21: In Which Maka and Soul Finally Meet Up Again, and the Two Take an Unexpected Flight

"Maka, can I have you for a minute?"

"Coming!" Maka excused herself from her friends and ducked behind the counter to the kitchen. Miss Marie was sitting in the new rocking chair her husband had bought for her. She waved the young witch over with a smile.

"Maka, I would like you to make a delivery."

"But I can't fly!"

"I'm aware. But it's such a short distance I bet it wouldn't even take thirty minutes to walk there. Normally I would just do it myself, but since the baby's due any day now my husband has been keeping me on a strict regime of resting. Not to mention he had the nerve to tell me I have no sense in direction and would get lost, if you can imagine that!"

Maka could tell by the slight pout on Miss Marie's face that she wasn't pleased with sitting around all day doing nothing. And being told her sense of direction was atrocious (which, to be honest, it was). As much as she didn't feel like delivering anything Maka didn't want to be more of a burden to the couple. Especially Miss Marie.

"What would you like delivered?" she asked.

Marie smiled. "Oh, wonderful! It's just this bag of cookies. The person I want to give these to could probably use a bit of a pick-me-up so be nice!"

"You know I will be."

"Of course! Oh, Maka wait!" she called when Maka began to walk out the door. Miss Marie reached over to her purse on the coffee table and pulled out some money. "Here."

Maka stared blankly at the coins placed in her hand. She opened her mouth to protest, but Marie stopped her.

"This is still technically a job. Even if you're not flying, I'm going to pay you. Okay?"

"Okay."

Maka guiltily took the coins and slipped them into her purse around her neck. They weren't that heavy, but they weighed the young witch down quite a bit. She slipped out the front door and glanced at the address on the slip of paper.

Mr. Solomon
Själgata 11
564 42 Dödenstad

Miss Marie was right; it wasn't that far. Maka began walking towards the next-door neighborhood. If all went according to plan she would be there in twenty minutes.

It'd only take two if you were flying.

Maka shook the thought away. Ever since talking to Kid and going the festival she'd been more irritable when thinking about her magic. It was as though there was something building up inside her. It wasn't quite anger. Perhaps frustration? Whatever it was it made Maka uneasy. She avoided thinking about what she'd lost with a newfound determination.

August was slowly coming to an end. The air was hot and a bit humid, but the breeze from the ocean was providing a nice relief from all of it. Maka couldn't imagine what it would be like further inland where the cool breeze wouldn't reach. It must be stifling.

The further she walked, the closer to the ocean she came. Maka was enjoying the quiet afternoon. It was the kind of day people would laze around and just enjoy existing. It was making the witch slowly relax. It was nice to be out. She allowed herself to be caught in the moment instead of stressing over the situation.

Finding the right street had been relatively easy. It was right on the edge of a hill. One side looked over a highway. All the houses were built up on a maze of concrete stairs. Maka began climbing them, but ended up getting lost. She somehow found herself at a dead end that faced the ocean.

Maka looked over the railing to where the sea was. The smell of car exhaust was all but masked by the saltiness of it. The girl smiled and she took a deep breath. Maybe it was a good thing that she got lost. Though she would have to stop somewhere and ask for help. Hopefully there would be someone wandering around.

"Can I help you?"

Maka turned, and had to suppress a squeak. Standing above her was none other than the very person she'd been avoiding for the last couple of weeks.

"Soul?"

He leaned over that railing above her with his characteristic smirk. "Are you on a delivery run right now?"

Maka looked down at the slip of paper and back up at him.

"I have a delivery, for a Mister Solomon. Do you know where I can find him?"

"'A Mister Solomon…?' Why, you've come to the right place! That's me."

"You?!"

"Yeah! Gimme a second, I'll come down and show you up."

Maka stood there as Soul vanished. Why in the world would Miss Marie make her deliver something to Soul? She was well aware the two hadn't spoken once since the accident. So why? Why make them meet now? Was it because they hadn't spoken? But then she should've let them figure it out on their own!

He seemed happy enough to see her. But it could always be a guise. But then again, Soul did leave that note in her room the other day. He wouldn't joke with someone he was angry with, right? Right?

Maka didn't have long to ponder it until Soul was climbing up to the stairs to where she was. He waved as he approached her.

"So what's that you've got there for me, tiny tits?"

