Rated M for sadism, rape, torture and adult content. You have been warned.

Disclaimer: If I owned Soul Eater, I don't think I would have tortured them.

Chapter 3: The Camellia and Star


I think the worst environment we can be in which the days are numbered and not knowing how many are left. The good news is knowing that they are, getting ahead, and investing time to make life better.
- Anonymous


It's been a year since she had been kidnapped – a year that the cycles of torture unfold before her. She learnt the ways of plastering a fake smile on her face in order not to be punished, getting over your 'act' so that you could quickly seek the comfort of the enclosed space of your cage.

She learnt to pay less heed to the happenings in the arena, especially when it came to the audience paying to fuck. They took pride and joy that they took away their virginity and mock them in disgust saying they were such a slut or whore. 'They really ought to look at themselves in the mirror' Maka had vehemently thought but keeping those thoughts to herself of course.

Yet again, when it came to the segment of being fucked, she could hear the cries of innocent girls having their virtue taken away – bleeding and suffering the loss. She was thankful it was yet to be her turn – she didn't want to be fucked by them.

They were dirty rats – taking advantage of people whenever they had the chance. It was all dirty business; that's all Maka could say.

As they finally proceeded to the one place that signaled that the events had come to an end, she heaved a sigh of relief that she was spared for a day. The slaves trudged begrudgingly to the place where they would be kept in their cages; looking longingly at the night skies of the opening of the tent.

The cage was their sanctuary from harm even for a few hours, where they would take some comfort that no one would be out to bring upon their deaths faster or in a cruel way. There was just silence as they curled up into a ball of self-hate as they tried to recall what they had done wrong in the previous life or the current, wishing that there was some reason for whatever they were going through.

If there was truly a reason for this monstrosity, any at all, maybe it'd have made this entire ordeal more bearable.

When they were entering the compound of the many cages, a little boy suddenly started to shout and bounce around the place, saying something that anyone could barely comprehend. The ring leader grabbed him by the leg and he tugged hard, the little boy's face hitting the ground as he struggled to run.

She was shocked to see what happened next – the black-haired beauty hearing the screams of the bluenette, let out a shriek as she dislocated her ankle from the shackles and managed to limp across the room in a few bounds as she lunged for the ring master, knocking the little boy out of his hands.

The ringmaster's eyes flared with anger as he brought out his whip, the injured girl quickly hugging the boy tightly to her chest and shielding him from what was happening as she muffled her screams as the whip descended on her.

Maka knew for one that it was the most lethal whip, it was soaked with acid and some poison and just one strike was enough to leave a scar. They were the most severe punishment that the circus could give other than throw the slave into a fire. Her mouth went dry as she watched Mosquito lash her time and time again, her face going pale as the blood continuously trickled down from her wounds.

It tore her apart to see this scenario; it reminded her of the girl whose bones turned into a personal skeleton. And there sat the bluenette boy with was being protected by the black-haired girl, wide eyed as he tried to get her out of the way. He knew what was happening - his eyes were confused and hazy as he could not comprehend the girl's thinking and need to save him.

Her navy blue eyes limp shut as she let out a blood-curling scream, the pain of the whip was something she could no longer contain before she passed out, many slaves roaring in fury as they desperately grasp for her, wanting no further harm to be done to her.

As the final stroke of the whip descended upon her, the little boy pushed her aside, using his arm to block it as his turquoise eyes suddenly bloomed into stars, furious as he grabbed the whip, not caring about the pain that he was inflicting upon himself and threw the ringleader, slamming him into the wall.

The slaves watched in awe at the little boy's strength as they cheered, knowing that they finally had a victor in the circus.

"Save please." The bluenette begged as Maka crawled over, digging through the unconscious ringleader's pockets to find the antidote to the pain.

"What's your name?" Maka asked quietly as she tore some cloth that she was wearing, dabbing the antidote onto the girl's wounds, her jade green eyes brimming with tears at the black-haired beauty's courage.

"Black*Star!" He shouted triumphantly before he went back to looking really sad. "Tsubaki always takes care of me…."

"Odd name little boy." Maka teased, trying to lighten up the mood, surprised to see some of the slaves tossing bits and pieces of the cloth they wore to cover themselves to tie her wounds.

Slowly dragging the pair into her cage that could fit a few more people, she laid Tsubaki's head on her lap, stroking her beautiful black tresses. She didn't know how long she sat there as Black*Star fell asleep at the corner and her navy blue eyes cracked open slightly.

"Is Black*Star okay?" Tsubaki asked, her voice hoarse; wincing as she tried to sit up only to feel the pain that wanted to make her throw up.

Looking alarmed, Maka quickly pushed her back onto her lap. "Don't move, you're going to make it worse! I treated his arm wound, don't worry. He's asleep." Maka soothed.

"Thank you…." Tsubaki murmured as she gazed at the little boy who had drool coming out from his mouth, sleeping.

"Say what your story that you ended up here is? Kidnapped?"

The camellia flower shook her head sadly, trying to hold back her sobs. "I was just taking him out for a walk… I often took care of him as he was usually alone at home as his foster parents had to work…. I wished… I wished I didn't take him out when I knew a few people were already staring at me constantly." Tsubaki sobbed, clenching onto Maka's hands, her nails digging into her skin.

"Tsubaki…. Not your fault." Black*Star huffed as he pat her head gently, frowning slightly at her bandaged face.

"We'll get through this together…. I swear." Maka murmured quietly to herself, vowing that she wouldn't leave these two alone if they ever had a chance to escape. It was all for one and one for all now.