I know!" ordered Soul; his face had turned a shade of red.

"Black Star…" I called quietly, still holding my chest. "I guess the secret's out now."

"Ma…Maka…you…you're a…!"

I nodded at him. There was nothing else I could do now. The secret was out.

He raised his finger at me and his face screwed up to show his horror and surprise. "You're a girl!"

Next Time on Eat My Soul!

"It's your turn to go buy food."

"You don't look very good..."

"It's the same every time."

Author's Note: And so...it begins. For Black Star, at least, ha ha! So I went to the dentist and now my mouth is friggen' sore. I can't chew food so now I gotta fast for an entire week, ha ha. Oohh, dear foods...please don't spoil on me...!

Thanks everyone who read the last chapter! And thanks everyone who read this chapter! Eat My Soul is here because of you guys!

And an extra special thanks to you all for giving this story more than four hundred reviews! Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!

See you all in the next chapter! :D