Him

"Well," he ran a hand through his hair then looked at her with furrowed brows. One wrong answer could risk his meister's life. "You're…"

When he faltered, she smiled then sat on the stool in front of the grand piano and pressed the G note. "I remembered when Asura's clown captured me. It wrapped me in insanity. I've forgotten who I am but you reminded me."

He also remembered it. Clear as a day. The moment it caught her and the sheer terror he felt at the thought of losing her. It burned at the back of his mind like coals, along with the other times he almost lost her.

"It's alright, Soul. You don't have to think about it. Just tell me your honest opinion."

"Alright." He sat beside her. "Just don't chop me in the head."

"I'll try not to." She suppressed a smile.

"Okay, Maka Albarn is a flat-chested bookworm whose pride is as problematic as Black Star's ego and Kidd's OCD. She don't go out much, could probably live in the library, is short-tempered and violent-"

"Hey!" Her lips pursed and he fought the urge to chuckle.

"-but she's also caring and helpful. She prioritizes other people's safety over her own which makes her both an amazing person and a pain in the neck." It took him a few seconds to realize, his fingers unconsciously flew across the ivory keys, playing a different melody in each point like his words and the notes were one and the same. In a way, it is.

She stared at his hand then at him, mixed emotions evident on her eyes. Awe, annoyance, realization, and other unreadable ones.

Maybe seeing her great efforts through her memories moved him in helping her. Or maybe he wanted to share it with her, to help her understand music. It could be both but he was too embarrassed to admit it to himself.

"She is a great meister though she's too reckless for her own good especially when it involves saving someone close to her." He fixed his gaze on her eyes and held it. "But most of all, Maka Albarn is my partner. My stubborn, reckless, yet smart partner. And I wouldn't exchange her for the world."

The tune ended in a soft and sweet note. A long silence filled the space, he could feel the embarrassment creeping up to his neck, when the meister did something he never expected. She laughed. For the first time in weeks. It was a pleasant sound. Still, he couldn't help the blood rushing to his face.

"What?" He asked defensively, rubbing the nape of his neck and looking at everywhere but her.


He sat up with a jolt, glancing down at the girl on his arms excitedly, certain she was now saved from the effects of the Water. Instead, what he saw made his blood ran cold.

Maka's face contorted in pain and her entire body emitted a faint glow. Outside the barrier, Ligeia clutched a disoriented Atarah tightly to her chest, running a hand through her blonde hair while crying and uttering something he couldn't decipher. The magic circle brightened every passing second. Kidd and Blair had disappeared during the time when they delved, leaving only her and her daughter.

"What's happening?! This isn't what you told us!" He gripped the meister's body, yelling at the delirious witch.

Atarah's gaze met his, then it traveled to his arms. Understanding and panic passed through her obsidian eyes. She shrugged off Ligeia then limped towards them. Magic wrapped around her fists. She pounded on the barrier with force that shook the circle but it didn't budge. Her attacks continued for a minute until she turned back, glowering at the woman behind her. "What did you do?"

"I did it for us, dear. I promised, I'll do everything to turn us back to normal and I did!"

Their voices sounded muffled over the roaring of his ears and the hum of energy surrounding them.

Maka gasped, shuddered then let out a pained groan. His instincts screamed at him to ran away but he refused leave her despite the painful currents coursing through his skin from hers.

The scent of ozone filled the air. Energy crackled around them. He recognized Maka's anti-demon wavelength but somehow it was stronger and far more concentrated. Light brighter than the circle enveloped her. It continued to expand, filling the barrier and overpowering it.

"What did you do?" Atarah repeated, enunciating every word with such loathing it made the witch flinch.

"Look, darling. I did what I had to. You're slowly dying without a body! I can't just let you die! I had to find your body even if it means allying with Peisinoe and taking your place in the sacrifice."

A sudden surge of anti-demon wavelength hit him at point blank range. The impact knocked the breath out of his lungs and he wheezed through the blinding pain. Summoning all his strength, he placed Maka in the floor as gently as his trembling body could then move a few feet away in case the black blood act out.

He gasped and clawed at his torso. Oxygen refused to fill his lungs. Each gulps of air turned liquid at his throat, suffocating him with every breath he took. His scar hurt like heck. The pain he received when Ragnarok's blade slashed through his skin couldn't even compare to what he was experiencing now. For once, the little demon in the black room thrashed and he fought the urge to do the same. His vision blurred and something trickled from his nose.

It felt like he was being burned alive. Liquid fire coursed through his veins. He pounded the floor screaming in agony. Blades emerged from his body without his own volition. Long, piano blades grew out of his arms, back, and even both of his legs. Discordant notes rang when the keys hit its surroundings.

