I'm running out of things to say before the story, so here we go!
They were screaming, crying, begging, pleading for release from their imprisonment in the overwhelming madness. Their cries echoed in Maka's head and she tried to shut them out to no avail. She had been swallowed into a deeper part of the darkness, one where no light would shine. It kept her chained down, black tendrils locking her ankles in place. No matter how hard she pulled, whacked at, screamed at, and even gnawed at, to her own embarrassment, they would not budge. So, she just floated in the darkness, beginning to come to terms with her impending demise.
For those brief few minutes, she held her hopes up that she was close to being freed once she saw Soul. He was being melodramatic, but otherwise seemed okay floating in the darkness. The look he had, though, as she was being torn away from him once more left her heart aching. It was still vivid in her mind, of when she died, of him crouched over her crying before darkness overcame her.
"You are not one of us…"
Maka snapped out of her thoughts to see the soul of an elderly man wavering nearby.
"No, I'm not. I've been trapped here by the Kishin Asura as he uses my body." Maka watched the soul bob back and forth, as if it were in thought.
"We were stolen from our journey to our eternal resting place by Asura we do not seek revenge though we wish to seal him away so he may not hurt others."
"How do you plan to do that? You're all trapped here in the madness," Maka studied the orb closely, waiting for any type of reaction from it. "And so am I. I don't know how to escape this place and return to my body."
"We may be of assistance, young child…" Another soul piped in from behind her; this time it was the soul of a young woman. "We shall use you as a means of escape and Asura will be sealed. I can tell you possess a powerful soul, as did some of us…"
"How do you plan to remove me from these binds?" The darkness had reached her thighs, immobilizing her legs. "My soul's wavelength isn't enough right now without my weapon to break through the madness controlling me."
"It's something you know very well, a technique, a special one…" One of the souls cooed as it wiggled slowly from beside her. "Only those with a strong soul and special abilities may hope to wield its powers."
"Chain Resonance…" It dawned on the meister as she looked at the field of souls around her. "Of course! If I link all of the souls together, it should be enough to override Asura's madness." The darkness had encased more than half of her body by now, slowly edging its way upwards. She was running out of time.
"We shall give you our strength to break free, but be warned; there are risks that could prove fatal if done incorrectly…"
"I'll do whatever it takes to free us all from the madness. You have my word that you will rest in peace." Maka vowed as she placed a hand over her chest, showing her vow to them.
The souls began to harmonize, their dull blue glows growing brighter as they chanted. Slowly, they began to connect to one another, their glow brightening with each soul resonating. The darkness hissed and recoiled at the light, twitching angrily beneath them.
Maka took a deep breath in, then out. Closing her eyes, she focused. All of the souls were mapped out in her mind, and one by one, she began to connect to them all. The madness convulsed angrily as it reached her chest, so close to swallowing her whole. She was almost there, just a few dozen more…
It had reached the top of her head, just seconds from enveloping her in eternal madness. With one final push, it sealed her body away, joining her with the other imprisoned souls for eternity.
Just as it began to harden, a crack appeared. A small one at first, but it gradually began to travel downward, widening as it went. Blue light began to seep through the cracks and with a thunderous explosion, the madness was vaporized into nothingness. In its place stood Maka, her body illuminated with the warm blue light of a soul. Her once marked and naked form was now covered with a billowing white dress, matching gloves adorning her arms. She floated barefoot just above the swirling madness beneath her, her soul wavelength keeping it at bay. Cracking her eyes open, bright emerald eyes shone as her lips formed the words.
"Chain Resonance,"
Kim sat back, exhausted after using most of her energy to heal Soul. The fever had died down and some color returned to his skin, but he wasn't out of the woods yet. Just from what she knew about soul resonance breakage, most people died from the rapid fever, usually within a few minutes. But Soul was still alive, far past the timeframe. Maybe there was something different with him and Maka, but with her passing, there wasn't any way to tell for sure.
"I don't hear anymore fighting," Jacqueline commented quietly, handing her meister an energy bar from her bag. "Maybe that's a good thing."
"No, something still feels off. There's a massive amount of magic brewing underground not too far from here." It was dark magic, forbidden for hundreds of years, but the witch kept that part to herself. "Let's just hope Kid and the others made it in time."
"Oh, I thought I heard your voices."
