Disclaimer: All original Soul Eater characters, story, and affiliated media are copyright (c) 2004 by Atsushi Ohkubo. Kashii Ai, Cassie Drey, and any associated names/companies in no way own the Soul Eater series.
The Undead Young Story copyright (c) 2009 by Kashii Ai, Cassie Drey, and any associated names/companies
Young lyrics copyright (c) 2008 Hollywood Undead. Kashii Ai, Cassie Drey, and any associated names/companies do not in any way own these lyrics
A/N: Hello! New readers, welcome! Old readers, good to see you again~!
I am Kashii Ai, and I am pleased to present The Undead Young. I first published this story way back in 2009, when the SE fandom was still young, and there were less then a thousand fics in the archives. Though it has very few updates, this story has become of the most beloved by my readers. Therefore, I have decided to allow this story the attention I (and the fans) believe it deserves.
The first three chapters have been revamped and polished to reflect a more composed body of work, with updates to grammar and dialogue, as well as the plot (early on when I first wrote the story, I was not sure how it would turn out so I had to go back and make changes). I have prewritten this story up to chapter eight, which means I only have four chapters left of the twelve this story will eventually be.
Updates will be every two weeks, and I hope and pray that I have time to write those last four chapters before my prewriting runs out, though that's not a guarantee.
So, without further adieu, please enjoy The Undead Young!
Prologue: Seven Lives
We are young, / we have heart. / Born in this world as it all falls apart. / We are strong, / we don't belong. / Born in this world as it all falls apart. / I see the children in the rain,
/ like the parade before the pain. / I see the love, I see the hate, / I see this world that we can make. / I see the life, I see the sky, / give it all to see you fly. / Yes, we wave this flag of hatred, / but you're the ones who made it!
"Watch the beauty of all our lies, / passing right before my eyes. / I hear the hate in all your words, / all the wars to make us hurt. / We get so sick, oh so sick, / we never wanted all this,/ medication for the kids with no reason to live! / So we / March to the drums of the damned as we come! / Watch it burn in the sun-we are numb! / We are young, / we have heart. / Born in this world as it all falls apart. / We are strong, / we don't belong. / Born in this world as it all falls apart.
"As we walk among these shadows, / in these streets, these fields of battle, / take it up, we wear the medal, / raise your hands with burning candles. / Hear us whisper in the dark, / in the rain you see the spark, / feel the beating of our hearts, / fleeting hope as we depart. / All together, walk alone / against all we've ever known. / All we've ever really wanted / was a place to call our home. / But you take all we are; / the innocence of our hearts. / Made to kneel before the alter as you tear us apart!
"So we / march to the drums of the damned as we come! / Watch it burn in the sun—we are numb! / We are young, / we have Heart. / Born in this world as it all falls apart. / We are strong, / we don't belong. / Born in this world as it all falls apart. / We will fight (we will fight)! / Or we will fall (we will fall)! / 'Til the angels save us all. / We will fight (we will fight)! / Or we will fall (we will fall)! / 'Til the angels save us all. / We will fight (we will fight)! / Or we will fall (we will fall)! / 'Til the angels save us all. / We will fight (we will fight)! / Or we will fall (we will fall)! / 'Til the angels save us all.
"We are young, / we have heart. / Born in this world as it all falls apart. / We are strong, / we don't belong. / Born in this world as it all falls apart. / We are young, / we have heart. / Born in this world as it all falls apart. / We are strong, / we don't belong. / Born in this world as it all falls apart.
Life in the slums of Death City was harsh. Every aberration of society walked these hellish streets, from prostitutes to gangbangers to drugees. The youths that lived on the Death Circuit Plaza were the toughest, the best survivors. The Death Circuit Plaza was the central hub of the city gang scene, everyone who was anyone frequented this area, located in the center of the slums, between two tall abandoned skyscrapers, beautifully apocalyptic in their ruin, their tragedy. It was a market for drug dealers to sell their goods, prostitutes to sell their services, and other street kids looking to make some money, any way they could think of. It was the site of gangfights, showdowns, and shootings. Being an accepted member on the Death Circuit Plaza was a double-edged sword, both a privilege and a danger. Only the best at surviving could forge their way on the infamous illegal market and gang battlefield, and live to see the next sunrise. There were many different gangs that populated the area, constantly battling, grappling, fighting for a way to obtain money, find drugs, struggle to stay alive.
Among these gangs walked the Children of Death. The gang was headed by the renowned Death the Kid, the famous lost son of Shinigami-sama, the God of Death himself. The young god had arrived on the streets after his father had been brutally murdered when Kid was ten, and his son had been left at an orphanage, with no relatives, and no one to comfort him. He had run away at thirteen, after Kid had grown tired and sick of the mediocre care and constant abuse of his caretakers. Yes, he had been abused, multiple times; verbally, physically, mentally. He had quickly risen through the ranks, and earned himself the nickname "Reaper," for the way he and his gang purged the pre-Kishin that oftentimes ravaged the streets, and because he picked up the souls of those who had died, and delivered them into eternity, on life's other side, with a blessing and a proper funeral. The young shinigami was respected and feared as a being not to be messed with, despite the mercy he was known to show. Despite this, there were still the idiots who thought it was fun to fuck with Mr. Death.
The gang was unusually merciful, and better off than most. Kid was an artist, he offered to do portraits for rich people walking by in the outer slums and beyond, for twenty dollars each, as well as sell his artwork that he had previously produced. Kid's girl, Maka Albarn, was a dancer at the Crescent Nightclub, where the entertainment was not strippers, but real street dancers, all girls employed under-the-table, all mostly living out of the streets. Maka's half-brother, Soul Eater Evans, was a musician. He and his guitar, which he called "Betsy," were famous in the outer slums for the lovely performances he gave. Black Star and Tsubaki Nakatsukasa offered fighting lessons to some of the wealthier streets population.
The Children were not as harsh as some other gangs. They tried their best to survive on their own, not to steal, not to cause pain. They found beauty in the little things. Never took anything for granted. Showed mercy to those who would show none to them. And they were always searching for a way not to crash, an escape from this labyrinth of ruined buildings and drug dealers, asking for a way to stay alive, just one day at a time, always praying to witness the next breathtaking sunrise.
Seven teenagers, including Kid, made up the Children of Death. Seven lives that fate bound together, in a strong, unbreakable bond. Seven lives tragedy tore apart, a raging storm of upheaval, of chaos. Seven lives hope would build again, healing open wounds, closing weeping sores, and allowing them to find themselves once again.
Seven lives intertwined, different strings that stretched into the future, eventually bound together to meet. Seven lives denying themselves so much promise, so much beauty, so much potential. Seven lives destined for something better than they had, careening towards tragedy, towards growth, towards strength, towards a brighter, better future. Seven lives told for the innocently corrupted, the tragically hopeful.
For the young.
This story is their story.
