Epilogue

It had been five days since Tobias was killed in the centre of his own ring. Chaos had quickly followed suit, as one might expect, but Tsubaki had taken the throne with a degree of grace that had surprised many. Her first order of business had been to ban the recreational use of wisps, and binding them against their will.

The backlash had been sudden and uproarious, and many were still against the idea—one that promised change to the way of life they'd held for so long. The fact that the drought had ended helped, and that fresh water was now readily available without a lethal trip into the deadly forests, but so many people were set in their ways that it was a recurring issue. Still, Tsubaki held firm with her ideals, and with the help of Kid—who had a surprising knowledge of politics—she was dealing with things.

At least, Maka assumed she was; she hadn't seen the other woman for several days. Maka and Soul had stayed away from the centre of the city, settling instead in a small cottage that Tsubaki had lent them, just outside the outskirts of the city.

They sat now at the entrance to the forest, side by side on the green, fragrant grass. The wind brushed by them as the birds twittered in the distance, and Maka felt the warm breeze tease the strands of her hair, twisting them off her cheek and around her head.

Her arm was slowly healing, and had taken some getting used to. She had put in an order for a robotic one, but it was taking some time to be built. Thankfully with their reward, money was no longer an issue.

Maka breathed in, taking in the smells around her, before exhaling slowly. Despite the serenity of her surroundings, and the seeming calm she exuded, inside she was full of turmoil. Her heart ached acutely, and the breath she'd taken in had hurt as it left her lips.

She looked to her left to see Soul, once again a wisp, sitting quietly at her side. He was looking through a small book, one she'd brought and asked him to read with her. In the five days since the tournament, he had been her constant companion—almost too close at times, if she was being honest.

Every night he held her, squeezing her almost painfully tight within his arms. She also noticed him watching her, wary, as though he expected her to drop dead at any moment. It was at these times that she made sure to press her lips to his until the darkness left his eyes.

He was so close, always with her. And yet the distance between them was constant. Their bond had been broken by her momentary death, and had stolen away something she hadn't realized she treasured so completely. Even as he stood by her now, so close their shoulders brushed with each breath, she felt bereft of him. Empty and alone where she yearned to be whole.

She feared from the very depths of her being that he would leave her. He was a wisp again, the thing he'd wanted from the beginning. At any moment he could decide to leave her. Every now and then she'd see him in his wisp form, a small ball of glowing light, and the twist in her belly left her feeling physically ill each time.

Maka had looked for signs in the passing days, signs that he felt the same way she did. She'd studied his face, his mannerisms, dissected his words, and still nothing. He cared for her, that much she knew, maybe even loved her. But she saw no outward sign that he wanted back the all encompassing bond that they'd once shared.

"Are you happy," she asked then, gathering the courage to voice the burning question in her heart, "that our bond was broken? That we're apart like this now?"

His profile remained the same as he stared down at the pages of the worn novel, his hair fluttering in the wind. Maka failed to smother the urge to touch the soft strands, and reached over to smooth the silky hair at the base of his neck. He leaned into her touch.

"I am," he answered finally, expression free of all emotion.

Maka nodded wordlessly. The words were like a stab wound in her heart, but she understood them. She knew now that it was wrong what she'd done—but though she felt remorse for her actions, she did not regret them. Given the chance to do it again, Maka would steal him just the same. Her fingers continued to brush through his hair, using the repetitive motion in an attempt to soothe her guilt.

"If we'd remained together," he continued belatedly, reaching up to collect her hand from his nape to hold it in his own, "it would have been a constant strain on our relationship. We never would have moved on." He was looking at her now, the red of his eyes intense as he watched her.

Again, Maka nodded. Still, the burn in her chest worsened. She'd hoped he would have at least missed their bond a bit. Wasn't it supposed to affect them both? Maka slumped, digging into the earth with her heels.

"This way," said Soul, interrupting Maka's thoughts, "we can do it knowing what we're getting into."

She started, turning back to face him. "What?"

He held the gold binding bracelets in his hand, produced from the bag at his side. He rubbed one with his thumb as he examined the two thoughtfully.

"Where did you get those?" Maka asked, shocked. Her heart was a pounding drum beneath her breast. She swallowed thickly, struggling to hold down her rising enthusiasm. "I thought they were stolen from the ring after they fell off?"

Soul shook his head. "Tsubaki had them collected and brought them to me several days ago." He was still staring at them, appearing to think deeply about something or other. Finally, he pulled one over his wrist.

Her heart seemed to burst as she watched it close over his arm. He held out the second and waited patiently, eyes focused on her own. Holding his gaze, Maka took it in her hand, her breath bated. "Are you sure?" she asked, fingers trembling. "You'll be human again."

Soul didn't reply, only waited. She wished faintly that she was more adept at reading emotions, because she imagined the ocean of swirling thoughts in his eyes might tell her something of what he was feeling. But she wasn't, and could only hope that what she saw in them was love.

The warm metal slid over her skin and locked around her arm, at once secure and familiar. Soul lost the faint glow around him, and the feeling of being whole rushed through her, an incomparable relief, and for the first time in nearly a week, she felt complete. She felt euphoric.

And then his lips were covering hers, his hands cupping her cheek in an achingly gentle hold. The kiss was desperate, and full of emotion she couldn't decipher, but somehow warmed her heart to the point of near-bursting anyway.

He pulled away, their lips sticking for a moment, and he pressed his forehead to hers. "You are in me to the point where I can't get you out," he whispered, breath mingling with hers as his fingers softly traced the lines of her ribs. "I care for you."

"Good," Maka said with a wicked grin, the relief and joy making her weak and giddy. He pinched her side in silent reprimand and closed his eyes with a contented sigh.

Maka wasn't sure what they'd do now, but she did know they would do it together.

The End

A/N: Thank you so much for reading! I'd like to thank my awesome beta's: therewithasmile, raining-down-hearts, Howlingmoonrise, Professor Maka, Khaleesimaka, and the little soul. You are all amazing and thank you so much for all the effort you guys have put in. It was a beast of a fic, and you are all troopers. And thank you resbang mods (if you're reading this) for organizing such a great event, it's been so much fun, and thank you to all you chatzy bums who did dirty quickies with me-they were as quick as they were dirty ;)

Also thanks to my AMAZING, STUPENDOUS, TOTALLY AWESOME artist aqua-twin, who was amazing to work with. She is also hella talented so check out the art she did for this fic (link on my profile page) as well as all her other art, which is also amazing (I should know since I creep her tumblr).