Maka handed over the bag of cookies. "These are from Miss Marie. And don't call me that!"

Soul took the bag and opened it, grinning. Obviously whatever was in there were his favorites, probably thumbprint. Then he pulled out a folded note along with a cookie, which he munched on while reading. He finished the note with a shrug and stuck it in his back pocket.

"Thanks for bringing these here," he said. "You'll also have to thank Miss Marie for me."

"Um, I didn't realize they would be for you!"

"Are you saying you would've refused if you knew they were for me?" he asked. When Maka didn't reply Soul sighed. "I'm not mad at you or anything. Besides, I'm more shocked you didn't recognize the name."

"I forgot your full name was Solomon."

"Well, now you remember. It's embarrassing, isn't it?" Soul chuckled at Maka's bemused expression. "Better than my brother. Wesley Sebastian, if you can believe it. Can you imagine being called that? So uncool! Not that Solomon Edward is much better."

Maka just kept staring at Soul. He stopped laughing and looked away. Was he acting shy?

He was the first to speak. "So…it's been a while, huh?"

"Yeah…" she replied.

"Like, two-three weeks-ish?"

"Ish."

Silence.

"I heard you went to Wes's place for a bit."

"I did."

"Was it nice?"

"Yes. He was very hospitable. More than you, at any rate."

Maka's hands flew to her mouth in shock. She hadn't meant to fall into their familiar banter. Soul's face mirrored hers. Then he smirked, and laughed. It was a full, lively sound. Maka smiled a bit at it.

Good. He hadn't changed at all.

Soul wiped away a stray tear, wheezing. "God, I haven't laughed like that for a while. You're gonna be the death of me, Maka."

He realized his mistake as soon as the words left his mouth. The two turned away from one another.

"I'm sorry," Soul mumbled. "That was too soon."

"No, don't apologize." It should be me that's apologizing to you.

Soul coughed. "I, ah, got your note. The one you left at the hospital. Thanks for that."

"Oh, that thing. Sure."

The boy grinned. "Just to let you know, I laughed so hard I popped a few stitches when I read it. The doctors weren't really happy about that."

"It wasn't that funny," Maka grumbled, which only caused Soul to laugh again.

Once he'd gotten control of himself, he spoke again. "I thought I caught a few glimpses of you at the festival the other day. Were you wearing that red skirt with the yellow top?

"Yes, I was. Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wasn't really sure if it was actually you. I'd never seen you wearing anything but black. That, and I wasn't sure if you wanted to talk to me." Soul scuffed his feet a bit. "It looked good on you. You should wear more stuff like that. Like, on your off days."

Maka just raised an incredulous eyebrow at him. Soul cleared his throat.

"So, did you get my reply?"

"I did. It was very…heartfelt."

"Oh? Is that some sass I detect, Miss Witch?"

She punched him lightly in the shoulder. "Only for you. Well, I should probably head back. I promised Miss Marie I'd help around the café today."

"Wait!" Soul grabbed Maka's wrist as she brushed past him. He let go as she stared at him. He cleared his throat. "Since you came all the way out here, why don't you stay for tea?"

"But your parents—"

"Don't worry about them. This time it'll be way cooler. I promise."

Maka sincerely doubted it, but seeing Soul's sheepish smile made her reconsider. If he was so sure this time would be better then it couldn't hurt, right? Plus, it would give the two of them a chance to catch up.

She sighed. "If you say so…"

Admitting defeat, Maka followed Soul as he led her through the winding mess of concrete stairs to a yellow house with red shutters. It was two stories high with a large front yard that had laundry hanging on lines between two trees. A stone path led to the front door. Pink orchids lined the path and framed the doorway. Maka could make out an herb garden just around the corner.

"This isn't the Evan's Estate."

Soul chuckled. "No kidding! Could you imagine my parents living here?"

That was a pretty ridiculous thought. Maka followed Soul up to the front door of the house. "So whose house is this? Is it a private cottage or something?"

"Nah, this is Black*Star's place. I'm only at my parents' house when I have piano lessons and dinner every night. I practically live here now. I'm glad Miss Marie remembered that and didn't send you to the mansion. That would've sucked."

Maka shuddered at the thought. "I can't see it going well."

