"Alright Soul, I'm just gonna ask the receptionist where the biggest library is, you can wait outside if you want."

He shrugged then went to wait just outside the door. Maka went up to the counter to speak to the receptionist.

There was no one there, just a small bell with a note next to it that said 'Ring for Service'. She raised her hand and gently tapped the bell with her palm. A moment later the same old man from the day before came out of a back room.

"Good morning dear, I hope your stay went well enough. I dare say you and that young man looked truly worse for the wear yesterday when you checked in."

"Oh yes, everything was fine," Maka smiled in return. "I just have a question before we go."

The man nodded, "Alright, what can I do for you?"

"Where is the biggest or most extensive library in town?"

"Well...there isn't anything worthwhile in town unfortunately. Just some smaller collections at the high school. But if you want something more thorough they have a large library at the next town over. I'm not sure what you're searching for but they have all sorts of archived information. History on this area too, which is pretty unique to that library as well."

"I'm sorry we aren't from anywhere near here what's that town called, and the library, and finally...is it possible to walk there?"

The man chuckled before responding, "Well, not to deter you but the town is called Death City, and the library is just Death City Public Library. It is about a two hour walk if you're up for it. But I would leave as soon as you can or else wait 'til after high noon. It gets really hot out here."

"Okay, thank you sir, oh do you mind giving me directions?" She added as an afterthought.

"Oh, of course," he said as he reached below the counter. He pulled out a small folded map. He opened it up and uncapped a red marker. He marked a little X, "So this is where we are now. If you follow this street right here," he drew a line from the X, "It will take you right to the edge of town and the main road to Death City is a straight shot, and it's clearly marked. The library itself is near the centre of the city at the base of the Death City College Castle."

"That creepy building is a college?"

The receptionist chuckled and nodded.

"Thank you again, so much, how much for the map?" Maka asked.

"Don't worry about it dear, safe travels to you and your partner there. You should take off, he's looking rather impatient," he pointed to the door where Soul was glaring through the window.

"Right, thanks again!"

Maka headed to the door where Soul was waiting on the other side.

"So do we know where we are going or what?" he said as he fell into step beside her.

"I think so, it seems pretty straight forward," she said as she handed him the map. He looked it over before handing it back.

"So basically we're taking a boring walk through the desert for two hours. Got it."

"Yeah well…yeah." She didn't know what to say. They didn't have much to talk about given that they didn't know much about themselves. And the walk itself could not possibly be too fun, given the plain sandy landscape.

They followed the red line on the map out of the small town. Near the outskirts Soul stopped to look at something in a shop window.

"What is it Soul?" Maka said as she stopped a few steps ahead of him.

"Can we go in here for a second?"

He said slowly, his eyes still glued to something in the window.

"Uhm, I guess so," Maka said hesitantly, unsure of Soul's sudden shift in mood.

She quietly followed him into the store. She waited by the door as he went to talk to the sales lady. She looked around and realized most of the stuff was second hand. It had a few new things like plastic sunglasses and baseball caps. But mostly there were tiers of used CDs and shelves of books and random trinkets. After a few minutes Soul came back over stuffing something into his backpack. Maka looked at him expectantly as they stepped out of the shop.

"Sorry, saw something that I felt somehow connected to. It was like it jogged an old memory or something. I just don't know what."

Maka shrugged, "That's fine. Are you ready for this walk? It's this road here and it goes all the way to that city there. It's going to get pretty hot."

"I don't think I'd ever be ready enough so let's just do it."

They started walking along the side of the aged dirt road silently. They continued that way for quite a while before Soul broke the silence.

"Ughhhh," he groaned. "Why did we have to get stranded in the middle of a desert? Why couldn't it be somewhere with moderate temperatures, like Canada."

"What? Canada? But come to think of it," Maka started, "We haven't really thought to ask anyone where we are relative to the world."

"Shit. You're right, how stupid was that," he responded.

"Hey, you know what's weird about all this?" Mused Maka out loud.

"You mean besides **all** of it," Soul drawled back sarcastically.

Maka threw him a glare before continuing. "We remember pretty much everything there is to remember except for specific things like who we are and how we got here."

"What?"

