I do not own Soul Eater or Owl House.
If I did I'd probably be able to write this damn thing on a more consistent basis... stupid midterms, stupid finals, stupid essays, stupid university...
It was difficult for Soul to enjoy the encroaching evening.
Gradually, the sky beyond the window had turned from brilliant blue, to a fiery orange, the edges of the distant clouds plunging to deeper pinks and purples as the sun continued its journey further and further west. The white curtains were steeped in vibrant sunset, and the suspended ceiling tiles were cast in deeper and deeper shadows as the sun continued to sink - the effect was beautiful in its own way, the colours dancing across the pure white in an animated surrealist painting.
And yet, he couldn't bring himself to appreciate it in full.
"Soul?" his partner squeezed his hand again, "Are you alright?"
The contrast between the colours and the dark were beginning to make his head swim, making him squint as he struggled to keep his attention on Maka and Blair, their forms practically silhouettes against the window.
Nonetheless, he forced himself to smile, hoping he could pass off the way he squeezed his left eye shut as a wink, "Just a little tired, Maka… who knew waking up from an eight day coma could be so exhausting?"
What little humour there was in the words went entirely unnoticed by the Meister. She grimaced, her gaze breaking away from his, her hand pulling away, offering no response.
"... sorry," he sighed, unable to maintain his own gaze.
Maka barely moved, her eyes barely visible against the glare of the window. Blair, however, crossed her arms, her brief glare seeming to suggest she was debating whether or not to scold him for the joke; her golden eyes gleamed as she looked him up and down once more, her signature sensual smirk replaced with a look of almost maternal reprimand.
It was all Soul could do to grit his teeth as his eyes drifted up to the ceiling, a wave of derision crashing down through his chest.
What in the world was he doing, poking fun at his own condition like that? Those eight days might have passed in the blink of an eye for him, but for Maka…
… finally, the cat let out a sigh, the severity of her expression waning. Her hands fell to her knee as she uncrossed and recrossed her legs, fingers interlocking gracefully as she asked, "Are you sure there's nothing you want us to get you?"
"... nothing comes to mind," he deliberately avoided shrugging, not wanting to aggravate his cut any more than he already had, "I'd ask for my earbuds, but… I'm too tired to listen to music right now."
"Then we'll bring your phone and earbuds when we come tomorrow," Blair assured, her smile returning however slightly, "But I meant more in terms of food."
"... no appetite," the white-haired boy shook his head, closing his eyes. He was hungry, to be sure - but at the moment he wasn't sure he wasn't sure he'd be able to feed himself, and he didn't feel like handling the humiliation of being spoon-fed right this second.
If at all possible, he'd rather wait until he could guide a spoon into his own mouth.
"... Soul, you haven't eaten anything in over a week," Maka managed; Soul cracked an eye open to find her green gaze fixed upon him, lips pulled thin, "I know you're on an IV, but…"
"... don't you two worry."
The Scythe hadn't been anticipating the deeper voice or the sound of a chair rolling across the floor; the familiar head of grey hair and the clicking of the massive screw turning in place heralded the arrival of the doctor, lazily draped across the bent, stitched-up office chair. He rolled forwards with no visible propulsion, his chin in his hand, "Even if he's not up to eating tonight, we'll make sure he gets something in his stomach by tomorrow. After all, we'd all like to get him off that IV as soon as possible.
"Professor Stein," Maka blinked, her voice regaining some of its confidence.
"Hello again, Maka," He nodded, though his eyes were fixed firmly on the bedridden Weapon, his focus uncomfortable, "Soul. Welcome back to the land of the living."
"... Stein," he managed to bob his head before falling back against the pillow, glad to break the intense eye contact, "There a reason you had Doctor Gorgon looking after me earlier?"
"I had an appointment earlier with another patient; it was urgent," he adjusted his glasses, smirking, "Besides, I didn't think my face would be the first you wanted to see upon waking up."
Despite the pain, Soul felt a snicker escape him, "Can't say you're wrong. You're not exactly a sight for sore eyes."
The professor let out a chuckle, "That's a little rude, considering all the work I put in to save your life this past week. Don't you think you should be a little more grateful?"
The Weapon grinned, "Didn't think you cared about my thanks."
"I don't," the amused smile never left Stein's tone, "Saving you was part of my job. I care about your well-being insofar as you are my patient and one of my students, and I want to do my job as a doctor and a professor well. But on a personal level, I couldn't care less about your actual gratitude."
A chill settled over the room despite its warmth; the casual honesty in the doctor's voice sent shudders racing up and down Soul's spine, his pain momentarily forgotten as his smile faded. Briefly, fear writhed in the depths of his stomach, and he found himself mechanically nodding in response, unable to break his gaze away from those eyes of grey-green limestone, "... duly noted."
"... do you have to be so creepy?" Blair shuddered, her expression one of unguarded disgust, "Can't you be at least a little personable? Or… a little less blunt?"
"Sorry, Miss Blair," he tilted his head idly towards the cat, "There's not a whole lot I can do about that."
"... is there a reason you're here, professor?" Maka queried.
"Just here to check in on Soul," Stein didn't move, "And also to let you know that it's time to head home."
"Don't we have a couple more hours?" the cat piped up, eyes wide.
"Normally, you would," the elder Meister sobered; slowly, he unwrapped himself from around his chair, his lanky body cracking at least half a dozen times as his spine straightened and his limbs stretched, "But these are special circumstances. Soul's just woken up, and I'm sure you can tell he's having trouble staying awake."
"... that obvious?" Soul mumbled.
Stein ignored him, continuing to address his partner and moocher instead, "Moreover, there are some things I need to go over with him in private before he sleeps. I can't really do that with you hanging over his shoulder."
"... I see," Maka's head dipped, "I'm sorry, Professor."
"Don't be," Stein smiled, the expression so real one could almost forget the admission he'd made less than a minute ago, "You're here to see your partner and housemate; I'd be more concerned if you didn't want to stay longer. You'll be able to have a much longer visit with him tomorrow, when he's feeling a little better."
"... right," she rose to her feet, "We should probably go make dinner anyways, Blair."
"Actual dinner this time?" Blair pouted, a cloud of smoke consuming her before her feline form leaped up onto Maka's shoulder.
"Actual dinner," Maka sighed, defeated, "I promise."
"Good. I'm not letting you fall into tea and toast syndrome for three days in a row."
"Save some for me?" Soul did his best to summon his casual smirk.
"Sorry, Soul, but you're going to be stuck with soups and stews for the next little while," contrary to his words, Stein's tone was not sorry in the least, the curl of his lips almost sadistic as he adjusted the screw again, the glare of his glasses hiding his eyes, "Anything solid is liable to give you severe indigestion at this point. I'd rather not aggravate your condition because you were feeling peckish."
"I can make soup!" the Magical cat raised a paw before Soul could protest, "I make a mean beef and potato stew."
"... that does sound good, actually," the Scythe murmured, his mouth already watering at the prospect.
"As long as it's only broth and soft foods," Stein raised a hand to point at the cat, unusually stern, "Nothing solid."
"Nothing solid," Blair agreed easily, "I can work with that."
"We'll be going now, professor," Maka stepped past, her pace quick, "Goodnight, Soul."
"Maka."
His partner stopped at his call; slowly, she turned to face him, eyes briefly tracing his shoulders before meeting his gaze, lips pulled thin and brows curling upwards.
"... don't blame yourself for what happened, okay?" he tried to make his smile as genuine as possible, dropping the cockiness from his tone entirely.
She didn't immediately answer. Instead, she bit her lip, turning away.
"... I'm in here because of a decision I made," he kept his voice even, hoping it would be enough to bring her back, "This isn't your fault."
"You're in here because you protected me, Soul," her voice was on the verge of frustration as her eyes shot back to him, brow furrowed and lips parted in what was nearly a snarl, as if he didn't understand what had her so upset.
"Of course I did," he countered, confident, "I'm your Weapon, Maka. Your partner. I'm supposed to protect you."
For a long moment, neither partner said a word, Weapon and Meister suddenly at an impasse. Crimson stared into emerald, Soul trying at once to both quell Maka's emotional mire and figure out exactly what was causing it…
He wouldn't get the chance.
She turned away again, arms clutching at each other, "... I'll see you tomorrow, Soul."
With that, she strode off again, Blair only barely managing to get in a passing "Goodnight, Soul!" before the two slipped away entirely, the door clicking shut behind them.
Barely a second passed before he realized what he'd done; the Scythe slammed the back of his head into the pillow as hard as he could, longing for a sharp, painful ache to clear his head. But the headboard was too far out of reach from where he lay, and it hurt too much for him to raise his arms to his head. He had to settle for squeezing his eyes shut and grinding his teeth, baring them to the ceiling as he growled his own frustrations up towards the tiles.
"... I don't think that helped, Soul," Stein stated evenly, staring after the Meister.
"I can see that, Stein," he shot back, still not opening his eyes, "I'm bedridden, not blind."
To his credit, the stitched man did not laugh at Soul's plight. Instead he stepped closer, footsteps heavy on the tile, "Would you mind humouring some questions of mine about your health?"
"Do I have a choice?"
"Yes, you do, though I'm going to have to ask them eventually," the clicking of the screw again, "It's not really a matter of whether or not I'll ask them, so much as it is a matter of whether I'll ask them today or tomorrow."
At this, Soul cracked open an eye again; had he been in any condition to stand, Stein's silhouette would have made him leap clear out of bed and possibly out of his skin. Unlike Maka and Blair, who had both taken on an ethereal beauty in the orange light, the shadows only served to enhance the severity of the stitched Meister's features. Were it not for the faint greens in his limestone eyes, the doctor would have looked as though he had stepped out of an old monochrome film, a living consequence of science taken too far - though the boy knew that the man in front of him was all too real.
Doing his best to keep his fear in check, however, Soul merely let out a half-hearted sigh, "Alright. Fine. Let's get this over with."
"Emotional state aside, how do you feel?"
"Like Hell," Soul said bluntly, unable to suppress a grimace, "My chest feels like it's on fire. It hurts just to breathe; I can talk at least, but… it certainly doesn't help. And I feel like I can barely move; my arms and legs have this numb ache, and I'm totally pinned under this blanket. I can curl my fingers and toes, but that's about it - and not just because it hurts."
"I'm not surprised; you've been unconscious for a week," the pale man's hand finally fell from the screw, gesturing towards the boy, "Even with your Soul Wavelength working to maintain your health, you're bound to be suffering from some loss of muscle mass and bone density, among other things. We'll have to get you doing some physiotherapy in order to prevent any further damage as soon as possible."
"Not sure when that's gonna be," the pale preteen grunted, "It hurts just to raise my arms."
"Some exercises you'll be able to start as early as tomorrow. Even if you can't get up, hand and foot exercises will help with coordination and some amount of maintenance," Stein stated, "Beyond that… we'll just have to see how you're doing. Although, since you've regained consciousness, your Wavelength should start helping the healing process along more actively, now that it's not dedicating all its energy to keeping you alive."
"Well, that's good to know," that actually brought a smile to Soul's face, "Any guesses as to when I'll be able to get up?"
