This is a Stardust-ish AU. I got the idea and it turned out like this. I hope you like it!
Guardian of Eden
A heavy sigh escaped his lips. A burgundy red silk dress covered her majestic legs and white sleeves grew out from her dress and ended at her jewelry-cladded fingers. Her bright sapphire eyes were like the sky they were under. Golden locks ran pass her shoulders and gracefully framed her long aristocratic face. The woman covered her giggles with a fine black feather fan as her long rich eyelashes fluttered.
Soul's throat ran dry and he gulped loudly.
The bouquet of red tulips weighted heavily in his hand, at least hundred pounds more than their original weight. He became more aware of the copper ring in his pocket.
He was ready. Today was the day he would finally propose to the love of his life and hopefully as soon as she turn eighteen, they would marry each other and live happily forever after like his brother enjoyed to tell him.
His heart raced in his chest, tumbling around repeatedly, tripping on its own beats.
Never before had he felt like this toward a woman. He desired her ever since she first visited the Evans's brothers' archery field. From his desk inside of his little work shed, he continued to watch the beauty twirling in her dress, her feather fan covering her obvious smile.
Soul inhaled another deep breath and got up from his seat from within the shed. He held the flowers close to his chest and headed toward the frail door. The doorknob twisted before he could even touch it and the door slid open.
"Soul." His brother stood in the entrance. "We need another arrow bag―" He stilled. His blue eyes settled on the bouquet of flowers in his hands. "What are you doing with those? Don't tell me you spent your week's salary on flowers?"
The moment of truth.
"Wes." Soul's grip on the bottom of the flowers tightened. "I'm going to propose today. To Elizabeth Thompson."
Wes stilled, completely froze on the spot. His eyes stayed fixated on the tulips in his hands. "Are you completely out of your mind?" He snarled, their eyes locked and Wes looked pained, angered and sorrowful. "Elizabeth is an aristocrat and she has Death the Kid on her tail. You do not have any chance." He groaned with annoyance and ran his hand through his blond hair. "Soul. I love you to death, but you are not supposed to spend your time and feelings on someone like her. You do not have a chance with her. Why do you not visit the flower girl? I know she fancies you and she would love to spend the rest of her life with you."
Soul groaned and lowered the flowers. "I do not want her."
The same day, early that morning when he bought the flowers, the girl with hair as brown as dirt, she smiled dreamily toward him and she even lowered the price for him. It wasn't hard to know she had a thing for him. The only problem was he was an unavailable man in love with someone else. There was no way he could give her a chance.
"You do not understand W―"
"Oh, I do understand." He raised his left hand, exposing the silver ring on his finger. "I am married after all, but what you feel toward Elizabeth is not love. You have barely spoken to her. You can impossibly love her since you know nothing about her. You are only in love with her appearance."
Soul grimaced at his brother. "But I do love her." He stated. "I cannot stop thinking about her and I do want to be with her." He inhaled loudly and puffed out his chest. "And if you excuse me Wes, I am going to propose. A bag of arrows is under my desk." And he walked passed his brother and exited the shed.
He could not help but to gaze at the beautiful creature seductively fanning herself with the expensive fan with black feather coming from a true ostrich from Africa's savanna. It was a rumor it was a gift from another aristocrat who had travelled a long journey to ask for her hand.
Soul knew he had competition. Serious competition. There were at least twenty suitors who desired her hand in marriage, and he was the only one coming from the craftsman class. He might be in the biggest disadvantage because he couldn't give her a feather fan from ostriches form Africa, but he could give her his heart and devotion forever. He would work hard for her, and he was going to work until she accepted his hand in marriage.
He neared the woman and smiled wide. "Elizabeth!" he waved toward her.
The woman snapped her head toward his direction and her eyes widen. "Soul." Her eyes quickly looked toward left and right. "Do you not have work to take care of?"
"Not at the moment, miss." He came to a halt just in front of her. "These are for you." He offered the red tulips to her.
"For me? Oh Soul." Reluctantly she grabbed the flowers from his hands. "You really did not have to buy me anything." Her eyebrow twitched for a second.
"I wanted to give you something. I know it is not like a large bouquet of roses. I did work hard and scrapped together money to buy you a bouquet worthy of your beauty, but these flowers look pitiful in your presence." Soul had heard cheesy lines from Wes's wife Blair on how to impress a lady, but his line didn't seem to make her knees shake or her body to heat up.
"What are your intentions?" She blurred out, immediately gasping and covering her face with her fan. "We cannot talk here. Let's go somewhere more private." Instantly she spun on her heels and strolled quickly away from the archery fields. Soul quickly walked, almost jogged to keep up with her. They rounded the house he shared with his brother and his wife and Elizabeth came to a halt. "There." She slowly lowered her fan, exposing her eyes. "Now we can talk."
