Eventide

Chapter IX

Soul and Hiro had to go to the office and they both had been suspended from school for a whole week. I had waited outside of the headmaster's office for Hiro to come out and when he finally did, so did Soul.

He had looked at me with those eyes of his, pleading me to get closer to him and talk to him, to let him explain, but I simply looked the other way. I can't let him keep controlling my feelings and my actions, from now on I'm going to be the one in charge of myself. I can't be manipulated by him ever again.

"So, what do you want to order?" Hiro says, successfully snapping me out of my thoughts.

"Oh." Quickly I scan through the menu. Pasta, fish, meat, there were all kinds of foods to a good price. "I think I will go with the pasta dish."

"That one sounds very good." Hiro's eyes wanders along the pages of the menu. They light up and a smile spread on his face. "I think I will go with the steak."

We sit in an ordinary restaurant on the underground level with walls like the ones in a cave, with touches on the walls and red table clothes. Okay, maybe not ordinary, maybe slightly over the ordinary with a slight touch of fancy in it.

It doesn't take long for the waiter to come and take our orders and return with our drinks a couple of minutes when the waiter had disappeared. I take a sip of my ice-cold tap water while Hiro takes a large gulp of his cola. "There is something I want to talk about." Hiro says while he looks at the dark and cozy cave inspired restaurant.

"Sure, what is it?"

Hiro's eyes wander to mine, he gazes seriously at me. "Soul has told you about Meisters and Kishins, right?"

My eyes widen. This confirms everything, he does know about them. "Yeah, Soul has. He told me about the types of Meisters along with the different Soul Wavelengths. Right now I'm trying to feel my own soul." Why not be completely honest about it now when its confirmed?

Hiro nods interestingly. "Can you tell me exactly what kind of Soul Wavelengths there are?"

I raise my eyebrow. Why does he want me to do that? "There are three types of wavelengths, the fighter, medic and doctor wavelengths. They are―"

"Did he only tell you about them? Nothing about the fourth?" He doesn't look even the slightest surprised.

A fourth? If there was a forth wouldn't Soul have told me? Tsubaki should have told me that at least. "No, what are you talking about a fourth wavelength? What is that one?"

"I'm not surprised he didn't tell you about it." Hiro chuckles and leans back in his chair. "The fourth wavelength is the most powerful and it is really rare among Meisters. Those who have that kind of souls we call Grigori. Grigori Meisters are those who have the strongest purifying wavelength. Their wavelength is so strong it can slow down and even stop the madness from spreading in their bodies. Grigories are the ones the Kishins long for the most since they are the ones that "purifies" their souls the most, when in fact they don't do anything to their own souls."

"Where are you going with this? Why are you telling me this?" I ask.

Hiro smirks, leaning closer to me. "Let me tell you, people who have gotten madness into their body, they aren't able to walk around like you managed. They drop to the ground as quick as it has gotten inside of their bodies and the madness paralyzes their bodies. It would take them an hour before they turn into a Kishin. While you, you went on for hours, you were able to walk around almost like usual and it took hours before you broke down but the madness was far away from taking over your body."

"What are you saying?"

"What I am saying is, I'm not one-hundred percent sure and I bet so is Soul's group, but there is a strong possibility that you are a Grigori Meister."

I? A Grigori Meister? "If I am a Grigori Meister, does that mean I will be able to kill Kishins with my Soul Force?"

Hiro nods. "Absolutely. Grigori Meisters are the strongest fighters. A normal Fight Meister would take near a minute before the Kishin would die, but a Grigori, it only takes a few seconds. Some Grigories are so strong they can kill a Kishin with just a simple touch." Hiro leans toward me and his eyes are tense. "Everyone wants a Grigori Meister in their group. You aren't just in danger for being killed by a Kishin, but from other Meisters as well." Hiro lays his hand over mine. "You are very lucky you have been able to conceal your wavelength so well. It wasn't until I had been hanging around you a lot I felt small sparks of your Grigori soul. I'm still not sure but it has high purifying wavelength."

I blush and I try to look away from Hiro, but his blue eyes as enchanted me. "What will I do? What am I supposed to do?"

Hiro smirks. "What are you going to do? Learn to defend yourself and conceal your wavelength of course. You need to keep your soul a secret from everyone or else people will hunt you down. This might sound scary, but you need to learn how to survive in this world."

My heart beats fast and hard in my throat and it feels like I'm going to pass out. So much information in so little time. "Why me Hiro? Why did I have to get this sort of soul? I just want a normal life."

