CHAPTER 23 – (Epilogue included)

A/N – Hello everyone and welcome to the last chapter! I'm not really an epilogue person, to be honest, but someone bugged me into including one ;) Again, thank you and a big hug to you all for sticking with this story for so long (almost 10 months, God!) So, now I know you're eagerly awaiting to see how it ends, therefore I shall pester you with tedious author notes no longer;) Enjoy!

The large halls were empty and sunken in semi-obscurity, flower-scented air brought in by the breeze from the gardens. The setting would have been peaceful and pleasant if not for the task at hand, but Kid knew that he couldn't avoid his father forever. His eyes rested on the black shrouded frame as he advanced with light steps and it looked to him like the High Priest Lord Death had gotten somehow more hunched, as if suddenly burdened by his age.

Somewhere deep, the young shinigami knew that he should have tried to find reason and understanding when it came to thinking about his father's actions, but he was just weary. It was much easier to just stand there numbly and let everything just bounce off him. Lord Death had no reason to be displeased about the result of his mission, but Kid knew that his father wanted to provide advice and try to offer some solace for his undignified trials. And that was going to be awkward, for lack of a better word. If there was one thing which never failed to annoy the reaper, it was people's attempts to sugarcoat shit, irrespective of the reason, thus now he really was going to hate to see his father try to do just that.

"I'm glad you came at last," Lord Death said, still facing the window, so that his son could only see the profile of his white skull mask. "We need to talk."

The young shinigami didn't answer, his lips pressed tightly as he wondered how much his father was going to beat around the bush this time. He crossed his arms, expectant.

"I want you to tell me something. Anything," the older asked, in a tired voice. "I want you to speak up."

Well, isn't that an odd request… He never particularly wanted me to speak my mind before. There was no need, so why is it now? It would only inconvenience him to hear some uncomfortable truth. Besides, what is there to say, anyway? What would be the use of me snapping at him and telling him what I really think of all of this? There's no gain in arguing.

"Well - to draw a conclusion on this mission – I believe that we have successfully replaced one tyrant with another. I hope you are pleased with the result." He carefully kept any emotion out of his words, making everything sound like nothing more than dry facts. After all, he wasn't supposed to have any partial opinion about his missions and the truth was he didn't care too much that the Great Wizard Eibon had made it to the throne of Styx either.

Lord Death remained motionless. "Is that all?"

"Yes, father."

The High Priest sighed, turning slowly. "What about Lord Eibon's niece?" he asked suddenly, his tone sharp and inquisitive. "Is there anything to be said about her?"

Kid poked the inside of his cheek with his tongue and shrugged rather sheepishly. "Not really. I did notice though that he is no longer terminally ill, the way he was a few months ago. I suppose he's been using some of her vital energy to heal himself. So that makes her… useful?"

Now that was one use-less rant I blurted out… He chewed on his lip and tsked quietly, resisting the urge to facepalm. Oh, what the fuck! I don't want to have this conversation now! He really didn't want to think about the cold, cruel words he'd had to tell Maka – again – just to push her away, just to keep her safe from crossing her uncle and out of harm's way. A frown crept on his brow and he couldn't fight it back.

"That is not our concern," Lord Death said, matter-of-factly.

"Then what is?"

"Your feelings towards her are my concern," the High Priest stated, his voice not becoming any softer.

Oh, so he's not here to give some love, but to throw some shit… how could I not see that coming? I'm becoming slack or something… Kid sighed inconspicuously, his mouth pursing into a grimace. "My only feeling toward her is that, well, as instructed, I have treated her rather cruelly and gratuitously so, if I may say that and… I don't know, looking back at the whole thing it seems a bit… extreme?" He paused, waiting for a reaction, but his father didn't nod or anything. Or not… "Not that I – Gods forbid – would dare question Master Eibon's decisions, it's just… I mean she is- no she was just a slave girl, not some fearsome opponent…"

"Kid, you must do what you are told to do. This is a mercenary's job and you are not allowed to feel guilty for it!"