"Elizabeth." Now was the time. "I am aware you are not of age for marriage but I would like to receive the great honor of a―"
"Stop." Elizabeth rested the feather fan on his lips. "I know what you are about to say. My answer will be a no."
Hi eyes widen. His heart suddenly felt a lot tighter and his smile fell off his face and shattered on the ground. "No?" Soul pushed away her fan. "But I do love you Elizabeth! I may not be rich as your other suitors, but I can guarantee you my feelings for you are real and I would not wish to spend my life with someone else than you. My feelings are more genuine than theirs and I promise you I can give you a secure life filled with love and―"
"It does not matter Soul." Elizabeth sighed heavily and waved her fan at her face. "I am adapted to a certain lifestyle. I do not wish to downgrade myself from aristocrat to a craftsman's wife. That is far from what I desire from my life."
"But I can prove my loyalty to you!" His knees gave in and he kneeled in front of her. "I will prove my devotion to you! Please Elizabeth, give me a chance to prove my love for you!"
She hummed slowly and rested her hand on her chin. "A chance, huh?" She silent. "Alright then."
"Really?!" Soul shot up on his feet, his face brightened like the sun gazing down at them. "I promise you I will not―"
"You have not even heard what the deal is." Elizabeth stated and lowered her fan. "That bouquet is pitiful just as you said." And she consciously tipped the bouquet of tulips and they hit the ground. "I do like flowers so you will have to give me something extra, or rather, take me to some place extra special." A sly smile spread on her face. "I wish for you to take me to the most amazing garden ever created. I wish for you to find Garden of Eden and take me there before my eighteenth birthday. If you do not manage, I will marry Death the Kid, and if you succeed, I will give you my hand in marriage."
All he had to do was find the garden. It wouldn't be that hard he thought. That was until he had found out from Wes's wife it was a place that was only known in the bible. Elizabeth had taken an impossible mission for him to gain her hand in marriage, but he was more than determined to take her to Garden of Eden and earn her hand.
The next day, he headed into town and talked to the priest. The priest Justin Law told him everything he knew. How Adam and Eve lived there and how they were banished from there. The priest offered only stories about Eden that had no answers on how to get inside of there, but something did jump out from the normal.
"It says after Adam and Eve were thrown out from Garden of Eden, God created a guardian from the strongest flower in the garden to watch over the gate to Eden so they could never return."
A guardian. That meant he had to go after this guardian. It would probably be easier than chasing some weird voodoo ritual to get inside of Eden.
Soul wandered down the streets, away from the church. All Soul had to do was find that one person in the world, get the guardian to open the gate for him and Elizabeth to enter. All that within two weeks. Easy.
What can he make of this "guardian" then? God's creation which has the mission of guarding the gate. He created the guardian from a flower from the Eden, just like Eve was created from Adam's rib, the guardian had some connection to Eden other than being created form there. Maybe the guardian had a thing for flowers?
It was a farfetched guess, but it was a lead and he could investigate it. It was better than wandering the streets without anything to investigate.
He grimaced as he headed toward the small floral shop he visited only a day ago. His stomach stirred with annoyance of seeing the girl again. The floral shop came closer and closer and a weight slowly lowered his shoulders.
Soul rolled his eyes and pushed the door open. The clock rang and immediately the girl's eyes sparkled with joy and straightened her back. "Soul!" Immediately she rounded the desk and strolled up to him. "I didn't know you would come in today."
"I need you to answer some questions for me." Soul jumped on the subject.
Her eyes fluttered with confusion. "Huh? Okay, what is it?"
"Do you have any regular customers?" If the guardian liked flowers, it would visit a flower shop often, right?
"Of course I do!" She fiddled her hands. "Why you ask?"
"Does anyone of them… seem unusual?" The bell to the shop rang and another customer entered, but the girl was not interested.
She cocked her eyebrow and slowly shook her head. "No. All of them are well clothed aristocrats."
"Hmm." What else does a guardian do…? "Have you ever had a customer that seemed more involved with flowers than others?"
"No, of course not. Many of them only buy flowers for their wives or to someone else. What is it you are getting at?" She suddenly gasped and covered her mouth. "Are you in trouble?!"
"No!" He shook his head. "No, absolutely not. I'm searching for someone who can let me inside of the Garden of Eden."
