Battle Royale
Epilogue

The police broke down the doors to the warehouse and immediately an alarm was released. The ear-piercing sound of it was unbearable but they had to bear it. It's only a few minutes left until midnight. They knew Death The Kid is dead and only one is left and it's Maka, but her life hangs on a small thread. They need to reach her as soon as possible and take her to the hospital. Who knows, there might happen something if they stay in the warehouse to midnight.

The police officer stormed the warehouse and searched every area for any signs of resistant or traps. "Clear!" police officer after police officer screamed and they continued to search. It didn't take long for them to find the way down to the basement where the game had taken place. Soul almost ran into the officers with Maka in his arms.

"FREEZE!" The officers commanded and aimed their weapons toward Soul.

Soul knew exactly what the alarm meant when it'd started. It meant someone had broken into the warehouse and trapped the alarm. He couldn't be more relieved when the alarm started. That meant he could get help to get Maka to a hospital.

"Put the girl down!" One of the officers ordered him but Soul didn't obey. Are they stupid to think he'll put her down now? It'll take even more time to take Maka to the hospital to argue about who'll carry her! She needs help damn it!

"I'm not going to. Let me pass. She needs to get to a hospital. Now!" Soul demanded and held Maka close to him. "I'm unarmed. You can keep an eye on me just please let me pass! Maka's going to die if she doesn't get help!" Soul took a step toward the officers but they didn't move, instead they were even more ready to blow his head off.

"Let him pass." Mayor Tezca said. "You saw what he did on the TV. He saved Maka's life. He won't harm her." The officers were like Tezca's own puppets. They immediately moved out of the way, giving Soul a chance to run up the stairs and outside of the warehouse, he could see an ambulance.

"My baby girl!" Spirit Albarn ran up toward Soul and looked at Maka horrified. He already knew the bad shape she was in but it only looked worse seeing her in real life instead of a TV screen. "My beautiful darling daughter! Hang on! Papa is here!"

The medical had to separate Maka's parents and Soul from the young woman. Soul refused to separate from Maka and he was very shocked when the officers put him in a pair of handcuffs.

"Soul Evans; you are arrested of the arrangement of the game. Everything you say can use against you and your allowed to have a lawyer." The police officer said and it made Soul's heart stop. Would he go to prison? He can't! He has to be with Maka! He can't be without her now!

Soul screamed and begged the police to release him. He begged them to let him be with Maka but all his pleased fell for deaf ear. None bothered with hearing him out. They got him inside of the car and took him to the police station.

With Maka, she was taken to the hospital immediately for emergency surgery. Her parents cried for their daughter. They were happy they got to her in time and saved her, but did she fall at the goal? Would she survive?

Hour after hour, they waited for any information at all about their daughter when finally, a doctor got out from the surgery. Kami and Spirit immediately stood up and waited for the doctor to speak. "Your daughter was badly wounded, if her bullet wounds hadn't been treated before she got stabbed, she'd been dead a long time ago." Spirit and Kami held their breath. "Your daughter is currently asleep. She's now on bed rest. She's going to stay here for a while before she can be released from the hospital.

Kami gasped loudly and cried tears of joy. "So my baby is alright? She will survive?"

The doctor nodded. "Yes she will as long as she doesn't move. She lost a lot of blood and losing more by reopening her wounds could kill her even with hospital treatment."

Maka's parents turned serious but they couldn't help their big smiles, smiles for their daughter's survival. She's the only one of the nobles' children who survived and she didn't kill any of the other nobles, just Wes which she did to save Soul.

…

Days turned into weeks and weeks turned until a month. I'd been since long been released from the hospital but the nightmares didn't leave me. Black*Star's crazy eyes haunted her and the pain she endured in the game made her waking up screaming and gasping for air. Never in her life had she been so afraid and reduced to a little scared girl. She screams for the one person she longs for, his strong and safe embrace, his ruby orbs for eyes and snow white hair.

"SOUL! PLEASE! SOUL!" My heart is pounding and my hands are shaking. I never find peace. Never. The mourning noble parents look at me with sorrow and wishful looks. Even though I didn't kill their children, they looked at me with looks what could only mean looks of desire; desire for their child; desire for their child to be alive and me dead. I can't take this. I need some kind of safety to cling onto and that person is Soul. He knows what I went through; he saved me from Death The Kid and cared for me when I was lost. He got my mind off of Black*Star and the game. If he wasn't there, I'd have driven myself mad and gotten myself killed. I need him! I need him! I need him so badly!

I kept screaming and calling for Soul, knowing he wouldn't come bursting through the door, but I can't help calling for him. He and I have a connection I've never experienced before. I can't have him in prison! He doesn't even deserve to go to prison. He sacrificed his relationship with his brother to come after me. He went against his brother to save me. That kind of bravery shouldn't be punished.