"I'm sorry Maka, you can't change your soul with some fancy plastic surgery, you are a Grigori and you need protection. Maka, let me help you with your soul wavelength."

Without even thinking, I nod. "Please, I don't want to die. I need to take care of my father."

"I understand and I will help you with it. It is too dangerous to do soul practice in public since you never know if a Meister of a different group is around."

If this is true, why didn't Soul tell me this? Why didn't Tsubaki tell me? There must be a reason for them to keep it a secret, but I thought Soul had finally started to open up to me but that was just pure crap. A large pile of stinky crap a dog newly made.

I run my hand through my hair and the waiter comes with our food, except that I had lost my appetite. Images of other people coming after me and my father filled my mind, how they broke into my home and threatened my father, my drunken father. He may hate me, but he is still my father and I love him. I can't let my father suffer more because of the Kishins. I need to protect him that is my duty for being cursed with this soul, my mother died because of it, now I need to protect my father with everything I got.

"Hiro." I play around with my pasta. "Can we please leave? It is going to get dark soon and I really want to be home now."

"Yeah, sure."

Hiro got me a box which I put my food in it. We got up on the ground level of the restaurant again and as soon as I see the outside, fear paralyses me.

"This isn't supposed to happen." I say and quickly look at my watch. "It is still an hour left before sunset! So how can it already be dark?"

The outside is already dark. The moon is already out and the sky is a dark blue, not even a slightest sign that the sun has just gone out. Outside of the restaurant I hear the sound of the claws of my Kishin drag against the hard concrete. It doesn't take long until I see the massive body of the Kishin come into view, leaving a trail of saliva behind.

"Oh no." fear grows in my body and I take a step backwards. "Will it be able to get inside?"

The people eating on the ground level give me weird looks but I don't pay any attention to them. My eyes are lock at the Kishin licking its lips and his claws clatter in excitement. "Don't worry. He won't be able to get inside." Hiro puts his hand on my back comfortingly. "The restaurant is going to close in two hours then we will be forced to leave the restaurant. We will have to leave the building at one point and that Kishin won't leave until the sun comes out or till we come out."

This isn't good at all. I'm going to have to leave, and when we do, it will kill me. It is far too fast and now when it has gotten a taste of the main course Maka Albarn, he will be driven to get me once and for all. My father's apartment is too far away for me to run to unharmed and we both came here by foot so there won't be a vehicle.

This is the end.

Tears prickle my eyes. "What are we going to do? It won't leave, it will kill us."

Hiro's arm crawls around my waist and pulls me close to him. "Don't worry about it." Hiro grabs my hand with his free hand and puts it on his hip. Something hard shapes his pocket. "I'm always armed. There is a fast food restaurant that is pretty close to here and it is open until sunrise. I will keep the Kishin busy while you run. You don't look back, you just run. Don't worry about me, I promise you I will catch up with you."

"What if―"

"No, don't think about me. You will run. You can't fight it. You will only be a burden if you stay. You will run, understand?" Hiro says roughly, his nails digging into my waist.

I gap. It is true. I can't do anything. I don't know how to fight or handle a weapon. I don't even know if I would be able to stab the Kishin, it is alive and I have never hurt anything, not even stingers when I have been stung. How will I be able to kill something like that?

I sniffle and I feel tears trickle down my cheeks. "I― I understand." My heart beats in my chest so hard it feels like it is going to pop out and walk away. "I'm scared." My whole body trembles like a vibrator. My kneecaps are nonexistent and if I were to take a step forward, I would fall down to the ground and turn into a mush of fear.

Hiro's grip on me tightens. "I understand, believe me, I do. Even if you are scared, you need to get a grip over it or else the fear will paralyze you and you will end up dead. It is scary but you can't let yourself die because of your own fear. Claim your right to live by getting control over your fear. Start by closing your eyes and taking deep breaths."

My eyes slowly shut and I take long and shaky breaths. I hear the Kishin growl and the claws clatter hungrily. I need to ignore it and focus on my own breathing, focus on something else that doesn't revolve around the Kishin.

For every breath I take, the sound of the Kishin reduces and the sound of my heart's powerful beats echo in my ears. The sound of oxygen filling my lungs to the strong and steady heartbeat that pumps out the blood. My eyes almost widen when I feel an unfamiliar wave. My heart beats hard at my sudden shock and there it is again, another wave. My heart beats again and another wave comes, I know what this is. This is my soul. It feels so unlike my heartbeat, while I feel my heart beat, my soul is like a gentle wave hitting my skin. Is this what Soul wanted me to find?

