Cranking these out! I'm not super good at writing fighting scenes, I just get to the mushy stuff first, so bear with me on them. Onward, to Kishin hunting!
A figure dashed through the white laden hills, darting effortlessly between the thick forest foliage. Winter had taken its toll on the vegetation as the trees bared no leaves, just the gnarled twisting spines of once luscious green branches now lying dormant and covered in thick piles of snow. A branch snapped and the figure immediately darted to the side, taking cover behind a large bare fir tree. With bated breath and a silent peek, they waited. A shuffling sound echoed loudly off of the bare trees, scattering the noise in every direction. Ears trained for such an occasion, the person closed their eyes and focused, taking in every sound of the forest. A bird in the distance, chirping softly. A fox stealthily hunting its prey beneath the layers of snow. Mice burrowing deeper underground, escaping the stealthy fox just above. Three deer shuffling through the deep snow to search for any foliage to devour.
Another shuffle and they pinpointed the sound. Throwing their eyes open, the person leapt silently into the tree, using the high vantage point to their advantage as they scanned the area. For a moment, nothing happened. Then the shuffling grew louder, getting closer to the tree they were currently waiting in. With a swift and silent wrist flick, a kunai slid into their palm, the black metal stark against the surrounding area. Lifting their throwing arm up by their shoulder, they waited for the moment to strike. Slowly, a figure emerged from behind a tree, white clothes nearly indistinguishable from the snow. Their movements were slow as they trudged along, using any tree to support them along the way.
Judging from the backpack, it could be assumed it was a traveler, perhaps having gotten lost in the endless white. White clouds filled the air as heavy breathing pumped from the travelers' mouth, the frigid temperatures taking a toll on their body. Lowering the weapon, narrowed eyes watched the person stumble, face-planting in the snow. They were motionless for minutes and most likely presumed dead. With a light jump they landed in the snow, inspecting the body for signs of life. It was faint, but there was indeed still a heartbeat, albeit growing weaker by the minute. Grabbing the traveler by the shoulder, the figure shoved them onto their back, eyes grazing over the snow-covered face. It appeared to be an elderly man, judging by the heavy facial lines and grey hair. It was his stupidity that would kill him, trekking into bad weather like this at his age.
Quick hands searched any and all pockets for supplies or valuables. A glint of light flashed by the elder's neck and with deft fingers, a chain was removed from his neck. Dangling from the bottom of the chain was a locket, in the shape of a crescent moon. There was a small latch connecting the sides together, but it had been broken long ago, barely hanging by a thin wire. With a bit of fumbling, it managed to snap open. Inside was a weathered photo of a couple on one side and a newer portrait of a small child, a girl. An inscription was written beneath it.
"My light, my love, my life. Anya."
A groan from the man caused the figure to leap back, taking cover within a tree mere feet away. So, he was still alive. Tough old bastard.
"I-I know some-someone is there, please, I ask f-for an e-ear." The man croaked as he coughed, the sound wet and hard. "A d-dying m-m-man's wish…"
The figure hidden in the tree watched with suspicious eyes, leery of the stranger. A part of him wanted to just leave and abandon the delirious old man, but another was curious about his dying words. There was still time before needing to return to base, a few more minutes wouldn't hurt. Besides, he might have something of value on his person.
"Speak your words, old man, though none may ever hear them." The figured spoke emotionlessly as they landed back next to the dying man.
The man let out a strained laugh, cracking his eyes open, glassy eyes staring at the clouded heavens with a small smile.
"The trees s-shall carry on m-my words," Another painful cough. "I-I know what you are, s-son, no n-need to be s-so guarded."
"Then you must know what happens once you discover who I am."
"H-happened to my y-younger brother, I am a-aware," The man was growing tired, his eyelids drooping. "But I w-will spare you the effort of k-killing me, n-ninja, for I am already a d-dead man. I w-wish for you to h-heed my warning…"
The old man shot forward with surprising speed and strength, grabbing the ninja by the collar as he dragged him close to the putrid rotting scent of death spewing from between his lips. Crazed black eyes locked with the ninja's own, his stare swirling the depths of Hell within them. His mouth opened to an unnatural size, sharp black rotting teeth lining nearly every inch of his mouth as he gave a crazed smile. Fear began to climb down the ninja's spine, paralyzing him in place. He tried to avert his eyes to no avail; those black eyes had placed a spell over him, sending pure terror coursing through his body.
