Yeah, I gotta stop thinking of new stories. So, this one is actually a remake of one I made years ago. Problem is, that story was deleted, but I do remember some of it so I'll try to recreate it as best I can. I'm slacking on my other stories, Captured, for example, but will update it as best I can so I can get them back up and going.

Maka Albarn searched the ghost town with cautious emerald eyes, her breath billowing in the frigid air of Innopolis, Russia. Kid, or rather now Lord Death, had sent the 3-Star meister and weapon duo to investigate rumors of a pre-Kishin going around and stealing innocent souls from the townsfolk. Fear spread quickly through the small town as the death count began to grow, many villagers rushing to safety by crossing the Volga River to a small peninsula called Tatarstan. The small town of less than 100 people had already dwindled down to nearly half due to the killer's aggressive killings. Some houses were in shambles due to the near-Kishin destroying them to retrieve its victims. Rubble lined the powder-coated streets, but heavy snowfall had all but covered the evidence. In the mission file, the information provided was hardly any help to Maka. The only known clues were horror stories created by the terrified townspeople, their fear and anxiety causing inaccurate information. Some claimed it was a monster that stood nearly 7-foot-tall while others claimed to creature was as short as 3 foot. One old man even claimed the creature had the torso of a woman with the head of a goat and the lower half of a snake; though that sounded more like a Mythology reference than an accurate description.

"You sense anything, Maka?" Soul's voice reverberated loudly in the silence, his face appearing in the scythes' blade.

Maka shook her head as she slowly expanded her Soul Perception to cover a larger area, her eyes closing to concentrate. There was nothing for miles except a few wild animals taking shelter from the arctic winter. She could sense the owner of the Inn they were staying at along with what few townspeople were left. Even with a heavy coat, earmuffs, gloves and multiple layers on, Maka could still feel the stinging cold creeping into her bones. Her fingers were going numb, even after being outside for a mere few minutes. It was so cold, even her soul was beginning to shake slightly from the harsh conditions.

"There's nothing around for miles, just some wild animals. Even if I stood here for a while longer, I'm sure the cold would take me before a would-be Kishin could. Let's head back to the Inn for now before we freeze to death. Maybe someone at the front desk will have more information."

Heavy boots crunched crisply against the freshly fallen snow as Maka trudged through the fresh loose powder, the snow beneath already compacted and solid. The dead of winter in Russia usually resulted in impressive levels of snow and harsh winds, mercilessly taking those who wandered into Mother Nature's deadly hands. A violent chill raced up her spine and Maka felt her teeth clattering loudly in the still air. Signs of hypothermia were beginning to show, quickly sapping what energy she had left. Even Soul was freezing in his scythe form, the shaft of the blade like ice against gloved hands.

"Even if the Kishin showed up there's no way we can fight it in this weather. We'd have to find a shelter of some sort, so we don't freeze to death. I'm not sure if even the black blood can withstand this." Soul sniffled loudly.

"Mmm," Maka agreed, her mind preoccupied elsewhere.

The Inn was getting closer into view as thick smoke billowing from the double chimney stack protruded from the heavily snow-covered roof. Out of all the buildings remaining in the town, the Inn was the strongest one. Every wall and floor had been reinforced with dual insulation and thicker materials in attempt to retain what little heat it could during the brutal season. It was a quaint two-story brick cottage with a mere 10 rooms throughout the whole building. Out back was a now buried garden that provided the guests meals, but for now those would be whatever food had been canned before winter.

Maka and Soul were fortunate enough to get a room close to the boiler room; thankfully not even a draft of cold air entered the domain. Most places assumed they were a couple and some desk attendants have offered to put them up in the romantic suites. Soul would break out in a hearty laugh while Maka turned bright red and 'Maka Chopped' said weapon over the head. The two may have been together for nearly 5 years, but it was strictly a meister/weapon relationship, completely platonic.

Being together-together was a ridiculous notion that Maka scoffed at whenever brought up by younger students or people complimenting the two, saying they looked adorable together. A few have even asked if they were married and one even asked if they were planning on having children. Both turned bright red at the more daring remarks, their connected wavelengths betraying their true emotions to one another for a brief second before the emotions were sealed away once more. Sure, they had slept together on certain instances, but the two always respected each other's privacy and personal space when sharing a bed (though Soul tended to flop around in his sleep and sometimes ended on top of the meister). Mostly it happened after a big battle and the two were too tired to go to their separate rooms, opting for the closest piece of furniture to collapse on.