"Eden?" She questioned him. "Does that place even exist? How in the world w―"
"Are you looking for Garden of Eden?" Soul turned around and saw a woman about his age, beautiful blonde hair in pigtails and the most amazing green eyes he has ever seen. Green just like leaves and green apples. In her hands she held one single daisy and around her shoulders hung a traveler's mantle. "In that case," his eyes returned to hers, "I suggest you stop searching. Nothing good can come of it." The unknown woman quickly paid the girl for the daisy and exited the shop.
Soul blinked in confusion. Was that a warning? Or maybe it was a threat? Or was she giving him advice? She did appear to travel so maybe she had seen and heard things about Garden of Eden he had not. The traveler would be a great source of information!
He made a step toward the exit when the girl's hand lashed onto his elbow. "Wait!" she exclaimed. "There is something I would like to give you."
"Um, Jacqueline, I'm kind of in a h―"
"It will only take a second!" Quickly she returned to behind the desk, placed the money in the cash register and ducked under the table. "I was going to visit you this afternoon, but since you are already here, I can give it to you now." She returned up with a large grin on her face. On the desk she placed a white wooden box. "I know this is quite silly, but I wanted you to have something precious to me."
Soul neared the desk and peered questioningly at the wooden box. "Jacqueline, you did not need to give me anything."
"But I want to!" Her hands placed on the lid and slowly opening it, exposing a blue flower with white aerials sprouting from the flower's center. "It took me some time to find this flower, I have read this flower means eternal love and the one who wears it is meant to find their soul mate."
Oh boy. Soul gulped loudly and slowly took the flower from her hand. "Thank you, I guess. I could use some extra luck winning over Elizabeth's heart."
The shocked face of hers didn't surprise him, but it needed to be said. Quickly he left the floral shop and placed the flower in his chest pocket. His eyes wandered for the blue traveler's mantel she wore, but he did not find her.
With heavy shoulders, he returned home. He ignored the greeting from Wes's wife and immediately went straight to his bedroom and locked himself inside.
He had lost that woman. No matter how long he searched for her, he didn't find her. He even asked the villagers if they had seen her, but no one had seen her. She was gone just like that.
His maybe largest chance of finding the guardian through that woman was gone.
Soul sighed loudly, lying on his bed.
A light rap echoed through his tiny room before the door slid open. Wes entered the room and gently closed it behind him. "How did it go? Found anything?"
"No." Soul groaned and shoved his face in the pillow. "I lost the woman that could have showed me to the guardian of Eden."
Wes rolled his eyes and took a seat on the end of the bed. "You know you are not going to find Garden of Eden. It might even not exist."
"I'm going to find it." Soul lifted his face from the pillow so Wes could hear him before he slumped back down. "I want Elizabeth and she wants me to find Garden of Eden, and so I will."
"You are utterly insane. She chose that task because she does not want to marry you and wanted to turn you down gently. Occupying you until she gets her proposal from Death the Kid." He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "You deserve so much better than her. It is ridiculous how you want a girl who does not want you. Do not settle for someone who does not desire you as much as you desire her."
"She will get to know me and love me as soon as we get married."
"And you seriously think you will be able to find Garden of Eden? This is a wild goose chase. Why can you not go meet girls who actually do like you and who actually desires to marry you?"
"If you are implying on Jacqueline that is impossible. I do not hold any feelings toward her." Soul rolled onto his back and sighed loudly. His eyes glued onto the wooden roof. "I cannot stop thinking about Elizabeth. Her smile is enchanting and I simply cannot see myself with anyone than her. "
Wes ran his hand through his hair. "Hey." He put his hand on Soul's shoe. "Look at me." Soul moved his eyes and they locked with his blue ones. "If you want Elizabeth, then go for it, but I want you to know I do not support this. I believe you deserve better, and with better not some high class woman. You can find a better person than her in a peasant."
"I hear you." Soul sat up on his bed and removed Wes's hand from his shoe. "But I think I deserve a person like Elizabeth, and she deserves someone who loves her and I know I am the perfect guy for her."
"You know what." Wes smirked and quickly got off the bed. "The guardian was created by God, right? Then how about you pray to him? Maybe you will get some spiritual guidance. If you are truly meant to be with her, then he will help you even if that means inviting you to Garden of Eden."
Soul's eyes widen. "That is actually a really good idea!" Why hadn't he thought of that before? It was such a genius idea and he felt stupid for not coming up with it on his own.
"Good luck." Wes patted Soul's shoulder and he stood up from the bed. "Blair is making dinner. Carrot stew. It will be done soon." And he left Soul's room, closing the door behind him.