"Yeah like, we know how to talk and shower and walk, we know we are in a desert based on features of the landscape. But do we know how we got here? Or even who we are? No. But if you think about it, that's a very isolated part of our minds."

"So, whoever did this did it intentionally?"

"Maybe, but from the type of world I remember I don't think that's a normal memory. I think this is unprecedented."

"Well, we are kind of, sort of remembering-ish things," Soul said tentatively.

"What do you mean?" Said Maka as she watched her shoes sinking into the sand, one foot after the other.

"Well when we were walking passed that weird shop I saw this thing and I just felt like it was somehow important," he said as he fished around in the backpack. Maka stopped walking and watched Soul as he pulled a palm sized object from his bag. He opened his hand and showed her what he'd found. It was a small trinket shaped like a sea shell. It was brushed in blue and turquoise iridescent paints. Maka stared at it in wonder and gingerly picked it up from his palm. It was heavier in her hand than she had expected. Soul watched as she looked at it more closely, then as she opened it to reveal that it was a small compact mirror.

Soul's eyes widened with horror as all of a sudden Maka pressed her hands into the sides of her face and dropped to the ground with a shriek.

"Maka?!" Soul said as he dropped to his knees and pulled her rigid body towards him. "Maka?! What's wrong? Maka!?"

Maka felt a wave of images and sounds slam into her consciousness the way a baseball bat slams into a person's head. Her vision went dark and just as suddenly she could see a scene unfold before her. It was what had to be a younger version of herself standing in the doorway of a small tidy bedroom. Next to the small bed with the tightly tucked plaid bedding, was a small wooden night table. The young Maka walked right up to it and picked up the small shell shaped compact, but rather than looking at the compact, she looked at the paper beneath it. She picked up the letter and read it. Maka read it too, as if with the teenaged girl. There was a date written in pretty cursive writing in the top corner 8/22/2010 and the rest of the letter was written in pretty cursive hand writing.

*** My Dearest Baby Girl,

I'm sorry I have to leave you in a hurry like this but I just have to go. It's hard for me to be around your papa right now. Things just aren't right for us. But that doesn't mean he's not right for you. Regardless of what has happened between me and your papa he's always loved you more than anything. I know you'll miss me because I will miss you too, more than I can describe. But you'll be better off here with your father. I promise I'll be back for you when the time is right. I love you so much Maka.

Love forever,

Mama***

Everything went black again before Maka could even register what had happened. She woke up back in the desert to Soul shaking her and screaming her name.

"Oh my god Maka, what the hell was that?" He said as he squeezed her in an awkward hug. She realized she was laying down and Soul had her half cradled in his lap. They were on the side of the long desert road with the creepy castle still far in he distance.

She sat up, "I don't really know..." She picked up the compact from the ground beside her. "But this...this used to be mine, in my old life. And when I touched it, it was like the memory I associated with it came rushing back."

"It rushed back pretty fucking aggressively. You screamed and fell and started convulsing. I had to hold you until the tremors stopped and then you went completely limp. I thought... I thought you died. I was really scared. You can't leave me here Maka it's too much. I know you don't owe me anything, but fuck when I thought you were a goner I was really freaked out."

The fear in his voice was so clear she could feel it in her bones. She got a sense that this wasn't the first time he had made such pleas to someone. "I don't plan on going anywhere," she grumbled. "Besides, where would I even go?" She huffed as she stood up.

"Right." Soul said as he stood up too. His eyes remained trained on the ground in front of them as they fell into step together, resuming their trek to Death City. They continued to walk in silence, Soul still refusing to look anywhere but at the sand in front of his feet. Maka could tell he was still upset by what happened.

"Why do you think they call it Death City?" Maka said, trying to lighten the mood.

"Dunno," he shrugged.

Maka didn't like how sad he was. She could feel it. Maybe he couldn't remember, but she could tell this sadness ran deeper than what had just happened. She sighed and grabbed his hand, "Soul." He stopped and finally looked at her. "I'm not going anywhere without you. There's nowhere to go and nowhere I want to be anyways. We're going to figure this out together, so stop moping. I don't intend to die either so just chill. Besides, you didn't even ask what happened in my memory."

