Soul and Maka: Meister Reunification?
A/N: Sorry for the long wait, guys. I've been busy and procrastinating. :c But, I dented the plotline good enough to feed you guys what you want. Next chapter is filler with Excalibur. :3 Hope you enjoy! Shadowflash, ah-waaaaay!
Liz and Applejack had spent about thirty minutes heading over to 'Twilight Sparkle's' place. Liz wanted to rest, but Applejack insisted that they started leaving immediately to find her friend. Besides, apparently this 'Twilight' would be able to find him faster than one can say 'Equestria'.
They finally made it to the town of Ponyville, passing by the many houses that mainly surrounded the market and town square. Applejack was virtually dragging Liz, as the pain was slowly seeping through the rest of her body and making her fall to the ground.
"Are we there yet?" Liz groans, receiving a nod in reply.
"Right there, sugarcube." Applejack points a hoof to a large tree, one which also seems to serve as a house..
"This is Twilight's home." Applejack smiles before proceeding further, Liz trudging slowly behind.
Making their way up to the door, the orange pony pauses to knock upon it with a hoof a few times. A second later, a lavender unicorn opens the door and greets them with a smile.
"Heyah, Twi!" Applejack says, tipping her Stetson and giving a nod.
"Hey, Applejack. You two should come in. Don't ask why I'm not so excited to see her, either," Twilight says with a frown, pointing at Liz. “I’ll explain later."
Applejack simply nods, and both walk into the home. Liz ducks most of her body through the small door, and once inside, immediately sits down. Her feet ache with pain, and she is tired from walking about, in her mind, three million miles.
Liz looks around at the many books piled neatly upon shelves. This is clearly a personal library, or some sort of bookstore. Either way, it seems pretty nerdy to Liz. There is a staircase in the midst of the bookshelves, and one on the far right of the bookshelves, most likely leading to more books, Liz thinks to herself.
"Liz? What're you doing here?" Maka walks out of a smaller doorway adjacent to the entrance to the tree-library.
"Applejack brought me here", Liz says with a huff. "Said Twilight could find Soul ‘faster than you could say Equestria’."
"Hey, Ah ain't lyin'," Applejack says defensively. Liz retorts with a puff of air.
Maka shakes her head and walks over to Liz. She sits down beside Liz, looking at her with a stern eye.
"Look, Liz, there's something more than us trying to find Soul. Soul wasn't put here by Jigen. He was put here by Lord Death." Liz raises a brow, and Maka continues.
"Lord Death explained to me that Medusa is alive in this world. He wants us to finally finish her off, so she can't bring terror to the inhabitants. I've explained everything to Twilight Sparkle, and she said her friends should be able to help us." Liz nods and points to Applejack.
"Well, I got one friend ready to help. So, that's two for...?"
"Six. There's six friends. I assume Kid and Patti have already found one right now. But, let's not worry about that. For now, you get some rest and Soul should be here anytime. Twilight sent out a letter to him, so, yeah." Liz smiles and laughs lightly.
"Best news I’ve heard all day. Excuse me while I take a small beauty nap." Liz collapses backwards on the wood floor, her head miraculously landing on a small, red pillow.
Maka shakes her head and looks over at Twilight and Applejack.
"There's a lot that you don't understand, yet, Applejack. I'll explain from the beginning..."
*
Soul and Rainbow Dash lay relaxed in an open field, surrounded by a few sparse trees. It is based just outside the town of Ponyville, and a large, yellow-brown pathway lead itself before the two, down to a larger section of the beautiful, scenic pasture.
"So, this is all you do all day? Lay down?" Soul looks over at the small, cyan pony.
She nods lightly, cracking open an eye and glancing over at him.
"Well, mostly on clouds. They're waaaay comfortable than this stupid grass," Dash's scratchy voice confirms with a chuckle, and Soul lets off a smirk in response.
"I could get use to this...Maka is a hassle sometimes." Soul closes his eyes, placing his hands on the back of his head and resting.
"Does she treat you bad, or something?" Dash asks, a hint of curiosity in her voice.
"A little. It's mostly because she's been...off, lately. Hard to explain, since you don't know her," Soul sighs quietly.
Maka isn't just a little off. She's been tired and mopey ever since Asura was killed. She's been eager to pull away from Soul. As of late, their bond together has been splitting. He doesn't even know if he can pull off a Soul Resonance, let alone fight with her.
Sorry, Maka. I really am...I wish I could've explained it a lot better... Soul sighs, but soon opens his eyes.
