Okay so I wanted to post all this at once - but guess what, it's really fucking late and I need to go to bed. With this we're officially halfway through the fic, not counting the epilogue.
As such, the rest comes tomorrow.
Until then, enjoy!
They fall in a graceless heap, the thick fluid pouring over them in one heavy wave before it trickles out. The ceiling is all stone when they look up to check - no sight of their way in, just like when they had entered the place.
"There should be another trap," Maka says, wincing as she pulled herself up. "These things always come in sets of three."
But her partner is already looking ahead, looking as pale as when he had become when his soul had nearly been stolen. "Not if the prize is the danger in itself."
She turns, not daring to believe her own eyes.
"It's a phoenix," Maka whispers, eyes wide. "Soul, it's an actual, real-life phoenix."
"Yeah," he gulps. "I kind of got that."
"It's not supposed to exist," she hisses, gripping his hand so tightly he can feel his blood flow being cut off. "It's a mythological creature- it's not supposed to exist."
"Try telling it that." Soul holds on to her hand as well, unwilling to let go of it in face of such an odd situation, especially when the danger level had yet to be determined. That, and regardless of whether the weapon protects the meister or not, he finds her presence reassuring. She's a solid pillar of muscle and agility and unrelenting courage; he follows the siren call that is her soul as their ever-present low level Resonance fires back up into something brighter.
"Let's get the fuck out of here," Maka says, her tone of voice subdued as her eyes stay fixed on the creature. "Let's get the fuck out of here before it senses us."
Slowly, silently, they head back for the entrance, their wary eyes not moving from the foul-smelling beast in fear. Then, hearts pounding, they watch with dread as loose earth slides around their feet, making the smallest of noises - but it's enough. From the nest, one dark, beady eye, roughly the size of a newborn child, peeks open.
It's too late.
The blood drains from their faces as the gigantic bird opens its serrated beak and screeches to the heavens - it's a piercing, shrill sound that makes them drop each other's hands in order to protect their eardrums. The sound makes their very bones rattle; it's the sound of a thousand souls collapsing into the dust; it's horror and pain and cruelty and the desire to watch the world burn. Even as the blood both boils and freezes in their bodies and their skulls threaten to crack under the immense pressure that the phoenix's scream creates inside the cave, there is one thing that they're sure of - the tales of the good, healing phoenixes are absolute fucking lies.
It seems like years come and pass before the abominable screech ends. By the time it dies down, echoes still reverberate through the cave; neither weapon nor meister can stand. They've slowly sunk into half-crouched, half-collapsed positions on the dusty ground - it takes a long time to regain their breathing, to make sure that both their own and each other's hearts are still beating a steady rhythm even as their souls pulsate wildly.
Humans, a snarling, searing voice seems to say directly into their minds, and they flinch from the sudden psychic onslaught. Flesh. Meat. Food.
It only takes a glance at his meister's face for Soul to realize that Maka is absolutely terrified - and so is he. This monstrous beast, this gargantuan bird smelling of rotten flesh and ashes and suffering, this thing - it's on the kind of level they could never hope to reach. This is a forgotten god that rains fire down onto humanity; maybe even the old Shinigami himself wouldn't have been able to deal with it.
And maybe, Soul realises with dread, that's why the entrance had been locked down, and why information about it had been so difficult to find. And maybe, quite probably, they have just massively fucked up. Maka's soul thrums with the same realization, and he reaches for her hand again, only to already find it halfway extended towards him. Are they going to fight? Probably, even if they end up dead before striking the first blow. But his meister is nothing if not hard-headed and justice-driven, so they'll at least try. Besides, it isn't like they can make it to the door if the beast decides to hunt them down, and Soul decides then that they probably hadn't planned this expedition very well at all.
The creature clicks and hisses, rising along with the steam that escapes its feathers. Humans, humans.
Maka nods to him, and he knows this. It's familiar, the feeling of her hand in his as his body of flesh and bone is replaced by metal, shrinking and growing and reshaping to take on his scythe form. They've grown together, becoming more powerful, more experienced, but he fears that this is the end.
Flesh, its voice gurgles. Why are you here?
He can feel Maka containing her surprise at the creature's show of intelligence. Even kishins had some vestiges of the time they had been human, such as some form of speech, but more often than not their vocabulary was limited to a few keywords, most of them unable to form coherent and conversational sentences.
"We mean no harm," Maka whispers, grasping the shaft of her weapon more firmly. Then, louder. "We didn't mean to intrude."
Its talons are as black as coal, dirty and crusted with something of a colour between brown and red - Soul has a feeling that it's blood. They look like they could tear him apart as easily as one rips apart a piece of wet paper; it'd be quick, clean, and deadly. The phoenix balances itself on its deadly appendages, wings still folded on its back - with the size of their owner, Soul is pretty sure that they would be larger than the cave itself.
Humans, it growls out. Flesh. Food. Why are you here?
Soul looks at his meister, unsure if the creature truly is like the kishins they normally fight, and if so, if it would be worth it to try and explain themselves to it. "We came in search of something," she begins, because at least trying wouldn't hurt. "We weren't trying to get in here, it was an accident."
Lies, of course. But he figures that telling the beast that they had been looking for it probably wouldn't be the best choice.