"Pffft, I think you need to chill. You're coming on a little strongly Maka and I'm just not that easy, you know?" he said raising their clasped hands to eye level. He grinned and raised an eyebrow at her. She snatched her hand back and eyed him angrily as he bounced a few steps ahead.

"I can't believe I actually missed you being a sarcastic asshole. Go back to being sad, at least you'd keep your mouth shut," she said as she stomped after him. She threw him a dirty look but she knew she was relieved when the sad haze around him started to dissipate.

Soul continued to walk a few steps ahead of Maka, not wanting her to see just how happy it made him that she said she wanted to stay with him. Despite being able to identify that need to not feel alone, he couldn't quite figure out why. The concept itself nagged at him. It pulled at the edges of his thoughts. He wondered if it had something to do with his past. If something happened to him then, maybe the same thing that made him cut, that was effecting how he felt now. He couldn't be sure what was really going on but he knew he genuinely liked Maka's company. She seemed sort of stubborn and short tempered but she was a pragmatic type of girl, and her temper flare ups made him laugh.

"We should play a question game," Maka said from behind him.

"Hmm?"

"You know, we'll just take turns asking each other questions and then maybe we'll just start remembering stuff," she explained.

"How d'you figure that'll work?" He said skeptically.

"Well to be honest, I didn't even remember my own name when I woke up, I didn't know it until you asked me. Then it just popped into my head."

"That's super weird... but it can't hurt. Besides this walk is stupid, and hot, and I hate it."

"You sound like a little brat," Maka teased. "And we're like halfway there anyways."

"Alright whatever. You go first, ask away," Soul said as he fell into step with her.

"Hmmmm, what's your favourite colour?" She asked.

"Yellow," Soul said immediately. "Oh hey look at that. I like yellow."

"That was an easy enough one. Okay your turn!"

He thought a moment before asking something he was genuinely curious about, "How old are you?"

"Twenty-one," she replied automatically.

"Oh, that means I'm older than you. You must respect me then, for I am your wise m, older companion."

She snorted, "Wise my foot."

"Rude," Soul said indignantly.

"Baby Soul having another baby fit."

He shoved her off the road a little, "Whatever. So what happened in your memory?"

"Tut tut! It's my turn to ask. You'll just have to wait for your turn."

"Ugh 'kay ask your next question then," he grumbled.

"Are your hair and eyes those colours naturally?" She asked.

"Why yes, yes they are," he said smiling. "Do you like it," he said winking and nudging his elbow into her ribs.

"I think you lied when you said you weren't easy," she teased back.

He shrugged before continuing, "So now will you tell me what happened in your memory?"

"Why yes, yes I will," she said mimicking his earlier tone. "So I was younger, fifteen years old I think. And I was in my bedroom, and that compact mirror that you found, was on my night stand on top of a goodbye letter from my mother. She ran off because she couldn't be with my dad anymore. So she left me and didn't even say bye to my face. Just left me her favourite compact mirror and a stupid note," Maka finished, unable to mask the bitterness in her voice.

After a moment of silence Maka looked over at Soul. She saw his eyes drift to

look sideways at her.

"Your turn," he said quietly.

"Have you cut yourself since waking up here?"

He looked at her thoughtfully. "No. And I haven't wanted to either. Not that I remember why I ever did it before. Clearly I did it a lot but, it really hasn't crossed my mind at all. I kind of feel okay in general."

"Good," she said with a nod. "Your turn," she added.

"Why did you used to wear your hair in pigtails?"

"That's how my mom used to do my hair everyday before school."

"Damn Maka, your story is not a happy one," Soul said gruffly.

"It couldn't have been too shit, I mean I was engaged at one point. That's not too bad."

"I guess," Soul replied slowly. "Your turn."

"Hmmm," Maka hummed thoughtfully as she tried to think of another question. "What did you used to do for a living?" She finally said.

"I was a concert pianist and a musical score composer for a local theatre group." He stated in a matter of fact tone. His brow wrinkled in concentration and he stopped before adding, "I think it was killing me though..."

"Uhm," Maka stood there appraising him. Now that she took the time to look he did have big hands with long slender fingers. "I think I shall begin to call you lady fingers!" She said, trying to lighten the atmosphere. She was not ready for Soul to go to a dark brooding place again. Emotionally, it took a toll on her too.