"Do you want a generous or realistic estimate?"
"Gimme best-case, worst-case."
"Alright," the grey doctor closed his eyes, face lifting to the ceiling, "Best case scenario, you're on your feet the day after tomorrow, albeit with some limits to how well you can move. Worst case, barring some freak accident or unforeseen medical complication that causes a blood vessel in your brain to burst, it'll take another week before you're ready to get up."
"... oddly specific," Soul ventured, not sure if he wanted to ask.
"If I had a nickel for every time it's happened to one of my patients, I'd have two nickels," Stein shrugged helplessly, "I saved them both, and it's not very much, but it's odd that it's happened twice."
"Well, let's hope we don't get a hat trick," the Scythe squirmed at the thought, "Still, that's better than I was expecting. If it weren't for my Soul Wavelength, I'd probably be bedridden for a month or more."
"If it weren't for your Soul Wavelength, you'd be dead," the stitched professor intoned grimly, "That wound would have been fatal for anyone without their Soul Wavelength. As it is, you should consider yourself lucky that Maka got you to a hospital as quickly as she did."
Soul sighed again, trying to shift so that he could be slightly more comfortable, only finding mild success in his endeavours, "Right… right… I really need to make it up to her."
Stein made no further comment on the matter. Instead, he took a seat beside the boy, leaning forwards on his knees, "There's a few things that we're going to need to monitor while you're recovering. You suffered a significant amount of organ damage in that fight - your left lung, your stomach, your liver, both of your intestinal tracts…"
"... is there anything that wasn't damaged?" Soul half-asked, half-snarked, trying to keep the panic down.
"Your heart and right lung, along with both kidneys," the doctor noted, smile wry, but brief, "I'll spare you the gory details, but I got to you fast enough that you didn't need any implants, which would have caused their own fair share of issues.
"As far as we can tell, everything is healing up nicely with no signs of infection - but even once everything is healed, I'd like you to keep coming in for checkups until I give you the all-clear. You can't be too careful when it comes to organ damage this extensive and severe."
"... duly noted," the Scythe really wished he could move his arms better; as much as he didn't want to see it, part of him wanted to run his hand along his stomach, as if doing so would reassure him that all his organs were still in place, "Is there anything I need to take, meds-wise?"
"Mostly your standard painkillers, maybe some anti-inflammatories."
"That's it?" Soul blinked.
"Like I said; no implants," Stein shrugged, "That means there's nothing for your body to reject, which makes the whole process significantly more straightforward. Although I'd rather stay away from any medications or doses that will put too much stress on your liver."
"Okay," Soul nodded, "Anything else?"
This time, the doctor didn't immediately answer. He just stared down, expression inscrutable.
"... Stein?" the student prompted, "You still tuned in, dude?"
"I dunno. Let me check," he reached up, adjusting the screw in his head.
"... you don't… actually have a radio lodged in your brain, do you?"
"What do you think?" his expression still hadn't changed.
"... I think," Soul started, tone flat, "I'd like it if it were easier to tell when you were joking,"
"And where would the fun be in that?" Stein chuckled, before abruptly sobering, "I have a couple more concerns, but I don't think now is a good time to discuss them. You need your rest, and moreover, I'd prefer to know a little bit more about what we're dealing with before I give you anything else to worry about."
"Well, that's not ominous at all," the young Scythe grunted, lips twisting, "You sure you don't wanna just tell me now and get it over with?"
"Just try and get some rest for now, Soul," the doctor rose from his seat, padding back over to the bent office chair; he sat himself back down, straddling the spine, "Just know that for now, missions are off the table for you and Maka."
"... like… completely off?" Soul asked.
"Until the two of you are ready to fight again," Stein nodded, "And even once you've recovered physically, that might take some time. Psychological recovery is a whole other ballgame - and I hope that Doctor Gorgon can help you both get back on your feet."
Soul opened his mouth to press the matter further-
Only to find himself interrupted by a loud buzzing.
He twisted his head, facing the night table; on its surface, a phone sat in a plain yellow case, its screen alight, but frustratingly, too far out of reach for him to properly see.
"... crap," he muttered.
"Something wrong?" Stein asked.
"Maka forgot her phone," Soul grit his teeth, forcing the muscles in his shoulder to lift, clumsily flailing for the phone-
Only for Stein to snatch it up, having made no sound despite still being seated in the office chair; he read the screen idly, cocking an eyebrow, "... Noceda. There's a name I haven't heard in a while."
"... someone you know?"
"A… classmate of mine," he settled, "We shared classes in medical school. One of the DWMA's post-secondary institutes; one of the only people who could actually keep up with me."
At this, the young Weapon found himself downright perplexed, "... why would Maka have that on her phone?"
"I could wager a guess or two," he held the phone out, "You wanna answer it?"
For a long moment, Soul was tempted. Genuinely, truly tempted; he reached out with what strength he could manage, eyes locked upon the green arrow…
But ultimately, he just took the phone, and let his hand fall limply at his side.
"... not my place to pry," he settled, the vibrations sending shivers up his arm.
Stein stared for a moment before another amused smirk crossed his lips, "You never cease to surprise, Soul."
"Hey, she's my partner," he shrugged, "I trust her. If she wanted me to know, she'd have told me. I'm no stranger to personal secrets."
"Fair enough," those limestone eyes dipped to his hand, "You want me to run her phone down to the lost and found?"
"Nah," he shook his head, "She's coming back tomorrow anyways. It'll be easier for her to find if you leave it here."
"Alright," with that, the doctor finally turned to leave, "You make sure to get some rest, Soul. You can open and close the blinds with the button on your left."
"Sure thing," he nodded, "Have a good night, Professor."
With that, the doctor wheeled away without another word.
Slowly, Soul craned his neck, propping up the phone; it was still ringing, a single name emblazoned in white on the black screen.
Noceda.
After a moment, the name faded, a missed call notification popping into being beneath the clock.
He sighed, then reached for the button at the bedside; the sunset colours faded into near nothingness as the blinds pulled themselves across the window.
With that, he did his best to let himself settle into slumber…
"This is Maka Albarn. Please leave a message, and I'll get back to you as soon as I can."
Luz let out a low, almost wheezing sigh as she stared out towards the horizon; the sun had almost set entirely beneath the waves, dying the ocean a bright pink that slowly faded to violets and indigos the further one's eyes drifted from the center of the horizon. The distant skull of the Isles almost bled perfectly into the sky, only visible due to its sheer size creating a distant silhouette; were it not for the horns and and the curve of the eye and nose sockets visible beyond the treeline, the girl might have mistaken it for a rising moon. Stars had completely filled the sky above the forests behind her, with nary a cloud to hide them, all twinkling coldly in the dark above as she struggled with the words.
How could she explain any of what she'd been through?
"... hey, Maka," she managed, trying to force some cheer into her voice, "So… good news… Eda made it back shortly after we spoke last… um… we've… talked… and… I have a decision to make."
She paused entirely on impulse; a flush of disappointment welled up in her when she received no response, reminding her why she hated voicemail so much.
Nonetheless, she continued, "I… I need some advice, Maka. I need it bad. I… I've been sitting here for hours, and… and I just don't know what to do."
Silence, again.
"... I know you have work to do," she acknowledged, "And… I know it's important. But… I need this, Maka. When you hear this, please call me back. I… I can't wait this time… please."
Once again, nothing; just an electronic echo chamber she could only hope her sister would return to soon.
Luz closed her eyes, composing herself, "... I'll… talk to you later. Te amo… love you, Maka."
With that, she hit the red button, ending her message.
It was all she could do not to fling her phone away; as it was, she let herself fall onto her back, flailing briefly in her frustration before simply laying spread eagle, legs still dangling over the edge of the cliff.
No matter how many times she went over the decision in her head, she just couldn't decide what the right thing was.
On the one hand, going home. Forgetting everything in and about the Boiling Isles. Abandoning any chance she might have at being a Witch. Living a normal life with a hole in her mind and heart that Luz wasn't sure she'd be able to ignore.
On the other hand, staying here. Hiding the truth from her family. Possibly never seeing them again. Risking her life to practice Magic, a power that would inevitably transform her in ways she couldn't possibly predict.
Her responsible side reared its head; at least if she went home, she wouldn't have to lie anymore. She couldn't tell anyone what she didn't know; her memories would be gone, and that would be the end of it.
Except that it wouldn't; her sense of want retaliated in full. No matter how much Eda cut from her, that wouldn't take away the awareness that two weeks of her life were just gone. Two weeks in which she had learned so much, two weeks in which she had unlocked her Soul Wavelength. Something critical would be missing, and she'd spend the rest of her life chasing a chance that would have long since passed her by.
She rolled onto one shoulder. If she stayed, she'd be able to keep learning Magic… but she'd also have to keep lying. How long would she be able to keep it up for? How long could she maintain the illusion that she was at summer camp before the lies fell apart?
Restless, she rolled to the other. If she left, who was to say Luz or her family wouldn't still be in danger? Magic left its mark, after all, and she'd already cast her first spells; eventually, the changes would get too big to ignore, with no one to help her handle them and everyone out to stop them… that would upend everyone's lives, with no explanation, and no solution.
She finally settled for her original position, laying on her back, arms splayed, staring up at the darkening sky, at the unfamiliar stars and the laughing golden moon.
At least here, she could see the stars.
But was that really worth everything else?
"... still thinkin'?"
"... still thinkin'," she answered, not looking up to meet King's gaze as he leaned over her.
He sat down beside her, cross-legged, purple eyes fixed upon her as he gestured over his shoulder, "Wouldn't you rather think inside? The bugs can get real bad once the sun starts to sett."
"I'm fine, King," she smiled, grateful for his company as she sat up, legs dangling over the cliff, "It's still warm out. Besides, I still wanna see the rest of the sunset."
"If you're sure," he scooted up to match her, tiny paws swinging back and forth over the edge.
For a long moment, Luz just let her eyes dance across the clouds, taking in all the colours of the fading golden sky.
"... pretty, isn't it?"
"... it is," she nodded, "I've… never seen sunsets like this. Makes me wish I could drop into the waves and just… swim for a while."
"Swim?" he craned his head towards her, eyes wide, "In the Boiling Sea?"
"It's not as strange in the human world," the human met his gaze, "Our oceans are mostly on the colder side."
"... I have a hard time picturing that," he confessed, staring down at the water below, "No Magic, cool rain, cold oceans?... the human realm sounds like a weird place."
"... I guess it would be, outside looking in," she watched a particularly large wave crest against the spires below, steam rising as scalding hot water met relatively cool stone.
"... hey, Luz?"
"What's up, King?"
He seemed to chew on his question for a moment, frowning under his skull before finally snapping his head up to face her again, tone somewhere between quizzical and distinctly vulnerable, "Why are you struggling with this so much?"
She blinked, taken aback; King gestured a claw up at her, "You don't seem to like the human realm very much. It makes you do things you clearly don't wanna. And you really seem to like it here; you're surrounded by people who like you and want you to stay!"
At this, Luz had to bite her lip, breaking away to stare listlessly down at the churning water below.