The thought of them actually dating had Maka turning a heavy shade of pink, if possible, under her already red wind-chilled face.

Now that she was older, nearly 18 now, and puberty had kicked it up to high gear the meister had become nothing short of stunning. Her slim legs had become elongated and toned from years of training and missions, her slender arms matching. A few inches had been added to her height while her hips had become fuller and shapelier. Her sandy blonde hair had grown out more as well, though the pigtails seemed to stay, and was down to nearly mid back. Blazing green eyes finely complimented her now slimmer face, her lips became plumper and tinted to the perfect shade of pink. Even her chest had filled out to the next cup size, catching the eyes of younger DWMA students. Some brave (or stupid depending on how you saw it) had even come right up to her and asked her out or asked her to be their meister. Soul usually ignored the fanboys but had to intervene a few times when some of them couldn't take the hint; one even went so far as to stalk her on the way home and ambush her in an alley. Poor kid was hospitalized for three weeks once Soul and Black Star got a hold of him after Maka took a few chops. As flattering as it was, there was only one man for her in her life and he—.

A sudden zing reached her ears and with a sloppy dodge Maka narrowly avoided having her throat sliced clean open by a flying object. Shifting quickly, the meister turned to her left, calculating the direction the weapon flew from. She had gotten so absorbed in her thoughts that she failed to sense the incoming soul wavelength. Clenching her jaw down, she spread her legs to a defensive from, gripping the scythe's shaft harder.

"Maka, are you alright?" Soul called out to her, worry etched into his voice.

"I'm fine, it didn't even hit me. Where did that come from? Damnit, I wasn't paying attention, it's my fault."

"You're bleeding, so I'd say that wasn't a full miss. Besides, I didn't notice him either, so we're both at fault."

"I'll worry about it later it's just a scratch; we've got bigger issues to handle." Maka ground out as another blur shot by, this one taking a few strands of hair as she jerked her head back. "There! Let's go, Soul!"

Shooting towards the direction of the attack, Maka felt her soul automatically connecting with her partner, sparks flying between them as they began to merge with ease.

"SOUL RESONANCE!"

The souls merged into one, power bursting forth from within as meister and weapon became one. Soul began to morph, his Death Scythe form glowing and expanding as Maka charged forward towards a small abandoned hut settled behind some run-down houses. A heavy push from her legs had the meister airborne, scythe swung high above her head as she closed in on her target. A flash of light sparkled briefly in the shattered four-panel window as a ninja star came flying out, clipping Maka above her left eye.

"DEMON HUNTER!"

The hut exploded violently on contact and stirred up a large amount of snow, whiting out the surrounding area. Soul Perception triggered and Maka narrowly dodged a kunai aimed for her neck. Balancing Soul in the snow, the meister grabbed hold of the shaft before spinning and round-housing towards the concealed target. Her foot made contact and the assailant was sent flying backwards through the snow. Pressing forward Maka charged after the soul's wavelength, swinging and slicing the massive scythe with ease. Whoever was attacking was skilled, to say the least; barely any of the attacks landed, and if they did, it was a shallow slice.

"His attacks remind me of Black Star. Be careful, Maka, he's someone with experience in ninja arts." Soul warned as he blocked a dangerously sharp blade from slicing Maka's arm clean off. Maka grunted as she pushed hard against the ground, yelling as she put all of her weight against the attacker to throw him back.

"Maybe Black Star could get some stealth lessons from this guy if he lives through all this," Maka caught a foot to the stomach and gasped as the air left her lungs, pain radiating throughout her torso as she slid back through the snow. "This guy is taking advantage of the snow, so why don't we just clear it out!"

Bracing the scythe in both hands Maka began to spin it, faster and faster until it reached the point of becoming a blur as a powerful wind force kicked up. The light powder blew away in an instant, clearing a good few inches from the ground as well. Left in its place was an empty space with clear visibility of the entire area, the enemy no longer in front of them. A slight shift in the breeze told Maka exactly where he was and she pivoted on her foot, Soul still spinning rapidly as a sneak attack was deflected from behind. The attacker skidded across the snow, sword in hand while the other supported his crouched form. Nontraditional white ninja armor cloaked his body from head to toe; the only visible detail was the piercing blue eyes peeking through his face mask.

