Here's the fun chapter… I've been looking forward to this one…
Disclaimer: I had the rights to Soul Eater; it was a little orange key in my hand. Sadly, I was distracted by entrancing tango music and I dropped it…So I do not own Soul Eater.
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The beat of the techno rave music pounded through the empty halls of the D.W.M.A. The heavy bass pulsated into the bodies of the four girls rushing toward the noise.
Maka's thin leather boots clack clacked on the solid marble floor or the corridors. Maka kept opening and closing the black lace fan Tsubaki had given her on their way out the door out of nervousness.
They reached the open double doors that lead to the courtyard right as the clock began to chime eight o'clock.
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Soul swirled his champagne glass filled with and orange-colored fruit punch absentmindedly. Bored out of his mind he wondered, what the hell do girls do for almost twenty four hours? Still confused, he looked around.
There was Blair, dressed in her usual purple, but her short shorts had been replaced by a spiky skirt that came all the way down to mid-thigh. Modesty, for her.
"There you two are!" It was Kid; he spotted Liz and Patty. "You are perfect! It's so thoughtful of you girls…" Soul saw Liz roll her eyes, but he could see she was pleased. Nurses, though? Ok then…
"Tsubaki!" Black*Star shouted. "You look awesome! Blair made me a pirate! HIYA! WAHOO!"
"Black*Star, hush!" Tsubaki soothed. Again, Soul could see the pleasure blooming in the girl's cheeks at Black*Star's unexpected compliment.
Some unknown draw pulled Soul to look up the stairs. A figure, silhouetted against the glow of the school's interior lighting, slowly descended. Soul could see she was tense, like she was afraid of something. Her skirt flowed down the stairs like a waterfall. In her right hand was a fan that kept opening and closing. She dropped it, and it skidded down the remaining stairs.
He didn't know why, but Soul ran to the fallen fan, champagne fluke forgotten. He reached down to retrieve it and looked up saying, "Miss, I believe this is—."
It was Maka.
Her eyes were wide, cheeks flushed, and lips in a tight line.
"—yours," Soul finished, a little out of breath. "Wow, Maka…"
Her eyes were lined with makeup and dusted with a dark gold shadow. Most of her tawny hair was piled on top of her head and the rest cascaded down to her shoulders in curls, framing her face delicately. Her dress…Her dress, Soul thought.
Nothing Soul would have pictured Maka ever wearing, but it suited her. At least, he liked it. The first thing he noticed was the corset. It shaped her like nothing she ever wore and she even looked like she had…NO. He stopped himself. The puffy white top settled on her like a cloud. It was soft and delicate and the bow undone at the top. Soul swallowed and moved to the skirt that had so gracefully slipped down the steps. It was black and covered with intricate lace. Quite ostentatious for Maka, who usually wore a school-girl uniform, and it left Soul speechless.
He handed her the dropped fan and offered her his hand.
She took it and he led her to a table. Soul pulled her out a chair and scooted her in gently. Sensing the place was occupied, a champagne fluke filled with orange punch appeared in front of Maka.
Maka picked it up, inspecting it and said, "Blair?" Soul smirked and nodded.
Maka gazed thoughtfully out at the dancers and Soul couldn't help but notice how the lights cast interesting shadows on her face—especially her eyes. The effects were quite hypnotic. Soul kept studying her. She held the fluke gently against her lips and her head bounced lightly to the tune playing overhead. The corner of her mouth twitched as Black*Star hurled Tsubaki around the dance floor repeatedly, laughing maniacally.
"May I have your attention? Your attention, everyone!" It was Blair, on the microphone by the stereo. "Due to popular vote, the winner of tonight's costume contest is…" She fiddled with an envelope in her hand. "The winner is Tsubaki Nakatsukasa!"
Black*Star ceased in flinging Tsubaki around long enough to yell "YAHOO!" and shove her toward the stage. She collected her prize, (a pumpkin charm on a bracelet), and returned to Black*Star who was, naturally, boasting.
"Now, guys, a surprise!" Blair squealed, practically wriggling with glee. "We are now going to have a dancing contest!" The girls in the crowd stood straighter and the boys slumped…well, all the boys except for Soul, Maka noticed.