"... I dunno," the tiny tyrant's voice wavered, clearly afraid that he'd gone too far, "I just… it seems like the answer here is obvious, is all."
"... it's not that simple, King," the confession was as much to herself as it was to her friend. She drew a knee to her chest, wrapping her arms around it, "There's a lot about the human realm that I don't like. I don't like how I'm supposed to have myself and everything I want figured out before I'm even in highschool. I don't like how the things I want to do always seem like they're completely out of reach. I don't like how everyone outside my family just… writes me off as acting out or a troublemaker. I don't like how hopeless everything feels sometimes, and I… I hate how I'm… not allowed to just be me."
Her hands clenched; years of bitter rage crept into her voice as she spoke, her brow furrowing and her teeth gnashing on every word, "I hate the idea of having to wear a mask in every single situation. All the world might be a stage, but that does not mean I should have to pretend to be someone I'm not."
"... so why?" King pressed, "What's there that you'd go back to all that?"
"My mom," the girl's grip loosened, lips pulling up into a sad smile, "My dad. My little sister… if they knew where I was right now, they'd be so worried. Maybe even angry; I've spent all this time lying to them…"
"... you really love them, huh?" for the first time, a note of understanding bled into his voice.
"I do," she nodded, "And it's… it's not like the human realm is devoid of wonder. There's so many places I wanna see, things I wanna do; I just… I wish it weren't so…"
"Judgey?"
"Yeah. Judgey," Luz cast her gaze upwards, reaching up towards one of the distant stars, "Everything here seems… so much more straightforward. Like Witches and Demons have figured it all out already, while the human realm's just… a big mess," her hand fell, and she leaned back on her palms, biting her lip, "But by the same token… I've only seen a small part of it; Eda's own little slice of paradise can't possibly represent all of the Boiling Isles. Much less the Demonic Realms."
"... the idea of Witches and Demons coming for you doesn't scare you at all, does it?" King queried, crossing his arms.
At this, the tanned teen let out a laugh, "Well, maybe a little. Not enough to scare me off, though."
The diminutive Demon chuckled, flopping down on his back to stare up at the sky, "Well, you know what I want you to do. I know it's selfish, but… I don't want you to leave. You're fun, and you pay attention to me - Eda doesn't always do that. I know she's got a lot on the go, but…"
"... yeah," she nodded, "I know exactly how that feels."
"The demands of the 'real world,' am I right?"
"Oooooh, yes."
A shared laugh between the two before Luz sobered once again, "I'm sorry, King. But… I can't just make this decision based on what we want. This is… big. I need to figure out what's right."
"... I know," King stood, "You want me to leave you alone?"
"... yeah," the girl nodded, picking up her phone from where it lay on the rocks beside her, "There's a couple more people I'd like to call. Get their advice."
"Your parents?"
"... I know what Mami will probably say," the chocolate child's lips pulled thin, "Even without knowing everything, I can't see her approving of an apprenticeship out of nowhere… how am I even gonna describe this?..."
"And your dad?"
"He's always been supportive," she scrolled through her contacts, "Maybe he'll know what to say."
"... alright. I'll leave you to it then," she heard him start to turn away, then stop.
"... King?" she looked at him, curious.
"... before I go…" the Demon worked his jaw, eyes downcast as he tapped his claws together, "... in case I don't get the chance again?... I'm sorry, Luz."
"Sorry?" Luz startled, "For what?"
"... Eda might have been the one that tricked you," he began, shame heavy in his tone, "But… I… I could've told you at any time that she was stringing you along. And… I didn't," he looked up at her, eyes shining, "I'm glad that things worked out the way they did. But that doesn't change that I lied to you, too."
For a long moment, all the girl could do was stare down at the monarch, brown eyes gazing into purple and gold. After a moment, a strange sort of relief settled across her shoulders, a gentle smile stretching across her face.
"... I accept your apology, King," she said gratefully, "Thank you for being honest with me. And for making the time to make it."
Somehow, she could see a smile form beneath his skull, "... don't stay out too long, okay? It gets dangerous at night."
"I know," Luz waved, "I'll come in once the sunset's over."
With that promise, he turned, and made his way back to the house, leaving her alone atop the cliff.
She turned her gaze back down her phone, thumb hovering over her contacts; she took a slow breath, and let it fall, raising the cracked screen up to her ear.
"... so," Spirit began, legs crossed and trying to keep his air as nonchalant as possible, "How are you holding up?"
The only response he received from the boy was a glower - the same glower that he'd fixed upon Spirit from the moment the Death Scythe had entered the room. His posture was rigid, back and shoulders straight, and arms crossed over his chest, a single finger tapping against his bicep; his lips were pulled thin, and those deep lilac eyes were narrow, painting the very picture of impatient belligerence warring with forced neutrality.
His Soul wasn't much better; the purples and golds roiled and crashed as the blond fought to keep himself composed, a young lion pacing along the bars of his cage, waiting for someone to be foolish enough to reach through the bars…
"... you seem to be recovering nicely," the Death Scythe ventured, "Is Doctor Gorgon letting you walk around?"
This time, he received a response - an exasperated eye roll before the boy dismissively gestured to his left with his fingers, arms still firmly crossed; a pair of crutches leaned against the wall, gleaming dully in the light.
"... well," Spirit chuckled, rubbing the back of his head, "I gotta say it's impressive that you can walk at all, even with crutches, considering the state you were in. You really are a tough one, aren't you?"
The youth cracked his jaw, expression flat; he didn't need to say anything for the redhead to know that he didn't appreciate the Death Scythe's tone.
"... I, uh…" the redhead trailed off; he was rapidly running out of topics to broach without actually breaking into the interrogation proper. He had hoped that he could at least get a word out of the bandaged boy before then - even a one word response would have been some kind of progress - but the blond was a stone wall. A decidedly irritable stone wall, to be sure, but it was looking less and less likely that he would be able to get the youth to say anything without more coercive methods.
Nonetheless, he endeavoured; Spirit straightened his spine, clearing his throat as he forced himself to take on a more formal posture, "... I wanted to thank you."
At this, the pale youth's eyes narrowed, an eyebrow slowly climbing up his brow; the irritation hadn't faded in the slightest, but at the very least, it was now accompanied by a carefully guarded curiosity.
"For saving them," the Death Scythe clarified, seizing sincerity and opportunity in equal measure, keeping his tone carefully even, "Those students you encountered at the Chiesa."
The brow dropped back down, a brief flash of understanding crossing the boy's face as he settled back; he did not uncross his arms, curiosity and irritation fading from his expression.
It wasn't the response that Spirit had been hoping for; the young soldier was closing himself off again, settling back into his practiced neutrality.
Still, Spirit pressed on, bitterness bleeding into his tone as he broke his gaze, the admission almost painful to make, "... there is… no way that my partner and I would have made it to them in time. If it weren't for you, I…"
He stared down at his fists as they clenched on his knees; rationally, he'd always been aware of the risks. Of what Maka might be facing every time she went out on collection - after all, he had faced all the same risks, still faced all the same risks every time he was needed to act as anything more than a glorified vice-principal.
But now… now it felt so much more real; he didn't know how close he had come to losing his daughter, but if Soul was any indication, she had escaped death and worse by the skin of her teeth. She had nearly been killed by an opponent that completely outclassed her, and had only barely been saved by someone whose name he didn't even know.
Someone who now lay in the bed before him, suffering the consequences of heroism.
Death's Weapon forced himself to breathe; he rose from his chair, the boy visibly tensing as he moved, ready to react in an instant.
Whatever threat the youth was expecting, Spirit didn't make it.
Instead, he bowed at the waist, more deeply than he had ever bowed to anyone other than Makoto, feeling as much as hearing his voice break beneath the weight of his gratitude, "You didn't have to save them. You could have very easily left them to die. Instead… you laid down your life and gave them the chance to escape. Even if that wasn't what you intended to do."
Slowly, he raised his head; Spirit fought to regain his composure, caught somewhere between a sob of relief and a gurgle of laughter at the bewildered look on the boy's face as his emotions threatened to get away from him entirely.
Instead, he forced them back, speaking as candidly as he could, "I don't know why you were out there. I… don't doubt you had your own agenda regarding the Demon Sword. But… if it weren't for you… I would be mourning my daughter right now. I… I cannot possibly thank you enough."
The boy seemed as caught in the tide of emotion as Spirit himself. The blond's eyes were wide, violet rings utterly still as they stared into the Death Scythe's cyan, his jaw helplessly working as half-strangled sputters escaped him. His hands were half-raised, fingers curled almost in claws, unsure whether to reach out or defend as the first syllables in four days finally escaped him, "I… I-I-... it…"
Spirit didn't press. He simply waited, letting the blond recompose himself.
Finally, he seemed to settle on what he wished to say. He swallowed, lips parting, his eyes darting back and forth between the Scythe and the blankets-
Only to be interrupted by a knock at the door.
Spirit did everything he could to bite down on the curse that nearly flew from his lips as the boy's mouth clamped back shut. He turned in place, keeping his expression placid as the door opened. The lanky figure of Stein was framed in the doorway, idly adjusting the screw in his head with his free hand as he glanced back and forth briefly between his partner and the prisoner.
"... Spirit," the doctor finally addressed the Death Scythe, "Need to speak with you real quick."
"... can it wait five minutes?" it was a struggle to keep the clipped annoyance out of his tone as he gestured back to the boy.
"It's about Maka and Soul."
That was all he needed to hear. In an instant, the redhead was on his feet again, flashing a brief smile at the boy in the bed, "Sorry to cut this short. Sounds like I'm needed elsewhere."
The youth didn't answer. His eyes were cast down again, his arms crossed and his posture hunched, but it completely lacked his earlier annoyed belligerence. His eyes were wide, his jaw set and his lips pursed, the purples and golds of his Soul roiling with the anxiety that ate its way through him.
A pang of sympathy shot through Spirit's heart; he paused, then began, "... if you'd like to speak with me… then… all you need to do is ask."
The only response he received was a curt, absent nod.
Honestly, it was more than the Death Scythe had been expecting. All at once, the boy had clammed right back up, the brief window of communication slammed firmly shut by the reappearance of his Meister.
He stepped out of the room, managing to hold back his sigh until the door was firmly shut and locked behind him. He ran his fingers through his crimson hair, letting the annoyed huff out through his nose, long and slow.
"... bad time, I take it?" Stein queried.
"Whatever could have given you that idea?" Spirit snapped, "It's not like I was about to finally get him to speak for the first time in four days."
The doctor raised an eyebrow, "Really?"
"Really."
"Hm," the stitched man paused, turning to peer at the huddled boy on the bed through the viewing window, "And here I thought you were gonna be nice to the kid."
"Please, Stein," the redhead growled, leaning back against the stone wall, gaze flitting back to those lost lilac eyes, "I'm not gonna torture a child."
A smile flickered across those clammy grey lips, "So showing off pictures of your daughters at every opportunity isn't torture?"
"Not for those who actually listen to me," Spirit countered.
Another chuckle as Stein adjusted his glasses, "And here I thought I'd never be able to empathize with Lord Death."
