"We should move on." Kid decided after a long pause from hearing the news about the extinguished fire. "We are in a completely unsecure area; true there are not many rotters here, but who's to say there won't be in the future?" He said, meeting everyone's eyes, feeling his cheeks heat slightly once he got to Maka's. "I don't feel safe here. We are completely exposed…" Everyone was silent, he was losing them. He knew they wanted to stay, he knew they were tired of constant change and they felt safe there because it had been safe before; but if that fire they found wasn't a wake up call, then he didn't know what was. True, he didn't know the story behind it, but it was impossible to ignore the possibility that they were attacked. He could picture the scene of what happened now, only he involuntarily replaced the face with that of a loved one. He watched as Maka sat there, alone, looking into the fire before a large, infected male crept behind her, tearing into her flesh, though she got away, leaving her fire unattended; her escape only being in vain because she had been bitten, and there was no way around it…
"I agree." The very girl that infiltrated his thoughts brought Kid back from his daydream. This seemed to happen a lot. "This place is completely open. We need a more stable, secure place." Kid smiled widely, he knew she didn't really want to leave, but he was more than thankful she was there to back him up. Liz, Patty and Robin looked at each other skeptically. "What if we were swarmed? Say these things travel in herds; like they were at the grocery store. What if a crowd of them, more than we could fight off, just came rushing through here for no reason? They'd be coming at us from all angles." Maka continued, though Kid could tell she was talking herself into moving as well. Hopefully the others couldn't read the blond as well as he could himself. "We need a stable home." She emphasized the last word, seeing she had them thinking. She smirked inwardly and knew she had their attention. "Over the weeks that we've been out here, it has done nothing but get colder and colder everyday. Wouldn't you all like to find some abandon house, maybe not too close to a city for it to be swarmed with rotters, but close enough to make supply runs? Of course we can't replace the life we used to have, but I believe we could have a better living than this." She gestured to her surroundings and watched as Liz nodded to herself thoughtfully. "Wouldn't it be nice to sleep in a bed again? Or even a couch? Something other than the ground outside?" She knew by the look on their face that she had them hooked.
After a long while, Liz finally spoke. "I see what you're saying… You have my vote." Said Liz, letting out a sigh. Staz, Patty and Robin nodded in skeptical agreement.
Kid smiled, completely gushing on the inside at the fact Maka had stood up for him with no hesitation. "So it's agreed?" He waited for them all to nod. "We pack up tomorrow and leave in the morning."
After their small meeting, Staz, Maka and even Kid busied themselves with preparing their freshly caught meals as Robin, Liz and Patty went down to the stream to do other necessary tasks such as washing clothes, gathering water and prepping for a day of travel.
"Thanks for that." Kid said as he gutted a catfish Staz had caught, trying to ignore the asymmetrical innards of the whiskered fish.
"Hmm?" Maka looked up from her rabbit and over at the reaper. "I just agreed with you, there's nothing to thank me about." She smiled, though he could easily see through it.
Kid smirked knowingly. "I now know too much about you for you to lie. I wouldn't even try." He joked.
She let out a laugh of defeat. "Yeah… I know. But you do have a good point. Condition and safety wise, it would be in all of our best interests to move away from this place. It's literally like a ticking time bomb… At the same time, I feel exactly how the others feel. Moving further away means moving further from Death City… From home. It's like letting go of a loved one who has passed away; extremely hard to do, but essential to move on." She watched Kid as she spoke, still slightly in awe over his captivating glowing gold eyes, though she felt she was successful in hiding it.
Kid nodded. Of course he felt this too, if there was any way they could stay in Death City safely, he would more than gladly do it, but he also had a feeling Maka had other reasons for staying too. Death City was the last place Soul was spotted alive, and if against all odds he was still alive, the group had a better chance of running into him the closer they stayed to the city. Kid completely understood her internal argument, Soul was her partner, but something about it seemed to tear at his insides. Either way, it seemed Maka was ready to let go. Kid smiled at the girl either way and repeated his appreciation. "Thanks."
Maka returned his smile warmly. "You're welcome."
