Chapter 20: In Which a Festival Sparks the Beginning of a Happy Future
Moving Crona in proved to be much harder than initially anticipated.
They were beyond nervous. Every small sound made them jump. They twitched, constantly searching with wide eyes for a threat that was no longer there. They had a tendency to stay curled up in corners. They avoided everyone but Maka and Miss Marie. It was tedious to sort through what made them nervous, anxious, or downright terrified. Things like the laundry machine had given Crona a fright.
Maka was more than patient with them, much to everyone's relief. It seemed helping Crona finally took the young girl's mind off of some of the horrible things that had been happening. She still hadn't talked to Soul (despite the fact that he'd been released a few days prior), but no one made any comment on it. It seemed as though Soul was keeping his distance as well.
Crona's first day in the house consisted of Miss Marie trying to force more food into them for every meal, they being scared of leaving the corner in their room (which Maka found out Crona had named Smith), not knowing how to use the bathtub, and then refusing to leave the bath once it'd been made.
It was all very hard work.
Still, there were small improvements. Crona was definitely smiling more. They were used to Dr. Stein's presence and no longer flinched when he entered the room. They spoke more; there was a day where Crona admitted he didn't like the vegetables on his dinner plate, which made Miss Marie laugh.
But the best part to Maka was that Crona was talking to her again. They didn't stop apologizing for everything at first (and still didn't want to see anyone else), but it was progress. Maka was more than happy to give up some of her free time to talk with Crona. All was going better.
マカの宅急便
A few days after Crona had moved in with the couple Maka was having lunch with the girls and Black*Star, who was still in his cast. All of them had come to eat at the café for the day. They also brought with them exciting news.
"There's a summer festival tomorrow!"
"A summer festival?" Maka asked.
Jacqueline explained. "The entire downtown area is going to be blocked off and all the stores are closed for the day. There's going to be food and music and dancing."
"And at the end of the day there's gonna be fireworks!" Patty shouted, jumping up in joy.
She was pulled back down into her chair by her sister, albeit gently.
"We're all planning to meet there and hang out for the day. Just to unwind and have some fun." Kim smiled. "Do you wanna join us?"
"I might…"
Black*Star was the one to interject.
"Everywhere's closed. Including your business. So tomorrow, I expect you to be wearing something other than the black dress. Not that it doesn't suit you, but for one day you're not a witch. You're another girl out to have some fun." Black*Star patted Maka's arm and grinned. "Take some advice from your god and get out, bookworm!"
That earned the boy a very hard smack across the head from Maka's hand.
"I'll wear what I please, thank you," she huffed. But deep down Maka did want to get some new clothes. It would be nice to not wear the same dress every single day. The only problem was the cost. Since her delivery service was still on hiatus she'd had no income in over two weeks.
Of course Marie wouldn't take no for an answer when Maka asked for help paying for a new dress. She even told Maka she would find the outfit for her, and not to worry about it at all.
And true to Miss Marie's words there was an entire outfit laid out for Maka that evening. A knee-length red plaid skirt. A simple white blouse with a yellow knitted vest over it. Miss Marie had even gotten her a new pair of black shoes. Maka stared at the clothes laid out on her bed. It was nice.
She changed out of her usual black dress and into the new clothes. It honestly felt a bit like playing dress-up, but much more casual than the time she'd gone to Soul's house. Maka shook the thought away before looking at her reflection in the mirror.
The clothing was lovely. Maka would definitely thank Miss Marie again later.
Maka took of the clothes and draped them over one of the chairs. She would definitely wear them tomorrow.
マカの宅急便
Picking up her new black handbag and putting her wallet in it Maka locked the door to her room behind her and began a brisk walk downtown. True to everyone's word not a single store was open. The less populated areas were completely deserted.
The main area of town, however, was a whole other story. It seemed the entire population of Dödenstad and surrounding areas was there. Maka had no idea how to find anyone. Thankfully they'd chosen a rendezvous spot yesterday so she had no problem getting to the right area.
"Maka! Over here!"
