Him

"Are you ready?" Ligeia asked them.

He nodded, swallowing the lump on his throat and the fear pounding in his chest. Maka's life depended on him. Mistakes had no room for him.

After their argument, he couldn't sleep even if they wanted to. His head spun with the possibility of the spell failing. Their near-kiss incident filed away in the back of his head in an attempt to reign in his emotions. Unsurprisingly, they never brought it up when they saw each other in the hallway. Both of them froze then pretended the other didn't exist. Blair raised a quizzical brow at their actions before her lips curled up in a knowing smile and purred. The tension in the air was so palpable he was certain, he could cut it with a butter knife. Thank Death, the Witch spared them from any more awkward situations when she came at the crack of dawn, in human form.

It turned out, Maka's time was shorter than they thought. Her wavelength kept her soul and body from collapsing but it could only last for another 24 hours or less. She knew it though kept her mouth shut to prevent them from worrying. They had no choice but to perform the spell now. With or without the meister's choice. As much as Ligeia wanted to respect her decision, she couldn't wait another minute. Each second that passed brought her to death's door. It was now or never.

"Okay." Ligeia stood from her position on the floor. They found themselves standing in the middle of a wide magic circle. She chanted and a thick mist came out of her hand. It gathered into a wide, swirling vortex before it revealed something or rather, somebody. Her voice rose. Magic grew around them as she pulled out Atarah's body from the void. The girl's hair floated around her in a tangled mess and her expression was pained. She laid her inside the magic circle. Just in front of them.

"What the-" his words was cut off when Maka gripped his arm then shook her head. The first decent interaction they had since last night.

"Shinigami, do what you must." The witch said after regaining her composure. Hiding the body must depleted almost all of her magic. "I've set the spell so that once you and Atarah step out, it'll activate."

Kidd walked over to them, placed a hand over the meister's chest then said something. She flushed then shook her head, a small smile lifting the corners of her lips.

Jealousy clawed from the darkest corner of his heart but he stamped it down. He shouldn't be jealous. She had every right to flirt, date and kiss anyone she like. His confession didn't changed that. She wasn't a material he could claim possession just because he admitted he loved her. Whatever she decided to do, he'd respect her decision. He wouldn't force himself into her life nor use cheap tricks to compel her into reciprocating his feelings. It was uncool. No one deserved to suffer in a relationship they didn't want in the first place. Especially her.

"No matter what happens, don't let go of your soul." The Shinigami's voice brought him out of his reverie.

A blinding light erupted from his palm and enveloped them with an unsettling sensation. It seemed that his soul was drawn to the warm glow. Like moth into flames. The longer he stared at it, the lighter his body become. His eyes turned heavier and a yawn escaped his lips. He needed to sleep. Yeah, he woke up too early because of something important. What was it? Nah, it didn't matter. Sleep sounded amazing. The light was singing a lullaby to him. It would be a shame not to take advantage of it.

Maka glanced at him in worry. Why is she looking at him like that? Around him, the surroundings turned into a blur of colors. He stepped closer to when something flashed in front of him. Before his sluggish brain could figure out what it was, it hit him square in the chest.

It crackled on impact, sending sparks all over the place. Electrocuting him. He landed on his rear. The sudden pain cleared away the drowsiness he felt. Just what the heck? He coughed. Ozone filled his lungs. Smoke rose from his body. His eyes fixed on the fist-sized hole on his sweatshirt near his heart. He couldn't believe he was about to let himself die. Kidd's power was to be feared indeed. It's a good thing, he was always so calm. Otherwise, all souls would be at his mercy if he decided to take control.

He turned gratefully to Ligeia for stopping him when he noticed she and Blair had the same thing happened to them. Several feet in front of him, the scythe meister's stretched out hand was smoking. Burnt marks marred their wooden floor. She saved them while standing in the most precarious situation. Instead of wrapping her wavelength around her, she opted to hit them without even thinking about her condition.

When it comes to other people's safety, the girl was so dang reckless but Death, he got it bad for her.