Packing the next morning was slightly hectic, but not for reasons of the undead. Thief had wandered off somewhere in the night and Robin insisted on finding him before they left which took well over an hour and a half out of their morning. Otherwise, the travel was fairly non-eventful just as Kid and Maka's had been. They decided to set off towards the cave, seeing as it was a decent resting spot for the night and for the simple fact that it was fairly easy to guard; one way in, one way out, no secret passage ways or chinks in the walls. The group arrived well past sun down; Liz had insisted on several breaks in between travel claimed they all needed rest and finally Kid suggested Patty carry her in weapon form, earning oohs and aahs from Robin as the slender girl transformed into a deadly M9 pistol.
"I'll go get wood for a fire." Maka announced, watching as the rest of her friends busied themselves with other tasks around the cave. The weather, though they were slowly getting used to outdoor living, refused to let up; it had done nothing but get increasingly colder as the days went on and tonight was no different. It was no question if they needed a fire or not.
Kid looked up as she spoke, torn between accompanying her or finishing his task at hand which was reassembling their water filtration system, a daunting task he felt safest leaving to himself seeing as hydration was extremely high on the priorities list and one layer forgotten could mean polluted water. He really hated the idea of her going alone but wouldn't dare voice that thought out loud, he didn't want to start any unnecessary tiffs with the scythe meister. It was true that what he was doing at the moment was mandatory and if he were to go with Maka it could be a detrimental setback, but he was concerned for her safety. The reaper shook his head internally, No, you're just wanting to be around her; you're letting your emotions interfere with the well-being of the group again… Having this internal quarrel with himself in a matter of split seconds, he slowly nodded his head ok and she flashed him a bright smile that sped his heart rate before she turned to retrieve her machete and bounded off towards the unfamiliar woods.
"Stay close…" Kid called after her, though whether she heard or not, he was unsure.
Maka smiled at the decent pile of lumber, satisfied with the collection she had gathered in such a short amount of time. She sighed as she took in a deep breath of the night air. She missed simple things such as stargazing, though she figured she'd probably have a better chance stargazing now that she was away from city lights and distractions. She did gather the wood quicker than expected… Maybe a few minutes wouldn't hurt… And they had been walking all day, a rest wouldn't hurt… Smiling to herself, she laid down under a break in the trees and gazed up at the stars. It was quite beautiful, really; clusters of stars shone brightly, the sky framed by red and orange leaved trees. She liked to believe looking at the night sky could make even the worst of days seem better. It was almost like a window to an entire new world. Maka wasn't one to rant and rave over the existence of aliens, but looking at the immensity of space made her wonder what was truly out there. There was so many places unexplored, so many questions unanswered, it seemed almost foolish to believe there isn't something else out there…
Maka gasped as a rough hand pulled her up by her hair and clasped another large grimy hand over her mouth; she froze, her battle ready mind already thinking through her situation. Rancid breath spewed over her neck as a dark chuckle emitted from beside her. "We've been watching you and your friends for quite awhile, miss."
Sort of dull for the most part, but were getting around to the good stuff, I promise! I'm getting over that little bit of writers block I had, so maybe things will flow a bit smoother from here on out.
Also, if you're into one-shots, I've started a collection of KiMa one shots based on common fairy tales called Soul Eater: A Collection of Tales. If you guys wanna check that out as well ^^
Replies~!
RosesInTheShade- Thank you! I hope, despite some of the slower chapters, this fic ultimately keeps you guys on your toes! And as for Tsubaki, Soul and Blackstar… Well… Can't say much about them yet.
SecretFantacs- I would totally let you hid in my bag XD I'm bringing my Beelzebub skateboard so I could just set my bag on that and roll it so I don't have to worry about carrying you XD
Mikaela- Yes! There does have to be that ONE person (and I'm generally that one XD). And oooh, good theory! Sorry about all the questions, unfortunately they won't get answered till later, but I promise, they will get answered!
Checkered Brooke- I didn't make you guys wait too long this time :)
Shell-kun- Heck yes! Black butler reference! But why you cry? I didn't mean to make you cry! D: But thank you for such the nice words! (Or should I thank Sebastian?) It means a lot to me that I have inspired someone :D Uhh oh… Sebastian go hide! Grell is coming o.o (Oh, and I'm a she if you were wondering ^^ )
Juvieyumi2500- Hmm, nice guess! But I don't think so… And I actually got the idea when I was at a drive in watching World War Z. I know it's nothing similar to the plot other than zombies, but I had KiMa on the brain and started brainstorming. Hardly even paid attention to the movie XD