The girls turned to see Kilik and Ox standing the in the doorway, Free towering behind them. They were covered in the strange black substance that blanketed the town but seemed to be without injury. The meisters took a seat on the rusted bed frame, the springs groaning dangerously from the weight. Free took up residence in the corner, remaining quiet while the group chatted.
"How's he doing?" Kilik asked quietly, motioning to the still unconscious Soul. His mind, body, and soul were still trying to heal from the explosive loss.
"He hasn't been awake since earlier, but his fever is down for now." Kim sighed as she sighed tiredly, shifting to sit against the bed frame. "From what I know, most people don't survive just a few minutes after a traumatic severance, but he's been going for a while now."
"Well, they do have the strongest bond in all of the DWMA," Ox pointed out as he cleaned his glasses. "There must be something keeping him comatose. I wonder if Maka is still alive somehow and her lifeforce is connected to his, keeping him alive."
"How would that even work? Can you even share a lifeforce between two people?" Kilik wondered as Fire and Thunder played in some snow.
"I have the witch Mabaa's eye, which makes me immortal." Free pointed a claw to the witch's eye.
"But Mabaa-dono is a witch, of course our powers are stronger than regular humans. I wonder if their link is just that strong," Kim frowned in thought.
"It'll take a lot more than that to break us apart."
"H-Holy shit, Eater! Don't scare us like that!" Kim squealed as she whacked at him, landing a hit on his chest. "You need to lay back down, you're still not—"
"Maka, she…she came to me in the darkness and pulled me out." Soul winced as he sat up and turned to look at the girls, eyes wide. "I… the connection is back; I can feel her. I need to get to her before the Kishin arrives." The weapon pushed himself from the ground, stumbling from standing up too fast.
"Wait, Kishin? There's one coming?" Jaqueline whispered behind her hands, eyes wide with fear.
"Wait a minute, Soul, we don't even know where they're at." Ox pointed out as he grabbed the weapon to stable him. "You can't just rush into battle without a meister. What the hell are you gonna do, go around stabbing people?"
"If I fucking have to! Maka needs my help and I need to find her now."
"I can find her with my nose," Free pointed to his face. "But I think they're further in the woods where there was a massive beam of magic."
"Well, I guess it's settled then. Fire, Thunder, you ready?" The twins nodded, waddling over to their meister.
"W-Wait a minute! You can't just suddenly decide to leave! What about Spirit? He's in no condition to leave and Jackie and I can't carry him if we need to leave." Kim jumped to her feet, swiftly moving to block the doorway. "Besides, Kid, Stein, and that Russian guy are there, most likely Black Star is as well by now."
Spirit twitched slightly at his name being used, but continued to sit in a silenced stupor, eyes staring blankly ahead.
"I already know where Maka is; her soul is calling out to me. Free, stay here with the girls in case something happens. Kilik, Ox, you ready to move?" Soul turned and stared at his friends with calm eyes. "Send a flare if something goes wrong, one of them will come back and help."
"Argh, you boys are so annoying!" Kim pulled at her hair, glaring at each of them with her hands planted on her hips.
"We can handle things here, now go. Maka's waiting for you." Jacqueline smiled at Soul while pulling Kim out of the way.
Soul flashed her a toothy grin before running from the room, Ox and Kilik right behind him. Kim rubbed the sides of her temple, feeling a headache coming on.
"He could've at least said thank you,"
They could only stay on the defensive as Asura struck over and over, relentless in his attacks. Knowing Maka was inside of his body, there was no way they could attack without being sure if it would affect her or not. Stein was slowly becoming wilder, letting loose attacks that were borderline reckless as the madness infected him. Marie was no longer getting through to him as he activated Izuna, firing rapid wavelength attacks against the Kishin.
"We can't keep this shit up forever," Black Star growled as he deflected another of Vajra's spears, the explosion rattling the cavern. "Kid, can you still sense her?"
"It's there, but it seems to be growing fainter." Kid grimaced. "I don't know what's happening inside of there, but we need to keep fighting on this end to ensure her safety."
"You all are nothing more than mere flies, being swatted down so easily." Asura mused as he removed his facial coverings. "Ah, it seems we have more guests arriving."
"Who the hell are you talking about?" Black Star snarled as he centered the Infinity sword against his center.
"Well, it's about time you joined us." Kid smiled as he stood back up, looking over his shoulder at the figure behind him.