Soul jiggled in the combination to the door's lock without taking his eyes away from Maka. "No worries. It's pretty great here. Black*Star's parents even let me use the spare room. Moved a bunch of my clothing in here. The actual stuff I wear around, not the awful things my parents think a 'proper young man' like myself should be dressed up in."

The door opened. Soul held it open and stood aside. "Come on in. I think both Sid and Nygus are in today. Though Sid's probably gonna sleep soon. He's a private investigator so it's kinda hard to find him awake at reasonable hours. Especially when there's a big case to wrap up like now.

"I'm back!" Soul hollered as he stepped inside.

Maka stepped into the house after Soul, hanging back in the entryway. The walls were covered by green-and-cream wallpaper and the floors were dark hardwood. There was a hallway and a flight of stairs directly in front of her. The hallway seemed to lead to the living room with several doors on it's right side, all of them closed. On the left was the staircase leading up. The walls were lined with family photos. Maka took a tentative step inside to look at them. Most of them consisted of a black couple who didn't look even thirty yet. A few of them alone as well, the man in a suit with a beige coat draped over it and the woman in a nurse's uniform. There were several of Black*Star, starting from about the age of eight or so (back when he had dark brown hair, Maka noted) to a pretty recent one of him and all of his friends (sans Maka) all sitting around a table for a meal. There was a birthday cake with thirteen candles on it in the center.

The sounds of footsteps reminded Maka that she wasn't alone. She took a step back as a new figure approached. He was the man she'd seen in the pictures on the wall: tall, dark, muscular. He was wearing jeans and a black tank top.

Soul waved at him. "Hey Sid."

"Welcome back," said Sid. "I didn't expect you home so soon. Good walk?"

"It was nice. Is Black*Star in?"

"He's at Tsubaki's house right now," the tall man replied. He then turned his gaze to Maka, noticing her in the doorway. "Soul, who's this?"

Soul grinned and held out his hand. Maka took it as she stepped further inside.

"Sid, this is Maka. The witch girl we've been telling you about. I happened to run into her on my way back. And she gave me cookies." He held up the bag triumphantly. "Maka, this is Sid, Black*Star's dad figure."

Maka was introduced to Sid Barett, Black*Star's adopted father, and his fiancée Mira Nygus. Maka was shocked to realize they were even younger than her papa. The two were quite a pair, Sid being an honest yet firm man behind his smile while Mira was hospitable beneath her cool demeanor. Maka was immediately invited in for tea without hesitation despite the fact that Black*Star was nowhere to be found.

"It's nice to meet you, Maka," Nygus (she insisted on being called that) said as she set down a tray of tea things. "The boys have told us all about you. I'm surprised you haven't been over sooner."

"I would have liked to come over, but I'd been very busy with work. And it didn't seem appropriate to visit lately. Especially after… everything."

Nygus nodded sagely. "It was a bit of a shock to find Soul and Kid in the hospital when I came in the next morning for my shift. Still, it's my job as a nurse and a parent to make sure they don't get themselves killed recklessly."

Soul flinched under her glare, returning from the kitchen with a plate of Miss Marie's cookies. "I already apologized. Twice."

"Better than Black*Star, that's for sure!" Sid remarked. "He had the audacity to say we should apologize to him because we didn't call in any backup. The nerve of that kid, I swear! I'll have grey hair before I turn thirty!"

Maka giggled as she poured herself some cream into her tea. "So you're both Black*Star's parents?"

"Ah, he's actually adopted as you probably guessed. He's a good kid, but it's obvious he wasn't raised right at first. Mira and I have been doing our best to keep him in line, but we give him some freedom. Like being called Black*Star, or dying his hair that color!"

Nygus was shaking her head. "I still don't know why you let him do that."

"It's a form of expression. If he regrets it, that'll be all on him. Not us."

Though everyone else was laughing, Maka was mulling over something Sid had said.

"What do you mean by not being raised right, if you don't mind me asking? Did you not adopt Black*Star when he was a baby?"

Sid set down his tea.

"That we didn't. Ever heard of the Star Gang?" When Maka shook her head, Sid explained. "Well, they were a big name crime group in Stockholm back in the day. Very loyal and very affiliated. It made arresting them that much harder because everyone in their district knew them. No one would rat them out. And they had eyes everywhere. Every one of our informants were caught and offed. Nasty business, really.

