Dramatic ending last time…what will happen to the two? Even I'm not sure and I'm writing it lol Let's go! *This has been edited as of 2/18/2020 to match with the story further down the line.*
It was a silent walk down the long hallway as they headed towards the Death Room, the meister-weapon duo standing over a foot apart. Maka kept her face neutral as she walked with her hands clasped behind her back, her normal pigtails abandoned for a loose ponytail. It was highly unlike her to leave the infamous pigtails out, but the meister had been acting weird since they arrived back in Death City just barely a week ago. Barely leaving her room, refusing to eat, not even picking up her favorite book. Blair had to help her shower since Maka didn't have the energy to get up. Even when invited by the girls to go shopping, the meister slowly agreed and apparently walked slowly behind the rest of them, zoning out.
Soul glanced at his meister with a frown. Since that incident in Russia, she hadn't been herself. He tried to link to her soul, but it had been sealed off again. He couldn't help but feel like it was his fault; even though he had seen the conversation she and the imp had, heard her feelings, watched her eyes close as she started leaning in…
The door swung open as they neared, revealing the long line of Tori gates aligned perfectly straight into the Death Room. A tall figure was waiting just inside the door, leaning against the first gate with a serious expression.
"Yo, Black Star. What's with the serious look?" Soul bumped fists with the ninja, receiving only a head nod in return.
"It's about that ninja clan just north of where we were, isn't it?" Maka suddenly spoke up, startling the weapon slightly. "I can see it in your soul wavelength."
"Tsubaki told me on the flight back. She looked into it more and dug up old stories and rumors. Seems that clan is notorious for messing with powerful witches and creating monsters. They vanished off the map over 800 years ago for no reason. No one has heard of them since." Black Star filled them in as they walked through the gates. "Kid seems to think the two are connected with Asura's sealing and his defeat years ago. It's possible that since the madness was released all over the world years ago, that it signaled for them to start back up."
"Great, so more psycho people are being born and rampaging the world. And here I thought one Kishin was bad enough…" Soul muttered as he shoved his hands in his pockets, grimacing at nothing in particular.
"Those…things…Black Star, they weren't like any pre-Kishin, they weren't like Asura; they were hybrids of animals and human souls…" Maka whispered as she wrapped her arms around herself, the memory still fresh. "The one we fought, when that ninja was there watching…I couldn't even keep up with its speed. It was breaking Kishin Hunter with its teeth. But when I punched it with my anti-demon wavelength, it exploded like Asura did…when it went after the ninja, it didn't land a single hit. He dodged it like he already knew how it fought…."
The two men shared a look of concern as Maka kept mumbling on and on about the hybrid Kishin, ignorant of the fact that she had continued walking away without either of them.
"Something happen to her?" Black Star asked quietly as they hung back for a bit.
"That Kishin somehow got into her mind and is screwing with her. I saw it through resonance, and it knew everything about her from her blood type all the way to what she dreams about. I don't have any way to help her out. She won't eat, has barely drank anything since we got back. Hell, Blair had to help her shower because she didn't have the motivation to get up. I'm worried about her." Soul watched his meister as she continued on, his heart aching.
"She'll bounce back, she always does. Just give her time to figure everything out. You know how she is," Black Star slapped a hand on the weapons shoulder. "Something else is bothering you, something that happened between you two. Spill."
"That noticeable, huh?" Soul rubbed the back of his neck as he looked down at the ground. "I heard her feelings for me through the resonance and when she woke up and started screaming…"
"Go ooooooooon…" Black Star urged, his full attention on his best friend.
"I calmed her down and she tried to…to kiss me…" Soul rushed the last part, his face tinting a light pink as he looked everywhere but the grinning idiot next to him.
"Whooooo, my man! I knew you had the hots for her, just never thought you'd go for it! How was it?"
"I…" Soul started but was cut-off by said woman they were talking about.
