Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater!

Chapter 37

A Child's Blood

The loud music surrounded us, growing louder with every beat. The vibrations from the large speakers shot across the floor from the base player, with a stronger sound wave, every time his fingers ran across the strings.

People pushed and prodded, trying to get to the front of the room where the band stood above on the stage, rocking out their tunes. They jumped with the remaining beat of the drum before stopping, waiting for the next song to start.

The lead guitarist held the strings of his instrument, pulling them to a stop as his lips parted slowly, drawing in a deep breath. His fingers strummed the base, 'I'm waking up to ash and dust...'

"Hey," I pulled the original's sleeve. "I don't feel comfortable in here."

A girl screamed beside me, shouting her love out for the band on stage. I don't see what's so special about them, they're just your average band. It's not as if it's the Queen of England...

"IMAGINE DRAGONS!" The crowd chanted as the band sung, jumping with the crowd.

"Oh, have a little fun Maka." He grinned, a smile filling his face. His fangs were hidden neatly in his gums, unlike mine that were urging to sprout.

'Welcome to the new age! To the new age, welcome to the new age! To the new age! Whoa~'

"I-I thought we were going to feed," I tried to avoid the mass of necks around me; with their thumping pulses and rushing blood.

"We are here to feed," he winked.

"But I don't like places like this! They make me nervous," I gulped. A rush of people ran past me knocking me into the original. I braced myself against his chest, staying there for a few seconds too long. I pulled away, feeling my cheeks heat up. "S-Sorry."

He quirked a brow. "I don't mind."

"P-Pervert," I punched his chest. The burn had returned in my throat.

'I'm radioactive, radioactive!'

"Look around Maka, take a pick." He drew his arm around in an arc, narrowing his eyes on one of the humans. "Ooh, what about that redhead?" He nodded at the girl with bright red hair, standing out against the other blondes and brunettes around her.

"N-No thanks, I'll get captivated by her hair more than her blood." I scoffed, avoiding his eyes.

"Hm, I wonder if that's true..." He wandered over to her.

"Her blood will look dull next to her hair, I'm warning you~" I said loud enough for him to hear, shaking my head. "I'm gonna get some fresh air," I breathed, pushing my way through the crowd. The intensity of the burning was hurting. It was like someone had poured acid down my throat!

'Whoa, I'm radioactive, radioactive!' The singer's voice rung through my ears as I exited through the back door, finding myself in a narrow alley. What luck.

I closed my eyes, listening out for a heartbeat or pulse of some kind. It was weird I guess, from a humans point of view. But from my perspective, a human was just a fragile being that clings onto life like a newly born lamb suckling it's mother for fresh milk.

They are blood bags on legs.

'I raise my flag, don my clothes. It's a revolution, I suppose!' The band could still be heard from the back, interrupting my quietness.

"Stupid people, singing about radioactivity and crap." I growled, heading deeper into the alley. "What kind of name is that anyway? Imagine Dragons was it?" I laughed, peering into the dark.

A moving dot came into view, making its way towards me through the alley. The dot grew bigger, forming a child as it neared. She had short brown hair with a pretty ribbon tied across her fringe, covered with cute cats and dogs. Her clothes were crumpled at the bottom, covered with flecks of mud and dust.

"M-Miss..." Her voice wavered at the sight of me. "Have you seen my mama or papa..?" She sniffled, tugging my jeans.

"You speak English?" I asked, surprised at her unusual accent.

"Mhm," she rubbed her eyes.

"Well, I'm afraid I...haven't..." My eyes drifted to her petite neck. I focused on the pulse throbbing against the pale skin, begging to be bitten.

Eat her!

My beast roared, pushing me on. "I-I'll help you find them," I heard myself say, wrapping my hands gently around hers. I bent to her level, looking her in the eye. "Don't scream!" My beast yelled and I sunk my fangs into her neck, hitting the vein with one strike.

"O-Ow! Help me! M-Mama!" The girl cried, hurting my ears. I cupped my hand over her mouth, silencing her cries as I drank her blood, ignoring the drops that splattered to the ground.

'We're painted red, to fit right in. Whoa~'

The blood poured from my mouth, mixing with the child's tears. I licked the wounds clean before biting the other side of her neck, bursting another vein. The rich blood dribbled from the tiny pipe and into my mouth, casting away the burning from my throat.

I lapped away the blood running down her collarbone, the sound of her heart beat slowing. "Maka!" I ignored the voice, trying to draw the remaining blood to the surface.

"Stop!" Strong hands enveloped my waist, ripping me from my prey.

"How dare you!" My beast spat, blood dripping from my chin and hand. "Let me finish my human!" I could feel her seething with anger, trying to claw her way out of my mind.

"Shut up! I'm talking to Maka, not you," the original growled, grabbing my wrist. My beast growled through clenched teeth but retreated back inside.

'This is it, the apocalypse...'

"What's wrong?" I cleared my throat, licking the blood from my fingers. "I was only feeding," I glanced back at the girl's body laying discarded on the ground.

"She is dying!" He roared, pushing me back.

