Yo. Finally got back to some mainstream writing, so I figured I should get this little Kid-centric story out. This follows from the post-manga continuity of my other post-manga works (Shape and Form, Expectations, Free My Soul, and Tricks and Treats), though it's not necessary to read them to understand this story.
All you need to know is that Crona has been freed from the moon, and adopted by Stein and Marie. Stein and Marie also have a little boy, and a second child Marie is pregnant with. Asura is also being kept in his prison by having mad blood clowns fused onto his body. I think that gets you up to speed.
Also, sorry about not updating Monotone Princess. Writer's block and personal tragedy have been messing with my schedule, but, rest assured, I will finish it.
Sweet dreams are made of this
Who am I to disagree?
I travel the world
And the seven seas,
Everybody's looking for something.
...
Kid used to think of himself as an only child. Of course, that had changed when he met the Thompsons. Despite the initial shakiness, the two didn't take very long to settle in and become the sisters he never had.
But still, it didn't feel quite the same as when he found out he did have an actual sibling. His black sheep brother, Kishin Asura.
Outwardly, he always conveyed little more than contempt for his destructive brother. After all, the Kishin had caused them all a veritable avalanche of pain and suffering, trying to cover the world in madness, nearly killing them, being indirectly responsible for the death of his father. Yeah, with all that in mind, Kid had always displayed the same feelings toward Asura one would have for a smudge on a beautiful painting.
Yet, deep down, in his heart of hearts, there was that tiny speck we all feel from time to time. The little part that can't help but wonder what our worst enemies would be like if things were different.
It was on nights like these when this part would not be suppressed any longer, when it would creep and strike as sudden as the first rays of morning during a particularly black night.
It had been a long and trying day.
Luckily, Mabaa had proven herself honorable enough to allow Crona's retrieval to go unimpeded. Evidently, as her less than sociable interpreter had explained it, she felt that they owed it to the child, given the role they'd played in stopping and continuously keeping Asura contained, not to mention the shame from her own inaction regarding Medusa's experiments.
Still, just because Mabaa had been reasonable, didn't mean others would follow. While most had agreed with her line of thinking or simply went along for the sake of loyalty, there were those who didn't return her sentiments. And not just the witches either. Even with the souls freed, many people wouldn't let the incidents in Ukraine and Moscow go without demanding a pound or so of flesh.
Not only that, but getting witches and humans to get along was easier said than done. Rogue witches, rogue meisters and weapons, anti-DWMA factions, and even a few completely pointless complaints. Seriously, what makes a guy think that his coffee being served overly hot at restaurants is a problem for the grim reaper?
When all was said and done, Kid had returned home to Gallows' Manor exhausted, the young Shinigami wondering how his father could put up with all this for a week, let alone 800 years.
Hopefully, the Thompsons would be their usual noisy selves, giving him a much needed distraction.
No such luck.
When he arrived home, he'd found little more than a dark house, a still playing TV set, and both pajama clad sisters wiped out on either arm of the couch.
Watching Patty snooze away childishly, snoring loudly, and Liz actually drooling, clashing with her well-groomed image, Kid couldn't help but chuckle. Awake or not, they had helped cheer him was what he needed.
So, given a little bit of renewal, he changed out of his Shinigami robes, got into his pajamas, brushed his teeth, and found himself comfortably plopping down (symmetrically, of course) between the two sisters.
Even if they weren't awake, he figured he'd spend some time with them. Since they couldn't be used as Death Scythes, due to the treaty with the witches, they were often away on missions with Kilik, having gotten along quite well and making an effective team. All of this meant that Kid missed the presence of his adopted siblings quite often.
He picked up the remote, having a look at what the two had been watching. The Soft Rock Channel. Kid couldn't help but smirk at that. Obviously not Patty's choice.
Yet, when he listened to the song that was currently playing, he couldn't help but frown.
He ain't heavy, he's my brother.
It was almost instant, when he clicked the TV off, trying to dodge any unpleasant thoughts this might bring up. Yet, it was too late, the damage was done and Kid found himself thinking of his brother yet again.
Knowing that his thoughts could not simply be pushed away, Kid slouched back, releasing a long sigh. More than that, it was like a cork had been pulled, letting out all the thoughts and feelings he kept to himself, hidden from others.
Unanswered questions buzzed about in his already troubled brain.
What had his brother been like before he'd gone mad? Was there ever a chance for him to avoid his current fate? Suppose he had, would that mean Kid would never have been born?
Kid's thoughts were suddenly broken by a sudden weight felt on his shoulder. He turned his head to see Patty, childishly sucking on her thumb, using his shoulder as a pillow. Chuckling softly, he brushed one of the small blonde locks of hair from her eyes. His spirit lifted by this bit of cute amusement from his foster sister, he lay his head back, ready to relax... before feeling another pressure on his opposite shoulder.
