Madness Unleashed - REWORK IN PROGRESS

by InuKagomeLuver4Eva

With the power of madness threatening the world once more, it's up to Maka and friends to vanquish it. But will the overwhelming power crush the meister mind, body, and soul? "Those who meddle outside the laws of God shall face the wrath of the Reaper; There is no redemption for those who break the sacred law." Soul X Maka *M for gore and language* REWORK IN PROGRESS!

7. Memory Lane

Maka shot awake with a strangled grasp, hand clutching against a rapidly pounding heart. She'd been falling, for how long she couldn't say. Yet instead of hitting the ground like last time, it felt like she was suddenly jerked to a stop along the way. With a painful pounding in her head, she slowly pushed herself up to glance at the surroundings. Soft yellow walls with a few paintings tapped into them, small white reading lamp beside her bed, yellow alarm clock, and massive quantities of books overflowing from bookshelves. The desk against the wall held a small white box, a red tag dangling over the lid. A Large bay window overlooking the streets of Death City with streetlights glowing warmly in the blanket of night. She was in her room. The familiar floral print of her comforter slipped from her chest to flop onto her lap. Had she put that there? With a foggy mind she slid from the bed, wobbling slightly as she made for her door. She couldn't remember what she'd been doing. Napping?

The living room was brightly lit and empty as she wandered by bounding for the kitchen for some water, throat and mouth dry as the Sahara Desert. It was mid-drink that a door down the hallway opened and footsteps shuffled across the wooden floor. Soul was running a hand through his hair while mumbling under his breath, oblivious to the fact Maka was standing there staring at him, glass raised to her lips. His hand reached for her door when he stopped, becoming suddenly alert as he noticed it was opened.

"Sorry, I was thirsty." Maka said quietly, though her lips twitched at the sight of him breathing a heavy sigh of relief, his soul losing its tense wavering. Had he been sleeping as well? Brain fog was clouding any coherent thought so the meister just gave up trying to figure it out.

"How are you feeling? You've been out for a few hours." Setting the empty glass down on the table, she readily accepted his embrace, strong arms locking her in place. It was out of relief more than anything. The tension in his soul meant he'd been worrying again.

"Headache, but fine. How did I end up in bed? Did I take a nap or something?"

"You…you don't remember?" Soul pulled back to frown at her.

"No. Soul, what happened to me?" Maka could feel the uncertainty in his soul. Hesitation in revealing the incident. "What are you not telling me?"

"When you went to touch the envelope, there was a spell or something attached to it and you suddenly became unresponsive. I couldn't touch you, there was some sort of electricity field that kept me back. You became unconscious after that."

"Envelope…what are you talking about? I don't reme—"

Maka stilled as it all came flooding back to her; the madness, the soul, the village, Viktor, the Witch of the Eternal Time… Thankfully Soul kept his grip on her as the room began to spin, trembling legs giving out. Everything, she remembered everything. With a swift movement, she was resting easily in his arms as he moved towards the couch. It wasn't a dream…it was all real. Which meant they were about to launch into another war mere weeks after stopping one.

"What's wrong, Maka?" He cupped her face as she settled into the cushions. Odd. Soul wasn't normally this affectionate. Was he that rattled? "What happened to you?"

The love and concern pouring into her soul nearly made her weep, but there would be time for that later; they had an entity to hunt down. Resting her hands on his arms she leaned forward until their foreheads were touching. Instead of telling him, she could show him.

"Resonate with me, Soul, I can show you everything." Maka breathed as she closed her eyes, feeling the memory tingling freshly. "It will explain what Viktor was trying to tell me."

"Alright." Soul agreed, feeling the familiar spark of resonance light up.

Their souls connected and they were both hurtled into Maka's memories, images flying past them at dizzying speeds. A certain frame began to glow brightly, breaking from the long chain of images to settle in front of them. Without slowing down, they entered the memory with a flash of light. Soul kept his grip tight on Maka's hand as they slowly hovered above the ground, watching as her consciousness struggled against the darkness before reaching out for the single soul. The writhing madness was gone, replaced with memory Maka hitting the ground at the top of a hill, cursing loudly.

"I don't think I've ever heard you say those words, Maka, such a filthy mouth." Soul teased as she shot him an embarrassed glare, cheeks burning red. A hard whack to the chest stopped his snickering.

"S-shut up! It hurt when I hit the ground!"

"I'll have to remember this as black mail…"

"Never mind, we need to follow…memory me." Maka wrinkled her nose. It felt weird to be following herself, even if it was her own memory. Though the image seemed to be only semi-transparent; not quite translucent, not quite solid. Almost like the transparency had been tweaked with.

Memory Maka had just reached the edge of the village, standing there in shock as she took everything in. A figure suddenly appeared behind her, smiling ruefully at the meister.

"Viktor," Soul looked surprised to see him standing there, the weapon letting out a low breath. "How did he get in here? He's…"

"Elder Flyorova helped him seal a portion of his soul into the letter so he could help me understand why I was here." Maka smiled sadly at the man, her heart feeling heavy as she watched Memory Maka jerk around to see him. It felt like it had been longer since she last saw him instead of just a few hours ago. "Everything was planned by the witch Mardella, including the letter and box. She's actually a really nice person. At least from what I can. We didn't speak much."

"No ulterior motives?"

"Not that I can tell. Just listen, you'll understand everything." Maka shushed him and pointed with her free hand as they floated closer to listen in.

Soul and Maka floated above the memory, watching and listening as Viktor explained everything. As the child ran through memory Maka, the scythe mimicked her startled look, subconsciously running his hand over where he passed through as though he could feel it. Soul glanced around at everything, eyeing details with curiosity as he strolled through history. Outside of the shrine, when the male villager began clashing with the samurai, the meister looked away and squeezed her eyes shut. Before he could ask, he heard the clang and looked over to see the man on the ground, the samurai swinging the pole above his head. Quickly pulling Maka against him, Soul covered her ears as it collided with the defenseless man, the crack of his ribs causing him to cringe. She twitched, the sound ringing clearly in her ears, even with them being encased in her partners hands.

"What the hell's wrong with these people?" Soul watched with narrow eyes as they dragged the body out of sight. "They just killed him for no reason!"

"How could they just—murder a man and then dump his body?" Maka whispered in horror, the sickening crunch ringing in her ears.

"This era was constantly filled with violence, especially against those who are protecting a high-ranking person." Viktor patted her shoulder gently. "Samurai are highly trained warriors paid to protect those above the squalor of the poorest and they do not spare anyone deemed a threat. Even children have fallen at their hands."

"Monsters…"

"History is a lot more violent and cruel than you might think. The person who entered the shrine is who we must follow. Come, you must see what happens in order to better understand why you are here."

"Things were extremely different back in this period, Soul. It was either fight and die or suffer and die. Ultimately, he chose to fight and die." Maka grimaced as the ringing finally died down, watching as they made their way through the crowd. "Come on, this part is important."

Mardella had thrown her hood back by the time they entered the shrine, moving to float behind Memory Maka. It was fascinating to watch the golden circle glow, her celestial cloak shimmering in the light as she released her power. What she hadn't noticed the first time was that the threads on her soul were how the chains materialized. Mardella turned from glaring at the shogun to staring at Memory Maka curiously, but unlike last time, her eyes briefly darted to where Soul and Maka floated.

"Can she see us?" Soul asked lowly in Maka's ear, keeping his eyes on the witch.

"She…I don't fully know what she's capable of doing. Maybe she can sense a disturbance in the flow of time," Maka suddenly felt the familiar sensation of her soul being scanned, her chest feeling warm. "I think she can sense our resonance. Maybe there's magic still lingering in the memory and she's accessing it."

They both stiffened when everything around them froze, time coming to a screeching halt. Maka locked eyes with Mardella, the witch raising her hand towards them, magic building in her fingertips. Soul shoved himself in front of his partner, willing his arm to transform. It never did. Snapping his arm out to force a transformation, the blades remained hidden. A growl of frustration slipped out.

"What the hell? I can't transform!" Soul hissed as he tried again and again with the same result. "What did she do?"

"We're in a memory, Soul, I don't think transforming will work here. Nothing can touch us while at the same time we can't touch anything here. I don't sense any hostility coming from her, I think she just wants to talk."

Maka's hunch was correct as a pathway of sorts opened between the themselves and the witch, their sudden floating turning into gravity taking over and sending them crashing a few feet to the floor in a heap. Mardella swiftly made her way over to them, an afterimage of her reading time frozen in the flow of space. Being the graceful one of the two, Maka landed easily on her feet, turning around and offering her hand to pull Soul up. Meisters had better catlike reflexes.

"Maka Albarn, I was expecting to see you here again." Mardella said with a small smile, turning to look at Soul. "Soul 'Eater' Evans, a pleasure to meet you."

"Uh, sure." Soul replied lamely, rubbing the back of his neck. How did she know his full name?

"I was showing Soul everything that happened when I was pulled into this era. I didn't think it would be an issue coming here since it's coming from my memory and not the letter." Maka looked at the witch questioningly, waiting for an approving answer.

"There are no issues, I just sensed the pull of your resonance and created an alternate bubble of space to speak with you." The witch clasped her hands in front of her, celestial eyes darting between the two with amusement. "I have a little bit of time to spare, so to speak. I see you have not opened the box yet."

"Ah. Unfortunately, I was unconscious for a few hours after the first trip." Maka said sheepishly, cheeks tinting the barest shade of pink. "Once we get out of here, we will definitely open it. Just as long as it doesn't send me on another crazy trip somewhere in time. Please."

"You will know when the correct time is to open it," Meister and weapon shared a confused glance. What did that mean? Weren't they supposed to open both the box and envelope? "There will be a sign from above when fate guides you to its mysterious pull. The numeral III will be your saving grace, as will the numerals XVI, XXIII, and IX. In that particular sequence."

"W-wait, I thought you couldn't reveal the future?" Maka stuttered as she tried to convert the numerals on her fingers. Were they days? Hours? Minutes? Seconds? A combination to a lock? Lottery numbers?

"I am merely giving advice, nothing less, nothing more." Mardella smiled widely at the two, her eyes seemingly swirling mysteriously. "Soul, what you seek shall soon be found in the most unlikely of places, yet somewhere visited frequently."

"Uh, wait, what does that even mean?" The weapon scratched his head, giving the witch an odd look. Did he lose something?

"You shall know when the time comes. It seems I need to return, it was a pleasure seeing you both. We shall surely meet again in the future." With a curtsey, the witch turned and glided back to her frozen afterimage, seamlessly merging with it.

"What just happened?" Soul turned to Maka with a confused face, scratching the top of his head. This just kept getting weirder and weirder. A time controlling witch giving them hints when to open the mysterious box? Soul sealing envelopes? Dead imagery of their ally?