He kneeled in front of his bed and laced his hands together. He cleared his throat as he rested his elbows on his covers. "Um, I guess I should apologize for not going to church as often as I should." Soul paused. "But I have a favor to ask of you. I love Elizabeth with all of my heart and I would want nothing more than to marry her in your house. Please, God, if you hear me, please take me to the guardian guarding Eden." Soul closed his eyes. "Please, God, I wish to meet the guardian of Garden of Eden so b―"
A gasp ripped his throat and his eyes snapped open. His chest was hot. Really hot. His room brightened and quickly filled with only light. The floor under his knees was suddenly gone and so was the bed on his elbows. Wind blew in his hair and ripped at his clothes.
His breath is taken from him due to the air pressure and he finds himself in the white space for ten seconds before it discards as quickly as it came.
He's in the air and far up too. He goes crashing to the ground and clashed into something and tumbled to the ground.
His eyebrow narrowed when he heard a very feminine groan. "What are you doing on top of me?!"
He was lying on top of someone.
"I'm so sorry!" Quickly he got off of her. "This is going to sound very strange but I was in my room and―" His eyes widen when his eyes locked with green eyes of the woman he'd met in the floral shop. "It is y―"
Her eyes quickly wandered down to his chest and widened to twice its size. "How in the world did you find a Zicquidas?"
His eyebrow cocked down to his chest and noticed the flower that had gloved softly through his pocket. "Oh this?" He fished it out of his chest pocket. "The girl in the floral shop gave this to me. Said something about finding their soul mate." Realization hit him a moment later. "Are you my soul mate?"
"Of course not!" Quickly she snatched the blue flower from his hand. "This is a Zicquidas flower and it is extremely rare! These are not supposed to exist on earth! This kind of flower grants any of your wishes."
"Huh?" Before he had suddenly crashed into her, he had prayed. Prayed God would take him to the guardian of E― "Are you the guardian of Garden of Eden?!" His eyes only widen even more as the truth sank in. "You really are the guardian! You got to let me inside of E―"
"Absolutely not!" She got up on her feet and dusted off her mantle and the skirt of her dress. "I cannot let anyone inside of Eden. God created me to not let a single human being inside."
"Please!" Soul stood up and clasped his hands together. "I love Elizabeth and if I do not take her inside of Garden of Eden in two weeks she will not marry me!"
"No." She straightened her messy mantle and fixed the daisy brooch keeping her mantle around her neck. "I have seen many fools like you and I will not let you or your creepy girlfriend inside of Eden just because you supposedly love her and want to marry her and spend all your time with her." She growled annoyingly and stormed away.
"Wait!" Soul quickly follows the woman, looking around. Sand, sand, cactus and more sand. He was definitely in a desert and the sun had gone by and the moon graced the sky with its presence. "Where are we?"
"None of your business. Just go straight backwards and you will find Death City."
"Are you serious?" He caught up to her and walked beside her. "I cannot go back alone. You got to come with me and show me and Elizabeth Garden of Eden."
"No. No. No and NO!" She came to a halt and glared at him with those amazingly green eyes. "And you are not coming with me. Go away."
"No way. I'm not leaving you. Even if I did not need you, I would not leave. We are in a desert? How can you not feel how cold it is out here and there are things coming out during the night and I do not want to see one when being all alone." Soul followed her close to her side. "I could get killed if I leave you. You are some sort of Godly creature, so you should be able to take those out, right?"
"That's something you are not equipped to know." She came to a halt and stared right into his eyes. "Look, you are getting yourself into business you are not qualified for. You are better off leaving now than sticking around. Do you get it?"
"No." He took a step closer to the woman. "Please, I'm begging you Miss or Guardian, please come with me back to Death City. I love Elizabeth with all of my heart and I do want her more than all of her suitors combined. Please Guardian." Soul's knees gave in and he collapsed on the sand. His forehead hovered over her brown boots. "I beg you, please help me marry the woman of my life."
The woman is silent. Soul stayed on his knees and hands.
"Get up on your feet."
Soul got up on his feet, shock widened his eyes when his met hers. They were so soft, unbearable soft. Utterly beautiful color of green. He liked this color better than the strain and angered one.
"I'm in. Only on one condition."
"Anything."
"I'm not agreeing on letting you or her inside of Garden of Eden yet. If I determine you both to be as worthy of each other and so head over heels in love, then and only then will I grant you with the presence of Eden."
Soul was happy. It might not be the victory he sought for, but he was determined to prove the Guardian his love for Elizabeth and he's more than sure Elizabeth will love him when she meets the Guardian.
The Guardian had lied to him the first time. They were cities away from Death City and Soul had no idea how she could've made it so far in such a short time, but he was sure it was a Guardian ability. On their way toward Death City, it was odd travelling with the Guardian. She was awfully quiet, only occasionally speaking when it was either time to take a break from walking or time to sleep.
