Everything was dull… So dull… As if someone had dipped a paintbrush in dirty water and decided to paint the colors of the world.
"Kid! Do something! You're a reaper!" The white hairs scythe screamed, his voice in distress, but deep down, he knew nothing would help. Deep down, he knew it was useless. The cries were worse, much worse, than they were for Staz. Liz's eyes had gone dry as she laid her head on her younger sister's shoulder, both shuddering, but not from the cold. Blackstar made no attempt to keep the liquid crystals from falling from his eyes, but rather let them flow freely down his cheeks as he comforted his weapon that was doing the same. The only one who wasn't crying was Soul, his face red, almost blue, as he screamed at the reaper. Blaming him for powers he didn't have. Powers he should have.
Kid was numb. As numb as the cold body in his arms. As numb as the blue winged orb floating just above it's chest. Maybe even more numb. He hadn't even noticed the smoke spewing from his hand, healing his wound in an instant. Finally he let his eyes slid down, for the first time, to the body he had been embracing. It was sleeping. Nothing less, nothing more; but that was only the cruel illusion of death, the small, yet strong, soul floating about it told him so. He tried to feel the soul, to let his hands caress it before it carried on to where ever souls go, he couldn't remember where just then, but it burned. Of course burned is terribly inaccurate, it felt as if hell itself had just tried to enter his body though his fingertip, so he drew back.
"Kid?" The voice was quiet but very serious, and very, very naïve. Robin. "What's wrong with Maka."
Kid couldn't hold it. He yelled. Yelled until his throat was hoarse, and then some more. He sobbed. He cried. He grieved. He almost wanted to embrace that small soul just to feel some other pain than what he was feeling now. He looked down again, hoping that it would all be some cruel joke. Waiting for Maka to spring up in his arms and laugh at him for how silly he looked, or how asymmetrical the tears were falling down his face. But none of this happened, for the only movement he saw was a tiny snowflake that wasn't supposed to fall in Nevada lightly tangled itself in her eyelashes.
"Let's do this." Maka growled, her words bringing nothing but hopefulness in this seemingly unwinnable position. They all scattered, though their backs weren't truly to anything but each other. They mowed down bodies left and right, but no matter how many heads they lopped of, no matter how many enemies the disabled, there was always another to replace it.
Kill the leader. Kid paused for a moment, almost getting bitten in the process, but regaining his composure almost instantaneously. Who was that? It certainly wasn't Katsuo, but Kid had an odd feeling telling him to listen to it; and it was no secret what it meant to tell him. Kill Katsuo.
"Nicely done, Nicely done." Katsuo's voice hissed in his ear again. "But how long can you really hold this up? Your friends there, they're only human. Oh… And your girlfriend's ankle… Not looking too good." Kid's eyes rushed over to Maka; she was still holding her own, but it was obvious she was favoring one leg. A sharp pain ripped through Kid's body and he felt teeth sink into his hand.
"Uh-oh. Wrong move. Don't take your eyes off the road." Katsuo chuckled.
Everything was bloody. It was obvious Katsuo meant to give up everything in this match, seeing as he could care less that his own army was being taken down with his enemies. Kid started as his back touched something. A quick check told him it was Soul. They were all being forced into the middle again, back to back. They were being over run. Liz and Patty yelled something unintelligible, but Kidd didn't have time to turn; the shear weight of body masses threatened to knock him over.
"Too bad for your girlfr-" Katsuo didn't finish his sentence. And just as Katsuo had done, everything went silent.
The rotters stopped fighting.
They stopped biting.
They stopped moving; that is, until they began to drop.
One by one, they fell as if they were mere machines that someone had unplugged, but they weren't the only thing that fell.
"MAKA!" Soul yelled, catching his meister before she hit the ground.
Every Rotter had fallen; every last one of them, including Maka.
She had been bitten at the last second.
Her skin was getting cold, but he held onto her, sharing his rapidly dwindling body heat with her corpse. A couple hours had passed, but it really felt like days. A small ceremony had been held for Staz, and a hastily dug grave prepared, but Kid refused to let go of the other member of the group they had lost.
Liz tip-toed to her meister, every step killing a piece of her inside. She couldn't stand to see Kid like this, and she knew even his reaper body couldn't with stand the aggressive wind that sent the temperature plummeting; but she felt as if she were intruding, even if it was for his well being. "Kid…" She sighed, placing a cautious hand on his shoulder. He flinched violently, but tightened his grip on the girl before him, refusing to look at the trespasser. Liz blinked back tears, knowing he would never be the same; fearing what he would become after this. They were all taking today's loss in their own ways. Blackstar had almost wrecked any supplies they had left out of rage; Tsubaki had been too busy crying to calm or stop him. Patty held Robin close in her lap (Liz was certain the full effect of the blonde's death hadn't reached him yet), both completely silent. Other than Kid, Soul had been the worst. His skin visibly paled dangerously close to his snow colored locks, despite the cold weather, his breathing was unnaturally shallow, and the only signs of life he showed were the few times his lashes shuttered to blink. He had even refused medical attention for the nasty looking wound he had received in battle. "Kid, you need to come inside and warm up." She started awkwardly. Earning no acknowledgement, she continued. "You might be a reaper, but this cold would kill anything out here."