"Hurry up you two, I want to finish this and get back home." Maka called back to them without stopping or looking back, her shoulders squared.
"That answer your question, Black Star? Got interrupted and it's been awkward since. Let's go, I don't want her annoyed anymore than she already is."
Kid was standing over a table covered with papers, symmetrically organizing them into two separate neat sides. Liz had her glasses on and was reading over some of them when the trio entered the area.
"Oh, hey Maka, Soul. Welcome back," The demon weapon looked up and gave the two a smile. "How was Russia? I heard it's super cold up there during the winters."
"Frigid," Maka said quickly, impatient to small talk. "What have you found out about the ninja clan and the hybrid Kishins?"
Kid carefully set the papers down before turning to greet the duo as well.
"Maka, Soul, welcome back. How was the flight back? Are you feeling better?"
"Long. She's good, black blood healed her up in no time. What have you got for us, Kid?" Soul rushed out before Maka could answer. The meister gave him a strange look, her brow raised up.
"Well, not really much more than Black Star most likely told you. We've been searching some documents Tsubaki had sent in from her village regarding the ninja clan. So far it seems to be a connection between the ninjas and some rogue witches; or so the stories seem to tell." Kid raised a brow to the Death Scythe who curtly shook his head. "Anyways, that's all we know for now, though we've been looking through any reports of people suddenly going missing in that area. Seems in the last few years, more than a handful have vanished without a trace after returning with news of their discovery."
While Maka dived right in to help, Soul stood back. He was frustrated and tired to the point it was beginning to be easily noticed by other people. Black Star took notice first and dragged the weapon away from prying ears, keeping his fist wrapped around the collar of his shirt.
"Get your shit together, Eater, or so help me I'll beat it out of you. You're acting pathetic right now; so, what, you didn't get to kiss Maka and now you're upset. Get the fuck over it, it ain't the end of the world, is it?" Black Star hissed at the weapon; his eyes narrowed with anger. "You're acting like a pansy, it isn't cool, Soul."
Soul knocked Black Star's hand from his shirt, giving the ninja a deadly glare.
"It's not just that, asshole; like you know what it feels like to be helpless as your partner struggles. Not being able to comfort her, build her back up from the slump she's in. I feel like the one who broke her in the first place." Soul angrily whispered back, resisting the urge to punch his friend. "And there's nothing I can do to fix it without her getting mad at me or hating me. She's locked her feelings up again just as they were being opened for me. For a Death Scythe I'm pretty fucking weak and pathetic,"
Black Star just stood there silently, watching as his friend ruffled his hair in annoyance, looking to be anywhere but there. Over the years he had watched the pair grow closer, more so than any other Shibusen team there was, and not even a Kishin could tear them down to where they were now. The ninja just let out a laugh, earning a glare from the weapon.
"Let's go, I've got something that'll help you out. Oi, Kid, Maka," Black Star yelled to the chatting Shinigami and meister. "I'm kidnapping Soul for a few hours, don't wait up!"
Before Soul could splutter a response, he was quickly being dragged from the Death Room by the rambunctious ninja who was proclaiming how he was going to cure Soul of his 'uncool slump'. Maka made to reach out for her weapon but quickly diverted it to something else, covering her mistake. Kid raised a brow at the meister but chose to ignore it for more important matters.
A few hours passed with little result in progress. The only new information they had was one key witness who watched another villager suddenly act strange before walking towards the forest, unresponsive to anyone. Maka dropped the paper she was looking at to pinch the bridge of her nose. Her eyes were getting tired from staring at small print of the reports. Liz and Patti left to go prepare dinner and Kid was called away for something important, leaving the meister all alone in the Death Room. Stretching her arms high, she felt a satisfying pop and sighed. Soul hadn't been seen or heard from in hours since Black Star dragged him away to do Shinigami knows what.