"Those who meddle outside the laws of God shall face the wrath of the Reaper. There is no redemption for those who break the sacred law. You have been warned."
Just as quickly as it had started, it ended. The old man's eyes rolled into the back of his head and his grip released as he fell into the snow with a soft thud. The ninja felt his collar where the stranger had just grabbed him, the spot feeling frozen. Either he had hallucinated, or the old man reverted back to human form as he died. A glimmer of light emitted from around the neck of the corpse and the ninja felt his heart skip a beat; it was the necklace he had torn off mere minutes ago still secured around the man's neck.
Abruptly he stood and fumbled backwards before taking off through the woods, leaving the corpse alone in the snow. As soon as the ninja was gone, the body began to dissolve into nothingness, leaving just a blackened spot covering the earth.
The words 'The Reaper Shall Bring Judgement' permanently scarred into the ground.
Kid paced back and forth anxiously in the Death Room; his arms crossed over his chest in concentration as his weapons watched on in boredom. Liz had been watching him pace for nearly an hour now, growing rather agitated with his repetitive behavior. Patty was snoring quietly next to her, the chair she was in was teetering dangerously on the back two legs, somehow never falling over.
"Kid, you're going to wear a hole in the floor at that rate," Liz said tersely as he picked up the pace, muttering under his breath quickly. "You need to calm down and think about this logically. I know you're worried about them, but Soul and Maka can take care of themselves; they've proven that more times than we can count."
Kid was growing anxious about the new looming threat in addition to the newly hybrid Kishin. It wasn't a coincidence that a ninja would suddenly appear where Soul and Maka were hunting a Kishin, nor that the ninja could easily dodge its attacks while Maka was severely injured. What was their connection? Were the master ninja's creating these Kishin? And for what purpose? This would be so much easier if he could just leave –
"Lord Death, sorry for the interruption."
Kid stopped his pacing and looked up to see Stein standing a mere few feet from him, his hands shoved roughly into his pockets.
"Ah, Professor Stein, what can I do for you?" Uncrossing his arms, the Reaper took a more relaxed pose as he moved to his chair. Gracefully dropping down into it, tired golden eyes met with calm green ones as Kid paid full attention to the meister.
"I looked into those 'Master Ninja's' at the library, but nothing really came out of it. There was a paragraph in one book that mentioned a possible previous association between them and a group of witches, but I'm afraid nothing more than that." Stein cranked the screw on his head a few times before pulling a cigarette from his pocket, slowly striking a match to light it. "I'm not an expert on ninjas, but we have a duo that are. I would suggest speaking with them about it once they return within the next few days."
"Thank you, Stein, I've already mentioned to Tsubaki and she said it sounded familiar but couldn't place it. She will ask Black Star as well." Kid rested his chin on intertwined fingers, mind racing as he searched for any hidden knowledge of the clan. "But what I don't understand is how easily Soul and Maka ran into one; it wasn't a coincidence that a ninja was there when the Kishin appeared. There's something going on between that clan and all these new hybrid-Kishin popping up everywhere, but I can't figure it out." Kid sighed heavily. Why didn't any of it make sense?
Stein stood there for a few moments, slowly inhaling the sweet nectar of cigarettes before releasing a cloud of smoke. He adjusted his glasses with his middle finger as he spoke.
"Don't stress yourself over this, Kid, everything will fall into place sooner or later. Has Soul told Maka yet?"
"No," Kid shook his head slowly. "If she knew, she'd rush out the door to find them and wipe everyone out." A small smirk adorned the Reapers face at the image of Maka wrecking mayhem on a bunch of ninjas.
"There's a reason she's the best meister at the academy; after her mother of course." Stein smiled with the cigarette between his teeth. "If anyone can take care of it, it's her. Soul will help keep her in line."
"I really hope you're right, Professor Stein, I really do…"
She could feel herself floating in a haze of black mist, the dead silence nearly causing her to go mad. There was no way to tell how much time had passed, but it was enough for boredom to kick in. No matter how far she 'swam' it was the same thing; never ending silence and darkness. Maka huffed and curled into a ball, hugging her knees to her chest. Was she inside her soul again? Or was this the median between life and death?
"You're not dead, dearie, just in a state of unconsciousness." A familiar voice spoke up, her pigtails flying around as she turned to see. "Taken quite the beating, haven't you? You really should stop being so abusive to me," The little red demon feigned hurt, his gnarly fingers pressing against his heart.