"W-What? I only took a little sip..." I drifted off, realising how pale the girl had become. "Or didn't I..?" Did my beast take over? I-I don't remember taking so much blood!

"I'll take her to the hospital." He picked the child up carefully, being careful not to hurt her anymore than I already had. "Wait here," he disappeared in a flash with the girl, leaving a stagnant smell behind.

'I'm waking up, I feel it in my bones! Enough to make my systems blow~'

A small bow lay in the puddle of blood at my feet, holding a few strips of brown hair. I sniffed it, recognising the smell and colour. It was the little girls. "I can't believe I did this," I sniffled. "I nearly killed her..." My voice broke.

She was looking for her parents, that much I knew. "M-Maybe I should find them...tell them what happened..." I shook my head.

If you do that then they will kill you. Or stake you.

"Shut up," I growled. "I'll just...lie." Yes, that will be better.

'All systems go...'

I held the ribbon tight in my fist, hurrying down the alley. Different scents travelled through my nose, mixing together which only confused me. I stopped beside a shop with a large reflecting window at the end of the alley. I looked terrible.

My hair was a tangled heap behind my neck and there was blood all over me. My lips were bright red, as if the blood had painted them and my fangs were still out; wedging against my bottom lip. There was blood all over my hands and underneath my nails, reminding me of what I had done.

I sighed, shoving the ribbon in my pocket. Luckily, my clothes were a dark navy colour so the blood didn't show up as much, it left random patches that had already soaked through the material. But I was still covered with blood. Most of it dry.

I rubbed away at the crimson from my hands and face, watching it flake away with every move. Once I was presentable and my hair was decent enough, I pulled the ribbon out of my pocket, bringing it to my nose.

'...the sun hasn't died...' I guess my hearing is impeccable since I can still hear the band singing from the club back down the alley.

I ignored their voices, sniffing the bow once again. The scent had changed ever so slighty, but was memorable. I scanned the dim streets, noticing how the only light came from the tall lampposts dotted around the area.

My eyes landed on a couple walking quickly through the town, looping around the statue of a figure in the centre of the sidewalk. I searched for the scents, noticing how familiar they were to the girl's.

'...deep in my bones...'

Maybe they're the girl's parents? I listened in on their hush conversation, zoning in on their words.

"But, Charles! What if she went the other way?" The woman said frantically, gripping his forearm.

"Then we'll just have to take the risk!" The man sighed. "We'll find her, I'm sure of it."

The woman wiped her eyes, "Why don't we split up? We could cover more ground if-"

"No!" He yelled. "I'm not losing you too."

I rushed over to them, stopping a few feet away. "Excuse me," I breathed. The woman jumped, releasing her husband's arm. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean to surprise you. I just..." My hand unfurled, showing them the crumbled ribbon sitting neatly in my palm.

"I-Is that Maddie's?" The woman gasped, reaching for the bow.

"Maddie?" I asked. "Does she have short brown hair?" I eyed the cats and dogs dotted around the ribbons design.

"Yes, you have seen her?" The man pondered.

I nodded. "My friend and I found her...she ugh...slipped while she was running. She hit her head...and has lost a lot of blood." I lied, feeling terrible inside. "My friend took her to the hospital while I came to find you. She said that she got lost..?"

"T-That's right, we lost her in a crowded area. We've been searching for her for hours!" The mother whimpered, taking the bow. "Can you show us where she is?"

'...straight from inside...I'm waking up!'

"Of course."

I followed the original's scent around the town, finally finding the hospital he was in. I left the parents with a nurse who questioned them, asking about their daughter's details and such while I found him sitting in a cubicle beside the unconscious girl.

"I told you to wait." He kept his back to me.

"I couldn't just sit around and wait for you to get back!" I yelled in a hush voice, making sure none of the nurses or doctors heard me.

"What are you doing here?"

I stood beside him. "I came to see if she was alright." I peered at her form, surprised at her bare neck. There were no marks. "Did you heal her?"

"Yes, I gave her a fraction of my blood. The puncture marks you left on her healed nicely; you owe me one." He sighed, pinching my arm.

"Ouch," I said with a dead tone; rubbing my arm. "I found her parents, in case you were wondering about the scents entangled around my own."

He nodded. "Good, at least she won't be alone."

"It took me ages to get them here since I had to act human and walk at a slow pace." I groaned, leaning against the bed frame. "But thanks for helping out...I really didn't mean for this to happen," I felt a tear slide down my cheek. I quickly rubbed at it, refusing to cry in front of him.

"You're lucky I got there in time." He rubbed my back in a comforting way, and I leaned into him.

"Should we go now? Her parents are coming," I heard their footsteps down the hall, heading to the room.

"Yes," he grabbed my wrist and flashed us out of the hospital, stopping by the statue I found the couple at earlier on. "By the way," he said as I climbed up the statue, perching on its extended arm. "You were right about that redhead. Her blood was dull against her hair, it put me off. I only took a sip of her blood." He sighed.

"Do you want some of mine?" I asked out of the blue, regretting the words as soon as I realised what I had said. "I-I mean...you look hungry...and you didn't finish your food..." I looked away.