Deciding to call it a day, Maka wrote a quick note for Kid and placed it on top of the papers, making sure it was as straight as possible. The walk through the school was quiet; all the students had left for the day or were participating in class activities. It almost seemed nostalgic walking through the familiar hallways. A tinier version of Maka walking with Soul, lecturing him about not doing his homework again. A smile appeared on her tired face as other memories popped into her mind, the visions playing out in front of her. Her choosing Soul as her partner, collecting their 99th soul, meeting Blair, Soul taking Chrona's attack for her, fighting Medusa, Soul becoming a Death Scythe after eating Arachne's soul, defeating Asura with Soul…
Maka's steps slowed to a stop. She hadn't realized how much a part of her life he had become over the years. Nearly everything was done with him by her side. The grocery shopping, missions, and on some occasions the bookstore with her. She held her hands out in front of her, staring blankly at her gloved palms. How did she function without him? How could she function without him? He was her other half, completing her soul, mind, and body. So why was she being such an idiot and pushing him away over something neither could control at that moment? Maka felt like the worlds biggest idiot as she sniffled, covering her eyes with her arm.
"Look at what you've done now, Albarn, pushing Soul-senpai away like the cruel woman I know you are." A small voice spoke up, quickly drawing Maka back to focus.
It was that younger student, whose name she never learned, who stalked her and Soul, even tormenting her in the Sloth chapter of the Book of Eibon. There she was, standing just a few feet from her, hands on her hips as she stared mockingly at the meister. Tight red curls swaying on either side of her head as she cocked her head a little.
"Cruel? A little ironic coming from someone who continues to torture and harass me," Maka shot back at the girl. She was in no mood to deal with kind of stuff right now. She needed to get to Soul, to tell him everything, to apologize; to kiss him hard enough until they both ran out of breath.
"I'm doing nothing more than pointing out your obvious flaws as a meister and partner; nothing more, nothing less. Soul would be so much better with a partner like me." She pointed a delicate hand to her chest. "I would never abuse and harass him like you tend to do quite often. You just like to be bossy and demanding, taking charge of every situation because you think you know what's best. But what about all those times Soul had to intervene because you lost control and started getting reckless? Perhaps you'd like a reminder."
With a snap of her fingers, the hallway transformed into the snowy bridge in London. It was the battle of Free the werewolf and Black Star, Tsubaki, Maka, and Soul. The latter of the group were arguing about their souls not connecting due to each other's faults. Soul transformed and as Maka caught him, her hands began to burn so she dropped him. The battle continued on with the meister holding onto her weapon, his shaft badly burning her hands as she recklessly charged the immortal. At one point she tosses him aside and tackles the werewolf, both going over the edge of the bridge. By sheer luck Soul caught her by the ankle, preventing her from a certain icy death hundreds of feet below.
A snap of her fingers transformed the surroundings into Florence, Italy; Inside of the Santa Maria Novella Basilica. There she watched a younger version of herself trapped in the church with Chrona, her back to the door as he launched at her, Ragnarök swinging down fast. A flash of light and Soul had transformed back to human form, taking the hit for her. Blood flew everywhere, flying high into the air as delicate flesh was ripped open. Maka grit her teeth at the memory.
Another snap and they were outside of Shibusen, in the streets of Death City. A loud explosion rocked the air as Asura shot from beneath the ground, scattering debris everywhere as he ascended to the sky. Maka, the younger one, was struck in the head and lost consciousness, beginning to fall towards the ground. Soul yelling out as he transformed, using his body as a cushion behind hers. They slammed into the fruit cart conveniently placed in the perfect spot. Maka could hear Soul grunt as he tried to sit up, her younger self reaching towards the Kishin before falling into darkness.
This time it was the labyrinth of Medusa, when she had a maddened Stein under her control. Maka snapped and flew at the witch with the hatred of a thousand suns, swinging her scythe down with fury. Her recklessness nearly cost the life of Rachel; the little girl Medusa had taken over while she recovered from losing her original body. She refused to listen to Marie as well, blatantly disobeying an order from a teacher. Thanks to her recklessness, Chrona sacrificed himself to save Maka, nearly dying in the end.