Soul casually strolled in and stood between Kid and Black Star, giving them a small grin. Black Star took one look at him before barking out a laugh, clapping him on the shoulder. Ox and Kilik flanked around them, eyeing the scene before them with caution. With a lazy glance between the skewered witch and Asura, the weapon let out a sigh as he stuffed his hands into his pockets.
"I'm gone for less than an hour and you two have managed to find not one, but two Kishins. The hell, now I gotta work."
"Figured we'd save the all the good stuff for ya," Black Star grinned.
"As accurate as Black Star's statement is, I do believe it's rude to keep our guest waiting." Kid straightened his stance, realigning Liz and Patty to be symmetrical.
"I'm more concerned about missing my date. Wouldn't wanna keep Maka waiting." Soul gave a wide grin, red eyes landing on Asura.
Asura was trembling as he took in the added fighters, gnawing on his nails anxiously as his eyes darted between them. This wasn't supposed to happen. This wasn't supposed to happen. The Kishin opened his mouth wide, another of Vajra's spears protruding from his jaw, aimed at the students below him. Just as he went to release the attack, something tingled within his chest. Looking down, he could feel something boiling inside of him, reaching for the surface. The spear dropped from his mouth, clattering loudly on the ground as he began to panic.
"W-What did you do? What did you do!" Asura screamed as he clawed at his chest, trying to suppress the growing sensation. "What did you do!"
"I didn't do anything," Soul shrugged, taking a few steps closer to the levitating Kishin. "Did you seem to forget that isn't your body?"
"I can sense it," Kid narrowed his eyes at Asura's chest. "It's there, the wavelength."
"Impressive. I shouldn't be surprised though," Stein smirked at the screaming Kishin as the madness evaporated from his body.
"Fuckin' hell, just say it already!"
"Maka's back."
Asura let out an ear-shattering howl as blue light burst through his chest, the light quickly sealing him in a large orb. The wind picked up as the sphere began to glow brighter, the meisters and ninja covering their eyes as it reached blinding levels. Ametrine let out a strangled growl as the madness within her squirmed under the purifying light. The area soon settled, the air becoming still and darkened once more. Soul lowered his arm, squinting as his eyes adjusted to the sudden change in light. The Kishin was now on the ground, standing motionless as he stared calmly at them. Everyone braced themselves for the battle to continue, unaware of what had just happened.
"I see. Well played, Maka Albarn, you are indeed a worthy opponent." Asura spoke calmly with closed eyes before his body exploded into hundreds of souls, the orbs floating gently towards the night sky.
As the souls thinned out, Maka stood with her eyes up, watching the souls depart from their imprisonment seeded deep in the madness. One lagged behind, wiggling anxiously beside her. Taking the small orb in her hands, the meister whispered something to it and gave it a small hug before raising it up, releasing it softly. Once they were all gone, the meister let out a breath before shifting gleaming eyes to her left. The first pair of eyes she locked with belonged to the person she wanted to see the most.
"I knew you'd come for me," Maka smiled brightly as she walked towards him, her white dress billowing behind her. Sandy tresses floated freely around her, giving the meister the aura of an angel as her soul glowed warmly.
"Well, it was either this or spend eternity floating in a miserable and pitiful self-wallowing floating party. Figured this was the better option." Soul grinned back as he opened his arms for her.
The meister closed the distance and slammed into him, locking her arms around his chest as she cried against him. Soul gripped her back just as tight, kissing her head and whispering in her ear as a few tears slipped down his face. Kid relaxed, running a hand through his hair as he laughed in disbelief. Black Star had frozen in place, Tsubaki already transforming back and crying with joy beside him. Stein shook his head, reaching for a cigarette from his coat pocket. Ox and Kilik shared a look before smiling and laughing at the insanity of it all.
Viktor kept himself planted in front of Ametrine, acting as a barrier between the students and the impaled witch. She had exhausted her magic supply and just hung there like a marionette, limp and nearly lifeless. A grunt alerted the ninja and he glanced back, noticing her maroon eyes were staring at him.
"Still alive? Asura has been slain, you are next."
"Ha…you people really think you can win against…a newborn Kishin?" Blood flowed down her chin, a small puddle forming on the floor beneath her.
"You cannot even stand, let alone fight." Viktor sent her a glare, keeping his focus on the happy reunion. "You have used and dishonored my family, not to mention you killed the woman I love. Your life will be ended soon enough, so stay silent."
