Odds and Ends
Chapter 14: He, she, it?
The wind had a certain nip to it, and whipped around Kid so that his cloak fluttered dramatically behind him. His face was concealed with a skull mask and his hood was up, Maka was in weapon form resting on his shoulder as he peered over the cliff at their surroundings. Despite his concealed features, Maka still felt his nervousness and excitement pouring through their bond. If she had been in her human form she might have been a bit antsy and jumped from foot to foot, only in her weapon form she was locked in one stiff form. Her restless could only be expressed through Kid, which multiplied his emotions.
'He's gotta show sooner or later,' Maka reassured as Kid let out a frustrated sigh.
It was nearly noon and the sun was hidden behind a thick layer of clouds, the air felt heavier, like rain was looming over them. They had been scouting the area for the better part of an hour.
"Our plan…" he sighed again and let his head fall with a gentle 'thunk' against her metal form which he moved in front of him so he could lean on her. She could feel feelings of dread start to form, about thoughts of failure, about how far the plan had deviated from the original and the uncertainty that lay before them.
'It hasn't failed yet,' she reassured.
"Not yet," Kid hummed in agreement, he left out his worry about the second part of their mission. Maka picked up on it though.
'I don't think it was her...' Maka started timidly, the image of the charred remains flashed vividly through the bond. Kid tightened his grip on her. She felt him stir slightly so that his back was straighter as he stared out in the distance. Both had their soul perception scouring the land for any sign of life, both were failing miserably at tracing the monsters distinct wavelength.
"Doesn't matter if it was her or not," he growled. "Either way we have to try and get answers before we kill it," he hissed.
As if 'it' were a cue there was a powerful gust of wind that nearly knocked Kid over, and the snarling beast stuck its face out with a fierce roar that had Kid covering his ears. Maka felt rather than saw his grin as he launched into the air and whipped her around with blinding force that sliced precisely at one of the creature's wings. Maka hadn't known how sharp her blades were, with ease she felt herself slide through the beast's tissue and bone. There was another deafening shriek but this time there was a note of panic to it as the beast started to plunge towards the bottom of the cliff. It tried in panic to catch itself with one wing, flapping desperately against the unforgiving wind. Kid had summoned Beelzebub and was gliding gently towards the ground. There was a thunderous crash, even a few alarming snapping noises of bones breaking, and more loud screams from the beast as it crashed into the unforgiving ground
"Too easy," he breathed out, the disgust in his tone was obvious.
They had struck the plan up earlier after their awkward shower. The beast had hunted them so avidly yesterday that surely it would come looking for them. They weren't certain that their plan would work, it was in fact a long shot, but they really had nothing else to go on. It felt like there should have been some catch, some string to pull, because of what Kid had said. It felt too easy, but now that it had worked out Maka felt like she had swallowed a rock. As they glided further down towards the wyvern its screams changed yet again, this time it seemed almost human.
Maka felt a shift in the atmosphere and a familiar sensation of a human soul being present rang out in her perception. She shared a gasp with Kid, as both of them looked on in horror at the floor of the cliff.
On the floor of the cliff lay a naked girl, missing an arm and bleeding profusely. She screamed as if her soul had been ripped out. She had jet black hair that looked dirty and unwashed, her body was covered in dirt giving her skin a grayish color, her eyes were black and soulless, and her teeth looked like a rotten yellow. The blood from her missing stump gave a sharp contrast to the rest of her, and made Maka want to gag. The screams from the girl made her feel something akin to pity.
Maka felt herself morph back into her human form as they dropped unceremoniously to the ground.
"What the fuck happened?" Kid asked. His eyes shot to the dismembered girl back towards the wing from the wyvern that laid beside her.
"It can't be…" Maka gasped connecting the dots but trying to find some shred of reason that her eyes were deceiving her.
Kid let out another vivid curse before grabbing Maka's hand and rushing to the girl's side. In the midst of the girl's screaming he grabbed her shoulder's and sat her upright. She flinched and shyed away from him but Kid held fast.