"We both know you don't," the Scythe huffed, "Now what's this about Maka and Soul, Stein?"
"I have an update for you," the taller man sobered, "Doctor Gorgon is keeping the details private, but apparently she has the start of a diagnosis for Maka."
"Is it bad?" despite himself, Spirit couldn't keep the concerned apprehension out of his tone.
"I'd say it's a good thing Doctor Gorgon is actually a people person. She's noted that Maka is exhibiting signs of depersonalization disorder."
"... God… Dammit," the Scythe breathed, the words not even a whisper on the wind as he brought one hand across his chest, and the other to his forehead, eyes and jaw clenched.
"It's not for certain," Stein's heavy hand fell on the Weapon's shoulder, "Gorgon believes that Maka is still in a state of shock from the incident, which might be contributing to the symptoms; she doesn't want to give an actual diagnosis unless the symptoms persist for more than a couple of weeks. She's confident that the symptoms aren't too severe at the moment, so we'll just have to wait and see how things go."
"... does Makoto know?" Spirit forced himself to ask, rather than giving voice to the frustrations and flagellations that fought to break free from his frame.
"Not as far as I'm aware," his partner stated, "You haven't told her?"
"I've tried. I haven't been able to get so much as an email through, much less a phone call," the redhead dragged his hand down his face, breath escaping all at once in a huff, "I don't know if she's just blocked ALL of my contacts, even my work email, or if she's changed all of her details entirely, but…"
This time, Stein didn't answer. The Meister just stood, silent, his thoughts inscrutable behind his stony expression as he lit a cigarette, a thin trail of smoke rising towards the ceiling.
"... and what about Soul?" Spirit finally queried, glancing up at his partner, "You said something about him, too?"
At this, the stitched professor's expression lightened slightly, "Well, you wanted me to let you know when he woke up, didn't you?"
"He's awake?" the Scythe blinked, genuinely startled by the first piece of good news he'd heard in over a week.
"Awake and aware, though I hope he's managed to get back to sleep at this point," a puff of smoke filled the air between them as Stein exhaled, "I suspect he's going to be confined to bedrest for the next few days at least, but if nothing else, it's good to know he's finally regained consciousness."
"That is a relief," Spirit agreed, finally reaching out with sharpened fingers, snipping the lit end of the cigarette, "Is it alright if I visit him before I head home for tonight?"
"Technically, visiting hours are over, though I suppose it should be fine as long as you don't wake him up," the doctor dropped the remainder of the cigarette without so much as a beat, stomping out the remaining cinders, "Just try not to give him too much grief; Soul needs his rest."
The redhead opened his mouth to fire back-
-only to be interrupted by a familiar ringtone.
Fishing his phone from his pocket, he found himself staring once again at his daughter's phone number, Luz's face bright upon the screen.
"... that's clearly important," Stein crossed his arms, glancing at the locked door, "Shall I take over for you while you take that?"
Spirit shook his head, "No, leave him be. Right now, he'll just double down on his silence no matter how hard you push him; we're better off just letting him have a chance to settle."
"... you're too soft, Spirit," this time, there was no smile on his partner's face as he spoke. His stitches only deepened the shadows of his grave grimace, lips curled, brows furrowed and his eyes all but completely hidden as Stein adjusted his glasses, "You can't treat this sorcerer like he's just a kid. He's not. He's a soldier; first chance he gets, he's going to try to get out. And you know as well as I do that he won't think twice about killing in order to make that happen."
This time, the Death Scythe didn't answer. He simply started down the hall, leaving Stein to his own devices as he brought his phone up to his ear.
"Luz?"
"... hi, Dad," she settled back against the stone; the sun had disappeared entirely now, leaving only the faintest hints of purple against the now-pitch black waves and indigo skies. Were it not for the warm lights shining through the windows of the Owl House, the entire cliff would have been pitch black, even with the light of the moon suspended in the sky above.
It wasn't the golden crescent Luz was so accustomed to seeing in the human world, silently laughing away into the night. Rather, this full, silver sphere more closely resembled a skull than a face, the near-white surface resembling bleached bone, its empty eyes staring lifelessly at the world below, its teeth bared in an expression caught between a grin and a grimace - though she wasn't convinced it could have made any other expression with how sunken its features seemed. It hung motionless in the night sky, a starbound corpse, only serving to enhance the impression of claws reaching out to her from the darkness of the surrounding forest.
It made her grateful for how cozy the Owl House seemed.
But Luz couldn't go in.
Not yet, at least.
"You doing okay?" she asked instead, crossing her legs and scooching in place, turning to face the house.
"I feel like I should be asking you that," she heard him chuckle, the sound wry, but tired, "Given how late you're calling. Camp getting you down?"
"Eh," the teen pulled the phone away, trying to hide her swallow before continuing, "Un poco."
"¿Quieres hablar sobre eso?"
Luz couldn't stop herself from biting her lip; she'd wanted to speak with Papi, certainly, but… but now that she had him on the phone, how could she even begin to phrase the questions she wanted to ask? All the things she wanted to tell him?
'If you had the chance, would you learn Magic?'
'So guess what I learned over the past two weeks?'
'Am I in trouble for learning to use my Soul Wavelength?'
'Guess what, Dad? I found a Good Witch!'
'Soooooo… I might have to go to the DWMA after all…'
'... is Maka okay-?'
"Luz?"
The sound of her own name snapped her back out of her trance; she clutched at her temple, trying to shake her head clear before returning her attention to the phone, "Sorry, sorry, just… got a lot on my mind, is all," she wrung one hand around an ankle, fighting with her words, "Camp's been… it's a lot."
"I can imagine," his tone was entirely sympathetic, the sigh on the other end bordering on exhausted, "It's never easy, trying to adapt to a new place, trying to make new friends…"
"Especially when everything's so…" she reached up, trying to physically grasp a term.
"Taxing?" Dad prompted, "Tiring?"
"No, just…" Luz flailed, fingers raking the air like claws before she finally gave up. The girl flopped onto her back, legs kicking out, "... much."
"Are you settling in okay, at least? I thought you were enjoying your time at camp."
The question made the tanned teen cringe; she had to fight the urge to curl in on herself again, struggling to come up with anything that wouldn't count as a lie without letting the truth cascade out of her in a flood, "I am, Papi. I really am. I just…"
Luz paused, closing her eyes; her jaw ached with how tightly she clenched it, both hands curling into as tight of fists as she could manage.
"... you just…?" her father prompted.
"... I got asked a really big question, today," she settled, "Like… I basically just got asked 'what do I want to do with the rest of my life?' And… it's… really, really bothering me."
"... because you don't have a good answer?"
"... maybe?" she let her free arm flop across her eyes, blocking out what little light was filtering through her eyelids entirely, "More like…"
Again, the young sorcerer trailed off, chewing at her lip once again.
This time, Dad didn't prompt her, instead waiting for her to continue.
"... Dad," she finally began, "... have you… ever been stuck at a crossroads before?"
"Plenty of times; it's really annoying when you have a stop sign at a three way intersection and nobody else does."
"Papiiiiiiii," Luz groaned, though she felt a smile swiftly spread across her lips, the tension draining from her fingers.
"Heh, sorry, sorry. Couldn't resist," the Death Scythe chuckled, "But… a crossroads, huh?... you feel like you've got a choice to make?"
"... yeah," she settled, pulling her hand away and opening her eyes once again; the stars gleamed, beautiful, but distant, uncaring to her plight, "Yeah… that's it."
"Well, what are your choices?"
"... promise you won't get mad?"
"Luz, why in the world would I get mad?"
She took a deep breath, squeezing her eyes shut again as she steeled herself for her confession, "... I found my Soul Wavelength."
The silence that filled the air was a unique white noise all its own; Luz could see her father having come to a dead stop, cyan eyes wide as he processed what she just told him. In her mind's eye, the projection of the Death Scythe worked his jaw, the shock on his face giving way to any number of emotions, all branching off into the dark in a thousand different directions.
"... you… you found it?..."
The mix of awe and fear in his voice was telling, at least ten other questions hiding behind it.
"... I did," the youth nodded, even though he couldn't see it, "I… I've been practicing."
"... who's been teaching you?" Papi queried, his voice hushed, his tone more serious than she'd ever heard it in her entire life.
"... Maka," she managed, "I… I basically begged her to. This was… before, when I thought you could talk Mami into letting me into the DWMA. I thought I could get a head start. But I… haven't told her yet."
"Maka, or your mother?"
"Neither of them," Luz shook her head, "I haven't had the chance to tell them."
Dad let out a brief hum, before pushing forwards, "Then who have you told? This seems to be what's prompted the question."
Luz had to bite down on a curse, realizing her mistake too late to backpedal; she swallowed as her body tensed again, trying to stick to the truth as much as possible, "Um… Eda knows."
"Eda?"
"My… councillor? Cabin leader?" technically speaking, both were entirely accurate if she thought of the Owl House as a camp, "She, uh… it was hard to hide it from her when I…"
"... let me guess: you broke something?"
Somehow, the Weapon's wry amusement seemed to break the tension once again; and once again, it wasn't exactly wrong. Luz found herself tapping her fingers together, the image of the Light Glyph flashing through her mind, "... a couple things, actually..."
"I remember when Maka first unlocked her Soul Wavelength when she was eight," Dad sighed fondly, before sobering, "Can I speak with her?"
"With Maka?" the girl blinked, confused.
"No," he clipped quickly, "Sorry, Luz. I mean, can I speak with Eda?"
"N-Not right now," the would-be Witch shook her head again, barely managing to keep her voice from cracking as her heart leapt into her throat, "She's… busy getting things organized, right now, and it's… well, it's getting late. I think she wants to sleep soon."
"... fair enough. Though I'd like to speak with her as soon as she's available, alright?"
"How come that's so important?" Luz asked.
There was another long moment of silence before she heard Papi let out a sigh. The sound was… strange; tinged with a tone she'd never really heard him use before. It was like he was pushing out every emotion beyond calm determination with that single, slow breath, before he finally began to speak again.
"Luz. I need you to listen to me very carefully, okay?"
"... I've… broken some pretty serious rules, haven't I?" she finally sat up again, tone somber.
"It's nothing that we can't deal with," he assured, "Though I expect your mother is going to be… a little upset, once she finds out."
"Because she doesn't want me going to the DWMA?"
"Primarily. But there's no use hiding it - she'll be able to see your Soul when you get home, and she'll be less upset if we don't hide this from her."
Luz nodded, still struggling to keep the emotion out of her voice, "... okay. So… what's going to happen?"
"... as far as Canada and the USA go, there's… legislation around studying Soul Wavelength," the Death Scythe began, "Any material regarding Soul Wavelength, with very few exceptions, is the exclusive purview of Death Weapon-Meister Academy. This material is not supposed to be handed out to unaffiliated parties under any circumstances due to the power of Soul Wavelength, and there could be severe legal consequences for everybody involved if that material is in any way leaked."
"... like… bigger than juvie?" the chocolate child ventured.
She could practically hear him shaking his head, "Much bigger than juvie, Luz. In the cases of adults, we're talking consecutive life sentences in the cases where things have gone severely wrong."