Ametrine gave a bloody grin, her eyes turning wild as she let out a wheezing breath. "Your clan…is finished, ninja…Asura was merely buying time…"
"Buying time for what, you damned witch?"
The hair on the back of his neck stood up and the ninja tumbled out of the way as madness bubbled out from the center of Ametrine's chest. He sat on the ground, stunned, at the overwhelming madness emitting from her body. The meisters had even turned to look, eyes wide as they took a step back.
"You damned DWMA brats…" A gurgling voice wheezed from the cavern wall. "You've ruined everything I've worked for…you'll pay for this!"
A powerful wind kicked up from Ametrine's mangled body as her soul became corrupted with madness, dark magic pulsing out in waves. Soul shielded Maka from the barrage, covering her head with his arm. Kid and Black Star readied themselves; the lines of Sanzu glowed brightly as the Reaper released his soul wavelength while Black Star unleashed Shadow Star mode with Tsubaki transforming into the Infinity sword.
"Get Maka Albarn out of here! I will keep her busy." Viktor yelled as the corpse began morphing and stretching violently, black blood flooding the floor. With a smooth wrist flick, his katana was unleashed and positioned in front of his face, white eyes reflecting dangerously on the blade.
"We won't leave you in here, Viktor! You're coming with us!" Black Star called back, readying Tsubaki. "Brethren, remember? I won't let you die!"
"You don't have to fight alone anymore, Viktor," Maka yelled over the harsh winds, holding onto Soul tightly as she peered around him. "We'll help you take her down together!"
"You are in no condition to fight after being killed and sacrificed for this witch," Viktor yelled back, leaping a few steps backwards as the puddle of black blood expanded further outward. "You would surely be killed once more without the energy to fight. I can handle her for now. Leave."
"Viktor, you're an ally of the DWMA now, we won't just leave you here to die!" Kid barely winced as a rock grazed his temple.
"Soul!"
"Right."
Maka wielded her weapon once more, twirling the scythe around with ease as she stared down the horrendous black monstrosity. Her soul twitched slightly as she resonated, the uncomfortable feeling brief. Centered between Black Star and Kid, their souls beginning to resonate together instinctively. Maka clenched her jaw as her soul twitched harder this time, the pain radiating from her chest.
"Something's wrong with your soul, Maka, stop the resonance." Soul called to his meister. "Your wavelength is all over the place."
"No, I can handle it. She hasn't fully become a Kishin yet, it'll only take one hit to finish her off!" Maka growled as she widened her stance, bare feet digging into the rock while swinging the scythe over her shoulder. "Kid, Black Star, let's go!"
"Time to kill a witch!" Black Star crowed as he and Kid launched themselves forward.
Maka dashed after them, the scythe transforming into Witch Hunter with a powerful burst of light. Kid and Black Star were already launching everything they had at her, aiming for the center of the wriggling mass. The creature screamed as it lashed black spiked tentacles shot out in response, slicing at them with lightning speed. Knocking back the attacks was as easy as breathing for the meister as she whirled the scythe with grace and expertise, her movements fluid as if she were dancing. Stein let out an impressed whistle; it had been years since a chain resonance had been performed, yet they merged so seamlessly. Viktor stood back from the fight, hesitating before sheathing his blade; there was no need for him to intervene, the students had more than proved themselves capable of taking on a powerful witch. They moved with perfect synchrony, one stepping back as another charged forward, one attacking and making an opening. It reminded the ninja of his younger days and he couldn't help the edges of his lips twitching upwards; he wouldn't have to worry about the future generations anymore, not with them around as protection. As Black Star and Kid shifted back to support at long distance, Maka made her move.
"Ametrine, your soul is mine!" Maka screamed as she sliced downward at the writhing mass of madness.
Witch Hunter sliced cleanly through Ametrine, a scream emitting from the blob as the darkness began to separate from her body. It rose from her like steam, billowing high until it dissipated against the cavern ceiling. The witch sat on her knees, arms limp against her side as she stared with wide eyes at the trio of meisters looking down upon her with overwhelming courage. A laugh slipped through her lips as the witches' body began to break apart, tearing like paper as it was erased from existence.
"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." Viktor recited as he watched the witch before him disappear, white eyes staring hard at what remained of her body. "You have broken the law, so shall you pay the price."