He didn't know what happened between them. One day when he woke up on the sandy ground, she was already up and preparing breakfast for them both. Her smile brightened his day and his heart stumbled― no, threw itself over a cliff and hit the rocky wall of the mountain. As they walked the feeling continued. Her sweet voice made his throat run dry and as she kept talking and he got to know the Guardian, he found himself slowly moving closer to her. A yard was no longer in between them as they walked. Occasionally their hands would brush and when they did, his heart threw itself over the cliff in the most pleasurable and delicious way.
The days went by quicker than he wanted to, strangely.
"Where only a city away from Death City. We should arrive there tomorrow." Guardian spoke as they wandered down the streets together.
Soul flinched. Only a day with the Guardian left. What would happen then? Would they simply walk their own w― Elizabeth. He had forgotten all about her for a moment. The last days, he'd simply enjoyed travelling with the Guardian.
"There should be a flower shop around here…" Guardian murmured and her eyes wandered. They wandered over the women walking with their man before they widened. He noticed they locked at a wooden sign with a bouquet of purple flowers. "There it is!" He enjoyed seeing her eyes light up so brightly and the large joyful smile spreading on her face. Those perfect rosy lips of hers were something else, indeed. Nothing like Elizabeth's lips or even Blair's. He'd never seen a woman with lips as pink as hers.
His fingers tingled deliciously and his stomach clenched. He caught himself licking his lips as he followed the Guardian.
The Guardian quickly got inside of the flower shop and found the section where the flower shop kept Daisies. Every time they would arrive at a city, the Guardian would always enter a floral shop and buy a single daisy. Her nose would always wrinkle adorably as she inhaled the scent before she would attach it to her necklace with an identical beautiful Daisy.
He already knew the Guardian had a thing for flowers since she was made from the Garden of Eden, but he learned she absolutely loved and adored Daisies.
From the exit of the floral shop, he watched her pick out a Daisy and pay for it, to then inhale its scent. Her eyes were closed with ecstasy and her lips stretched into a lovely smile.
His heart rolled down his body and onto the floor. He did not look forward to when they arrived at Death City.
They left the floral shop, the Guardian gently braided the Daisy into her silver chain necklace with the beautiful Daisy ornament in the middle.
"Tomorrow is Elizabeth's birthday, right?" The Guardian questions as they walk down the street.
"Yes." Soul sighed heavily. He wished it wasn't. "We will arrive just on time."
Suddenly The Guardian grasped his wrist and they come to a stop. "You know what we should do?" He blinked with confusion. "We should go to the local bar. This is our last night together so we should make the best of it."
His heart fell and rose at the same time. So happy to do something with the Guardian, but utterly despair with the fact they would soon part. He does not want to part from the wonderful woman.
"Sure." Soul smiled toward the woman and grasped his hand and their fingers laced together. "We should have some fun."
And they headed to the local bar. As soon as they entered, people were everywhere with large beer glass in their hands. Soul grimaced at the other bar guests. Their hands removed and he wrapped his arm around her shoulders, pulled her close to his body. Soul pushed through the sea of customers toward the bar where both of them ordered two glasses of beer. They received their orders and they took a booth at the deepest part of the small bar.
"Is this what you humans do?" The Guardian asked as she peered down at her glass. "Drink and work?"
Soul shook his head and took a gulp of his beer. "Some people. Usually in the lower class. I do not want to spend my money on beer exactly when I could use them to improve mine and my brother's archery field or save money to buy my own house."
She nodded slowly. "To save money for your and Elizabeth's future house?"
His nose wrinkled. "I guess. To save money for a house my wife will be proud of calling her home."
"Do you think she will be proud?"
Does he? Before he proposed to Elizabeth, she had simply brushed him off to continue to gawk at Death the Kid. Elizabeth always told him she wanted a certain lifestyle which he couldn't provide at this moment. Of course she wouldn't be proud of his house then.
Soul sighed heavily and slowly shook his head. "No. Not now when I think about. I don't think she will be proud over the house."
"I think whoever you decide to marry, she would be delighted to be your wife and she would be very proud for everything you would do for both of you."
He gulped and quickly took another large mouthful of beer. Why can he picture himself so vividly returning to a decent house with the Guardian in the kitchen, making food for them both, smiling toward him and welcoming him home with a kiss? He found himself enjoying the imagination of both of them, of forever be with the Guardian and forever receive a kiss and a "welcome home" to then bask in the glory of her beauty and personality, simply hearing her talk about flowers and maybe sharing her plans about making a beautiful garden almost as breathtaking as the Garden she guards.
Soul sighed loudly and slowly nods. "Yeah, but what about you? Do you always wander around and buy Daisies? Have you done that since God created you?"