The pain never ceased, if anything it continued to intensify. Maka's anti-demon wavelength cleansed everything in touched and that included him. Especially, him. The cleansing forced his body and soul to reject the black blood in his veins and the stress was ripping his body apart. He could hardly breathe. His lungs burned and his eyes stung.

Just when he thought he would tear apart, his meister let out a deafening cry.

BOOM!

A huge explosion shook the entire apartment and reduced the magical barrier into flecks of light floating alongside the debris. Sweat mixed with blood fell from his face to the ground. His breath turned ragged and his thunderous heartbeat threatened to break his ribcage. The ringing in his ear drowned out all sounds. But despite it all, he was unharmed by the blast.

His gazed traveled to where he placed her. He never thought Maka's wavelength could be destructive if she wanted it to be.

The said girl laid still to the ground.

Oh, no…

"Maka, wake up." He pulled himself towards her crumpled form. She was pale and not breathing. Dread churned in his stomach. Death, no. No. NO. It couldn't be. "I said wake up, darned it!"

He clutched her, holding her in his chest. The scythes in his body created a protective barrier that prevented anyone from coming near them. A lump formed at his throat. His cold, trembling fingers wrapped at her shoulder as he pulled away to assess her. Her head lolled to the side like a lifeless doll and he fought the urge to cry out.

Darn it all! Tears threatened to spill from his eyes and he didn't care if it would make him uncool. Dark blood trickled from his scythes. It smeared her hair and clothes. If he wasn't out of his mind with terror of losing her, he'd be worried whether it would come off or not.

Shaking her gently, he hoped and prayed and screamed to the Shinigami and to anyone out there not to take his meister away. Or death help him, he would travel and wreak havoc to heaven, hell or wherever it was souls go if a person dies.

Something brushed against his soul. A familiar wavelength. He almost couldn't feel it because of the intensity of his emotions. Still, he forced himself to seek it, sure it was Maka. It must be.

Hope grew in his heart. It beat painfully against his ribcage. Sucking in a breath, he placed his lips near her ears. "I'll kiss you if you don't wake up, bookworm."

The wavelength stuttered for a minute then Maka gasped. Colors returned to her cheeks. She sat up, dazed and confused. Slowly, her gaze traveled on the wrecked walls.

Burn marks marred the surface from the direction of her hand to the blackened kitchen. Some part of the roof groaned then fell off, sending dust flying around them.

"Soul? Did… did I do this?" She asked, disbelief clear in her voice. Once again, she scanned the area and her eyes widened.

Ligeia's unconscious body slumped near the window while Atarah struggled to stand. The explosion must've knocked them off their feet.

"Oh, my Death." Maka reached out to wipe something on top of his lip. Black liquid coated her fingers. Blood. His blood. But he couldn't care less about it. Not when she was warm and alive, staring at him with guilt reflecting on her eyes. Those beautiful green eyes he'd grown to love so dearly. "Oh, my Death. I'm so, sorry-"

Soul pulled her against his chest. His shaking arms wrapped around her shoulders and he buried his face on her hair, breathing her in. The rise and fall of her chest against him felt reassuring that he could cry in relief.

"Do you have any idea how terrified I was when you stopped breathing? I thought… I thought, I lost you..." His voice cracked as he spoke and he tightened his hold on her. "Don't ever do that again. I don't know what to do without you."

She squeezed his waist with enough force to cut off his breathing but he didn't care. Both of them got shaken from what happened. Both of them nearly died from each other's arms. It warranted a little reassurance.

They stayed like that for a moment. He wanted to hold her longer but they still had duties to attend to and people to reprimand. As if on purpose, a purple light shone in the direction of their school followed by alarmed shouts.

"Let's go. We need to stop Peisinoe from eradicating our abilities." The streets were in chaos. They had to leave.

"Wait!" Taking his hand, she stroked his knuckles with her thumb then placed a light kiss on it. She smiled at him despite the flush coloring her cheeks. "Thank you, Soul."

The meister moved in front of the witch before he could react. Heat rose to his face. The ghost of her lips still tingled on the skin of hand. They'd talked about it later. Later. After the battle. He wouldn't let her escape anymore.

"What is Peisinoe's plan?" Soul trained his blade to the older witch's neck.

Atarah stood to the side, betrayal evident on her eyes. She didn't stopped him from threatening her mother. "What did she ordered you to do?"

Ligeia stared at her with a pained expression before turning to him. "She told me to bring you in Shibusen where the spell will be cast. Thelxiepeia escaped Mabaa-sama's prison to help her and I offered to help if she told me the location of Atarah's body. There, we'll stand in the middle of the circle and stay there until the last of our souls would be consumed for the spell. She wanted me to create a barrier inside the circle to prevent you from escaping while I lend her all of my magic."