Food. Flesh. Bone. Fire.
Well, at least it appeared to know a few more words, though the only reaction it had to Maka's explanation was the rising of the cave's temperature.
"Try sucking up to it," he hisses at her through Resonance. "This is getting us nowhere."
She mentally acquiesces. "Oh, mighty Phoenix," she starts, and Soul would be snickering at her if their lives weren't at stake. "We apologize for disturbing you. We were foolish for trying to explore your realm, though we did not know at the time that it belonged to you, powerful one."
It appears to be slightly appeased, if the lowering of the columns of steam rising from its body are of any indication. Maka continues. Soul wonders if she's going to add a courteous bow anytime soon.
"Magnificent one, we wonder if there's anything we can do to compensate you for trespassing and waking you from your peaceful slumber." Apart from being eaten, she mentally adds.
The creature seems to let out its equivalent of a human's snicker, the glinting depths of its black eyes burning with some sort of sadistic glee. Humans. Flesh. Offering.
"Yes, an offering," Maka breathes out. "We cannot bring you any humans, great one, for there aren't any in the vicinity." More lies. "But we can find something else."
The phoenix leaves its perch on the twisted nest, seemingly slithering in their direction. The tail feathers are beautiful, made from fire and all its colours, flickering amusedly in the low rune light. Flesh, it rumbles. Offering. Soul. Souls. Bodies. Give me. Give me. GIVE ME.
It lets out another screech, far weaker than the first one, but still enough to bring them to their knees. Then, a piercing sensation invades Soul's mind, easily sneaking by the straining Resonance.
She can't hear us, the voice whispers maliciously. You want to save your mate, don't you? The pretty human with the grass eyes and the straw hair.
Yes, Soul irritatedly thinks, because fuck, this is his mind, painful and itchy and smoky as it is, and the only person allowed in there is his meister. Don't ask stupid questions.
An inhuman snicker sounds out. You want to protect her.
Countless flashes of moments between Soul and his meister flash before his eyelids, forced to the surface by the beast. There he is, catching her mid-fall and rolling over so that it's him hitting the cold pavement below instead of her; there she is, wounded and grinning that insufferably hopeful smile as he supports her; there he is, throwing himself in front of Crona's incoming blow, knowing that he'd most likely die, but more than ready to lay down his life if it meant that his meister would come out of it alive.
She's your lady love, the voice teases cruelly. If you looked at her anymore, you'd swallow her with your eyes. You want to keep her safe, don't you?
I've already told you not to ask stupid questions, Soul snarks back, and another screech from the phoenix assaults their eardrums. He wonders how they haven't burst yet.
What are you willing to do to keep her safe, then? The voice penetrates his mind, dulls his senses, until everything gyrates around it and the memories of his meister.
Everything.
Good, it says, and Soul can almost hear it smirk. Because I'd hate to give up on such a tasty morsel unless I got something good in return. Do we have a deal?
Through the crippling pain, Soul manages to open his watering eyes the slightest bit, just enough to watch as his meister opens her mouth in a silent scream, her convulsing silhouette nearly a mere shadow in his sight; it's enough to make up his mind.
He's snarling, his head hurts, and the Resonance is nearly non-existent by now, but he can't bring himself to care anymore. You can't hurt her. You can't kill her. If you do any of that, the deal's off. What do you want?
Nothing much, it says gleefully, and Soul knows that he probably fucked up. Just, let's see... You.
What-, is all he has time to say, before his body burns down to ashes.
His world becomes darkness.
Maka is pretty sure that something is wrong - not that the colossal, man-eating bird made of fire and coal and cruelty hadn't made her danger senses tingle, but still. It's far too silent in her head, her body, in the space around her. Something is missing, and she isn't sure what until she opens her eyes.
Soul is gone. So is the aforementioned colossal, man-eating bird made of fire and coal and cruelty, but that's a collateral that gets relayed into a secondary worry, because her partner isn't there.
Only, he is.
Even though she is sitting on the rocky floor, she manages to jump as a warm, nearly burning hand settles down on her shoulder. She is quick to turn around and get into a fighting stance, though her muscles feel as sore as they had been after the battle with Asura.
Her mouth falls open as she gasps. "Soul?!"
His smirk is a little too wide and his eyes are a bit too open, but when he says her name it's with the same smouldering voice as ever, and she feels herself relax the tiniest bit.
"Maka," he says, and everything is alright. "Let's get out of here."
He drags her towards the exit, hand curled painfully tight around her wrist, and she can't help but feel uneasy. "What about the phoenix?"
"It'll be fine," he dismisses, jerking her alongside him. "Phoenixes have a thing for bursting into flames, right? That's probably what happened."
"Hey, you're hurting me," she complains, prying his hand away from her wrist. It throbs, the skin red, and she glares at him.
"Sorry," he says, bringing back his own hand to shove back into his pocket. "I just think we'd better get out of here before it comes back."
Her glare softens a bit. "You're probably right," she says, crossing her arms over the chest. "Let's go."
She feels cold; maybe it's from the difference in temperature now that the flaming bird is gone, or maybe it's because her soul feels a little emptier than before, but he is right.
They need to leave this place.