A/N: Late post due to bad connection and slight writer's block! Chapter EDITED as promised! And because I noticed a few things did not match up and had to make slight changes!

IMPORTANT NOTE! Be sure you've read my previous story "Birth of Scelus the Kishin" to know some of the OCs in this story.

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater. It's the work of Okubo Atsushi. I only own the OC's and this story!

Chapter Four: Hide and Seek with Madness

The sound of music was heard echoing down the gloomy hallway. It was pleasant yet eerie and ominous at the same time. Giriko was humming an offbeat tune herself as she was heading toward her destination. She was still dressed in her usual outfit, doesn't even bother to change her appearance. Even if he is now a she, doesn't mean his personality will turn feminine. She scoffed at the thought and grimaced slightly, damn little bitch making me stuck in this body. I know it'll be a giveaway if I used a male body but what's the point of hiding my identity anyway? Those Shibusen rats aren't stupid enough to not know who I am. One look at my soul and they'll know. She stopped outside of Shaula's office, gave the door a knock then opened the door.

Shaula sighed as she looked up from what she was writing in her book, 'Giriko, how many times must I remind you not to enter unless I give my permission?'

'Lost count,' muttered the Demon Chainsaw, her eyes trailing toward the Gramophone playing the music.

'So, why are you here?'

'I'm bored.'

'Go find entertainment then.'

'I want to kill someone.'

Shaula smiled feeling amused, 'Itching for a kill I see.'

Giriko's fingers twitched, 'How long do I have to wait? I'm not a patient person you know.'

'You've waited for my dear sister Arachne for eight hundred years, why is waiting for three years so hard for you?' said Shaula as she walked toward the Gramophone sitting on a low round table by the window to the left side of her desk.

'That time was different; I was in hibernation most of my time. And now… I seriously need to kill someone. I'm bored and I want to feel some nice warm blood on me!'

'Ah your bloodlust is… intriguing. I'm curious how come you haven't gone mad yet with that amount of bloodlust in you… a normal human would have let madness take over him so it could help him fulfill his desires.'

'I ain't normal, we know that. So… how much longer?'

Shaula sighed as she stopped the music, 'Just a few more days…'

'How many days?' Giriko ground out between gritted teeth.

Shaula hummed thoughtfully, 'Less than two weeks. Well, if you're itching to go on a killing spree I've got a mission for you.'

Giriko looked up, eyes glinting excitedly, 'What is it?'

The Witch grinned widely at the sight of madness in Giriko's eyes. She slipped out an envelope from her sleeve and gave it to Giriko, 'A group of pawns of mine are of no use to me anymore. And they're giving me a headache with their demands. Why don't you go meet them and give them their reward?'

The Demon Chainsaw grinned maliciously, 'Will do.'

'Make sure there are no survivors.'

'I'll make sure of it.'

'Good. Have fun.'

Shaula held back a chuckle as Giriko quickly left. She took a seat on her chair and stared at the papers strewn on her desk. There were some photos attached to some of the papers, each of different people with different descriptions. She picked up a photo of Belmont who seemed to be arguing with Damont about something with Ryanne in between them with an amused smile. Shaula grinned as she propped her left arm on the desk and let her chin land in her palm. The fingers of her right hand tracing Belmont's face, 'Soon my dear Belmont… we will meet and I'll make sure you never leave my side. I lost you once but I won't lose you again.'

'Belmont!'

Belmont snapped out of his daydream and looked up at Ryanne who was smiling brightly in a gothic themed tight-fitting black dress, showing her curves. The shoulder straps were thin, the front of the dress started just an inch above her breasts, the back cut low to her waist but hidden under the corset. The body of the dress was covered with a black corset that has white floral patterned lace around it and around the hip just below the corset is a red ribbon that was tied to a medium sized bow behind her. The front skirt of the dress was down to her mid-thigh with the back skirt down to the mid of her calf. The woman raised a brow at him, 'What about this one?'

Belmont huffed and looked away, his cheeks burning, 'You look good in any dress.'

'Aww, you're just saying that because you want to get out of here as soon as possible,' said Ryanne with a pout.