"Are you here to mock me or are you going to help me get out of this?" Maka huffed as she crossed her arms over her chest, glaring at the imp.
"Soul is right, quite the demanding one, aren't you?" He snickered as he effortlessly walked closer to the meister. "You've pushed my limit too far this time, which in turn does more harm than good to your body. You see, dearie, because you keep pushing the limits of the black blood, it accelerates the madness and causes you to be more easily drawn down into the depths. Now, don't panic," The imp reassured Maka at her startled expression. "It won't get you killed as long as you watch your limitations with the black blood. But if you continue to push the limits then you'll find yourself in a situation like Chrona; you'll lose the ability to stay sane and the black blood will absorb you as you lose control of yourself. Your anti-demon wavelength can only go so far if there's an extreme external source of madness around."
Maka swallowed hard. Lose the ability to use black blood? They had been using it fine for years without many issues… It was practically a death sentence once the black blood lost its healing properties. And external madness...what would happen if an outside source of madness overtook the black blood's own madness?
"So, all I have to do is watch the limit? That shouldn't be too hard,"
"Ah, you say that, but we both know that once it starts to take control, you'll feel the urge for more power each and every time. Even Soul knows his limit before the madness takes over."
The meister sat in silence as she tried to wrap everything around her head. The imp crossed his leg over the other, acting as though he was sitting in a chair as he waited for her to respond.
"I can't tell Soul about this…he'll make sure we never use it again." Maka concluded finally. "We've fought before without it and we can do it again."
"And here I thought you were the smart one…" The demon was suddenly inches from her face, his red eyes boring dangerously into hers as he snarled. "How exactly do you plan to keep it from him? I am him; he is me. I am you; you are me. We are all connected together in body and soul. You can't keep your thoughts locked down every time you're around him; he'll find out sooner or later; before you die, or after you die. Your choice, Maka Albarn, choose wisely."
The imp vanished, leaving Maka to float alone in the darkness once more. Her anger got the better of her and she screamed all of her frustrations into the void. By the time she was finished releasing her frustrations, her throat had become hoarse. She floated for what felt like eternity again, muttering angrily under her breath. A light flashed from her right and she abruptly turned to look. Something was coming at her fast. A flash of white; her heart skipped a beat as she recognized what it was…
"How did it get in here…?" Maka whispered to herself as she turned to try and float away, panic gripping her heart. It was like swimming through sludge as she kicked and pushed as hard as she could to get away.
It hit her fast; a large clawed hand shot out and grabbed her by the neck. A strangled yell slipped through her lips as she stared wide-eyed at the creature.
When they had fought it, Maka couldn't get a detailed look at the horrendous face but looking at it from such a close angle sent chills down her spine. Its face morphed rapidly, ranging from various animals and back to human, instantaneously. Tears slipped from her eyes as she stared; her body wanted to look away, escape from the horror, but her mind was frozen in place, too terrified to send any flight commands. The faces began to slow down, slowly ticking through them like a rolodex. With a final click it stopped. The face was familiar, way too familiar for comfort.
Maka stared directly at her own face on the creature's head, its expression calm and collected.
"Scythe wielder, Maka Albarn. Meister to Death Scythe Soul 'Eater' Evans. Aged 17, nearing 18. Height 5'8. Weight 105 lbs. Eyes green. Hair sandy. Blood type O." It even sounded like her…
It stopped within inches of her own face, the creatures mouth opening wide to reveal dangerously sharp teeth dripping with acidic red saliva. Maka felt her stomach churn but could only struggle weakly as consciousness began to fade.
"You'll never be able to defeat a Kishin like me," It purred lowly in her voice. "For you may be the Reaper who slays those who have broken the sacred law, but I am the Kishin who devours those Reapers. I know everything about you; from what you eat for breakfast to every dream you have. As well as your deepest feelings for your weapon that you keep locked away because you're afraid of him not sharing the feelings back. You better give up, girl, or your life will be mine for eternity."
Three long claws punctured her stomach and instantly blood spurted from her mouth. The darkness overcame her, and she fell into silence.
Maka shot straight up with a strangled scream, sweat drenching every inch of her body as she fought to breathe. The sudden movement caused pain to shoot up her abdomen and she doubled over as her muscles contracted tightly, wrapping her arms around her waist in attempt to ease the pain. Tears streamed down her face while her body spasmed violently from the sudden pain, causing her to fall from the bed to the floor. She curled into a ball on the cool floor, her mouth open in a silent scream. The door slammed open and footsteps raced across the floor, a flash of white moving into her blurred vision.
