Author's Note:

Sorry about the wait- I've been working a lot lately, and haven't felt the desire to write. But this idea came to me as I was gazing at the stars the other day while I was in the hot tub. I hope you all enjoy! =) Please R&R.

P.S.- The book title is something my sibling got as a gift for graduation day, and I thought it was perfect theme for this.

Disclaimer: I don't own soul eater

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"Hey look Chrona…" Spirit says.

We are paused on a virtually full floor, most of the lights on. A Book Sale sign blocks my view towards the back, which is where he is pointing to, but I realize that that was what he wanted me to see. "A book?"

"Yeah- books are Maka's favorite. Of all other gifts, she appreciates a good book the most."

Spirit is currently browsing through the stores in search of a perfect gift to present to Maka on this special day- her day of graduating to become a Death Scythe miester. He had asked me to help choose a great gift for her, since I was her friend. The room we are now in is huge and now it's filled with large long rows of shelves, which are filled to the rim with books of various sizes.

"Thank you so much for coming Chrona. With you here, it should only take a second. I need your opinion before I buy her a present, because last time was unfortunately…. Not a good choice on my part…."

The sheepishness in his voice makes me smile. "Oh- okay. It's no problem." I respond. "Let's go find one then." We begin our hunt through the racks.

Quickly he spots a title that catches his interest: Oh, the Places You'll Go! By Dr. Seuss. In his excitement, he ushers me over to read the description that filled the little card underneath the book. After reading it, I tell him "It's… perfect."

With a happy air, he quickly reaches up to grab the book. He brings it down carefully as to not ruin its perfect-ness. Unfortunately, as soon as he opens it up to check the pages, the whole thing falls apart; the binding is old and defected. In a surprised stupor, we gaze at the pile of papers on the floor, and decide to just stuff them back in and hide the book back on the shelf.

After calming ourselves (we don't want the book clerk to know that we destroyed a book), he searches for another copy of the book in the same spot. But it's not there. We check the titles of the books on either side of shelf, but it's not there either.

His disappointment is something physical I can feel beside me in the room.

"Ano… I- I'm sorry" I tell him.

His dark mood becomes chirpier. He clasps his hands together, though his eyes glisten. "Ah, it's ok- it's no big deal at all! It's nothing. There are tons of other bookstores here that we can look in, and the initiation ceremony lasts a couple of days. So we have until then. It's nothing at all."

And then, once more, he turns to check the rack again. He shifts books over and looks behind every one of them, before putting them back in place.

I turn my back on him as he does this. The top of my head feels as if it was about to blow off. I gasp once and tears spring to my eyes, filling them. Quickly, I cough and choke down the sob and I wipe my tears with my left wrist.

"Yeah, not here. Okay, shall we go then?" he says.

I felt it.

The love… it was so strong. How could I possibly describe it? It's a force of nature. It is great, like a hurricane but wonderful instead of horrible.

The pride this man felt for his daughter, to become a Death Scythe miester. For his daughter. It is completely overpowering.

Never in my life had I felt something like it.

Of course I know parents love their kids. I have seen movies on TV at Maka's house. I have observed Marie-sensei with her students.

I get it.

But until this moment, I have not felt it. And now, I have. And it's not even mine. It came from somebody else and was not intended for me. It is not mine. And yet, I felt it. There was so much of it, so much of everything fine and good and wonderful and… right with the world inside him that he could not contain it.

The grief I feel is crushing. As we leave the room, I follow him because my legs are shaking and I know that if he were to look at me he would ask "Are you ok?" and I'm not. I am not ok.

Because I feel what it is that I did not have. I never felt it before.

How can you really miss something when you've never had it? The longing is pure book knowledge, just an idea.

But tonight, I felt it. And… what would I give to feel it just once- all for me?

As we descend down the stairs I am shaking as I sob silently. I breathe carefully as to not make a sound and the tears that sprinkle my eyes are blinked back. Even Ragnarok stays quiet.

Out on the street, the laughing sun hits us from a low angle and the sky is a fiery hue. A huge crowd surrounds a stadium set up to congratulate the new Death Scythes for their achievement. People are all standing and clapping their hands in a thunderous roar. The metals that were given on each of the graduates reflect the burning color of the sky. And Maka's beaming smile adds to the glare. This is her day, not mine. I have no right to feel this way today.

But even though the sky is still bright, I can see the moon and beside it a few stars… or are they planets? I know that behind all this, in the darkness that's hidden by the light, are other planets and countless stars- whole galaxies, just like ours. Other worlds.

And I can't help but think that maybe on one of them, there is another me. And I am wearing my black dress with my name stitched to the front of it, and I am standing on stage as Shinigami-sama hands me a metal too, and out in the audience, all I see is the radiance of one woman whose eyes are so gleaming gold they blind me. And she is smiling and weeping and she is my mother and she loves me with all of the force of the expanding universe. She looks at me and mouths the words I've always wanted to hear: "I'm so proud of you- I love you."