Belmont got up to his feet from where he sat on one of the waiting seats, grimacing slightly when he heard his knees creak. He brushed the left shoulder strap back up her shoulders when it slipped down, 'No really. You look great in any of the dresses you picked out.'

Ryanne smiled with a small blush on her cheeks, 'You mean it?'

Belmont smiled as he gazed into her blue eyes; he never realized how much he missed gazing into those deep blue orbs. Her eyes often remind him of the vast sky, of freedom. The Medic Witches may have helped restore her vision with the aid of magic but the faint scars around her eyes are still there as a reminder for him and her to what she had once lost. Ryanne always smiles but he knows she's scared of losing her sight again. He brushed her bangs aside and gave her forehead a peck, 'Yeah.'

'Thank you… but I don't know which one I should get!'

The woman squeaked when Belmont wrapped his arms around her hips and pulled her flushed against him. Red eyes gazing into blue eyes, 'Just take this one.'

'But-'

'Don't worry about the price. I'm paying for it. Besides, we've been here for hours. Damont will get all whiny if we're late for dinner.'

'Oh alright. Now hands off so I could go get changed,' she said as she playfully slapped his left shoulder.

Belmont released her and watched her headed toward the changing room, his eyes lingering on her swaying hips, he was sure she did that on purpose, damn her. His cell phone gave off a rock themed music and he flipped it open, 'Talk to me.'

'Hey Belmont~ Are you guys on your way home? I'm almost done preparing dinner!'

'We're just finishing here.'

'Whoa! Ry took her time huh?'

'Yeah. You know how she I when she goes shopping… Uhh, you want us to get something on the way home?'

'Ah yes, almost forgot! Don't forget to pick up our suits at Suzie's.'

'Okay.'

'And don't wander off somewhere. I've worked my ass preparing today's dinner!'

'Yeah, yeah, don't you worry about it niisan. We'll be home in fifteen minutes... twenty tops.'

'Okay, see ya guys later!'

Just as he ended the call Ryanne jogged lightly to him, 'Was that Damont?'

'Yeah, he's almost done with dinner. We're stopping by at Suzie's place to pick up our suits on the way home.'

Ryanne's eyes caught the clock hanging on the wall, 'Ahh, shoot. Sorry I got carried away…'

Belmont smiled fondly as he patted her head, 'It's okay. C'mon let's head home.'

He took out his credit card and paid for the dress then escorted Ryanne out. The woman slipped her smaller hand into his and intertwined their fingers. Belmont gripped her hand lightly and led the way. They chatted idly about the coming party, people they know and random things. Ryanne was doing most of the talking and currently she was talking animatedly about a novel she had been anticipating when they reached Suzie's Cleaning Service. The bell above the door gave a cheerful jingle when they entered. A petite woman with short blonde hair greeted them with a wide grin, 'Hey Ry! Reiji! So here to pick up your suits eh?'

Belmont nodded, 'Yeah.'

'Okie dokie! Why don't you take a seat while I go get them?'

The couple took a seat on the provided plastic chairs as Suzie went to the back room. They waited quietly, enjoying the music coming from the radio on the counter. Belmont noticed Ryanne kept gazing out the window, 'What is it Ry?'

'Huh? I just… nevermind.'

'C'mon, what's up?' he prodded gently.

Ryanne's brows creased together, 'I have this feeling like we're being watched.'

Belmont frowned slightly, 'What does your Soul Perception tell you?'

Ryanne shook her head, 'There's no one suspicious though… Just regular people out there doing regular things… sorry, maybe I'm just paranoid because Scelus is in the city.'

Belmont pulled her closer to him as he expanded his Soul Perception to scan the vicinity. The frown still on his face when he found nothing out of the ordinary, maybe it's a Witch. Damn it, if only niisan is here… could've scope the area with Shadow Perception. He looked up when Suzie returned with his and Damont's suits. She grinned at the couple, 'Aww~ you two look adorable!'

'Can it Suzie,' Belmont grumbled.

The blonde giggled, 'Grouchy as always. I hope you guys have fun at the party!'

