When Soul pulled Maka out of the hatch she noticed that the sky was completely black, no stars decorating the night the only light was that from the few lanterns scattered and the moon; the moon intrigued her the most though, the golden crescent grinned down at the City from the sky, yeah grinned as in has eyes and a mouth… and was dripping blood. Soul smirked and looked up "it's pretty creepy hey?"
Maka nodded"it's different to my moon" he looks at her and smiled, not one of his sarcastic smirks or smug grins but a real genuine smile. Then at the sound of the metal scraping on metal it was replaced with a look terror.
"Soul? What-" she looked around trying to find the noise but he grabbed her hand, pulling her to her feet before proceeding to pull/drag her up one of the pathways opposite to where the noise came from. Soon enough Maka found her feet and was Running alongside him.
"Soul" she panted "I don't understand why are we running?" she asked as they made a left turn. He huffed barely turning to her
"You now when asked if I was a Kishen?" she nodded along with a "yeah". He laughed slightly hysterically "Well we are being chased by a pre-Kishen." Oh this feeling of Dread and terror was all her own "Not as powerful, but it still will kill us." Maka nodded before Soul stopped and she swallowed, maintenance needed to fix this dead end problem they had. Ha, she thought killed because of a dead end.
Soul turned and pulled her along "Shit, come on" the pair run back the way they came from, but were blocked off when the monster stuck it's his head into the intersection, sniffing. If you've seen any horror movie you would know the feeling of fear as the killer is so close to the to-be victims and then as the music gets louder, and screecher and tenser the suddenly look right at the person lick with the scary head snap. Well that what just happened. Maka quelled the scream bubbling up as it stared at them and started to turn. Maka froze; her blood ran cold in her veins.
The pre-Kishen took up most of the outdoor corridor; it was hunched over, almost vertical as it stalked towards the pair of teenagers. Its fingers were long blades that connected to large metal wings that jerked about with every flick of its deadly 'fingers'. Soul was stepping back and started dragging Maka with him. Maka looked at Soul in terror "can't you say you work for Kid, maybe he'll go" she whimpered and Soul shook his head. "They don't work for Kid, the labyrinth was made to keep them in, and they're uncontrollable" for the first time she saw Soul be completely and utterly serious, which is understandable as we are facing our death. The pre-kishin came closer a pointed tongue darted out of its mouth, licking its lips as it advanced. Maka felt the dead end hit her back and her eyes watered, she didn't fight it this time, she was going to die whether she cried or not. Soul's hand squeezed Maka's "don't look" he whispered to her with that his hand unwrapped from Maka's, despite her clinging onto it. She hunched over, cringing.
The scraping sound of metal scraping on metal raised Goosebumps on Maka's arm. That or it was the fear of death, funny I accepted falling to my death not 2 hours ago now I'm about to get killed by a monster. She leaned closer into the wall "keep your eyes closed Maka" Soul huffed.
Maka whimpered turning into the wall "I swear to god Soul, if you don't tell me what is going on I will Maka-Chop the hell out of you" she yells
"Sorry to break it to you Pigtails, but you can't do that if you're dead." he laughed despite the whole we're going to die thing
The scrapes of metal against metal grew faster and louder until an inhuman shriek filled the still night air and then it's gone. I open my eyes to find Soul panting in front of a red glowing orb. Focused on the orb he gave a self-satisfied smirk before he reached out and grabbed. He stood up and leaned his head back before dropping the orb in his mouth and swallowing. Maka stared in horror, watching what he did; Soul had killed and ate that thing's soul like the pre-kishens. He turned back and narrowed his eyes "Honestly woman can't you do one thing a person asks, I told you not to watch" he groaned exasperated.
She looked down, shell shocked. Both because somehow she was still alive and also, oh yeah Soul eats souls. Ha, Soul Eater. She shook her head "the book said... I thought only". She heard Soul groan if frustration
"Yes, I eat souls I know very ironic, well I thought it was funny when I chose it" he chuckles she looks up disgusted
"I don't understand, Soul! I thought that you weren't a Kishen or pre-Kishen."
He rolls his eyes "I'm not, never said I was did I? Come on we need to find some where to rest it not safe at night" he nods for her to follow but Maka stayed still staring at him.