"... ooookay," Luz squeaked, "I can see why you're worried…"
"... thankfully, there's a bit of a loophole for us to work with," a little cheer returned to his voice, "After all, it isn't uncommon for Weapon or Meister parents to give their kids something of a head start in regards to their Soul Wavelength. Maka is a perfect example of this - Makoto got her started on Soul Wavelength training when she was eight. In addition, there are families and communities tucked away in parts of the world where Soul Wavelength is passed down as a cultural tradition, and not every descendant of the original Demon Weapons has been accounted for - every now and again, we come across someone who discovered that they are a Weapon very much by accident. As such, anyone from these groups or anyone that discovers that they have a Weapon trait is given the opportunity to study at the Academy, no harm no foul - the Academy even serves as a potential alternative to juvenile detention in certain… extraordinary cases."
"Alright, so," she pursed her lips, trying to follow, "Because you and Mami worked for the DWMA… we could… get me into the DWMA to dodge the legal consequences? Claim you taught me?"
"That's the long and short of it," Papi's voice shifted again, "Though we're going to have to keep Maka's involvement a secret. We have to navigate this just right; one wrong move…"
"... and it's not just me getting in trouble, is it?"
"No," the Scythe said, "She might get some leeway due to her age, Luz, but this could still do a lot of damage to Maka's studies. I've seen this sort of thing crater the careers of otherwise incredible Weapons and Meisters."
"... okay," she let out the breath she'd been holding, "But… what about Mami?... she's… really not going to be happy about this, is she?"
"No. No she's not - especially after she made me promise not to teach you," Dad sighed, "We're probably gonna have to find some sort of compromise there. After all, once a Wavelength is found, there's no real way for it to be taken away."
Luz did her best to keep the wave of relief that washed over her a silent one, pulling the phone away from her mouth so her sigh of solace would go unheard. Instead, she pulled her lips thin, finally asking the question, "So… what do you think I should do, Papi?... should… should I chase this?... or… just…"
"... Luz," the elder Albarn began, voice regaining its earlier warmth, "This is… tricky. We're gonna have to be very careful in how we navigate this, but that doesn't mean there's not a way forward here. I suspect we'll have to talk your mother into it, but… well, if you're willing to work hard and be patient, the DWMA offers a lot of post-secondary opportunities."
"It does?" she blinked.
"It does."
"But I thought adults couldn't become Weapons or Meisters."
"That's a bit of a misconception - it's just easier to teach children than it is to teach adults," Papi explained, "That doesn't mean that adults can't become Weapons or Meisters with the right mindset and a good work ethic. Just look at Sid - he didn't start training to become a Meister until he was in his late twenties. He finished his whole Meister education in less than a year, and became a Three Star Mesiter by the time he was thirty, faster than anyone I've ever seen. It takes most graduated students who attend the Academy for all of middle and highschool upwards of five years to reach Three Star, if they even want to go that far in the first place; most are content to stick with being Two Star Weapons and Meisters after they graduate."
"... wow," Luz murmured, chest filling with awe for the zombie, "That's…"
"Incredible, right?" she could practically feel her father's hand on her shoulder now, "There's no need for you to be in such a rush. You finding your Wavelength is… unexpected, sure - but you don't have to make any decisions right now."
"... okay," she forced herself to sober, taking another breath, "... how do we tell Mom about this?..."
"... I can talk to her, if you want," Dad offered.
"... no," the teen shook her head, "No. I… I should tell her. I just… gotta figure out how."
"... if you're sure, Luz. Just don't put it off too long, okay?"
"Okay," she agreed, even as her stomach dropped out from under her, "... I… I should go. It's getting late, and… I've still got a lot to think about."
"... if you're sure. Te amo, Corazoncito."
"Te amo, Papi. Buenas noches."
"Buenas noches."
With that, the line went dead.
Luz's relief rapidly began to drain from her stomach as she pulled the phone away from her ear, staring up at the sky once again, brows upturned and lips curled down. If anything, she only felt even more conflicted than before; she'd managed to tell the truth without giving Eda away - without giving herself away - but that did nothing to assuage the growing guilt gnawing at her guts. If anything, it felt like the lie had continued to grow, larger and larger in her hands despite her efforts…
And to top it all off, she wasn't any closer to a genuine answer than she was before.
She only had more decisions to make. More questions, and no conclusions.
A shaky breath escaped her as she pulled up her contact list once again.
Lil' Sis Maka.
Mami.
Her thumb hovered over both contacts, her hand shaking…
"... pick up," she mumbled, pressing her thumb to the screen and raising the phone once more, "Please. Please, pick up…"
Soul's head swam as the ringtone roused him from his reverie.
It hadn't been deep enough to call it a proper slumber - for what felt like hours, he'd danced back and forth across the line between dream and reality - but it was enough that he felt like he was wading through waist-deep sludge just to think. His eyes itched, his vision bleary in the dark; he could feel the crust in the corner of his eyes as he forced his lids open, white light faintly illuminating the ceiling above him.
He fumbled clumsily, gritting his teeth as the pain flashed up through his shoulder; nonetheless, he managed to get his arm out from under the covers, his fingers groping across the bedside table until they finally wrapped around the phone. He blinked, trying to get his eyes used to the glare as the screen lit up directly in his face, trying to read the white lettering against the black background-
"Noceda."
That name again.
The same person who was calling earlier.
He slumped, letting his arm collapse against his own chest as his eyes slipped shut once more. The phone continued to rumble against his ribs, but for the moment, he genuinely couldn't bring himself to care.
The Scythe was much too tired to think, much less speak.
Besides, he wouldn't pry into Maka's life. Not if he could help it.
Eventually, the buzzing and the ringing ceased.
Silence took over the room once more.
And he slowly began to drift off…
Only for his heart to leap into his throat as the ringing and the buzzing renewed.
His eyes snapped open, and he looked down at his Meister's phone.
The same name shone across the screen.
"Noceda."
Slowly, Soul felt his jaw set as he set the phone back down. His grip on the phone tightened, and he found himself resisting the urge to simply throw it across the room, if only to make it stop.
He was exhausted. He wanted to sleep through the night and the following day, get as much of his strength back as he could.
The phone stopped ringing.
And then it started again. Not even ten seconds between calls.
The wounded Weapon peered down once more, grimacing at the familiar name.
"... this isn't gonna stop, is it?" he muttered thickly to himself, his tone dark and irritable.
The continued ringing was his only answer.
He closed his eyes, pursing his lips. As much as he didn't want to pry into Maka's life, this was getting ridiculous. There was no way he was going to get any sleep if this kept up.
Surely, there wouldn't be any harm in telling them to leave him be…
That thought in mind, he forced his eyes back open, staring down at the screen; he moved his thumb over the green button, and tapped it, setting it to speakerphone and setting it on the pillow with a pained grunt, and letting his arm fall back to his side.
"Hello?" he wheezed.
"Maka?"
The voice was… bright. Feminine. And somehow unnervingly familiar, even though Soul knew very well he'd never heard it before. It was enough to force him to pause, his exhaustion slowly being pushed aside in favour of a strange anxiety that was building in his chest, his gaze slowly turning towards the phone as if he could see who it was on the other side.
"... Maka, are you alright?" the girl at the other end queried, seeming plenty troubled herself if her tone was anything to go by.
"... sorry," the borderline albino boy managed, shaking his head on his pillow, "Maka's not here right now. She's, uh… she forgot her phone at the hospital."
"Hospital?"
"Yeah. She was visiting me, and she probably won't be able to come back to get it until tomorrow," Soul elaborated, "She's… she's had a long week."
"... okay," the pained disappointment in the girl's tone was palpable, before she tried to force it back out, trying to keep her voice measured, "Can I… can I ask how you know Maka, then?... who are you?"
He paused, debating for a moment; in all honesty, Soul should have just told her she was waking him up and asked her not to call again. And yet, he hesitated to actually do so - and not just because it hurt to raise his arm to the phone. Now that he was speaking with this girl, whose voice was at the very edge of his memory, it was getting harder and harder to ignore his curiosity, even through the mire of his exhaustion.
"... hello?"
"Sorry," he answered automatically, all control slipping away as his mouth moved on impulse, "The name's Soul. I'm Maka's Weapon partner."
"... you're… Soul?"
A chill ran down Soul's spine at the note of incredulous wonder that tinged those words - a portent of an oncoming storm that he subconsciously knew that there was no way to stop. Nonetheless, he hesitantly confirmed, "Yes?..."
"...¡ohporDioseresSOUL!"
The squeal of utter delight left his ear ringing from its sheer pitch and volume; he cringed, struggling to decide which would be worse between the pain of the girl's cheers and the pain of raising his arm to protect his ear. Eventually, he settled on simply letting the jabbering run its course - was that… Spanish?
"¡Es un guto por fin conocerte!"she all but shouted directly into his ear canal, her earlier trepidations apparently forgotten.
"... um…" yeah, that was definitely Spanish; he wracked his brain, trying to unscramble the words with what little of the language he could remember off the top of his head, "... el… gusto es…¿mio?"
At this, she let out a gasp, "¿¡Hablas Español!?"
"Not very well," Soul interrupted before she could babble on any further, "It was… a long time ago, and I'm not sure how much I remember."
"Oh… well, still, that was pretty good for someone who hasn't done it in a while!"
"I appreciate it," the Weapon cleared his throat, "I'm sorry, but… who is this, exactly?"
"Oh, sorry, sorry!" she backpedaled, a nervous chuckle escaping her, "I'm Luz! Luz Noceda!"
And just like that, he had a name and face to match the voice - a voice that wasn't familiar to him, he realized, but to his partner. He could practically see that broad smile and the mess of haphazardly cut brown hair, eyes of chocolate shining with her sheer enthusiasm; she seemed to bounce in place, foot to foot with more excitement than he could reasonably handle. Her energy emanated through the phone like a Wavelength, and Soul had to resist the urge to pull his head away lest he be given a secondhand concussion…
Even so, he couldn't help but nod; now that he stopped to think about it… "... so you're who Maka's been teaching over the phone."
"That's me!" he could all but see the way the tanned teen puffed out her chest with pride, "And I've come really far, too! I can't wait to… to…"
The confidence in her tone faded as she trailed off; the notes of pensive anxiety had returned as she finally fell silent, her enthusiasm seeming to drain away entirely.
"... to… what?" Soul prompted.
"... sorry. I… I can't talk about it, right now," Luz said, suddenly sullen, "At least… not until I talk to Maka."
"... are you… okay?"
"I…"
The deep breath that echoed in his ear was a familiar one; the breath that one takes when trying to come to a difficult decision, a breath that Soul himself had tried to pry out of his life entirely. Eventually, she sighed, "... I don't know, Soul."
"... somethin' on your mind?" the preteen ventured.
"... a lot of things. It's… why I called, actually - I was… hoping Maka would have some advice for me."