Dash is on her hooves, looking down a small, brown piece of parchment. Soul pulls his upper body up to an erect position to look at it better.
"Hey, Soul, we have to head back to Twilight. Apparently that 'Maka' you've been talking about is at her place. I guess Fluttershy's can wait." Rainbow Dash crumples up the piece of paper and tosses it to Soul.
Soul puts it in his pocket and stands up, wiping the dust and dirt off his legs and buttox. He adjusts his jacket, cracks his neck a little, and sighs. Dash looks at him, wincing as he cracks his neck.
"Eww. That's gross," she says, sticking her tongue out.
"You're naked all the time. I have to look at your ass all day." Soul says with a laugh as he walks in front of her, heading to the yellow-brown path that leads back to Ponyville.
"Well...you're...you have red eyes!" she retorts feebly.
"Oooo, such a great comeback." Soul puts his hands in his pockets and Dash flies herself in front of his face.
"Well, you do have to stare at my 'bits'...if y'know what I mean." Dash raises her brows and Soul shakes his head.
"Yeah. Horse vag. Got it. Let's stop there..." Soul quickly speeds up as Dash starts to laugh, hovering beside him.
*
Deep within a dark cave encased in stalactites, stalagmites and small pools of echoing water, there is a luminous light glowing a pale white colour. A hooded figure stands within the light, leaning over the corpse of another hooded figure. Blood drips down and around the animate figure and soon, from the robes of said figure, emerge hands.
The hands pull down the hood to reveal a spiky, blond hairstyle and a petite-structured head. The figure turns and stands, being very small in stature; deep, yellow, eyes with sharp, black, pupils look around. The figure giggles in a female tone, and speaks.
"So, is this good enough for you?" she says quietly.
"Hrm...it is beyond my distinctiveness of Chaos, but I do approve of your methods. Alluring him in here with...explicit acts if far beyond what I could do." A male voice that seemed to embody another realm speaks, echoing loudly in the rocky insides.
"But, I do have one thing to ask: who are you, and why do you call upon me, Discord, Lord of Chaos?" Discord questions, letting out a small chuckle at the end of his question.
"Well, let's begin from step one: I was defeated by a little bitch named Maka. I lured her damn Weapon into this realm so I could fight her here: knowing she would be weaker. Alongside that, I have the true embodiment of Chaos talking to me. And I can free you." She lets out a small, childish giggle, finishing her explanation.
"That's all fine and dandy. But, to stop sugar coating it in rainbows and lollipops, you have to realize you're in Equestria now, lady. There's a lot more threats than your stupid gang of 'humans', as you call it," Discord snaps in return.
"What do you mean?" she asked, frowning slightly.
"Well, let me begin..."
About one-thousand years ago, Equestria was separated into three kingdoms: the Ponies, the Griffons, and the Draconequus Empire. I ruled the Draconians, Celestia ruled over the Ponies, and Kha'ahl Griffon Vrae ruled the Griffons. Everything was peaceful until I realized something about us Draconians: we each hold a little magical power within us that allows us to alter many things around us. When I started doing it, the Empire revolted. I immediately reacted by killing all of my empire and decided I would become the sole ruler of all of Equestria. The Griffons wanted nothing to do with the Ponies, so I would left them alone; this left Celestia as my biggest threat. As I honed in on them, I was faced with a problem...six, to be exact.
Celestia had fought back with all her might for a while, but I had the upper hand. As I was about to finish her off, she whips out these silly gems, and passes them to some ponies nearby. I couldn’t detail who they were, but they used them against me, and soon, I was encased in stone as I am now. One thousand years passed, and I broke free. I tormented Celestia and all her dumb little subjects. But those accursed ‘Elements of Harmony’ once again found their way back and defeated me...
"Where are you going with this?” the woman interrupts impatiently, brows furrowing..
"In order for me to help you, you'll need to get rid of those Elements or the Element holders." Discord yawns loudly.
"So, you can either break into a high security fortress and try and open a lock that only I, or Celestia, can open. Or: you can separate one or two of the element holders and free me. The choice is yours."
The woman looked down at the rocky floor, just standing at the edge of the illumination behind her. She closed her eyes and started to smile, as she brought her hands together and looked up once more.
"I think it shouldn't be hard to get rid of a few of them." She laughs softly, and Discord lets out a chortle.
"Well, I better tell you who they are, then." Discord begins another long, telepathic speech.