"Mardella froze time, created a pocket in space within the memory, pulled us into said space, talked with us and then exited and closed the time space to return to her original timeline all without damaging the flow of time." Maka felt her lips twitch upwards as he stared at her incredulously.

"You meet the weirdest people, Maka Albarn."

"Prime example standing beside me." She teased, receiving a grunt and eye roll in response.

Time began to move again and the two found themselves floating beside Memory Maka, watching as Mardella touched the chain. Everything continued on as planned and they soon found themselves following Memory Maka and Viktor to the edge of the forest. Time crawled to a stop once more as the two memories talked with the witch. Soul floated to look at the samurai, eyeing the impressive armor. A hand caressed his chin thoughtfully, head nodding in approval.

"Hey, Maka—"

"No, Soul, you can't have samurai armor."

"I am sorry, but there is not much time, Viktor. Miss Albarn, I summoned you here to warn you of a disturbance in time in your era, one that my power cannot reach. You dealt with the witch Ametrine, you understand her desire to release the madness?" With a slow nod from the girl she continued. "From what my visions have foretold, her soul was not destroyed that day. In fact, I was watching when it happened and felt a warp in the time space continuum as you appeared to have destroyed her body. It seems her soul was taken, and a portion of the madness was taken out of that pocket of space by an unknown entity."

"She never died," The weapon growled, clenching his partners hand tighter. "Viktor died for nothing then and now Ametrine's soul is loose somewhere in the world with the possibly of inhabiting someone's body. We should've been more careful!"

"All of this…what were we even fighting for if someone had planned to take her soul from the very beginning?" Maka clenched her jaw, burning holes into the space below her feet. "That's what I was forgetting, Soul; when we sliced through her, it almost felt like her body didn't exist, like it was empty. I could've sworn her soul was there as I swung…"

"You think maybe the rip in space happened right before Witch Hunter made contact? Maybe it was like with what Mardella just did; tore a pocket into space and entered it while leaving an afterimage behind."

Maka looked up at him with sharp realization. It made perfect sense. Why there was no soul remaining, how everything still looked normal even after she had swung the scythe down. It gave the perfect illusion, almost like a magic trick. Neither she nor Kid can sense tears in the space time continuum, and if an afterimage still left residual soul wavelengths…

"That's it, Soul! That's how it was done! Kid and I can't sense time distortions, but there is someone we know who most likely can."

"Mabaa."

"As soon as we're out of here we need to contact Kid and fill him in on everything. You're a genius!" Maka grabbed her partners face and crashed her lips against his, pulling back all too soon with bright green eyes, cheeks flushed.

"Do I get back pay for all the other times I had great ideas?" Soul gave her a lopsided grin, face slightly tinted. He kinda liked the take-charge side of Maka when it came to kissing.

"I-Idiot..." Maka grumbled, crossing her arms over chest, blushing hard. Soul chuckled to himself.

They floated behind Viktor and Memory Maka, the meisters mind racing. If they could get ahold of Mabaa and ask her for more information on other witches with time manipulative magic, then there was the possibility of learning more about the 'entity' that was currently holding Ametrine's soul. The biggest question was why. Why was this person, or being, altering time and space for a soul? And why that particular soul? Was it because of the power the witch held? Or was it because Ametrine had merged with the madness? Revenge was usually the go-to thing for enemies against the DWMA and that just branched out into its own chart of possibilities. Maka growled in annoyance. There were still so many questions and not enough answers.

"Viktor, what does all of this mean? Ametrine isn't truly dead? And what about this entity? None of this is making sense!" Maka blurted out as she stopped in the center of the village, gripping the sides of her head tightly. "If I don't know who is causing all of this, then I can't figure out how to fix it! Please, tell me something that will help!"

Viktor slowly turned to face her, his eyes pitying. He remained silent for a few moments, staring into emerald eyes. Those pleading green eyes hit the soft spot he had for her and he let out a relenting sigh.

"Even I do not know who it is, but I can tell you that the power they possess is similar to Mabaa-dono. Her magic has the ability to alter with time and space, as you have seen, and we are to believe they are using Ametrine's soul to unleash Asura fully by alternating the timeline. Mardella will do everything in her power to stop it, but the rest will have to be up to you and your friends. I am sorry."

"I was right," She whispered, more to herself than him. Memory Maka ran a hand through her hair in disbelief. "I had a feeling that opening the letter would cause the peace to end. We just prevented a war, Viktor, how are we supposed to jump back into another one so soon? In the cavern…performing Chain Resonance strained my soul beyond its limits. Even now I'm restricted in anything pertaining to daily life. I'm not even allowed to go for a run. A simple, easy run. Because it could affect the healing of my soul."

"You shall overcome great obstacles, Maka Albarn, as you have and will continue to do so. Just because you take a few steps back does not mean the path forward is not still open. Time heals. Patience is virtue. Forcing yourself against what your body hinders progress; In essence…allow yourself to heal as your body intends." Viktor enveloped her small body, much to her surprise, resting his cheek against the top of her head. "I cannot predict nor control fate, but you were put on this path for a reason, Maka. Your destiny is to protect the world, no amount of danger will sway it. And though our time knowing one another may have been short, it was never regrettable. I thank you for your eternal kindness."

Memory Maka felt the warmth of his words as she slowly hugged him back. It was his final goodbye. They would never speak or meet again after this timeline. After a minute, they pulled apart, wavering green orbs looking into peaceful cerulean. There was so much to ask, to talk about. But his time on earth was long past. He had someone waiting on the other side for him.

"Vika is waiting for me, so let us get you back home to your partner." His smile almost seemed sad and the meister nodded solemnly.

The remainder of the walk was quiet save for the rambunctious children of the village running around the path with sticks and wooden swords, practicing their swings and blocks. Women passed them by carrying large baskets of laundry at their hips, chatting cheerfully as they made their way home. A few traders pulled their carts behind them hoping to set up in the small area while calling out their quality wares. A few dogs pranced around, hoping for scraps and affection. As they made their way up the hill, the sun began to dip lower in the sky, breathtaking hues of red, orange, and yellow making Maka pause. The world seemed so…peaceful.

Maka turned her gaze to the sunset, taking in the serenity of the small village. An arm slipped around her waist and she leaned against Soul as they watched the perfect sunset together. After the spat with Ametrine, the meister was thankful for the small moment of peace with the one person she loved. Lips pressed lightly against her head and she hummed in contentment, tightening her grip on him. She could get used to the affection. Yet there seemed to be an underlying sadness with it, as if treasuring a moment that would be ripped apart soon. She didn't want it to end.

"Things may have been terrible back in the day, but when you look at something like this and realize the true beauty of the world. Reminds you of how limited your time is on earth and to enjoy every moment of it." Maka looked up at him in surprise, a tender smile quickly adorning her face. While the time to open the box had yet to come, there was something else that was long overdue. All she had to do was let her heart lead the way.

"As long as I have you by my side, I already enjoy every moment of my life. I couldn't imagine it without you, Soul. I…I love you."

"Cool."

Maka's face fell into one of utter disbelief and annoyance as her weapon tried to maintain an impassive expression, even going so far as to tilt his head away with a hand over his mouth. His shoulders shook from laughing. Unbelievable! When she finally had the courage to say something, he started laughing after saying his highly overused catchphrase!Wasn't he taking a confession from his partner seriously!? Did he really think this was a joke? Especially after kissing her on the head? They'd already shared kisses every now and then, did that mean nothing?! The meister huffed in annoyance and made to pull away when Soul reached out with a hand, diverting her attention back.

While Soul 'Eater' Evans rarely expressed extensive levels of emotion, Maka could only describe his face as tender. A skipping of her heart told the meister all she needed to hear. Music was his expressional outlet. Something she'd noticed over the years was that whenever he needed to play piano, a relaxed expression fell over the weapon. As if he were envisioning something or…someone. The frustration fizzled out when a finger carefully tucked a stray stand of hair behind her ear, lingering against the shell momentarily. Soul was allowing his feelings to spread through their resonance; why say it when she could feel it?

His fingertips traced her jaw before cupping her face, leaning in to capture her lips. With featherlight movement, Maka rested her hand against his chest, closing the distance between them. The kiss was warm, tender, full of deeper feelings than I love you. Everything Maka thought a kiss could be was nothing compared to this moment of emotions and her heart skipped a beat from being so full. She wanted to know, to see, to feel how far those emotions could go, yearning for a deeper sensation.

Meister and weapon pulled apart, faces flushed, eyes bright, to see Memory Maka turning around at Viktor's voice. They watched as the two shared an emotional moment, tears welling up in emerald orbs.

"This is where we part, Maka." Viktor said quietly, watching as she slowly tore misty eyes from the setting sun. "No more than an hour should have passed in your world. I…hope you can forgive me for the way I acted when we first met. I was cruel and unrelenting."

"There's nothing to forgive, Viktor, I assure you. I know you were just following orders. Friends forgive each other," She smiled brightly, moving to stand beside him. "I'm sorry I couldn't save you, back in the cavern. If I'd been stronger then maybe…"

"You are perhaps the strongest person I have met in a long time, Maka Albarn. I can tell you have a strong heart and desire to protect everything around you. Fate was ready to take me and I readily accepted. In a lot of ways, you remind me of Vika." He smiled before it faltered, his eyes distant. It almost seemed as if his soul was beginning to lose its warm, blue hue. The lifeforce was fading. "Give Black Star and the others my regards. Thank them for being supportive of my mother at the ceremony. I know it was hard on them."

"Of course."

"Farewell, Maka Albarn. It was a pleasure knowing you." Viktor extended his hand.

"Goodbye, Viktor. Your memory will always remain with us, in here. Go. She's waiting for you." Maka clasped his hand back tightly, giving him a watery smile as tears slipped down both cheeks. Their hands slipped apart and one last flickering of his soul reached the meister before extinguishing into tiny sparks. A fist pressed over her heart in affirmation of his memory.

"Soul is waiting for you as well. We shall be watching over you all."

Memory Maka was suddenly pulled out of the era, leaving Viktor and an unknown woman grasping his arm. They turned toward the sunset, arm in arm, walking to their final resting place with loving smiles. Maka didn't stop the tears threatening to spill over once more as she smiled at the retreating forms, letting them trail freely down her cheeks.

"They're together again, Soul, just as they wanted."

---

The resonance died out and the two found themselves embracing, lips moving together slowly. Maka wasn't sure how long they'd been in that position, but she didn't complain as she ran fingers through his hair. The large hand on the back of her neck drifted up to support the back of her head, the other slipping beneath her knees. Without breaking contact, Soul scooped his meister up from the couch and made his way to his room, pushing the door open with his shoulder. As if he were handling a priceless piece of work, he laid her down on the bed with the utmost care.

