I don't own Soul Eater or its characters. But I do own a box of sour straps which are helping my stay up to write this :3

Onwards!

Chapter 9

Maka let out a strangled cry as she was pinned against the tree, held up by his hand clutched around her throat. Trying to ply his fingers away only resulted in more pressure being applied.

His sadistic grin sent chills down her spin, unable to pull her eyes away from his, endless pits of darkness. The shadows covered more of her vision as her ability to draw in oxygen became less.

"MAKA!"

She could feel herself falling down. She couldn't feel or see anything, just shadows around her. But there was a glint, a small blue light that felt familiar and warm. She sighed in relief as her form was surrounded by the warm presence before it started shaking her.

"Maka! Come on, open your eyes damn it!"

Soul.

Maka's eyes flew open as she greedily gasped for much needed air, coughing when it burned her throat. Her weapon was startled by her sudden movements but quickly regained himself, pulling his meister up right and reminding her to take slow breaths.

Soul relished at the sound of her breaths, the knowledge that her shoulders rose as air was inhaled. The image of her laying in his arms barely even breathing will be forever burned in his mind, the fear he felt in those seconds always remembered.

As soon as he was thrown from her grip that fear had overtaken him, and seeing her being strangled while gasping for air had only made it worse. He was unable to protect her again, he was too weak to stop Lucas.

"Soul," Maka rasped out, "what happened?" She rubbed at her neck, quickly stopping when Soul's eyes narrowed in anger.

Soul looked down, focusing on the tree roots instead of the bruise staining her pale skin. "Lucas grabbed you before I could stop him." He stopped to swallow down his anger. "Lucky for you someone intervened." He forced a smile before turning his gaze. Maka followed his eyes to find a familiar figure fighting before them laughing menacing as he connected blows with Lucas.

"YOU'RE WHIMPY BLOWS COULD NEVER HARM A GOD LIKE ME!" Black Star grinned wider when Lucas missed him again.

She rolled her eyes at the more than natural enjoyment their blue haired friend was having, "I thought he had detention today." Maka deadpanned. Soul smirked back at her as he helped her up.

"Are you sure you are ok?" Soul eyes ran over her body before settling on her neck. He could clearly see the finger prints now.

Maka waved him off. "There's plenty of time to worry about it later." She informed him. Sure Black Star was keeping Lucas busy now but soon he will need help. She searched her surrounds quickly. Kid was metres away from them attacking the young witch while shouting about symmetry.

"Maka do you think we should try soul resonance?"

"Yeah" She held out her hand, "Soul!"

His silver handle reflecting the sunlight as it flipped through the air to land in Maka's outstretched hand. Spinning him around as if the scythe was weightless before settling him in both hands stretched out before her.

"SOUL RESONANCE!" They both yelled out at the same time. Their souls sent shocks out to one another, waves of power shooting out as the soul connected together, wrapping themselves in the other. Bright light radiated off Soul as his blade grew larger and longer.

That was when it happened. Soul could feel it awaken in him, feel it consume him before he could even cry for help.

Finally

Maka looked dazed up at the sky. When did I lay down? She asked herself watching the clouds through the dust that flew through the air above her. A burning sensation on her hands made her curl her fist in hopes to numb the pain. Her mind reminded blank unable to make any connections, until a strangled cry pieced her ears.

Pulled out of her daze Maka shot up grasping the grass beneath her. Fear making her limbs shake. She knew who the cries belonged to.

Soul was on the ground, at least he thought he was, he honestly didn't know which way was up or down at the moment and he could care less. The white hot pain coursing through his body rid him of any other senses. All he knew was his blood was boiling.

A pair of hand gripped onto his shoulder, before he could acknowledge them another cry tore from his throat bring all his focus back to the pain.

"Soul!" Maka tried again, calling desperately at her partner, "Soul, please answer me!" Her voice raising to almost hysteria as his scream sounded again rattling her bones to the core. Maka was vaguely aware of her friends behind her, all there voice hold the same concern for the scythe. But all that mattered to her now was Soul.