"You're the one that hurt Maka," he said. His voice lost all emotion as he looked at the girl with disgust.
"Kid," Maka warned. She reached out and laid a hand on his shoulder. "Don't do it," she said with a squeeze. She felt him tense as he shook his head and let out an exasperated sigh.
"There are some crimes that can't be forgiven," he growled lowly, just enough for Maka to hear, "but this time you're right. We'll take her to Stein," he said standing and brushing the dirt off his pants.
As Kid had stood up the girl started laughing and her features started changing. Her hair although unwashed and dirty became longer and blond in color until it matched the lifeless blonde that was Maka's color, her eyes became green, and her body shrank slightly to match Maka's profile.
"Mimicking her won't save you," Kid snapped roughly shoving the girl away from him as if he had been burned and putting some distance between them.
"But Kid," the girl purred in a sickly sweet voice, "I'm only trying to please you. Isn't that what a good wife would do?"
Maka strode forward and landed a solid punch on the girl's jaw that sent her reeling into unconsciousness.
"What a bitch," she spat.
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"We found Kid's bride," Maka said into the mirror trying to keep her tone as bored and indifferent as possible. "You didn't tell us she was the monster," she added and this time her tone took a bite as she narrowed her eyes at her professor.
'I had an inkling… no facts,' he answered with a shrug and an exaggerated puff of his cigarette.
Kid was busy in the other room wrapping the girl's wounds.
"You made it seem like she was kidnapped and we had to save her," Maka bristled.
'That doesn't make too much of a difference now, does it?'
"I've been searching for signs of life since we got here. NOTHING was human," Maka snapped. "You made us think she was dead," she added. Her thoughts were running faster than her lips and she felt like she could be saying a lot of things to her professor.
'Yes, well it looks like she set that up on her own. She'll have to answer to Lord Death when you two bring her here.'
Maka took a deep breath to steady herself and realized that she had clenched her fists for the duration of their conversation. She shook her hands at her sides trying to release some nerves.
"What now?" she asked.
'Come home. We have a lot to discuss…' he said as he gave a knowing look over her shoulder.
"You knew he had feelings for me and that I had a crush on him," Maka accused.
'I think arranged marriage isn't always the answer,' he responded elusively. 'I'll call later to check on you two and her status.'
With a wave of his hand his disappeared off the clock mirror. Maka grabbed the closest pillow from the couch and let out a frustrated scream into it, hoping that it would catch most of the noise. She jumped slightly at the warm hand that rested on her shoulder.
"This doesn't change anything," Kid said stiffly.
The girl was snoozing peacefully on Kid's bed, her one arm chained to the leg of the bed, and her legs strapped down.
"It doesn't," she agreed. "We both knew that this was extremely foolish," she said gesturing between the two of them, "but we both know that our choice has been made."
"I don't know about you, Maka, but I've picked you," he said after several tense heartbeats.
"This part of the mission has always been clear. We were to deliver the girl to your father so that negoations could be made—"
"Screw that," Kid bit out. "I know my father thinks he knows what is best for me and I know he is trying but that part has never been set in stone. The mission was to bring her back, yes. And yes it is possible that marriage arrangements have been made with this family, but Maka you're forgetting that I love you. I love you and this isn't the fourteenth century. I don't have to make this type of sacrifice and neither do you."
Maka grinned and turned to face her partner.
"I'm glad you didn't kill her," she said faintly as she circled her arms around her lover.
"Believe me… it's tempting. She has to have some type of madness…"
"Your soul would have been that much darker because of it. I'm glad… that…" she paused as she blushed. Kid was leaning down slightly so that his lips were close to hers. She felt his breath ghost against her lips.
"I love you," she managed to breath out as he caught her lips in a searing kiss.
A/N: I know! And I know this chapter isn't nearly long enough or with as much detail as normal, I just wanted to get it out there before I forgot again. Thanks to everyone who is still following this story and enjoying it! Just know that I haven't forgotten about this story. I've just been… stupidly busy. Stay tuned~