Maka let out a pained gasp when Kidd slowly lifted his hand from her chest. A deformed purple orb passed through her skin and into his fingers. Her body crumpled and he dived in to catch her falling form. Awkwardness be darned. He suck in a sharp breath as her skin turned cold and ashen. "I'm okay. Is Atarah-"

Series of coughs seized her body. He shrugged off his jacket then placed it around her shaking shoulders. "You're not fine at all. What do you feel? You need to rest. The spell could wait for a few more minutes."

But even as he spoke, the circle around them radiated with magic. It enveloped them.

The meister placed a hand on his face and he took it, intertwining their fingers. She flashed him a weak smile. "Thank you."

His reply got cut short when they were swallowed by the light.


He found himself flying in front of her movie-like memories. Beside him, Ligeia's purple mist started to disappear. Faces of their friends flashed. Others clear while the rest was a blur. Most of her memories were them on their apartment and when her family was still together. Doubt gnawed at him when he found no image of the divorce that impacted her life greatly.

"Maka, are your parents still… together?" He was careful to choose his words, remembering her odd action when they landed a few days ago.

Slowly, she nodded her head and his heart fell in the pit of his stomach. "I think so. Why did you ask?"

He couldn't find the courage to tell her the truth.

The next thing he knew, they landed on a strangely familiar place. Death City. Most of it didn't changed though he couldn't remember if some of those shops and alleys do exist in the real world. Its eerie silence unnerved him more than he dared to admit.

"What's this place?" He turned to ask her but his heart sank. "Maka?"

The girl vanished without a trace. Hurried footsteps resounded in a dark alley. Cussing, he followed it. Everything felt muted. Only the sound of footsteps and his breath could be heard. The person stopped behind the fountain in the middle of the city.

A six year old Maka Albarn stepped away from the shadows, small hands positioned in her hips and eyes narrowed into slits. Her dress billowed into the phantom wind. "Look, can you stop following me? Or else I'll report you to Shinigami-sama, you pedophile- Ouch!"

"Who are you calling pedophile?" His eyebrows twitched in annoyance while he pinched her cheeks. "I came here to rescue you."

She rubbed her sore cheeks, glaring up at him with teary eyes. "You could've just told me said that instead of pinching me! That hurts…"

"I guess, your violence is rubbing off on me." He smirked. "So, you must be her soul?"

"Soul?" Her head tilted to the side. "I'm just part of it. A mere personification of her memory knowledge and anti-demon wavelength. She's locked away somewhere even I couldn't reach."

"If you're here then she must be-"

"Suffering from the madness? Yes, but she's doing her best to hold on and wait for you." She held out her hand. "I'll lead you. We'll be going through each and every lost memory."

He held it tight, confusion visible on his face. "I don't understand. How are you doing this?"

"Unlike Crona's Mad blood, the water from River of Lethe doesn't dissolve its victims. It devour everything inside the soul, starting from emotions, leaving behind a shell before moving on to the next victim through the insanity wavelength." She lead him into the foreign part of the city. "I took advantage of it and split my soul into three fragments, connected by a thin line to avoid losing myself. It prevents the water from overtaking me and those around me."

"Isn't that risky?"

"It is. If the soul is not gathered back after a period of time, the fragments would disappear into oblivion where even a Shinigami couldn't recover. That, or the water would take over."

"Then why do something so dangerous?!"

"Isn't it obvious? I had faith that all of you will save me." She smiled, motioning to his hand. The cheap ring she always wore now adorned his finger. An exact same replica of the one Spirit gave him that he had yet to return. "That's part of my soul. The one controlling my body was my recklessness and weakness while she recovered the courage."

"Well, that's explains it." He muttered, earning him a Maka-chop in the head.


They'd been running for a few minutes when she stopped in front of a house with an emotionless expression. A shout echoed followed by glass breaking. Spirit slid out of the door with a sheepish smile. He crouched then patted her daughter's head. A lipstick stain visible on his collar and his breath reeked of booze.

