HS - Slayers of 99 Souls IX

HOT & SOUL
Soul Eater & Heart of Wildfire mix fanfiction
Logo & Story by G. Michel
Picture by Annria2002.deviantart.com

Disclaimer: SOUL EATER and their respective characters are the property of Atsushi Ohkubo and SQUARE ENIX. HEART OF WILDFIRE's characters are the property of Gregory Michel and Bessy Romero. This story is written for the sole and non-commercial purpose of fanbase entertaining.


STORY 2
THE SLAYERS OF 99 SOULS, part IX: Tears in the air tonight

"Wake up, love." The spirit of Maelice gently tapped Sahn's cheek.

Sahn woke up and looked warming in his deceased wife's eyes that showed the same emotion. They held each other tightly and smiled. The dimension of roses started fading away and part of the living of the house was appearing where countless roses used to it.

"I'll see you next year, love." She said.

"I will." He smiled back and shared a passionate kiss with her before she faded as the world of roses as well.

A heavy silence dominated the living room, only the sound of tears and nose sniffing caused by the story told to Sahn and Mariciel's new friends.

All of the girls cried rivers of tears. The sadness was too much to be contained on the inside. Mariciel hugged Sahn and let herself be carried by his arm. She nuzzled her face in his neck, not wanting her tears to be seen. Soul who acted cool in any circumstances hid eyes from everyone whipping his eyes from shed tears. Black*Star sat down and covered his face with his hands. The young blue-haired ninja also hid his tears. The young Death God known for masking his emotion well was unsuccessful this time. Pain and guilt wrecked his face, as he felt guilty for bringing the subject on the table in the first place mentioning it on the party they had last night. Now he wished he could go back through time to correct this mistake by "shutting the hell up" as he was thinking right now.

…

It was night and Gallow Mansion was as quiet as the nocturnal sky.

Patty had asked Kilik to come over. When he arrived, Patty squeezed him tightly in a hug, still shedding tears from the story she listened to this afternoon. She who used to be in a happy-go-lucky persona all day of the year was in a state where her usual mood was struck down by boundless sadness.

"Please…" She said, her voice still crying and muffled on her boyfriend's chest. "Please stay for the night… okay?"

Kilik was dumbfounded not seeing his girlfriend tackling him with her usual "Tickily-Hug" as she'd called them.

He stared at Kid, his eyes obviously saying "What the hell?" Kid's face showed no interested in telling the story he had heard at his new friend's home, but gave a short version of it. Kilik was now as well saddened and knew the reason of his girlfriend's reaction.

"Ever since then," Kid said. "we all have been feeling saddened as such. I can't blame anyone. I guess everyone took conscious of the important place our loved ones take in our lives. And how terrible we'd be if we were to lose them..."

"Yeah…"

Patty pulled Kilik to walk to her bedroom. He shared a look with Kid asking if it was okay to stay for the night; the young Death God nodded in approval. The couple disappeared in the hallway leading to the stairs leading up.

Kid sat back on his grand chair at the long and large table in the living room. A small lamp was lit on showing his golden eyes glowing with sorrow and guilt for the mistake he had done at the party. A bottle of Death Daniels's was opened with a glass filled to its half. The bottle was nearly empty, but alcohol didn't affect him much due to his Death God blood.

Kid took a sip of it and put it back on the maroon-colored surface. He stared at the glass as a thousand different kinds of thoughts flew by. He who cared so much about symmetry, his jacket was opened and loose, the buttons uneven and his hair messy.
He knew Sahn had turn the page on this event of his life, yet he couldn't stop feeling miserable about it.

The soft caress of a hand awakened him from his rain of self-thoughts. Liz's sadden expression looked at him. She wore nothing but a long-sleeved white shirt that belonged to his boyfriend and black underwear. A cleavage of her round breasts could be seen, but Kid's mind wasn't in that mood tonight.

"I shouldn't have mentioned their nickname back at the party…" His eyes didn't look into his girlfriend's.

"Hey…" She said softly holding his face to look at hers.

Kid finally looked into her eyes. Already a soothing effect took place in his heart. Signs of relief were already showing, thanks to the love and care Liz had always shown him from the first day they met.

She pulled him off from his chair. A tear fell from her right eye, then on her left. "Let's go to bed, okay?"