The First Element is the Element of Laughter. It's my personal favourite, but she is the most dangerous. She is fearful of nothing and laughs at all danger no matter what is in her way. Unfortunately, she hates the idea of being laughed at, or her friends hating her. So, that's an advantage.
The Second Element is the Element of Honesty. She never lies to her friends and always seems to be honest no matter what. But, she has flaws: when she knows something that will happen that's inevitable; she can't help but lie. Alongside that, she is very driven and too hard working to let others help her.
The Third Element is Generosity. This one is generous, even if she's a high class 'lady'. She's always willing to lend something or give discounts to those who can't afford things. She has flaws, as well. When I tricked her, she thought a rock was a diamond. So, I'm sure you can get creative.
The Fourth is Kindness. This one really got me mad. I kept telling her how her friends always point out her flaws and make her feel inferior. She kept spewing how she enjoys that and how she likes the feedback on improving. But, she's a meek little horse, so, you can be pretty harsh and scare the bejeebers out of her.
The Fifth is Loyalty. The aspects of this one are sporadic. She's very loyal to all her friends, but she can't help but give up her pride. She's always wanting to prove that she is better than everypony else in that town and is aspiring to be a 'Wonderbolt' or something. I'm sure she'll be easy to lure in.
Finally, the most powerful. The Element of Magic. This one controls all the bonds between the others. She's the intellect, the knowledge and the brains of everything. She always has a plan but she overthinks things. She's very studious and enjoys being around her friends. The only problem is: if her friends disown her; she falls apart. It's perfect.
"All their names are listed as followed: Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight Sparkle. By the way, who are you, again?" Discord asks in an oddly polite tone.
"Medusa. My name is Medusa. Glad that we're getting along, Discord." Medusa giggles quietly to herself.
Everything is in order...
*
Black✮Star, Tsubaki and Fluttershy gather around a mahogany brown table within a kitchen-like room. If looking from the small-but-large doorway of the room, to the left would be a large marble sink with two button-like handles. Above the sink is an array of oak cabinets; most likely containing plates and glasses. Directly in front of the doorway, give or take a few metres, is an exquisite fridge, almost touching the ceiling in height. Finally, to the right of the doorway, is a plain, yellow door that leads outside.
"This is confusing, Tsubaki. I still don't get why I have to be a goddamned horse and you get to be...you." Black✮Star grunts as he sits on the floor, drooping his head onto the table.
"Well, I don't understand either, Black✮Star. It makes a bit of sense, yet no sense at all. Fluttershy doesn't know too much, either." Tsubaki smiles over at Fluttershy.
"I, uhm, might know somepony who'll know what's going on. She's really smart on this kind of thing. If you want, we can go over to her place right now...if that's okay." Fluttershy offers meekly to the two.
Black✮Star sighs and nods; standing on his hooves awkwardly. He tries to pace himself forward, but keeps wobbling all over the place. Fluttershy turns and exits out of the doorway with Tsubaki. After a minute or two, Black✮Star manages to make off at a steady walk as a quadruped and eventually catches up with the duo.
The three make their way outside to be greeted by a large pond surrounding the house like a moat. Many animals bounce around on the grassy parts, and amphibians make their way to the water, soaking themselves within it. Black✮Star shakes his head at the amount of animals around this place before making his way in front of the two, crossing a small, cobblestone bridge onto a large yellow pathway.
The pathway travels forward, then turns to the left, heading leftwards to a town in the distance. Tsubaki and Fluttershy trail behind Black✮Star, talking about something. Black✮Star takes no notice and continues walking forward, thinking to himself.
I don't understand it...how am I suppose to fight if I have to be like this? Is there another God I can surpass here? How did I get here in the first place? Black✮Star ponders, furrowing his brows as he lowers his head to the ground.
Tsubaki gets to stay her human self...why don't I? I liked having fingers...how do I hold a Weapon with fucking hooves? Black✮Star lets out a quiet sigh, hearing the two behind him giggling.
"Black✮Star, is something wrong?" Tsubaki comes to Black✮Star's side, now looking down at him.
"No, I'm fine..." He is eager to pull away from her right now, not feeling the need to talk.
Tsubaki moves in front of him and goes into a crouching position, looking him in the eyes. She always gets me with this... Black✮Star thinks as Tsubaki started to speak, "Black✮Star, I know when you're sad. Stop being so stubborn. Everything will be fine. I promise." Tsubaki smiles, wrapping her arms around Black✮Star's neck, letting him rest his head on her left shoulder.
"Better?" she asks, pulling away as Black✮Star nods.