'Thanks Suz!' said Ryanne with a smile as she pulled Belmont toward the door.

Suzie waved cheerfully at the departing couple. She sighed, 'Never thought I'd see the day those two get along so well together. Oh! It's almost closing time!'

When Belmont and Ryanne reached their apartment they were greeted by a cheerful Damont who was taking off his apron and throwing it haphazardly on a nearby chair, Belmont scowled at the sight. Damont grinned widely after looking at the time 'You guys made it just in time!'

Belmont raised a brow, 'Niisan, it's just dinner.'

'Not just dinner! Today we're celebrating!'

Ryanne's eyes widened with wonder, 'Celebrating what?'

Damont looked horrified for a moment, 'Our anniversary of course!'

Belmont and Ryanne looked at each other then turned to Damont, 'What?'

'Today's the day we were introduced to each other! Our 10th First Meeting Anniversary!'

Belmont blanched, 'You serious?'

'Of course!'

Ryanne giggled, 'We don't have to celebrate such frivolous thing Damont.'

Damont pouted, 'But it's important! It's a celebration of how our relationship starts!'

'Niisan, I don't understand you sometimes. Besides, our first meeting wasn't… pleasant.'

Ryanne grinned, 'It was pleasant to me!'

'Yeah! Though it hurts when she tackled us…'

Belmont sighed at the memory. The first time they met her was the day they briefly returned to Shibusen and took a mission where they had to work with her on a case. The case was what got them together and closer. She helped them heal from the pain of losing their comrades especially their best friend Wes. The day they were going to have their briefing, she appeared out of the blue and tackled them to the ground squealing something about the perfect twins she ever seen. He finds her scary and annoying back then, Damont said she was interesting and fun. Ryanne was always following them, stalking them, and at times blurt out embarrassing things about the two being potential twincest couple, he doesn't understand what she meant back then but when he found out what it meant he was constantly embarrassed and irritated. He blamed that on Damont though for encouraging her and making her fantasy come true. Belmont snapped out of his thoughts when Damont kissed him fully on the lips. Ryanne was squealing excitedly beside him. He stumbled back, his right arm flying to cover his flushed face and his grimace at the sudden attack, 'Ni-niisan! What the hell?!'

Damont chuckled, 'Sorry, couldn't resist. You're irresistibly cute when you're daydreaming!'

'OHMYGOSH! You two are killing me! That was so HOT!' squealed Ryanne happily, her face beet red and her hands cupping her cheeks, 'I'm so happy I get to see THAT!'

Belmont groaned, 'Shut up…'

He nearly lost his balance when Ryanne tackled him and kissed him passionately. Damont's face turned beet red at the sight and he turned away rubbing his face, 'Ah, I'll set up the table.'

Ryanne pulled back and grinned, 'Feeling better?'

Belmont averted his eyes and leaned back, cheeks flushed, 'No.'

The woman smirked slyly as she pressed her body against him, 'Aww, c'mon.'

Belmont gulped and his face reddened. He glared at her half-heartedly, 'Back off Ry.'

'Tsundere much,' said Ryanne as she stepped back.

'And you're a….a sadist.'

'I take that as a compliment!' said the woman with a cheeky grin. She took the bags in his hands then dropped them on the couch before going back to Belmont who was still standing by the entrance watching her warily. She grabbed his hand and led him toward the kitchen. Damont approached Ryanne and gave her a quick kiss then stuck out his tongue at his younger brother who rolled his eyes, 'Nice try but she loves me more than you.'

Damont seemed thoughtful before saying, 'And I love you more than her!'

'I love you boys!' said Ryanne throwing her arms up with a silly grin on her face. Damont beamed happily at the declaration.

Belmont sighed and let his forehead land on the table with a dull thud, 'Idiots… I'm in love with a pair of idiots.'

