"Yuuri!" Murata screamed rushing into the battle field. He pushed the large armies back in a frenzied manor, emitting giant blue shields from his palms. He had miscalculated. How could he have been so stupid?

The king of the country he had founded looked back at him and gave a small smile. Murata seemed to run in slow motion towards him, until Yuuri's form erupted into nothingness. Brightly colored sparks flew off in all directions, the warriors stopped their fighting. The sounds of clanking metal and screaming ceased. The two countries stood in silence as Murata fell to his knees and began to sob.

The shields he had erected faded, but the soldiers still kept their distance allowing him a circle of space in the center of them.

Yuuri's murder stood triumphantly. Now that Yuuri's soul had been destroyed, Loretta had regained her own soul. Her body started to become more distinct and more powerful, electricity crackled between her fingers. With his head still low, Murata pulled himself up in an unnatural way. Yuuri didn't need to sacrifice himself; Murata only had to think of a plan faster, or rather a better plan. Yuuri had promised that he would not do it.

He had promised.

After several years by his side, Murata had relaxed and trusted Yuuri; he didn't bother factoring in the fact that Yuuri would try to destroy his own soul to save the woman and her family. Now there was no possibility that they would meet again- not in another life, not in the afterlife, not as ghosts. Yuuri's soul was gone.

Conrad and Adelbert stood side-by-side watching the remnants of Julia's soul being dispersed across the land. Wolfram-who was on the other side of the country-felt his soul being tugged at from somewhere; instinctively, he released a yell and let forth a burst of flame.

Murata clenched and unclenched his fists, grinding his teeth. He opened his hand and willed the form of a sword. The solid aura regrouped in his hand and blistered his fingers. The double black charged at the forming figure, for the first time in two millennia, allowing his anger to take full control of his body.

…

Shinou stared at the body lying on the plush bed. The fabric looked soft enough, but the spirit had lost his ability to see if something was comfortable a long time ago. He leaned over the form of his former great sage, wishing he could cry. He lowered his head in shame, coming close enough to the boy's own to touch noses.

"I'm sorry" he whispered. His lips brushed Murata's forehead and he pulled back, knowing this was the last life that his Great Sage would have his memories. Murata's body was not built to use as powerful magic as he had summoned, and definitely not as an offensive tool. The strain had destroyed the natural processes of Murata's body and his two souls were fighting to remain I the nearly lifeless form.

"I never told you…"

Shinou watched as a blue sphere rose out of Murata's mouth. It escaped him like a breath, forcing his chest to rise and then fall limp as it rushed across the yard back to the castle. The king stroked his cheek and was about to turn away when the boy's eyes fluttered open.

"It seems Janus has gone to look for his own path." He said with a weak smile before tuning to his companion, whose hand was still resting on his cheek. "You'll stay with me until the end, though. Right?"

Shinou returned the smile with some effort, surprised that he was still alive. "Of course" he replied. He started to draw back his hand, but to his surprise, Murata grabbed hold of it and stared him in the eye.

"Please don't" He started. Shinou nodded in shock and sat on the bed next to the man he had burdened for four-thousand years. Murata brought the captive hand back to his face and Shinou began silently petting his hair.

"Ken-" he started, but the boy stopped him.

"You don't have to say it," he said, closing his eyes, "he already knows."

Murata drifted back to sleep, and the Original King's hand was still running through the strands of beautiful black that wrapped around the boy's face. He looked down and was puzzled to find a drop of water had fallen to his pants, with a gasp he realized that it was his own tear.

"Send me back to Earth," the double black whispered before falling forever silent.

Shinou cried out and quickly pressed his lips to his, not releasing until he couldn't feel the pulse. He drew back, seeing Murata had died with a smile.

Another blue orb rose from the Wise Man's mouth. It floated silently, hovering above the couple, before drifting into the hands of the Great One.

…

Shinou didn't have enough power of his own to open the portal back to Murata's chosen home. A week passed after his death before the shrine maidens had gathered enough strength to make it work. During that week, Shinou had cradled that soul, protecting it in the temple, not letting anyone near.

During the ceremony, Shori was the only one from the castle who came. The rest of the group was preparing for Yuuri's funeral and naming the next Maou. Those who didn't have an immediate task were too heartbroken to move. Shori needed to get home and tell his parents what had happened.

"I saw him, you know" he said to his blond traveling companion.

"Who?"

"Janus," Shori stated simply. "He came to me the night they died, and then he disappeared."

Shinou bowed his head a little in response, not wanting to talk anymore.

…

Christian Bisset sat in the waiting room of the hospital's maternity ward. He was nervous beyond belief and had nearly clawed of the arm rest of the chair. His foot tapped impatiently and his tightening his jaw. He got up and started to pace: left foot, right foot, left foot, right foot. A nurse came to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.

"Would you like to meet her?" she said sweetly.

Christian followed the nurse into the room. His wife Avril looked worse for wear. Her dirty blond hair was matted and knotted and deep bags had formed under her eyes. However, she was smiling. A pinking blanket was in her arms. She looked up from the object to meet her husband's eye and beckon him forward. Slowly, Christian made his way to the pink thing.

Tears streamed down his face and a huge smile broke out at the sight of the small pile of skin holding onto her mother's pinky. The couple was so wrapped up in their joy, they failed to notice the figure standing at six inches high watching them from behind the window sill.

Murata had once told him that he greatly liked living in France.

Shinou looked at the new parents one last time with a smile at released his own soul into this strange world, trusting it would come back here, to his Wise Man.

After all, that's what soul mates means.