"SOUUUL!" The door burst open and in ran my mama and papa.

"Maka! Maka darling!" My mama said and ran up to the bed with my papa not far behind. She brought me into a hug and rocked me in her arms, but they weren't the same as Soul's arms. It didn't grant me the same safety and warmth his arms brought. I want to feel those arms around me so terrible. "It's only a dream. Dreams can't hurt you." Her face buried in my hair as she kissed it, holding me close to her chest. "It's over… you're safe."

I shook my head. "No. I'm not. As long as these nightmares don't stop, I won't ever get better. I need him mama, I need Soul. He's the only one who can help me." Tears flooded from my eyes and trickled down my cheeks. "He helped me papa. He saved my life. He doesn't deserve to be in prison. I'm not even allowed to see him. How can I be better when he's my cure?"

My papa walked around the bed and wrapped his arms around my mama and me. "I know sweety but he did sometime terrible with his brother. I can't do anything Maka." This offended me.

"So he's the only one who goes to prison?! I killed Wes! I killed him! I should go into jail as well!"

"Maka Albarn! You didn't kill him! You saved Soul! We all saw what he was going to do to his brother and you saved him!" My mama pulled away and cupped my face. "You're not a killer. You saved his life. You're not a bad person; you aren't going into prison for saving someone's life."

"You can't be more wrong mama. It was me who shot him; I killed him. For second, Soul saved my life and he's in prison." My mama and papa were quiet after that. They didn't know how to reply on my statement. They knew it's true. Just because I'm a noble and he's not, he went into prison while I'm still free. My parents said good night to me and I knew already no night is going to be a good one.

As expected; I kept having nightmares. I woke up at multiple different times during the rest of the night, fortunately, I didn't wake up screaming. Even though I didn't scream, the trauma wasn't any less unbearable. My heart was racing and the fear ripping pieces of my sanity away from me. It never stops. It won't ever stop until I see Soul. He knows my feelings. He knows how horrible I felt in the arena. He saved me once before I saved him back, but I need him to save me again. Is it too much to ask for him to be beside me?

There was a light rap on my door and I invited the person in. My mama opened the door and stepped inside. "Get dressed. Black*Star's funeral is in a few hours."

Black*Star. My best friend. Even after how he acted around me inside of the arena, I never threw our friendship away. Black*Star will always be my best friend. Always.

"It's still hours until it; do I have to get ready?" I asked and my mother nodded.

"Yes because you have a guest. I know you don't want to be in your pajamas in front of your guest." My mama's wrong. I couldn't care less about how I looked. I threw the covers off of me and got up from the bed.

"Where is my guest?"

"In the lobby." I went down the stairs and toward the lobby. The cold stone floor wasn't inviting for my already cold feet. The chilly air inside of the mansion didn't offer any comfort or warmth at all. My footsteps echoed inside of the unfriendly mansion which used to be my comfort zone. Now all the safety had been taken away by unwanted nightmares.

I reached the lobby and my eyes widen when they lay on the albino boy inside of the lobby. He smiled wide toward me and suddenly the house felt so much warmer than it did a second before. Soul's presence inside of my home is incredible. He's like a fire. A fire which never burns me, just gives me a feeling of secure and warmth.

"Soul!" I must've looked pretty desperate since I practically ran down the stairs and threw myself in his embrace. He smelled the familiar sent of exotic mysteries and his muscular frame pressed against me couldn't feel better. "Oh god Soul! You have no idea how happy I am to see you!" Before I even knew it myself, I'd soaked Soul's jacket with my tears. "I keep having nightmares and they never go away! I haven't gotten one good night's sleep in forever and I'm afraid I will go just as mad as all the others and then I've wanted to see you so much and- and these weeks have just been unbearable!"

Soul rocked me in his arms, caressing my hair while he listened to all my blabbering. He never interrupted me like my parents, he let me finish before he spoke. "I've felt the same way… No one ever told me if you survived or not… I've wanted to see you so bad it hurt… You were always on my mind, I couldn't think of anything else than you."

I couldn't help but feel so much more alive in his arms. Is this how love feels? We haven't talked to each other before the game and we've only talked to each other only like an hour or two. In those hours we shared together at the arena, I fell for him and its weird consider I still don't know a lot about him. "How did you get out…? I mean, I'm really happy you're here but how did you get out from prison?"

"The mayor and your parents were able to pull some strings which got me released on one condition…" I pulled away so I could look into his red eyes. Those eyes are so new to me but I love anyway. "They agreed to let me go if I made your nightmares go away and get you on the path to recovery, if I can't do that they'll send me back into prison."

The news surprised me. My mama and papa got Soul out from prison for my sake? So all the screaming and begging for Soul was heard? They didn't ignore my pleas for the one man I needed was heard and granted. I kept crying into Soul's jacket since I couldn't really believe he's here in my arms. "You're not going back to prison. I refuse to let go of you. I don't want to be separated from you again!"