Eyes popping wide with surprise, Kid looked over to see Liz actually cuddling his arm. All he could do was stare in befuddlement. Honestly, wasn't cool, level-headed Liz more refined than this?
"Brad..." She moaned. "Don't worry, I'll keep you warm, I won't tell Angelina." She apparently had him confused with Brad Pitt.
Kid struggled to keep quiet, choking down a bout of laughter before returning to his relaxed position, happiness welling within his chest like a roaring fireplace in a previously cold house. He could feel it now, sleep would overtake him soon.
Yet, as his mind slowly clouded over in the haze of sleep, one final question remained, the sort of question that carries with it the same brand of shame a rich person feels when walking through a poor neighborhood. As Kid drifted off, safe and comfortable, the human pillow of two people he dearly loved, the thought of his estranged brother forever sealed on the cold desolation of the black moon wouldn't leave, leading to his final question before drifting off to unconsciousness:
Was his brother happy?
That night, Kid had the oddest dream of his life (minus the one about Patty, Liz and the fire hydrant). He drifted like a ghost through time and space, the lives of friends and enemies spread out before him like a tapestry. He found himself witnessing each, some at the past, some at present, others in the future, carried by his thoughts as though they were a strong wind. He thought of Maka and Soul, the young, old married couple. Would they be happy?
The scythemeister had fallen asleep, face in a book. Soul had always told her it would happen someday. Yet, rather than waking her to snark about it, her husband merely eased her onto a more a comfortable position on the couch. Gingerly, he wrapped his arm around her, feeling her soft stomach, sleek and slender, yet with the slightest of bulges. Seven months to go. As if he wasn't happy enough already.
He thought of his friend Black Star, the egotistic assassin turned man-who-surpassed-God (well, if you asked him) and his partner, Tsubaki the gentle camellia blossom. He wondered how their little family with Angela was going.
Black Star couldn't contain his smile at watching Angela play ninjas with Tsubaki. Yet, as much as he was happy, there was another part of him that worried about when the little witch got older. Would the sway of magic change her? And what about when she found out about Mifune? Though he claimed to place himself above God, in this moment, and many others, he sent out a little prayer that his happiness would last.
Speaking of families, he thought of Crona, that lonely child, and of his former (and, in some ways, current) teachers, Stein, Marie, their son Victor, and their still unborn daughter (and the newly made family pet, but that was neither here nor there).
In a certain stitched up house (not that there are many), there was a certain room, with a certain pink-haired child, who lay on their side, huddled in the fetal position. Yet the child did not lie alone. Draped over them, lay the form of a blonde-haired woman, content at being close to both her adopted child, and the child still to be born within her, her arms around them in a protective hug. Unkind words had been slung at them by people too blinded by grief and fear to see the person underneath, yet that didn't matter to the child. Their new mother had them now and would not let go.
And in another part of this house, a certain a scientist sat asleep in his chair, quite different from his normal habit of late night work. Of course, the fact his son was also currently sleeping on his lap, leaning against his father, their family pet asleep at their feet, might have had something to do with it.
Speaking of pets, they'd finally given theirs a name, Patchwork. That was quite appropriate, really.
A patchwork pet named Patchwork in a patchwork family, who all lived in a patchwork house. What could be more fitting?
Further still, Kid drifted as his thoughts flashed with the presence of a certain deathscythe and father...
Blair had seen this sight many times. Spirit Albarn, drunk and passed out at Chupacabra's, and the sun had just barely set. As Blair eased the booze-filled man into a more comfortable position, letting his head rest on her lap, she made out the faintest sound, sort of a mumble, escape from his lips.
"Maka...such a good girl...so proud of you."
Blair couldn't help but smile at that. People often thought that Spirit was a sad and unhappy man, but they were wrong. Recent events, seeing his daughter transform from a wonderful girl to magnificent woman, knowing that, in spite of whatever mistakes he'd made, his daughter had managed to help out the people she cared about, and to save the world... and he'd helped her.
Knowing that, he could spend the rest of his days in drunken bliss, and, as Blair softly purred, stroking his hair, she was content to join him.
But, Kid still wasn't satisfied. He wished to know the fate of an enemy, so, guided by instincts that, to this day, he still didn't understand, he plunged, past other friends, family and acquaintances, past Ox and Kim when they had their first kiss, past Eruka and Free, trying to deal with the Mizunes when they found out about Eruka's lies, into another, darker part of time and space, thought and feeling, the place he reserved for his enemies...
Gopher was tired. Between making sure Lust had enough girls, Gluttony had enough food, that Pride was well-groomed and dressed enough, that Wrath had enough punching bags to vent on whatever he was angry about, and that Envy got everything in those catalogs he'd wanted the he'd been drained. Trying to defeat the Kishin had been more relaxing.