"Oi, Maka what's wrong? Take a deep breath,"
Soul had panicked the moment he heard the cry and felt the pain inside of his soul. He winced a bit at the level of pain radiating from her soul, its cries instinctively syncing with his soul wavelength. Maka's body was shaking as she tried to curl herself into a tighter ball on the floor, her nails digging into her back to anchor herself to reality. Cursing under his breath, the weapon quickly lifted her from the floor and pulled her into his lap, placing his hand on the back of her head.
"It's alright, I'm here, Maka, just breathe. It'll be okay," Rubbing circles on her back seemed to help somewhat as she loosened her constricting hold.
"S-Soul…" Maka gasped out in between sobs, her arms quickly wrapping around his neck. "I-I'm fine, just got up too fast." Came the muffled response from Soul's shoulder.
"Do you need more pain meds? You've been out nearly two days now; I haven't been able to wake you."
Two days… was that how long she was floating in the darkness? It felt longer than that. She could still feel the creature's claws around her neck, slicing through her stomach like thin air, and she shivered.
"N-no," Maka mumbled into Soul's neck, his musk washing over her calming her slightly.
Soul knew she was probably aware that her thoughts were connecting with his; the red demon warning her about the black blood and its limits, her hidden feelings for him, and then there was that. The hybrid Kishin had found its way into her mind, leaving a threatening warning with dire consequences should she continue to pursue it. He tightened his grip around her waist. No way in hell would it take his meister; he would die to protect her.
He grit his teeth angrily. He couldn't do anything except just hold her there, rubbing her back and whispering soothing words. Her body wasn't shaking nearly as bad as they sat there, the concept of time a foreign thought for the time being. Maka shifted back a little and Soul loosened his grip around her to look down at her.
"You alright now?"
Tears were still trailing down her cheeks, but she nodded.
"Thank you, Soul, I just…" Maka trailed off as she took a deep breath. "You probably saw it, didn't you? That thing invading my mind, my body, my soul. I can still feel it—."
"It's not there anymore, so don't worry. 'Sides, we can take down that creepy Kishin no problem." Soul gave her a toothy grin and she giggled softly. "Cuz you got the coolest Death Scythe ever as your partner."
"What would I ever do without the coolest guy in the world?" Maka wiped her face with the backs of her hands, sniffling as she dried her tears.
"Probably be stuck with some loser who hasn't defeated Kishins, got a cool chest scar, got a cool motorcycle, became a Death Scythe," Soul ticked off the list on his fingers, closing one eye and keeping the other on her. "Traveled the world kicking ass, hasn't defeated witches. Has a best friend who is the Shinigami. And has the coolest partner in the world. Hard to be cool like me. Should I keep going?"
"I think that's plenty enough, Soul." Maka laughed as he gave her another toothy grin, his white locks messy falling across his eyes.
With a gentle touch she pushed them back, revealing those devious red eyes she loved so much. His hair had gotten a little long again, white tendrils falling over his face. She wonders if he just hadn't had the time to put a headband on to tame them. His hand came up to encase the one resting against his face, red eyes searching green. Maka felt her heart nearly beating out of her chest.
There would be no more hiding their feelings, keeping them locked up deep within their souls, while putting on a facade on the outside. How long had she wanted this but been too terrified of rejection or being hurt? And there were the other girls clamoring to be his partner for so long, all flocking to him whenever he was at school. Usually Maka was roughly pushed aside by the clamoring teens, totally ignored. With a huff she would leave, leaving Soul to dig his way out of the horde of hormones while she went to class.
But now that they were here, alone, with her feelings finally out in the open, the meister felt like crying all over again. Her eyes slid closed on her own, her body instinctively leaning forward...
Maka was interrupted as the door flung open once more, startling the two apart. It was the older front desk attendant who hurried in, the one who had prepared their meals and changed her clothes while she was healing, wringing her hands in front of her.
"Oh, my sweet girl, are you alright? I heard you yell out and then he came sprinting in and I haven't heard anything since, I was so worried!" The woman blubbered as she crushed Maka in a bear hug. "You are so young, poor girl! Ah, my daughter… you resemble her…"
"Ah…I'm sorry to hear that…you can rest easy knowing no one else will suffer the way your child and many others did…" Maka winced against the woman's shoulder as her ribs were shifted, her eyes trailing back to Soul who was sprawled out on the floor.
