Maka's eyes opened softly squinting at the bright light surrounding her; it was warm like lying in the sun she thought. Maka sat up looking around her seeing nothing but white "where am I?" she asked aloud. "You did well Maka" spinning in a circle Maka looked behind her to find soul standing only a few feet away. As soon as their eyes met Maka remembered everything, how soul had gone missing how hard she tried to find him, how he disappeared and how she had defeated the Kishin e had become. "I guess the white light means I'm in heaven not to mention you're here." Maka chided looking at the boy only a few feet from her resisting the urge to run into his arms.

Soul let out a soft chuckle "If this is heaven then the food sucks, you're in the hospital at Shibusen, you have been for almost a year." Maka's eyes widened "a year?" a soft nod was her only response. "am I in a coma or something?" soul once again nodded softly "as a matter of fact you are, and I got sick of waiting on you to wake up so decided to do a soul resonance and check on you, I'm happily surprised that you're responsive"

Maka stood up from the soft ground that had begun feeling like a feather mattress. "Waiting…..you mean that you're alive?" "Yup, when you opened the locket, it let the fraction of my soul that was inside it move back into my body, from then it was just healing. I woke up almost a month ago. I've been waiting for you." Maka smiled walking toward him touching his chest, feeling the scar that was there before smiling. He was really there. "When I open my eyes will you still be there?" soul placed his hand over her own pressing a delicate kiss to her forehead "I will, I will never leave you again I promise"

Maka's eyes opened to the bright florescent lights of the hospital feeling the shift next to her, she turned her head finding soul getting up from his sleeping position at the side of the bed. "Welcome home" soul smiled back at her "you too Maka".

The day was a flurry of tearful reunions from her friends, who felt extremely guilty for having attacked her and even more happy that she had woken up. Maka noticed as they talked that Sojiro had become close to soul, even at one point making the comment "I hate losing but if it's to you, maybe it was for the better anyway. I won the prize anyway" he teased pulling Chrona to him and kissing her, resulting in Ragnaraok giving him a lump on the head and Chrona blushing for almost an hour whenever they would look at each other.

Maka was more than please when she her mother and father came in to visit her giving news that Haruko and Maria had become close friends and were planning on traveling together after Shibusen was rebuilt. They would stay to help though. The day went by in the blink of an eye and Maka was happy that things had turned out alright. That night she was released from the hospital and allowed to go home. as soon as she walked through the door with soul Blair hugged her and set her down to a home cooked meal chatting away at everything that had happened since Maka had fallen.

Maka retired to her room early claiming she was tired despite soul's objections "you've been sleeping for a year how can you be sleepy?" Maka simply smiled gently and closed the door sinking to her floor with a soft thud. "Is any of this real…..it's too perfect…..did I really survive?" Maka pinched herself finding there to still be pain. "I'm alive for sure….what if this is an illusion from Ashura…" Maka realized that if it was an illusion she would go right back to the world without soul. Curling into a ball she decided she would rather play along than dispel this reality.

A soft almost inaudible knock at Maka's door startled her out of her thoughts. "Maka….can I come in?" I kind voice asked. Maka shifted out of the way of the door and onto the bed before turning back to the door "come in" soul opened the door stepping into the room and closing the door behind him. "you seem depressed" Maka shook her head "it's been a long day and a lot to take in…..everything is so different from before…" soul smiled laying his hand on Maka's "that's life…..nothing will ever stay the same….but…we can rise to meet those changes and become a little stronger each time." Maka found herself smiling at the white haired boy who had stolen her heart so long ago with newfound respect.

"Thank you soul" she whispered leaning over into him gently her head resting on his shoulder. Soul smiled laying his head on hers. He simply sat there listening to her breathe. He was alive….they were both alive and finally together again, they had become stronger and once again defeated the Kishin saving the world. Soul knew deep in his heart that if he and Maka were together they could handle anything.

A sliver of light slipped into the dark room as Blair checked in on the two teens lying together in the bed, their legs hanging off the end arms wrapped around each other in blissful dreams. Blair draped the blanket over them before slipping out of the room knowing tomorrow could bring anything but that the children that lived in death city were strong as wise, and would work together to save those they loved.

"there's a saying that goes if you truly love something let it go….if it comes back it was meant to be….everyone fears the chance that it was not meant to be….so I suppose for everyone taking that chance and letting go really is "The Hardest Part"

A/N: I will be making a few one shots on things that had changed and happened while Maka was asleep and after she woke up, these will include some Chrona/Sojiro fluff, including his marriage proposal, and Maka might become a godparent. ^. ^ keep an eye out for them. I might do them in the form of an alternate ending. Please R/R and tell me if you enjoyed…sorry for the abrupt end I was totally out of juice for this story and I wanted to finish this before Christmas so…. MERRY CHRISTMAS (or whatever you celebrate) and a HAPPY NEW YEAR!