Over and over the scenes switched, showing the dozens of events where the meister had lost control and had gotten herself or Soul seriously injured or hurt. Even Chrona was injured in some of the battles, thanks to Maka.
"Haven't you realized yet? You are the reason other people are getting injured to save you. You're not a good meister, you're a manipulative, sneaky, low-life, weak, insecure woman who uses others to protect yourself—."
"Enough." Maka snarled out as she closed the distance between the two, her mature form towering over the small girl. "I've had enough of you nitpicking every single flaw I have; yes, I have put people in danger. Yes, I've been the reason Soul has been injured. Yes, I've lost control of myself more times than I can count. But you know what? I survived. Soul survived. All of the others have survived. I created a new Death Scythe, the last Death Scythe, because I kept going. Because when I was weak, Soul was there to pick me up. When he got injured because of me, it killed me inside for the longest time. If things had turned out differently, I may not be here; Soul may not be here, nor the others. Fate may be sick, it may be twisted, but Shinigami above us all, it has led to those specific events becoming aligned; they were meant to happen because of the choices I made."
The girl stared up at her in shock, her mouth flapping open and closed as shock froze her brain. But the meister wasn't done just yet with her.
"And you know what? Screw it; I'm in love with Soul 'Eater' Evans, my partner. I have been for years, but I've been too terrified of getting hurt to do anything but lock the feelings down deep inside my soul. I know your obsession with him is cute and all, but he is mine; now and forever."
Her Soul Perception tingled and Maka took a step back in surprise. The girl in front of her was no longer frozen in fear; her soul was expanding at a sudden rate that pushed even Maka back a good ten feet.
"Yours forever, you say? Well, there won't be a forever if you're killed by a witch without your weapon!" The girl cackled as she threw her arms out wide as her body began to transform with a swirl of power.
Maka took another step back, eyes wide as the young girl that was standing before her suddenly became a full-grown woman. Red tightly curled tendrils exploded into long wavy locks that trailed past her hips and nearly touched the tile flooring before twisting themselves into two thick braids. A tight black dress seemed to pool around the floor, the fabric seemingly moving under the florescent lights before shrinking to skin-tight stockings. Her body grew into that of a curvaceous woman with plump assets, her chest nearly overflowing from the top of the dress. A large black hat adorned the top of her blood red locks, the flaps curling upwards, giving it an almost eerie smile. Long black gloves exposed her inches long nails, making them seem even deadlier.
"Finally showing your true colors now, aren't we?" Maka breathed as she scanned the hallway for an escape.
After being in the school for years, Maka had learned every corridor in the building, even the notorious basement where even Marie got lost. From where she currently was, she could dodge right, and it would lead to a main section of the school further from the main entrance near the library. If she were to go left, it would take her towards the main office and eventually the front door. If she were to go backwards, it would lead to the dead end of the Death Room. The problem was there were probably still students in the building and there was no telling who could get wrapped up in the battle.
Taking a deep breath, Maka slowly exhaled as she released Soul perception over the entirety of the whole school. There were a handful of students left, though it seemed like they were preparing to leave for the evening. Stein was in his lab, Marie in the joining room next to the lab with Hiroaki. Kid was nowhere to be sensed, meaning Liz and Patty were most likely not in the building either. Tsubaki had left earlier to head home and prepare dinner for Black Star. Other than that, the building was mostly empty. Perfect.
"So, tell me; what's your purpose of disguising yourself as a student in at the DWMA? Surely not just to stalk Soul," Maka asked with a guarded tone. "Asura is gone, Medusa and Arachne are gone; why go through all this trouble for just one person?"