"It eventually got to a point where the clan needed to be dealt with. One woman was finally able to get a list of names. A secret task force was called in and the clan was eradicated. I was just a newbie then. Sent in to help with the clean-up. I found Black*Star in the former leader's house. He'd hidden in a big chest in his father's study; I happened to hear him snoring. The kid never asked questions about his parents or his family. I think he knew they were going to be killed soon enough.

"Black*Star had nowhere to go. Apparently he did poorly in the orphanage they put him with, then with his first foster family. When I heard about it, I just couldn't leave him there in misery. That's not the kind of man I am.

"I'd just been reassigned to work in Dödenstad. I started living with Mira then. We decided to take him in for a while. Then a while turned into a year. And a year turned into a lot of paperwork. And now it's been six years. He's a good kid, just a bit hot-headed. Well, I'm sure you know that!"

"A good kid who's going to give you grey hairs before you're thirty," Soul reminded him.

Sid laughed. "True, true!"

It was nice to see Soul so relaxed, Maka decided as she sipped her tea. He was animated, grinning and making jabs at Sid who was just as swift to reply. She had to stifle a laugh when Sid make one particular comment about Soul's inability to fold his underwear. After an hour she had completely relaxed, even allowing Sid to show her some old photo albums of Black*Star and Soul from the beginning of their friendship as bright-eyed eight-year-olds. Maka laughed at all the stories. She continued to thumb through them long after Sid excused himself to rest and Mira went to the kitchen to wash up their dishes.

"Hey."

Maka looked up from the photo album in her lap. Soul was standing there, offering her a refill on her tea. She accepted it with a small smile.

"Thank you."

It was just the way she liked it: three sugars and a bit of cream. Maka never realized he'd remembered something as petty as that about her.

"I see you've finally stopped being weird around me."

"I wasn't being weird," she huffed, crossing her arms.

Soul chuckled. "Sure you weren't. You were just being Maka. Weirdo by default." He flopped down on the couch next to her. "I missed this. I missed you."

Maka set down her tea. She couldn't answer past the lump that was forming in her throat. Kid had been right. Soul really did want to see her. He wasn't mad at all. How could she not see that until today? The whole 'avoiding Soul thing' seemed pretty silly now.

"I'm sorry. I guess I was being a bit weird."

"You're always a bit weird. You don't need to apologize for that."

"Rude!" she gasped, but laughed. "Well, what are friends for?"

He agreed with her easily. After a moment Soul met Maka's eyes.

"I've been meaning to ask you this."

"Oh?"

"Yeah. Why didn't you fly here? Wouldn't it have been faster?"

Maka froze for a split second. She tried to sip her tea nonchalantly but Soul picked up on her sudden stiffness. He didn't say anything, waiting for Maka to explain. He was being surprisingly mature, almost like Wes. It seemed there was a resemblance between the two.

"I lost my magic."

"When?"

"The day after…that."

"Ah." Soul sat up a bit straighter and fiddled with the arm of the couch. "I didn't know. I'm sorry 'bout that."

Maka shook her head. "No, it's fine. I figured someone would tell you about it by now. Besides, it's not your fault."

"Maybe I caused some weird trauma on you or something."

That got a snort out of Maka.

"I doubt it," she said. "You're not cool enough for that."

"Aw shucks."

Soul flopped over so his head was on Maka's lap. She was shocked by the sudden invasion of personal space, but didn't push him off. Instead she picked up the photo album so it wouldn't be scratched by his gelled hair.

"We've both been out of it, huh?" he finally said.

"Yeah."

Maka looked around the cozy sitting room, smiling. "I'm glad I got to meet Sid and Nygus. They're very kind. I can see why you like being here so much."

"Yeah. They're like the parents I wish I had. Cool." Soul grinned. "Did you know they're high school sweethearts?"

"Really?"

"Yep. Went their separate ways after high school, but ended up getting back together. I think that's really sweet. I hope I meet someone someday who I know'll be the one, ya know?"

"For a boy you're surprisingly sappy."

"Hey now," Soul complained, blushing, "that's uncalled for!"

Maka shrugged. "Besides, I've never really thought about it."

"Right right, the whole 'my dad is a dirty cheat and I can't trust men because of him' thing. That's really uncool, but I get it."