Soul groaned throwing his head back. "Come on Maka I'm not some monster. I wouldn't hurt you" it's either stay here or go with him, she told herself and walked forward.
They walked back to the exit of the tunnels and head up another direction. Maka and Soul don't hold hands this time, there was no need; Soul walked slightly ahead of her slouched but on guard. The way was lit with the occasional lantern; the damp stonewalls started to become covered by moss and vines. Before long the path opened up to a grass covered opening "how does it go from dead lifeless stone to this" Maka asked and Soul shrugged.
"I dunno but the living exiles have made homes in the labyrinth, to be honest this is the first time I've been actually in here before" he said walking toward a group of trees with Maka following behind.
Maka sat at the trunk of one of the trees, opposite to her sat Soul leaned forward staring at her; "how much do you know about Death City?"
She sighed and she groped at her pockets before pulling out the book "only what I've read in this, and what Marcus told me." She handed the book over and he flipped though it; "and this Marcus is?" he asked his red eyes looking over the book
"A friend." She said
"and what was this all telling information he told you?" she shrugged "only about Lord Death and Kid taking over."
He looked up frowning "do you about what the Academy was?" Maka shook her head, that hadn't come up
"No, only that it fought the pre-kishens."
Soul bobbed his head "do you know how they did?"
Maka shook her head, it never said in the book and it hadn't come up when talking to Marcus. You know, for someone who's thought about this for years I don't really know anything.
"Okay so the breakdown is that the Academy was called the DWMA; it stands for Death Weapon Meister Academy" Maka stared for a moment before she spoke
"What's a meister?" Soul shook his head putting the book down.
"Shush pigtails I'm getting to it." He grins over at her and continues "a meister is a human that has a strong soul; they have the ability to sense other souls or channel their wavelength though their bodies attacking with it directly." She opened her mouth to talk "No, Maka I said shush. Which brings me to the Weapon, they were created in the twelfth century, they have the ability to turn into a weapon, depending on who they are they have a different form; some call it the blade of the soul. They become stronger with experience and with; like the pre-kishens, souls."
She sat taking in what he just said. "So, when you ate the pre-Kishen's soul."
Soul nodded "yeah, I'm a weapon; we don't eat human souls though, they make us stronger but its and that is what creates the pre-Kishen".
"So you were with the Academy" Soul nods, a mournful look takes over his face "Kid was my one of my best friends, he was crazy but not like this, there were six of us. Kid and his weapons Liz and Patty; and Black*Star" Maka looked amused
"You're friend's name is Black*Star?" she asked incredulously.
He looked at her with a distant look, the haunted one from earlier "Was. His weapon was Tsubaki; she was the nicest thing on earth and was probably the only one who could put up with him, poor day after Lord Deaths passing Kid and Black*Star went on a solo mission and they came across a pure source of madness, it infected the both of them. Star managed to fight it off but Kid was already unstable. He took the loss of his dad pretty hard and the madness just made him worse. When he came back his obsession with perfection became overwhelming and" he looked up at Maka "He watched you nearly every day; it's funny how the time passes differently, a year passes here where only a day has gone in your world, although our aging goes along with yours. You're what seventeen?" he asks.
Maka nods and he chuckles hollowly, "strange. So I and Liz decided to confront Kid about it, he had a soft spot for Liz so I thought he would listen But I was wrong though he attack us and nearly killed Liz. It was my fault. I went to the strongest at the Academy; the Death Scythes, they were the most powerful weapons. The Academy revolted against Kid, hoping to bring him down. But Kid is a reaper so he had an advantage. Those he didn't kill were exiled into here. He still has Liz's sister" he shook his head "the gun is her. Me, I got stuck with the job of manning the entrance, watching people go in but never come out, I try to stop them, but it's inevitably. They go in, they die, and the weight packs onto my shoulders. Just like before."
Maka studies Soul's face, it was like he had turned to stone. The whole situation was worse than I could imagine, and Soul thinking it was his fault. It wasn't right, any of this "it wasn't your fault Soul" she says softly "you were doing what was right, the deaths are on Kid not you. You never did anything wrong." he watches her sadly and just shakes his head turning away to fall asleep. Soon Maka does the same.