Two – Clues
AN: Wow! Thanks for the response, guys. :) It's pretty adorable to see all your guesses at the riddle—it'd never occurred to me that that might happen, and I'm liking it. (Reader participation, ftw.) This is probably the fastest update you're gonna get, by the way. XD;; I blame it largely upon great music and my personal discovery of frappachinos. It was a bit of a religious experience.
Disclaimer: Nope.
For the first few days, they searched like mad, pouring over every thick, dusty tome they could get their hands on and sleeping in shifts. It was the most hours Soul had logged at a library in whole life, and still they were getting nowhere.
By the end of the week , things had returned to a more normal state for the two, with Maka brooding over the problem and Soul generally ignoring it. (Maka was better at this kind of thing anyway.)
"The answer has to be something simple," she kept saying, pacing back and forth across the small floor of their living room, blocking Soul's view of the television screen with each pass. "Riddles are always so literal."
"Riddles aren't cool," Soul mutters, giving up on the television and flipping through the pages of an old motorcycle magazine.
By the end of the month, they're at each others throats. Soul draws the short end of the stick and goes to ask Stein for a clue. Maka doesn't need to wait until he returns to hear the verdict; she can hear Stein laughing from the other side of the classroom door.
It was in this way the pair found themselves in front of the bathroom mirror, writing numbers on the fogged surface.
"He's practically a teacher—he's not going to tell us the answer! Besides, we're supposed to figure it out on our own—that's the point!"
"And it would be nice if I were a Death Scythe before I'm fifty! And I know how much you respect teachers, but he's a god, Maka. Do you even know how much freaking veto power—"
"Oh—Soul and Maka calling from their bathroom," Shinigami-sama singsongs, hoping towards the screen. "How nice! Though it's a good thing Spirit's not here…"
"Papa can go to hell," Maka mutters, her look of disgust mirrored on her partners face who grumbles something largely indiscernible in which only the phrase "tiny tits" can be heard.
"Quite," says Shinigami-sama, noncommittally. "Now, did I hear something about a riddle?"
Neither speaks for a moment. Soul elbows Maka impatiently. She nearly punches him in the face.
"Yes, actually…"
~*~
"…So could you at least give us a clue?" Maka finishes, despairingly. She glances over at her partner, whose teeth are clenched but otherwise shows no signs of caring. Typical.
"…"
"Shinigami-sa—?"
"No."
"WHAT?!" Soul explodes.
"But I can give you another riddle."
"You people can TAKE your riddles and shove them right up your—"
"What belongs to you," the death god bulldozers on, shutting Soul up. "But others use it more than you do?"
Soul doesn't miss a beat. "Probably my socks. Maka—"
"It's 'your name,' you idiot," Maka snarls, her hand sneaking towards her book bag.
"Very good, Maka," Shinigami-sama grants giddily. "And who is that person?"
"…Soul."
For once Soul doesn't have a smart response. The two share a glance, feeling now as though they're treading on very fragile ground.
"Shinigami-sama," Maka begins carefully. "Is there one more riddle you'd like to tell us?"
The death god cocks his head to the side playfully. "Certainly. What is it you can keep after giving it to someone else?"
"Your word," Soul answers after a moment.
"It's about our partnership," Maka whispers, as if to herself. As a knee-jerk reaction, she turns to the boy standing next to her. She finds his expression perfectly mirroring her own. His eyes bore unflinchingly back at her, and she isn't quite sure why, but a blush rises to her cheeks and she looks away.
"Yes, you're getting it now," Shinigami-sama says in a quieter voice, head tilting playfully to the side. "And there's one more if you'd like to hear it...
"Remember the dark,
Remember the light,
Remember the past
To grant foresight."
Shinigami-sama's image fades from the surface, leaving only the reflection of a boy and a girl.
"The…dark?"
AN: Gawds. Shinigami-sama's voice is so difficult to try to capture!—especially in English. However, narrating Soul and Maka arguments is fun. XD Oh, and to avoid conclusion, the answer to "THE" riddle is not any of things discussed in this chapter; these are just clues. Also, I did a more rushed job of editing this time--if there are any bothersome mistakes, just give a shout so I can fix them.
Disclaimer (Why did I make two?): the first two riddles are traditional, so I claim no ownership to them.
Claimer: The third, however, is my own—ownership claimed…Along with the rest of the story, I suppose. (So there.)
Remember to check my homepage for progress, updates, etc. And, as always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on things so far. :)