"You're lucky this isn't my own book or you'd have a concussion right now."

"I take it you want an apology then."

"It depends how much you value your skull."

Soul sat up with a laugh. "Then I'm so very sorry to have ever offended you in any way, o' wise and beautiful Miss Witch."

Maka closed the photo album with a firm nod. "Very good, Mr. Solomon. Very good."

The two dissolved into a fit of giggles. This was ridiculous. One week they weren't talking, then next they were rolling around like two toddlers who'd had too much sugar.

Soul stood up. He pointed towards the back door though the kitchen. "Wanna see something cool?"

"Okay."

Maka also stood up. She set down the photo album and followed Soul out of the room. He opened the door for her before running ahead towards backyard.

"C'mon. This way!"

They ran through the yard along the stone path towards a garage. Soul wrenched the side door open. When Maka tried to follow he held up a hand.

"Wait there!"

Maka stood patiently as Soul went inside the garage. She heard the sound of a pulley as Soul lifted the door up and invited her inside. It was dark, but then there was a bang, followed by Soul swearing loudly. A few more clangs of him trying to navigate finally resulted in the flicking of a switch. A light above Maka's head blinked on and finally illuminated the cluttered mess. There were mechanical tools everywhere. But it was the large item that Soul had unveiled that caught Maka's attention.

"What is that?"

"That," Soul announced proudly, "is what Black*Star and I have been working on all summer. What d'ya think?"

Maka wasn't sure what to think. Standing before her on two props was what appeared to be a red and black tandem bike. It looked like any normal tandem bike aside from the fact that an enormous propeller was attached to the front. A chain ran up from the propeller to the actual gears of the bike.

"Why the propeller?" she asked as she circled the contraption.

Soul walked beside her, pointing out each thing. "We're hoping to fly this thing soon. It's still a prototype, obviously. We'd eventually build an entire body around it with wings and a clear roof, which would go here and here. Kinda like a manpowered plane. Since we're not witches, we can't fly. Black*Star and I made this instead. This was what I wanted to show you before everything happened.

"We've been training to ride this thing too, but he and I have been out of sync and haven't gotten more than a mile on it. Black*Star keeps insisting that we need to go faster to ever get this thing up in the air. I keep telling him we need to go at a steady tempo and catch a good updraft."

"I agree with you," Maka said before she could stop herself.

Soul's grin was practically dripping with mirth. "Oh man, wait until I tell Black*Star that! He'll never forgive you."

"Good!" she huffed. "I still haven't forgiven him for the first time we met!"

"Where he demanded you thank him from saving you from the police officer?"

"I had the situation under control!"

"I remember. He ran into that light pole when Liz and I were telling him to back off!"

"Serves him right."

Soul hesitated, before gesturing to the backseat. "So…wanna take her for a spin?

"Seriously? Don't joke about something like that Soul!" Maka laughed, but she was cut short as she saw the sincere expression on Soul's face. "You're not joking."

"Would I joke about something as serious as this?"

Maka wasn't sure why it was that serious to Soul, but she went with it. The project was probably something that took a lot of work. Much like learning how to fly. Maka circled the bike once more before hooking up her skirt and nodding.

"Okay. I'll ride it with you."

"Excellent! Go ahead and climb on!" When Maka hesitated Soul frowned. "Are you okay?"

Maka blushed and looked away. "I have no idea how to ride a bicycle."

"Wait, are you for real?"

"What? It's not like you can fly on a broom."

"You got me there." He held the bike up and kicked the stands out of the way. "Here, I'll tell you what to do on the road. It's all about balance and pedaling. It's not so hard. Anyone can do it. And you've seen me and Black Star ride them before. It's not hard at all.

"Besides, this'll just be a test run. We won't go too far. I promise."

"Just a test run?"

"Just a test run." Soul looked back at Maka. "You ready?"

She swallowed her nervousness down, then nodded. Maka clambered onto the backseat. Soul got onto the front one.

"Okay, I'm going to start pedaling. It'll set the pace we go at. After we start going forward, I want you to join in. It'll be hard work. Especially since it's your first time biking. You still up for it?"

A newfound determination flashed through Maka's eyes. Soul noticed and chuckled.

"Alright. But if your calves are killing you after this, don't blame me."

"You're the one who got me on the damn machine. I think I can handle it."