Kid nodded smiling a sad emotion. He grabbed Liz in a bridal style and kissed her with passion. He thought for a second about Sahn's story. He, too, didn't want to have such a fate happened to him. He loved Liz more than anything and vice-versa. The young Death god saw how this story scared her greatly: scaring her to lose the one she loves.

"I love you, Liz. I'll always love and protect you."

Liz lifted her eyes and squeezed herself against his warm chest. "Me too, Kid. I love you so much…!"

…

The couple lying in light clothing in bed, Black*Star was held dearly by Tsubaki. The grinning moon's light shined in their bedroom. The self-proclaimed god couldn't find his sleep, neither his girlfriend resting her head on his chest. Sahn's past pierced deadly in their souls.

"Sahn…" Black*Star said. "He's definitely more of a god than I am…"

"What do you mean, Black*Star?" Tsubaki asked.

"To be a god, you must also know the pain of losing the closest one to you… And he experienced and survived that…"

Tsubaki couldn't find the words to match her lover's. For Black*Star to say such things about someone else, she knew that he had become very shocked to the core of his soul to act as such.

"I want to be god…" He finally said. "But not the kind that has to lose a loved one to be stronger…"

The proud ninja pulled his girlfriend onto him and kissed her, holding her dearly. "I love you too much for that… I don't want to lose you, Tsubaki."

"Black*Star…" Tears broke down from her eyes like his afternoon. "You'll never lose me… I'll always be there for you."

"Me too… And I'll become strong enough to make sure even death don't do us apart..."

Their night followed quietly as the two engaged in a physical love showing how much their attachment to each other meant.

...

At the new home of the scythe meister, Maka was in her grand bed covered dearly wearing light-green small shorts and a sleeveless pink shirt. Blair told her she'd stay tonight as some of her girl friends' houses tonight. Apparently, Blair didn't feel like sleeping alone tonight as the story of Maelice broke her high spirit as well.

The dark-olive-eyed young woman was still crying, just like her friends were. It wasn't only the story of Sahn, Mariciel and Maelice that got into her, but the fear of losing that special someone held a hold on her. She feared it might happened one day and her tears just kept on responding to that.

"Maka…?" Soul softly knocked on her door.

"Soul?" Her voice seemed broken.

"Can I come in?"

"Sure…" She quickly wiped her tears.

The albino-haired scythe entered. He wore black boxers and a white short-sleeved shirt. Maka looked at him and saw he couldn't find the sleep he was looking for. Soul saw Maka's eyes almost as red as his. He knew she kept on crying as she had done that all afternoon and evening long. But the man decided that the time to tease wasn't now, especially regarding this fragile matter.

"What's up?" She asked.

"Well…" He started saying turning his head sideways. "I just wanted to see if you were okay…"

"Ah…"

A long silence rested between the two of them. Their eyes didn't cross each other, but the atmosphere spoke for them. Maka wasn't dating Soul, neither Maka was his girlfriend. Yet, after years of being partners and the best of friends, they know how much they really cared about each other. Strong emotions surpassing those of friendship rested in their hearts, but this box was not touched yet. Nonetheless, that story of sorrow and sacrifice made them aware of one thing: they didn't want to lose each other.

Soul turned around and was about to leave, but he stopped and held himself from going through the door.

"Maka…?"

"Yes?"

He hesitated for a few second. "I'll always protect you… and be there for you, forever and always." He lifted his red eyes to her dark green ones. "I promise."

Maka's sadness was still present on her face, but a warm tint of pink lighted her facial skin tone. Those words burned her heart. She didn't know if there was a second meaning to them, but she was satisfied to hear such words, especially from Soul. She needed to hear them. But also, to say them as well to the coolest partner she had.

"Me too, Soul." She said. "I'll always be here for you and I'll never leave your side. Forever."

Soul nodded and his lips smiled. Even his face flushed a certain redness he didn't try to hide.

He was about to leave, but Maka let out a sobbing sound. Soul turned his head and saw her hand retracting, as if she tried to hold him but didn't had the chance to. It took him only this to understand what she needed. And in all truth, as he thought, he needed that too.