Tsubaki was waving over from a spot by the street they'd somehow managed to get. Maka jogged across the street to the small group. It consisted of Tsubaki, Black*Star, Kilik, Liz, Patty, and Kid.
"Perfect timing," said Kilik. "The parade's about to start."
Tsubaki was gazing at Maka's new outfit. "Maka, you look lovely!"
"Thank you," she said, cheeks tinged pink. It was strange to be noticed by her clothes as something other than a witch.
Today's my day off, she reminded herself. I'm not a witch today, just a girl out at a festival with her friends.
"So where's everyone else?" she asked.
"Ox is on a mission to try and woo Kim. Again." Kilik chuckled. "As much as we're friends I didn't want to watch him get rejected again so I'm spending some time with Black*Star instead."
"That means Harvar and Jackie are probably with them too," added Liz.
"Is Soul coming?" Maka asked.
"Since being released from the hospital Soul's been on house arrest," said Kid. "His parents won't let him out for any reason. I heard it's because they're still mad at the fact that his injury involved magic. They were trying to prove a point with him."
Maka knew it was the 'avoid that enchantress at all costs' point, but she was glad Kid didn't say something clearly for once. Still, she was a bit disheartened that Soul wouldn't be around.
"I heard they may disown him," said Black*Star.
Maka was surprised. "Really?"
"Well, it's not like he's been a model son. Not in their eyes, at any rate."
Liz sighed. "I'm honestly surprised he lasted that long with them. They're way to stuffy for a kid like him."
Their further conversation was halted by the start of the parade. It was truly a grand (albeit loud) event. Maka enjoyed it immensely, amused by the marching bands, floats, and dancers. People were throwing confetti from the vehicles and windows of the surrounding homes. Everyone was talking and laughing loudly.
Once the parade ended the small group ate lunch at a café. During their conversation Maka learned how bad Kid's madness was beginning to get, as she sat arranging the fries that came with his burger.
Black*Star was having none of it.
"Stop that! C'mon, what's the point of it being 'symmetrical' and 'balanced' if they're cold by the time you eat them? Besides, you're not even symmetrical. You've only got stripes on one side of you head!"
This had apparently struck a pretty bad chord. Kid ended up crying, with the Thompson sisters comforting him.
"He tried to dye them black the other day, but it didn't work," explained Liz. "His dad just called the stripes cute and left it at that too, which didn't help Kid any."
"Father has his own things to handle," Kid sniffled.
After lunch they went to the fairground. Maka didn't want to play any of the games, but she did watch Black*Star and Kilik compete to see who could win the most prizes in an hour. The two were neck-in-neck pretty much the whole time. Maka bought some apples and candy floss for everyone as a snack. She then excused herself to go back to the café to check on Crona.
"Are they planning on coming?" Tsubaki asked.
Maka shook her head. "They were very nervous about leaving their room, so Miss Marie stayed behind to watch them."
The walk back to the café was nice. Maka ended up running into Kim, Ox, Harvar, and Jackie on her way up. They talked for almost half an hour and got lemonade before Maka bid them goodbye. She arrived just in time for dinner.
Maka had dinner with the doctor, his wife, and Crona. It was a quiet affair, mostly for Crona's sake. Loud noises still frightened them. Maka was definitely concerned about how Crona would react to the fireworks.
Once it got dark Marie told Maka, "The fireworks are going to start soon. I'm going to go into town with Stein to see them, if you'd like to come along. But only if you want," she added quickly.
Maka thought about it for a second before shaking her head. "I'd rather stay here with Crona. I don't want them to be afraid of the sounds."
"Are you sure?"
The young witch nodded.
Marie took the girl into her arms. Maka smiled into the now-familiar embrace.
"Thank you for doing this," she said, stroking Maka's hair. "Do keep an eye on Crona. I'm really worried about them."
"It'll be fine, Miss Marie. Go enjoy the festival."
"Thank you. I will. Once my husband comes out."
Maka frowned. "Is he doing business? I thought all the stores were closed."
"They are, but he had an important matter to attend to. It's fine. Franken should be done in a moment. He's actually meeting with a couple of people right now."
