Four – Answer
AN: Sorry for the pause between updates—I really didn't mean for a week to pass inbetween. It's finals next week in school, and I'm trying to wrap up loose ends, as well as just dealing with some ugly stuff in my personal life. Reality, eh? Whattcha gonna do… :) Hope you enjoy the chapter.
Disclaimer: If I owned it, would I publish it on a fan fiction site? You tell me.
"Stein!"
Maka and Soul burst into the empty classroom where their teacher sits fiddling with a tray of dissection tools. They rush up and slam their hands down on his desk in unison, faces contorted with frustration and barely-suppressed rage.
"Oi, look here, old man," Soul roars, jabbing his finger in his professor's face. "I don't know what kind of game you're playing at, but it ain't cool!"
"We've been searching and researching nonstop, but we're farther away from figuring it out than we ever were before. We need to know what it is—we're failing on our own!" She throws a glare at her partner.
Stein stares at them blankly for a moment. "What are you two talking about?"
"Awww, the damn riddle!" Soul hollers, throwing his head back and pulling at his hair in frustration. "What the hell else?!"
The professor leans back in his long-enduring rolly chair. The lens of his glasses flash at the pair in removed amusement.
"Oooh, that. You took that seriously? I was just messing with you…"
They stare at him wordlessly, mouths open.
"I wonder if this susceptibility is a recurring result," Stein continues musingly. "Perhaps I should conduct a few more experiments…"
"No!" Maka explodes, tears pooling in her eyes. "What was the answer?"
Stein pauses a moment, thinking. "There is no answer," he says finally. "It's an unsolvable riddle. It's not even a riddle actually—it was written by the alchemist Nicolas Flamel when he—"
Maka turns on her heal and runs out the door. Soul stays a moment, staring at the scientist. He shakes his head—"You're really are a sick bastard, you know that?"—and leaves.
The door slams and the man is left alone in the big room. He takes a drag on his cigarette and lifts his hand to the giant screw on the side of his head, turning the grinding gears until they click into position. Slowly, a smile spreads itself across his face. He chuckles to himself a bit.
"Very good, Soul, Maka. Very good."
~*~
"Maka? Maka. There you are. I've been looking for you for hours. You could have made yourself easier to find," Soul grumbles, sitting down by his partner on the hill overlooking the city.
"Go away," she mumbles, head buried in the dark nook made by her arms and knees.
"Like hell," Soul says, leaning back. "This isn't just about you, you know."
"I know it's not," she snaps, lifting her head to glare at him with red-rimmed eyes.
Soul softens. "Look, we've been through worse. We'll figure this out somehow."
"There's nothing to figure out," Maka mumbles. "Stein said—"
"I don't give a damn what Stein said," Soul spouts flippantly. "Remember what Shinigami-sama told us? He said something about remembering the good things that have happened, too."
"'Remember the light to grant foresight,'" Maka quotes.
"Yeah, that. So we only did half of what he told us, didn't we?—maybe we should try doing that."
Maka settles her chin on her folded arms and gazes out across the city. The sun sinks towards the horizon, struggling to stay awake and casting the houses and hills and desert beyond in a deep orange glow.
"The light, huh?..."
AN: I made a new word. It's called 'gaxes'. It's like 'gazes,' only better. (TYPING FAIL.)
I'm really psyched to get the next chapter out. We're on the home stretch! :) And remember, I'd love to hear from you guys. And whilst I'm very flattered by the "moar plz"s, it's always fun to hear stuff about the story as well!! ^^ Thanks for all your support, you guys.