Maka took a deep breath as she slid the grey hood over her ash blonde tresses. The fabric was soft and shielded most of her face from view, something Maka had to admit that she enjoyed.

"Come on squirt, are you ready or not?"

The blonde turned to her weapon and stuck her tongue out at him. "Calm down, Soul, this is a big moment," she growled back at him.

Soul's eyes softened and he put his hand out to his best friend. "I know it is. But we shouldn't keep Kid waiting forever, you know how he is."

Maka let out a laugh because she knew very well how uptight her fiance could be when it came to punctuality. "Alright," she conceded as they headed towards the pavilion. "I guess I'm as ready as I'll ever be."

As they approached the pavilion, Maka was surprised by the beauty of it. They were in the Underworld for the ceremony and there were spirits strolling freely. Among them, Maka recognized both Lisolette, Kid's foster mother, and Vera, the witch that had helped rescue Maka.

There were garlands of black orchids and kohlroeschen* hanging around the stone walls and columns. The dark skyline caressed the peaks of the mountains in the distance, creating an unforgettable backdrop.

On one side of the pavilion stood her friends and her father; on the other side stood the shinigami and spirits that had been invited. Dead center was the dark haired youth that held her heart, standing behind a stone altar with a glass of blood red wine.

He smiled at her affectionately when he saw her approach. The guests all parted ways, allowing for her to approach the the altar without incident.

This is it, Maka, she thought to herself. The only sound was the brushing of her cloak against the stone floor as she crossed the distance. She could hear her heartbeat and her blood pounding as she tried to stay calm.

The girl stopped in front of the altar, her hands clasped tightly in front of her. Soul then stepped away from her, joining Liz to the left. He squeezed Maka's hand assuredly before walking away, and she squeezed it back.

She could always count on her best friend, and nothing was going to change that.

Kid stood before her, warmth and joy radiating from his frame. He smiled at her and reached out his right hand across the altar which she took and held onto tightly.

The shinigami cleared his throat before beginning. "Do you hereby promise to do everything within your power to help the passing of mortals from the physical world?" he asked.

"I do," Maka said.

Kid sent a glowing smile at her and he brushed his fingers against her wrist. "And do you," he continued, "intend to assist your Lord of Death in your duties as a shinigami to the best of your abilities, using your own judgement and compassion to guide you?"

"I do."

Maka braced herself. She knew what all of the questions would be and what her answer to each one was supposed to be, with the exception of the third question. Kid had told her it was meant to be a secret and so she didn't press it. Though she had to admit that the ceremony was very reminiscent of a wedding. Of course, that would have to wait a little while longer. . .

The shinigami could feel the warmth of her hand and he drew comfort from it before taking a deep breath. "And do you, promise to stay by my side, as a shinigami," he paused, finding the nerve to continue, "and as my wife, our souls never to be parted?"

Her cheeks flushed and she let out a gasp of surprise, but she did not remove her hand from his. Instead, she put her left one out for him. "I do," she whispered.

Kid smiled and leaned across the altar, placing identical wedding bands on her ring fingers and planting a chaste kiss on her lips.

"Are you mad that I combined the ceremonies?" he whispered mischievously.

"Not really," Maka remarked, "I was wondering why you wouldn't let me choose a venue, even after I found one that was perfectly symmetrical," she said with a giggle.

They could hear Spirit wailing behind them, while Patty and Liz were sniffling at the sight in front of them.

Kid shushed the guests, pointing out that the ceremony was not yet over.

"Don't you have declare something by the power vested in you by whatever the hell you want it to be?" Soul called from the aisle.

"Not that ceremony, the shinigami one," Kid retorted good naturedly. He turned to Maka, sending a heart breaking smile her way.

"Maka, you are the bravest soul that I know. You stand up for what you believe in and what you know is right. You're loving, you're compassionate, determined, intelligent, and just so good."

Don't cry Maka, don't cry you little bitch.

"You find a way to love everyone, even me."

Oh damn it, just let the tears flow.

Kid's eyes softened when he saw the tears begin to flow freely down her cheeks and he found his voice choking. "You are the best thing that has ever happened to me. You were never afraid to do whatever it took to protect the people you love. You make me feel . . . free to do things that I never imagined I could. You're enlightening, and you inspire those around you with your bravery every day."

It's like he's trying to make me cry.

"So today, to complete your transition to the role of shinigami, I name you Courage."

Any noises that were made by the audience at the point were abruptly stopped as they stared at the slim girl before them, now a literal angel of death.

Kid continued on, his voice confident as he faced his friends and shinigami. "May you help people pass this world, giving them the courage they need to accept the past and face what lies beyond. I hope you inspire them with your bravery to continue living, even after their physical death. And I hope," he stumbled, the words spilling out, "that you have the same courage that you inspire in others, for the rest of your life."

Maka leapt over the altar, throwing her arms around his neck and pulling her to her as the tears pooled on her face. "I love you so much," she rasped in between hiccups. He kissed her again, finding that immortality did little to change the liveliness of the girl in his arms.

"There is one more thing," he said after he let her go.