Days had passed and there was no incident. The night fell and the ballroom was filled with invited guests. Damont began to relax but made sure he could sense Scelus using his Shadow Perception. He shifted to his other foot as he scanned the guests in the ballroom. Soul had stepped up and took over the piano when the band took their break. Akane joined him by playing a violin and Anya was playing the cello. A man passed by and Damont gave him a nod, signaling there was no problem. The man nodded back then headed off to probably check with the other securities. His eyes caught sight of Ryanne who was tugging at a reluctant Belmont, asking for a dance. Both he and Belmont wore matching simple tuxedo, making it hard for the others to differentiate them. He grinned and waved at his brother when the younger twin gave him a helpless look.

A tall dark haired man dressed as a waiter approached him with a tray of drinks. The man smiled at him, 'Would you like a drink sir?'

'Nah, I'm cool.'

'Are you sure?'

'Yeah.'

'Very well,' said the man as he walked away, approaching Belmont and Ryanne. The two were now shooting nasty looks at each other and whispering heatedly, he was sure they were throwing threats at each other, as usual. They stopped arguing and he watched his brother took a glass from the waiter then gulped down the liquid before giving it back to the waiter who had yet to walk away, probably curious about the couple. Damont chuckled when Ryanne took out the big guns and shot Belmont her kicked puppy eyes. They both know Belmont always relent if either of them gave him the puppy eyes, 'He's such a softie.'

He jumped when someone spoke behind him, 'Are you guys twins?'

He spun around and found himself face-to-face with Scelus who was dressed in a rented suit. The man chuckled nervously, 'Sorry, didn't mean to startle you.'

Damont forced a smile. Damn it, he didn't even sense the man was near, 'Yes. We're twins.'

'Oh, it must be cool!'

Damont raised a brow in question and Scelus continued, 'You know, you guys could pull off some wicked pranks together and make people really confused!'

'Ah, yeah… we did that when we were kids…'

'Umm, I'm sorry.'

'What for?'

'Uhh… I found some information about… the previous Scelus.'

Damont gave the man his full attention and waited for him to continue. Scelus rubbed his neck nervously, 'Scelus was a really bad guy huh? A-and if I am the same Scelus… I'd like to apologize for the… the pain I've caused.'

'Why?'

'I feel really bad for what he- I've done.'

'No. I mean… we're still not sure if you're the same Scelus right? So you don't have to apologize. Yet.'

Scelus frowned slightly, 'Everyone said the same thing… But if I am the same Scelus, I really do want to apologize for my wrongdoings.'

Damont sighed and ran a hand through his hair, messing it slightly, 'Look, just… just forget everything and enjoy the party. It's no use if you kept worrying about it when you're not sure yourself. You didn't get invited to brood. You're here to enjoy the party.'

'…okay. What's your name by the way?'

'Seiji.'

'Oh, I thought it was something-mont…'

Damont tried not to show him being uncomfortable, 'That's kinda like a nickname…'

'Oh. It's nice meeting you Seiji. Hope we can be friends.'

Damont shook Scelus' hand, 'Yeah, same here.'

He watched Scelus walked away heading toward the banquet table. He frowned slightly, could he be a different Scelus? I don't sense anything evil from him. While he kept his eyes on Scelus, he didn't notice the tall dark-haired waiter staring at him from a distance. The waiter continued to walk among the crowd, targeting certain people just as he was ordered by his master. He was approaching the small stage as the trio stopped playing music and ready to let the original band to continue their performance. Akane said his thanks to the waiter as he took a glass, Soul gave a smile and a nod of thanks while Anya had went straight to find her friends. The waiter smiled and walked on. He stopped abruptly when a fierce-looking man suddenly appeared and took one of the glasses on his tray.

'What're ya looking at punk?' asked Ragnarok as he raised a brow. The waiter smiled and turned away. The Demon Sword frowned; the waiter was giving him a weird vibe. Something ain't right here!

'Ragnarok, you're scaring people,' Jenna reprimanded him gently. The woman was dressed in a white dress with the skirt covering her ankles and fashioned like a blooming flower. She wore white elbow length gloves and there's a silver bracelet on her right wrist. Around her neck is a gold necklace with a Victorian-styled pendant. For her feet, she wore grey high heels. Her hair was untied and combed to hang on her right shoulder.