The witch laughed with a smirk on her dark red lips, maroon eyes dancing. "Very observant of you. Your power, Maka Albarn, is a threat to us witches. Myself especially considering I carry the blood of Arachne and Medusa within my body, both of whom you have destroyed, along with the overflowing madness of Asura."
"How could you possibly carry the blood of both Medusa and Arachne? Unless you're another sibling they failed to mention," Maka spat out as she shifted her right foot back. She would make a run for the front door; a battle inside could cause it collapse and crush anyone inside. By then someone was sure to notice what was happening and rush to assist.
"Dear child," The witch cooed as she aimed her open palm to the meister. "I am Medusa's mother and Arachne's younger sister, the Witch Ametrine; Mother of the Coven… and destroyer of Soul Perception abled meisters."
Black Star had dragged Soul through town, stopping at the Death Scythes' favorite shops. The record store, arcade, Death Café, and even to the town fountain to relax with some ice cream afterwards.
"You feeling better yet? Cuz if you aren't, I'll kick your ass until you do." Black Star asked before shoving his entire ice cream cone in his mouth, the end sticking out as he chewed.
"Yeah, thanks. Guess it was a cool idea after all," Soul gave the ninja a toothy grin before taking a bite out of his ice cream cone. "I should probably just sit down with Maka and talk to her about it after all. Weird taking love advice from someone like you."
"A GOD like me not knowing about love? My poor son, I have so much to teach you!" Black Star dramatically placed the back of his hand against his head as he spoke. "Even a GOD like me can snatch a woman with ease!" The ninja suddenly quieted down, surprising the weapon next to him. "Tsubaki has always been there for me, supporting me, even when I've been a complete asshole."
"Love her that much, do you?" Soul teased as he finished off his cone.
"Yeah…I can't imagine life without her, Soul. I'm one lucky asshole to receive such a Goddess like her." Black Star flushed and nervously scratched the back of his head. "Oh shit, I forgot she was making dinner tonight! I gotta go, Soul, let me know how it goes with Maka!" The ninja shot up and gave a quick two finger wave before leaping to the rooftops.
Soul shook his head at the ridiculous ninja before standing. With a quick stretch he strolled over to his motorcycle and swung his leg over. His pride and joy started with ease, roaring to life as he revved the engine. A group of Shibusen girls, first years it appeared, spotted him and began calling out to him. Before they could even take a step, he was off, leaving a cloud of dust in his wake. The weapon grimaced in annoyance. The pack of hormones was worse now that he had become a Death Scythe, following him everywhere and pushing Maka out of the way when they were at school. That was the part that pissed him off; they just shoved her aside like she was nothing, like she didn't exist. Usually she just left with a huff, leaving Soul to deal with the horde. The last time it happened though, Maka looked defeated as she left with her arms hanging down by her sides. Once she was gone, Soul had let loose on the girls, chewing them out for being inconsiderate and mean.
Some of them got the message while others continued their pursuit, especially the red haired one. Though he rarely seemed to notice, Maka always did, sensing the girls soul immediately. The girl never approached directly, choosing to lurk in the shadows and spy on him constantly. He wondered how his partner never gave in and 'Maka Chopped' her on the head.
Soul wondered if Maka was back at the apartment yet. It had been at least three hours since Black Star dragged him around so surely, they were almost done or finished with the paperwork. Blair said she would be working late tonight so that just left the two alone in the apartment. It would give them a chance to talk things over without the nosy cat intervening. The bright orange motorcycle revved loudly as it sped up, headed towards its destination with renewed vigor.
Maka had chosen the right direction; she flung herself left just as a massive blast from Ametrine collapsed the ceiling over the right hallway. With a quick roll, the meister was on her feet again and sprinting down the hallway as fast as she could go. There would be casualties if she stayed inside the academy for much longer.