It's strange how a person you just met can have this kind of influence on you. If we'd met under other circumstances than what we did, I don't think I would've fallen for him as fast as I did.

After Soul comforted me for what seemed like hours, I had to get myself ready for Black*Star's funeral and when we arrived there, people stared at both of us. People even whispered about the disrespect Soul had for going at Black*Star's funeral but I think he has every right to be here. He and his brother might have started it, but he abandoned the idea and tried to save us. It's not his fault Death The Kid continued to come after us and got himself killed. Wes killed Soul, not Soul. He didn't kill anyone.

"Maybe I should go…" Soul whispered into my ear but I didn't let him retrieve his hand from mine.

"No. I just want to talk to Black*Star and then we can return." One after one said their last goodbyes to him. His parents were absolutely devastated. They didn't just lose his son; they lost him when he turned mad.

It became my turn and I caress the coffin Black*Star is in. "Hey Black*Star…" tears trickled down my face and hit the coffin's lid. "I did survive… just as you asked me to. I did what you asked me for so now I want you to do one thing for me… please… watch over all of us… you know you're still my best friend and I need you. Even after what happened on the arena… I still need you as a part of my life. Just a wind caressing my cheek or the sound of a bird… that's all I need…"

The funeral was beautiful. So sad and tragic. But I knew. Whatever place he's at now; he doesn't feel any sort of pain.

Soul and I walked side by side back toward my mansion. I'm mentally and physically exhausted. Being at Black*Star's funeral made me realize that'll be me one day. It could've been me after what happened on the arena, after the countless of life and death situations I stood in front of could've easily led me to my grave, but somehow, I stayed alive.

We arrived back home. My parents are still at the funeral, I couldn't take being there anymore. Soul was very uncomfortable being there with all the glares he got and I didn't want him to suffer. I had said my goodbye to Black*Star and that's enough. I can visit him again when I'm not a mess like I am now.

Walking up the stairs, Soul followed close behind me. Our hands stayed entwined ever since I laid my eyes on him inside of the lobby. It felt much better touching Soul and knowing he's here than not feeling him. I'm afraid if I let go, he's going to leave me like what happened on that tragic day.

I got inside of my room and I turned around toward Soul. I grabbed both of his hands and he got close to me, resting his forehead on mine. "What about now…?" He asked.

"What do you mean..?" I asked even though I had a hunch on what he wanted to talk about.

"What about us…? I mean… what happened on the arena… was it just a onetime thing…?" Soul looked at me with serious eyes but I could see a glimmer of worry.

Soul's too cute in this moment. He's so sweet for being worried about what we shared inside of the arena. "What we shared inside of that arena… was something special." I started and squeezed Soul's hands. "I don't even know how I could fall for someone in that short period of time… It is strange how I fell for you and I don't even know how this's possible… but I know I like you more of a friend… but I'm not ready to say the L word yet…"

His persona shone up brighter than the sun during my little love speech. He let go of my hand and they wandered to my cheeks, cupping them gently while he caressed them. "I'm ready to wait for you… but I can't stay quiet about this… It feels like my heart is about to burst… I'm in love with you Maka."

My heart stopped for a second. Hearing Soul say those words did weird things to my body. The butterflies returned and my cheeks heated up. So this is how it feels being loved by someone… I like it… a lot.

I smiled wide and then unexpectedly a yawn escaped my vocal cords. Soul chuckled and kissed my forehead quickly "You're tired. You should sleep for a while."

"Only if you lay beside me." I asked Soul and he smiled at me wide.

"Of course. I'm not going anywhere." My shoes were off but I kept my black dress on and Soul took off his jacket. I lay in my bed and Soul lay close to me. He kept staring into my eyes while he caressed my cheek. "I just want you to know… I'm not going to force myself on you… I just wanted to have it said."

Soul has always been so genuine and caring. He threw himself out into the arena to save me. The moment felt just right. With his confession and him lying beside me. Everything is perfect. I leaned toward him and our lips locked. It wasn't anything special with the kiss. Our lips pressed against each other's but the feeling it made my body feel is unbelievable. Does every kiss feel like this?

The kiss ended and I smiled wide. "I know you won't…"

Soul's smile is wider than any smile I have ever seen, but it isn't the kind of grin Black*Star or Death The Kid had, it's the smile of pure happiness. "So… does this mean we are girlfriend and boyfriend?"

I giggled wide and buried my face into his chest since I'm too embarrassed to look into his eyes. "I would like that…"

"Me too… now sleep. You're tired."

Soul's arms were secured around my small body. Before I never thought falling asleep in a man's arms could be this blissful, I'm really happy I can experience this with Soul. We both soon fell asleep and for the first time since the game I slept without having any nightmares.