'Sorry… I just hate formal event,' muttered Ragnarok.

'But you seem to love the food,' quipped Hanna. She looked different without her piercings. The she-werewolf was dressed in a deep blue cocktail dress with silver bangles and round earrings, black lace choker and black ankle strapped high heels.

Ragnarok was ready to shoot a remark but Armageddon gripped his shoulder to warn him not to make a scene. He huffed, 'Food's the only thing that's good here.'

'Really? Nothing else?' asked Hanna.

'What? Is there something else that's good here?'

Hanna raised a brow and her eyes trailed to her sister. Ragnarok followed her gaze and he blushed, 'Oh…'

'What is it?' asked Jenna clueless.

'Hey! Jenna likes this song! Why don't you two go dance?' asked Hanna far too cheerfully.

'Oh, but Ragnarok-'

Ragnarok took Jenna's hand and pulled her toward the dance floor. He shot a glare at Hanna over his shoulder and the woman grinned triumphantly. Armageddon chuckled and shook his head, 'He's not a good dancer.'

'Well, more entertainment for me!' said Hanna.

Armageddon sighed then turned to her, 'Want to dance with me?'

'Heh, thought you'd never ask.'

'There you are.'

Kid looked over his shoulder to find Crona standing by the door to the balcony. His eyes lingered on her for a few seconds. Crona was dressed in a Victorian-styled black dress with white cuffs and collar. The front of the skirt splits, showing a white layered underskirt and the back of the dress' skirt was shaped like an inverted triangle. White roses were stitched on either side of her hip and down and to the back of the skirt where the vines met a large symmetrical rose. She wore a simple black high heeled shoe with white lace. Though his eyes caught some unsymmetrical folds on the skirt that made his eyes twitched and his skin tingle with irritation, but whisperings that he was sure only he could hear made him chose to ignore the unsymmetrical flaws. He did not want to entertain the voices. He focused his eyes on her curious face, smiled at her and beckoned her to join him.

Crona looked over her shoulder at the party going on inside before she briskly walked toward him. Her eyes scanned him for anything to tell her concerning his wellbeing. She smiled when he doesn't seem to be ill or tired, 'What are you doing out here?'

'Just getting away from the formal talks,' he said with a sigh.

'The nobles bore you?' asked Crona with a hint of amusement.

He smiled humorously, 'Who wouldn't get bored? All they talk about is what troubles them, well, their future life really… They don't care much about the commoners … those nobles are selfish.'

'Oh… They're mean…'

'…but it's my duty to protect them as well.'

Crona's shoulder brushed against his arm, 'You're a good man.'

'Am I?'

'Yes.'

'You're a good woman then.'

Crona chuckled, 'Thank you.'

Kid sighed, 'Three years… a lot has changed in three years… but at the same time a lot remains the same…'

Crona looked at him quizzically but his gaze was at the glowing lights in the distance. She followed his gaze and considered about his words. They stared at the city lights and listen to the sounds coming from inside the ballroom and the city. Everyone seemed to be enjoying the celebration. It was after all a celebration to remember the day the Trinity Peace Treaty was signed. A lot of changes had happened since then, healing magic had helped a lot in curing injuries and illness and the Anima's strength and abilities had helped sniff out dangerous criminals and protect the public, working alongside members of Shibusen. The reopened Witch Academy had helped reduced the number of Rogue Witches by training them to control their destructive instincts and be more disciplined and placid. The number of Feral Animas had also reduced and their population had remained low as how it should be. Hanna had said the Cursed Bloodline is supposed to disappear soon because the Anima Gene (as Jenna had called it) is recessive. In a family whose parents are Anima, one out of five of the children will be Anima while the others are human. The only way to keep the bloodline going is by infecting humans with their Curse Blood, as opposed to 'a human turn into a werewolf when he got bitten'.