"Defeated by a young girl…what a pathetic way to die…" Ametrine mused as she sat there defeated. "But I suppose there are worse ways to go."
"Your reign of terror is over, Witch Ametrine, you'll never be able to hurt another soul again." Maka spoke confidently, swinging the scythe to rest it against the ground.
"Madness will always be around, Maka Albarn; it's nothing more than the overwhelming emotion of fear. It will only be a matter of time before another Kishin attempts to rise. But judging by the way your body is trembling; I'd say I get the last laugh. Your soul has been pushed to its limits already." The witch smiled maniacally as the meister gave her a hard look. "You may never be able to resonate again, poor child."
"What the fuck is she talking about? Why can't you just die already." Black Star spat as he shot a dirty look to the woman, her entire lower body gone.
Ametrine turned to look at him, black blood trickling from her lips. She said nothing, choosing to divert her eyes back to the scythe meister will a roll of her head. Her eyes were no longer swimming with madness as she stared at the meister with amusement.
"But then I wouldn't be able to watch as her soul starts to give out. Now where's the fun in missing that after all of my hard work?"
As soon as she released her breath, the Chain Resonance snapped violently and the meister hit the ground hard, the scythe clanging loudly against the rock floor. Kid and Black Star jerked back as they felt the connection break and whipped their heads to the side to see Maka lying on the ground, her hand clenched tightly over her chest as she struggled to breathe. Soul transformed back immediately, panicking as he hovered his hands over her, afraid to touch her.
"Maka? Maka, hey, look at me!"
"What a sweet sight to see. Enjoy being useless for the rest of your life, Maka Albarn, it's been fun." Ametrine cooed before dissolving completely, her twisted red lips the last to go.
"What the hell is going on," Kid whispered in disbelief as Maka let out an anguished scream, nearly clawing at her chest to reach the source of pain.
"Move aside," Stein ordered as he crouched next to the writhing meister, eyes narrowed at the center of her chest. "Her soul is becoming unstable from an immense amount of strain. We need to get her back to Kim as soon as possible until we can get back to the DWMA."
Viktor felt a rush of air blast by him and he shifted to see the soul of Zefirov being wrapped with madness, the once pure blue soul becoming tainted with the darkness. With everything else happening, they had neglected to secure the orb in time. Cursing in Russian, the ninja grasped his blades handle tightly, watching as the soul's glow turned blood red. Black tendrils began shooting at him, sharp and deadly as they searched for an opening. With a quick movement, his blade was repelling the attacks with ease. The meisters looked over in surprise, quickly readying their weapons once more.
"You need to go now! She will surely die if you do not get her treatment! Leave this to me, I shall take care of this madness." Viktor snarled at them, slicing through the vine-like arms with ease. "I will seal the creature within this cavern so it may never escape. Go."
"Damnit, everyone pull back! Retreat back to the village for now!" Kid ordered as he dodged an attack from the creature, a small lock of hair fluttering past him.
"We can't just—!" Black Star started, but Viktor cut him off with a look.
"I am tired, Black Star, Maka, and Lord Death; This has been an honor to fight alongside all of you, but I wish to see Vika once more." The ninja looked to them with pleading eyes, his face softer. "Please, this is my last request of you. When my body is found, please bury me next to her so we may be together for eternity. You will carry on mine and Vika's will for the future generations to come. Now, go!"
Stepping forward, Black Star clenched his jaw, preparing to drag the man out by his hood when Stein rested a hand on his shoulder.
"He's decided. We need to get Maka out of here, Black Star. Honor his last wish and do what he says." They began moving towards the hole in the ceiling when the meister stopped and turned, giving a two-finger salute to Viktor's back.
"This isn't goodbye, Viktor! We'll meet again, tovarishch." Comrade.
Viktor smirked and shook his head, pulling his mask back over his face as the creature began to take shape. Black Star reminded him of his younger days, and it brought a smile to the ninja's lips; they would ensure the future. He had no regrets left in life, his soul at peace as he readied his blade, ancient power surging from the base of the tsuka.
"Ancient Hidden Shadow Clan technique; Vechnoye zapechatyvaniye dzyutsu.." Eternal Sealing Jutsu.
"Zhivi i protsvetay, brat." Live on and prosper, brother.
Definitely took some time to do, and redo, and redo again, but for now I'm happy with it. Expect a bit of a delay for the next chapter.