Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater!

Chapter 38

First Quarter

I tred carefully through the dim-lit tunnel, keeping an eye on Yoso at the front. We had been walking through the sewers for a good few hours now, but hadn't found any evidence of any recent vampire activity or their coven's hideout.

A thick sludge ran beside us, travelling downstream at a slow pace due to the amount of large rubbish and material lodged in the sides of the stream bank.

When we had first entered the sewers a horrid stench hit our noses as soon as our feet touched the ground. Some had even tied handkerchiefs around their mouths!

But I wasn't bothered about it much since I had already gotten used to it. I followed from my place at the back of the group, taking note of Yoso's leading skills.

My gaze turned to the murky water as I stopped to take a breath, spotting something floating near the concrete bank. I waited for it to flip over before noting that it was a little doll.

It washed over to the side of the banking, its leg still in the sludge. The discarded doll was wearing a red pinafore with tiny polka dots on the trim and collar. It had long blonde hair, tucked roughly into two pigtails with loose strands sticking out. Its arms and face were covered with the grime from the water, clouding over its dull green eyes.

It resembled Maka a bit with its hair style and eyes, but the dress wasn't something Maka would usually wear. But it was still cute.

"I wonder how it got down here," I muttered, reaching for the doll.

The water sloshed against the side of the bank and surprised me, dragging the doll back in. It twirled around for a moment before sinking to the bottom, leaving me alone again.

"Hey!" Yoso yelled, jumping from his spot. "Soul! Why did you stop?"

My crimson eyes bore down on the boy. "Sorry," I said in a dead tone, shuffling back to the group. Yoso pushed his way through the moving group towards me.

"You OK?"

"I feel great," I emphasised, walking ahead.

Yoso grabbed my sleeve and caught up, "Really, what's wrong with you?"

I grumbled under my breath, telling my friend the truth. "I-I...miss my partner."

"Oh, you mean your girlfriend?" He chuckled, dragging out the word.

"Whatever," I said, not bothering to put up a fight. "I suppose she still is."

Yoso was surprised at the answer. From the look of things, he hadn't expected me to accept what he said! "So," he said, "do you think we'll find her and the other vampires down here?"

"I doubt it, they're probably hidden somewhere else."

"Hm, you're right. We wouldn't find them in a disgusting sewer like this," Yoso said before calling to the group, telling them to regroup with the others and make their way back to the surface. "We'll go find Teishi and ask him to send a messenger bird or something."

I stopped and grabbed the boy by the collar, turning him round. "What did you say?"

Yoso gulped, looking up at me. He said softly, "I-I said we'll go find Teish-"

"No!" I dropped him on his feet, holding a fake smile to my face. "After that! What did you say!?"

"T-That he can send a messenger bird or s-something-"

"Why didn't you mention this before!? We wouldn't have had to of gone through these mank sewers to look for the vampires!" I dropped him on his feet. "Let's make haste!" I quickly ran off.

"Don't start talking like a weirdo, Soul!" Yoso ran after me.

"Sorry! The smell is messing with my mind," I chuckled before disappearing around the bend.

"Liaaaaar!"

"Maka," the original known as Saisho prodded my shoulder.

I emitted a sigh, turning my head slowly. "Hm?"

"What is wrong?" He murmured, slouching on the bed beside me.

"Nothing," I rolled over onto my side, snuggling deeper into the covers.

Saisho gripped the sheets beneath him, letting out a growl. "It's obviously not nothing Maka! You have been like this for a week since the incident with that little girl! Are you ashamed to drink human blood again!?"

"No...it's not that." I sighed. "Erm, how can I say this?" I said to myself, brushing back my fringe. "I-I can sense...him."

The original licked his lips. "Him?"

"My partner."

I felt Saisho stiffen at my words. His face contorted into a spasm of thoughts before relaxing when he noticed the adored expression on my face. I must have looked flustered. "Do you think he came to find you?"

I shrugged. "Maybe?"

"Then that is good, is it not?" He asked, stroking my cheek. "You love him, right?"

I blushed at his statement, taken back slightly. "H-How did you..."

"I can tell by your face. The glistening in your eyes when you speak of him causes the envy hidden inside me to surface," he gleamed, patting my head.