"Soul," Maka whispered after they broke apart for air, her lips red and swollen.

"Maka?" He mumbled against her neck, enjoying the way her breath hitched with every featherlight touch of his lips against her skin. How long had he been dreaming of this moment? Finally being free to express the constrained feelings inside. Soul felt the hesitation in her soul and shifted back to look at her. Lying there, on his bed, she looked like an angel with her hair fanned out around her; cheeks flushed, green eyes bright. Death above, she looked so perfect resting on his sheets.

"What's wrong?" He lightly traced her cheek with the backs of his fingers. Maka instinctively leaned against his touch, hooded eyes staring in a heated daze. It was a vulnerable side of his meister he'd never seen before and he found himself stealing yet another kiss. "Your soul is trembling."

"I-I just…don't want to rush things," Maka mumbled out with the back of her hand against tingling lips, emerald eyes off to the side. "I'm nervous…I don't know what I'm doing. W-whether or not it's good or bad. I mean, I've read books on stuff like…this…"

"Books? You've read books on this?" Soul inquired as he laid beside her, hand pulling Maka towards him. She flushed even deeper but accepted the amount of space left between, hesitantly reaching out to shift some falling tendrils from his eyes. "What exactly…were you hoping to learn from them?"

A pillow smacked Soul in the face and he floundered onto his back in surprise. He pushed it away only to have another one follow. "Maka! What the hell?!"

"Don't say it like that! It's embarrassing! Especially with that expression!" The meister hissed with a beet red face while continuing the assault relentlessly. As she reached for another round of ammunition, her hand grasped nothing but air. Maka jerked her head back to search for something else when both wrists were pinned down atop the sheets. She jerked back instinctively and ended up flopping backwards with her head just barely over the edge of the bed. "What the hell?!"

"Just chill for a minute! Why're you freaking out?" Soul retorted while dodging flailing legs. He ended up having to practically straddle both limbs to prevent an accidental kick to a vulnerable area. "And stop trying to kick me! Seriously, Maka, it's not a big deal! It's not that embarrassing, so quit squirming around so much and look at me!"

"Says you! You've probably already kissed like, thirty of those first years! There's no way you're good at something like that off the bat!"

"Seriously?! That's why you're acting this way? Because you…" Soul trailed off as tears welled in his meister's eyes. Oh. Before she closed off the resonance between them, wisps of hurt seeped through the plethora of swirling emotions. "It's not like that, Maka…"

"Nya, today was a long day! I think I need a good snack and a bath!" Blair quietly shut the front door behind her, using her magic to peel her thigh-high boots off. She had to be extra sneaky when coming in from work to avoid waking her friends.

Looking up, she noticed that the kitchen and living room lights were still on, something that rarely, if ever happened this late in the night. Curious, the feline decided to do some snooping around to see if anything was out of place. A voice coming from Soul's room drew her silently towards it as the edges of her lips curled upward. She'd been trying for some time to push them together, even going as far as to work longer shifts so they could have more time alone and here was hoping it had finally paid off! Luckily the door was open so all she had to do was wait right outside and listen to the juicy details.

"Then what is it like, Soul? I'm sure you've had plenty of practice at all of those recitals your family made you attend."

"Why would you even suggest that? This is getting out of hand, Maka. If I tell you it's not like that, then why do I have to keep defending myself? You're being insecure about it—"

"Wouldn't you be if the only male figure in your life cheated on your mother, made her leave, then attempted and failed in raising a daughter single-handedly? How do I know you won't just run off like papa did?"

"Because I'm not like that asshole! Don't you think if I was like him I'd have already done so? I've been loyal to your side since the beginning, Maka, that's not going to change now."

Blair's ears pinned back against her head. This didn't sound like a romantic evening, more like a heated argument between spouses. Taking a few steps back the feline decided to give them their space. Sneaking towards her room on the opposite end of the hallway, the witch gave the open doorway a sorrowful glance before silently shutting the door behind.

Soul released his clamp on her legs and roughly flopped against the headboard, hand covering his eyes. One minute everything was new and exciting then the next it was an argument. Maka had her insecurities, no doubt, but to bring up the suggestion that he had practice of making out with girls at a forced recital? It killed any mood there was and soured his own. He probably shouldn't have gone far enough to point out a hypothetical correlating to her father, but it was heat of the moment. For a solid minute they sat there; Soul against the headboard and Maka not moving from her spot on the edge of the bed, ashen locks dangling towards the floor. The clock on the nightstand filled the tense air with rhythmic ticks and tocks.

"…I'm going to bed." Maka stated softly once the tears began flowing over, trickling towards her ears. Both feet lightly hit the floor and made their way out of his room, down the hallway, into her room. Not another word. Nothing. Not even a good night.

Hell, what was he expecting after that? Kiss and make up? Fucks sake. Maybe she wasn't ready to handle something like this. Maybe that kiss in the memory world was just that; nothing more than a fantasy.

Soul slammed a fist on the bed out of frustration.

A single tear slipped out as he closed off his end of the resonance.

---

"Kid, you can't seriously keep doing this to me! I'm healed!"

"Maka, I'm sorry. But I can't send out a meister who hasn't been medically cleared to return to missions. I will look into this matter personally. Just take it easy—"

"This isn't fair; this is my mess to clean up, I can handle it by myself. You can't keep leaving the city to fight a rogue witch—"

"Witch Ametrine blatantly attacked the school and risked the lives of students and all residents of Death City. I have no choice but to retaliate to a direct threat that could have very well killed a large number of citizens. You know I can't take the chance, Maka, it's too much of a risk. Please understand where I'm coming from; not just as Lord Death…but as your friend. I'm begging you to stand down. We've already lost you once and I won't let it happen again."

Kid stared up at the meister with a strained expression, paired insides feeling like they were twisting tightly at her tormented face. Maka had burst into the Death Room early in the morning with urgent news, Soul right on her heels. Spilling everything she'd experienced from touching the letter to falling back into reality. The meister remained silent as she waited for his response, those intuitive green eyes searching his soul. The name Mardella didn't ring a bell but The Witch of the Eternal Time did, an uneasy sensation settling over him. There had been a few times the Reaper had browsed through the forbidden books section in the library after his father had passed, though he never dared to remove any of them. Something about that name struck him as familiar and he made a note to brush through that section once more.

"I'm fine, Kid, I can handle myself on a simple reconnaissance mission. No fighting, no resonating, no strain on my soul." Maka planted her fists on her hips, blowing a strand of hair from her eyes. "You can't expect me to stay here and do nothing! I've already been doing that for weeks. I'm about to start destroying stuff out of frustration."

"You are on medical leave of absence, Maka, you are not permitted into the field without mine or Stein's clearance. I can't risk losing a friend, no matter how simple the mission may seem. What if something were to go wrong and you tried to resonate? What would happen if you over-strained your souls wavelength or if you got caught up in battle?" Kid was growing weary of this. He was well aware of how stubborn an Albarn could be, but there was no chance he was going to give into her demands. Not after what they just went through. Never again. "Stein gave me a copy of the medical report; you are not to do anything strenuous for another week or so to ensure your wavelength completely stabilizes. That includes any missions or training pertaining to physical activity or resonating apart from daily meister-weapon connection."

"Lord Death," There it was, the infamous Albarn venomous fury that sent a shiver down the Reaper's spine. "There's a witch out there with magic similar to Mabaa who has Ametrine's soul and Asura's madness; I don't have time to sit around here waiting for my medical leave to be dismissed. I'll go with or without your permission if I have to."

"Maka, please, it can wait until you're fully healed," Liz pled from beside Kid, Patty eagerly nodding her agreement. "We already lost you once, we can't lose you again. Running after a powerful witch without a plan is just asking for trouble."

"This is nothing compared to the battle with Asura—"

"Maka," Soul grabbed her shoulder firmly, shooting a silent plea as she shrugged him off. She was shaking, the dam holding back her anger nearly breaking. "Just take a minute to be rational. I know you want to rush in there and take her down, but you're just going to risk your health again."

"Soul, don't you start with me either. This has become a personal matter; Mardella told me to open the box I was given and it would explain where to find this entity. If we don't stop them now then the whole world could be overwhelmed with madness once more. Possibly more than when Asura was unleashed."

Kid felt his already severely frayed nerves finally snap and he slowly pushed himself up from his chair, looming over the shorter girl. Liz and Patty took a few steps back, clinging to each other as their meisters emotions filtered through resonance. Maka lifted her chin defiantly as Lord Death moved to stand within a few inches of her, looming over her with a dangerous aura rolling from his body. Soul subconsciously shifted closer, a hand gripping the fabric of her shirt to pull his partner back if needed.

"This discussion is over. You are dismissed. If you continue to push this, Maka Albarn, I will suspend you from your meister duties indefinitely." Kid growled lowly, feeling the slew of emotions emitting from the startled meister. "Do not push me on this matter. Soul, I'll need you to stay for a few minutes to discuss an important matter."

The two stared each other down daring the other to make the first break. Kid wouldn't back down, not this time. It was his duty to protect his students and friends and after the Russia incident, sending her into the field again so soon was a death wish. Golden eyes sent her a plea to back down before he was forced to hand down harsher punishment. With a clenched jaw Maka broke her gaze first, glaring angrily at the floor before turning and storming from the room after breaking from Soul's grip. The door slammed loudly and a heavy air fell over them.

"Liz, Patty."

"R-right. Let's go find something else to do, Patty." Liz practically shoved her sister out of the room leaving the Reaper and Death Scythe alone.

"If I hadn't done that, Soul, she never would've backed down." Kid sighed and looked towards the Tori gates as he felt red eyes burning into his head. Soul was pissed. Did he go overboard? Yes. Was it something that needed to be done? Absolutely. His friend could hate him all he wanted but it was in the best interest of his meister.

"Doesn't make it right to threaten her with suspending her meister duties." Soul miffed tightly, stuffing his hands into the jacket pockets. "All that did was fuel her resolve to find this entity before a full wave of madness is released into the world. We both know there's no stopping her, Kid."

"Maka wasn't the only one to be contacted by the Witch Mardella Sipheron." Soul looked at Kid with a raised brow.

Pulling an envelope from beneath his suit jacket, Kid handed it to the weapon then pinched the bridge of his nose stressfully. "This was waiting for me after we all departed last night. No return address, no name written on the front or back. Though judging by what the letter contained, I have no doubt that she wrote it."

Soul's eyes darted over the aged parchment, rereading the bottom of the page with knotted brows. What else was she trying to say? Getting others involved meant this was bigger than what they both saw in the memory.

