Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater. The only things that I claim are the characters Jim and Melly.
The Sound of a Soul
Chapter 3
Melly's bare feet padded against the cold marble floor as she made her way towards the Death Room to meet with the Shinigami. Jim walked at her side, also barefoot, and was silent as he carried a copy of the witches study textbook that the class was assigned. Due to all of the rumors and misconceptions made about witches, half of the book was incorrect, flawed, or opinionated.
A small chill went up Melly's spine as her bare feet continued to make contact with the cold marble flooring. She was reconsidering her oath as a witch to walk around barefoot; it wasn't to helpful when walking over extremely cold surfaces. She and Jim reached the oddly decorated metal door that led to the Death Room and the werewolf opened it with only a slight pause in the duo's strides. Jim allowed his witch friend to enter first before following her inside the room and closing the door behind him with a resounding bang. Together they made their way down the guillotine hallway.
Nearing the platform their sensitive hearing began to pick up sound of an argument that was occurring on the center platform in the room. Melly quirked her head to the side in curiosity of what was being said as she got closer.
"But, Shinigami-sama, she's a witch!" the sound of a girl's voice resounded through the unique path.
The voice seemed familiar to the small witch but she couldn't place it.
"It's Maka Albarn," Jim said in a quiet yet gruff voice.
Melly pouted when the werewolf heard what you could not as he seemingly read her mind. "I knew that," she mumbled, looking over her shoulder with a mock glare directed at her taller companion. Damn werewolves and their heightened sense of hearing, she thought as she turned back around with a comical frown present.
Jim sighed a "whatever" as they continued their journey to the platform.
"Maka-chan, please try to understand," Spirit was saying as Melly hopped up the small set of stairs.
Shinigami turned to the pair as Jim walked up beside his young friend. Melly, being silly, gave him a quiet, cat-like wave in greeting as the fight between father and daughter continued with the red corner, Spirit, on the losing side. Maka and Spirit had yet to notice the presence of the two new additions to the room and Melly, Jim, and Shinigami watched them quietly. Melly was tempted to summon a bucket of popcorn to watch but a glare from Jim restrained her as he once again read her mind.
"Papa, I can't believe you would agree to something like this," the blonde stated.
"Maka, you must understand that the best way to learn about witches is to be taught by one," Spirit pointed out.
"But that's the point. She could be telling us lies," Maka countered.
"Melly wouldn't tell lies to those who protect her," Spirit claimed.
"How would you know? You're a lying womanizer," Maka said crudely.
Shinigami anime-sweat dropped as his death scythe began to cry. It was a very pathetic site when the strongest weapon in history was reduced to a puddle of tears by his own daughter who, honestly, was only speaking the truth. Pathetic, but very comical in the opinion of the resident witch who still thought a bucket of popcorn was a good idea for watching the family drama.
"Maka-chan," the death scythe whined, "that's so unfair."
Melly sighed as the show came to an end and she decided to interrupt so that she could get her business taken care of and go home. "Spirit-senpai, you need to dictate stricter actions with your child," she said, suddenly appearing by Maka's side and frowning at the miserable weapon that was bawling at the feet of his daughter and Melly.
"M-M-Melly-chan! That's so mean!" the death scythe cried harder his tear tracks turning into waterfalls.
Melly put a hand on her hip and tilted her head to the side as she closed her eyes in exasperation. "I don't know how Kami-san put up with you for so long," the white haired girl sighed.
She felt Maka staring at her and turned to look at the taller teen. The blonde had a deep set frown gracing her features as she quietly observed the person standing next to her.
She looks so much like Kami, Melly couldn't help but think to herself.
"You know my mother as well?" Maka asked, surprising the witch that she spoke directly to her. She quickly recovered and smiled happily at the older girl.
"Yes," she said. "Your mama and papa were the ones who brought me to Shibusen when I was five. The found me being attacked by other witches and saved me." Melly looked up at Maka with a smile. "I owe your parents a lot, Maka. That's one of the reasons I'm doing this teaching favor. Your papa is the one who suggested I teach instead of someone like Stein or Sid."
Maka stared at her teacher for a second before closing her eyes and sighing in defeat before looking at Melly with a smile.