"T-Thanks...I guess..?" I pulled the covers over my head. "Did I ever tell you what he'll do to me when he finds me?"

Saisho shook his head. "I don't recall anything belonging to your question."

"You know that I am not a real vampire, yes?"

"Of course."

"Well, for Soul to turn me back, he must stab me with a sacred weapon, right through the heart." I whimpered. "It will hurt."

"It's what you want though, isn't it?" He asked, unsure of my thoughts.

"Hn, I'm not too sure anymore." I delved deeper under the blanket, hiding from the brisk light shining from the light hanging loosely above.

"You have time to think, I wouldn't worry yourself about it so much." Saishio grumbled, "Just get some rest and we'll talk about it some more tonight when you wake."

"T-Teishi!" Yoso ran towards the man, pouncing on his back.

Teishi stumbled forward but managed to keep his footing, standing upright with the boy clinging to his back. "What do you want?" He tried to peel him off.

"I don't want anything, it's Soul who made me come here." He pouted, scrunching up his face.

"Liar! You followed me on your own," I growled, catching my breath. "How the hell did you beat me anyway!?"

Yoso laughed, "You're too old."

"Am not!" I swatted his head.

Teishi sighed as he untangled Yoso's hands from his shirt. "If Soul is old, then how old do you think I am?" He mused.

"Erm...fifty-"

I slapped a hand over the teenagers mouth. "H-He doesn't know and will not answer that!" I sent a death glare his way.

"That's what I thought," he chuckled, scratching his chin. "Anyway, what did you want to ask me?" He aimed his question at me.

I brushed my white fringe back and sighed, pushing Yoso aside. "I was wondering whether you'd be able to send out a carrier pigeon or something to the vampires?"

"But we don't know where they are." Teishi said, dropping his arms.

"But the mail man will know!" My eyes shone with admiration. "And when he sends the bird in the right direction, we can follow it right to the vampires!"

Teishi applauded me, creating strange noises with his hands. "That's an excellent idea!" He said before sticking out his middle finger and thumb, blowing through the gap in the centre. A low but sharp whistle was created from the power of his voice, signalling for a bird.

Moments later, a mixed white and grey pigeon appeared in the sky; landing on Teishi's outstretched arm. He patted the bird's head before handing it to Yoso to hold while he pulled out a slip of paper and pen, writing a note down.

He snickered at his message, adding some sort of face to the paper before rolling it up. He called the bird over and slotted the note between its claws before throwing it up; watching it go. "Let's go," he hurried after it, keeping a safe distance.

"Come one," I grabbed Yoso's wrist; pulling him along so we could catch up with Teishi.

We ran through the streets of Rome past the tourist attractions and crowds, ending up on a quiet street. I watched as the bird fluttered along with the strokes of wind, perching on the chimney of a small, broken post office.

It let out a coo before swooping down the chimney, disappearing on sight. "What now?"

Teishi hid behind a dumpster, signalling us over. "Now, we wait."

It seemed like hours had passed before the pigeon came out, looking much dustier than before. It flew West, away from the wind, and us.

Teishi took after it while Yoso and I jogged behind, not bothering to keep up. We could still see the bird so that was enough for us. It lead us through the streets past the houses and shops, but when it flew over the roofs; we almost lost sight of it.

We ended up going the long way around the buildings to catch up with the bird. It landed on a manhole; and pecked the floor. Seconds later, the manhole lifted and the bird swooped into the sewers, the manhole closing behind.

Teishi lifted the grey lid up, holding it so Yoso and I could jump down. He hopped down after us, closing the hole behind him in one fellow swoop.

Tsume walked past me with a dusty-coloured pigeon in her hand, treading with silent steps. She acknowledged my presence and smiled, handing the bird over to me. "Hello Kanashi," she nodded.

I smiled back, patting the bird's head. "Who's the message for?"

Tsume pointed at the elder vampire slumped at the throne, resting his head on his hand. I grinned back.

"Good luck with that, he appears to be in a fowl mood." I winked, tucking the bird under my arm.

She giggled. "He's always grumpy!"

Chaji emitted a loud sigh which echoed throughout the room, reaching the vampires ears. "I can hear you two so there's no point in whispering."