"If I hadn't met her in person, I wouldn't believe bullshit like this. Considering I have, I know she's not lying." Soul lowered the letter to look at Kid with hard eyes. "This is a major problem, Kid."

"I believe Maka's words and yours, Soul, and if this is implying what I think it is then we're going to need backup. I'll contact Mabaa-dono and get started on pulling any information that I can on the matter. Flyorova as well." Kid plopped heavily onto his chair, dragging a hand down his face tiredly. One thing after another after so many years of nothing but minor skirmishes and managing a city built on his father's legacy. "Soul, not a word of this leaves the room. The reason I pulled you aside separately is because you and I need to travel Africa to meet with Dengu in regard to possible pre-Kishin sightings."

"And you don't want Maka to know because she'll fight like hell to go." Soul finished, grimacing. That means he would have to leave her here, alone. The thought dropped his heart down to his stomach like an anchor in water. Especially after their argument last night…

"I know it's not ideal, but I need a Death Scythe who knows how to fight these creatures. It will only be a short mission, a week at the absolute most. We leave tomorrow, early in the morning. I suggest you prepare Maka while you can."

"Fine, but I'm not doing it tonight. She needs to take a break from this mess. I'll be back in the morning."

"Very well. I'll see you at the festival tonight then, Soul. Report back to me in the morning, eight preferably. Not a minute early, not a minute late."

"You've gotta get over that damned OCD, Kid."

"I'll put it on the list."

Soul turned and made it halfway to the door when Kid called out to him.

"I suggest you both update your wills… our luck won't last forever at this rate."

---

Timber crackled softly as flames eagerly licked at it, the bark turning black before falling off as the fire was prodded. A satisfied hum filled the air as aged floorboards creaked beneath heavy footsteps. Vials clacked and screeched against a wooden table as they were shoved aside, hands shuffling for their intended target. With a muttered curse and some fumbling, an oil lantern groaned to life, the flame flickering as it greedily absorbed the oiled cotton wick.

"You should really update this place, such a filthy hole you live in." A snide voice rang through the air, almost staticky in sound. "I'm surprised you even still live here considering it's a stone's throw from one of the Realm portals. Mabaa banished you centuries ago yet here you are, still within range and hiding in plain sight beneath their noses. Intervening a battle to the death, stealing another witch's soul, a powerful one at that, and for what exactly?"

No answer.

"Ignoring me now? Your reputation of egotistical tendencies definitely precedes you—"

"You know," A gravelly voice rasped, interrupting the ranting one. "I really do enjoy a nice frog dinner, especially ones that are filled with an energetic soul. Something about it really hits the spot."

"Threats won't get you anywhere, hag, you still need my soul."

"I never said I would kill the frog as I ate it. Feeling every anguishing bite into its legs, slowly tearing them apart, ripping the muscles and tendons while breaking the bones into little, tiny pieces. I do like to savor the legs most of all, so delectable."

"No wonder Mabaa banished you from the Realm, you're fucking insane. Those old tales must be true then; you're the—"

"Unless you want the very essence squeezed from your soul, I suggest you shut up and learn some respect." The voice snarled as glass shattered against the wall. "Your crimes are nothing to be proud of either. Unleashing Asura's madness upon the Realm, disgracing and destroying the Coven, killing hundreds for your experiments, blowing up Death City, getting on the bad side of Lord Death, alliancing yourself with the Hidden Shadow Clan in Northern Russia just to submerge the world in overwhelming darkness. May I remind you, Ametrine, that you failed. You got sloppy and let your guard down, letting a child defeat you so easily is pathetic and disgraceful to the witch lineage. If it were not for me saving your wretched soul then you would have been erased from this world. Bring up Mabaa or my crimes once more and you shall see why no one exists after my power is used."

Ametrine's soul wiggled gently in its cage, translucent tail flickering angrily against the magical prison. If her face could appear within the orb, crimson eyes would be blasting holes in the ancient witches head. The witch shuffled various jars and bottles around on the table, jaw clenched tightly as she arranged everything back into order. An oversized cloak covered her frame from head to toe, concealing a true form. The thick dark fabric rustled across the floor, stirring up years of settled dust as it moved about the small cottage. It was dilapidated both inside and out, maintaining an abandoned vibe to deter nosey people. On occasion, someone would enter the crumbling cottage only to find it filled with debris and moss.

"You know…"

"Do not make me waste my energy on vaporizing you."

"Again, you need my soul. What exactly is your plan if you encounter Maka Albarn? She isn't that easy to take down. Came back to life even after I put that curse on her body."

"The Deathbell Curse? I have not heard of that being used in eons." The witch mused while pulling a bulky book from a warped bookcase. "There are a few lesser known rules that apply to the curse and using it correctly. One; the intended target, if they so possess a powerful anti-demon soul wavelength, can overcome the effects of the curse, therefore purifying it and causing it to fail. Two; if you do not correctly write the scripture upon the victim, the curse shall become void once activated. Judging by the lack of insults coming from you, I would say you neglected to read the spell in its entirety and jumped to the part where it said 'death'."

"I didn't exactly have all the time in the world to read everything. Besides, I did do some damage to her. It seems her resonance has become unstable, meaning—"

"Yes, yes, it means she cannot resonate without the risk of doing permanent damage to her body. Who do you think was watching that battle in order to pull your soul from its crippled vessel?" The witch cut Ametrine off, raising a brow when she heard the faintest of scoffs. "I created that curse centuries ago, I know the damaging effects of its power. The fact that she remains alive is intriguing, to say the least. Those with Grigori souls certainly are special."

"Soul 'Eater' Evans is her partner, a Death Scythe. The last one to be precise. Separating them would be best considering the pair are nearly inseparable. I wouldn't be surprised, though, if Lord Death were to continue to hold his annual festival in say…less than twelve hours?"

Ametrine tried to steel her nerves as the woman slowly approached her, curiosity getting the better of the witch. As powerful as she was, the fact that an ancient witch with the power to distort time and space stood before her was terrifying to say the least. A few strands of black hair slipped from beneath her cloak as she moved, changing from dry and ratty to luscious and full in a shimmer of light. Deep sea blue eyes peered at the wavering soul through a curtain of locks, light flashing across them almost unnoticeably. She reached out to Ametrine, the skin of her hand soft and supple as it grasped the edge of the box. Full pink lips parted to reveal impossibly perfect teeth as the witch became eye level with the orb.

"Oh? You are more useful than you appear. Now, my little caged birdie, tell me what I want to know, and I may even let you have a temporary body to enjoy the show."

"The snakes, scorpions, and spiders never lie, Witch Esadora, parting gifts from my dearly deceased children. Take a seat and I'll tell you everything you want to know."

Ametrine felt a smirk growing on her non-existent lips. Witch Esadora was an incredibly powerful witch who conquered many lands in her younger days, leading the Coven to many victories with minimal casualties. Though she used to be an admirable leader in battle, the woman certainly loved to toy with the humans, even going so far as to open, most often, deadly alternate realties in space for them. With her controlling the madness and the stream of time, there was no telling what would happen. No longer was Ametrine able to seek her revenge against the DWMA and that damned Scythe meister Maka Albarn…. but if there's a will, there's a way. There's always a way.

"I'll start from the beginning."

This had better end well.

Mardella froze mid quill stroke when a cold sensation creeped through her spine, neck hairs standing straight up as if zapped with electricity. Something was wrong. Very wrong. Past, present, or future, she wasn't quite sure yet. All she knew was that it could alter the timeline and drastically veer the course of time off track. Shoving back her chair loudly, the witch sprinted from her study and into the warmly lit hallway of her cottage racing for the main stairs. A closed door above her suddenly creaked as an unnatural force pushed against it from within, the thick wood bending from strain. Light spewed from beneath the frame nearly blinding the woman as she turned the brass knob and swung the door open.

There, in the center of the room, sat a glass orb atop a pillar resting in the center of a plush pillow. Mardella watched in horror as a tiny crack appeared in the smooth surface of the thick glass, light refracting through the dozens of miniscule, jagged edges. For most of eternity, it had sat there quietly; flashing live feed of natural disasters, mass killings, war zones all across the world. But it also showed momentous points of time; countries forming their independence, abolishment of slavery, beginnings of equality, neighbors helping neighbors, heroic acts of everyday people. History from the very beginning of time was recorded into the ball, capturing every moment in time from the first signs of life to the first evolved human and to the current strife between neighboring countries. Another small crack branched from the first, sending the witches nerves into overdrive. This wasn't supposed to happen. The orb was composed of celestial minerals, the toughest substance in the entire solar system. Someone was distorting time itself.

"Heavens above, hear my call, my command." Mardella chanted loudly over the harsh wind tearing at her flesh, covering her eyes with both arms as cuts began oozing shimmering cosmic blood. "Feel my will, seal the rip in time lest the world be ripped apart. Heavens, my command is thine will, by blood, by body and by soul. Chronos commands it; seal the tear in time!"

Silence sharply fell over the room as the winds died down and Mardella collapsed to her knees, panting hard as she wearily glanced up at the still orb. The chaos had calmed, leaving a warm shimmering glow in the room. The cracks seemed to have filled back in, save for the tiniest speck of a chip precisely centered on the front. With a grunt, she pushed herself from the floor, briefly examining her bleeding appendages. The wounds would heal themselves later. Eyeing the glass warily, she placed a hand gently on the orb to feel the heat radiating from its core. Images flashed through her mind at warp speed, showing the previous moments of pandemonium. Something dark zapped her hand away from the orb before vanishing, merely an illusion if it weren't for the scorching pain running along her palm.

Slowly, anxiously, Mardella twisted her palm upwards to see the marking. The sinking feeling in her gut told her what it was, but she had to be absolutely sure. A strangled gasp left her mouth as she stared down at the marking, lightly tracing it with shaking fingers.

There, engraved into her flesh, was the mark of Asura.

No, it couldn't be right. Asura was still sealed within the moon and the madness Ametrine harnessed failed to be fully released. Was it possible a trace amount made its way into the rip in space when Ametrine's soul was taken? The probability of it was low, though not impossible. If another person were to open a rip in time and not seal it fast enough shut, then it was possible. If madness had in fact entered into the void between rips in space, then it could certainly travel freely and corrupt any timeline it reached if there was someone opening a portal for it to enter. There was one other person in the universe who had the capabilities to do so at will and she was well known for destructive and downright enormity tendencies to the witch.

The world would soon be plunged into peril.

"Witch Mardella, are you unharmed? You were not in your study." A samurai appeared suddenly and kneeled outside of the room, guarded eyes searching for intruders. "There was a disturbance in the field and I came to check."

"I am unharmed Hiro, thank you. There was a mishap with the orb, nothing too serious." Mardella gave him a tired smile, noticing the way he glanced at the fresh wounds. "Please ensure nothing has breached the perimeter from the inside or out."