But, at least Greed had left enough valuable trinkets that he hadn't had the time to sort into the Book of Eibon, that Gopher had been able to sell them to finance him and the Noah's lifestyle for a good long time.
Finally, though, once the Noahs had become so steeped in their various vices that they were too busy to bother Gopher, he'd plopped down on the couch of a nearby empty room... well, empty except for the one remaining Noah, Sloth. But, Sloth was too busy doing nothing to really trouble Gopher, or anyone else for that matter. As long as he had a place to rest, he was happy.
Sitting there, eyes feeling the soft wool of the couch, Gopher found himself wonder if having all these Noahs to himself was really the good thing he thought it would be. However, he soon found himself brought out of his thoughts by the sensation of someone tapping against his shoulder.
Opening his eyes, to his surprise, he looked and saw Sloth, hand extended, a bag of potato chips within it, his face a mass of apathy and disinterest... but still offering him this small gesture of kindness.
Reaching outward to take a chip, he was further surprised to find the bag dropped into his hand.
He was letting him have the whole thing?
"Um, thanks." He said gratefully, being met with an indifferent shrug as Sloth settled back into his perpetual state of rest.
Not knowing what else to do, Gopher simply sat back, taking a chip from from the bag, putting it in his mouth, and closing his eyes, savoring the salty flavor as ease washed over him in gentle waves.
"No, no!" Replied Kid frustratedly, still not having found thing he longed for, the bit of knowledge that could answer the question that ate at him when he was alone. Calming down, Kid gathered his thoughts. While he had seen an enemy, the vision had been far too... light... perhaps he needed to go somewhere darker...
And with this thought, he was blown towards another collection of thoughts feelings, those almost black as pitch...
All the long years of her life had come to this. Though she lay bleeding to death in a disfigured mess, the witch Medusa could feel nothing but joy as she watched her child's twisted expression, pain, confusion, and madness saturating it. She'd done it, she thought. She'd drug her child so far into the darkness, polluted their soul with such powerful poison that there could be no hope of salvation, and the world would soon follow.
Such was not the case, the world and Crona would both be saved and her dying machinations would serve only to contribute to the success of order.
But still, there was one immutable fact, her final living feeling as her maddened child brought down their blade for the final stab: She felt happy, triumphant.
Though her plans would be foiled and Crona would be saved from her malice, the witch died thinking she won...
"NO!" Kid yelled, reeling in anger and disgust, partly from his failed quest, partly from what he'd just witnessed.
"This isn't right either..." He said, calming down. "I know my brother was evil. I know that. But..." He had to reach for the next set of words, as though pulling out something he'd long suppressed. "...but he wasn't completely evil, he wasn't always like he is now, he wasn't like Medusa."
"Please," he said, calling out to whatever force would help him "I just need to know, I know my brother wasn't simply like Crona. He wasn't just afraid, he was fear. It was in his nature, it followed him wherever he went. So that's why I need to know, please I need to know..." he took a breath, praying it would work this time.
"...could my brother ever have been happy?"
A moment, and then Kid's question was answered. He was carried upward, his being pulled by God knows what into the sky and past the clouds, but where he was headed was not Heaven. No, far from it, he zoomed toward the sphere of mad blood the moon had become, it rapidly transforming from a pinpoint in the sky to a towering mass.
But Kid's journey did not stop there. No, for his answer he had to go into the blackness itself.
And so he did, his spirit phasing through the nigh-unbreakable barrier. Surging through the pitch darkness, almost feeling as though his soul would be consumed by it, Kid steadied himself.
Though it seemed as if the darkness would never end, eventually, Kid was able to spot a tiny speck, a shape, in the distance, Kid's lost sibling, growing ever closer, until Kid was practically right up next him.
In short instance, Kid's eyes widened, breath caught in understanding.
He found his answer...
...
Wearily, Kid opened his eyes, the light of the room hitting him with the same force it would someone who'd been in a movie theater for several hours.
As his eyes adjusted, he hurriedly scanned the area around him. Sure enough, to his relief and amusement, things were just as he left them. Patty was snoozing with a passion, and Liz apparently still had his arm confused with Brad Pitt.
Kid exhaled at the comforting, familiar sights, posture relaxing, taking time to absorb all that he'd seen.
He'd gotten his answer, and, come what may, he had to live with it.
Settling back into position with his family, his happiness, he smiled in bittersweet happiness.
Above him, above everyone, in the accessible reaches of the moon, resided his brother, Kishin Asura, not alone, but forever joined by the insane laughter of the clowns, and the moon itself, caught in a state of mad relief at the knowledge that he was finally safe.
In the one place no one else could reach, he was safe from his fears at long last.