Concept: Fighting so hard that they don't recognize their partner until they call out to them.
Might feel cute and post more for this AU later
Black Star was blind with a certain vengeance that not even a storm could break. There laid madness in his eyes and crazed heat through his veins, a horrible searing feeling that propelled his body past human limitations. Enemies were wary while allies were cautious. No person dared to go near, so he came to them instead with his blade drawn straight— poised and sharp.
He made quick work of faceless soldiers but extended his wrath to those that he recognized. They shouldn't have been allowed to escape with their lives to begin with. In fact, they should consider themselves lucky that Black Star didn't have all the time in the world for them. The torture would've been unbearable. Instead, he made sure to not leave clean cuts or a merciful end to the select few. He was known to be cruel alongside his master.
When the last of them fell, he swiped his sword once to flick off the blood and returned it to his scaffold. He glared pointedly at a corpse he remembered more than others, almost fantasizing a more fitting death— idealized. That particular person had angered him not once, but twice before; they were present for the first meeting with the fire tribe brat and then dared to sneer at the princess once she called her demands. Unacceptable.
He meant to draw his sword to stab the body once more to satisfy his fury, but his hand stayed on the hilt when he heard footsteps coming from behind. When it came close enough, he spun quickly to dispatch their head, drawing his famed sword from its confines with a scraping sound of metal against wood, quick and feral.
However, the neck of his target called out to him, "Star!"
It halted his blade immediately, coming inches too close before he had the mind to pull away. The voice was like the ring of an ancient bell that shook away the fog of war and gave him back his resound clarity. Instantly, he knew who wanted him to return, and in the same breath, he was ashamed to look her in the eyes.
Maka's joy quickly morphed into concern. She was used to seeing him battle worn, but she had never been at the end of his sword before. Softly, she reached to him, though she worried it may have come a little late.
She repeated quietly so that only he could hear, "It's me. I'm here, it's me."
Despite the blood on his robes, she reached to hold him anyway. Only then did he drop his sword to hug his princess back, safe at last.
The smell of their snuffled fire still clung to her hair and it brought him back to the time of peace before the ambush began— as peaceful as it could have been. She sat beside him on the ground, unbefitting for a girl as she, but Maka hadn't complained. Instead, she smiled for him while they rested, thankful and kind.
He would've done anything to protect that smile.
Pulling her away, Black Star checked on her face. She looked up at him as disarmingly innocent as ever. For a moment, he forgot that she was a capable girl, becoming just 'Princess' to him who he was meant to protect from her traitorous empire.
Somehow, he was the only one who came from the fray unscathed. A poorly aimed arrow had briefly grazed the side of her jaw when she was preparing to lay down her head for the night. Before checking her shallow wound, he told Maka to stay behind him, first and foremost. Black Star easily threw a dagger back at the assailant to strike them where they missed, landing squarely in their neck and embedded far deeper than an arrow can go. He chased down the others in their group as they ran from him; they must have known that they had no chance against him.
Black Star cupped her face in his unworthy hands while she unconsciously gripped onto his wrists, thumbs resting on his pulse. He dragged his eyes over her cut and saw that there was only a small bubble of blood that hadn't even spilled over her skin, fresh and hurting. Carefully, he wiped it away and left a red trail by mistake. He had to go over a few more times to rub it clean and made note to gather water soon.
If he weren't so adamant on avoiding her, he would've seen that his simple motions made her flustered— she set her lips together and stared at him hard. She tightened her hands where she had him, but if he felt her touch grow more heavy, he made no indication. Instead, he asked if Maka hurt anywhere else.
She was not. In fact, the stinging on her face had subsided as quickly as it came. There was another feeling she had, though, one that weighed in her chest and created thoughts that seemingly came from nowhere. She turned away from Black Star abruptly, and he let her go, worried for his temperamental princess as always. He followed her to their campsite to pack and to flee back into the night.