"Very well, I shall do a perimeter sweep before returning to my post. Do not hesitate to sound the alarm." Hiro stood and bowed before silently disappearing.

The two samurai who accompanied her everywhere were part of the exceedingly small group of people allowed to know her true identity. Flyorova, Viktor, Mabaa-dono, Maka, Soul, and presumably now Lord Death were the only other people fully aware of her true powers. Lords throughout Edo Japan assumed she was just an immensely powerful witch who could predict time, some even calling her a demon. As long as they didn't discover her true power, they could call her whatever they wanted to.

A heavy sigh slipped through pursed lips as the witch surveyed the room for any more damage. It was specially coated to withstand nearly a full orb explosion, something Mardella was grateful she did as a precaution all those centuries ago. Sear marks engraved themselves into the wood floor with small embers still burning at the aged resource. The walls themselves were completely charred, having taken the full force of the blast. Those could all be fixed, she thought, there were more important matters to take care of. With another quick glance at her burnt palm, Mardella squared her shoulders and strode from the room. Her normally calm demeanor now darkened.

Plans that had been meticulously mapped to the very millisecond were now useless as the timelines for them had become corrupted with madness. The consequences of such an atrocious and impetuous deed angered the witch with each step she took down the stairs, her burned palm clenched tightly at her side. Magic flared through her celestial robes, pulsing from her body in heavy waves. The drawer of her desk screeched as it was flung open by an invisible force, papers being sifted through hastily and without care. Nestled on the bottom of the drawer sat an iridescent origami of a butterfly, its wings fluttering lightly as it was carefully removed.

"Ananke, deity of Fate, hear my plea; guide this seeker to its rightful place in time. Protect it from those who wish harm upon the flow of space. Ensure a speedy journey to preserve the fate of time and space. Heavens above, hear my call to purge the evil from time and space. Divine Intervention."

Mardella gently blew on the butterfly, breathing life into the shimmering creature. With a shudder of its wings it lifted off, heading straight to the window. Without stopping it phased through the glass leaving behind a trail of celestial magic as it vanished into the time space continuum. Glancing down at her palm, the witch set her jaw before staring out into the starry night. She had done all she could from here. Intervening directly in the flow of time was taboo, regardless if she was merged with Father Time. It was dangerous to mess with Ananke and her powers of Fate, something the witch learned very quickly in the beginning as she tried to save a small animal from drowning in a river. The first offence was a slap on the wrist considering the situation at the time, but any mishap after that was a sentence of fifty years in isolation. Considering this matter regarded the flow of time, she was confident the Goddess would make an exception and listen to her plea. Hopefully. Mardella lifted her head and prayed to the heavens above as dread filled her chest.

The rest was up to her.

---

"Maka, what do you think about this one?" Tsubaki held up a gorgeous summer yukata, cherry blossoms intricately weaving across the shimmering black fabric. "You would look beautiful in it! And it's just your size. Come, try it on at least."

"I'm fine with anything, Tsubaki. They all look nice." Maka gave her a distracted smile before returning her gaze to the roped off streets below them. Kid was being secretive, especially since he kept Soul behind to discuss something important. A mission?

"Does this have to do with this morning? You can't keep moping about this, Maka. You know Kid would never permanently remove you from meister duties. You and Soul are practically the highest-ranking duo in the school!" Liz planted her hands on her hips, staring down at the moping meister with knitted brows. "Kid is just worried about you pushing past your limits again. Everyone who was there is still struggling to come to terms with what happened; we're all just worried, Maka."

"Liz is right," Tsubaki spoke lightly as she sat next to Maka on the window seat. The meister begrudgingly dragged her gaze away from the people milling around outside. "None of us want to see you become injured again even if it is just a simple mission. It's best to just keep things slow and let your body heal."

"Party time! Party time!" Patty chirped happily as she began tearing through the plethora of bags littering Tsubaki's apartment floor. Tissue paper began raining like snow and Liz quickly put an end to it by distracting her sister.

"Easy, Patty, the festival doesn't start until five. We still have about five hours until then so keep the damage to a minimum, yeah? Otherwise I'm going to make you clean it all up."

"Why don't we walk around and see what stalls they're putting up this year? I heard there's going to be a Kakigori stall to promote a new business opening up in the square," Tsubaki grabbed Maka's hands and pulled the meister up before she could protest. "Fresh air will do you some good. Plus, we can do a little shopping before we have to get ready. The boys are busy helping Kid get everything set up as well, so we could swing by there."

"Kid will drive them both insane if he tries to make everything symmetrical. It'd be funny to see Black Star snap and destroy everything. Never fails every year, actually. Something gets destroyed and Kid goes berserk on an OCD rant." Liz tossed in with a defeated sigh. There was no changing her meister and Black Star would continue to rampage through things.

"Do I really have to?" Maka weakly protested as she was dragged across the apartment, stumbling to keep up with the taller weapon. Aside from the mission rejection this morning, the meister was also dealing with the argument she and Soul had last night. Emerald eyes looked away, guilty. They never talked about it. She just jumped out of bed and ran straight to the Death Room without a word to Soul. He followed right along as always. "Can't we just…read until it's time to go?"

"If you complain about it anymore, I'll let Patty draw giraffes all over your face." Liz snickered as the meister promptly closed her mouth, Patty cackling with glee at the idea.

After being dragged around Death City for hours and being forced into practically every clothing store there was, the group of women took a break by the Death fountain in the square with their hauls. Maka and Tsubaki nursing iced teas while the Thompson sisters enjoyed ice cream. They had briefly wandered by to see how the setup was going only to see Black Star blowing up an entire stand because Kid refused to admit it was symmetrical. Soul was leaning against a nearby tree, shaking his head at the stupidity of it all. Seeing him standing there in a black Death City tank top with his nicely toned arms and messy white locks pulled back into a small ponytail ignited an odd sensation in the meister and she stopped, falling behind from the group to stare. She's seen him like that plenty of times…

Why was it making her feel flustered?

Just as her weapon stood to end the quarrel between his friends, Maka quickly diverted her gaze and caught up to the rest of the group with a hand fanning flaming cheeks. What she didn't notice was her weapon casting a steady gaze in her direction.

"We should head back to get ready, the festival starts in less than an hour." Maka glanced at the thin silver watch adorning her left wrist. It was a gift from Soul last Christmas, one she only wore when they weren't on any missions to prevent it from being damaged. It was her most treasured possession. Fingers fiddled with the watch forlornly. They'd only been apart for a few hours…yet it washed sadness over Maka.

"Alright. The boys know to meet us here in about an hour. It shouldn't take long to get dressed and do hair and makeup." Liz stood and stretched before grabbing her armful of bags, Patty snatching up the others and posing like a bodybuilder. Her sister snapped a quick picture to post online.

"Makeup? I never liked the feeling of my face being caked." Maka grimaced with a nose scrunch as she grabbed her meager two small bags, nestling the handles in the crook of her arm. She'd found Soul a watch with piano keys patterned in the center, the hands small musical notes. It wasn't a cheap item, having come from some foreign place according to the shop guy, but it was worth it to the meister.

"Maka, you have to wear makeup like, twice a year? You'll be fine, we don't have that much planned for you anyways. Minor stuff like lip gloss and blush."

"Doesn't mean I have to like it."

"Don't you want to look your best for Soul? We all know you were staring at him earlier. Thought we weren't looking, huh?" Liz teased with a haughty smile concealed by a hand.

The three girls tittered as Maka turned bright red, quickly snapping her attention to anything far off in the distance. She never used to blush this easily, not when it came to Soul. Things were different now between them, a deeper connection than just weapon and meister. Maka could never fully understand the concept of love, having seen Papa completely ruin that for her, and even now it was still hard to wrap her head around it. It wasn't that much different between her and Soul being partners for all these years connection wise. They started off rocky, her being head strong and in charge while he was arrogant and often lazy. But through thick and thin, they never failed to keep pushing forward even when their lives depended on it to become stronger than ever.

Once he became a Death Scythe, a part of her feared he would become Lord Death's new weapon, leaving her partner and weaponless. A small flicker that surged into a roaring flame as younger meisters and weapons flooded him with love letters and partner requests. It was hard watching those girls clamor over him, constantly pulling him aside to proclaim their love or request to be their partner. After a while of teasing Soul about being swarmed by a constant wave of hormones, the meister soon favored leaving the area as soon as they converged, a heavy weight nearly threatening to crush her lungs. Tears would threaten to spill over but she always held them back until the safety of her bedroom. For the longest time Maka never understood what she was feeling, chalking it up to anxiety or stress. She'd even resorted to locking away her feelings once Soul started prodding about the weird behavior.

Of course, the girls noticed and would try different tactics to pry it out of her to no avail. Blair, being intrusive as always, picked up on the distressed meisters emotions and snuck into her room while Maka wasn't looking. Once discovered, the feline sat down and gently pried the heavily locked chest open. They had talked for a few hours, getting everything laid out so it could be organized more neatly. By the end, Maka felt like she could understand the emotions and how to handle them better than any book could suggest, even if it was advice from a cat.

Maka felt her lips twitch at the memory of their first kiss, nearly two months ago now. She wasn't entirely sure what she was thinking, but as their moment in Russia had been ruined, it seemed the perfect timing to try. While he was sleeping. The meister grimaced at the thought. Was that too creepy? Kissing Soul while he was asleep? He wasn't truly asleep if he had closed the gap between them, taking advantage of the moment. Was it his plan all along? To trick her into kissing him? Did that make her a pervert?

"—ka"

How different would things be if they'd kissed back in Russia? Would Soul have been there when Ametrine attacked the DWMA? If she'd been defeated then would Viktor still be alive? Together with Vika? Innopolis could still be standing, the villagers still safe in their homes. They wouldn't be getting dragged into another war, just five short years after the battle with Asura.

"Maka—"

What if—

"ALBARN!"

Maka jerked back hard as hands gripped her upper arms, roughly shaking her from her thoughts. Glancing around, she noticed they were back in the apartment with all three woman staring her down. When did that happen? Had her thoughts been that deep to the point of going on autopilot?

"What—oh. Sorry, I didn't realize I had spaced out." The meister smiled sheepishly at Liz. The weapon gave her one more good shake for measure.

"Seriously, we've been trying to get your attention for like, ten minutes now. You need to get dressed so I can do makeup and Tsubaki can do your hair. Now quit spacing and go! We're going to be late meeting the guys even though they'll probably be late anyways. Not the point! Get moving."

