EPILOGUE

[strangerpeople]

EPILOGUE

[When the light of BREW fades, everyone finds themselves outside of a bar or lounge, of sorts.]




[Before the door, Excalibur is looking pleased, swinging his cane and singing a song triumphantly.]

♫ EXCALIBUUUUR! EXCALIBUUUUR! FROM THE UNITED K, I'M LOOKING FOR HIM, I MADE IT TO CALIFORNIAAAAAAAA! ♫

[Hm. It seems he might be a patron of this place.

But this is all so much more modern. What sort of age have your actions wrought? Is it the future Giriko feared? Or is it, thanks to you, something much better?

Well, for now, all you know is that this sure is a place to drink, and apparently, it is in California. You did choose to go elsewhere for your salvation.]

Comments

[incendiarize]

[Freedom is sweet. So is the smell of clean air, because even knowing he was hallucinating, what he was seeing instead of what was around him was so complete and perfect a recreation that it took his every sense. To not have flesh or fire all around him, to not have that house full of spiders where even the sun couldn't reach them, is the greatest relief Arthur has ever felt.

A table. Fresh, clean water. The day-to-day business of an establishment in a full city, home to more than just a handful of people. The creepy, laughing sun. All these little reminders they're out. Arthur doesn't even process the order he places.

He just puts his head down on the table, and before he knows it, he's crying. Sobbing like a baby.]

[relieable]

[hmm... there's a kid crying over here. understandably. Osomatsu's going to order a Shirley Temple for him and hope for the best.

he comes over slowly, letting Arthur have as much time as he needs, but then he takes a seat nearby, setting the drink on his table and nudging it towards him]

A new beginning

[strangerpeople]

[As he cries, as he lets go, Arthur will also find himself disappearing. The world goes white all around him as he plunges into what feels like nothing-

And he...no, he is watching as the girl with pigtails, Maka, wakes up, popping up in her bed.]

Soul-!?

[Her bedroom is different. Outside, the sun is shining behind the curtains. Maka doesn't hesitate, after checking and pinching herself (was it a dream? Is she still dreaming? Is she still dead-) before throwing the curtains open.]

Where...!?

[It's not a desert. It's not Death City. It's a city by the water, with green grass and trees...

It's all a blur as Maka runs out of the house, only to run into a man and woman. She lets out a gasp; her parents. Her parents are alive. And confused at her outburst as she cries about how she thought they were dead, how madness had taken over the world and only Shinigami was left to fight in Death City, and everything had been so horrible, and-

before she can say much else, her mother comforts her. It had to have been a bad dream, she reasons. Shinigami? He had been sealed away after the defeat of the final defeat of the heretic witch, leaving only a fragment of himself to be looked after by the demon weapons, who were left to form their own schools. The destruction of the war had resulted in a truce between humans and witches, creating a council led by a ruler who kept everyone and everything in balance to prevent such horror again.

And, of course, they were in his capital-Caliburnia, California. They were both on the Council, after all, despite being divorced.

That's when her father nods towards the 75 foot statue of Arthur, Killer of Fear--dwarfed by a 750 foot gold statue of Earth's ruler-in the distance, on a pedestal that hovers over the city.

Arthur will probably be as surprised at the giant statue of himself as Maka is internally facepalming at the more giant statue beside it. Then, he will hear a chuckle beside Maka, and she turns to see.]

Hey, Maka.

[Soul. Her heart fills with joy. He's alive, and judging by the knowing smirk on his face-he remembers, too. The tears threaten to come from her again, but this time, she smiles.]

Long time...no s E e...

[And then stops when she sees him. He is snapping his fingers, almost rhythmically. Too rhythmically. His pupils are gone, swallowed by his red irises. And his soul....his soul glitches rhythmically, black, then bright color, then black, then blacker, tick, tOCK-]

MAKA CHOP!

[She doesn't even bother using a book. Glowing white feathers slide from her pocket between her thumb and palm, and her open hand smashes onto Soul's head in a chopping motion.

It's painful, but it's effective. The feathers slide into the boy, and the darkness roils and writhes, before it dissipates, revealing a clear, bright soul-and a very confused Soul, his eyes back to normal-in its wake.]

Maka...what was I just...di I hurt-?

[She doesn't respond; she just hugs him. And, out of the corner of her eye, sees a small figure disappear like mist, glaring at her. She simply glares back, before closing her eyes.

This is a stranger future than she had anticipated. No Shinigami, after all, and there is something else in the fabric of this future-something that had been in the past, as well-that threatens them still. But, this time, maybe they had a chance at happiness. The witches and humans had found a way forward. They would, then, too.

This was a new future, and Maka and Soul would keep fighting to make sure this future would continue to be a good one.

It is with a sigh, and a surging feeling of hope, that the vision ends, leaving Arthur with a sense of peace-perhaps his first since being brought here. Things are going to be all right. Things will work out.

If they could do so here, they can do so anywhere.]