"Oho? Did Miss Witch just swear?"

"Start pedaling or I'm going to make you bike alone!"

Soul muttered something under his breath before looking forward and taking a deep breath. It took a moment for him to get the propeller to spin. It made a loud whirring noise.

"Kick off!" he shouted, voice strained.

Maka did. They began heading down the driveway, the wind coming off the propeller stirring up the leaves and dust. Maka began to pedal too. They picked up a bit of speed once she joined, but it was slow going. A man walking up the hill saw them and began to laugh. Maka was about to say something to him when the bike suddenly shot down the slope and careened into the road. Thankfully there weren't any cars.

Maka couldn't help it. She let out a breathless laugh as her heart began to lower from her throat.

The two pedaled hard, the momentum from the downhill causing their pace to be much fast than before. Within a minute of riding along the highway Maka was sweating and panting. Soul suddenly shouted something back to her.

"Lean on the turns!"

"What?"

"The turn. We need to lean. I'll keep pedaling, so you lean. Just tilt your whole body off the bike!"

The first curve was fast approaching. Maka hooked her feet up by the seat as if she were riding a broom and leaned. The road was only an arm's length away from skinning her face. Somehow she wasn't afraid. The rush of adrenaline made Maka's heart pound as they made the turn. She sat up and found Soul's rhythm again. It was steady and strong, much like his soul's wavelength.

Many people passed them in their cars, slowing down to give them varying looks of encouragement and shock. A car full of college students honked, many young adults cheering them on. Soul somehow had enough energy to wave to all of them, smiling. Maka tried, but she knew she probably looked like a splotchy sweaty mess.

Biking was exhausting. Maka was already out of breath and they'd barely gone a kilometer. Soul, on the other hand, was obviously in his element. He kept glancing back at Maka with words of breathless encouragement. Sweat was pooling at the back of his neck and soaking through his t-shirt.

The next two turns came easily. Soul was right. Riding a bike wasn't too hard. But Maka's could feel her stamina depleting faster than she wanted to admit. She opened her mouth to tell Soul, but he was pointing to his left.

"Maka, look!" he gasped. "Isn't the view here fantastic?"

Maka turned to her left as she kept pedaling. Her eyes opened wide. It was the ocean, a flat expanse of sky blue and frothy white. It looked almost like the sky was continuing to bleed into the ocean to make one large picture. Maka could see the edge of the city and the pier fanning out from the sandy shore. Seagulls were flying nearby with their cacophonous screeching. The smell of the ocean and the crash of the waves drowned out the passing cars. Everything about it felt so freeing.

Maka felt warmth flood through her, completely extinguishing her exhaustion. Her blood rang through her ears. She was hyperaware of each breath she took. Everything felt feather-light, as if her soul had grown a pair of wings. She embraced the feeling with a smile.

And then the bike left the ground.

It didn't go very high, but it was still a good meter above the asphalt. Maka heard Soul gasp above his panting. Their legs, which were still pedaling, were beginning to slow as the amount of effort needed to push the bike lessened.

"We're flying!" Soul exclaimed. "What the heck?"

A semi truck was coming towards them. Soul and Maka leaned to the right to avoid it when car tried to pass the semi. It was heading directly towards them!

Maka didn't even think, she reacted. She leaned hard to the edge of the highway on the left and forced the bike over the guardrail. It flew for a few more desperate pedals until the propeller couldn't take the strain anymore and snapped off.

Soul screamed as they fell and hit the grassy hill hard. Maka grit her teeth hard and hit the brakes. So did Soul. The bike screeched in protest, going to fast to stop. The two teens were flung off with a shout as the bike flipped and went crashing. Maka rolled several times down the hill until she came to a stop. She sat up, groaning. There were definitely going to be bruises on her rear and back from the fall, not to mention she was dizzy beyond relief.

Maka forced the dizziness down as she looked around for Soul. He was lying a few meters away, groaning. At least he was alive. She crawled over to him.

"Soul? Are you okay?"

"Ow…" He rolled over to look up at her. "Well I don't think anything's broken so I guess we're just peachy."

"Oh shut up," Maka said, flopping down next to him. "We were only a bit off the ground. That distance shouldn't do any damage unless you're a baby."