Dr. Stein stepped out of the apothecary with Mr. Shinigami. The two were talking in hushed tones, but they were both smiling so it seemed to be fine. Trailing them was none other than:
"Kid! What are you doing here?"
Kid jumped a bit, but smiled at Maka.
"I came with Father to see if I could study magic with you and the doctor. We were negotiating the terms of my education."
"Which include what exactly?"
Kid shrugged. "A few things. Mostly bloodwork and physicals. The occasional harmless herbal testing. Just to see if I react differently from witches, fully-Awoken warlocks, or regular people."
"You're willingly being Dr. Stein's test subject?" Maka asked incredulously.
Kid shrugged. "I hate to say it, but I'm just as curious about myself as the doctor is. If being his apprentice will teach me a thing or two about myself then I'm in."
It made sense, though Maka couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole ordeal. Kid noticed her fidget and laughed a bit.
"I'll be fine. I survived once, I'm not about to die from a few questions!"
Maka frowned. "Why does everyone I know joke about that?"
"Laughter is often the best way to cope," Kid replied. "It's also the best way to heal. We may have been through some more shit than others our age, but we're all okay. So it's time to be kids again."
Maka couldn't help it. She laughed. Kid was staring at her incredulously.
"What? Did I say something weird?"
Maka shook her head. "Oh, it's nothing. Never did I think I would hear the mayor's son swear."
Kid laughed. "I'm still a normalish person deep down. Normalish people can swear."
"So I've noticed." Maka smiled. "It's good to joke about it, I guess."
"Told you so. But I must be off. Father's driving me back home and then we'll go to the fireworks show. Will you be there?"
Maka shook her head. "I'm going to stay in with Crona."
"Take care, then."
"Be careful."
"Who said I wouldn't be?" Kid nodded to her as he left. "I'll see you the day after tomorrow?"
"Yeah, I'll see you then."
"And please say hello to Crona for me."
"I will."
Kid waved one last time before getting in the car with his father and driving off. Maka watched them leave before going back inside.
"Crona?" she called. "Are you in your room?"
"Yes," came the quiet reply.
"Do you want to come to my room instead?" she asked. "There's a really great view of the ocean from there I think you'd like."
Crona opened the door a crack, looking completely unconvinced.
"Crona?"
The child looked up at Maka.
Maka stared down at them, expression serious. "Crona, I know a lot of terrible things happened when you were with Lady Medusa. I don't know what exactly you had to go through, but I know it hurt you. I know it made you not trust us. But I promise you Miss Marie and Dr. Stein and I would never do anything to hurt you. You know that, right?"
"Promise?"
The question was said meekly, but Maka knew it meant everything to Crona.
"Yep, I promise." She held out her hand. "There are going to be a lot of loud explosions very soon. They might sound scary, but they're completely harmless. And I'll be right here for you when they happen, okay? So can you come with me?"
"Okay."
The door opened and Crona stepped out. They were definitely nervous, but the trust they had in Maka was stronger. The witch smiled. This was one step in the right direction.
"I went through the file the Council gave us with Miss Marie and Dr. Stein," Maka said as she led Crona up to her room. "They've arrested Medusa. She's in the custody of the Council. They haven't decided her punishment yet."
"I'm glad." Crona nodded. "I'm glad. She shouldn't get away with everything anymore."
Maka opened the door. "I saw Kid today. He hopes your doing well."
Crona looked guilty. "It's my fault they got hurt. Soul, and Kid."
"It's no one's fault except for Medusa. That's what the Council as also decided. So you don't have to blame yourself anymore!"
"What about Ragnarök?"
"I'm not sure yet." Maka bit her lip. "The witches are saying they're not sure if he can come back to regular society. It may be too late for him. I think we can help. Black*Star told me after the transformation wore off he cried because he was in pain. Only something with a soul could cry like that."
"He still has a soul?"
"It's broken. But I think it can be fixed."
There was a flash of light from the window. Maka gasped and dragged the reluctant child to the window. Crona hunched underneath the windowsill as Maka looked out. They grabbed a pillow off Maka's bed to cover their ears with.