Black Star stood in a state of shock, he had been in the middle of fighting Lucas, trying to give Maka and Soul enough time to recuperate. Out of the corner of his eye he had seen them prepare to fight, the next second Maka was on the ground while Soul crouched away from her conversing in pain. He couldn't understand what happened.

"Heh, it's about time it started." Black Star turned a cold glare to his opponent. Wanted to smack to smug smile that pulled at his lips.

"What's that supposed to mean!" The assassins question drawing the attention of Kid who had also been watching the fallen scythe before. All they got in response was a dark laughter. "TELL ME NOW!" His anger get the best of him.

Lucas threw back his head, "You idiot kids, you have no idea what you are in for." His grin growing more sinister. "Time for the main lady to show."

"Who- " Black Star stopped mid-sentence, the air around him suddenly growing thick.

Though the sun was still high in the sky, the shadows around him began growing, almost if the light above was being blocked. All the shadows seem to stretch until they made a patch of pure darkness in the middle of the clearing. A form started rising out the dark, growing, moving, until finally a woman clad in the deepest blacks stood before them all.

"Hello children." A sickly sweet voice sounded from the woman, while she smiled warmly her eyes only held the darkest glare.

Maka stared up in shock, Soul had passed out not long before the woman had appeared leaving the clearing in an eerie silence. Maka's eyes harden as her grip tightened until her weapon was pulled as close to her as possible. "You are the one that did this." She began in a small voice, the woman side glancing at the meister and weapon. "Witch."

Smirking she waved her hand towards Maka, "Oh you are indeed a smart girl dear Maka, I'm Lady Tanya." Her sweet smile making a shiver of fear run up Maka's back. "And you are holding on to my weapon."

"He isn't yours!" Maka screamed back, her voice strong as she pulled Soul even closer to herself determined to fight for his safety no matter the cost.

Lady Tanya simply brushed back a lock of hair glance towards Lucas, who had moved closer to her along with Olive, "She really is a troublesome one, always getting in the way of my plan." Her deathly glare turned back at Maka. "Well you won't interfere anymore."

Maka tensed, arching her body over the top of Soul's, shielding him best she can.

"Oh Soul dear, won't you get up?"

Emerald eyes flew open. Soul started waking. Maka quickly moved her face to his, meeting the deep ruby eyes staring back into her. At first they were dazed, searching his meister face, before turning hard. Maka felt her stomach drop. There was something… off about the look in her weapons eyes. "S…Soul?"

His lips twitched in a smile as a hand reached up to caress her cheek, "Maka." but his smile quickly dropped into a grimace, "Get your hands off me." The hand once holding her cheek with a gentle touch dug its nails into her skin. With a strength she didn't know he had, Soul threw her away from him, watching as her form landed roughly against the ground without a sense of care.

In that moment that she was thrown away by her weapon, the one person she truly loved. Maka felt the unbearable and unforgettable pain of her heart breaking. The wind was knocked out of her, leaving her feel as if all her strength had been drained. Staying frozen on the ground until gentle hands pulled her up.

Maka's eyes flickered to Tsubaki's briefly before searching for his, begging that it wasn't true. That it just another trick like with Blair. Just to see his face and know that that didn't just happen.

"Well done." Lady Tanya prised Soul as he joined the witch, taking place to her right. His face was blank, his eyes empty of all emotion. Her laughter drew all the eyes of the meisters and weapons, "I told you before, he is my weapon."

It broke her, Maka couldn't hold it in anymore. She was up on her feet running towards Soul crying his name as tears of fear and anger slid down her cheeks. Just as he become with in hands reach she was forced back, sent flying back against the ground yet again. A cloud of dust where the four had just been standing.

They were gone.

Soul was gone.

"S…oul, So-ul." Maka's voice cracked as sobs started to shake her small form.

"SOUL!"

Aww man, I didn't realised it had been a year since I had updated… Hopefully some long chapters will make it up to you all.
To all the people that have stayed with this story since I started it, big, huge thank you
I'm not letting it just hang anymore, this will be finished hopefully before the end of the year.

So the next chapter will contain angst… obviously. SoMa is going to start building in the next chapters and of course there will be the fight to defeat Tanya.

Reviews always make my day and lets me know what you think of the story.

Hope you all enjoyed
Scotty :3