"So, you chose to betray humanity and sacrifice yourself to save your daughter." Maka crossed her arms. "That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard."

"I'm sorry. I really want to help you but I need to save Atarah more than anything."

"And then what? If Peisinoe succeeded, although, Ren- Atarah is alive, you're dead. Do you think she'll look after them? You know what she did to her own child. Also if they escape from her, there will be no more meisters and weapons to stop kishins from getting stronger. Sooner or later, someone like Asura will rise and guess what? Atarah and Anissa will die. Is that really what you want?" She shook her head. "You're terrible."

"She's right. I hate to admit it but we're just half-witches. We're weak compared to the others and it will be a matter of time before we die." Atarah clenched her fists to the side. "All your sacrifices to save us will be useless if no one is willing to kill the kishins. You're just postponing the inevitable."

The woman flinched as if she'd been slapped. Her eyes widened and her lips trembled. It seemed she didn't know the gravity of Peisinoe's plan. Soul sighed then retracted his blade. She sank on the floor gasping and coughing while he paced back.

"Ligeia said, she wanted bring us to Peisinoe, right?" Maka asked her, slipping her fingers in his. A familiar gesture, one they'd unconsciously done a thousand times. It certainly didn't cause him to be hyper-aware of her. He also certainly did not note the weight and curves of her hand and how it fit so well in his own. "I have a plan but it involves getting in a barrier and risks you getting zapped by my wavelength again. I know it's selfish but will you go with me?"

He stared at her emerald eyes. The fire which had once disappeared, now burned brighter than ever. A smirk played on his lips. "Maka, you know I'll follow you everywhere, even to the ends of the earth. As for the zapping, as long as you'll talk to me later I'm good."


Their footsteps echoed on the familiar hallway. An eerie silence hovered over them. Soul, Maka and Ligeia stood in the middle of a magical barrier the latter made. Atarah followed close behind. They took the path to the Death room. The witches paled at the sight of gallows overhead but continued anyway. At last, they stood in front of the door. It opened to reveal a small army of children ranging from ages six to fifteen. All of them turned to them with blank eyes. A wide magic circle which took up most of the space of the room emitted a purple hue as the other two Siren chanted. He spotted Kidd, the rest of the Spartoi, Blair, Free, Eruka and a few more witches hiding in the shadows. All had a Soul Protect around them. The werewolf winked at them and he pretended not to notice. Beside him, the meister made a subtle nod to the children while her gaze remained to the sisters.

"Peisinoe, I've brought the two just like I've promised. Honor your own part of the bargain. Protect Atarah and Anissa." Ligeia stopped in front of the circle. "I made the boy save her soul so you can use it."

"What do you mean? You brought them here to cleanse the children! You're a liar!" Atarah screeched then lunged at the barrier surrounding them.

Before she could reach them, a wing blocked her then sent her flying in the nearby wall. Peisinoe's manic laughter drowned out all screams of horror. The chanting stopped. Thelxiepeia gripped a long sword fashioned as a feather. Her eyes blazed with unbridled loathing to him but he held her gaze. Yeah, he knew the black blood went overboard when he lost control. The sight of her wings in his bloodied hands and the sound of her cries continued to haunt his dreams. Still, the fact they tortured his meister in deranged glee without an ounce of regret chased away any feelings of remorse.

"Stop being dramatic. I promised you they'll live." Peisinoe rolled her eyes and went to the fallen form of her niece. She picked her up like a doll, placing a clawed wing under her jaw. "Stay in the circle and be obedient if you don't want her to lose any limb."

They walked a few steps then stopped.

"Now!" Maka's voice rang out in the room.

A lot of things happened at once. The barrier disappeared in a flash and Ligeia opened a pocket in space just a few feet in front of Peisinoe. Atarah's arm enveloped with magic. She elbowed the witch's stomach and leaped inside the spell. It closed seconds before a claw slashed in the place where it once was.

Their army stirred into action. Thelxiepeia roared while she lunged at Soul.

He shifted his arms into blades, blocking her sword. Without missing a beat, he sent a kick in her direction but she jumped away from him. Behind him, Maka knocked out the children fighting her.

Blinding light shone at their feet. It engulfed the whole room and was gone in an instant, along with the children. Kidd and Mabaa appeared in front of the witches. Peisinoe dropped her glamour, revealing a burned face and blackened lips twisted up in a sick smile. "I've been expecting you, Shinigami and Mabaa. Such a shame my army disappeared but worry not. I still got a whole lot of them."