"Papa is sorry, Maka. Mama is now in a bad mood because of me. I'll leave to let her cool off. Will you be okay without me?"

"I'm more okay with Mama than with you."

"I-I guess you're right. Mama is a strong meister after all." He grinned before walking away muttering about his precious angel.

"Huh. They can't see me." Soul waved a hand in front of the death scythe.

"It's only a memory so they won't react to something that wasn't part of it. You can't simply change the memories." She tugged on his hand.

Broken plates and glasses littered the floor when they entered the house. A woman with a dark taupe hair stood in front of the sink with a crumpled paper in hand. She looked back and he got struck by the resemblance of Maka to her mother. They had the same face and cold stare when angry. Kami noticed them entering and shoved the paper to her pockets. Her lips pulled up in a forced smile.

"Sorry about the mess, baby. Are you hungry? Mama's gonna cook something delicious but it may took a while."

"It's okay. I can wait. I'm not that hungry anyway."

They crossed the room and ascended in the stairs. Maka opened the door to her room and dragged him inside. A small bed was pushed in the corner near the window. No toys could be seen in the area, only a huge pile of books. At first, he thought a vehicle passed by because of the moving light. But one look at the window, he realized the time in her memory got skipped. He almost forgot how ridiculous their moon looked when it slept.

Maka still clutched to his hand, unbothered by the time skip. But as the night came, blood drained from her face. She dropped on the floor covering her ears. No sooner than the moon disappeared on the window, the floorboards creaked followed by a giggle. Hushed voices came nearer and nearer.

"Are you sure she's not here?" A high-pitched voice asked.

"Yeah. My angel's the only one here but she's already asleep." Spirit replied.

A coppery taste filled his tongue. In his fury, he bit his lip to the point of blood. The rustling of clothes was the last straw for him. He pulled her hand away but she remained unmoved despite how many times he tugged. "What are you doing? Let's go save yourself."

"Don't you understand? Reliving these nightmares are part of the rescue." She glanced up to him, her lips trembling. "I told you. I'm the personification of her memory. Even if I want to, I couldn't move. I couldn't change my own memory."

Every tear rolling down her cheeks felt like a stab on his chest. Everyone said Spirit had a terrible past to which he had been trying to make up with his daughter. He never thought it would be something like it. The guy tried his best to be a better person. He did and Maka saw it. She already forgave him but he couldn't blame her for loathing the past.

"It's alright. I'm here. You'll never be alone in these nightmares again." He covered her ears with his hands while humming the song they made in the battle on the moon. Little by little, she relaxed and eventually fell asleep in his arms. He didn't know whether it was part of her memory or a reaction but was grateful either way.


Years passed as minutes in her memory. One of the worst night he saw, was Kami and Spirit's last fight before the divorce. Listening to their scathing shouts and screams, he understood then. No matter how opposite their attitude might be, they still had a few similarities. His lips turned up in a bitter smile when he realized her pettiness resulted from her abandonment issues. She wanted everyone to hate her enough to abandon her. Too bad she found her match.

The girl sleeping in his arms grew every time skip until she reached the age when they first met. Their surroundings fell like designs on a pop-up book and Maka vanished in a the array of lights leaving the book she always carried. Picking it up, he stood to leave when a note slip out of the pages. It had a crude drawing of a musical note. A G-note. Maka never knew anything about music.

His eyebrows drawn up in surprise when he opened the book to put it back. Multiple book titles of understanding music had been listed on a piece of paper. Some of them got crossed out while others had some comments beside it.

"Why would she do this?"

The surroundings shifted back to their apartment. Maka sat on her desk with a look of concentration. She sighed then placed the book on the pile before scribbling on a paper. The very paper he was holding.

"Why can't I understand music?" She slumped on the desk, her expression changing into frustration. "Am I too dense and tasteless in music? You have to listen and feel to understand, he says. But no matter how many times I listen, I just don't understand!"

Her desk rattled when she hit it before turning back and leaving the room to cook while he slept on the couch. Darkness started to enveloped the scene but he stood his ground. Maka's soul felt closer than before. The black mass grabbed his feet, creeping up and engulfing him.