A bag was thrown none too lightly at the petite woman before she was shoved into the bathroom, the door slamming behind her. Peeking into the bag, Maka noticed a cherry blossom patterned fabric folded neatly in the bottom. Tsubaki had given her the yukata from earlier. Quickly flinging her clothes off, she carefully pulled the soft fabric out, holding it against her chest as she eyed it in the mirror. It looked beautiful with its soft, yet vibrant coloring, silver and gold thread weaving around the petals. The material was noticeably light, good for sweltering D.C. summer days. An annoyed shout from the other room startled her and she quickly pulled on the barely solid colored slip before easing each arm into the sleeves, careful not to snag any loose threads. Grasping the front together, Maka took a quick glance at herself as the door flung open.

"Maka, you look amazing in that! I knew it was a good choice!" Tsubaki praised as Liz tossed the poor girl into a chair. "Soul is going to be speechless when he sees you!"

"Less talking, more beautifying, Tsubaki!" Liz grumbled around the lip gloss tube clenched between her teeth. "If missy here hadn't been zoning out—stop twitching—then we wouldn't have to be rushing. Patty, sandals?"

"Roger!" Patty chirped as she kneeled in front of Maka, yanking her foot up as she slipped tabi socks on. Wooden sandals were thrusted on next. The toe separation felt unusual and the meister wiggled her digits experimentally.

Tsubaki quickly set to her hair, brushing out sandy locks before heating then twisting them into tight curls and pinning them into a bun. Maka winced as bobby pins scraped her scalp, one after another, to hold the massive bundle of curls together. Liz was applying eyeshadow, taking a step back to admire her work every now and then. Patty danced around in her yellow and brown flowered yukata, making faces at herself in a mirror and practicing her punches. Somehow it reminded the meister of a giraffe. A cloud of hairspray rained over her and she coughed at the irritant.

"Maka, stand in front of the mirror so I can attach your obi, please." Tsubaki gave her bun a final positional pat before reaching for a thick cream-colored piece of fabric.

"Please tell me this torture is almost over," Maka grunted as the belt was tightened around her waist. Beauty was pain after all…

"Almost. Just this and…done!" Tsubaki clasped her hands together and nodded approvingly.

"Damn, Maka, when'd you get so hot?" Liz whistled as she and Patty joined in on the staring. "You're gonna give Soul a nosebleed! Or send the blood elsewhere. Good thing I've got my camera on me. I'll need to gather any blackmail for later on."

"As if this isn't embarrassing enough. I'd rather stick to battle ready clothing. How am I supposed to fight in this if a Kishin or rogue witch shows up?" Maka flushed as she took in her new look, twisting around to look at every angle.

It was like looking at a model, something that made the meister oddly happy. There was just enough makeup to give her some color, but not overwhelming enough to worry about. The light coral colored lip-gloss paired well with her eyes and she briefly wondered if Soul would like it. She could hardly believe it was her own reflection as she carefully turned around, viewing the yukata from all sides. It was lightweight and flowy, though the belt kept her midsection fairly rigid. It seemed to still be a bit long, most likely because Tsubaki owned it, and the fabric grazed the tops of her feet. A small bag was thrust into her hands and she examined that as well, noticing the small orange, white, and black koi stitched into the center of the light cream silk.

"I'm sure everything will be fine. There hasn't been any sightings of madness lately. Relax, Maka, take some time for yourself for once." Liz reassured as she grabbed a floral hair piece, clipping it above her ear. Maka touched the pink flower curiously. "Now let's go, I wanna see some nose bleeds!"

"Let's go! Party time!"

_B_

"Dude, I'm getting hungry! Where the hell are the girls?" Black Star grumbled as he impatiently tapped his foot against the cobblestone. The force of his impatience was kicking up dust and nearly pulverized the stone. "We're going to miss out on the games too! The festival only comes around once a year, bro."

"Chill, Black Star, they're probably not too far from here." Soul rolled his eyes. He'd had enough of the ninja after breaking up multiple fights between him and Kid over building the stalls. "Besides, what's the rush? No missions, no madness, no witches."

Well, for his friends at least. He'd still have to travel to Africa in the morning with Kid regarding a Kishin sighting. A frown ticked at his lips. He'd never left her like this before and after last night…was it a good idea? Being a Death Scythe required him to drop everything for Kid, but he wasn't expecting anything like this to happen so soon. Lord Death did his best to prevent separating the two.

"Obviously I have to get the best spot for the fireworks after winning all of the stall games! No one is greater than me!"

"Do you have to ruin tonight by tearing up the game stalls? You already destroyed one earlier, at least give some of the town the chance to win." Kid sighed heavily, hands shoved deep into his pant pockets.

"Do you really expect anything different from him?"

They turned to see the group of girls approaching, wooden sandals clacking loudly against the stones. Tsubaki's yukata was midnight blue with orange and white koi fish swimming across the fabric, almost realistically with her fluid movements, and a light-yellow obi. Liz showed off her blue and white checkerboard styled attire with orange starburst patterns and a gray obi. Patty, unsurprisingly, had a checkered yellow and brown themed yukata with just a thin black fabric belt. The likeness to the weapons favorite animal didn't go unnoticed.

"Damn, all dressed up for us? Should've worn something more formal," Soul teased as Black Star froze up at the sight of Tsubaki, jaw hitting the ground. Kid was grumbling about the lack of symmetry between his weapons, though still commented on their patterns. "Where's Maka?"

"Oh, she was with us a minute ago—"

"Do you…know…how hard it is to walk in these things!?"

Maka stumbled around the corner towards them, cursing at the sandals that were causing her grief. The socks didn't help either, sliding all over the wooden surface of the shoes as she walked. Tsubaki hurried over to help the meister, apologizing for the lack of steady shoes and a shorter yukata. Once the two rejoined the group, Liz whispered something to Patty who smiled deviously before slinking out of sight.

"Are you sure you're okay, Maka? We can try to pin the bottom up some more." Tsubaki crouched down to tug at the fabric, thinking of ways to shorten it. "I'm sure we can also find you a different pair of shoes. I should have thought about this, you've never worn these before. They can be difficult to adjust to. Try to take smaller steps and put one shoe in front of the other."

"It's fine, Tsubaki, this will all be over in a few hours. I can manage it until then." Maka shifted the pouch nervously in her hands, afraid to look up at the certain pair of eyes watching her. The watch she got him was nestled carefully in the center of the pouch. While it was bought as a random thought, the jewelry also acted as an apology. "Go ahead, I don't want to hold you guys back anymore. I'll figure these things out….eventually."

"That's good enough for me! C'mon, Baki, we've got games to win!" Black Star grabbed his partner's hand before weaving through the throng of people, shouting for them to get out of his way.

"I have to make the opening speech, so I'll be leaving as well." Kid gave a short wave before merging into the crowd. "I'll meet up with you later. Try to enjoy yourselves."

Maka felt her face heat up as it was practically just her and Soul left, wide eyes looking at her feet intensely. It felt like her heart was about to burst out of her chest from nerves, the small pouch shaking in tight hands. His emotions were neutral as he stood there, examining her; she knew he wanted to say something but was giving her time to collect herself. With a deep breath, the meister closed her eyes as she stood upright, preparing to look at him. Now or never. Just as she cracked her eyes, something shoved hard against her back and she felt her body begin to fall forward.

Her eyes went wide as she stumbled to catch herself, though the long fabric of the yukata said otherwise as it caught under her toes. Bracing for impact, Maka was thrown off guard when something grabbed her left forearm, catching her from faceplanting into the ground. Jerking her head up, Soul looked at her with a bemused smile as he reached for her other hand to support her.

"Are you falling for me, Miss Albarn?"

"D-did you just—"

"Make that terrible joke? Yes. Did it work?" Soul gave her a genuine smile as her face heated up, his own face tinted as well. Try to push past the memories of last night, Evans, you're about to leave your meister for a week or more. And she doesn't know.

"I-I…was this all part of your plan, Soul?" Maka sputtered as she straightened up, though she didn't attempt to pull away. While she knew hitting the ground was a chance of zero with him around, it was the way he acted that threw her off guard. Wasn't he still mad about last night? How she callously insinuated about prior kissing experience from recitals? But…nothing in his expression read bothered…

"That would be our plan, Maka. I caught the perfect reaction on camera!" Liz crowed as she danced around with a camera in hand. A few people giggled as they walked by, further fueling Maka's burning face. "I am so making plenty of copies of this! I'll mail you a few, gotta go, bye!" The Thompson sisters booked it into the festival entrance before Maka could stumble after them with a vengeance.

"I noticed Patty slink away, but I had no clue what they were planning." Soul raised his hands in defense at the withering look Maka was giving him. "I'm just here to escort a beautiful lady to the festival. If she'll allow it."

Maka was about to faint if her face got any hotter. That was the first time he'd called her beautiful out loud. Soul chuckled at the color of her face, earning a sharp glare from his meister. With a smile still on his lips, he raised her hand up and kissed the back of it, never breaking eye contact. The sputtering spoke of his success in getting an adorable reaction. One that he'd keep with him always. It was nothing compared to last night, but still memorable.

"Look, it's Soul-senpai! He looks so cool and handsome in his leather jacket!" A first year shrilled from somewhere behind Maka, others loudly voicing their agreements. "Let's go talk to him! Maybe he'll join us for the festival!"

"Damn, time to go." Soul gently pulled Maka behind him into the hordes of citizens eager to enjoy the festival. "They're like damn bloodhounds; everywhere I go they're following. Can't even ride my bike in peace anymore."

"Must be the leather jacket's charm," Maka teased lightly as they weaved between bodies, the shrill voices nearly drowned out. Keep it easy, Albarn, things are still weird between us. Her heart was nearly bursting through the silken fabric. "They did mention you looking cool in the jacket. Nothing mentioned about you outside of that. Sorry to be the bearer of bad news."

"Maka, are you insinuating it's the jacket and not me that has the charm? Ouch," Soul feigned hurt, pressing his free hand against his chest. "And here I thought it was my outgoing personality and perfect looks. Piano skills are just an added bonus, right?"

Maka snorted in response, shaking her head. He could be such a goofball when it was just the two of them together. Of course, he had his façade on when around their friends, but when it was just them he would relax and open up more. Show her a side she yearned to know better. The crowd finally parted as the stalls split into two separate aisles, allowing more moving space, and they slowed to a stop to look around.

"I think they're gone now. What do you want to do first? Foods that way and games are that way. 'Course, Kid is going to give his speech here shortly if you wanted to listen to him drone on and on." Soul shifted to face Maka, slowly taking in her appearance once more from a closer angle.

She was beautiful before ever putting makeup on and now she looked breathtakingly gorgeous. The black yukata suited her well, a sharp contrast with her pale skin and bright eyes, and even accentuated her curves with the belt. Her hair pinned back up drew even more attention to her flushed face, framed lightly by bangs. The light coral color of her lips had the weapon resisting to kiss her right then and there. A stray curled hair had escaped from its binding and with deft fingers, Soul tucked it behind her ear.