"Maka." Hiro snaps me out and the waves of my own soul stops caress my skin. "We are going to head out. Remember, run, don't look back."

I nod slowly. "Right." I'm ready.

The dinning guests in the restaurant look even weirder at me. They must have thought I got a panic attack or something.

Hiro opens the door out of the restaurant and the Kishin growls loudly. Hiro quickly fish up his knife out of his pocket and he blocks me from the Kishin. Quickly I get behind him and starts running in full speed toward the fast food restaurant. Just looking outside of a window is much difference than actually being outside.

It is much cooler outside and the darkness is thicker and scarier. The moon stares down at me and the sound of the leaves rustling gives me the chills. All that is missing is chains and white sheet monsters. If Kishins exists, then maybe ghosts do too.

A gasp escapes my throat when suddenly another Kishin pops up right in front of me. This Kishin doesn't have a carrot nose like my Kishin has, this one has a short dog-like nose which almost goes inwards in its head with a bright purple nose. Its eyes are red as the other one.

It gurgles loudly and saliva mixed with blood pours from its mouth. That is when I notice the fresh blood around its mouth and knife- like claws.

It has eaten someone's soul.

It roars loudly and swings its mighty knifes toward me.

I let out a high pitched scream and I jump away from it. "Hiro!" I scream loudly and I see he is too busy with his own Kishin. He blocks the Kishin with his knife while he glows a faint white color around him.

"Maka!" He yells while he tries to get the Kishin off of him. "Look out!"

I gasp loudly when the claws hit the ground where I had just been barely a second ago. The Kishin hovers over me and saliva drips onto my shirt, completely soaking it. Disgusting!

The Kishin roars loudly and he lifts his claws high and I squeeze my eyes shut, covering my face with my arms. I let out a loud scream, but his claws never cut me open. Instead I heard metal meeting metal. My eyes slowly crack open and I see a leather covered back and a tussle of white hair and his body glows a white color as well.

"S-Soul." I stutter.

With his dagger he pushes the Kishin away from me and spins it in his hand. "Get up." He says roughly without turning toward me. "Are you hurt? Did it cut you?"

"N-no."

The Kishin leaps toward Soul and he skillfully blocks it. The Kishin doesn't stop there, he uses his other clawed hand and swings it toward Soul. He forces him to back toward me and I keep going backwards with him.

"Listen to me Maka." Soul grunt as he quickly fish up a knife from his boat and throws it right in the Kishin's eye, making it roar out in pain. "You need to get out of here. Now. Get into the first building you see and stay there. I will find you." My heart skips a beat. Even in these kinds of situation he can still make my knees buckle. Asshole.

"What about you and Hiro? Will you be okay?"

Soul growls when the Kishin wildly swings his claws at him. "We will be fine!" Soul's knife digs into the palm of the Kishin. "Just get out of here!"

I despise the idea about leaving them behind, but I know he is right. I'm just going to be in the way for them. My teeth find my lower lip and I sniffle. "Don't you dare loose to them." I don't wait for a reply, quickly I turn away from them both and start running away. Tears trickle down my cheeks and I swear my lip is bleeding. I really want to help them in some way. I feel so weak always hiding in my house. For once, I want to be brave and kill the Kishins. They are both fighting on my behalf, my Kishin waited for me to come and it found me, it might kill any of them. It might take their lives just like it took my mother's.

I wouldn't be able to live with myself if it killed Soul.

I gaps loudly and I shudder. When did it become so cold outside? It feels like someone threw me into a bathtub filled with ice water and ice cubes.

"Shit!"

"MAKA LOOK OUT!" Hiro curses and Soul shouts loudly.

Everything slows down. I turn my neck and I can feel every beat of my heart― no, the beat of my soul. A shadow grows over me, blocking out the moon, and that object, just has to be the Kishin that has been there every night of my life. It has its claws high up and it is just a few feet away from me. There is no way I can avoid it.

My bump hits the asphalt and my arms swing over my head in poor defense. Slowly it gets closer to me and on instinct, I close my eyes.

"MAKAAAA!" Soul screams loudly.

I don't want to leave Soul.

Tears trickle down my cheeks and I hear the Kishin land right above me and it growls loudly.

I don't want to die!

Instantly my skin heat up to an unbearable degree before I feel it all release off of my body. Spark crackle and sizzle and I hear the Kishin roars loudly and I find myself in darkness.