"Ha. Ha." He drawled sarcastically as he started walking again.

"What did you do for a living then?" He quipped back.

"I.. I think I was still in school actually...but I worked part time at a library."

"Nerrrrrrd," he teased as he sped out of her reach.

"That does explain why I am so excited to be hitting up this massive library I guess," she said trying to get close enough to take a swing at Soul.

"Good thing we're just about there then eh?" He said smiling back, still prancing ahead, just out of reach.

Maka looked ahead and saw that they were in fact approaching the outskirts of the city, but it didn't look the way she expected it to. Along the outskirts of the city in both directions were small stone homes and ramshackle huts all in varying states of ruin. It wasn't too far in that the buildings started to look a bit better, and more inhabited. But the abandoned derelict buildings along the outsides of the city made her feel nervous. "This doesn't look good Soul," Maka said quietly.

"Now who is being a baby," he joked. Maka noted that he was speaking quietly too and smirked.

"Whatever, so the hotel reception guy said it's basically the middle of the city at the base of that big creepy college building."

"That's a college?" Soul replied incredulously.

"That's what I said," Maka laughed. "But I guess so. Weird aesthetic they're going for hunh?"

Soul just nodded as he looked around. They had already walked through the more broken down places and were now passing through an area with slightly livelier looking, small stone houses and shops. There were apartments over the shops and some duplex looking buildings. But mostly it all seemed very cramped and kind of dirty. The atmosphere was unpleasant, very quiet and almost sad.

"It's so hot," Soul said, breaking the silence. He looked over at Maka and saw her cheeks were flushed very red and her steps seemed heavier. He wondered if he looked the same.

"Yeah," she sighed. "It's midday, probably why there's no one outside or anything. It's just way too hot."

Soul got a little worried looking at Maka. The trauma from earlier combined with the walk and the intense sun looked like it had taken its toll. "Want to stop somewhere for a bit? Or, if we plan on staying here tonight we can check in somewhere. Get some food, water. Maybe even air conditioning."

"Yeah. Good idea," She said slowly. She didn't want it to take more than a day to get to the library but she knew Soul was right. He was so sweaty his hair was all plastered to his head, and he'd been growing steadily redder in the cheeks. And if he looked that bad, she knew she looked worse. "But I think the buildings are getting nicer as we get closer to the middle of the city, so let's wait for a place that looks like it has A/C."

"Don't you wanna save that money and just go to a cheapo place?" Soul croaked.

"I got a lot for that ring, and somewhere climate controlled to nap off this migraine would be ideal. We can cut corners elsewhere," Maka replied.

They walked passed a few more rings of building. The city seemed to be laid out in rings, all the buildings radiating out from the large college building at the center of the city.

Soul stopped and pointed at a square four level building, "Let's go there. The Hollows Inn," he read the large hand painted sign. "It looks, nice and the sign is not even made of neon lights."

Maka nodded, unable to convince her body to walk much further. They both pushed through the door of the hotel to stand in a large, open lobby. To the left was a large wooden desk. It was stained dark mahogany coated with shiny veneer.

"Hey there, how can I help you folks?" A tall, pretty, brown haired girl appeared behind the desk.

"I got this Maka, you look like you're about to die on your feet. Go sit in one of those chairs I'll get us a room."

Maka walk over to the chairs around the side of the desk and sat down. She heard Soul walk up to the woman at the counter behind her as she sat down.

"Yeah uh, I need a room for the night," he said gruffly.

"We've got a few rooms with two single beds, and a few with one queen size bed, oh and the honeymoon suite."

"Whatever is cheapest," he mumbled.

"Sure thing," the woman responded before Maka heard her clicking away at a computer.

Maka's attention was then drawn to the small group of women that exited the elevators on the other side of the lobby. They walked up to stand a few feet away from her where they waited for their turn at reception.

"Oh my goodness," one girl said under her breath.

"I know right?" one of her friends responded.

"He is gorgeous," the first girl drawled in a sticky, girlie voice to the rest of her friends.

"Totally. I definitely wouldn't kick him out of bed."

Maka blushed at the lewd comments being made about her friend.