"I-I'm fine with anything. I'll leave it up to you," Maka stuttered as the heat crept up once more. Wait, was this a date? Like, a date date?

"Your wish is my command," It was cruel to keep pushing for a reaction out of his meister, but she was just so damned adorable when she blushed. Sadness scratched lightly at his heart. How often would he be able to see this side of her with another looming war?

They strolled together down the aisles with pinkies intertwined, browsing through the food choices and game stalls. A few times they had to duck between stalls to lose the horde of hormones, Soul pulling Maka flush against him in the tight spaces. She could feel his heart beating steadily in his chest, the rhythm soothing her twitching nerves. Sure, they'd done stuff together all the time; going to the bookstore, groceries, movies, even appointments together. But being out at a public event, dressed up and just having a good time felt so different than before.

They were more than partners, at least it seemed that way after everything that'd happened over the past few months. There were no official titles thrown around, just more…intimacy, of sorts. Nothing further happened last night when both of their emotions were running high, but then again they were still fuming over the argument. Things were still normal at home and the DWMA for the most part. Soul still got Maka-Chopped occasionally and the two argued over the littlest things like who burnt dinner again. So why did it feel so different but not at the same time?

"The fireworks should be starting soon, is there anything else you want to do before then?" Soul grunted from his spot next to her on one of the benches pushed back from the main aisles, stretching his arms behind his head. Corn dogs and popcorn had been the weapons dinner while Maka had gone for the more modest, and healthy, smoothie from a new local business.

"Hmm, I think we've seen everything around here and Black Star has destroyed nearly all of the game stalls." Maka shook her head at seeing the destroyed stalls everywhere. See could've won a cute book plushie except the blockhead left the stall in literal smoke and flames. "I don't think I can walk in these shoes anymore though, my feet are killing me. I'm never wearing these things again, Japanese heritage and tradition be damned."

"You didn't bring any other shoes with you?" Soul frowned.

"No, they wouldn't have fit in my bag anyways." She dangled the tiny money filled bag in the air. A few coins hit the watch box and the ash blonde shook it again, forgetting it was in there. Now could be a good time…"Besides, I can handle a bit more pain until the festival ends. I've already had to deal with walking around with limited movement because of this thing. I'm just not used to…dressing up like this, I guess. I'm so accustomed to freely moving clothing that this all feels foreign."

"You should dress up more often, it suits you well." Soul muttered as heat crept up the back of his neck and to his ears. "Your other clothes are nice as well, but it's…you are…you look stunning in that." He blurted out before covering his mouth with his hand, face fully red as he looked down, finding a sudden interest in the dirt beneath his feet. Charms were not part of the personality package at birth.

"O-oh, t-thank you." Maka stuttered as she heated up as well, also nervously looking for something to stare at. "I-I wasn't sure if you would like it or not…not that I was specifically choosing one for that reason!"

"Of course! I mean, I love seeing you in it and stuff…it's not something I get to see often." Smooth, Evans, smooth. The cringe was real enough to make him wince internally; he'd have an external cringe-fest once in the safety of his room.

"Doesn't the black room dress count?"

"There's a difference between clothing like that and stuff like this," Soul leaned back against the bench, eyes drifting to look at the darkening sky above. "The black room is meant more for synchronizing with the black blood; there's not really any control over apparel in there. But you have full control of what you wear out here."

"Mm." Maka just went silent after that, nervously fiddling with the pouch resting on her lap. She wanted so badly to apologize for last night, for making such an accusation comparable to her father. It was right on the tip of her tongue waiting to roll out, yet it continued to sit there. Tied back by nerves that chained it to the appendage.

It was silent for a few more minutes, the two sitting together watching the crowds shuffle through. The sun was beginning to dip low in the sky, the darkened moon slowly rising to take its place.

It still creeped him out, honestly, knowing that the Kishin was hibernating within its depths. Crona keeping a tight lock on the overwhelming madness. Soul often wondered what would happen if the seal broke loose and madness spewed over the world. They already had that close call in Russia thanks to Ametrine. A scowl adorned his face. The situation didn't settle right with him. That battle shouldn't have ended so easily; Viktor lost his life, madness began seeping into the world, Maka died. He still had nightmares about that night, watching as the life left her eyes before she hit the snow. Screaming, begging her to wake up as the battle around them raged on. The sensation of their resonance snapping still burned deep within his soul. Subconsciously he rubbed at his chest, a feeble attempt to soothe the searing ghost pain.

"Soul? Are you alright?"

Soul blinked and looked up to see Maka leaning over in front of him, hands gently cupping his face. Big green eyes filled with concern as they searched his, looking into his soul. Did he zone out?

"Eh?"

"Your chest, is it hurting again?"

Oh. He was so lost in his thoughts that he forgot they were resonating. It was difficult to tell the difference between them anymore. Though his had been closed off after their argument, apparently it subconsciously opened back up to link. Either that or Maka was probing and connected.

"Yeah, sorry, kinda dazed for a bit. M'alright."

"Soul, we can leave—"

"No, I'm fine, really," Soul gently took her hand, kissing the palm. "Just the madness reacting to the new moon. It'll go away in a bit."

Maka could feel the full force of the pain flowing from his soul and winced. Ever since the battle on the moon, whenever the new moon waned, the black blood would react more violently. He hid it well the first week or so, but on a night paired with a nightmare, the pure terrified screams coming from down the hall sent the meister leaping from bed and down the hallway faster than she'd ever moved. Soul was flailing, tangled in his covers as he grabbed at his chest in pure agony, screaming at the top of his lungs. Calling his name did nothing and the meister ripped the covers from his body and threw them onto the floor. With fast reflexes she caught his left arm and pinned it against her chest, quickly working to interlock their hands. It had worked after Crona sliced him open, in the infirmary, giving him a ground back to reality. Minutes agonizingly crawled by before teary red eyes shot open, darting around the room before resting on his terrified meister beside him. Without a word, Maka crawled into bed next to him, holding him tightly against her chest as they both tried to calm down.

Since then, when either one of them experienced a nightmare, the other would wake them up before scooting into bed, providing a comfort no other person could. It went on for months at intermittent intervals until they eventually began to die down, everything somewhat returning to normal. Maka frowned. Despite the recent nightmares, had either been there in the middle of the night?

"Come on," Soul spoke quietly, "Let's go before we miss the fireworks."

"Alright." Maka silently grumbled about having to wear the damned shoes even longer, her feet already sore and blistering. "I'm about to just buy Tsubaki a new pair and throw these into a pond. I'll ask for forgiveness later."

As soon as she took a step forward, her body left the ground with a swift movement and was pulled tight against something warm. Maka looked up in surprise, heart skipping a beat as Soul gave her a small grin in response. The nervousness plaguing her soul melted away as Soul carried her bridal style down the empty side streets, heading towards the wooded area just up the hill. A cool wind had picked up as the sun finally fell beneath the horizon, the desert night in full swing. The meister suppressed a shiver.

The clearing came into view and Maka sucked in a breath of awe. While the moon nearly blended into the dark sky, the stars were blinding in contrast, twinkling brightly lightyears away. Soul set her down on the brick wall, standing behind her to block the wind. Carefully swinging her legs over the walls brick edge, she leaned back into her partner to look up at the stars. Despite their spats, he would always be a source of comfort. And in that moment with the guilt residing on her soul, Maka needed it more than anything.

"It's beautiful," Maka whispered, eyes marking out all of the visible constellations. After the fight with Asura on the moon, it became difficult to notice the stars in the sky. The view brought back too many nightmares. "I never noticed the stars before, how vibrant they are."

"Figured you'd like it." Soul wrapped his arms around her, resting his chin on her shoulder. Just one last night of holding her, that's all he wanted. His fingers dug into the skin of his arms just a little harder. "No one else considered coming up here to watch the fireworks since Kid marked off an area for everyone."

"Let me guess; symmetrical?" Soul grimaced into her neck, earning a giggle.

"Do you have any idea how long it took to do that today? Over an hour, Maka, just to get the lines completely straight. Black Star was about to destroy the whole damn thing too if Kid didn't agree with it. I've had enough playing babysitter with those two."

"Perks of being a Death Scythe, getting to be bossed around by your employer all day for the greater good of symmetry."

"I already have to deal with it at home, don't I get a break?" Soul grumbled as he settled next to her, leaning against the bricks to look at her.

"I don't boss you around that much—"

"Make my bed, pick up my dirty clothes off the floor, clean up the dishes, stop leaving my underwear everywhere—" He counted off on his fingers, giving Maka a deadpanned look.

"Hey! Those are all very reasonable demands—"

"Buy the groceries, carry your books, training, more training, schoolwork, Death Scythe duties," Maka was biting her tongue, holding back the laughter. She never realized how much like a mother she sounded. "Fend off the savage horde of hormones chasing me, which you insulted me for, by the way; carrying you up a hill because I'm the best damn partner there ever was, and I brought you to the most secluded area in the city so you could see the stars and fireworks. Yet here you are complaining—"

"Okay, okay, I get it!" Maka burst out laughing, holding her sides as she tried to breathe. "I'll try not to be so bossy next time!"

A pop filled the air and a ball of sparks shot into the sky before bursting, scattering into a flower pattern before dying out. More fired off, filling the skies with bright patterns and designs. Maka felt relaxed for the first time in a long time, enjoying the show with the man she loved more than anything else. It had finally dawned on her, after last night's events, what being in love truly meant; being happy no matter what they were doing. Caring for each other. Being themselves together. Whether it was constantly running from freshmen girls, playing ball toss games only to end up 'accidentally' throwing one at Ox who laughed at her when she missed, laughing at Soul when his corndog turned out to be mostly batter. It was all the little things she never noticed until now, under the open night sky, with him by her side.

Remembering what was hiding within the small bag, Maka gently dug out the black box. Soul didn't seem to notice until it was poking him in the arm, crimson darting down to look at it prior to shifting up to his bashful meister.

"What's this?"

"A…an apology gift. For the way I acted last night. I'm sorry for insinuating that you…you know." Maka stumbled out with eyes darting up to his and the box, placing it in his open palm. "I let my insecurities get the best of me…"

"You don't need to apologize for that, Maka." Soul popped open the box to reveal a silver watch with a piano key face and musical note hands. He'd never seen something quite like it, yet it suited him perfectly considering a G note was the larger hand. "This is…"

"I know it may not be your style to wear, but I figured it suited you perfectly. The shop owner said it came in from overseas. Some older, foreign brand that was known for making music inspired jewelry." Maka held out her hand and waited until he held out his left wrist. It clicked into position. She waited anxiously as he settled it against his skin, fingers twisting together against her lap.