Her face twisted with insecurities and slowly she started to bite her rosy lips.
"If you do not want to answer, you d―"
"I personally was not created by God." She started. "It was my great-great-great-grandmother. No one with a body made out of flesh and bones can live forever. I might live longer than an ordinary human, but I am far from immortal." Her finger gently circles around the glass mouth of her untouched beer. "God did not exactly give instructions on what I was supposed to do, simply told me I was to never let anyone inside of Garden of Eden. Aside from guarding Eden, I can do pretty much everything else."
"Oh." Soul watched the woman stare down at the golden liquid. "How long have you lived?"
"About one-hundred years. I have not really done anything other than wandering around, going to flower stores and buying Daisies. Maybe visiting a meadow from time to time, but I have never really done anything."
"Sound like a boring life."
She slowly nodded. "Yeah." Her eyes met his and the corner of her lips tugged. "I never thought engaging with a human or in human activities could be this… special and entertaining. It makes me wish I had done this sooner."
"Hey." Soul's hand gently placed over hers and their fingers gently entwined. "I'm here." He leaned over the table separating them. "You do not need to be alone anymore. I want to be there for you."
His heart fell down the cliff.
"S―" Her eyes widen when his lips connect with hers.
He did not love Elizabeth, he loved the Guardian.
To his surprise, the Guardian did not remove herself from him. She sunk into his lips and kissed him back. They kissed each other, her hands placed on his shoulders and he cupped her face. In the haze of love and pleasure, he maneuvered around the table and ended up on the same bench as the Guardian.
His heart tumbled down the rocky wall of the cliff and he knew, once it hit the bottom, it fell into the Guardian's hands. He loved her and he wanted her as his wife. Not Elizabeth, but the Guardian. She does appreciate him and she doesn't need a grand gesture of devotion for her to want him and love him in return. He does not care if her position will cause trouble or if he has to sacrifice to be with her, he is willing to do whatever he can in order to be with her.
She pulled away from him and rests her forehead on his. "Do you mean this?" She whispered but it was enough for him to hear over the singing drunken men.
"I do. I love you. These past days with you has opened my eyes for true love and who I am supposed to spend the rest of my life with. I truly sincerely love you and I know you are the one I want to marry."
The woman giggled lowly, her fingers gently play with the hair on his neck. "Maka."
"Pardon?"
"That is my name. Maka Albarn."
"Maka." He tasted the name in his mouth. "That is a beautiful name."
"Thank you." Maka gently removed her hands from his body and pulled away from him. "There is something I want to show you." Their hands entwine and they abandon the beer glasses on the table.
Maka pulled him out of the bar and they walk down the road and out of the city. Eventually they would stop to give each other a peck or they would share a half-hug. He could never see himself sharing something so intimate with anyone else than Maka, his little Guardian. Sharing his feeling with someone as amazing as Maka was utterly amazing. That is all he can describe it as.
They arrived at the outskirt of the city and Maka took him to a beautiful meadow where every pastel of color filled the field.
Maka turn around and lace their hands together. "I do not know how this is possible." Gently she tugged him closer to her as she slowly backs. "I never thought God would grant a guardian with emotions and the ability to feel love." She came to a stop in the middle of the meadow, her forehead rested on his. "I love you Soul Evans."
"And you know I love you dearly."
She rose on her toes and planted a quick kiss on his lips. She removed her hands from his grasped and gently she cupped the daisy ornament on her silver chain. "Garden of Eden." She whispered and held his hand.
Soul gasped as he watched as the meadow slowly melted away into white. Soon there was only him and Maka before the white space was replaced with colors and plants. His eyes widened when flowers, trees and bushes were everywhere. A bush with bright pink flowers and dark blue petals was right behind Maka and beautiful green with silver hues was above them from a tall and proud tree.
"Where are we?" Soul whispered as he tried to take in all of the exotic plants and all the different kinds of colors and shapes he had never seen on plants.
"This is Garden of Eden." She spoke softly as she removed the mantle of hers. It fell to the ground and it exposed a beautiful green dress with brown strings. Her hands followed and tugged out her bands from her hair and soft waves went passed her shoulders.
His breath disappeared. He was caught by the beautiful woman in front of him. He did not care about the exotic plants, all he could see was the woman in front of him. The green dress of hers dragged against the deep green grass and her tips of her hair brushing her back as she walks toward the trunk of a bright white tree.
"God gave me permission to grant only one human being a pass inside of Eden, and only one." Her hands gently brush against the surface of the tree. "Do you know many humans do visit Garden of Eden?" She turned away from the trunk and toward him.
"I did not know that." He approached her and gently placed his hand over hers on the trunk.