Soul closed the door to her room and stayed inside. Maka's eyes followed him as he sat next to her by the bed. Their eyes looked at each other and had a silent understanding. Maka pushed herself to the left and let Soul hop in her bed. Soul slipped under the thick covers getting closer to her. Both of them held each other.

Maka's voice sob and a few new tears shed again. Soul cherished her head resting on his shoulder. Their bodies were intertwined, but none showed repulsion or embarrassment. The night was long as it started with a story of a great scar from a past's sadness. Spending the night alone seemed out of the question.

Soul kissed his meister on the forehead and held her tightly against him. Maka responded with the same physical gesture.

"Don't ever leave me…" she said in a cracked voice. "Okay?"

"I'll never leave you."

"Promise?"

"I promise, and I swear."

Soul's eyes closed. "Don't leave me, Maka. I need you..." He said slowly.

Maka lifted her eyes to look at him. She pulled herself up a little to land a kiss on his cheek onto the coolest weapon's cheek. She could never leave him, just as he wouldn't, not in a million years. Not even if the world's fate depended on it.

"I'll never leave you, Soul."

"You promise?"

"I promise."

He drew a peaceful smile. "You're the coolest Maka."

…

Sahn lay asleep on his bed and his head was in the worst of messes. Yet, only he was able to found peaceful tonight in the land of dreams.

Mariciel stood at the door frame of his room, her sad eyes gazing at the young man sleeping peacefully. She wore shorts and a short-sleeved shirt, both light orange. She closed the door and sat on his bed and her hand cherished Sahn's left cheek and the strings of hair that covered his sleeping eyes.

She sighed deeply. "You put on a brave smile… while you cry countless tears on the inside. How can you live like that?"

Slowly but suddenly, Sahn's hand delicately embraced her fingers. His blue eyes opened and they shine softly by the moon's light and stared at Mariciel's emerald ones.

"I don't cry anymore thanks to you. That's how I can live on."

Sahn knew her since his childhood. He knew how how much his best friend meant to him. And many were the times he thanked fate for having her in his life. He loved Maelice boundlessly, and yet, after her passing, Sahn knew more than anyone that his reason to keep on living on was her; his meister, best friend and perhaps… Sahn always stopped at this sentence in his mind, fearing what was beyond it. But a time would come when he'd have to step beyond this fence. For another time, he concluded in his mind.

Mariciel smiled softly and her eyes seemed to have regained her usual warmth. Her face leaned down over to land a soft and lovely kiss on his right cheek. Sahn blushed like a 5-year-old child, but was pleased of her action.

"Can I ask you something?" Sahn asked.

"Sure, anything."

"Remember when we were kids and you'd come for sleepovers at our house? And we'd always sleep in the same bed?"

"Yeah, I remember. I'd always end up choking you to death. But you'd always held me tight to protect me when there was rain and lightning outside. I was so scared of that."

Sahn paused looking at her. "I… Would you… like to sleep me in the same bed? Just for tonight?"

Mariciel's eyes widened and her face lighted up like a Christmas tree. Yet, she showed the same peaceful smile to him, thinking how adorable and cute it was to ask her that.

After the day they had, she thought about how Sahn needed such moments like that from time to time. Maelice used to be there for that, but not anymore regrettably. Mariciel always thought she could never take her place in Sahn's life. Yet, she made a promise with her: to be the only very close woman in the young sword weapon's life. Sahn was free to date anyone he wanted to, but Maelice knew in her living days that "something" was present between the two of them. And even after death, she wanted at least them to experience that. Mariciel thought about these "feelings" dwelling inside for Sahn. She didn't know what they meant, but one thing was certain: she wanted to be by his side. Not for the years to come, but for as long as she lived. And the same was for Sahn.

Mariciel didn't say a word of answer to Sahn. She just slipped herself under the covers and laced her arms around his partner's neck and resting her face right under his chin. Sahn replied by wrapping her arms around her back and waist pulling her towards his body.

"We'll always be together Sahn." She said, her voice falling asleep. "You and me… always."

Sahn couldn't help being touched by his best friend's attention and care shown to him. A tear flowed down from his left eyes, but he wiped it out to not worry her about him.

He kissed her on her forehead. "I'll always be with you Mariciel. Together and always…"



End of Part IX: Tears in the air tonight - To be continued...