"Right, just a short fall…from the sky? Flying?" Soul turned over to Maka, breathless. "W-we flew… Maka, we flew!"

"We did… Oh my god Soul, we flew. We were flying!"

She jumped up, joy evident on her face. Soul was on his feet too. The two whooped and cheered, Soul picking Maka up by the middle and spinning her around until they collapsed on the ground once again dizzy, and giggling like kindergarteners.

They lay there in companionable silence for several moments. Then Soul sat up with fear in his eyes.

"Oh shit, the bike! Black*Star'll kill me if he finds out I busted it! Hold up."

Maka sat up and watched as Soul ran—it was more like a hobble thanks to his bruised tailbone—to where the bicycle was lying. The front wheel was bent at a funny angle and one of the propeller pieces was nowhere to be found, but it had held surprisingly well taking the beating it'd gone through.

Soul wheeled the poor bike to where Maka was.

"I can fix this, probably."

"Worry about that later," Maka said. "We should probably rest. I'm sore."

"Can't blame me now, can you?"

She sighed and closed her eyes. "Well, you did warn me. So I guess not."

She heard Soul lay down beside her after a moment. The bike fell unceremoniously onto its side, but neither teen could find the will to care too much. A light breeze blew the smell of the ocean across the grass it rustled. Clouds were crossing the sky lazily. A few seagulls passed overhead. In the distance the sounds of traffic from the freeway made it to their ears.

"Hey, Soul?"

"Hm?"

"I've been meaning to ask…" She hesitated.

"Go on. I promise I won't tease you."

"What was that thing you wanted to tell me? While you were still in the hospital, that is."

"Oh, that?" Soul snickered a bit. "It's so stupid now, really, but that was all I could think of when I woke up. I wanted to tell you your ankles weren't as fat as I thought they were. Though your tits are still pretty small."

"Are you serious?"

"Would I lie about something like that?"

She punched him in the shoulder for that. By the lack of complaining it seemed that Soul felt he deserved it.

After he stopped laughing, Soul added, "Also, I came up with a song. In G, no less. Never thought I'd do that. Guess you're my inspiration."

Maka laughed.

"You sound a lot like Wes right now."

"Yeah… Wait, what?"

"He said something like that. How I inspired his newest work."

Soul muttered something under his breath about his weird brother composing songs about girls he'd just met. Maka just laughed and stared up at the sky. Something about that was relaxing, just to lie there with no responsibilities or guilt weighing her down.

She narrowed her eyes against the sun. Her vision reflexively fell into the one she used to see wavelengths. Maka was surprised to find if felt more clear than before. She sneaked a glance over to Soul and gasped.

His soul was clear, clearer than it'd ever been to her before. It was blue, round (just like Kid had described them). She could sense his easygoing nature in it, that he was about as sore and tired as her but didn't want to admit it, and the steady calm that was permeating through him.

Soul turned to look at her. "Is there something on my face?"

Maka blinked, vision returning to normal. She just shook her head and looked up at the clouds again.

"I was just thinking I might be able to fly again."

Soul turned over to where Maka was lying. She was still staring straight up at the sky, a small smile on her face. The setting sun made her golden hair shine like a halo. Her eyes were glowing in a way Soul had never seen before. He wasn't sure what it meant, but it was nice.

Soul smiled. Screw his parents, he'd found a good friend. "Wouldn't that be nice? Next time make sure we don't crash."

Next time.

Maka was grinning from ear to ear, nodding. Next time. There would be a next time.

It was around when the sun was beginning to set and the bell tower rung seven when they finally left the beach. It took almost two hours of walking along the highway while pushing the broken bike before the pair made it back to the cottage. Sid and Mira were both relieved the kids came back alright, while Black*Star was more upset than anything that he missed out on flying.

"I doubt Maka would've been able to get this thing off the ground if you were leading!" Soul had insisted, which only caused more whining.

"Once I'm out of this cast I'll show you what to do!" he challenged.

Soul grinned. "Oh, you're on!"

The boys were about to scuffle when Nygus walked in, hands on her hips and a scowl on her face. They immediately apologized and sat down on the couch without further incident.

Maka ended up staying for a late dinner of soup and vegetable pie while Sid called Dr. Stein to let him know the witch was safe with them. Dinner was followed by the three of them laughing over a collection of ridiculous comics until Black*Star passed out on his bed. Maka yawned and stretched. Since when was it so late?