"Garden of Eden is not a physical place." She explained as she stared right into his red eyes. "When humans make love, and I mean real love, they come here spiritually for the smallest of moments."
"What does that mean?"
A smile stretched on her face. "It means," her hands wrap around his neck, "this place heightens pleasure." For the first time since they arrived there, he notices his skin prickling deliciously when her thumb gently caressed the back of his neck. "Garden of Eden is Utopia. The perfect place for two lovers."
"Maka…" He whispered and their foreheads touched. "Thank you for taking me here." And their lips connect. His body quivers with pleasure and his hands tremble from the shock of delicious pleasure. It was nothing like the kiss they shared in the bar. That one was more experimental and deeper and he was so far from feeling this vortex of love, affection and kind.
That night he spent it with Maka in Garden of Eden. He lied next to her and held her in his arms. They stared up at the dark sky with the same stars as outside of Garden of Eden Maka had told him. They were still under the same sky as his brother.
Far into the night, they talked about their future. Soul was more than willing to live with her, even thought he would die and be buried for centuries before she would even grow grey hair. He was more than willing to spend his life with her even though she would not age. There was the possibility of her having children with him, but she could only have one since that is how God had created the Guardians.
They had both planned out a future together. Her job did not even take up a single minute of her day since it was very rarely she even had to do anything.
The next morning, Soul woke up before Maka. She still had her eyes closed and still snuggled close to him. A smile spread on his face and he kissed her forehead before he would stand up. His hand gently touched her cheek before he left her lying on the dark grass.
He might as well explore a little before they would walk to Death City and start their lives together. Soul walked passed the white tree and took in all the appearances of the different kind of exotic plants.
His eyes caught a special flower. It was a black rose on a black bush with silver hue on every curve. The petals and thorns looked extremely sharp. Slowly Soul approached the flower bush and kneeled in front of it. He reached toward it with a finger. Contact was made and the black flower suddenly turned to all of the rainbow's colors. It shimmered delightfully and shivered underneath his touch.
"Those are "alonelelous". Quite a sorrowful flower."
Soul turned around and saw a man with shocking blue hair and it stood at every direction. He took a step toward Soul and stood behind him. "I have no real clue why I made such a tragic flower inside of such a beautiful place."
"Who are you?" It slipped out of his mouth before he could stop it. "I'm s―"
"I'm God of course." The man kneeled down beside him and gently scratched the flower's petals and it quivered in pleasure just like a dog would. "I think I made this flower because just like Earth, Utopia can never be perfect. Everybody can need some love sometimes and I think that desire to be wanted was the reason why I created such a flower."
Soul simply listened. No human could get inside of Eden, and if someone did, Maka would be awake and at alert, but she was not here which meant she would have to be asleep. This man presented himself as God, and there was nothing proved he was not.
What would he even say? God stood in front of him and he had the power to do as he pleased with him.
"I can smell your fear." The man spoke― or rather God spoke without taking his eyes of the flower. "Do not worry. I hold no ill toward you although you are distracting my guardian."
Soul tilted his head. "I'm not hurting Maka."
"I know. I know there are humans with ill intentions and I know you are not one of them. She is lucky she met you and I wish her and you the best. I admire your strength to sacrifice parts of your life to be with a Guardian. It has never happened before with any of my previous Guardians that a human wants to settle down with a Guardian."
He cocked his eyebrow. "Really? No one? I can't even imagine."
"Really." The man removed his hand from the flower and turned toward Soul. His eyes were even bluer than his hair. "And for special occasion needs special treatment."
Soul blinked and when he opened them, God was gone. The flower he had cuddled with still squirmed with the aftermath of the attention it had received.
It was odd. How he for a couple of weeks wanted Elizabeth and knew nothing about Garden of Eden and now, how he found the true love of his life and he saw Garden of Eden with his own eyes and now he met God. His life was full of surprises.
Arms wrapped around of his waist and he smiled when a pair of rosy lips connected with his cheek. "You know, I would rather wake up to you next time."
"Sorry." He turned and his own arms snaked around of his waist. "Just wanted to explore a little before you woke up. I thought I was going to make it back before you woke up."
"Do not worry about it." She pecked his lips quickly. "It is hard to sleep when I feel God entering his garden."
"You heard our conversation?"
She nodded. "Yeah. I woke up when he entered and he did not mind me listening." Slowly she reeled him into a hug and crawled up on his lap. "And I cannot wait for us to start our lives together."
"Believe me." He murmured into her ear. "Our lives are already entwined. Not legally, but emotionally we are already one."
"And to celebrate that," Maka smirked and pulled away from him, "I think we have some things to take care with our dear Elizabeth."