"And you cannot tell me what I'm 'allowed' to feel or not! What I feel or don't feel is my own business and it's not even up for discussion!" the young shinigami snapped. "I was given a job and I'm doing it, but don't you or anyone else think you have the right to invade my privacy or the freedom of my own thoughts to such an extent! Besides, whatever it is that I'm feeling, it's not like I'm going to act on it!"

The High Priest moved forward a bit and the reaper fleetingly wondered whether his father was actually going to give him a shinigami-chop in the head for his audacity. But the black shrouded figure stopped at a safe distance and just crossed his arms.

"Are you sure about that?" he asked. "Kid, I'll have you know that I haven't just now fallen from the moon and landed on my head and I also happen to know a few things about life and about this world. You had an affair with this girl – and the reasons are really not of the essence now – but you did and it also isn't like you have experienced anything of this kind before, so don't tell me you don't feel anything about it past the guilt or that it hasn't affected you in any way, because that's just bullshit!"

A sudden ironical smile made its way onto the young shinigami's face as he realized he had just the thing to counter what his father had said. And possibly shut his mouth, too… "I also had an affair with the Star prince, you know, reasons also not of the essence," he said casually. "Do you suppose I have feelings for him as well? Because that would just make a lot of feelings."

Lord Death fell silent. As expected, he didn't have a witty comeback to that, at least not right away. Kid mirrored his blank expression, his brief anger and panic having subsided and even given a bit of space to some very slight remorse. Of course, his father did not want to be reminded of that particular part of his mission, it made it look like his loyalty to Eibon had had a bit too high a price. Or not.

"I do not worry about the Star prince or whatever happened with him," the High Priest said after a while. "And you too would do well to forget it, dwelling on it won't do any good."

Kid's eyebrow shot up slightly, feigning surprise. Like hell he was going to make this easy on his father. "But why? If I think of it, Prince Black Star was the only one who really knew what he was doing – from all points of view, if you get my meaning. That being said, what interest do you think I could have for Eibon's niece? Not to mention, whatever interest I may have had – judging by the fact that she is indeed a pretty girl – withered due to the mere fact that she is of his blood."

Saying that, he turned on his heels and headed for the door, hoping to have put his father's mind at ease and an end to this increasingly tiresome conversation. As far as he was concerned, there really was no need to twist the knife in the wound again and again. Because it was Maka Emerald he needed to forget about.

"Kid, I think we both know that's not true… you'd do well to remember that she belongs to him now and that all there is, all that can be between you two, is nothing."

The first time she'd made an attempt at using magic Maka had been quite frightened. The Great Wizard Eibon had told her that she should have been delighted to be able to wield such powers as the mages had, but the blonde thought that somehow it was almost wrong for a human being to be able to do such things – for her at least. But it wasn't the only thing she should have worried about, in the same time with her uncle's coronation as King, she was soon to be named his rightful heir and attain even higher status. And yes, Maka worried, instead of the delight expected of her, because power was not what she truly craved and because her new family was unloving and cruel.

She wasn't less frightened now, after she'd performed a rather simple spell and had managed – accidentally on purpose – to pop into the young shinigami servant's room in the middle of the night. Maka didn't know why she was there – why she didn't leave once discovering where her experiment had brought her. She knew this was the one place in which she really shouldn't have been. But now…

The blonde stood motionless, close to the drawn curtains which barely allowed a few rays of moonlight into the room, beginning to seriously consider the perks of being able to sneak up on people like that. A small oil lamp burned in a corner, under a reddish globe, the flickering flame throwing colored, moving shadows onto the stone walls. Kid slept in the middle of an unexpectedly large bed, the half tossed aside covers revealing a simple white shirt, unbuttoned. Some skin, covered in that incredibly alluring black ink was on display and Maka stared, unable to help herself from drawing closer to the bed. The blonde leaned over, watching his pale lips slightly parted as he breathed and wondering what it would have been to just kiss him. Maybe he would get angry, but then what? What else would he do? She leaned even more, her lips hovering over his mouth, close enough to drink in his breath and then-

Next thing Maka realized was that she was pinned down onto the bed, the shinigami's golden eyes fixing her, unreadable, as he held both her wrists to her sides in an iron grip. She gasped, blinking and squirmed a bit under his gaze.