He looked a little surprised but kept his face mainly neutral. Maka felt her heart drop into her stomach as he got up and hesitated before leaving the room, his right hand scratching the back of his head as he walked and his left shoved deep in his pocket, muttering something under his breath. He paused and shot her a quick look; it was confusion, mainly, but there was something else… a little regret?
She wasn't sure how long she had been sitting there, nearly being crushed by the larger woman, but her body felt numb. Was…everything just ruined?
The next few hours were a blur: the only sensation she remembered was scalding hot water cascading over her body, steam filling her vision as something moved roughly against her skin. Someone was speaking to her in a gentle voice, but Maka couldn't hear it. Her heart felt like it had stopped beating all together. Were things ruined between her and Soul? Why did he look like he regretted it?
"Dear, your ride is here, you should get going now." A soft voice drew the meister from her numbness and she turned hazy eyes to the woman. "I'm sorry for ruining your moment together, I was very concerned about you and was afraid something bad had happened. Forgive me for causing tension between you two. If he truly loves you like I can see he does, you'll have your perfect moment."
The woman, who Maka learned was name Nadia, looked at her with love though there were tears welling in her eyes. A twinge flitted across her heart and before she knew it, she was sobbing in the woman's arms. All the fear, anxiety, pent up emotions rushed out and she wailed into the warm shoulder. Nadia cried as well, holding the fragile girl in her arms, wanting to keep her safe and sound. The moment ended when Soul interrupted.
"Our ride's here, let's go." Soul nodded his head towards the door, his voice neutral as he grabbed their bags and walked into the frigid cold.
"Trust me, sweetheart, you'll know when you're ready. Take care and thank you." Nadia placed a soft kiss against Maka's forehead before releasing her and pushing her towards the door.
"T-thank you, Nadia. Take care." Maka turned and headed outside, resisting to look back.
They may have only known each other for a few days, but the woman seemed to care immensely for the meister. It reminded her of her mother…
The harsh wind smacked Maka in the face and she blinked back the sudden tears, the cold taking hold of her petite frame with a death grip. There was a local police force officer waiting on the two DWMA students to shuttle them back to the airport 30 minutes away in the next town over. Soul was currently securing down their suitcases, tightening the straps with a little more force than necessary on the trailer attached to the snowmobile. The two locked eyes for a moment, mixed feelings shooting between them. Maka broke first, her face heating up as she looked away, ashamed. If she hadn't been injured in the first place, they wouldn't be having such awkward tension. Her fist clenched tightly at her side as she willed the tears to stay put.
"If you two are ready, we must go; there is another storm building up and if we don't get out of here now, we'll be hit." The officer yelled over the wind with a thick accent.
"Let's go, Maka." Soul spoke barely above the wind, already moving towards the snowmobile without a second glance.
It was like he wanted nothing to do with her anymore…everything….everything was her fault. She never should've released the lock on her thoughts. Never should've believed that Soul loved her. Maka sullenly shuffled her way to the vehicle, mind going numb as she swung her leg over and sat behind Soul. Her hands instinctively reached to wrap around his waist though this time they froze and slowly retracted to hold onto the handles on the side. If he noticed, he didn't say anything and just kept looking forward.
Maka kept her head down as they took off and her back slammed into the metal bars of the seat, but she ignored the throbbing pain as she clenched her jaw. Tears slipped down her face as they traversed through the fine white powder, the wind whipping viciously around them at the high rate of speed. Would he find her annoying and want to change partners? Was it because she was still too flat-chested? She had tried those new push-up bras from downtown Death City, though really all that did was make her feel like a walking billboard. The snowmobile slowed to a stop and the meister tiredly lifted her head to see they had arrived at the airport, sans snowstorm, in the time her mind was preoccupied.
"Oi, Maka, let's go—you alright?" Soul started but stopped when he noticed the fresh tracks down her cheeks, her glassy eyes unfocused. "What's wrong? Are you in pain again—"
"You must leave otherwise the pilot cannot take off in the strong winds." The officer yelled to the duo. "The storms in Russia are merciless. Please, board while I get your bags for you."
Soul turned his attention back to Maka who was already headed towards the small plane's steps, head drooped. He let out a frustrated sigh and wiped his hand down his face.
This was going to be long flight back.
Y'all thought it was going to happen that fast? HA! NOPE! Soon, though my children, soooooon. Ish. Maybe. Haven't decided. Thanks for reading!