"Thanks, Tsubaki...I just hope it is." He lets out a soft sigh as they continue on their journey.
*
Rainbow Dash and Soul made their way back to Twilight's house. In a bit of a rush, Rainbow Dash bursts through the door, causing Soul to emit a laugh.
"Sure know how to make an entrance," Soul says, entering the small doorway to be greeted by a small mass of ponies.
Twilight, Maka and Applejack stare up at him as Liz was rests on an incredibly small couch to the right. Soul kneels down and looks at the dirty-blond-maned pony, smiling.
"Enjoying yourself, Maka?" Soul smiles and Maka wraps her forelimbs around Soul's neck.
"I missed you, y'know. But, there's a lot I have to explain, so I need you to listen." Maka backs away as Soul sits down in the middle, next to Twilight and Applejack.
Rainbow Dash leans against one of the bookcases as Maka drags a mirror to the center of the room. She breathes hot air upon the mirror, and using the tip of her hoof to start writing something.
"42-42-564, whenever you want to knock on Death's Door." she speaks as she writes the numbers in the condensation of the mirror.
The mirror bubbles, and soon, a figure with a skull mask appears. His mask is spiked at the bottom, and rounded at the sides to the top. His eyes are black circles and when he speaks, he does so with a voice that didn't seem possible.
"Hey, hey, heeeeey, Kids!" he sings in a slightly high-pitched male voice as he waves a large hand in front of the mirror.
"Oh, look, Soul is back. How ya doin', Soul?" the figure asks, and Soul laughs.
"Pretty good, Lord Death." Soul smiles and Lord Death moves over to look at Maka.
"So, you wanted me to explain further to him, I assume?" Maka nods as Death asks her this.
"Then take a seat, and let's get this show on the road!" Lord Death sings again, his hands flapping downward at the ground.
Maka takes a seat next to Soul and Applejack, and everyone -- ponies included -- stares at the figure within the mirror.
*Ahem* About...oh, eight-hundred years ago, I decided it'd be fun to try and let my newly founded Academy flourish without me. At the time, I never bound my Soul to the city. I let my headmaster Scythe take control while I was gone. So, anyways, I used a very special magic spell to allow me to travel somewhere else in the universe. It eventually brought me here: to Equestria. I was greeted by a bunch of little horses and I couldn't help but laugh as they bounced around me. I was surprised they weren’t scared. I soon made my way to a city called 'Canterlot'. There, it was a lot different. All the guards pointed spears at me and all the ponies were freaking out! I was brought within a large palace to be greeted by a large, flowing-rainbow-maned Alicorn. She told me her name was ‘Celestia’. I told her I ‘was no threat and that I was actually here to spend some time off’.
She couldn't help but laugh and I joined in. We spent some time together, sharing information about our cultures. I was amazed what her pony subjects did. In fact, she told me a lot about the history there. It was a dreadful one, I have to say, but a lot of the ponies made it through. Reminded me a lot of the humans back on Earth. Anyhow, fast-forward about eight-hundred and twenty years, just after you defeated The Kishin of Madness. Medusa was dead, but, I had a feeling she'd come back. She's tricky like that. That's why you're here, Soul. Medusa is--
"Oh, telling stories again, Death?" a womanly voice calls in an echo, much farther beyond the room.
"Medusa!" Soul and Maka both yell, jumping up on their hooves and feet.
"Calm down, don't get too riled up. I just wanted to see what I was up against. Horses aren’t a problem. I'll have that purple one gutted, or maybe that orange one mounted on my wall. Sound good?" Medusa lets out a cruel laugh, and Twilight shoots to her hooves.
"Nopony is gutting me or hanging my friends on any wall! I won't let you!" Twilight yells upwards, receiving a laugh in response.
"You think you can win against me? Those Meister fools can't even fight me with their Weapons ‘cause they don't have hands! It's hilarious! Besides, I doubt you'll be able to beat me when I release 'him'. Anyways, I have plans to forward on. Ciao." Medusa's voice echoes and then disappears.
"Looks like you kids need to act fast. 'He' will not be so polite when 'he' comes. Call me if you need me." Death disappears from the mirror, leaving everypony looking at each other.
Soul remains standing, his arms crossed against his chest. He stares upwards at the ceiling, sighing.
"Soul?" Maka looks up at him, standing at his side.
"It's nothing. We should get some rest." Soul turns and goes to the bookcase, sitting down and leaning back against it.
He's never acted like that before...Maka frowns and sighs.
We should rest...