Soul nodded, even though he knew that Luz couldn't see it; certain now that he wouldn't be getting back to sleep, he reached clumsily for the remote. The blinds gradually pulled upwards, letting what was left of the sunset pour into the room; with the sun having sunk halfway past the horizon now, the brilliant oranges had faded more to pinks and purples across the sky, and its glare was nowhere near as bright. The image was pleasant now, a tranquil prelude to the encroaching evening.
"I see," he managed, straining to sit up and adjust his view; ultimately, he had to settle for angling up the bed, gritting his teeth slightly as his torso was angled gently upwards. He only barely managed to catch the phone before it fell to the floor, wincing, before setting it in his lap, "It's… always rough, huh?"
"... yeah."
A moment of silence passed between them.
"... I'm sorry, I… you probably don't wanna listen to me like this," Luz tried to force false cheer into her voice, "I-I can let you go."
"... nah. You're fine," the Scythe didn't break his gaze from the horizon, "I don't think I'm getting back to sleep anyways."
"... did I wake you?" she whined, silently pleading that wasn't the case.
"Eh," he fought the urge to shrug, angled up as he was, "I was drifting in and out anyways. Somethin' about hospital beds - don't sleep very well in them."
"... wait. Hospital?" the girl's tone was perplexed now, as if she were just realizing what he'd said.
"Yeah, I got… pretty banged up, out there," Soul shuddered; at the very least the meds seemed to be taking the worst away from the razors in his chest…
"... but…" he heard her swallow, "... but Maka told me you were both okay…"
"... she… what?" the Weapon blinked, perplexed, eyes snapping down to the phone as if it would let him make eye-contact.
"She said you were both okay," Luz repeated, voice distant - trying to process the same lie that had just knocked Soul off-kilter, "That… that I didn't need to worry… how did you end up in the hospital?..."
It wasn't that Maka had lied about his condition to someone that had Soul struggling for thought; no, it was the idea that she had lied at all. His partner was a private person, to be sure, but even a well-meaning fib to hide a gift - a book he'd gotten her, one the pale-blond Meister had had her eye on for some time - was liable to make her angry for days. Anything bigger would stoke her ire for weeks to come.
Maka valued personal integrity above almost everything else. And given her hatred for her father, it wasn't hard to guess why.
… which only made the lie Maka, as well as its sheer size - a lie about the fact that he had almost died - all the more perplexing to him. Let alone that she'd lied to this girl specifically.
"... why would she…?" he trailed off, the question silent.
"... maybe… she just didn't want me to worry?"
That seemed just plain unlikely, given the seriousness of the falsity - but it was better than any explanation Soul had right this second. The pale child pursed his lips, crimson eyes narrowing as he tightened his grip on the bedsheets, "... maybe."
For a long moment, neither of them spoke. It was an uncomfortable silence, underpinned by their shared anxieties and the yawning pit that opened up beneath a conversational tightrope when people began running out of things to say.
"... sorry. I'm just… I didn't mean to…"
"You're cool," the Scythe assured, letting a breath escape him; his fingers uncurled, releasing the blankets, "That's… that's not your fault… Luz, right?" her name came off the tongue strangely, now that he actually said it aloud - but not unpleasantly.
"Right."
He nodded again, bobbing his head as he tried to refocus himself, "... so… what's on your mind, exactly, Luz?"
"... sorry?" the confusion in her tone seemed to completely override her pensive anxiety.
Soul managed a smile, trying to project his voice a little more strongly, "Well, you said you wanted to get ahold of Maka for some advice?"
"... yyyeah," Luz confirmed slowly, her tone suddenly somewhat guarded, "Um… I… I just have a decision to make, and… normally, I'd email her, but… well… it can't really wait."
"Okay," he closed his eyes again, settling back as best as he could, "So, what is this big decision of yours?"
"... you… you wanna hear me out?" she queried, clearly not used to this sort of open invitation, "Just like that?"
"Not like I've got much better to do, stuck in this hospital bed," he bit down on a snicker, "And, who knows? Maybe an outsider's opinion is exactly what you need."
The girl let out a hum; he could almost hear her pacing, or something akin to it, something jostling the phone back and forth in her grip, "... this… might get a little cryptic…"
"Maybe I like cryptic," the pale Scythe countered, "Won't know until you try."
For a long moment, Luz said nothing. So long, that Soul had to check to make sure that the call hadn't failed; but the clock kept ticking away. They'd been speaking for nearly fifteen minutes now, the time having completely gotten away from him.
Finally, though, he heard her sigh, "... alright. Um…"
"... take your time," he assured, "I'm in no rush here."
"... okay. Alright. So. Um. Soul…" she trailed off, seeming unsure of how to proceed.
He didn't interrupt. The boy just sat, and waited.
"... have… you ever had to make a decision where… you know what you want to do… but… if you do it… you know you'll hurt the people you care about?"
At this, he found himself opening his eyes again; his jaw set as he looked away from the phone and out the window. Most of the light was gone now, only the faintest of reds painting the very edge of the horizon a deep red; the stars had started to emerge in the skies above, most of Death City remaining as dark as ever as the cloak of night descended upon its walls.
But that wasn't what Soul really saw in that moment.
No, what he saw was the shadow of something else entirely.
A shadow he'd given up music almost in its entirety to escape.
"... maybe," he mumbled, noncommittal.
"... 'maybe'?"
"... I don't really want to talk about it," the near-albino youth turned his crimson eyes back to the phone in his lap, "... I'm guessing this is, in great big air quotes, 'hypothetical'? 'Asking for a friend'?"
"... something like that," Luz sighed, "... imagine for a second that you've been given… a once in a lifetime opportunity. A chance to… apprentice under a world-class artist or musician, or something like that. Not only are you getting the chance to learn under one of the best, but… you're also getting the chance to see a world that you wouldn't otherwise get to see. Meet people that you otherwise would never know existed."
She paused, letting her words sink in.
"That sounds… incredible, right?"
"... it does," he acquiesced, but had to fight the urge to cross his arms; he could certainly see the temptation, even if he could see the hook that was paired with it from miles away, "But it also sounds way too good to be true. So what's the catch?"
"Couple things. First and foremost, it's… well, it means leaving home. Probably for… a while," the tanned teen sounded uncertain, "And… this parting might not be on good terms. Your family… probably isn't going to approve if you go. In fact… you might never get to see them again. If things go wrong, then… they might not want to see you again."
With every word, that shadow only seemed to grow deeper, more looming, more familiar. Memories sprang to him unbidden from where he'd once buried them, many a night he'd spent playing until the piano keys were slick with sweat and blood, or he'd fallen asleep in the sheet music.
Nonetheless, Soul kept his tone even, "Okay. So, knowing this… why not just say no?"
"... because you'll never get the opportunity again if you don't take it now."
… how angry had they been, when they'd found out about the calls he'd made?... how much shouting had he drowned out before getting in that taxi and letting it drive him away, with no intention of ever going home? The pale preteen couldn't remember anymore, but he did remember how hard they'd tried to get him to hide his blades after he'd finally discovered them, how hard they'd tried to convince him not to go...
"... I don't… want to hurt anyone," Luz's voice cracked, "... but… I also don't want to just… keep doing this. I'm so tired of being told to rein myself in. Of being told who I should be. Of… of not being allowed to choose who I want to be."
… it was strange. Just how much his heart ached for this girl, whom he'd only just met, whose face he'd only seen in someone else's memories. Every word felt like an echo of his own cries, cries that he'd never bothered to voice before - the same cries that eventually led him to leave.
His fingers were clenching again in his lap as the last of the sunlight disappeared entirely, bathing the room in near total darkness once more.
"… what would you do, Soul?... if you had to pick between your family, and your future… what would you choose?"
"... I chose my future."
The silence was that of shock; he heard a muted thunking sound on the other side of the phone, a clear sign that Luz had dropped her phone. He heard her scramble for it, picking it up and pulling it back up to her ear, "...¿que?"
Soul didn't repeat himself. Instead, he turned his eyes up; the golden light of the moon shone down, banishing the shadow he always felt trapped in, "If you know what you want to do, Luz… then, honestly, I have no right to tell you not to go for it. After all, I had to make a similar call once; do as I was told, or do what I wanted. I chose to do what I wanted, even if it was… well, stupid. Reckless."
"... what call was…" she paused, then, changed her question, "... do you… regret it, at all?"
"... considering that call led me to the coolest partner I could ever ask for?" the Weapon couldn't help his grin, "Not in a million years."
The awed realization in her voice was as priceless as it was palpable, "... you mean choosing to go to the Academy…"
Soul did not confirm, or deny. Instead, he mustered just enough strength to shrug, "I'm not gonna tell you what's right or wrong, Luz. The only thing I should tell you is to be careful - this… still sounds a little too good to be true, personally speaking."
"... I understand why," the older girl sobered, "But… I think I should be fine. Eda hasn't hurt me yet. Though I'm still a little worried about… well…"
"Family?"
"... yeah. Kinda hard not to be."
"Frankly, I think if this is something you really want to do, then what your family wants for you should come second," he flexed his fingers, experimentally dipping one into the pool of darkness; the black and red of his scythe blade reflected his eyes, and he felt his smile soften, "It's your life, after all. If this is really that important to you… then I think the people in your life should be willing to support that. Far as I'm concerned, forcing anyone to do something they don't want to is about as uncool as it gets."
"... 'Those who matter, will follow…'"
The silence that fell over them this time was far more comfortable - a new familiarity and friendship settling between them. Sensing that the discussion was at its end, the Scythe began to lower the bedframe, settling back down, "So… you've made your decision, then?"
"I think so. I just… have a couple more questions I need to ask before I can say for sure."
"And these ones aren't for me, I take it?"
"No. But…"
"... but?"
"... thanks for your input, Soul," he could actually hear Luz's smile in her voice, "I… I think you've put a lot into perspective for me."
"Anytime."
"... could I get your number?"
At this, Soul blinked, "Sorry?"
"So that I don't have to call you on Maka's phone," Luz clarified, "I, uh… I'd like to talk more, sometime soon."
"... yeah, sure," he stated, running through the number, "Just keep in mind I don't have my phone with me right now. And beat up as I am, it might be a while before I can text without putting my arms in abject agony."
"I'll shoot you a text later, no biggie."
"Sure thing," he paused, "... now, I have a question for you."
"Shoot!"
"... how do you know Maka, Luz?" the Scythe queried, unable to hold back his curiosity any longer.
"... she… she didn't tell you?..."
The brief shock and profound hurt in her voice made Soul pause; he swallowed, before slowly shaking his head, "... no. No she didn't… how come?"
A brief, shaky breath emanated over the speaker before Luz spoke again, clearly trying to bring back some of her former cheer, the smile in her tone forced, "... well… she's my little sister!"
The only thing keeping Soul from bolting upright in his hospital bed was the sheer pain. As it was, his shoulders shot forwards, and he had to fight a choke as renewed pain shot through his system. He coughed, the sound dry and the convulsions agonizing as he struggled to process what Luz had just said.
"Soul!?"
"-'m fine-!" he hacked, "Fine!... just… sister?"
"Well… half-sister," Luz murmured, "I, uh… I'm sure you've met our Dad. We have… different Moms."
And all of a sudden, the picture was complete, in all its agonizing clarity.