Two portals materialized, overhead and in the doorway. Another set of children marched in from the latter. Their numbers quadrupled compared to the ones they saw before. They let out a battle cry then attacked as Thelxiepeia threw a handful of crystal balls filled with liquid. Before they could react, the portal on the ceiling opened.

"No!" Maka tackled him on the ground and her wavelength expanded just as the water filled with concentrated insanity rained down on them. It vaporized when it hit them but those away from them got drenched with it. All of them. Kidd looked at them with eyes wide. Liz and Patty detransformed. They screamed and attacked him. Around them, a fight broke out. Enemies against enemies. Allies against allies.

"GO! We'll handle them!" The Shinigami evaded a kick from Patty. He grabbed Liz's arm and bent it behind her back. "Eruka and Free are waiting for you to corner them. Finish it as soon as possible!"

"Got it!" Soul and Maka ran after the escaping witches.

Before they could leave the room however, a tear in the space opened up and Atarah's head poked out. She tossed something to Maka with a grave look on her face. "You know what to do."

She nodded then slipped it on the holster around her thigh. Since when did she wore those, he had no idea. He decided to hold off the questions for now and focus on the matter ahead. Catching up to the witches.


They almost lost them twice at the stairways if not for their shimmering dark cloaks but they continued their pursuit. Finally, the two stopped in front of the prisons in the dark basement. A grave mistake on their part. Free, Eruka and the others activated the spell around them.

They got enclosed in a dimensional area where no teleportation or any space related spells could be used. None could enter nor leave for hours. Of course, the same applied to them.

"You can't summon any army in here and you have nowhere to run." Maka stood on guard. "Surrender in peace and we'll spare your souls."

"After what he did to me? Never!" Thelxiepeia cut her own hands and chanted in a foreign language. Her blood turned into weapons shaped like crows. "Remex Plasma!"

Peisinoe extended her wings. About thousands of feathers rose directed to their position, leaving only a clawed skeleton on her back.

Soul transformed into a scythe then flew to his meister's waiting hands. "You don't have to block it all. We can take control of it."

"I know." Maka replied but he could feel her hands trembling. "I know."

"It's alright. Resonate with me." He wanted to hold her hand. To reassure her it would be okay. However, they couldn't show any weakness to their enemies.

"But-"

"If the burden's too much for you, share it with me. I'm willing to take it." He watched her through the surface of his blade. "Trust me on this, Maka. Let me help you."

She took a deep breath then tightened her grip on his shaft. Her wavelength expanded and he could feel her soul reaching out to him, uncertain. "I trust you, Soul. It's me whom I couldn't trust."

"Soul Resonance."

His own soul extended to her. He tugged her inside the black room. To his pleasant surprise, her outfit changed. The heels turned into knee high combat boots. Her dress appeared the same with the exception of mid-thigh slits on both sides of her legs. An almost silver shoulder armor shaped like angel wings clasped around her neck with a crimson jewel. Only her hair remained the way it was before.

"You look great and ready for battle." He gave her a genuine smile.

She returned the gesture almost embarrassed. "Thanks."

He sat on the piano and began playing. Her hands laid on his shoulders and she focused on her Soul Perception. Thousands and thousands of souls connected on their web. Their emotions slammed against his mind and he gasped from the sheer intensity of it coming from every direction, drowning him. His fingers almost faltered on the keys.

"I'm cutting it." Anxiety was clear on her voice.

"No!" The words came out strangled. Unbelievable. So he cleared his throat then tried again. "No, I can manage it. Just keep on concentrating."

He just needed to learn how to control and manipulate the skills he got from Arachne's soul to match her own ability. It would be easy. Like learning a string instrument. But the deeper their resonance was, the more dangerous her wavelength became. His piano turned into dust under his hands.

"Soul," Maka sat beside him, pleading with her eyes.

"You're not the only one who grew, Maka." He held her gaze. "You can't hurt me. So, don't hold back."

She bit her lip then nodded. Her fingers gripped his suit on the side. "I trust you with my life."

The full capacity of her anti-demon hit him but he was ready this time. Unlike earlier, he was expecting it and so released his own hold on the black blood. It acted like a wall to prevent anything from reaching him. The instrument turned solid again. Its melody rang louder and clearer than before. Insanity creeped up towards them. It didn't scared him though. If anything, the aggressive taunts of the little demon was music to his ears. Candelabras appeared out of thin air. Blue flames lit the candles, bathing their surroundings in an eerie blue light.

He willed the insanity to open up a little just until he adjusted to the newfound skill. At first, he could sense both of their souls. Then it expanded all around them. The souls grew in number until he could feel every single person around the country. Their focus closed in on the two purple spheres in front of them. Both got caught on the web without their knowledge.

Perfect. His lips curled up in a smirk. A few more tricks and the spells would be theirs to take.