"S-Sorry!" Tsume ran over to him, handing him a small note.

But the elder vampire held up his hand, gesturing for her to read it. I watched from the sidelines as her confused expression turned into embarrassment before switching to a humoured one. She tried to force her lips down but the corners still stuck up as she hid her smile. A small giggle escaped.

"What is it?" Chaji sighed, leaning over her shoulder.

Tsume giggled even louder at the note but passed it on to her master, not wanting to get a rollicking for being amused. "R-Read it for yourself," she said before scurrying off towards me, escaping his bottled up wrath.

Chaji scanned over the note with a sigh while Tsume recalled the notes message to me. 'Dear Dracula,' it read. 'How do vampires get around on Halloween night?'

The elder flipped the note over. 'By blood vessels! ;D Like the joke? Teishi. Your beloved Vampire Hunter.'

The elder vampire glared at the note, crumpling it up and throwing it to the floor. "Damn hunter, making a joke like it's nothing." He growled. "Why are humans so annoying these days?"

I turned around and hid my grin, shielding behind Tsume as she thumped my back, telling me not to laugh. "Y-You laughed too!" I accused her, chuckling quietly.

"Unintentionally!" She said with a grin, brushing her hair back.

"But you still did it," I cleared my throat. "What kind of idiot would send something like that!? Does he want to die!"

Tsume laughed, her cheeks flaming red as a thought crossed her mind. I prodded her shoulder, wondering what was wrong. "W-Wouldn't it be funny if the hunter actually came here!?"

I nodded, covering my mouth with my hand. "It would be hilarious!"

Chaji growled, sending a death glare at us. "Stop laughing!"

I combed my hands through my fringe, pushing it higher and out of my eyes. The pigeon had disappeared into the darkness, but we weren't worried since there was only one route to take under the ground.

Lit torches sat on the frame of the old-bricked walls; flickering with our steps. The fires spouted ashes, causing the blackened pieces to drift onto our clothes.

"How long till we get there?" Yoso moaned, dragging his feet as he walked.

I sighed, pushing him ahead. "Just keep walking and keep your mouth shut." I dug my finger into his back, causing him to whine.

"Leave me alone!" He quickened his steps, tugging on Teishi's sleeve. "Ne, tell Soul to stop bugging me~" He groaned at him, yanking harder on his sleeve.

"Soul, leave Yoso alone." Teishi sighed.

"B-But I didn't do anything!" I lied, hurrying after them. "He was the one who bugged me first."

Yoso poked his tongue out at me. "Liar."

"Am not."

"Are too."

"Am not."

"Are too!"

"Ugh, shut up!" I slapped his head, knocking him forward with a gasp. "You're lucky that my partner isn't here, otherwise you would have had a well deserved Maka Chop," I crossed my arms, walking ahead.

"Don't be such a meanie!"

"Say's the one who started this argument." I shook my head, shutting my eyes for a moment.

"Grrr," Yoso stomped his feet. "Let's just find that stupid bird!"

Teishi stopped suddenly, causing me to bump into his back and Yoso into mine. "We won't be needing to anymore."

I rubbed my head and looked at him. "Why?"

He simply pointed at the door in front, holding a grin to his face. "Do you see this mark?" He pointed at the design etched into the wooden frame of the door, holding deep ridges in the sides. "It's the mark of the Elders."

"Then we're here!" Yoso's eyes shone with glee as he bobbed up and down, tapping his feet.

"Ladies first," I pushed the boy ahead.

"Why thank you," he grinned, holding a bounce to every step before he stopped, spinning towards me. "W-Wait a minute! Did you just call me a lady!?"

I chuckled at his expression, but Teishi didn't seem amused.

"Just get on with it already!" Teishi snapped, pushing Yoso and I towards the door with a thump.

I braced myself against the door, stopping Yoso from bumping into me. "Jeez, chill it geezer." I breathed, opening the door with a gasp.

An extravagant room stood before us looking old but also new. The walls were covered with cream tiles, each holding a different design, almost like the stories painted on the sides of the pyramids in Ancient Egypt; and the tablets created by the Greeks telling tales of their ancestors. Each tile was outlined with pure gold, bringing out the detail in each and every one.