"Are you looking for trouble, Mistress Maka?" Kid asked, his voice soft and dangerous.

Trouble? Could I possibly be in more trouble than not owning my own heart? Than having given it away to you?

"I didn't mean to disturb your sleep," she whispered, "but… what is the use of all my magic if the most wonderful magic of all is denied to me? So yes, I'm looking for trouble, I'm not afraid of it. So shun me as many times as you want, or tell again me how you don't love me at all and how you wouldn't have me as your woman even if you could." Maka's hands were trapped, but she used her bare foot, lifting it and trailing her toe slowly along the side of the reaper's leg and thigh. "Tell me how you'll never obey me…"

The young shinigami's grip on her wrists tightened, to the point his fingers dug into her flesh, making it hurt, but he continued to simply stare, silent. The blonde closed her eyes slowly, taking a deep breath.

"I don't hear you say it, Death the Kid."

At length he sighed softly, his touch loosening gradually until it was gone, instead he lowered himself onto her body, resting his head against her shoulder. "It doesn't matter what I do or do not say," Kid whispered. "You can't undo anything, or pretend it didn't happen. You can't pretend I didn't trick you or that your heart was not broken. And if I told you now that I want you, it would still sound like a lie."

"Kid, don't speak like I have anything left to lose," Maka replied, her hand treading gently through his raven-black strands. "I am all alone and in my short life my only brief moments of happiness were with you. "

The young shinigami sat up abruptly, pulling the blonde in his lap in the same motion. His eyes, wide with a mixture of fear and longing, bore into her green orbs as his fingers trailed onto her shoulders, over the thin straps of her silk dress and down her bare arms and back. His lips parted slightly, as if he wanted to say something, but no sound came out. Maka silently wrapped her arms around his neck and leaned in, pressing her mouth to his and feeling everything else around her disappear as he kissed back slowly, still somewhat restrained.

"Maka, I-I can't…" the reaper murmured against her lips, breathlessly."Precisely because I love you, I can't… I won't risk…"

The blonde pulled back, cupping his face with both hands. "You won't risk what?"

Kid gulped. "Your uncle is a very dangerous man and trust me, crossing him is a very bad idea! I won't give him a reason to hurt you because of me… more than he already did." He shook his head. "I'd never forgive myself!"

Maka tsked softly and leaned back on the pillows, watching him intently. "My uncle says that when we settle into the Citadel and I am crowned princess, you will be my guard. For he trusts no one else with this important task."

The young shinigami blinked and his gaze narrowed slightly, as if he were pondering on what deeper meaning that fact may have held. Right, of course that's what Eibon decided – as if he'd ever make things easy for anyone… "I see," he replied, for lack of anything better to say.

"So, will you guard me?"

"Of course, Mistress Maka."

The blonde reached out lazily and traced her index finger through the opening in his shirt, down his bare chest. "As good as you guarded the Prince Black Star?" she asked innocently, biting her lip to hold back her amusement as his face fell, ever so slightly. Oh, he had it coming for playing around like that for so long. And Eibon had not spared her the dirty details either.

"The Prince Black Star happened to be a rather whimsical master, and… well he asked and I complied. Well, some of it might have been my fault too-…" he grumbled, burying his face in his hands.

Maka chuckled softly. "Kid, it doesn't matter, I was just messing with you – since you said you'd gladly take some punishment…" She sat up again, pulling him close. "But for the record you do play around a bit too much."

The reaper bit his lip uncertain as he looked up at her, but said nothing to contradict her statement.

"Kid, whatever fate awaits me, I will take it in stride, like I did everything all my life – which was admittedly not very much – but… I don't care, because I love you and as long as you love me, even if it has to be in secret, even if we are never to touch each other again, I will be happy."

"Then I swear to you, Maka Albarn, that you will always be happy," the shinigami whispered, his thumb running lightly over her lower lip before he craned his neck up and brought their lips together again.

THE END