"You… students of DWMA… I am not your intended target, but this shall be an interesting fight!" A masculine voice mused into the air as the ninja vanished. Even with Soul Perception and her instincts, Maka was forced to be on defensive, constantly blocking while her attacker became faster with each attempt. The cold was rapidly sapping her energy; they needed to get out and fast. Soul could feel her strength waning and clenched his jaw tightly with a growl. Maka couldn't hold up this level of fighting for more than a few more minutes. Her slower movements were causing the blade to slip through her defenses and slice porcelain skin wide open like rice paper.

'It seems you're struggling, Soul…you can always count on me…' A familiar red demon cooed from within Soul. The weapon grunted as another heavy kick was directed at Maka, the scythe taking the brunt of the force. The damned demon always tried to play hero at the last moment.

'I don't need your damned help, Demon. Once we get an opening we'll strike and finish this. Besides, we made a pact to restrict the black blood unless absolutely necessary. Unless you'd like to have a visit from Maka…?' Soul gave a toothy grin as he felt the demon get nervous. For a demon, he sure was afraid of a single girl and her books.

'Just remember the offer is there, Soul, if you decide to change your mind…' The demon fell silent and Soul gave a sigh of relief. He didn't need the maddening effects of Black Blood; this was just like any other 3-Star mission. They could handle it, that he was sure of.

"You are a very skilled meister, Maka Albarn, wielder of Death Scythe Soul 'Eater' Evans; but you know nothing of this environment in which I was born, raised, and trained within. If you can't even hold up against a master ninja how do you expect to defeat a newly reborn Kishin?" The mysterious master ninja mocked as he landed softly atop the roof of an abandoned house, his movements seemingly noiseless. Maka panted heavily with her hands on her knees, body aching painfully. A cut on her forehead began to bleed and she hastily wiped it from her eye, the sweat intermingling with the blood and stinging mildly.

"So, tell me; why would a ninja coincidentally be in the same area as a pre-Kishin sighting? Seems a little odd to me seeing as you were the one to attack first." With a deep breath in and out, Maka stood tall and planted her scythe into the thick snow. "Unless you're out here as a distraction so whoever you're working for can hunt down the suspect and unleash a full Kishin. Am I right?"

The ninja let out a low whistle and began to slowly clap, slightly impressed with her observations.

"I read that you were a smart one; very perceptive of you. But unfortunately, not completely correct. My mission was not merely to distract you, but to test your skills level. I have heard of your skills against the Kishin Asura, but he was an ancient artifact compared to today's Kishin. Simply punching a Kishin in the face will not suffice in taking them down, no matter how well it worked last time. But if this is all you have to offer, I'm afraid you'll have no hope in defeating the next Kishin about to be unleashed upon the world."

Maka glared at the man, anger pooling in the pit of her stomach as she placed her fingers together and stretched them. Neck stretching followed next, her eyes never leaving her target. With a final shoulder roll, she was ready. Grasping Soul in her hand the meister whirled him around with ease, stopping with him placed behind her, ready to swing.

"I don't care who or what you are, but you've made the mistake of attacking us without reason. Soul, get ready."

"Maka, are you sure about this? Maybe it would be better to retreat for now. Your body can't handle the frigid weather when you're exhausted and losing blood. I don't think –."

"Soul, now!" Maka grit out as she crouched down, preparing for an attack. Soul faltered before steeling his will and readying himself.

"My, my, a bit demanding, aren't we? You should listen to what your partner says, it may be what saves your life." The ninja gracefully stood to his full height, waiting with barely bated breath for the oncoming attack. Kunai slid from his sleeves to his waiting hands, their gleam menacing.

"Ahh, I see she still has some sense left in her." The demon snickered as he watched Soul enter the familiar piano room. He merely shrugged off the death glare from the weapon before seating himself across the room, making himself comfortable for the show that was about to begin.