"Thanks for the offer, but I'll feed another time." He tapped my leg with his finger. "Just don't go around killing people again, OK?"

"I'll try not to," I kicked his shoulder, exchanging a glare with him. I looked up at the sky to find no clouds or birds flying about. It was just a clear black sky. No stars. I gazed into the abyss, getting lost for a while before returning to reality when Soul's face cropped up in my mind.

"What's your name?"

"Didn't anyone tell you?" He glanced up at me.

"Tell me what?"

"I'm sure Chaji told you? About no one ever knowing my name?"

"Oh, yes, he told me that. I'm only asking, you don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I rolled my eyes. "It's just annoying not knowing your name, having to call you Mr. Vampire and the 'orginal'."

"If I tell you," confusion swept across his face. "Do you promise not to tell anyone else or say my name in front of the other vampires?"

"Y-You're gonna tell me it!?" I gasped, nodding my head. "I promise!"

"My name is Saisho, meaning, 'the first'." He said, loud enough for my ears, only my ears.

"It's nice to meet you properly, Saisho."

I hid behind a large wooden crate, staying low. "Are you sure the vampire is here?" I whispered to Yoso who sank to the floor beside me, nodding his head. "Really?"

"I just saw it, I swear!" He held his hands up.

"Oi, you two!" One of the other members shouted, drawing all attention to us.

"Shit," I glared over at him. "Keep it down!"

"U-Um...Soul..?" Yoso gulped, prying my arm from the crate.

"What?"

"I found the v-vampire."

I spun around and formed my arm into a scythe, slashing through thin air. "Where did he go?" I pivoted in a circle, looking frantically for the monster.

"He's up there!" Yoso leapt onto the stack of crates before me, leaping into the air. I followed after him around the box, watching as he climbed across the metal grates like a monkey. "Stay on the ground! I'll watch from up here!"

"Roger that!" I ran to the other end of the room, ignoring the other fights going on between the crew as they destroyed the younger vamps. I slashed through an empty crate as the main vampire flashed in front of me, baring his fangs.

Yoso suddenly sprang from the ceiling grates and knocked the vampire over, keeping his legs locked around its throat while I slashed down the centre of its chest, drawing blood. "Do it!" Yoso handed me a stake.

I nodded, curling my fingers around the wooden item. "Do you, by any chance, know where the Elders are designated to in Rome?" I asked the creature, pushing the tip of the stake into his chest.

"T-The Elders? Only vampires know of them-"

"Tell me!" I dug the tip in deeper, piercing the skin covering his heart.

"O-OK!" His fangs bit down on his bottom lip. "T-They live under the city, but that's all I'm telling you!" He whined.

"Give me more information!" Yoso tightened his hold when I gave him a specific look, snapping a few of the bones in the vampire's neck.

"I can't! I'll be killed!" He cried, struggling to break free.

"Hmph, you're gonna die either way!" I pushed the stake all the way in, puncturing his heart. He lost his colour, becoming even paler.

"Quick!" Yoso jumped back, pulling me with him just as the vampire burst into a thousand ashes, each glistening with an ember of heat.

"What the hell-"

"Good work," Teishi appeared behind us, patting our backs with his large hands. "You handled that well."

"T-Thanks," I muttered, combing my hair back. "Has everything else been dealt with?" I turned to face him.

"Yes, we'll move out at dawn."

One week later...

"Here we are!" Teishi chuckled, clapping his hands. The sun bore down on our little group of soldiers as we exited the army truck, filing in a circle with the boss in the centre. "I want you all to search high and low for the Elders. From the information Soul got from that vampire back in Portugal and the map I found pinned in one of the taverns in France, the Elder's should be under the city."

"So what should we do?" Yoso grumbled, leaning against me.

"You'll split into two groups." He divided us down the middle. Luckily, Yoso was still with me so I wouldn't be stuck with the annoying trio I met on my first day here. "The first group will search the mines and surface while the second group will search the sewers." Great, I'm stuck with the disgusting slime below the city.

But a week has already past, it went by too quickly. And I only have 11 days left to find Maka before all of hell breaks loose.

Posting Date: 9th May 2013

Symm: I'm trying to make the chapters longer, but it's not working out that well yet XD But I have my first English exam on the 20th so I'll try and upload before then, but if I don't then there will definitely be one updated the week after :) Also, thanks for the idea of Maka attacking a child momokol!

Thanks for the reviews and addings:

suvra2001, FanfictionForUs, LittleAngel,

Eivexst, lolperson2, Muffinmilk317,

CutieDestyy, Robastar34, The daughter of rain and snow,

dark shadow400, anna114!

LittleAngel: Aww, thank you! :D

XXX

Symm: Ahh THANK YOU FOR THE PILLOW LittleAngel!

Maka: And the cloak! *turns invisible*

Soul: W-Where did she go..?

Symm: I don't-

Maka: MAKA CHOP!

Symm: Ack! *falls onto pillow*

Soul: At least it came in handy.

Maka: *grins* You better come back-

Soul: Or I'll take your Soul!