Maka barely noticed, her own excitement uncontained. "It's starting! The fireworks show!"
It took a few more minutes before it got into full swing. Dazzling reds, bright greens, glowing yellows. The fireworks sparked the sky and lit up the night.
"Crona, look," Maka insisted. "I promise it'll be alright. I'll even hold your hand. Okay?"
The other cowered for a few more seconds until finally peeking their head out from the pillow. Maka was staring at Crona with the biggest smile they'd ever seen on her face. She beckoned excitedly to the open window. Crona stepped cautiously to look out.
They flinched at the first flash of lights, and had to muffle a shriek at the boom that came a few seconds later.
Maka could tell Crona was slowly starting to relax. They stood beside Maka at the window, leaning forward slightly on the windowsill. The fireworks reflected bright in their eyes. Crona stood, transfixed, mouth hanging open in awe.
"Wow…" they breathed.
Maka noticed and grinned. "Aren't they beautiful? I absolutely love fireworks. Sure, they can be a bit scary, but once you know they aren't dangerous they're so much fun to watch! Just like anything else."
Crona watched with rapture until the finale, gasping as it ended leaving smoke trails in the sky. The distant sound of cheering could be heard. Crona looked at Maka with shining eyes.
"It was beautiful."
"I'm glad."
The two got ready for bed, changing and brushing their teeth. Maka led a sleepy Crona to their room upstairs. Now that the spare room was cleaned out and repainted it looked a lot homier.
"Maka?" Crona asked.
"Hmm?"
"I've decided…I don't want to be afraid anymore. Can you help me learn how not to be afraid?"
Maka smiled. "Courage is something you need to find on your own. That's what my mama used to say."
"Oh."
"But I can help you!" Maka giggled before tucking Crona in. "Do you need anything else before bed? Some warm milk? An extra blanket?"
Crona shook their head. "I'm okay. I think I'm just going to sleep."
"Okay! Goodnight Crona!"
"Goodnight, Maka. And…thank you. For today."
Maka laughed and bonked Crona lightly on the head. "You have no reason to thank me, silly! That's what friends are for!"
"Okay…"
The two exchanged a final goodnight before Maka turned off the lights and closed the door. She took a slight peek at Crona's soul. It was still shaking, but much less so. Maka smiled, but then stopped. She frowned and focused harder.
Crona's soul had changed colors.
The once-opaque purple seemed a bit closer to a periwinkle hue. It was also glowing a little brighter.
Maka rubbed her eyes and tried again. Their soul still looked different. Surely that wasn't possible. It must have been the trick of the light or something. Perhaps her soul perception wasn't quite back to 100%.
Feeling quite fatigued with the effort of using her weakened magic Maka blinked back into a normal view and headed back to her room. It was dark, and there was no sign of Blair. The cat was probably out again.
Maka flopped onto her bed. She was surprisingly exhausted. It was a wonder she'd made it through the day without any hiccups. Sighing, Maka got up and changed into her pajamas. Right now she could use a good night's rest.
As Maka clambered back into bed she heard a slight crinkle, as if she'd sat on a sheet of paper. Confused the girl got out of bed and pulled the blanket off. A single sheet of paper, torn in half, fluttered to the floor. She picked it up and tried to read it. The room was too dark.
Maka turned on the lamp beside her desk and read:
Don't worry, I don't plan on doing that yet.
Also, I really liked you outfit. You should wear more colors.
P.S. Haha, Wes still has that quilt. Nice!
What in the world?
This was Soul's handwriting. He was on house arrest! How in the world did he get this here? And what did it mean?
Then it clicked.
The reply. To that stupid note she'd left in the hospital.
Maka couldn't help it. She laughed. She laughed until there were tears in her eyes and a stitch in her side. Honestly, what kind of idiot went through all the effort of breaking into her room to do nothing more than leave a silly one-line note on her pillow?
Soul, apparently.
Setting the note on the bedside table and turning off the lamp, Maka rolled over and went to sleep. What a strange way to end a good day.
Well well well, we're finally reaching the end.
Final real chapter: Those two characters who need to hurry up and see each other finally meet again.