"I suggest you keep your mouth shut, demon, before I shut it myself." Soul growled as he loosened the tie around his neck while he looked around the familiar black and red piano room. His pinstriped suit wasn't the most comfortable article of clothing but seeing as it was a special occasion, he'd make do with it for a while. "Maka, this is a stupid idea that won't end well. Your stubbornness isn't cool."

"Well, Soul, then we'll just have to see this stupid idea to the finish, now won't we? Besides, you should be used to my stubbornness after all these years."

Maka appeared from the shadows of the room, her fingers intertwined at her front like always. Soul turned to glance at her and froze, his heart skipping a beat as he took her in with slightly wide eyes. The flowing black dress was a tighter fit than usual as Maka's curves were on full display, accentuating every part of her body perfectly. Intricate lace gloves had replaced the simple ones from many years ago, tracing all the way up to her shoulders before dipping down to the top swell of her breasts. Solid fabric cascaded down from there, fitting snugly against her like a second skin. Once it reached her hips the flowing fabric flared out into a simple high-low skirt which showed off her lean and tone legs, the black two-inch heels drawing even more attention to them. Her hair had been loosely tied up in a relaxed up-do with two tendrils of hair framing either side of her face, enhancing her angelic-like features.

"U-uh…yeah, I'll lead." Soul stuttered lamely, mentally slapping himself across the face.

The demon snickered behind his hand, mischievous eyes dancing. Making a mental note to strangle the imp later on, the weapon turned his attention towards Maka. He was pretty sure she could feel his heart nearly beating from his chest as he took her gloved hand and bowed, gently placing a kiss against her knuckles. Though judging from her reddened expression, she was in a similar situation herself. A shiver shot down Soul's spine and he swallowed hard to control himself as she slid a hand delicately on his shoulder. What was wrong with him? She had never triggered such strong emotional reactions like this before, so why now?

"Let's go!" Maka shouted as she launched towards her opponent, Demon Hunter glowing and morphing once more. "GENIE HUNTER!"

Soul began to swing to the music emitting from the demon's music box, his hand comfortably resting on Maka's waist as he led the dance. They had both changed so much over the past few years that it nearly seemed like they were different people. Soul was nearing 6'0 tall while Maka was close behind at around 5'8. Their bodies had gone through other transformations as well, not just height wise. While Maka had gotten some curves and filled out more, Soul's shoulders had broadened, and his body had become leaner and more muscular. His spiky white hair stayed nearly identical to when they first met, save for the occasional black headband worn to tame the wild mane from time to time. While a beard had attempted to grow, the weapon kept it shaved down as, quote; 'Stubble isn't cool'

"Soul, you're acting a little weird today. Is everything alright?" Those large green eyes he adored so much locked with his own, searching for any concealed emotions. She always knew right away when something was bothering him, her soul perception strong as ever.

Both weapon and meister had grown even closer, not just physically, after battling the Kishin; their soul wavelengths had perfectly fused like they were made for one another. Their thoughts and feelings could easily be spread through soul connection alone, sometimes accidentally. Maka mostly kept a tight lock on hers most of the time and not even Soul could break through it. On the occasion that she slipped and let down her guard though…

"Apart from you being stubborn as usual, Maka, I'm fine so don't worry. Being controlled by the black blood is just so uncool." Soul couldn't help the goofy grin that adorned his face as his partner slipped into a relaxed smile. The demon felt the madness boil inside, and he could barely contain himself with glee. With two crooked fingers, he snapped, triggering the black blood's madness.

With a single fluid movement, she spun away from him, arm outstretched before he gently pulled her back. The distance between them closed and a spark shot between them as their skin touched. Maka wrapped her arms around his neck, resting her forehead against his as they swayed. It was moments like this that made it nearly impossible to resist her touch and without hesitation, Soul wrapped his arms around her waist, holding her tight against him as red and green eyes locked.

Jab. Jab. Jab. Foot sweep. Jab. Jab. Swing. Maka charged the master ninja without break, her attacks stronger and faster than before with the black blood activated. The man seemed thoroughly surprised when she came face-to-face with him in a matter of seconds, scythe already slicing through the air. He ducked down at the last possible second, barely avoiding the scythes scorching touch mere centimeters from his nose. There was no time to strike back, it was his turn to be on the defensive side. He had heard a little information regarding black blood from Russian and Death City newspaper snippets but seeing it up close and personal was an entirely different experience.