"It's perfect, Maka. Thank you." Soul whispered, admiring the attention to detail. Out of his peripheral the weapon noticed Maka smiling as another firework popped off. "This means a lot to me. Truly."

Maka shifted to look up at him, adoration swimming in her emerald orbs. There would be no more doubts, hesitations, fear. Lifting her hand to his face, she lightly caressed his cheek, lithe fingers tracing down his jaw. Her partner, weapon, best friend…lover.

"Soul,"

"Maka," Soul covered her hand with his own, leaning into the touch.

"I love you."

"I love you, too."

Just as their lips melded together, a powerful explosion shook the air, sending them jerking back in surprise. Panicked screams filled the air as another explosion triggered, chunks of wood blasting into the air. With a silent look, Soul transformed as Maka swung her legs back over the wall, ditching the shoes in the process. Catching the scythe swiftly, the meister began running through the trees pulling at the obi with vigor as the explosions increased. Soul Perception tingled in the back of her mind and she narrowly avoided a magical blast, a nearby tree taking the hit.

"My, my, so sorry to interrupt your little date,"

"Show yourself!" Maka shouted as she slid to a defensive posture. The yukata made it difficult to move easily. She stilled as the wavelength felt familiar. This soul…

"Judging from the look on your face, I'm guessing you figured it out." The voice cooed from somewhere within the trees.

"Ametrine…" Soul's face appeared in the blade, eyes glaring dangerously. "Didn't learn the first time, did you?"

A tinkling laugh echoed around the meister, the source untraceable. "As welcoming as always, Soul. That must be a trait with all Death Scythes."

"What is it you want? Revenge? To finish off the job because you failed the first time?" Maka's perception narrowed in on the source high up in the treetops. Witch Hunter could reach her, but it would destroy half the forest. She couldn't be reckless here. Not so close to such a large panicking crowd. Her clothes weren't suitable for fighting either, putting the meister at a slight disadvantage.

"Oh, nothing of the sorts, really," Ametrine sounded bored, the leaves shaking violently above them as though she were moving through them. "I'm merely here for some entertainment. I hardly have the power needed to take you down."

A shadow suddenly dropped from above and Maka swung with all of her strength. It seemed like a direct hit with the blade. No evidence of what she struck remained, sending the meister into higher alert. She could have sworn there was something there…no, wait, it wasn't! It was—

"Don't you realize, Maka? I can't be hit if my soul isn't in the body you attack," Ametrine's voice bragged from above. "For such a high ranking meister one would think you would know of that by now. Unfortunately for you, I have assistance this time."

"What?!" Soul snarled.

"Time to play, Maka Albarn!" A second voice hissed from behind the meister.

Maka swung around and came face to face with a witch, her grin crooked as piercing deep blue eyes locked into green. No detectable wavelength. Soul Protect. Pressure erupted into the meisters abdomen and she felt the air rush from her lungs in surprise. Looking down, a small jagged and elongated dagger protruded from her stomach, black blood dripping freely onto the grass. After a moment of surprise, Maka swung the scythe forward only to have no target to hit.

"Maka!" Soul yelled as he began transforming back.

"Don't! Don't you dare!" Maka grit her teeth as she tasted metal. Soul stopped, heavily debating the situation, then reluctantly returned to full scythe form. "Whatever you do, don't change back! It's what they want."

"You'll die—!"

"I won't. Not as long as you stay by my side and fight with me." Maka coughed, blood dripping down her chin. Damnit. She wasn't focused after weeks of lying around doing nothing. She should've known better. "Resonate."

"It'll—!"

"Soul!"

"Lovers quarrel? How cute," A second shadow dropped down from the trees, landing behind the crazed witch. "We already know what will happen if you resonate, Maka, because you're standing in front of the witch who created the curse placed upon you."

"The curse…?" Maka whispered. The curse that had killed her…she did it?

"Ancient Witch Esadora at your service, Maka Albarn." Esadora curtseyed hastily, hysterical laughter bubbling up in her throat. "You are just in time to play a little game with me! It's been so long since I've played a game!"

Maka glared at the two witches, attempting to keep her breathing even. Fire was burning through every vein in her body, electrifying the entire network of nerves and making it difficult to even stand. Was the blade laced with something? She had to warn Kid and the others. Slowly, she expanded her Soul Perception, weaving through the hundreds of Death City residents, searching for the familiar souls in the area. To the untrained eye, it appeared the meister was just standing there with an intensely focused look in her eyes.

There! They were managing crowd control, directing people out of the area and to shelter. A minute throb pierced her soul as she reached out to Kid, connecting with his soul. All of the information quickly transferred through the link and feelings of alarm slipped through from the receiving meister.

"Auh, uh," Ametrine purred as she moved towards the meister, Esadora gliding forward faster than the blink of an eye as she yanked the blade from Maka's body. "No calling for backup this time."

Faster than she could process, Maka flew backwards through the air before colliding with the ground, rolling until her back hit a tree trunk.

"Maka! Get up!" Soul screamed at her barely moving form, eyes darting between the witches and her. "You have to get up, now!"

The connection severed after a few seconds, leaving the scythe meister groaning in agony face down in the dirt. She couldn't fight back, not with a gaping wound in her stomach and a quivering soul wavelength. Her body laid paralyzed in the dirt, nerves and muscle spasming uncontrollably. They were going to be killed, that she was certain of as she cracked her eyes open, watching as the world spun around her violently. Maybe Soul could still escape…

"If you're…going to kill me…then do it." Maka spat weakly, chest heaving as she struggled to breathe. She wasn't ready, just like everyone tried to warn her. She didn't listen. "Leave…Death City… alone…it's me you want."

Ametrine sauntered over to the girl, heels digging into the dirt as she crouched down. Her figure was more of a young teenager's than a fully grown adult. A shorter version of her black dress fell just past her knees, a much simpler version of the usual apparel. Thick red braided locks swung freely down to her waist. No hat adorned her head this time, most likely due to it being destroyed in Russia. With a small hand, the witch grabbed Maka by the hair and pulled her head up to face her.

"That would be too easy! Instead, Witch Esadora has kindly agreed to send you somewhere fun." Ametrine released her grip, smiling manically as an audible thunk was heard.

A bright light filled the area and Ametrine stumbled backward as a blade connected with her neck. Blood flew into the air as the witch was decapitated, her head rolling away while her body twitched lifelessly on the ground followed by blood gushing from the neck. Soul stood in front of Maka, arms bladed and covered in blood. Pure anger contorted his face into a menacing snarl, red eyes narrowed dangerously at Esadora.

"I won't let you kill Maka," Soul snarled as he kept his distance from the newcomer, crouching in front of Maka protectively. "Come any closer and I'll kill you too."

Esadora blinked before standing upright, releasing the dagger. She seemed to be studying the blades protruding from his body, interest gleaming in her eyes. It didn't seem like she wanted to fight, but nothing gave away what she genuinely wanted. Regardless. She was now an enemy of the DWMA. And one very angry Death Scythe.

"I am not here to fight," She said after a few tense moments. "I am not that stupid. I may be an old witch but I still have common sense unlike that pile of trash beneath your feet. I know what a Death Scythe is more than capable of."

"Then leave," Soul growled, widening his stance to better cover the downed meister. Kid and the others better show up quick. Trying to protect Maka and fight off an ancient witch wasn't going to end well. "Use your damn common sense and just go. Lord Death has been alerted to your presence here and will be here soon. Other Death Scythes will be converging here as well." Esadora briefly chewed on her lip, seemingly calculating the risk of staying.

"Unfortunately, I am unable to leave just yet. The experiment has already begun, and I am afraid I need to make sure the portal works correctly."

"Portal?" Soul had a sinking feeling and glanced over his shoulder. Oh no.

The ground beneath Maka had begun to turn black, swirling and churning like stormy waters. Tendrils of the darkness writhed around the meister, latching onto her body. Soul abandoned the blade on his left arm and hastily sliced at the tendrils only to discover they grew back immediately. Maka's body began to rapidly sink into the ground and into the unknown depths.

"Maka, you need to move! Fight it!" Soul begged as he tried to pull her from the darkness' grasp. The tendrils began latching onto him as well with the intention of dragging him along. Blades on both arms fought off most of them yet they persisted. "Fight, damnit! You can't give up this easily!"

Maka blearily looked up at him, an image of fuzzy red and white moving around rapidly. It looked pretty as it swayed about, almost like a flower dancing in the wind. A bright light above her shone brightly as it grew closer and closer and she feebly attempted to reach for it, her arm unwilling to move.

'Wings,' She thought as her vision shifted, everything around her becoming clear and warm. 'Such a pretty butterfly.'

Soul felt warmth rush over him as a small iridescent butterfly fluttered gently towards Maka, magic sprinkling over the motionless meister. It seemed to hover for a moment before its wings rapidly enlarged and encased them both in a protective shield. Esadora let out a nearly feral growl as she blasted magic at the barrier in an attempt to break it. The spells bounced off harmlessly.

"Damn you, Mardella!" The witch snarled, grabbing the knife with trembling hands. Of course that blasted witch noticed a tear in the time stream continuum! Nothing every got past that nosey fake of a God! "You have no place in this world! Begone, back to your own space of time! Leave me be, fake God!"

With a flick of her wrist, the knife went hurtling towards the shimmering shield. Seconds before impact the shield suddenly sunk into the ground, taking both Soul and Maka into the unknown. The blade lodged itself into the tree trunk, missing its target. Esadora panted as she stood up, eyeing the spot where the portal had opened. It seemed the both of them were transported into the alternate reality, something the witch hadn't planned on. Only Maka Albarn was supposed to fall through and eventually succumb to the madness overflowing from the lands. Now that her partner, a Death Scythe no less, was trapped in there with her they could escape at some point. Chewing on her nail angrily, the witch stared down at the lifeless body of Ametrine. Stomping over to the body, Esadora crouched down and held her hand over the chest cavity, muttering under her breath. A blue glow began to seep through the black dress as it emerged free of its container.

"Your impudence has ruined my plans," The witch hissed at Ametrine's wriggling soul. "This betrayal shall not go unpunished."

Ametrine said nothing, remaining quiet as Esadora tore a rip in time before stepping through. She couldn't hold back the urge to punch the meister, bloodlust still circling within her soul. Next time, the soul twitched angrily, next time Maka Albarn would be dead. A flash of red mixed with the ghostly blue of her soul briefly before vanishing.

If she survived being turned into a frog and eaten alive, that was.

---

I'm realizing how cringe the previous Soul and Maka scene was and I apologize for the heinous crime of such an atrocious sin. It has been corrected to better suit the story (still with fluff, just not creepy. My younger self was dumb.)