"As if death would be so sympathetic to lay a hand on me." Kid spat.
"Look, we're all sad she's gone." Liz sighed again, stooping down to put an arm around the reaper. She wasn't sure if the comment had been a lash at his father or the idea of death itself. "And I know you loved her. She loved you too, but I don't think she would want you-"
"Don't." Kid growled. "Don't even dare speak about what she would want." His voice raised. "It's not that I loved her. I love her. I LOVE her. Present tense, now and always!" He tightened his grip around the body again to keep his primitive physical instincts at bay. He wouldn't dare hit her, no matter how upset she made him. "Go inside, Liz."
"Kid, I didn't mean-"
"GO!" He yelled, his vocal chords strained by the cold. Liz scooted over, giving him space, but didn't leave him. He was there for her in her time of need, now she would be there for his; even if it was simply to sit there in the cold, brutal wind.
He ignored his weapon after awhile; she wouldn't let herself freeze to death, if she truly felt her life being threatened by the cold, she would retreat back to the cave. Only when the sun began to set did he notice something small and glowing beside him. He looked over to see her soul. Why was it still here? Souls don't stay around dead bodies… And then it hit him. It was waiting to be collected by a reaper. It was only staying around to be collected by him. He grit his teeth; he wanted to yell at it in anger for reasons unknown. Why did it have to sit there and be a neon reminder that she was gone? Why couldn't it just pass on in peace… It had drifted around the body, like a glowing un-poppable bubble slowly wandering aimlessly around its abandoned home. Kid shut his eyes, willing himself not to think about it. Willing himself not to think about the small soul that represented it's previous owner so much. It's small angel wings. It's stubborn pout.
He let out a breath and let instinct take over.
Gently setting the body down in front of him, he stood up and stretched a clammy hand, palm parallel to the ground. Black and purple ghosts lazily slid from his ring and danced down to the ground, leaving his familiar green skulled skateboard, Beelzebub, in their wake. Liz's eye widened; he had been completely powerless until now… He let the board fall to the ground and slowly scooped up Maka with gentle arms and lightly clutched her soul in his hand, smoke slowly rising from the contact. He tried to get over the queasy feeling that plagued him as he felt how stiff rigor mortis made her once slender and flexible body. Though mildly surprised he was able to summon his board, he refused to show any sort of emotion. He stepped on the board and willed it upwards. It rose.
"Kid!" Liz finally managed to gasp, looking at her meister who was now ten feet from the snowy ground. "Where are you-"
"I'm going to the academy. I need to see my father."
In celebration for the return of the Walking Dead, here is the next installment of Beyond Help. I do not lie when I say there are…. 2? MAYBE 3 chapters left? Probably 2.
Reviews~!
NorthernMage- Though that is true, a KiMa story can have one person die and still be considered a KiMa, correct? I dunno. Just speculation on my part and don't worry, I think you'll be seeing them pretty soon.
Falling Lanterns- You wanted Staz to die? I rather liked him personally, it was sorta (sorta) hard to kill him off. Oh well, you can't like them all.
Animewriter808p- Or more like two DIDN'T make it out alive O.o
Hawkllama- I know. I really liked Staz :/ but you can't have a realistic zombie story with out deaths I suppose…
GarGoyl- I suppose it was easier than expected; though with a price.
Sajylover5- Y'know, I NEVER expected it to be this long, but, well… here it is! And I'm glad you guys enjoy it!
19th-of-the-12th- Well, all I have to say is you have some very good insight… except for the final destination… I've never seen it, so I don't know if it ends the same or not :p
Courage-Earthworm'8- I'm gonna miss Staz too ;-;
SilverAshes-Silver- Uhg. I understand you. On my finals week I get highschool finals on top of college finals. I think satan himself planned that schedule. But I'm glad you got to read it! And yeah, I thought the frying pan would be nice XD P.s Get better soon!
8Guest8- Will do! I just take more time because I want to sit on my decisions and be satisfied in the directions I take.
- Errr… About the fluff… Morbid fluff?
8DTK8- Oh. Wow. Very good analysis. All I gotta say ;)
Jaycee-Jayne- I just hope you can wait for the next one
ItalianGunsandSpanishTomatoes- Don't die! ;-;