Author's Notes- This isn't so much a concrete series or a singular story as much as it is a oneshot collection of sorts with the intent to paint a picture of Soul and Maka: The Early Years. The vignettes contained herein are interrelated around the same theme and mostly linear (though I can't promise the latter will always be the case, although anything that deviates from a linear timeline will be clearly noted as such), and there isn't any end goal for when this series will be finished, as (with only a few exceptions) most chapters will be self-contained and new chapters will be written and posted when I have the inspiration to do so.

Pledge

Orientation at Shibusen was not like orientation at other schools, as Soul Eater quickly discovered. For legacy kids or kids who had grown up in Death City- "death children" he heard they were called, as if that wasn't freakin' creepy- and were more familiar with the weapon/meister lifestyle, it wasn't quite so intense. They only had to attend the preparatory seminar that was mandatory for all new students on the Friday before the fall term started, and then the stupid mixer thing the following day that apparently was supposed to "break the ice" and encourage students to partner up as quickly as possible.

Incoming students who didn't have the benefit of growing up in this freaky new world he's plunging headfirst into had a whole different set of requirements. Requirements like a three-day crash course that he was pretty sure should be titled something like "Hey Genius Here's What You Got Yourself Into, Hope You Have The Balls For It Because If You Don't You Better Bail Now Before They Get Sliced Off Or Something." At least, that's what he would have called it if he were the one naming it.

Hey, no one ever said he was clever with word-play.

Long story short, Soul had discovered over the course of the last few days that the life of a demon weapon was absolutely nothing like what the outside world had taught him to expect... and exactly what he was looking for. Simply put, he was pretty sure he had stumbled into the coolest career this side of being an astronaut, maybe even cooler. He'd gotten on that plane out of Connecticut because he couldn't stand being in that house for even one more second. His weapon gene was his ticket out and that was it. He hadn't thought about it in any more detail than that. It was worth it just to see his mother's face when he informed his parents that he was going to pursue a career with such a... for lack of a better word, complicated reputation. But he was beginning to get what this whole weapon thing was really about, and he liked it.

He couldn't be a musician, but just maybe he could be a hero.

The penultimate day of the orientation cycle was just about finished, and Soul was itching to go back to his apartment because he was pretty sure the cable guy was supposed to have come today and like any preteen boy would, he was looking forward to the novelty of being able to watch whatever he wanted on TV without having his parents policing his viewing habits.

First, though, he was required to sit through one last lecture, some kind of introduction to the nature of the partnership between weapon and meister. He was just grateful that it wasn't endlessly long like some of the other sessions he'd had to sit through for the last few days.

The incoming class was bigger than he would have expected for such a specialized field, at least two hundred people or more, and every new student was currently sitting on the bleachers in one of Shibusen's many athletic centers (physical fitness, he had been informed, was very important to the nature of the work they would perform). It was an interesting mix. Mostly they were kids like Soul, somewhere between the ages of ten and twelve, but there were some nontraditional students- teenagers and even some adults- mixed into the crowd as well.

A trim, solidly-built black woman took her place in front of the new students and raised a hand for silence, which fell immediately. She had the kind of quiet authority that commanded attention without insisting upon it. Soul recognized her vaguely from the staff introduction two days before; she was a weapon and a pretty well-respected one if he had to take a guess, although he couldn't recall her type.

"For those of you who don't remember," she said in a carrying voice, "My name is Mira Nygus. I know you're all anxious to get home for the afternoon, so I'll keep this brief, but since what I'm here to talk to you about today is very serious, please give me your full attention.

"As you all know, you will be partnering with another individual as you go forward with your training here at Shibusen Academy. Our system of pairing weapons and meisters together is very important to the work we do. I won't go into all the reasons for that, because that's what your classes will be for, but there's one reason that I do want to talk about. It's not as scientific as many of the other things you'll be learning, but it's far more important: your partner is the one who keeps you alive."

There was a whisper of sound from the crowd of students as many shifted uncomfortably in their seats. Soul had to resist the urge to roll his eyes because seriously, it wasn't exactly a surprise at this point that they were in a dangerous business.