The moment he fell, the book and ring on his hand got pulled away from him. On the deepest part of the water, Maka floated. Her eyes flew open when both items dissolved in her chest. Panic visible.

"Stop! I'll go to you!" Her voice sounded garbled.

"No, I'll pull you out." He propelled himself with a kick but the movement caused a ripple in the water.

It hit him and he saw himself in the same stage where he performed for the people over and over and over again before he went to Death City. The fake smiles and false praises. Their unnecessary pity for him and his talent. The blatant jealousy for his brother. His father's clear voice rang out.

"You can never be like your brother!" His soul trembled from the madness infecting him. Still, he pushed his legs.

Few memories flashed in the water's surface. The fight Arachne when Maka got hit by a curse. The frustration he felt while holding the immobile girl and watching the young death scythe fighting without meister. Their battle with Giriko in the Book of Eibon. His desire to be stronger.

Another ripple hit him. But the memory didn't came from him. This time, a young Maka stared at the divorce papers her father clutched with a heavy heart.

"We only have each other now. Mama left to travel the world." Spirit's words played on repeat.

It shifted into the time when they practiced the chain resonance. Her frustration when they couldn't pull it off and denial for being too weak. The enormous wavelength Kid had and Black Star's violent one. It threw her off during that time. The anger she had for herself burned against him like an inferno. Envy ate away her self-confidence. Why couldn't she become strong like them?

The memory changed. Ox's smug face came into view. Behind him, the test result laid all of their names from the highest scorer to the lowest. On top was his name followed by her. It was one of the times she failed to become number one. She locked herself in her room that day without coming out to eat. Soul never understood her then. Never saw the importance in being at the top. But know… he could read her like an open book. She prided herself in knowledge. If she couldn't be the best in it, then what's her worth?

Another scene took over. In the battle on the moon. Asura called her weak. She knew it but it didn't hurt any less to be the one dragging the progress of the others. Her pain was like a wound in his chest. Just when he thought it closed, one scathing remark and it reopened again.

Their emotions and thoughts ebbed and flowed to each other like the tide. He acknowledged her and he knew it was the same for her. Everything was shown to him and he knew, it was the same for her. Not even the darkest part of his soul was spared.

Their outstretched hands reached as their souls collided.

The instant their fingers touched, sparks flew. Literal sparks. He didn't know if it was possible or not but electricity flew off of them. Their surrounding changed. Madness dissolved into nothingness. The water disappeared and they stood on what seemed to be a wide library with a grand piano on the corner in front of a cozy chair. Beside it, a hearth burned with warm fire.

"Is this… your soul?" He tried to make sense of it. In the corner of his eyes, he thought he saw his prized guitar hanging on the wall and his prized vinyl CDs stacked neatly on what seemed to be a counter.

"Will it change your opinion of me if I say yes?" She whispered.

His gaze traveled back to her. She had her hair up in a half-ponytail, giving her a more mature look. Her usual button up shirt and skirt was replaced by a long, flowy dress with thin straps that hang on her petite shoulders. Its color was white from the top which transitioned into gray and black. The front ended just above her knees while it trailed on the back just past her ankles. Instead of heels, she was wearing black combat boots. He noticed his clothes changed too though it was the usual pinstriped suit he wore inside the black room.

"It depends." He flashed her a lopsided grin. "So, am I successful?"

She stepped back then shook her head. His heart plummeted at her actions. "This is where the hard part comes."

"What do you mean?"

"Soul, you need to tell me who I am for you. I…" Maka trailed off, looking lost before meeting his gaze. "It is common knowledge that the memories are one of the few that shapes the souls. However, only few knows that souls are also affected by the ones around them. I need to know what you think of me. If my soul recognize it, then I will be free from the Water and Madness."

"If not- no, never mind." He wanted to know what will happened if he failed before he changed his mind. No room for errors. He couldn't afford to think of anything but success right now. "I'll do everything to bring you back with me."