The ground was filled with simple sleek slabs, glistening with etched flakes of black and silver. Large tables filled with assorted arrangements stood around the room, each becoming bigger the further we walked on. But the only coloured flowers they had were white and red, with the odd black rose here and there.

Plush chairs sat around the tables, looking bare compared to the flowers beautiful colours. The hall we were in was quite big, holding a high ceiling with many oval archways every few metres. Large silver and gold chandeliers hung from each arch, sitting still with no movement.

A flash of movement caught my eye before a figure appeared before me, baring their fangs.

"Who are you!" The girl hissed, her hair falling gently around her shoulders. "You haven't been invited." She sniffed the air, looking me dead in the eye. "Humans."

"Y-Yes," Yoso slid behind me slightly. "We came here searching for a friend."

The vampire snorted, pulling back her fangs. "And what makes you think that your friend is down here?" She mused.

I sighed, "Because she is one of you."

The vampire girl looked slightly taken aback. "What is their name?"

"Her name, is Maka Abarn." I replied, noticing how the vampire froze at my words. "Does her name ring a bell?"

The vampire nodded. "Erm...I do know her, but getting her here might become a problem...she's um, kind of busy right now." She drawled, tilting her head.

"What do you mean?" I questioned, not understanding her meaning.

"Don't worry yourself about it," she murmured, walking away. She stopped a few feet away, looking back. "Aren't you coming?"

"Oh, yes." Teishi grinned, strolling after her.

Excitement filled me to the core. It's cool that Maka is here! If she wasn't then I would have broken down. I feel so guilty for what I did to her, I didn't think she would actually run away and end up in Rome of all places. But if it wasn't for her doing that, then I would have never of met Teishi or Yoso.

"Ne, Soul?" Yoso poked my rib, sending an uncomfortable sensation through me. "Are you gonna move?

"Hm? Oh, yeah." I snapped out of my thoughts, following after the vampire.

Her long hair swished from side to side as she walked, bobbing on her feet. Her footsteps were silent and her chest never rose, indicating that she wasn't breathing. Well, she was dead after all. "By the way, my name is Tsume in case you were wondering." She smiled, fiddling with her nails.

Teishi nodded and answered for us. "It's nice to meet you Tsume. I'm Teishi!" He winked, sending a blush to Tsume's cheeks.

"OMD!" She yelled, continuing her walk. "You're the guy who sent that weird note!" She giggled, holding her chest. "What did you think you were doing!? You really pissed off the head Elder."

"Ah, so you did receive it then. Did you like my vampire joke?" He gave her a thumbs up.

"I-I suppose, it was slightly ignorant to our kind, but it was still humorous." She sniffled, parting her fringe. "Just don't go saying anything like that to Chaji, he doesn't take kindly to being called Dracula."

"Don't worry your pretty little self about it," he send her his signature smirk.

I almost choked on my breath. What was he thinking!? Sending a joke to an important vampire! I'm surprised we haven't gotten our heads ripped off yet!

Tsume cleared her throat; catching Yoso's gaze. "And you are?"

"I'm Yoso," he grinned, jumping on his feet. "As you can see, I'm the hottest guy here-"

I whacked him over the head. "Don't be a jerk."

"Ugh, that really hurt Soul!" The kid yelled, holding his head in pain.

Tsume focused on me, slightly shivering. "D-Did he call you Soul?" She mused, stepping closer. Her pupils shrunk before widening, staring deadly into my crimson eyes.

"Yeah," I gulped. "What about it?"

She grinned, clapping her hands. "You're Maka's partner! The jackass who hurt her feelings," she snickered with an evil glint to her eyes; baring her fangs. "I would suck you dry if I could!" She stepped even closer, so close that our noses were touching.

"Hey! Leave him alone you weirdo-"

I hit him over the head again, silencing his pleas'.

"Why do you keep doing that!?" Yoso groaned, slumping against Teishi who held an amused look to his face.

"It's fine, I deserve it after all with the way I treated her." I sighed, feeling my emotions waver. I watched as the vampire sniffed the air, her face becoming contorted with the feelings that filled the air.

"Sorry, I guess you really did come here to apologize." She mumbled, walking down the hall.