"Awww come on Kid, how much longer are to focus on you guys?" Black Star shouted from his seat. Tsubaki elbowed him, causing the assassin to snicker and put his arm around his wife.

"Not much longer," he said. "You all are free to leave if you wish, as this will be between me and Maka."

Liz whooped from her seat. "Whoo! Get it, Kiddo!" she cheered.

Both Kid and Maka blushed beet red until Kid began to shake his head vigorously. "It's not like that!" he said.

Spirit continued to wail across the pavilion until Blair put a glass of scotch in his hand and his whimpers died down.

As the guests began to mingle and partake of the alcohol (provided by Kid) the newlyweds snuck away, standing at the edge of the lake by the castle.

"It really is beautiful here," Maka said as she leaned against her husband. He stood behind her, his arms wrapped tightly around her waist,

"Mhmm," he said against her neck as he pulled away. He slid the hood off her face, allowing her ash blonde hair to fall forward,

"I have something to give you," he said, reaching into his pocket.

Maka began to giggle. "Really, Kid, if you put any more rings on my fingers, my hands are going to fall off," she teased.

The shinigami shook his head, pulling a silver chain from his pocket. He reached behind her, pulled aside her hair, and tied the clasp behind her neck.

Her hand fluttered up to the pendant and she looked at it in confusion. "A pomegranate seed?*"

she asked.

Kid let her hair fall back into place, tucking a few loose strands behind her ear. "I thought pomegranates were appropriate, considering our predecessors," he smirked.

Maka nudged him affectionately. "Thank you, it's beautiful."

"I had it preserved so you'll always have it. I hope you don't ever lose that," he warned as he took her hand and led her over to a stone bench at the edge of the lake.

"Well I don't intend to, but why this piece in particular?"

Kid reached out and fingered the pendant gently between his thumb and index fingers. "Because like you have a piece of my heart, this pendant has a part of my soul. Tenetur anima tua in aeternumn. My soul is bound to you forever," he whispered.

Maka stared at him in wonder, her emerald eyes still glazed over from the tears. "I know I keep saying this, but I guess I'll probably be saying it forever now. Thank you."

"No, thank you," he said as he pulled her onto his lap. "Thank you for saving me from myself, from this eternity alone. Thank you for seeing the man behind the neuroticism."

"Yeah, it was kind of hard sometimes," she teased as she placed her hand on his chest. "But you have a lot of time to make that up to me."

He kissed her, tightening his grip around her waist. Grinning, he pulled away, his golden eyes hooded. "And I intend to use every minute of it."

Fine

A/N: First off, this is the longest story I've ever completed, so hats off to me for doing it and for you guys for sticking with it! Second, did anybody ever notice that when I talked about Lyte's angels, they were slaves to her as the shinigamis were to Death? I just thought of it that way since she's kind of a controlling bitch she need that. I tried to incorporate what everyone suggested for Maka in some way or another for her name (Sorry if I missed you!) And Lastly, This story is in a Soul X Maka Community and that confuses the hell out of me. Nowhere in this story is there any real SoMa, but whatever, you do you. A Special thanks to all of you for being a part of this, for inspiring and encouraging me whenever my motivation died. P.S. I started a new fanfic called "The Sound of Resonance," and it's a songfic so check it out if you can! Also, I'm working on a series of Fairy Tale oneshots, and the next one is KiMa Cinderella! (Whoo! Should be up before the end of the week!)

Responses:

Lil'OldNarcissisticMe: You took the words right out of my mouth! I had been thinking about Courage for some time (Though it was a toss up between that and bravery!)

QuantamTheory: You are an incredibly insightful person and I am astounded by your general knowledge. Please keep writing and reviewing, you are an absolute treasure!

ZoeyAngel: Yep! Check out The Sound of Resonance on my page!

FrancyKid: Yes, the moment is bittersweet, but I'm also very happy to have finished I story that I am proud of and consider a success and a credit to my name.

Musing Reaper: That's really good actually, I liked enlightenment. I picture him as a shinigami with soft amber eyes and a wide smile. He always has a book with him, and a pencil to write down what comes to mind! See, you inspire me to create characters with just a word!

Mowen Maximus: Thanks! Courage was my favorite too!

Mysteri Mystar'i: I thought about Denial but I actually already created that character like 7 chapters back! Thanks for the review though!

DeathEzio: I totally get where you're going with the Freedom thing! Did you see how I threw that in there! *nudges elbow* Eh?

TheMeaneststorm: I'm happy to deliver!

Mysterygirlanonymous: Your name is certainly mysterious, but your review was great appreciated!

*Koehlroschen is an Austrian flower that grows in the alps. It's very rare, but it's said to have the sweetest scent. Look it up if you want to see a picture (It's not very pretty, which is why it would be in the underworld)

*2 The idea of the pomegranate seed pendant is credited to QuantamTheory and her wonderful imagination! Shout out to you for being the perfect person to bounce ideas off of!

Wow, sorry for the long-ass author's note, but I had a lot to say to you guys. I hope my next story goes as well as this one!

-Wri