But there will always be someone who will be corrupted, become evil and mad with desire. Madness is an illness of the mind. How many are turning evil he couldn't guess. There are just too many people. With that many people, madness grows quickly especially in a world after a great disaster. It breeds from a single human's fear then morphed into a kind of virus that infects the mind, feeding lies and fantasies to help the human fight his fears and at the same time fuels his dark desires. Rationality will be a blur and he will act according to the evil whispers of madness. There is no cure for madness but one has to learn to control it, suppress it. But the recent cases related to madness are increasing far too quickly. It made the young Shinigami tense and alert and it's taking its toll on him. He's descending into madness as well; it was slow but at the same time it was unexpected. The world seems to be falling apart and order is slowly losing its supremacy. It's not just the world; he's also losing his self-control. Sometimes he is not aware of his actions and surrounding that it scares him. He wants to protect those who look up to him, those who love him. He knows Crona and the others noticed the subtle changes in him… he had to tell them soon, ask for their help but couldn't help but doubt. What if they lose trust in him? What if they fear him and see him as a threat? What is he going to do? Will he lose more than what he's losing now?

'Kaito?'

Kid couldn't help but gasped in surprise at the warm hand holding his hand which was tightly gripping the balcony's railing. He turned wide eyes to Crona, suddenly feeling cornered. She was staring at him with fear, no… not fear, concern. Crona cupped his face with her hands and gazed into his eyes, 'Shh… it's okay. I'm here.'

Kid took a moment to calm himself, his eyes shifting around before he shut them and tried to control his breathing. He flinched at a stabbing pain in his head but it was fleeting. Crona's thumbs were rubbing circles on his cheeks and it helped him calm down. He opened his eyes, 'S-sorry.'

Crona's voice was strained, her eyes shining with unshed tears, 'What's wrong?'

Kid held her hands gently, 'I… I don't know…'

'You're trembling. Do want to sit down?'

'N-no. I'm good,' he said as he leaned his hips against the balcony's railing. Crona stepped closer, her right hand rubbing her left arm in a familiar nervous gesture. She waited patiently for Kid to compose himself.

'…are you okay now?'

'Ye-yeah… again, I'm sorry.'

'You don't have to apologize. You did nothing wrong.'

'But I'm troubling you…'

'I'm worried because I care… I love you.'

Kid smiled at her, 'Thank you.'

Crona sighed and leaned against the railing as well, her left side pressing against him for warmth and comfort, 'If it helps, you can talk to me… I'll listen.'

Kid pulled her closer against him, his arm draped casually over her shoulders and his thumb stroking her shoulder, 'I… I'm worried.'

Crona looked up at him, her wide blue eyes gleaming in the light from the building, 'Is it about Scelus?'

Kid shook his head, 'I'm worried I'll hurt you.'

'Why do you think you would?'

'I'm… I feel like I'm descending… into madness.'

Crona took in a deep breath, 'No you won't.'

'But I'm losing control already… I can't remember certain things I've done… events, conversations… There's…. there's this darkness in me… this evil… maybe it's a leftover from the Kishin's influence on me. And it's growing… it's slowly taking over me.'

'Then fight it,' said Crona.

'I am… but I'm exhausted… and I'm not as strong as you think.'

Crona's gaze lowered as her right hand reached up to twine her fingers with his hand on her shoulder, 'No… you're strong Kaito… don't think so lowly of yourself.'

'But I-'

'Then lean on me. If you think you're not strong enough there is no shame to ask for help from others. You know I would never refuse you. So don't push me away… Don't be a fool.'

Kid sighed wearily as his other hand raise to rub at his neck, 'Okay… I'll try.'

Crona hugged him tightly and she let out a silent sigh. Kid hesitated for a moment then he hugged her back, 'I promise I'll try my best.'

'I know you will. Just come talk to me if you're troubled. Don't bottle it all up.'

Kid scowled slightly when he heard whisperings in the wind, familiar words that had haunted him every night, you can hide from us Shinigami-kun but we'll find you. You will succumb to us. He shut his eyes and tried to block them out. Don't let them get you, just ignore them. They're not real… they're not there. Crona reluctantly took a step back, 'Let's get back inside, okay?'