"Yeah," I nodded. "And to bring her home if she lets me."

Tsume nodded, folding her arms behind her back. Her silver eyes settled on a vase nearby; pulling her in. "I'm sure she will."

After walking for what felt like hours, we finally arrived at a large throne room. It was covered with bright colours and held many different shaped doors around the walls. But what caught my attention was the vampire sitting on the throne at the top of the room, looking bored out of his wits.

His silver hair hung loosely over his shoulders, framing his narrow face. His pure red eyes shone with disgust as they settled on us. He sniffed the air with his pale nose, licking his lips. "Ah, have you brought me dinner Tsume?" He mused.

"No Chaji, they are not for you to feed on." She declared, shivering on her spot.

I watched the older vampire stand, flashing over to us. He stood tall with no slouch to his posture unlike us humans, clasping his hands in front.

"Then why are they here?" He sighed. "I'm still feeling grouchy from the note that was sent to us by some idiot." He grumbled while Tsume let a giggle slip from her lips. "What's so funny?"

Teishi raised his hand. "I'm the idiot."

Chaji growled deeply in his throat, letting his fangs slip. "Did you think it was funny!?" He roared, standing millimetres away from the man.

Teishi grinned. I gulped. Yoso sweat-dropped. Don't do it Teishi-

"I did."

Chaji threw him against the wall and held him up by the neck, digging his claws into the raw skin of his throat. "I will drink all of your blood and watch you die before my very eyes!" He yelled, going in for the kill.

Tsume ripped him off by the neck, throwing him at an awkward angle. "No, you will not." Her eyes flashed red. "They are friends of Maka and wish to see her. If she catches you killing them then she will rip out your fangs one by one and watch you bleed to death!" She screamed at him; digging her foot into his neck. "You hear me?"

"I am an Elder, do not treat me like that!" He pushed her off with ease, brushing himself off. "I understand, now get out of my sight." He turned his back to us, slumping down in his chair.

Tsume nodded. "This way," she said to us, leading us away from the throne room.

I cleared my throat, looking back at Chaji. "I didn't think you would stand up to him like that," I scratched my head.

"Hm, well, Maka's a good role model." She smiled, her eyes returning back to silver from red. "She's a real nice person, so I'm sure she'll let you turn her back to what she really is." She nodded, taking long strides.

"Y-You know about-"

"Mhm, she didn't tell me herself. But we vampires have good hearing, I'm quite nosy you see." She winked, opening a door. She took us down the corridor until we stopped at a dead-end.

"It must be awesome to be a vampire," Yoso said, "with the fast speeds you can reach. You can look beautiful but menacing, so cool!" He tugged on Teishi's sleeve, whistling a low tune.

"Yes, but some vampires become very obnoxious which can be a bit annoying. The older you get, the more stronger but boring you are."

Teishi nodded. "It's true."

I sighed, drawing the group's attention. "Why are we at a dead-end?"

"We're not," Tsume smiled, pushing the tip of her shoe onto one of the tiles beneath us. The wall in front parted ways down the middle, leaving a large gap for us to go through. Tsume went to step through but suddenly stopped, holding her arm out to stop us.

A figure appeared in the gap with a smirk on his face. "Hello, Tsume. Have you brought me food?" He inquired pleasantly.

"No, just because I'm leading humans around, doesn't mean that they're someones food." She grumbled, crossing her arms. "See what I mean with vampires being obnoxious?" She asked me, huffing out a sigh.

"Then why are they here?" He pondered.

"They're friends of Maka Albarn." She stated, flicking her finger at me. "This is Soul, her partner."

"Ah, the boy who came to change her back into a human!" He obtained a strange glint of admiration to his eyes, sending a shiver down my spine.

"Can I see her now?" I pleaded, not breaking eye contact with the vampire.

The male vampire sighed, swapping looks with Tsume before motioning for me to go inside. I hurried in while the others stayed outside, giving me some time with my partner.

She was sat on the bed, brushing out her ash blonde locks with her fingers, staring into a tall mirror. Her eyes met mine as my image appeared in the reflection. She dropped her hands and spun around, her large emerald eyes widening. "S-Soul..?"

"Hey, tiny tits." I smirked, stepping forward.