Luckily there weren't any students on this side of the building, so she didn't have to worry about that as she slid around a corner, her boots gliding across the laminate floors with ease. She could feel her approaching fast behind her. With a growl Maka zigzagged her way through the hallways, swinging around corners as tight and fast as she could to get an edge. An explosion went off behind her, propelling her body through the air with a powerful aftershock. She braced as she landed, hitting her shoulder hard against the floor before tumbling into a wall. The wind was knocked from her lungs as her back connected with the obstacle.
"You can run, sweet girl, but you won't get far. You're going against the most powerful witch there is alive. My child's and sister's powers, they weren't even 50 percent of what I can do. And that was combined," Ametrine fired another blast of magic, hitting just above the meisters head. Her maroon eyes seemed to swirl with darkness as she cornered the meister. "What can you do without your beloved Death Scythe to save you? You're nothing but a useless little girl right now."
"If you're anything like Arachne and Medusa," Maka coughed as she forced herself to her feet, bracing against the wall as she turned narrowed determined green eyes to the witch. "Then you'll be just as easy to defeat."
Kid was sitting down in the massive dining room at his estate, lost in thought. There was something not quite adding up and he couldn't for the life of him figure it out. Why would the witches be connected to a hidden clan of ninjas deep in the Russian mountains? If they were working together, why would they create hybrid Kishins? None of it was making sense and it was driving the Shinigami insane. He had been pulled aside from his research earlier to assist in a matter regarding a possible spy within the academy. He was handed an envelope with the suspected person written on it but was warned not to open it until he arrived back at his house to prevent wandering eyes from reading it.
Liz and Patti were messing around in the kitchen to prepare dinner, so it gave Kid the perfect opportunity to read the letter in peace. He reached into his jacket pocket and pulled out the slightly creased letter. With a fingernail he sliced open the envelope and gingerly pulled out the letter from within. As he lifted it up, a picture floated to the tabletop, landing face up. Kid glanced down to study it and paused. Was it possible…? Inspecting the photo closer, he noticed some odd trinkets on the person. A snake necklace adorned their neck while one earring was a spider and the other was a scorpion….He tore his gaze from the picture to the folded letter in his hands. Within seconds it was open, his golden eyes quickly scanning the lines of information.
"Damnit! The resemblance, how did I not figure it out until now?" Kid cursed under his breath as he threw the letter down and shot up from his chair, racing into the kitchen as fast as he could. "Liz, Patti, we're leaving now!"
Soul rolled to a stop before killing the engine. It looked like no one was home yet; the only light on was the living room lamp. The weapon leaned forward on his bike, letting his head fall on to his outstretched arms. How was he supposed to straighten things out if she wasn't even home? Maybe he could stop by and ask Blair if she had seen or heard anything from the meister….
The bike had just started back up when the weapon noticed something shooting across the sky. To the untrained eye it appeared to be a small unmanned drone of sorts; Soul knew what it was all too well.
"Where is Kid going at this time of night…?" Red eyes followed the line of sight the Shinigami was heading towards and felt his heart skip a beat; he was headed back to the school, in a hurry no less. An explosion resounded through the air and thick black smoke began to rise from the roof of Shibusen. "Damnit….Maka!"
The tires squealed as Soul went full throttle down the cobblestone street towards Black Star's apartment. If something big was about to go down, they'd need backup. It took barely a minute to reach the ninja's apartment and soul slammed down on the brakes, creating an earsplitting scream. He didn't need to yell for the meister to come out; as soon as Soul stopped, the familiar blue hair was peeking out of the living room window.
"Soul? What's going on—?"
"Kid just took off towards the school, something's going on; there's been an explosion. Maka isn't home either," Soul shouted over the roar of his bike. "I'll meet you there, go!"
The ninja didn't need told twice as he turned his head into the apartment and yelled for Tsubaki. Soul didn't wait for the two as he revved the engine once more and spun the bike around before taking off.
"Damnit, Maka….be safe until I get there!"
So much excitement. Just when you think they're going to make up and kiss, another surprise! Next chapter will be out soon! Thank you!