Who Luz was. What she was.
Why Maka never talked about her.
Why Maka felt so much anxiety and anger and guilt when she thought about this strange, exuberant girl.
… why Maka would have lied.
"... half-sisters," he muttered, dumbfounded, as if it should have been perfectly obvious.
"... you sure you're okay, Soul?"
"... yeah," he nodded, "Yeah, I… I just… I think I need to get back to sleep."
As if there were any chance he was getting back to sleep now.
"Okay," she sighed, relieved, "Send me a text or somethin' when you get the chance! I wanna know when we're officially penpals."
"... sure thing," Soul swallowed "... 'night, Luz."
"Buenas noches, Soul!"
With that, the line went dead.
Shakily, Soul reached up, placing the phone back on the nightside table before letting his arm slump right back down beside him. He stifled a curse between his teeth, pressing his head as far back into his pillow as his neck would allow.
Half-sisters.
The Death Scythe's kids, to boot.
Maka's sorry excuse for an old man.
It was no wonder his partner hadn't wanted to talk about Luz. She probably hadn't even wanted him to know.
If he could have reached, he would have buried his face in his palms; as it was he had to settle for staring up at the ceiling, his eyes listlessly tracing the patterns set into the ceiling tiles.
"... Maka's gonna kill me…"
There were only a few scant cracks left to heal, now.
Eda sighed as she stood up from the floor, caught between a grin and a grimace as her back straightened and her shoulders set, every vertebra cracking all the way up the length of her spine. It was a sensation she was, once upon a time, rather accustomed to - before she had become the Owl Lady, before she had perfected her elixirs and her battles with the Owlbeast for control were far more frequent. Even with her curse healing the damage afterwards, it always seemed to take a few days for her skeleton to stop cracking at nearly every opportunity.
Over the years, however, as she refined the elixirs and fought with the Owlbeast less and less, the experience grew less common - and by extension, more and more intrusive when it occurred. Each knuckle popped as she ran one palm down her fist, then the other, each finger cracking down their length with a sharpness that was almost painful, both to her ears and to her nerves, a far cry from the almost pleasant sensation of her spinal column returning to form.
She ignored it, instead turning to survey the rest of her room, "Alright, that should be the last of it…"
It had taken the bulk of the day for her to repair damage done to the floor, the walls, and the doors; the auburn scabs of sap would have eventually done the job on their own, but undoubtedly would have left scars if not properly attended to.
Moreover, it would have taken far too long.
She couldn't very well wait for a full month for the Owl House to heal. Not with Lilith's presence hanging overhead.
As it was, the wood grains of the doors, beams and floorboards were entirely warped from what they were before with the disappearance of the auburn sap scabs. The walls had faint lines leftover from the gouges that would need repainting - perhaps something scented, this time - and the rug's and canopy's repairs would need to be done separately, possibly by hand if she wanted them to look seamless. The mirror, thankfully, hadn't suffered any damage, save for the large crack near the top - though that had been there for longer than the one-woman parliament cared to remember.
For now, the room was satisfactory.
She stepped out into the hall, and down the stairs, admiring her work as she went; save for a few tiny splits that would heal on their own in a few days, all of the actual structural damage to her abode had been completely erased. She stepped into the foyer, ready to warm herself by the fire-
Only to see King sitting in front of the door, tail wagging restlessly as he stared up at the knob.
"... Luz still hasn't come in yet?" she stated more than guessed.
The diminutive Demon shook his head, not even trying to hide the anxious worry in his voice, "... she's been out there all night…"
The pale woman felt her own brow crease, a spark of concern lighting in her own stomach; she stepped up to one of the windows, peering into the dark, the crags of the cliff and the trees that lined the Owl House's glade only barely illuminated by the light of the moon.
And near the edge of it all sat Luz, staring up at the sky, having barely moved from when Eda had looked out the window to check on her nearly eight hours prior.
"... you didn't ask her to come in?" the Owl Lady turned to the miniature monarch, "She's been out there for more than a full quarter."
"... a while ago, when the sun went down," he fidgeted idly with one of his stuffed rabbit's buttons, "But… she was still thinking. And she promised to come in, but…"
"... she's well within the wards - and within view of the House," Eda stepped back towards the fireplace, stoking the embers within with another log, "There's no reason to force her if she's not ready to come in yet."
"But Edaaaa," King whined, scrabbling over to tug at the hem of her dress.
"Just be patient, King," the Witch gathered the ashes, letting them swirl about her finger on a conjured wind, "She's got a big decision to make. She'll come in when she's ready - rushing her will only make her more likely to make a decision she'll regret."
"... weeeeeeh…" he looked back to the door, clearly unconvinced. Finally, though, he padded over to the couch, hopping up, plopping himself down on the torn cushions as Eda released her spell, letting the ashes pour into an urn for later use.
That done, she sat down on the edge of the coffee table and held her hands out to the flame, eagerly soaking in the heat with a satisfied sigh, "Nothin' like curlin' up by the fire after a long day…"
"... what do you think she's gonna choose?"
She didn't answer, though she did feel her smile fade as she felt King's eyes in the back of her head.
"... you think…" she heard him swallow, clearly not wanting to consider the idea, "... you think she'll wanna go home?..."
"... I don't know," Eda confessed, after a long moment, "Though frankly I wouldn't blame her if she did. On top of all the practical reasons for it… I haven't exactly been kind to her. I don't know if I'd want to stick around if I were in her shoes."
"... even if she does… d'you think the Magic'll stop?" King asked.
"... no," the magus shook her head, "She's already cast her first spell. Even if I take her memories, that's not going to change. I don't think there's any stopping… whatever effects Magic is going to have on her in the long term, even if she never casts another spell again. At best, that'll just slow it down."
"Then don't you think she should stay here?" the pup insisted, "Where she can at least learn?"
"That's not our call, King."
Eda deliberately hardened her tone, adding just enough stone to make it final; only when King did not respond did she look back over her shoulder to see him clutching his toy with everything he had, his eyes wide and his knees drawn up to his chest.
She sighed, letting her voice soften again as she stood, turning to face him, "... I've already made more than enough decisions on her behalf. You've seen where that's gotten us. Even if there's a choice here with a theoretically better outcome for her… this is something she needs to decide for herself. If she doesn't want to stay, then we can't make her."
"... I know," he slowly, painfully slowly, released his death grip on the bunny; he stared into its button eyes, the very picture of misery as he struggled to find his words, "... I just…"
He trailed off into silence.
Whatever he was going to say, however, was utterly forgotten as the doorknob twisted, the bolt clicking, and the hinges creaking as the wood swung inwards.
"Luz!" King shouted, leaping down from the couch and scampering across the floor. He threw himself at the human's leg as she stepped into the foyer; her movements were slow, deliberate as she smiled down at him, scooping him into her arms with a tired chuckle.
"Hey, King," she mumbled, nuzzling him with her cheek, "Sorry I took so long."
"You've been keeping us in suspense all night!" he barked, bapping her on the nose with a claw, "It's ruining my appetite! I wanna eat, Luz!"
"I said I'm sorry!" the girl snickered, "I just had a lot of thinking to do!"
"Clearly, if you were out for that long."
Even to her own ears, amused as she was, Eda's voice cut through the playful air like a knife; King jumped down from Luz's arms as the Sorcerer turned to face her teacher. The atmosphere was decidedly solemn now as the Witch stared into her apprentice's wide brown eyes, and Eda found herself perplexed - she couldn't quite pinpoint precisely what Luz was feeling. Those wide eyes suggested a certain nervousness, but her set jaw, her curved brow, and her closed fists spoke of steel; a resolve that she'd forged over the long hours of thought and debate she'd spent on that cliffside, staring out into the sea as the sun sank, and the moon rose overhead. Even her Soul seemed to burn steady with that same determination, flicking faintly with fear, but standing strong all the same, proving that this newfound resolve wasn't only skin deep.
A resolve she'd not had in the last two weeks.
A resolve she'd not had even earlier this morning.
"... have you made your decision, Luz?" Eda finally asked, steeling herself for the answer.
"... almost," Luz bobbed her head, "I know what I want to do, at least."
"And what do you want to do?" the Witch coaxed, trying to tug an answer out of the teen.
Instead, the apprentice shook her head, "Not yet."
A raised eyebrow from the older woman, "'Not yet'?"
"Not yet," Luz repeated, "I don't wanna say until I'm sure."
"... you're running out of time, kid," Eda crossed her arms, "As much as I don't wanna rush you, I can't exactly wait on your decision. I need to know if I'm factoring you into what I'm doing next."
"I know," the chocolate child acknowledged, "But that's why I came in. I…" she closed her eyes, breathed deep, then forced it back out, long and slow as she met her teacher's gaze once again, "There's some questions I need to ask you, Eda."
"... want to, or need to?" the Owl Lady ventured, curiosity getting the better of her.
"Need to," the would-be-Witch persisted, "... once you answer my questions, I'll be ready to make my decision. But I need to hear what you have to say."
For a long moment, the only sound was the crackling of the fire; King's wide eyes shot back and forth between master and apprentice, his toy hanging limply under one arm as he tried to make sense of what was unfolding. Eda herself was unblinking, not once breaking contact with Luz's gaze, feeling increasingly drawn into a strange standoff with the human.
Eventually, she gestured to the couch, "Alright. Have a seat, Luz."
The human obliged, carefully rounding the coffee table and setting herself in the middle of the couch; already, she was bouncing one leg in place, her resolve offset somewhat by the restless energy that she valiantly fought to restrain.
Eda chose not to comment. Instead, she kept her gaze even, crossing her arms, "So. What do you want to know?"
The girl pursed her lips, hands folding just underneath her chin; she seemed to be struggling with the precise words, her eyes dipping down for the first time since their conversation had started.
"I've been… thinking. About a lot of things," finally, she managed to speak, each word carefully controlled, "Mostly… what happened at Hexside. The way Bump and Amity treated me… the way they talked about me. Like… like I was… a… a thing. An object. Bump, Lilith, they… they both called me an 'it.'"
Despite the brave attempt to keep her composure, Eda could hear the vibration in Luz's voice. A pang of sympathy shot through the Witch as her apprentice let her face fall into her hands, running her fingers through her short mahogany locks. But she didn't interrupt; she merely waited, allowing Luz the time she needed to regain her composure.
"... and… what you said, earlier… about what I did… how I… broke the rules… how Witches would see that…" finally, the girl looked up again, meeting the Clawthorne's gaze, swallowing, "... Witches… don't see humans as people… do they?..."
"... no," Eda shook her head, fighting to keep her own voice even, "No, they don't. Not usually. Occasionally, you'll find a Witch that sees what humans can do without Magic, and learns a little respect. But, almost no Witch or Demon is genuinely willing to consider a human to be their equal in any regard."
Luz nodded absently, her expression faraway as she processed Eda's words; the silver vixen hesitated, before soldiering on, shifting her weight from heel to heel, "Our knowledge, our lifespans, our Magic - as far as the vast majority of Witches and Demons are concerned, those things put us above humans, end of story. It's part of why the Witch Order is so bitter about losing to the Reaper - in the minds of most Witches, losing a war against humans should have been impossible."