"Soul!" She ran at me with tears in her eyes, pouncing on my form. I fell against the wall with her legs wrapped around my waist, hugging her tightly. My lips crushed against her soft ones as I tightened my hold on her, not wanting to let go.

I broke apart, taking deep breaths while she did the same, wrapping her arms around my neck. "I missed you so much," I kissed her cheek, then her nose, then her forehead and her other cheek. "I'm...I'm sorry about what I said to you before you left, I didn't mean it at all." I bowed my head in shame.

"It's OK, I forgive you." She mumbled, wiping away her tears. "How did you get here!?" She sat back.

"I had help off a few friends." I grinned. "They let me travel with them to Rome for free which helped me out a lot." I nodded, ruffling her hair.

"Oh, and by the way." She slid her hand down her top.

"W-What are you doing?" I blushed, covering my eyes.

"Don't worry, it won't hurt a bit." She giggled. I blinked. "MAKA CHOP!" She slammed the book across my head, knocking me back.

I shook my head, trying to blink away the blackness. "I guess I deserved that."

"Of course you did!" She grinned. "It's for being an ass back home and for calling me tiny tits." She slipped the book back before sighing. "I just can't believe you're here." She whispered, pushing herself up. She extended her hand and I took it, letting her pull me up.

I gulped as I suddenly remembered what I had been wanting to say; so took her hand, taking off my rucksack. "Maka...there's another reason on why I came here..." I trailed off.

She sighed, squeezing my hand. "I know, you want to return me back right?" She smiled as I nodded my head. "That's fine, it's what I want to do. I just want to go home."

"Ah, but I'm afraid you won't be able to do that yet." The male vampire appeared from the gap in the wall, followed by the others.

"What do you mean?" Maka asked him, stepping away from my embrace. "Won't it work?"

The vampire nodded. "Of course it will, but just not today. It has to happen on a full moon."

"A full moon?" Yoso asked. "Why does everything have to happen on a full moon? People are so superstitious these days!" He pouted.

I nodded, turning to the vampire. "How do you know this? Who are you?"

"Because I am the original vampire, the first of my kind. And my name is unknown...kind of..." He glanced at Maka before looking back at me.

"How many?" Teishi suddenly asked, drawing my attention.

"How many what?" Maka asked, swinging our joined hands back and forth at a steady pace.

"How many days until the full moon?" Teishi replied, directing his question at the original.

The vampire sighed, tilting his head. "It's the first quarter tonight, so the moon has to go through one more stage before becoming full. So I'd say about...ten days?" He mumbled, thinking from the top of his head.

"T-Ten days!?" I yelled, stomping my feet. "That's too late! In eleven days, a warrant will be sent out to thousands of meister and weapon pairs that will be sent out to kill Maka!" I whined.

"W-What!?" Maka stuttered, ripping her hand from mine. "Why? D-Did my papa set this up?" She cried, clenching her fists.

"N-No! It wasn't him at all!" I shook my head. "Lord Death was forced to make the deal with the government otherwise they would have killed you the day you left!" I defended the reaper.

Maka sighed, wiping her eyes. Yoso patted her back, sending her a smile. "Don't worry, you will have one day extra before the warrant is sent out. You'll be fine," he nodded.

"W-Who are you?"

"Oh, sorry, I'm Yoso! Soul's friend, and this is Teishi!" He pointed at the man who gave her a thumbs up. "We're here to help!"

"Well, thanks." She smiled back, ruffling his hair. "Any friend of Soul's is a friend of mine."

"Same here," I chuckled, watching the vampires join in. "Eleven days, huh?"

Posting Date: 7th July 2013

Symm: Hey everyone! I'm baaaack :D I've had this chapter for over a week, adding bits to it as I went, but it just took me ages to actually think up a backline...This story will be ending in two more chapters unfortunately :( An update will be up real soon! Thanks for your patience.

Thanks for the reviews and addings:

yuuki24688, hostclubgirl, maka-chan, xXAzuraXx,

FullmetalAlchemist64, Mew'smeow!

maka-chan: I don't know why he did O.o

XXX

Soul: Hello again!

Maka: Sorry for the wait ;)

Symm: Indeed. You better come back-

Soul: Or I'll take your Soul!