Why Me? *DISCONTINUED*

Chapter Twenty-Four: First Learn Your Past Before Stepping Into Your Future

"What are you going on about now, Demon?" Soul spat at him, keeping me hidden safely behind his arm. I could feel the tension radiating from his muscles. "Soul..." I reached up to gently rest my left hand on his right shoulder.

He turned his head marginally to the side and glanced at me from in his peripheral vision before flicking his eyes back to stare at Demon once again; the tension never leaving his body. I frowned and watched the back of his head with a worried look in my eyes. I sighed through my nose and slid my hand down his shoulder to hold his arm. He flinched under the sudden contact but relaxed a little soon afterwards.

I moved my line of vision to land on the demon's smug face and opened my mouth to speak. I took a deep breath and tried to step forward.

"Wh-"

I looked at Soul, who had simultaneously slid his stance forward to keep me from leaving the secure barrier of his body, not showing any signs of letting me pass. "A-..." I wasn't sure what to say to him so I just let it be.

Breathing through my nose once more, I looked back to Demon, taking back my hand. "What are you trying to say, Demon?" I spoke as calmly as I could.

He tapped his fingers together and raised his eyebrows innocently. "Nothing, really. I just want to know if you know why you used such specific words from before. ..." His mouth turned up in a devilish grin and his pointy yellow teeth glistened in the torch light.

I played the words back to myself for the hundredth time in my mind. "After all, you are my best friend."

I closed my eyes and shook my head softly. I opened them again and stared down at the tiled floor. Why did I use those words...?

"... So... Do you know?" My eyebrows creased at his question and I raised my head while holding my hands together, fiddling with my fingers. "N-..." I started to speak but I couldn't form the words.

"Maka, you don't have to answer him." Soul spoke to me with a protective tone in his voice. I looked to him and watched his eyes for a moment, my lips slightly pulled apart. He almost seemed like he didn't want me to answer him.

I shifted my gaze back to Demon, my mouth set in a straight line.

"No... I don't." Demon huffed while smirking and we stared at each other for a short while.

"Maka..." Soul breathed quietly beside me. His voice sounded hurt and strained. I couldn't bare to look at his face.

Soul... I'm sorry... I didn't mean to hurt you. But don't you think those words felt off?

"Hm." Demon made a self-satisfied noise before turning slowly in a circle and pacing across the room. My eyes followed him around and Soul hid his face beneath his bangs. There was nothing I could think of to say that would make the situation any better. All I could do was wait for Demon to explain to us what he was trying to imply by his strange question.

"This is truly quite the oddity, isn't it? I dare say I've never seen such an interesting predicament. The fact you both don't understand why is quite incredible and I am very curious to know the reason why, myself."

"Yeah, it's all interesting and weird. Can we get to the point now? Thanks." I twisted my head to face Soul and he turned his eyes down away from mine. For some reason my heart ached when he did that. We both must've looked absolutely pathetic, awkwardly standing next to each other like that, because Demon scoffed.

"Evil Kishin, what's wrong with you two? Hmm. Anyways, since I know you'll never figure anything out unless I give you at least some sort of help; I shall give you both one hint, each, into your past.

"Soul."

He gestured towards the sulking teen who lifted his head and locked eyes with the shifty demon. "What?" He spat back at him again. Oh, Soul... I don't know what to do...

"Well there's no need to get your boxers in a twist. Sheesh. Alright. Your hint." He took a painful pause before continuing.

"Your parents, more over your father, was once very close, in fact, to Miss Albarn's mother. That is, until she decided to marry the Death Scythe, Spirit. You see, my dear Soul, your father was once madly in love with Kami. Now don't worry, don't worry. I've seen how you both look at each other and how you looked at each other just now and believe me when I say you're not in the slightest siblings. Hell no. Thank Kishin for that."

He turned away from Soul to meet my puzzled gaze. What? That can't be true. This is unreal. My mother never could've known Soul's father. Not that I would know about him well enough to make that assumption since when I asked Soul about his family before he kind of brushed it off. But still! They couldn't have been in the same social class. Could they have? What has my mother been hiding from me? From papa? Did he know about this? Was he hiding it from me too? Why? How does this connect Soul and I? So many questions! I don't know what to think anymore!

I hold the side of my head with my right hand and stare at the floor, questions swirling at a hundred miles per hour around in my mind. Soul's mouth was gaping open and his eyes were bulging. I guess he never knew about this either.

"Soul, I-..." My words caught in my drying throat. I didn't even know what to say to him. What could I say? 'Soul, I guess your dad must've really had a thing for my mom'? I mean, I'm just out of words... This is unreal.

"Maka..." Soul said my name but I couldn't answer him. I was frozen in shock. "Now, now. Don't act so astonished by this news. After all, that was only a sliver of what the answer to all of your questions is." His maniacal grin grew back on his shrunken face.

"Heh! Heh!" We both snapped our heads up at his soft cackle. "Now, Maka. Would you like to hear your hint?"

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A/N: Hey everyone! The picture above the chapter is the 3rd place runner up of the cover contest submitted by 0NightmareMoon0. 😄 Great job on the entry! It looks awesome! It features the split image of Soul and Demon in Soul's body, grinning. Love it! 😄