Kid nodded numbly. He held her shoulders as his eyes roamed over her, his hands automatically fixed her hair and smoothed out the unsymmetrical folds on her dress. Crona gazed at him, trying to read him but his face was blank of emotions, his eyes hollow as if he had withdrawn from the world. The sight made her heart ached. It's true that his OCD with symmetry had returned but most of the time he seemed distant when he took care of the 'flaws'. His usual outbursts of displeasure (which she finds amusing, adorable and sometimes irritating) had reduced and there are times he doesn't even react to things which are symmetrical and unsymmetrical. Then there was clarity in his eyes and he blinked then forced a smile, 'Let's go.'

Crona slipped her hand into his, gripping his hand gently to reassure herself and him that they have each other. A smile graced her lips when the first thing she saw when they entered the ballroom was Liz and Loup waltzing. The others were on the dance floor as well, Soul with Maka, Ox with Kim, Harvar tensely dancing with Jacqueline who seemed amused with his discomfort, Ryanne with Belmont (or maybe it's Damont now?) and Tezca with Azusa. The others were either at the banquet table or having conversations with the other guests. She saw Patty laughing at something Kilik had said to her by the banquet table. Jenna was talking with a group of people with Hanna lingering nearby guarding her. She didn't see Ragnarok and Armageddon, assuming they're on patrol duty. She caught sight of Akane approaching Tsumugi and asked for a dance, the teenager was blushing profusely and tensely nodded after a gentle prod from her two best friends.

Crona realized she and Kid are still standing by the door to the balcony and she turned to him. Before she could say something a voice interrupted, 'Crona-san?'

She turned to face Scelus who was smiling warily as his eyes were on Kid who was glaring daggers at him. The man cleared his throat and Crona felt Kid's arm slipped around her waist and pulling her toward him. Scelus noticed the gesture but he asked anyway, 'Would you like to dance with me?'

'Eh?' the Witch was surprised. She never thought Scelus would boldly ask her to dance with him when Kid's distrust and displeasure was so obvious. She glanced at Kid but he kept his eyes on Scelus. The Shinigami growled, 'Sorry, but she's with me.'

Scelus smile faltered a bit, 'Sorry but I didn't ask you.'

Crona nervously shifted her eyes between the two men, 'Ah… I'm sorry but I…'

'It's alright. I understand,' said Scelus as he took a step back then walked away.

Crona felt Kid relax and she nudged him gently, 'He's a guest, be nice.'

'Sorry but I don't want another man holding you or stand close to you,' he said bitterly.

'Ragnarok's attitude seems to rub off on you.'

'Well, it's not wrong for me to be… overprotective, right?'

'More like possessive,' said Crona with a chuckle.

Kid's eyes shifted to her and she noticed his jaw clenched, 'Crona I-'

Crona shook her head, 'Don't worry. I only have you in my heart.'

Kid let out a sound that is a mix of laughter and sigh, 'That's cheesy.'

The woman grinned, 'I know.'

Kid spied a waiter standing and he waved the man over and took two glasses. He thanked the man then dismissed him. He gave a glass to Crona and took a drink from his glass. He watched as Crona took a tentative sip of the red liquid before downing the rest. Another waiter walked by and they dropped their glasses on his tray. The music changed and Crona looked up at him with glee, 'Wanna dance?'

Kid seemed to think about it before he shrugged, '…okay.'

The two walked to the dance floor unaware of a pair of eyes observing them. The young woman with dark maroon hair smiled as she tipped her glass and took a sip from her drink. Her magenta eyes shifted to Scelus who was conversing with Kilik and Patty then to the tall dark haired waiter who had quietly slipped out of the room unnoticed. She chuckled to herself as her eyes drifted to the others who she's interested with, her brain making up calculations and analysis from her observation. The smile on her face broke to a wide grin when she likes what her brain had concluded. Her eyes landed on Ryanne and narrowed, 'A catalyst. That's what I need for the twin's awakening.'

I do enjoy writing about Ryanne x Twins, Jenna x Ragnarok and Kid x Crona moments. The chapters are getting longer as well since I've grown in my writing abilities so expect a lot of... uhh... detailed descriptions and stuff! Don't forget to leave a review to keep me motivated!