Even with his decades of training and dedication to the ninja arts, he was struggling to avoid being sliced in half. An opportunity opened and he flung his kunai as hard as he could towards the meister, hoping it would be enough of a distraction for him to get back on the offensive side. The kunai hit their target; one sunk into Maka's upper abdomen while the other punctured the center of her chest.

The meister looked down at the weapons half embedded within her before snapping her narrowed gaze back to her attacker. Thick ooze boiled out around her wounds as the Black Blood pushed the kunai blades out before sewing the wounds shut in moments.

"I must say, Ms. Albarn, that is a very impressive skill to possess. But," the ninja straightened himself up, his hand reaching into a small pouch on his left hip. "There is a weakness to every secret weapon and unfortunately for you, I am well aware of what yours is." His hand whipped out of the bag and 5 small metal balls hurtled towards Maka. With his other hand, he quickly muttered a small jutsu before launching at the meister, arm drawn back as lightning engulfed his fist. The small metal balls exploded in her face, leaving a thick smoke clinging to her body.

"FIGURE 6 HUNTER!"

"It seems you've duped me, Ms. Albarn, well played. Damn anti-demon wavelength..." The imp jumped down from his plush chair and walked towards the back corner of the room, losing interest in the madness-free environment. Soul only sent him a cocky grin over his shoulder.

"We've played your game long enough to know how to beat the madness. Doesn't hurt when you have the coolest partner either." Maka blushed furiously before smacking Soul on the arm, embarrassment and pride shining through her eyes.

"I-Idiot, don't say such embarrassing things!"

"How is it embarrassing if it's true? Maka Albarn, coolest partner ever. Not as cool as me though." Maka pulled away from his embrace and started smacking him on the arms and chest, face burning bright red. Soul just laughed heartily, further irritating his meister and increasing the intensity of the hits.

"Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot!"

"Oi, oi, fine, I'll stop." Soul caved before she could pull a 'Maka Chop' on him. He grabbed her wrists to stop the barrage. She didn't fight it as she looked up at him, eyes showing amusement, embarrassment and something else, something that Soul hadn't seen before. Maka gently pushed her hands forward until they were resting against his chest, biting her lower lip gently and looking away.

"Maka…?" Soul released her wrists and delicately tilted her face up his hand. Light as a feather he brushed her bangs away from her eyes, locking gazes with his meister. "What's wrong?"

It felt like her heart was going to burst looking at his face; he was concerned, but it was in such a loving and tender way that the meister couldn't help herself. If she didn't do it now, she would chicken out and not have another chance to express her feelings. Placing her hands on either side of his face, she stood on her toes and placed a soft kiss against his cheek with tears in her eyes and flushed cheeks.

"Thank you, Soul, for everything."

He was tiring; the woman in front of him was a monster. They had been going non-stop for a good while now jumping from building to building and she had yet to slow down even a hair. Weapon supplies were running low and all that was left was his trusted katana passed down through generations of master ninjas. It appeared to be a normal sword, but only those who were blessed to be able to use it knew what other-worldly power it held within it. Using it meant there was a high chance it would be a critical if not fatal blow depending on where it landed. It wasn't his intention to kill the meister, but desperate times called for desperate measures if he was going to make it out alive.

"I suggest you stop now if you wish to survive this battle! This could be a fatal blow if I am forced to use it!"

Maka either didn't hear the warning or didn't care as she swung the Figure 6 Hunter at the ninja, eyes ablaze with determination. As he slid the katana from his sheath, a massive explosion shook the earth, both of them faltering in their steps.

"What the hell was that?" Soul yelled out as another explosion triggered closer. One after another they went off, getting closer and closer to the fighting duo. Maka felt the familiar sensation streak across her mind and she skid to a halt, head snapping towards the center of the explosions.

"The Kishin…it's here."

Man, this took like awhile to write. I kept changing ideas and I'm pretty happy with the way it is now. I'll start chapter two as soon as I can; I just started nights at my new job, and it's been rough adjusting to it. Thanks for reading! *I'll be going through the chapters again and updating anything I feel needs corrected. 3-6-2020*

*Credit to ElementJax on DeviantArt for the Soul and Maka scene inspiration!*