"I'm sure plenty of you have heard the story of our recent graduate, new death scythe Justin Law, who achieved his rank without the aid of a meister. It's surely an incredible accomplishment, and there might be a few of you weapons out there who are thinking of trying to do the same."

Nygus's vividly blue eyes raked over her audience, and now it was Soul's turn to squirm a little. Okay, the thought had crossed his mind once. Or twice. Or maybe a lot because he wasn't so great with people and from everything he'd been told this whole weapon/meister partnership deal involved a whole lot of getting really up close and personal with another person.

The older weapon continued: "This line of thinking is not a good idea. Mr. Law was an exceptional case, and it's extremely unlikely that anyone would be able to duplicate what he's achieved, so if you want to try it, just... don't. Take my word for it that you're going to be much happier and much better off finding a compatible partner.

"The bond between a weapon and meister is a very complicated one. It starts with the initial compatibility of two or more souls, and it takes a lot of hard work and time to strengthen that bond. Your weapon or meister isn't just going to be your partner; in order for your partnership to work, they need to be your friend and an integral part of your life. This isn't just because it makes it easier to work together, either. Your partner is going to know you in a way that few others- if anyone- will ever do so. They will know your soul and you will know theirs, and that takes a lot.

"The most important thing for you guys to remember right now is not to stress yourselves out about a partnership. Not everyone finds a compatible partner right away and that's okay. It's better to take your time and find a partner you're comfortable with than to rush into pairing up with someone who's a bad match. It's also important to remember that you're not making a lifetime agreement. Not every partnership is permanent. It's very true that many meisters and weapons remain partners for decades. My meister and I have been working together for almost ten years, for example. But there are also plenty of pairs who separate upon graduation or even earlier, if they find that the partnership isn't working any longer. You're not signing a binding contract.

"That being said," Nygus continued, and her calm, even tone had taken on an air of gravitas, "you are going to be making a commitment to someone when you agree to be their partner. For you meisters out there, it will be your job to guide, train, and strengthen your weapon as the two of you grow together. It is because of the existence of demon weapons that we're able to successfully keep the world safe from evil, and your weapon's well-being is your responsibility. Look after him or her. And as for you weapons..."

She paused, and the haunted look on her face gave Soul chills. She fixed those striking eyes of hers firmly on the students before her and continued: "Protect your meister. Even in your human form, you're more durable than your partner. That's a side-effect of the weapon gene, and I'm sure many of you already know that. Don't forget it, because your partner is much more vulnerable than you are. I'm not saying that idly. I speak from experience when I say that you do not want to fail in this. I lost my first partner not long after we graduated. She was my best friend and I let her down. I'll say it again: weapons, protect your meisters. That is your most important duty, above all else."

Nygus finished speaking, and silence reigned in the hall for the length of a few heartbeats. Then Nygus's somber expression lightened ever so slightly. "If everyone's clear on the responsibility of taking on a partner, then you're dismissed."

All around him the other students rose to their feet, chattering happily or else discussing Nygus's lecture in more serious tones with new-found friends, but Soul stayed fixed in his seat as if he'd grown roots.

How was he supposed to do this? From what he'd just been told, pairing up with a meister was an even bigger deal than he'd thought. All this talk about close friendships and soul-bonding...

He'd never cared about anyone that way. He loved his family, more or less, but that was too tainted by resentment and guilt and bitterness and jealousy for him to have any substantial attachment to them. Wasn't that why he was here in the first place? And he hadn't exactly had a lot of friends back East. Well, not real friends, not the kind Nygus was talking about. He knew how to say all the right things to get people to like you, or at least want to spend their time around you. With a face like his, he'd had to learn that early on, because kids were cruel if you didn't know how to work the system. But that wasn't really friendship and he knew it, not the kind of friendship where people actually cared about you and you cared back, and nobody was hoping to get something out of it or use the other.

Soul Evans didn't know how to do these things. He'd never been taught how.

Then again, he thought, I'm not Soul Evans any more, am I?