"... sure explains a lot," Luz let out a bitter laugh, leaning back in her seat and staring at the ceiling, "Only Willow and Gus looked at me like I was a person…"
"... I'm sorry, kiddo," Eda sighed, "I was hoping to break that part a little more gently. But, I'm guessing you want the hard truth, here."
The girl nodded, "Yeah. I… I need to know this."
Luz swaddled her nose and mouth in her hands, fingers stretching up the center of her brow and chin resting in her thumbs as she huffed, elbows on her knees. She sat silent for several seconds before finally pulling her hands away, looking up at the Witch once again.
"... okay. Next question," she spoke around deep, calming breaths, "... Eda… did you see me as a person? When we first met?"
It took a moment for the question to register; Eda felt her lips twist, and she couldn't stop herself from breaking away from the girl's gaze. Her eyes shot down to far corner of the room, her jaw setting as she tightened her grip on her arms…
"... you didn't… did you?"
It wasn't a question, not really; it was an admission Luz was making to herself, an admission of a reality that she hadn't wanted to believe.
"... no," the silver-haired woman replied, forcing herself to make eye contact once again, "I didn't. When you first stumbled through that portal, I didn't think much of using you or putting you in danger for my own ends. I didn't want you getting hurt on my account, mind, but… well. No matter how much I sympathized with you, or wanted to keep you safe, that doesn't change how I saw you back then. Just a clever, but naive human kid with too much pluck for her own good."
"... and what about now?" Luz pressed, fear flaring in her Soul at the thought of being seen as anything less than a person by her mentor, "Do you think of me as a person now? Or… or am I just…"
"... you're not a pet, Luz," Eda reassured, finally managing to summon something of a smile, "And you're not a slave, or a servant, or a toy. As long as you're here, you're my ward - just like King."
The Witch gestured; King was seated beside Luz now, reaching up to press a paw into the back of the human's hand in a clear gesture of comfort. The girl blinked, startled, then softened, her expression shifting back to a smile as she pulled the tiny tyrant up into her lap, "... in fairness, King certainly acts like a pet sometimes."
"I do not!" he snapped, swiping at the human's chin, though the motion was half-hearted, "I'm the King of Demons, Luz! I get to laze around all I want!"
"Careful, King; keep talking like that and I might decide to start charging you rent for real," the Owl Lady chuckled wryly.
"You should be honoured that I'm living in this dump!" King roared, shaking a tiny fist.
Luz let out a laugh, before sobering; she wrapped her arms around King's body, pulling the Demon close as she met Eda's eyes again. Her Soul having settled, there was no more fear - only a quiet anticipation as she said, "... last question."
The red-clad Clawthorne merely gestured - silent permission for what she knew would be the most important query the youth had.
"... what changed?"
Eda felt her brow furrow, "I'm sorry?"
"What changed?" Luz repeated, "What made you change your mind?... was it… the spell I cast?"
For the first time, the Witch found herself chewing at her lip. More than anything else, this felt like the heaviest question that was weighing on Luz's mind - more, even, than the question of whether Eda considered her a person or a pet. It was the question of where Eda had drawn the line - and more importantly, when Luz had crossed it.
If she answered this question wrong, it was liable to do a lot more than simply drive Luz away.
"... I won't deny that the spell was a factor," the one-woman parliament began, choosing her words with care, "Your affinity for Magic changes a lot about who you are, Luz. I don't think you're going to understand just how much for a long, long time. Just being able to cast a spell has already changed a fundamental part of who you are."
She paused, gauging her apprentice's reaction; Luz's Soul was changing again, a mix of fear and disappointment creeping in as she stared pensively back at the Owl Lady. Luz fought to keep it back, trying to wait for Eda to finish…
"... but it's not the only factor," the Witch finally declared, "Honestly, I don't even think it's the most important factor."
"... it's not?" the girl asked, the fear coming to a halt.
"No," the elder woman shook her head, "Not even close."
"... then… what is?"
She leaned back, eyes drifting upwards in thought, "I admit… I'm not all that sure, kid. There's a lot going on here, not the least of which being that you just keep catching me off guard. It's not always in a good way, mind - even if it ended up being a net positive, you still shouldn't have gone off to Hexside on your own - but not only do you keep me on my toes at nearly every opportunity, you keep making me rethink what you're actually capable of. You learn quickly, you're clever, and you've leaped over or smashed down just about every barrier that's been thrown in your way since you got here, whether it was Soul Wavelength or the First Rule of Magic; and even when you should have run, you stayed. You pulled yourself together, and you did the impossible in order to help us. If it weren't for you, I'd probably still be stuck as the Owlbeast - and that would not have ended well for Owlbert, King or Hooty."
Eda finally let her gaze fall back down to her student, lips quirking up into a smile, growing more certain of her conclusion with every word, "Magic or no, Luz, I can already see you doing anything and everything you set your mind to, no matter how many humans, Witches or Demons tell you it's impossible. You've already proven me wrong, after all."
At this point, Luz's fear had faded entirely; she was staring at her teacher with a quiet awe, her eyes wide and mouth left slightly open by the declaration. Her grip on King had loosened, and she now sat with bated breath, eyes unfocused as she stared into the unwritten future, clearly imagining all the paths that lay before her now…
"... even beyond that, though… I just enjoy your company, kid," Eda held back a snicker as the chocolate child was snapped out of her daydream, "You're a joy to have around, even with your tendency to get yourself in over your head. Even if you choose to go home… I'm sure I'm going to remember these past two weeks fondly. I haven't felt this… alive in a long time."
The girl sat silent for another moment, gaze dropping to stare at her twiddling thumbs even as King clambered up her arm and onto her shoulder, as if doing so would let him peer through her ear to see what was going on inside her head.
Eventually, her lips quirked. A slow smile spread across her face, the tension seeming to drain from her body; her fidgeting slowed to a near stop, her fingers idly playing in her lap before threading together.
"... thank you, Eda," she murmured, "... I… I think I've made my decision, now."
The skull-capped child clutched her shoulder tighter, "Luz…"
The Witch didn't blink. She wouldn't look away.
Not until she heard Luz's final decision.
The youth closed her eyes, clapping her hands to her cheeks - once, twice. She took one final, deep breath, before opening her eyes, fixing them on the Owl Lady.
"... I've decided to stay."
King's gasp broke the tension that had been building through the night; he threw himself at Luz's head with a joyful screech, words forgotten entirely, wrapping all four of his limbs as tightly around her head as he could manage. The girl let out a strangled gasp of her own at the impact, before laughing, reaching up to try and tug the Demon from her head so she could give him a proper embrace.
"... you're sure you're doing this for the right reasons?"
Once again, Eda's voice pulled them both back to the foyer - but it did not renew the tension. Luz swallowed, but did not lose her smile, "I… I think that depends on what you mean by 'right.'"
The elder magus gestured to the younger, "What I mean is that are they the right reasons to you. I'm not asking for your reasons to be altruistic - I'm not exactly the picture of a paragon myself. But by the same token… are you sure this is the road you want to walk?"
"Of course it is!" King declared, "She just said so!"
"King," Luz set the miniscule monarch down, "Lemme do this, okay?"
"... okay," he sulked, crossing his stubby arms.
With that, the would-be-Witch refocused on her mistress, lips drawn thin, "... I'm sure, Eda. I know it's not gonna be easy, but… I never asked for easy."
"... you're okay with what you might be giving up?" the true Witch pressed, "Your humanity? Your family?"
"... as far as I can tell, there's not a whole lot of difference between a human and a Witch," Luz crossed her arms, determined, "Besides, Soul Protect is a thing, right? And Illusion Magic?... whatever happens, I can hide it."
"And if they find out, despite your efforts? If your family turns on you because of what you become?" Eda's eyes narrowed, "What will you do then? Will you run? Will you hide?... will you fight, if you have to?"
"... that's… part of why I wanna do this," the girl's grip on her arms tightened, "... there's a bigger gap between humans and Witches than I thought. I… I wanna close that gap. Somehow, some way. I've learned a spell already - I've cast Magic. If I can find some common ground, then, maybe…"
Two weeks ago, the Owl Lady would have laughed at the idea. Laughed, long, loud, mocking and cruel, and turfed the girl through the portal without so much as a second thought. Even now, she had to fight the urge to let out a derisive snort, instead just letting her eyes narrow further, "... what you're talking about is fighting against thousands upon thousands of years of animosity, fear, and belief. Is that really a fight you think you can win?"
"I'll never know unless I try. Besides," the smile on Luz's face grew halfway mischievous, "if Magic does end up extending my lifespan… well, I'll have all the time in both our worlds, right?"
… and yet… despite herself… Eda found herself breaking into a smile of her own.
Something in this girl's tone, her expression… that courage, that resolve, that mischief…
It was deeply familiar. Bright. Warm.
Beautiful, even.
"... if I were to hear this from anyone else, Luz, I'd say that they had a death wish."
"But because it's me?"
"I think you're being incredibly naive about this. I don't think you understand the fight you're about to pick," the Owl Lady stopped, then shook her head, "But… by the same token… it wouldn't be the first time you've proven me wrong."
"... so…?" Luz tilted her head, "... does that mean…?"
"... it does. Congratulations, Luz," Eda rounded the coffee table, reaching out; the human stared at her, seemingly in a daze, before reaching out to accept the hand. The Witch pulled her up, her smile solemn, but genuine.
"You're officially the first apprentice of the Witch, Edalyn Clawthorne - the Owl Lady."
Translations of Luz's, Spirit's, and Soul's Spanish in this chapter:
"Un poco."
"A little."
...
"¿Quieres hablar sobre eso?"
"You wanna talk about it?"
...
"Te amo, Corazoncito."
"Love you, sweetheart."
...
"Te amo, Papi. Buenas noches."
"Love you, Dad. Goodnight."
...
"Buenas noches."
"Goodnight."
...
"...¡ohporDioseresSOUL!"
"...ohmyGodyou'reSOUL!"
...
"¡Es un guto por fin conocerte!"
"It's so good to finally meet you!"
...
"... el… gusto es…¿mio?"
"The… pleasure is… mine?"
...
"¿¡Hablas Español!?"
"You speak Spanish!?"
...
"...¿que?"
"...what?"
...
Translation work is, as always, done by the wonderful maho_kat on Archive of Our Own! Please be sure to give them a massive thank you for all their hard work!
Sorry this one took so long. Academia's been kicking me in the stomach more or less ever since May. There was a point where I felt like I couldn't afford to work on this story at ALL. But here we are! Chapter 34! And despite both its incredible length and the amount of talking it has, I think this might be one of my favourite yet!
Yes, I know Luz staying was kind of a foregone conclusion. But hey, that doesn't mean I can't afford to make you guys sweat a little! Especially with everything this chapter sets up. It's gonna be fuuuuuuuuuuun~! I just hope you guys all enjoy what's coming next as much as I do!
Thanks for giving this a read, everyone, and thank you so much for your patience and understanding with me. I hope you enjoyed the thirty fourth chapter of Owls and Souls, Witches and Resonance!