"Couples, pair up!" Blair commanded. "The musical selection will not be the one previously decided upon…"
"What?" Kid interrupted. "You can't—"
"Oh, yes I can, Kiddie," Blair purred. Kid dutifully shut up. "As I was saying, the musical selection will be Carlos Gardel's Por una Cabeza."
Soul raised an eyebrow. A tango…His stomach flipped.
The music started, soft and deliberate. Soul stood up and stopped in front of Maka. He bowed slightly and held his hand out to her once more.
"May I have this dance?" Soul asked with no hint of cynicism on his face. His eyes were wide, honest.
Maka stared back and softly answered, "Yes." She gave him her hand to hold and he led her to the dance floor.
"I don't know how to dance…" Maka started.
"Don't worry," Soul replied. "I do."
They took two steps forward, shifting their weight, and one step back. They repeated, slowly travelling in a circle. Suddenly, the music picked up, and Soul began spinning faster. His feet criss-crossed in between hers and Maka became lost in the steps.
"Don't look down," Soul told her. "Look at me." She did. As she looked into the scarlet eyes of the person she trusted most, their souls began to resonate. She could feel where he would move next and he could catch her if she were about to stumble. He spun her and caught her by the waist before she could slip and they continued around the floor.
The music slowed again to the coy tune from the beginning, and Maka weaved in and out of Souls feet, mirroring the flirtatious melody. Soul drew her in close; she left her feet planted and leaned into him, trusting him to hold her up.
The music once again shifted to the passionate refrain and they moved as one. Maka released her hold on Soul's right shoulder just as her spun her with his left hand. They dominated the dance floor; spiraling endlessly. They pivoted and twisted, knowing exactly where the other was going to move. Maka's hair was now free of its binds, and it flew whenever she turned.
His right hand at her waist and her left hand on his shoulder, they walked a step to each beat, their enjoined hands leading the way. Soul ended the walk by dipping Maka until her hair brushed the floor and brought her back into him, chests touching.
The dance was drawing to a close; key had changed. Soul ended it by lowering her again until only her left leg was on the ground; her right was bent in the air, by his shoulder. Her head was back, her neck exposed to him until they heard the clapping.
Soul brought her back up and beamed at Maka exultingly. "You told me you didn't know how to dance," he teased.
Maka smiled back at him, not even trying to hide the happiness inside her. Not that she could, anyway, with their souls still connected.
Some of the other couples, like Oz and Kim, stared on blankly.
"I think we have our winners!" Blair called on the speakers.
Oz looked quite murderous.
They were walking up to the stage when Maka sensed a sudden lurch in their resonance connection. Soul had stopped in his tracks.
"Soul, what's wrong?" Maka asked worriedly.
Soul didn't respond. In front of him, he saw Crona hunched over, spewing snakes. Sensing Soul's stare Crona looked up, smiled, and disappeared.
"Soul!"
"I—What?" Soul said incoherently.
"Are you feeling all right?" Maka questioned, truly concerned now.
Soul turned to look at her and saw Ashura's bandaged face for a split second, then it, too, disappeared.
"Umm…" He was dumbfounded.
"Uh-oh!" Blair cooed. "It seems Soul is a little shy!" He looked up at Blair who now had eight black legs and eyes not her own.
Soul whirled around and saw everyone. Not one of them was who they were supposed to be. They all had the faces of enemies. One by one he identified Arachne, Ashura, and, finally, Medusa. He found Crona once more, holding Ragnarok aloft, a demonic, emotionless smile etched upon his face.
"NO!" Soul yelled.
Their resonance link was painful for them both. Soul clutched his chest and crumpled to the ground. He heard Por una Cabeza chiming in his head, but it was different. The key was sharp, a mimicry of the previous passion. It teased and tormented him, running his sanity into the dust.
"Soul!" Maka screamed, terrified. "Soul!"
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Por una Cabeza is truly a beautiful, passionate melody. I highly encourage you listen to it—it can be found on YouTube. It's the same tune Al Pacino danced to with Gabrielle Anwar in Scent of a Woman and I thought it would suit this dance as well.
This chapter was surprisingly hard to write…I was looking forward to writing this, but it took forever to get it right.
I hope you liked it!