Soul grinned. He stood and offered her a hand. "C'mon, it's late and you need to get to bed."

Maka took his hand and followed him downstairs.

Sid was sitting in one of the armchairs in the living room. He looked up from his book as two of them were walking out, hand-in-hand.

"Maka, would you like a ride home?"

"It's alright Sid," Soul said before Maka could open her mouth. "I'll walk her there. It's not too far."

He nodded. "Be safe. And Maka, feel free to come by more often. It's refreshing to see someone who can keep these two boys in line."

Maka covered a giggle as Soul groaned. "I will. Thank you, Sid."

Maka and Soul walked back to the bakery in silence. The streetlamps were already lit, giving them a golden glow to follow. The streets were almost entirely deserted.

"Well, school starts in a week," Soul said, "so I'm probably going to be very busy. Sorry."

Maka shook her head. "It's fine. I should probably try again. Repairing my mama's old broom, I mean. I have a feeling it'll go well this time."

"You sure?"

"Yes." Maka placed a hand over her chest. "It just feels right. Right here."

Soul didn't quite understand, but he had a feeling he was getting close. He smiled.

"Next time you're off the ground I expect a ride."

There it was again. Those two words:

Next time.

They bid each other a final goodnight before Soul began to walk back to Black*Star's home. Maka let herself in through the back door. Both Marie and Stein were still up when Maka came in. They were sitting in their chairs reading books. Miss Marie waved when Maka entered.

"You're home late. Crona wanted to stay up and wait for you, but they fell asleep."

"I'm sorry. It was a very busy day."

Miss Marie was obviously worried if she had done the right thing or not. Maka gave her a reassuring smile.

"It was good to see Soul again. I'm glad I went. Thank you."

Some of the tension left Marie. Dr. Stein gave her a knowing smile before going back to his book. Miss Marie put her book down.

"You must be hungry Maka. Let me get you something to eat."

Miss Marie went to stand, but both Maka and Dr. Stein made her sit.

"The baby is due any day now," the doctor scolded. "You need to rest."

"A baby's not going to kill me, dear."

"I'm fine, Miss Marie. Nygus made me dinner." Maka smiled, but it was broken by a yawn. "I'm going to go to bed now. I'll see you both in the morning. Goodnight Miss Marie, Dr. Stein."

"Goodnight Maka."

Maka headed up to her room to find Blair waiting on the table by her empty plate. She gave Maka a slightly disgruntled look. The witch laughed and apologized.

"Hey Blair. Sorry I'm late. Let me get you something to eat."

Maka quickly got some meat out of the fridge (thank goodness it was still fresh!) and heated it up in a pan. Blair waited patiently at the end of the table. Once the food was about room temperature Maka poured it onto a plate and set it out. She got ready for bed as Blair ate. Once they were both comfortably in bed Maka spoke.

"I rode a bike for the first time today."

Blair sniffed her a bit and flinched back. She gave Maka a scathing look.

"Oh shush! I don't smell that bad. It's just some sweat. Besides, I'll take a shower in the morning. I'm too tired now. Anyway, I saw Soul again. He wasn't mad at all, just like everyone's been telling me. He really wanted to see me. I guess I was being silly.

"He showed me how to ride this strange bike he built with Black*Star. I'm so sore from pedaling. No wonder they have all that energy all the time. You need a lot for biking. And then the strangest thing happened. We were riding on the road, and we flew! It was only for a few seconds though. And then I saw Soul's soul clearer than ever." Maka smiled as she stroked a purring Blair. "I think my magic may come back soon. I just got a glimpse of it today. And I'm happy."

"Did Maka have fun?"

"I did."

Then Maka realized what had happened. Blair had spoken to her!

"Blair?"

Maka rolled over to stare at her familiar, but Blair had already curled up and fallen asleep. But if Blair had spoken, then it meant her magic was coming back, right?

Well, she wouldn't have an answer until morning.

Maka rolled onto her back and stared at the ceiling. For the first time in almost a month she felt a familiar emotion flutter through her chest. One that she'd always had from a young age but somehow lost while in Dödenstad. And one she was finding again.

Hope.

Final chapter: The next chapter is a short epilogue. We'll return to Litenby to where Spirit is.