miikka-xx: edited july 18, 2010. fixed some stuff, made it less… immature. here you go.

title: 199 souls
rating: K
summary: Snapshots of life from when they first began to when they will, hopefully not, end. Slight SoulxMaka.
warning(s): short.
disclaimer: nah. if i did, we would definitely have some spirit/stein going on.

199 souls

(and everything in between)

The witch floats in mid-air, a cape billowing behind her. Her hood is off, revealing a beautiful yet terrible face. The broom underneath her shifts as if it's getting fidgety. The night air nips and blows, looming clouds pressing from the darkening horizon.

"Ne, Maka, how many souls have I eaten till now?"

Maka doesn't need to think about it to know. The soft fur on her small red dress does nothing to keep her warm. BlackStar's shouts echo around her, coming from her apartment. So much for the Christmas party.

"199."

He played the piano when they first met; maybe because he could, maybe because he actually liked playing the piano. Maka doubted the latter. He was pretty decent-looking too, nothing too impressive but not the normal, bland faces she sees every day.

When they move in, he's laid-back and lazy and almost exactly as her papa.

Maka finds that she doesn't mind.

Maka had chased BlackStar around on the first few days of school, totally infatuated with him. To her surprise, Soul had punched the boy in the face when she tried to hold his hand. BlackStar retaliated and the fight resulted in two things:

Soul's first friend.

Maka got over her pathetic crush (as she now viewed it.)

When Tsubaki first came, she and Maka were instant friends (mostly because BlackStar was her meister – which must've sucked, in Maka's opinion.). The ninja girl had tried teaching her how to throw a shuriken properly when Soul, watching idly from the sidelines said:

"Why don't you throw a book instead?"

That's how Maka-Chop came into existence.

Soul first finds out about Death Scythe in the middle of the night. It's his third night sleeping in Maka's – no, their apartment and Maka is with her mom somewhere, getting extra blankets and what not for him.

Death Scythe had screamed and punched through his door, blade sticking out, black and dangerous. Soul had, naturally, attacked the protruding blade before he found out it was attached to something that looked remotely human with all the body fluids coming out of its face.

"S-S-So, it is true, i-i-isn't i-it?" blubbers the redheaded man, sobbing on Soul's bed, "A b-boy moved in with Maka! MY DARLING MAKA!"

"Um, who the hell are you?"

And thus began Death Scythe's life story.

Soul doesn't know how it happens – he can't remember it. Yet, somewhere, somehow, along the line as they fight together, they get there – here. He feels the souls trembling in his core, rumbling deep in his belly, giving him the power he needs.

"99 souls, Maka."

She doesn't hear him murmuring, writing Shinigami-sama's phone number on the mirror (well, that's what Soul guessed she was doing). He's trembling and shaking with excitement. Later, Maka turns towards him and smiles.

"Majou." (1)

"Ah." He resists hugging her with this new energy coursing through his body, wanting to share this feeling with her – maybe, just maybe, wants to feel her warmth next to his. In the end, he merely forces her to let him give her a piggyback ride, goofy smiles and all.

She laughs as they walk along and hopes they don't screw up.

They do. But it's not that bad. Soul glances nervously at the black cat prowling around their apartment. He's so tired and his stomach growls not for food, but tamashi (2), red and tainted.

Maka is quiet in the kitchen, boiling rice as she made curry. Soul leans against her shoulder and sighs.

"This feels better somehow."

She shrugs – in acceptance? He doesn't know but it really does.

This feels better.

Hell, their days got better, in Soul's opinion.

A new kid arrived with two hot chicks in tow, BlackStar actually obtained a soul, he got a cool-looking scar (with a helluva lot of pain and heartbreak but he can forget about that).

And Maka was, possibly, hitting puberty. Mood swings started that, didn't they? So wouldn't the chest part grow too?

The only downfall was Kishin (3) revived. A pain in the ass, really. He resembled Death the Kidd's mother or something with black-and-white hair and super-skinny legs.

Oh, ew, bad thought... BAD thought...

The witch stares down at the woman – her gaze is piercing but not intimidating. Nothing scares Maka anymore. She grips Soul tighter and closes her eyes. She feels his tamashi throb in rhythm with hers.

"Soul Resonance." She states clearly in the cool night air. They no longer need to yell as the power shot through their bodies. They had so much now, that using only this much was but a prick on their skin.

Witch Hunter cackles in her hands, gleaming silver under the moonlight.

"99 souls," she murmurs.

"No, 199..." Soul corrects her softly; his eyes close as he feels her grip tighten. Her hands are bare and rough. The burn scars still there from many years ago with their fight against Free. He hears BlackStar crow from their apartment. Patty laughs and something falls with a thud. It's Kidd, knocked out by Blair's revealed body.

"They sound like they're having fun," chuckles Soul, still his eyes are closed. He feels them throb in his core. These 199 souls.

"Ne, Soul?" Maka asks with a smirk in her voice. He feels her tamashi throb faster.

"Ah?"

He matches her and Witch Hunter cackles. The witch gasps from her perch in the middle of the air.

Witch Hunter changes form, twisting and morphing.

Demon Hunter.

"Let's have fun with this one."

He smirks and barks out a laugh that vibrates through the scythe.

"Ah. Let's."

Majou (1): Means, literally, "witch
Tamashi (2): Means "soul". Helps differentiate between the person and thing. (Soul and 'soul')
Kishin (3): Demon God. aka Asura/Ashura.

Word Count: 970.

Again, edited on july 18/2010. Fixed up some lines, the screwed up tenses and added a bit more soulmaka.

Reviews are greatly appreciated! Drop a line if you liked it!