The witch smiled in return before she remembered an important fact and slammed a fist into her hand in realization. "I forgot! They also asked me here because Stein thinks that a witch or two may have snuck in and they want me to find out who they are."
Maka looked at the girl in surprise before asking, "How's that going?"
"Cut me some slack, Maka-chan," Melly said as a gloomy aura surrounded her, "I'm good but I'm not that good." Jim chuckled a bit and the witch turned around quickly, fuming. "Shut up, you stupid werewolf! You're not helping much in this either, ya know!" she said, a vein pulsing angrily in her forehead.
"Werewolf?" Maka asked.
"Yes, Maka-chan," Shinigami said, "Jim-kun is a runaway werewolf."
"He's also a brat," Melly mumbled to herself but was heard by all. Maka laughed nervously at her teacher's pouting face.
"Anyways, Melly-chan," Shinigami said changing the subject, "How's your investigation coming?"
The fun and games came to an abrupt halt as a serious air settled over the group. Melly looked at the ancient god from under her bangs as crimson eyes stared into the blank sockets of Shinigami's mask. "I can sense three other witches souls other than my own. One of them is fairly weak so it's probably a student. The other two are about the same level as me. One of them has me worried though because it's almost identical to mine," she said in a firm tone.
Shinigami nodded. "The student is probably Kim. She is a witch that ran away from the witch's council. You will help Stein find the other two witches," the god said.
Melly nodded and began to leave but as she reached the short flight of stairs, the witch twitched in annoyance. "Shinigami-sama?" she said without turning around to face whom she spoke to.
The death god turned to the girl with a slight "Ho?"
"Tell me you seriously didn't allow that idiot to become a meister," she said, staring down the guillotine hallway with another angry twitch.
Before he could answer Melly stepped to the side just in time for a trail of dust to go past and a boy with gravity defying spiky blue hair carrying a bad full of red pre-Kishin souls over his shoulder appeared in the center of the platform.
"YAHOOOO! BLACK STAR IS HERE!" the boy yelled deafeningly.
"Hey, Melly," Jim said, standing beside said girl, "Is that...?"
"Yup," she said with a pop to the 'p' as an annoyed look remained present on her face and her shoulders sagged.
"Hello, Hello, Black Star. How was the mission?" Shinigami asked.
"GREAT! BECAUSE I WAS THERE!" Black Star cheered, setting the bag of souls in front of Shinigami proudly.
"Eh? Where's your weapon?" the black cloaked god asked, looking behind the boy in search of the non-present weapon of the loud and obnoxious boy.
At the question, a girl ran up the platform yelling, "Black Star!"
She ran past the two visitors who stood by the stairs as she attempted to catch up with her partner.
"Hey, Tsu..." Black Star had turned to greet his weapon and let his words hand in the air when he saw the white haired witch who stood by the tall man.
There was an awkward silence as everyone looked between the two people with abnormally colored hair. A fearful look slowly covered the ninja boy's tanned face and he began to tremble and stutter as he raised a fearful hand to point at the single witch in the room. His eyes were dilated as he struggled to get his words out past his nervous stutter.
Finally, Black Star was able to get a single word out as his shaking settled slightly to where he could speak. "You!" he snarled.
"Hey, Little Star!" Melly cheered happily, saluting the boy with a wave.
"What the hell are you doing back here?" Black Star demanded an answer.
The girl only smiled a goofy grin without answering the angry boy.
"Black Star? Do you know this girl?" the weapon girl who stood beside him asked quietly.
"K-know her? She's one of the only things that haunts my dreams to this day!" Black Star declared as he grabbed his head and started to yank his blue hair out in visible fear.
Melly gave the whole room an innocent smile in reply to the boy's claims and strange actions. The girl, who, Melly figured, was Black Star's weapon partner, looked between the witch and him curiously seeing nothing scary about the small girl who stood next to the large man with only a smile.
"What do you mean?" she finally asked when she couldn't figure out why her meister was so scared of this one girl.
"S-s-sh-she's..." he was once again stuttering uncontrollably.
"I'm his sister," Melly declared to the whole room to take the pressure of speaking off of the hyper boy.
"Huh?" Maka and the girl said surprised.