She looked over at Soul, trying to see what the girls saw. All Maka saw was the bored look on his face while he leaned heavily on the counter waiting for a room key. He did have broad shoulders, and although the colour of his shaggy hair was unusual, it did look soft, and somehow it suited him. His maroon eyes were a nice slanted almond shape and she could see his long pale lashes reach for his high cheek bones when he blinked.

"Just sign here and here's your room key!" The receptionist said brightly as she pushed a key card and sheet of paper across the counter top towards Soul. He signed quickly before snatching up the key and stalking over to Maka.

"C'mon," he said waving at her to get up. They walked past the girls towards the elevator. Maka looked over at the girls as she passed by. The one that called Soul gorgeous blushed when she made eye contact with Maka.

"So what kind of room did we get?" Maka asked Soul as the boarded the elevator.

"I dunno actually. I just asked for the cheapest one. It can be a surprise. We can change it if it ends up being one bed," he added quickly. "I mean, if you want. I just figured whatever is cheapest…" He trailed off.

"Whatever we got is fine. I know you're harmless," Maka smiled. "You know those girls from down in the lobby?"

"Mhm, what about them," Soul replied.

"They were definitely checking you out," Maka replied.

Soul looked surprised for a brief moment before he slapped on a grin, "Did those girls make you jealous dear Maka? Don't worry bub, you know you're my favourite girl in the whole wide world."

Maka glared at him and raised her hand as if to hit him. Soul winced and waited for the impending smack.

Maka debated hitting him, in fact she was just about to when she had a better idea. Remembering how uncomfortable Soul got when he assured, and then reassured her that he had no hidden agenda, she thought of a way to use his own stupid jokes against him. Banking on the fact that he hit on her as a defense when he was uncomfortable she sidled up to him.

Soul was surprised when Maka dropped her hand and took a step over to stand really close to him. He looked down at her face, into her big green eyes. He could almost hear his own heartbeat.

"Soul," she simpered as she placed her hand on his arm. "Do you want me to be jealous?" She tried to look pouty by sticking out her bottom lip and looking at him with wide eyes.

"I, uh, uhm," Soul stuttered. Maka let a few seconds drip by before she could no longer contain her mirth. She burst out laughing as the elevator dinged and the door opened.

Soul glared over at Maka when he realized she had used his own tricks against him. "The hell Maka, you can't do that."

"Why not? You try to make me uncomfortable every chance you get," she replied as they stepped out of the elevator.

"Whatever," he grumbled as the blush started to creep back out of his face.

They turned left down a hall and walked passed a few doors before Soul came to an abrupt stop. "This is us, room four oh six." He slid the key through the lock and swung the door open.

They were immediately greeted with a wave of cold air.

"Oh my God yeeeesssss." Maka gushed as she ran into the room and threw herself on the bed. "The A/C is so amazing. Also, it's pretty rad that we got a king size bed. It's as big as my whole childhood bedroom."

"They better have given us a king. This room cost almost twice the last one."

"Well, the other place was small and cozy. This place is neat and fancy. And also frigid," Maka sighed happily as she buried her face into the pillows.

Soul reached into the mini fridge and grabbed two bottles of water. He tossed one at Maka as he sat down in the winged back chair in the corner of the room.

"By the way," he said after taking a long drink of water. "I chose the option for late checkout on the form. So for the love of God, do not wake me up before noon tomorrow."

"Baby," Maka mumbled as she kicked off her shoes and tossed her backpack onto the floor next to the bed.

Soul rolled his eyes as he moved to sit at the end of the bed. "You're about to pass out for an after noon nap and I'm the baby?" He said as he watched Maka's eyes droop shut.

"Mhmm," she mumbled sleepily.

"Alright you take a nap, I'm gonna watch cartoons," he said as he got more comfortable and turned on the TV. Within minutes Soul could hear the soft, steady breathing of sleep. He flicked through the TV channels aimlessly for a moment before settling on a cartoon he recognized from when he was a kid.

"Nice," he said quietly as he kicked off his shoes and settled more deeply into the bed next to Maka. He didn't take in much of the show before he himself dozed off in the dimly lit room, with the chatter from the TV keeping his mind from wandering.