He thought he knew everything about his dear Maka, how he was wrong. With a silent pray to heavens, a moment later there would be the desired item in front of her. Since she was the Guardian of Eden, God would grant her anything she desired.
As Soul and Maka walked down the road with their hands entwined, he was excited as he walked toward the Archery field. It was afternoon and by that time meant she was most likely place for her to be at. Soul smirked wide as he held Maka's hand, proudly walking down the street in expensive clothing only royalty could afford (or in their case, a God could afford) and he was ready to give Elizabeth a piece of his mind.
The Archery field came into view and his smirk only widen when he saw Elizabeth sitting on her usual bench with her rags compared to his own clothing. The white haired man caught him and immediately he dropped his bow and ran toward him.
"Soul!" Wes hollered and ran to him.
"W―" He received a fist to his jaw and he backpedaled by the force.
"What the fuck happened to you?! You disappear for two weeks and you did not write me a single letter or a sign to know you were alive?! Have you any idea how worried I was about you and how many times Blair prayed to God for you to be okay and well?!"
Maka watched with shock written all over her face at the exchange between the two brothers.
"Geez." Soul rubs his chin. "I was fine. I was just gone to search for Garden of Eden."
"How did it go?" Wes quickly peered behind them and saw Elizabeth watching them from her bench. "It's the last day today, right? Did you find it?"
Soul quickly glanced at Maka before he returned his attention to Wes. "No, but I did find something better." Gently he tugged at Maka's hand. "Wes, this is Maka. We are engaged to be married."
Shyly Maka raised her right hand and exposed her ring-cladded finger.
Wes's eyes bulged out of their socks and stared at the silver ring. "Wow." Wes stared into his brother's eyes. "I'm happy for you Soul and Maka, but can you please excuse me and my brother, Maka? I think we have some catching up to do."
Maka smiled and shook her head. "Not at all." She rose up on her toes and she planted a kiss on his cheek. "I will see you soon." Their hands separated and he watched as Maka slowly started to make her way toward Elizabeth. Plan in action.
"How did this happen?" Wes brought back his attention. "You were so in love with Elizabeth and two weeks later you come home with another woman I have never seen before. How did this happen and how in the world did you get those clothes? They seem really expensive."
Soul straightened his back as he watched Maka walk up to Elizabeth and shook their hands. "I was searching for tips on Garden of Eden and I stumbled onto her. She helped me and on our journey I fell in love with her and I learned she was the person who I was supposed to be with, not Elizabeth. Maka she loves me and she appreciates me the way I am and she doesn't need a grand gesture as proof of my love. And it does not hurt when your fiancée is beautiful, intelligent and has big wallet."
Wes's eyebrows narrowed. "Soul." He said very sternly.
"What? I'm not using her. I didn't even know she had money until today."
"Good because if my brother was to use any women, you bet I would kick your ass and make Blair put some sense into that thick head of yours."
Soul chuckled and ran his hand through his hair. "If I was to do a disgusting act like that to Maka, you could beat my ass and kick me to the gutter because she does not deserve anything less than my love and a beautiful marriage. And speaking about that;" A smirk on his face grew when he saw Maka and Elizabeth walking away from each other and Maka had the largest smile on her face. "I think it is time for me to dedicating my attention to my fiancée. We are planning to marry each other in a month." And Soul walked away from his brother.
Maka grabbed her dress and lifted it up a little bit so she could run toward Soul. He smiled wide and opened his arms and she ran right into them, throwing her arms around his neck. She giggled into his ear as he spun her around. Her feet hit the ground and their lips connected for a long but simple kiss. When they separated Soul rested his forehead on hers.
"How did it go?" Soul whispered and rested his hands on her hips, gently swaying them from side to side.
"Well." She whispered back. "She tried to make me jealous, but I gave her the biggest reason to regret her stuck-up personality." Her fingers ran through the hair at his nape. "She knows who the top dog is and she will not near what is mine."
"Good." Soul's lips connected with cheeks and peppered kisses on her face. "Do you want to rest a little or do you want to look for future houses?"
"Actually," Maka's lips connected with his quickly, successfully stopping his assault on her face. "I think there is another person we have to visit." She removed her arms form his neck and retrieved a blue flower from her pocket. The Zicquidas he thought would bring you yours soul mate. "It might not be charmed to bring you your soul mate, but it did and I think it is time for us to return it to her."
Soul smiled toward her and brushed his hand through her lose hair. "I thought you destroyed it."
She shook her head. "No. I thought it might come in handy and I think that floral woman in the shop maybe could use it better than us. I do not have anything against the idea and neither does God."
"You are too kind." He kissed her forehead and cupped her hand with the blue flower in it. "Then let's do it then."